He finally forced himself to sit up, his body aching from exhaustion. His first instinct was to check the water levels. Stepping cautiously to the top of the stairs, he peered down into the dim light of the submerged ground floor. His SUV, barely visible through the water, still had its headlights flickering from the short circuit. The alarms had mercifully fallen silent, but the damage was done.
The house groaned under the weight of the floodwater, the structure strained by the constant pressure. When Aditya peered over the bannister, he paused. The ground floor was still submerged, the murky water swirling slowly, debris floating lazily just below the surface.