Chapter 63: The First Line of Defense

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: The First Line of Defense

The days that followed settled into a peaceful routine.

For nearly three months, the outside world ceased to exist.

Every sunrise marked another day of training.

Every sunset ended with laughter around the dinner table.

The apocalypse felt impossibly far away.

...

Erik’s training never stopped.

If anything, it became even harsher.

Now, however...

He wasn’t training alone.

Hrimnir faithfully remained by his side.

The little wolf cub grew larger with each passing week.

His once-clumsy paws became steadier.

His movements sharper.

More graceful.

More deliberate.

Most surprising of all—

The Soul Bond continued to evolve.

During one sparring session, Erik instinctively summoned a wall of ice.

The moment it formed—

Frost erupted beneath Hrimnir’s paws.

The cub skidded to a halt, staring curiously at the thin layer of ice spreading around him.

"...Did you do that?"

Erik asked.

"No."

Hrimnir sounded just as surprised.

"I merely wished to stand beside you."

The following weeks revealed an astonishing discovery.

As Erik’s control over his Ice and Lightning Elements improved...

So did Hrimnir’s.

Not because the wolf possessed awakened abilities.

But because the Soul Bond allowed him to naturally resonate with Erik’s power.

Tiny arcs of lightning occasionally danced through Hrimnir’s snowy fur.

A thin layer of frost followed wherever he sprinted.

Neither of them understood why.

For now...

They simply accepted it.

***

Elsewhere inside the Space—

Aunt Mary and Aunt Lucy practically declared war against the kitchen.

Every morning began with another recipe.

Every afternoon ended with neatly packed containers disappearing into storage.

Stews.

Curries.

Roasted meats.

Fresh bread.

Rice.

Vegetables harvested straight from the fields.

Even Kai eventually admitted defeat.

"I think we’re going to have enough food for the next ten years."

Mary smiled proudly.

"Good."

"That’s exactly the plan."

***

Training became everyone’s daily routine.

While Erik refined his connection with Hrimnir, Kai and Ben pushed each other to their limits, refusing to fall behind.

Every member of the family found their own way to prepare for whatever waited beyond the Space.

Only Penelope’s training remained hidden from everyone else

Whenever no one was paying attention—

Penelope quietly slipped away.

She followed the winding stream toward the Golden Cave.

Where a certain fiery phoenix impatiently awaited her arrival.

"Sister!"

Lya chirped excitedly, immediately throwing herself into Penelope’s arms.

The two spent countless afternoons together. Lya had grown a lot bigger. She could no longer perch on her shoulder without knocking Penelope sideways.

Although she was now an adult phoenix, her mind was still that of a child.

Most afternoons were spent sparring. During one particularly intense sparring session, Penelope realized that Lya was also able to access her abilities.

At times they meditated together, Lya guiding Penelope on how to better divide her energy between her two abilities.

And most of the time, they spent it talking.

Lya spoke of instincts she couldn’t explain.

Fragments of ancient memories that surfaced like dreams.

Penelope listened carefully.

Learning alongside her.

She had considered telling Erik and the others about Lya’s existence more than once.

Yet every time she tried...

The words refused to leave her mouth.

Not because she didn’t trust them.

But because...

She wasn’t sure how to explain that she had somehow become the older sister of an ancient phoenix.

Some conversations could wait.

This...

Was one of them.

***

Eventually—

Three months came to an end.

Training slowed.

Weapons were inspected.

Backpacks packed.

No one said it aloud.

But they all understood.

Their peaceful days inside the Space were over.

***

The familiar warmth of the Space faded as everyone stepped back into Penelope’s apartment.

Morning sunlight peeked through the floor-to-ceiling blinds, painting the living room in a soft red tone.

For a brief moment...

Everything felt surreal.

The couch remained exactly where they had left it.

The dining table still held the empty mugs from nearly three months ago.

Not a single object had moved.

Only ninety minutes had passed in the outside world.

Three months for them.

Barely an hour and a half had passed in the outside world.

The contrast was enough to leave anyone speechless.

Kai stretched his arms above his head before dropping onto the couch with a satisfied sigh.

"I almost forgot how comfortable this couch is."

"You’ve been sitting on this same couch for three months," Ben deadpanned.

"Yeah, but now it’s nostalgic."

Penelope couldn’t help but smile.

It was strange.

The apartment no longer felt like a place she merely lived in.

It felt...

Different.

Like returning from a long journey.

Except the journey had happened somewhere no one else could ever see.

Erik was the first to break the silence.

"Before we do anything else... We need to secure our floors."

Everyone’s expressions immediately became serious.

The warmth lingering from the Space quietly disappeared.

Reality settled back over the room.

Kai leaned forward.

"I’ve actually been thinking about that."

He grabbed a nearby notepad from the coffee table and began sketching a rough layout of the upper floors.

"What if we reinforce every staircase entrance?"

He quickly circled each floor.

"Twenty-first."

"Twenty-second."

"Twenty-third."

"Twenty-fourth."

"And the Twenty-fifth."

"We install heavy-duty steel security doors on every entrance."

"If one floor gets breached..."

"We simply fall back to the next." Kai finished.

Ben studied the sketch. "It gives us multiple defensive positions."

Penelope shook her head. "I don’t think that’s a good idea."

Kai looked up. "Why?"

"Too many barriers become a disadvantage." She pointed toward the drawing. "If zombies manage to get onto one of these floors...We’d be trapping ourselves between reinforced doors. Our escape routes become our prison."

The room fell silent.

"...I didn’t think about that." Kai murmured as he slowly looked at his sketch.

Erik finally spoke. "One door."

Everyone turned toward him. "We barricade the entrance to the twenty-first floor. If we fortify one choke point properly...We control every upper floor."

He pointed toward the staircase leading upward.

"Everything above the twenty-first floor becomes our territory. Anything below it...We deal with it if needed."

Ben nodded thoughtfully.

"That also means fewer resources."

"We can make one entrance significantly stronger instead of spreading ourselves too thin." Kai’s eyes suddenly lit up again. "Then let’s make that one entrance terrifying."

Penelope smiled. "I’m listening."

Kai grinned and spoke excitedly. "Reinforced steel. Industrial locking bolts. Bullet-resistant core." He paused dramatically. "And... if possible, we electrify it."

"...Explain." Ben asked, clearly intrigued.

"If somebody tries forcing the door open..." Kai mimicked touching a handle. "They get the surprise of their life."

Ben rubbed his chin and responded "It could work. If we connect it to an independent generator... It won’t rely on the city’s electrical grid. Even if the power goes out...The door will remain active."

Erik gave a single nod. "Perfect."

"We’ll install it first."

Without another word, everyone rose to their feet.

Nobody questioned Erik’s orders. Somewhere during those three months, following one another had become second nature.

Months of training had taught them something far more valuable than combat.

It had taught them how to work together.

And now...

It was time to turn their home into a fortress.