She held onto the edge of the bed to steady herself. "What kind of ingredient did they use? Boiled socks?"
The door opened with a small creak, and Zhou Yinuo poked her head inside. She looked cheerful and full of pride.
"How is the tea?" Zhou Yinuo asked with a bright smile.
Liora turned her head so fast that made Zhou Yinuo flinched.
She looked at Zhou Yinuo's happy expression and could not bring herself to crush her excitement. She gritted her teeth and forced a wide smile, even though her tongue still burned from the tea.
"It is very good," Liora said with a higher pitch than usual. She gave a big nod in an attempt to look convincing.
Zhou Yinuo clapped her hands together and beamed with delight. "I knew you would love it. It is a special blend. My grandmother made it all the time. You will feel very refreshed after drinking it."
"Very refreshed," Liora repeated in a weak voice while holding the cup like it was a live grenade.
"That is great. I will get breakfast ready. Do not forget to finish it," Zhou Yinuo said as she walked off to the kitchen, humming happily.
When the door closed, Liora dropped her fake smile, and her face twisted in despair. She stared at the cup as if it were mocking her.
"I cannot believe I said that," she muttered with regret.
Her stomach turned at the idea of another sip. Her eyes fell on the potted plant, and an idea formed in her mind.
She crept over and checked the door to make sure Zhou Yinuo was not coming back. She tilted the cup over the soil and poured every drop of the tea into the pot.
"There you go," she whispered to the plant.
"This is better for you than me."
The plant stayed silent, but Liora thought it drooped slightly in protest.
The morning sun was barely up when Liora, Zhou Yinuo ,Liang Zihan and Chen Wei stepped out of their cramped apartment and onto the dusty streets of the base.
Liora walked behind the group and tried to keep up. With a dejected expression and as add to her misery, her stomach growled at the same time.
Their breakfast had been a small, a stale piece of bread split into four parts.
Yinuo looked back at her and smiled. "Do not worry, Liora. After you get your ID and we pick up a mission, things will improve."
Liora nodded, but her confidence wavered. She did not understand how she had ended up in this apocalyptic world or how she would survive it.
Every second of living in the damn... godforsaken place was torture for her.
Soon, they reached the administration building. It was a gray structure fortified with steel panels and surrounded by guards.
Inside, the air was thick with the smell of sweat and damp paper. Many people stood in line waiting their turn at the counters.
Even though Liora was dejected But still she entered the building with unintentional grace. Heads turned as soon as she stepped in. The air seemed to change at the sight of such beauty, after their world fell, who had time to take care of them and look this pretty?
But they are wrong, Liora has a beauty people would die for. And she has the grace of a princess, even if she is dejected and downcast, she is bound to catch everyone's attention.
The trio exchanged glances behind her. Zhou Yinuo smirked while Liang Zihan whispered to Chen Wei. "She does not even try, does she?"
Chen Wei only grunted as his eyes scanned the room.
Liora walked to the counter with calm confidence. The stern receptionist's usual indifference melted into nervousness. She stammered as she asked. "How can I help you?"
Chen Wei stepped forward and answered curtly. "We are here to register her for an ID."
The receptionist glanced at Liora and struggled to hold her gaze. Something about Liora's presence seemed to demand respect. The receptionist gestured toward Line Three and cleared her throat.
"Thank you," Liora said in a low, steady voice. The receptionist froze briefly as if stunned by the sound.
They moved to the line as whispers spread through the crowd.
"Who is she?" one man asked with his eyes fixed on Liora.
"She must be someone important," another said softly.
"She looks like she belongs in a palace, not here," a woman added while clutching her bag tightly.
At the counter a middle-aged man with glasses barely glanced up from his work. "Name," he asked flatly.
"Liora," she answered with a steady voice that made him look up.
Their eyes met and his expression changed to unease. He adjusted his glasses with trembling hands.
"Full name," he asked in a softer tone.
"Just Liora," she replied firmly. She does not want to use her formal title here, now she was just an ordinary human without a surname and title.
He nodded quickly and wrote it down. "Age," he asked.
"Twenty," she answered.
He nodded again and asked. "Any known abilities?"
Before she could respond, Chen Wei interrupted. "That is for the testing chamber, is it not? Let us get on with it."
The man gestured toward a door and spoke hastily. "Of course. This way please."
Liora followed his direction with regal movements. In the testing chamber, even the technician froze for a moment.
"Take a seat," he stammered while motioning to the chair.
Liora sat with perfect posture. The technician attached electrodes to her temples with trembling hands.
The technician's hopes skyrocketed as he thought about seeing some new abilities or powers.
He could tell by the look that she is no ordinary person. Maybe she is some bigshot who had recently arrived in their base. Or how could she still look this good in this apocalyptic world?
The machine came to life with a low hum. The technician stared at the screen with confusion. "Strange," he murmured.
"What is strange?" Liora asked in a calm tone.