The sound of waves. That was all Taki ever heard. That was all he'd ever known. That, and the thirtieth story apartment he lived in. Small, lonely, and void of anything except a small bed and a refrigerator stocked full of food, it was his only refuge from the hungry flood waters that had consumed the city. He knew he couldn't stay there forever, that the gigantic food storage he had found two stories below would run out, and that eventually he'd have to brave the waters and escape, not knowing if there really was anything out there. He'd always pushed those thoughts aside, scared of thinking about the future, living each day by the moments. Until he met Hikaru. Strong, fearless, and just like one of the characters Taki had found in the books on the fortieth floor, Hikaru shone brighter than the sun and all the stars, but all things have shadows, and his was a shadow darker than any night Taki had ever known.
