Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 176: A Long Wait.

Chapter 176: A Long Wait.

Garvin heaved a defeated sigh, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

"But where do I even begin to look for little Hope?" he thought, his body tensing with unease. "I don’t even know where the baby is."

From what Scarlett had said, her soul might actually be inside Hope’s body. If that were true, then she would only retain her memories when Hope grew up.

"That’s one hell of a long wait," he mused, his jaw tightening.

But then, if truly that is the case, then he had no choice but to wait until Scarlett came looking for him, if she ever did reincarnate into Hope’s body. That uncertainty gnawed at him.

Shaking his head, he muttered, "No point overthinking this right now."

With that, he made his way to his car, slid into the driver’s seat, and started the engine.

His thoughts drifted back to the system’s directive: The goal is to build Haven so that when the real apocalypse strikes Earth, humans will know where to find refuge.

"Does that mean only Scarlett and I remember the apocalypse we just survived? Or do other chosen members have their memories too? If that’s the case, then Ryder and Ethan who are also from this country must remember. And considering my reputation, they’ll definitely come looking for me right?"

Ping!

His phone vibrated in his pocket, jolting him from his thoughts. He pulled it out, frowning at the unknown number on the screen. As a businessman, he was used to receiving calls from potential clients whose numbers he hadn’t saved yet, so he answered without hesitation.

"Hello, Garvin."

The moment the voice came through the line, his breath hitched. It was a voice he recognized instantly.

"...Ethan?" Garvin’s voice rose in disbelief. Was he hallucinating?

"Yes, it’s me." There was a brief pause before Ethan added, "Ryder is here too...along with Golden and Jaden. We’re all at your office."

Garvin’s grip on the phone tightened.

"You’re one big man, after all," Ethan continued, a hint of amusement in his tone. "It wasn’t hard to track you down."

"Damn," Garvin muttered, exhaling sharply. "I was just thinking about you motherfuckers. Anyways just wait for me. I’ll be there soon."

Without wasting another second, he ended the call, gripping the steering wheel fiercely. His foot slammed on the accelerator, sending his car speeding through the city streets.

By the time Garvin reached his office building, his pulse was racing. The moment he stepped inside, one of his employees approached him.

"Sir, your visitors are waiting in the conference room," they informed him.

Nodding briskly, Garvin strode through the hallways, his heart pounding with anticipation.

Reaching the conference room, he pushed the door open forcefully only to be met with the sight of Ethan, Ryder, Jaden, Hunter, and Golden sitting around the table.

As soon as their eyes met his, the group shot up from their seats.

None of them hesitated.

They closed the distance between them in an instant, embracing each other tightly. No words were needed in those first few seconds, only the overwhelming relief of knowing they weren’t alone in this strange new reality.

Tears welled in their eyes, but no one cared.

"It’s so damn good to see you guys again," Ethan was the first to break the silence as they finally pulled apart.

He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head in disbelief. "It’s... strange. No one else seems to remember the apocalypse. At first, I thought I was losing my mind. I even started convincing myself that it was all just a nightmare."

His eyes flickered toward Ryder and Hunter. "But then I ran into these two in your company’s parking lot, and when we realized we all remembered... Well, the first place we thought to check was here. I saw you on the news, so we knew where to find you."

"Same here," Jaden chimed in, grinning. "I nearly lost my mind thinking it was just some messed-up dream. But seeing Golden made me calm down."

He reached out, pulling his sister into a tight hug. Golden smiled softly, brushing her fingers over his head in a comforting gesture.

Then Ryder, who had been quiet until now, leaned forward, his expression turning serious. "Where’s Scarlett?" His sharp gaze bore into Garvin’s. "I saw that she works in your company’s marketing department. I saw her on the news. That’s another reason we came here, to confirm if she’s okay."

"She didn’t... die, did she?" Ethan asked, a deep frown settling on his face. "The system kept saying she would, but that was bullshit, right?"

A tense silence filled the room.

Garvin exhaled heavily. "I haven’t seen her yet."

