As the plane flew smoothly above the clouds, the seatbelt sign was turned off. Flight attendants pushed carts down the aisle, offering drinks and food to the passengers.
This appeared to be a newly established airline called Pioneer Airlines. Despite its small size and low-cost approach, the drinks and food were surprisingly plentiful.
Jack hesitated for a moment but then released his seatbelt. No matter what, filling his stomach was important; if something really went wrong, he didn't want to die hungry.
The steak in business class, although heated in a microwave, tasted decent. After finishing, Jack ordered a gin and tonic to calm his nerves.
Already high in the sky, without any special flying skills from the System to turn him into a superhero, Jack could only hope that the disaster would hold off until they landed. Whether it was Tokyo or Los Angeles, anything was better than a mid-air crisis.
However, Jack's hopes were dashed as the plane experienced a slight turbulence, and the captain's voice came over the intercom.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. The seatbelt sign is back on. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. Thank you."
At the same time, Jack noticed the plane climbing slightly, but the surrounding clouds grew denser.
Unbeknownst to many, in low-latitude regions, the troposphere extends above 17,000 meters (about 56,000 feet), making it impossible for commercial aircraft to climb above the weather into the stratosphere. In such regions, when encountering adverse weather, the options are to fly around it or try to pass over it.
Raindrops began to pelt the windows, lightning flashed outside, and the plane shook violently. Jack's heart raced, and he noticed Jennie's face turning pale as well. From the direction of the economy class, there were occasional gasps and cries.
A loud bang was followed by a flash of lightning near the window, and the plane shuddered. A flight attendant screamed, accompanied by the sound of objects hitting the floor.
Jack grabbed Jennie's hand, prepared to use his healing spell if necessary. As long as the plane didn't disintegrate mid-air or crash into the ocean or ground, he was confident he could keep them alive.
Thankfully, the turbulence gradually subsided, and the plane returned to stable flight.
In the back of the cabin, there were sounds of passengers crying and vomiting. Jack turned around to see two flight attendants unbuckling their seatbelts and heading towards the economy class.
Some overhead compartments had opened, causing small luggage to fall out. The crew was busy calming the passengers and securing the baggage.
The seatbelt sign remained on, and after tidying up, the flight attendants quickly returned to their seats and fastened their seatbelts.
"Jack, look," Jennie pointed out the window.
To the right of the plane, a massive swirling vortex of clouds, filled with frequent lightning, was slowly forming. It was a newly born tropical storm, a sight so apocalyptic that most people would never witness it in their lifetime. However, Jack wasn't thrilled about being "lucky" enough to see it.
Passengers on the right side of the plane began to notice the phenomenon and gasped in awe.
Shortly after, the seatbelt sign finally turned off, and a collective sigh of relief was heard throughout the cabin.
Jack released Jennie's hand, noticing they were both clammy with sweat.
A flight attendant unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to stand when another lightning flash outside the plane was followed by severe turbulence. The seatbelt sign lit up again.
As everyone's anxiety spiked, a blinding bolt of ball lightning emerged from the cockpit, speeding down the aisle and disappearing at the back of the plane.
"What was that?"
"Damn, I can't see anything."
"Is it a monster? Did it get inside the plane?"
"Are we being attacked by aliens?"
As passengers began screaming, the cabin lights went out, and the plane experienced another round of violent shaking, making everyone feel weightless.
It felt like everyone's hearts were in their throats, and if not for the seatbelts, some might have hit the ceiling.
"Isabella!" the purser, Bonnie, screamed.
Jack looked back to see the previously unseated flight attendant lying in the aisle, her neck at an unnatural angle.
"Damn, is she still alive?"
On the other side, an international detective named Karam quickly unbuckled his seatbelt, attempting to check on the situation.
"Get back in your seat and fasten your seatbelt!" Bonnie shouted, warning the well-meaning detective.
Another wave of weightlessness hit, more intense than before, causing the plane to tilt to one side.
Jack acted swiftly, grabbing Karam's arm and pulling him back before he hit the ceiling.
"She's already dead. Sit down and buckle up. This isn't the time for heroics."
The plane continued to shake, and a desperate urge to use the bathroom indicated that they were rapidly descending. The cabin was filled with cries and screams.
The ominous humming of the plane's structure suggested it might break apart at any moment.
After what felt like an eternity, though only a few minutes had passed, the weightlessness ended, and the cabin lights came back on, now dimmed to emergency mode.
The plane was still shaking, but the dreadful hum had ceased.
Feeling the discomfort from the changing air pressure, Jack deduced that the plane had lost a significant amount of altitude.
Bonnie, the purser, bravely unbuckled her seatbelt and stumbled to the fallen flight attendant. After checking for a pulse, she covered her mouth, stifling a sob as she confirmed the worst.
---
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter