Chapter 226: The Typhoon

Chapter 226: The Typhoon

The two sat quietly together, neither speaking another word.

Sophia was preparing to leave the place where she'd grown up—heading somewhere paradoxically both foreign and familiar.

She considered herself fortunate. Though she was going abroad, at least she had old friends there—people she'd known over the years.

And beside her…

Her gaze drifted to Lucas, who was playing with the children, her emotions tangled.

Beside her, she still had family and friends.

A faint smile touched her lips. Some of the gloom weighing on her heart lifted. This departure—this final, one-way departure—suddenly felt a little less daunting.

Just then, Sophia glanced out the window.

The sky, which had been clear and bright moments ago, had darkened considerably.

She froze, rising instinctively to peer outside.

Other travelers had noticed too. They crowded near the glass wall, murmuring anxiously.

"Why does it look like it's about to storm?"

"You don't think it'll rain, do you? What if it delays takeoff?"

"The weather forecast said no rain today."

"The flight's already delayed. What are we supposed to do?"

More and more people gathered by the windows, their voices rising in concern.

As time dragged on, the sky outside grew darker, heavy clouds rolling in. The delayed departure announcements only heightened the oppressive atmosphere.

Sophia retreated from the crowd and immediately caught sight of Lucas's grave expression.

He was staring at his phone—a red alert from the meteorological bureau glowing on the screen.

The highest-level typhoon warning.

Sophia's face drained of color. She grabbed her own phone, her hands trembling as she read the identical emergency alert.

Within the next six hours, a major typhoon would hit the city.

Wind speeds could reach Force 12—hurricane strength.

All schools and workplaces were ordered to shut down immediately. Those far from home were advised not to travel. The alert listed a series of emergency shelters and urged anyone unable to return home to seek refuge at once.

Behind her, gasps erupted from the crowd.

She turned back sharply. In just minutes, the sky had gone pitch-black.

Lightning flickered dangerously through the thick cloud cover.

Those with weaker nerves backed away from the windows.

Panicked travelers scrambled to call loved ones or badger airport staff for answers.

The airport intercom crackled with urgent announcements: all flights were grounded indefinitely.

In fact, operations might be suspended for days due to the typhoon.

Staff rushed to calm the frantic passengers, answering questions and trying to maintain order—but the terminal had descended into chaos.

Sophia quickly made her way to Julia and Simon, positioning herself protectively beside them.

The children were holding up surprisingly well.

As long as they were near their mother, nothing else mattered. They felt safe.

Still, they were young, and the frantic energy in the terminal was contagious.

As the noise and tension escalated around them, Julia and Simon began to look frightened, pressing close to Sophia's sides.

Their small faces were pale with confusion and fear, eyes darting nervously toward the equally anxious adults around them.

Julia's voice wavered, on the verge of tears.

She gripped Sophia and Simon's hands tightly, her tiny frame trembling as she tried to comfort them both.

"Mommy, don't be scared. Simon, don't be scared. Julia… Julia's not scared either. The typhoon will be over soon."

Sophia's heart clenched. She pulled Julia into a tight embrace, then drew Simon close as well, guiding them away from the center of the crowd to a quieter corner.

She spoke gently, soothingly. "It's okay. Typhoons are normal. Once it passes, everything will be fine. We won't be in any danger."

Julia and Simon stared up at her with wide, anxious eyes, seeking reassurance.

Sophia kept her tone light, even cheerful. "Don't you remember? We went through a typhoon before—when we were at the beach on vacation. It wasn't scary at all, was it?"

The children blinked, their attention shifting.

They glanced nervously toward the window, then thought back.

Simon nodded slowly. "When we were at the beach house… the typhoon blew fish right out of the ocean. After it was over, Julia and I found them all over the yard."

Julia nodded earnestly. "We even ate some."

Sophia laughed softly. "See? Not scary at all. As long as we stay inside, we'll be perfectly safe. It's just like a rainstorm. You don't go outside to play when it rains, do you?"

The familiar comparison seemed to ease their worry.

Julia and Simon both shook their heads. "We don't play outside when it rains."

"Exactly," Sophia said, gently tapping each of their foreheads. "A typhoon is the same as rain—it's just weather. Once the storm passes, everything goes back to normal."

Julia and Simon nodded solemnly, their fear visibly receding.

Outside, the wind howled and rain lashed against the windows. But inside their quiet corner, eating the snacks distributed by airport staff, the three of them almost felt cozy.

Sophia turned her gaze back to the window, a flicker of worry crossing her face.

The typhoon had come on so suddenly, with such ferocity. Who knew how long it would last?

She hadn't expected this—of all days to leave, she'd chosen one marked by a storm.

Was even the universe trying to stop her from going?

She sighed quietly, hoping that once this typhoon passed, the rest of their lives might be just as calm.

Lucas returned from making a phone call in the corner, weaving quickly through the crowded terminal.

He bumped into a few people on the way. The tense atmosphere had left many passengers irritable and short-tempered.

But Lucas remained composed.

The moment he reached Sophia, he leaned in and said quietly, "The airport isn't safe. We need to leave now—before the typhoon fully hits. I know a secure place we can go."

He reached for their luggage as he spoke.

Sophia grabbed his arm, frowning. "What do you mean the airport isn't safe? What's going on?"

He glanced around, then bent closer, his voice low and urgent near her ear.

"I just spoke to a contact of mine. This typhoon is going to be severe—worse than expected. Staying here isn't a good idea."