Two hours and forty-eight minutes. That’s how long it took them to get back. Based on Kain’s estimation, it took them more than ten additional minutes to return.

Of course, there may be other factors, but regardless, he was certain of one thing. The world was expanding. It was expanding faster than he had anticipated.

He was in dire straits in the last life, so he never paid attention to things like this. Now he is, and things he thought he understood are becoming unfamiliar.

The expansion and the beasts both seem to be advancing faster than anticipated. If that is the case, what about the other incidents? Will they happen faster as well?

Dismissing the thought, he shook his head.

The roar of the engine alerted the people in the mansion to their return. Kain expected to hear the cursing, so he wasn’t surprised when he saw everyone nearly sprinting outside.

Verdana was probably the most surprised of everyone. Claire’s face was black. Matthew and Jaylin expected the scene. Kain told them the boat was stolen.

Kain tossed the keys to one of the bodyguards. "It’s fine. I brought it back in pristine shape. I even filled the tank. You’re welcome."

He motioned for his people to follow him. They had either just finished eating or were preparing to eat. Days in the mansion were relatively easy-going, so sometimes they slept and woke casually.

Kain hadn’t eaten and was in desperate need of food. The expansion bothered him, but food was the priority.

He introduced everyone to Claire and Verdana.

The Hartwells were still going on about the stolen boat. Verdana kept eyeing the guards like pieces of meat. The children seemed to find a partner in Claire and were hovering around her.

All in all, the place was in chaos.

The chaos quieted sooner than expected. Kain and everyone else were able to eat.

He called his team to meet on the terrace. He had them sit in a circle so he could see everyone.

"First order of business," Kain said. "Are the two of you planning to join us? I don’t take in freeloaders. If you are only here in the capacity of a family member and do not intend to work, then the rations you get depend on the family member who is a part of the group.

I won’t explain what this all entails. Two hours was more than enough time for them to explain things."

"I’m willing to join," Verdana responded.

Kain looked at Claire. Waiting for a response.

"She can’t talk, she..." Matthew began to speak, but Kain cut him off.

"She can talk. She isn’t stupid, and she isn’t as withdrawn as she seems." He turned away from Matthew and looked at Claire. "Are you willing? If you don’t answer, I will consider your silence as you declining the offer."

He held her gaze. Staring at her glassy eyes. "He will not answer for you. Make a choice. I’ll give you 10 seconds."

He watched her ears move. Her lips twitched as Kain finished speaking.

From Kain’s observations, she wasn’t pretending. But she was obviously not as withdrawn as she seemed. Her body still had the involuntary movements from outside stimuli.

"...five," Kain was counting down.

"Yes," the words left Claire’s mouth. The voice sounded grating after not being used for so long. But it was a response nonetheless.

Matthew’s reaction was one of pure shock. He hadn’t heard her speak for years. Now she was willing to speak just to join the team. His heart felt stuffed and empty at the same time.

Ignoring Matthew’s expression, Kain continued.

"Good. We have two new members."

As Kain said this, the system chimed in his mind. He raised an eyebrow after seeing the information. A subtle emotion flashed in his eyes.

"Second order of business. We need to leave the mansion."

Jake, Veronica, and Amelia jerked their head towards Kain. The others, seeing their reaction, knew this was not a part of their plan.

"Kain, you...," she paused.

His fingers tapped his thigh. "I know it wasn’t part of the plan. But there have been changes. You all know we went out this morning." He paused. "According to Matthew and Jaylin, the building should have been no more than an hour away. It took us almost two hours to get there."

He stopped speaking, allowing the words to sink in. He never spoke in detail about the expansion. He never had a reason to. Vague details were always the best, it gives wiggle room.

"Are the buildings drifting?" Veronica offered. This was the most plausible explanation.

Others nodded, inclined to agree with her.

"The buildings aren’t drifting. I calculated the time it took for us to come back. Ten minutes. An additional ten minutes were added to the time. The buildings are drifting, the planet is expanding."

It wasn’t an easy thing for anyone to understand. Scientifically, there is no way the planet could expand. If Kain hadn’t experienced it, he wouldn’t be inclined to believe it either.

He continued, speaking openly and frankly, regardless of the newcomers. "I’ve said this before. I know none of you believe it. It’s only been seven days. I don’t expect anything I’ve told you before to be seen as gospel. But I will state here, things are going to get a lot worse before they get better."

From the conversation, Matthew and the others grasped a point. Kain might know more than he is letting on. They aren’t sure of the extent, but he does appear to know a little.

It reassured them that their choice was correct.

Veronica used her nail to press the skin of her thumb. She had never believed any of this from the beginning, but her boss was obsessed with Kain. She would believe it if the man said the sky would rain blood.

She went along with all this as a whim. When the tsunami came, she was glad she chose to follow blindly. Even if the waters were receding as expected. She thought she could live a peaceful life in the mansion.

Now, he was telling her the planet was expanding. She wanted to pull her hair out, but she remained composed. She lowered her head, thinking.

Jake was at a loss, just like everyone else. His boss has been talking nonsense for a while. The end of the world is already far-fetched. Now, he’s saying the planet is growing. He ran a hand through his hair and peeked at the lady-boss.

Unfortunately, all he saw in her eyes was blind trust.

"Kain, you and I both know that what you’re saying sounds insane," Amelia voiced everyone’s thoughts.

She trusted Kain. He wouldn’t lie for no reason. But the fact that he could tell them so many things before it happened has always been a concern for her. She didn’t ask how he knew what he knew. She didn’t deny the things he told her, even if she felt they were wrong.

But she found that she needed to speak out this time.

"A planet shouldn’t be able to expand. There is no scientific basis for it. If something like that happened, it would..."

"Create the exact situation we’re experiencing right now," Kain cut in.

At his words, it was as though they had an epiphany. He was right. It would trigger multiple volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and changes in gravity.

Only at this moment did it occur to them that it was a true collapse, an apocalyptic event they had no control over.