Initial Chaos
For almost everyone across the world, the change wasn't big. There was no cataclysmic explosion or change in the sky, but still, no matter who it was, they felt something.
All over the globe, no matter if you were two miles underground or in an air-tight room, all humans and lifeforms alike felt a small gust of wind go across their bodies.
However, this gust of wind didn't just blow their hair or get in their eyes. No, it somehow made them feel energized. It was almost as if they had downed ten energy drinks.
Whether it was a child just learning how to walk or an old man on his deathbed, humans all around the globe felt something within them change from the gust of wind.
But since no one could tell what it was, they were all scared. After all, one of the biggest fears in humans was the unknown.
Imagine if one day you were living your daily life and you suddenly felt something within your body change. Even if it were for the better, you'd still be scared out of your wits.
And humans around the globe were no different. In the following hours after the gust of wind, governments across the globe started to launch country-wide investigations in case it was a terrorist attack.
Hospitals were overwhelmed with a massive amount of hysterical patients claiming nonsensical things. Even some fanatical religious pastors started shouting, claiming that the gust of wind was one of the signs of the Day of Judgement.
But there was one trend that was everywhere. No man, group, or country had a clue what was going on except for a small family of three in the middle of nowhere.
"Matthew, dammit, let us out! What if something happened to us? That gust of wind wasn't natural, and you know it!" Eva yelled out as she tried to move Matthew.
"Yes, Mat! What if that is some biochemical terrorist attack some crazy country concocted and decided to test it out on the US population!" Amanda spoke from a distance as she tried to regain her breath.
Since the seal was broken an hour ago, Eva and Amanda have been screaming at him to let them leave, saying that something was wrong and they should go to the hospital. But he knew that even if they went to a hospital right now, let alone a doctor, they wouldn't even be able to see a nurse.
The lines in hospitals would most likely wrap around the block. So if they went now, they most likely wouldn't even enter the building today.
However, even after he told them the truth, they were still adamant about going anyway. They even threatened to take the car themselves without him.
So, to stop them, he locked them in and stood in front of the door. With his strength, they wouldn't be able to move him an inch, let alone out of the doorway.
After sensing that they couldn't, the two gave up.
"Matthew, why the hell are you so strong all of a sudden? I remember you couldn't even open a water bottle just a few days ago without breaking a sweat." Eva spoke tiredly as she laid down on a couch.
But instead of answering her, Matthew finally spoke about his promise from yesterday.
"You guys wanted to know why I bought the stuff yesterday, right? This is it. The government is going to announce a country-wide quarantine soon, and this stuff is going to help us get through it." Matthew explained vaguely.
However, his words didn't give the two women any reassurance.
"Oh, so what, you're now a fortune teller? Are you going to tell us that you prepared for an apocalypse because you know the future?" Amanda sarcastically said, not knowing she wasn't far from the truth.
"It doesn't matter what I am. You two are staying here with us. While you might think I'm being psychotic or delusional, you'll understand how great my decision was in a few days." Matthew said while shaking his head.
"Anyway, even if we go to the hospital, we won't get in for at least a day, so we might as well stay home." Matthew finished as he left the two women to their thoughts.
After saying so, Matthew went to a room that was furnished and went to sleep. He had stayed awake the entire night installing everything around the house, and before he could even rest, the two women started to scream and argue with him.
All he wanted now was some sleep. While his cultivation did allow him to stay awake for a slightly longer time than a mortal, he had been awake for almost 30 hours at this point. Also, for every second that he was awake, he had been doing extreme physical or mental labor.
Even with his cultivation, he couldn't stay awake any longer. So rather than passing out in the living room, Matthew found a bed and fell onto it, going to sleep before he even hit the mattress.
Meanwhile, as Matthew fell into the land of dreams, Amanda and Eva, the two rivals, were both questioning their next move.
As Matthew said, even if the two of them went to the hospital, most likely, they wouldn't even be able to enter the building today.
And since Matthew had so lavishly prepared for the upcoming "quarantine," it seemed much safer to stay inside until the government published news regarding the situation.
"Amanda, should we stay? The stuff that Matthew said, while hard to believe, is extremely reasonable." Eva spoke up first.
Though Eva hated her love rival, she was also the only other woman nearby to confide in. And rather than decide for herself, why not ask her?
At worst, she could just ignore the woman's suggestion that they should be crazy.
"Mat has never tried to hurt me or you before, so listening to him this once would be smart. But if he is wrong, then we have to teach him a lesson." Amanda answered after pondering for a moment.
Agreeing with her words, Eva eventually stopped trying to break out and went to watch the news on TV. Since they were stuck inside, she might as well find out more information about the outside world.
Amanda also sat down next to her to watch the news. While they were now rivals, they were also both stuck in a very awkward situation and could only ignore their previous relationship and band together.
In an adjacent room, however, unaware to the women, John and Joanne had their ears to the wall while listening in.
After the twins heard the TV turn on, they removed their ears and went back to their beds.
"Don't you think those two are kinda stupid? Mat is basically kidnapping them right now. Shouldn't they run and try to call the police?" John spoke up.
The young John didn't know anything about love and thought that the two were acting foolishly at this point.
"John, you're too dense. They are both head over heels for Mat. How could they possibly get him arrested?" Joanne disdainfully replied.
"How the hell am I supposed to know their inner feelings? They are called inner feelings for a reason!" John angrily said.
The two would continue to argue in their bedroom until a small brawl erupted, but sadly for John, since he was weaker than his sister, he gave up first.
Following the brawl, nothing of significance would happen in the house. Amanda and Eva would watch the news in case of any important government announcements. Matthew was deep in sleep, and the twins were trying out the electronic paradise that Matthew had set up.
But for the rest of the world, that could hardly be the case.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Every little thing helps - https://ko-fi.com/slarbi123.
There is now a discord for this novel. However, be warned. It is rather bare bones. I suck at Discord. The link is in the synopsis.
Also, if you like this novel, you can check out my others!