After Surviving The Apocalypse, I Built A City In Another World

Migration

One year ago.

"We have unfortunate news for you, Mr and Mrs. Witt." The white-uniformed officer—an ageing man nearing his retirement age—said with a somber expression.

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 in 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 day, with the three of them having a rare time to catch up with each other.

Who would have thought—

"There have been 1032 planes that went down early this morning at 06:34. There were no survivors." He paused, heaving a deep sigh, trying not to show the exhaustion creeping in, "We are sorry to inform you that Mr. Wilson Witt and Mrs. Elena Murong-Witt... has unfortunately passed away."

In that instant, their living room that 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, and 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 for 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." A pause. "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 personal visits from officials.

The moment the door closed, Althea lost all her strength, legs giving way, feeling her entire body 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?"