Prepare supplies

Ethan glanced at his watch; it was just after 2 PM.

He had initially thought the flickering was a one-time signal, followed by other anomalies over the coming days. However, the sun's second flicker suggested this might be a cyclical event.

"If I'm not mistaken, yesterday's flicker happened after 3 PM, so it's happening earlier today?" Ethan wasn't sure what this meant, but a sense of urgency washed over him. It seemed time was of the essence to prepare.

Ignoring the people around him discussing loudly, he quickly stepped into the store, selecting various medicines he might need.

"Vitamins, antibiotics, amoxicillin, ibuprofen, chloramphenicol, metronidazole..." Ethan wasn't a survival expert, so he had prudently prepared a list from online recommendations and began purchasing accordingly.

Soon, his basket was brimming with medicines, and he proceeded to checkout.

"Wow, sir, preparing for the apocalypse?" The cashier, seemingly not new to customers buying in bulk, struck up a casual conversation with Ethan.

"Has anyone else bought as much as me these past few days?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, curious.

"You're the first I've seen buying this much, but I've heard from friends at other branches that quite a few people have been doing the same," the cashier said with a smile. "I'd suggest buying less, though. These medicines have expiration dates, and it's not much use buying too much."

"Really? You remind me, is there any way to extend their shelf life?" Ethan inquired, recognizing the long-term storage of medicines as a potential issue.

Given the uncertainty of the disaster's duration, the thought sent a shiver down his spine.

"There isn't much you can do to extend their shelf life significantly. If you really want to try, you might store some medicines in the refrigerator, but they all vary, so it's best to follow the storage instructions on the packaging," the cashier explained patiently, taking time to scan the large quantity of items. "Even if they expire, they might still be usable, just potentially less effective. But if it's truly the apocalypse, you probably won't mind."

"Ha, ha, ha, you make a good point. Looks like I need to buy a big refrigerator," Ethan responded.

Leaving the Boots store, Ethan genuinely began to consider the need for a fridge.

He had purchased a lot today, especially the vegetable orders, which indeed required a large fridge for storage.

Or perhaps rent a cold storage unit? Ethan pondered.

"Ahh!!" A scream interrupted his thoughts.

Ethan saw three teenagers snatching a woman's purse.

Despite the darkness and the faint black mist making visibility poor, Ethan's improved night vision allowed him to see everything clearly.

"These punks, always so brazen. Who knows how much worse they'll get?" Ethan shook his head.

He had initially decided not to get involved, but then he remembered the Tesco clerk who gave him a discount, the tourist who lent him his phone. The random acts of kindness from strangers over the past couple of days warmed his heart.

"Let's handle this quickly," Ethan thought, watching the fleeing teenagers. He left his bag of medicines in a corner and dashed after them.

Despite feeling hungry and somewhat weak, his running speed was still comparable to top sprinters.

"???" The teenagers sensed someone approaching and turned, brandishing a knife. "Hey, brother, don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong."

Ethan didn't waste words. He kicked the knife-wielding teen to the ground, then swiftly knocked the other two down with a punch, advising, "Be better next time." He picked up the stolen purse and quickly returned to his spot.

He considered this act a deterrent, anticipating that lawlessness might increase if the situation worsened. A bit of early intervention could help maintain order around him.

"Kind of like Batman?" Ethan mused amusingly.

After returning the purse to the lady, Ethan picked up his large bag of medicines and headed home.

The sky brightened again. Ethan checked the time; this period of darkness had lasted nearly half an hour, longer than yesterday's, indicating the situation was worsening.

"It looks like I'll need to check out that old mansion's murals, but those men in black probably set traps there. I'll have to be prepared," Ethan pondered while snacking on something from the fridge for dinner, considering his next moves with urgency.

Aware of the potential danger, but also that the murals might hold clues to deciphering the symbols on the scroll, any insight could be immensely helpful.

However, given the men in black possessed weapons that could harm him, Ethan knew he had to be ready.

"Time to get some gear," Ethan began searching online for black market info and cold storage rental ads.

He quickly lined up visits to two nearby cold storage facilities for the next day, planning a busy schedule: receiving the food orders, visiting the black market for equipment, and checking out the cold storage.

"Ethan! What's going on?" Mark entered the house, questioning Ethan's rush for the £500 loan.

Despite the small amount, it mattered to Mark, who had just started working.

"Did you see today's unusual darkness? I've received intel that we might face significant trouble soon, so I'm stocking up on supplies just in case," Ethan explained, sticking to his prepared story.

"What trouble could that be? Just a solar storm, right?" Mark clearly hadn't looked into it.

"No, if possible, we might see even larger-scale darkness in the next day or two, so it's better to be prepared," Ethan responded.

"…You didn't go gambling at that new casino nearby, did you?" Mark was skeptical of Ethan's mysterious actions.