The weight of his words sent a ripple of shock through the group.

"What do you mean?" Golden’s voice was laced with disbelief as she shifted in her chair. "Scarlett isn’t dead, is she?"

"And we still haven’t found little Hope either," Jaden added, his brows knitting together. "But well.. she’s a baby. She might be with her parents now."

Garvin rubbed his temples. "To be honest, I’m just as confused as you guys. But then I thought only chosen members would retain their memories, yet Golden and Jaden do too...normal humans who remember while others don’t. That alone makes this situation even more confusing."

He sighed before continuing, "Anyways, back to Scarlett, before we left the apocalypse, she whispered something to me. She said she found a way to come back. Something about being reborn through Hope."

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Through Hope? Well Scarlett said so, hence I believe her. So you think she might actually be alive inside that baby?"

"It’s the only explanation I have." Garvin replied as he heaved a heavy sigh.

Ethan let out a sharp breath. "Then we need to find Hope. If Scarlett is alive, she’s the only one who can explain what the hell is going on. I need to see her, to know for sure that she made it back."

A moment of silence passed before Garvin raised a hand, concentrating.

Garvin flexed his fingers, letting the cool sensation of his water element swirl between them. The power was still there.

"The elemental power is still here. We’ll be needing it after all, I guess if another apocalypse is to strike."

He exhaled, his mind drifting toward the other lingering connection, the mind link.

"Why isn’t it working?"

He didn’t want to dwell on the worst-case scenario. He refused to. Right now, all he could do was hope.

"I really don’t want to think about bad things," Ryder muttered, breaking the heavy silence. He leaned back in his chair, running a hand down his face. "I only want to believe that Scarlett is alive. But then if she’s inside Hope’s body. She can’t talk, not yet."

The room was silent, everyone absorbing his words.

"We’ll have to wait then," Garvin continued. "Hope has to grow up, reach the exact age Scarlett was when she came to the apocalypse world I guess."

"Huh?" Ethan’s gaze sharpened. "And how old was she back then?"

"Twenty-nine," Garvin answered, his voice firm. "Scarlett was twenty-nine when she was pulled into that hellhole." He paused, rubbing his chin. "If our assumptions are right, then when Hope turns twenty-nine, Scarlett’s memories will awaken. She’ll remember everything, who she was, who we are, and everything from the apocalypse."

A heavy silence followed his statement, the weight of reality pressing down on them.

"Damn," Ethan groaned, rubbing his temples. "By then, we’ll all be so much older." He let out a frustrated sigh. "But I guess we have no choice. Until Scarlett comes back, we can’t move forward."

"So that means we should all continue living our lives like normal humans," Hunter finally spoke up, his voice calm but laced with a hint of unease. "And just... wait for the Monster Queen to return."

His words sent a shiver through the group.

Golden, who had been quiet, lowered her head. "But... what if she’s really dead and isn’t in Hope’s body?" Her voice wavered, and sadness flickered across her face. "What if we’re waiting for something that will never come? What if her sacrifice actually worked, and she’s gone for good?"

The room fell into a somber silence.

Jaden face fell asleep tears weld up in his eyes, his lips pressed into a thin line. Ethan’s jaw tightened, his gaze darkening. Hunter sighed, staring at the floor.

Golden swallowed hard. "I really want to see her again. I need to see her again. But the more I think about it, the more I fear that I might never get the chance."

"Oh, come on, Golden," Garvin interjected, his voice cutting through the tension. "We will see her again." His confidence was unwavering as he turned to face them all.

"If the wait is too long for you, then take a break. Go on vacation. Start a new life somewhere," he suggested. "And in twenty-nine years, we can all come back together."

"Twenty nine years isn’t happening in a blink of an eye guy." Hunter uttered as he heaved a heavy sigh.

Garvin glanced at them one last time before heading toward the door.

"Just keep hoping," he said, his voice firm but laced with quiet emotion.

With that, he stepped toward the exit.

"I need a break," he muttered before disappearing through the doorway, leaving the others in thoughtful silence.