Warehouse of the Apocalypse

We were trying to survive, not loot.

Tamsin took the notebook. At the mention of compensation, she curled her lip slightly.

Garrick pried open a large cardboard box in a few quick motions.

"Shit!"

Inside was the latest PS5 console. He kicked the box in frustration. "What the hell is this good for right now?!"

Rhys picked a wooden crate and forced it open.

A cold, raw scent hit us immediately—premium Australian wagyu. Everyone’s eyes lit up for a second, then dimmed just as fast.

Garrick scratched his head. "How are we supposed to eat this? We don’t even have a pot."

I couldn’t let them keep guessing. I pointed at a box stamped with a food company logo. "Open that one."

Garrick sliced it open halfheartedly then froze. A second later, he burst out, shouting in excitement, "A stove! A portable stove!"

Soon, four steaming portions sat in front of us, fragrant and rich. It was the first hot meal we’d had since everything began.

After we finished, I stopped him before he could start tearing into more boxes. "Don’t act rashly."

I led them to a neatly stacked row of shelves. "The logistics area is divided into zones. This section handles polar expedition gear and outdoor brands. Search here."

As expected, we quickly uncovered brand-new down jackets, snow boots, sleeping bags, and professional camping cookware with gas canisters.

The wagyu problem was solved.

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was an old neighborhood group chat that I’d forgotten to exit.

Delilah's message popped up: [I'm freezing to death here! What the hell is this weather?! Are the property managers all dead?! The villa’s like an icebox! Whoever brings me a down jacket, I’ll pay you $10,000!]

I looked at the message, then took off my outerwear, leaving only a short-sleeved shirt. Standing in front of the pile of newly unpacked down jackets, I snapped a photo of myself eating meat, with the stack of winter gear clearly visible behind me.

A friend request from Delilah came through.

A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as I accepted it.

The video call came instantly. She was screaming the moment it connected.

"Where the hell are you?! Where did you get all those clothes?! Get them to me right now! I’m ordering you, did you hear me?!"

Her lips were purple from the cold, and her face pale. Wrapped in a thin blanket, she shivered violently inside the villa.

Right in front of her, I picked up an expensive down jacket and calmly wiped the dust off my shoes with it, then tossed it straight into the heater’s open flame.

"This thing," I said into the camera, "burns warmer than it wears."

Watching her face twist in fury, I smiled. In my last life, she had stripped me of my clothes and thrown me out into the cold without a second thought.

"You’re a grown man. You can handle the cold."

"You—"

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Tamsin. Her gaze flickered, and she muttered under her breath, "How can you just waste something like that..."

I hung up and didn’t bother responding.

That night, we all changed into new gear and climbed into thick sleeping bags.

Rhys used the new cookware to boil a big pot of rich beef soup.

Then I noticed that Tamsin wasn’t asleep. She was staring out through the narrow gap in the window, at the frozen, lifeless world outside.

I narrowed my eyes. In a world like this, people who couldn’t let go of their so-called kindness were liabilities.

On the fourth day, we gathered around the table, eating wagyu broth. The marbled beef swished through the broth before being dipped into premium gravy.

Grease glistened on Garrick’s lips as he ate.

"Boss, I’ve never had meat this good in my life. It's totally worth it," he said, grinning. "Even if I freeze to death after this, it’s worth it."