"Fuck, what are you thinking?? Look at all the medicines I bought; I'm preparing," Ethan gestured to the large bag of medicines by the door.

"Really not gambling? We're running low on cash; don't get any funny ideas. Just buy a lottery ticket," Mark, puzzled by his friend's strange behavior, tried to offer some advice.

"Forget it. I'm off to rest," Ethan rolled his eyes, having already eaten and feeling tired.

Though it was only around 6 PM, considering his plans to visit the black market early the next day, Ethan decided to call it a night early.

Just then, Ethan's phone rang with an unfamiliar number.

Hesitating for a moment, Ethan decided to answer. "Hello, is this Mr. Ethan?" A familiar female voice came through.

"Yes, it is. Sorry, but who is this?" Ethan racked his brain but couldn't place the voice.

"It's me, Emma. We met today at Whitehall. I... I overheard your conversation with the minister this morning. About the sun's anomaly, is a disaster really going to happen? I'm quite scared."

It was Emma. She had been skeptical of Ethan's claims earlier, especially since the minister had dismissed Ethan's warnings. But the sun's anomaly repeating today raised her alarm.

Having graduated from a prestigious university, she may not have known much about astronomy, but a quick comparison with available literature made her realize this anomaly was not a typical solar storm.

Certainly, no solar storm should cause the sun to completely lose its light.

Recalling Ethan's agile movements and the chilling clues, Emma felt an ominous premonition, prompting her call.

Ethan was silent for a moment on the other end before slowly saying, "Emma, I understand your concerns. Yes, your fears are justified. The clues I've gathered start with the sun's anomaly, predicting apocalyptic scenes in seven days."

Emma swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady, "Can... can it be stopped? What can we do? Are there any preventive measures or preparations?"

Ethan thought for a moment, then seriously replied, "Emma, if possible, you should talk to your director. He must have noticed yesterday's darkness too; warn him to be on alert. If feasible, start building shelters. Most importantly, stay calm. Meanwhile, I suggest you stock up on basic emergency supplies, such as food, water, essential medicines, etc. Also, keep your communication devices charged and stay updated with official news and guidelines."

Right, should I get a generator? Ethan suddenly thought.

Emma exhaled softly, "Okay, Ethan, thank you. I'll do as you said and try to convince my director again. Please, take care yourself."

"Of course, Emma. By the way, how did you get my contact information?"

"It was the director. After you left yesterday, he ordered an investigation into your background. Since I'm his secretary, I was tasked with compiling the information, and that's how I got your number," Emma explained cautiously.

"I see, that makes sense. Thanks," Ethan frowned slightly but appreciated the heads-up. If problems arose, he knew he'd need to interact with the government.

After hanging up, Ethan updated his supplies list and then drifted off to sleep.

...

The next morning, Ethan woke up feeling groggy, as if he had had a nightmare but couldn't remember any of it.

After a quick breakfast and freshening up, Ethan grabbed a chocolate bar and prepared to head to the black market.

He glanced at the shovel by the door but ultimately decided not to take it.

London's black market was a bit different from those in other countries, mainly operating as small, local shops.

These shops function as regular convenience stores during the day, engaging in private transactions on the side, such as laundering money for gangs or dealing in smuggled goods.

Like the one Ethan was about to visit.

Ethan didn't take the train since these stores were close to his home in East London, unlike in West London's city center, where most local shops were pushed out by chains like Tesco and Poundland.

Crossing a long market street, he arrived at a graffiti-covered shop.

The shopkeeper, a friendly Central Asian man wearing a turban and a green silk shirt, sat in front of the counter.

Ethan, not very knowledgeable about world geography, couldn't tell if he was from India or the Middle East.

It was a lax moment, with the police not yet on duty and the shopkeeper just beginning to stock up, with few passersby around.

"I'm the one who contacted you last night, code 202," Ethan stated the code word, as simple precautions were necessary for illegal transactions.

The shopkeeper looked around to ensure no one was watching before leading Ethan into the storage room, where he produced a package wrapped in plastic.

Ethan unwrapped it to reveal three cylindrical grenades.

"Here are your homemade Snake 2 grenades, more stable than the first version, with an explosion radius of at least 8 meters. Pull the pin, and it detonates in 5 seconds. Be careful," the shopkeeper whispered. "I don't know why you need this, but it took me a while to get them from several gangs. They're quite dangerous, especially in the city."

"Thanks, don't worry," Ethan replied, handing over a stack of cash. "As agreed, £1000. Count it."

These three items cost £1000! But it was the cheapest armament Ethan could find.

After the shopkeeper confirmed the amount, Ethan carefully repacked the grenades and left.

However, Ethan didn't notice someone in the shadows at the corner watching him. As soon as Ethan departed, the figure quickly followed.