A few hours passed before the floodwaters finally began to go down.
The building they were in had held firm. No leaks. No broken windows. It was built exactly for this a flood-safe structure with reinforced seals and a rooftop exit. It kept them safe when nothing else could.
Lingquan's voice sounded in Qingran's mind.
[The water level is lowering. Estimated time until partial clearance: one hour and twenty-nine minutes.]
She nodded silently and glanced at the others.
Most people were huddled in the corners or sitting quietly with their heads against the wall. Some clutched bags. A few held children asleep in their arms. No one said much. The fear had passed, but a different kind of silence had taken its place, the kind that comes when people don't know what's left to return to.
When the water finally lowered enough for them to open the roof, they stepped outside in small groups.
The city was unrecognizable.
