After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World novel Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Migration

Seven months ago.

"We have unfortunate news for you, Mr and Mrs. Witt." The white-uniformed officer said, with a somber expression. He was a pale-skinned man wearing a white uniform, making him look even paler.

He and his partner, a middle-aged woman with copper skin, were standing still just within the threshold of their home. They did not come into the house, simply because there were too many houses they had to go to.

The three of them happened to be in the house at that time, a rare occurrence considering their busy schedules. Nanny had even gone to the market to gather ingredients for a small feast.

It was supposed to be an interesting and fun day, with the three of them having a rare time catching up with each other.

Who would have thought—

"There have been 1032 planes that went down early this morning at 06:34." He paused, heaving a deep sigh, trying not to show the exhaustion creeping in, "There were no survivors.

"We are sorry to inform you that Mr. Howard Witt and Mrs. Alicia Murong-Witt... have unfortunately passed away."

In that instant, their living room which had once been a place of warmth, suddenly got freezing cold.

It was so cold that she was shaking, and her vision became blurry. If her husband's large hand hadn't been holding her, she might have fainted then and there.

"What happened?" Althea heard the baritone voice of her husband ask beside her. She looked up to listen to their answer, trying to keep down the ringing in her ears.

"We are still investigating the cause of this tragedy and we request your utmost patience."

Althea managed to find her voice to ask, "They... where are they?"

"Their bodies have been collected and moved to the South Montague Morgue." The woman answered as gently as possible. Then, she paused, not sure what tone to use in his next statement, "They... are in relatively good condition due to their position in the plane."

"I... I see..."

The officers looked at each other and sighed, faces tired. There was no doubt they'd been through several houses before theirs.

"We are sorry for your loss. The country had lost great scholars." The man told them, very sincerely.

"If there's anything we can do to assist you, please contact our team any time." They finally said without further ado, handing over their business card.

They then bowed and excused themselves, leaving the grieving family their much-needed space.

They were probably heading to give the bad news to the next house that opted for personal visits from officials.

The moment the door closed, Althea lost all her strength, her legs giving way, her entire body suddenly devoid of energy.

"Althea!" Her husband's deep voice sounded in her ears. And she soon felt his strong arms support her weight.

She habitually searched for his warmth, his pinewood scent, and buried her head in his wide shoulder.

She felt herself being carried to the living room and to the comfort of the sofa. He gently placed her on his thigh, his warm large hand patting her waist.

It took a while to gather herself and get enough energy to utter a syllable, but Garan was patient and did not speak, only making sure she felt his presence next to her.

"They're...really gone?" She asked, voice cracking, tears lining up her eyes.

It was so pitiful and broke Garan's heart. He simply embraced her deeper and patted her back. "They wouldn't want you to feel too sad..." He said, "I'm sure they're watching over us right now, feeling very sorry for leaving all of a sudden. Do you want them to feel even worse?"

Tears pooled in her eyes and she sniffed. Garan, always the boy scout, took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears and then her snot.

The gesture also reminded her of how her mother did the same and she just hugged him tighter. However, as she buried her head and wiped snot all over her husband's shoulder, her peripheral vision caught a red-headed figure nearby.

Her eyes stopped. It was Ansel, who was shaking in a corner, returning to his old ways of hiding and suffering quietly.

But she was really sad right now, she couldn't stand up to comfort the boy who lost his biological parents at the same time.

"How... how could this happen?" She asked her husband, voice weak to the point of whispering.

Thousands of planes went down at the same time. Most were still much worse than their parents.

Should she be thankful they got their parents' bodies in one piece, at least?

"I will find out," Garan said, placing a comforting kiss on her cheek. "Leave it to me."

She nodded and couldn't help but look worriedly at the corner. Garan followed her line of sight and sighed.

The man gently placed his wife on the sofa, placing a light peck on her forehead, before striding down the particularly depressing corner.

"Leave me alone!" Ansel yelled without looking up, voice squeaking, snot dripping down. It was really pitiful.

However, in contrast with his gentle handling of Althea, he was more straightforward with this brother of his.

Out of nowhere, Garan grabbed Ansel's neck collar, lifting him to his knees.

"What—"

Without speaking, Garan pulled him up, dragging him to the yard, very likely to the training ground.

It may look harsh, but Althea knew her husband intended on giving Ansel some tough love, to help him go through the tragedy. If Ansel entered that lonely world of his again, it would be difficult to bring him back.

In fact, Ansel's shift from being mildly autistic to his confident, extroverted, self had less to do with her... but had a lot to do with her husband's training.

It seemed that learning to defend himself injected confidence in their brother.

Too much, if you asked her.

Neither of them would have ever anticipated he'd turn into a playboy, but... it was better than him being trapped in his own world like he was as a child, before meeting the two of them.

Thankfully, her husband always knew what to do, and she didn't have to worry about Ansel anymore.

Althea watched the two men go outside the house, her mood slightly better, because it reminded her of what she still had.

Yes. At the very least, they still had each other.

...

What she didn't expect was that he would be sent on a confidential mission a week later.

She looked at him in a daze as she sat next to him on the couch. His deep cerulean eyes also gazed at her, orbs filled with apology, his large calloused fingers gently rubbing her hands.

Eventually, her eyes cleared and she looked at him with certainty. "Our parents' accidents had to do with your mission right?" She said, looking straight at his deep cerulean eyes.

"You know I can't tell you, love." He told her, very gently. He legally couldn't say anything, even if he wanted to.

"I'm sorry I had to leave at this time." He uttered, placing his big palms on the side of her face. She closed her eyes and felt her husband's warmth.

She knew it would be a while until she could do so again, so she didn't make any issue at all.

When she opened her eyes, her emerald eyes had a renewed light. "I understand," She said, "Please find out what happened."

"Of course, my wife," He said, placing a chaste kiss on the side of her face, before moving to her lips.

Soon, he became a bit greedy, trying to maximize the few minutes of time they had left.

He licked her luscious lips, and they easily granted him entry.

Even after years, the electricity in their touches never faded, and the warmth the other provided only became more comforting, more integral, and more intuitive.

His large hands moved from the side of her face to her curvaceous back, pulling her to him so he could feel as much of her as he could, given their current circumstance.

He changed the angle of their kiss to gain more access, to express more of his reluctance, and she wrapped her delicate arms around his neck, responding with equal passion.

His phone rang several times before he was willing to part with his soft wife.

His azure eyes caught the silver viscous string that connected their lips, calling them back together, and he leaned down again. All his senses were trying to imprint his wife, trying to convey his love, and his ears pointedly ignoring the incessant calls.

He breathed in his wife's scent, savored her taste, and felt her warmth. After some time, they slowly parted and he placed their foreheads together, incredibly reluctant.