The orange glow of distant fires and the setting sun finally began to fade, slowly giving way to the oppressive weight of the night.
Inside the small room, the two girls rested, leaning against each other for support. Exhaustion had finally claimed them, especially Rina who clung to Seraphine almost like a child hugging her mother.
Though Seraphine's body was heavy with sleep, a spark of consciousness remained. Years of strict childhood training had taught her never to let her guard down completely.
She slowly opened her eyes, her movements was careful so as not to wake the girl clinging to her.
The room was nearly pitch black now, save for the thin, silver needles of moonlight piercing through the small ventilation gaps.
The moon was rising, casting a ghostly pale light over the scattered basketballs and bats.
For a long time, neither of them spoke. The silence was broken only by the faint sound of their breathing.
Seraphine leaned her head back against the cold wall, staring at the moonlight.
Seraphine still couldn't believe what was happening around her.
She still couldn't believe any of this was real. This was supposed to be her first day of college, but it had turned into a disaster beyond anything she could have imagined.
Thousands of meteorites screaming down from the sky, leveling concrete and steel in seconds. Zombies had appeared, and now these weird status windows were stuck in her head.
Too much had happened in such a short span of time. No… not even a day, just a few hours—and Seraphine found it nearly impossible to digest all of it.
She looked down at Rina, who was still hugging her tightly in her sleep. Seraphine knew she wasn't the only one feeling this way; every survivor out there was probably just as terrified and confused.
Seraphine's thoughts drifted back to her family, especially her father. A small tear slipped down her cheek.
"I hope he's okay…" she whispered silently.
But suddenly, a sharp thought sparked in her mind. 'How could thousands of meteorites crash into Earth without any prior notice?'
Coming from a reputable and powerful military family, she knew exactly what modern technology was capable of. She had seen things normal citizens didn't even know existed-advanced detection systems and classified systems that ordinary citizens couldn't even imagine. Considering all of that, it was statistically impossible for this many asteroids to reach the surface undetected.
Before, the chaos had been too loud for her to think. But sitting here in the quiet dark, she started to rationalize.
Yet no matter how much she thought, she couldn't reach a conclusion.
One thing she was absolutely sure of: this situation wasn't natural.
Was it artificial, then?
But the idea of someone having that much power was just as impossible. No nation, no secret organization, could orchestrate a global bombardment of meteorites and the literal rise of the dead. It didn't make any sense.
The arrival of the status windows only made it worse. It was like some twisted logic from a fiction book had overwritten reality.
'It was a bad decision transferring to this college… but at the same time, maybe a good one too,' she reflected bitterly.
Before transferring, she had studied at a highly reputed military academy, the best in the world. It was a place for the elite, filled with students from powerful military families. There, she had reigned like a superstar. But then, out of nowhere, her father had ordered her to transfer to a second-tier college in a second-tier city called Ashford.
No matter how much she argued, she was forced to obey.
Now, sitting in this desperate situation, she couldn't help but think: 'If I had stayed in that academy, I wouldn't be here. My father would be there, and countless military forces stationed nearby. I wouldn't be trapped like this.'
She couldn't understand why her father had been so insistent.
'Was it because of that crazy Jake?' she wondered.
Everyone knew Jake was her father's favorite, almost like a pet. But if that were the reason, then her father would have chosen Ashford from the start, not forced her to transfer in the middle of her second year.
"Ahh…" Seraphine sighed, pressing her fingers to her temple. Thinking about all of this was only making her head throb.
But coming to this college had its own benefits, too.
For the first time, she experienced what a genuine friend felt like, even if it had only been for a few hours. She smiled bitterly.
Back at the academy, real friendship didn't exist. Everything was masked; jealousy and anger were hidden under fake smiles, and insults were wrapped in layers of polite etiquette. Everyone wanted something from her or her father.
Here, though, she had met Rina. And even in this nightmare, Rina's warmth had shown her something she had never felt before.
Then, her mind wandered to another interesting person she had met here.
Rix.
She didn't really want to think about him at all, but strangely enough, he was the only person who had ever openly dared to speak to her like that. She hated him a little for his arrogance, but she didn't hold any grudge.
She wasn't that petty.
She wondered where he was right now. The last time she saw him, he was screaming and running through the corridor just before she had been knocked unconscious.
"I hope he dies somewhere," Seraphine cursed under her breath.
She didn't actually mean it, of course. She wasn't that heartless, but the guy had a way of getting under her skin like no one else could.
Sitting there, lost in her thoughts, Seraphine suddenly heard a low growl beside her.
growel~
Rina stirred, slowly blinking her eyes open. She immediately clutched her stomach with a pained groan. "Ahh... I'm so hungry."
Seeing Rina's miserable expression, Seraphine reached into her pockets and began to search. Her face lit up slightly as her fingers brushed against something.
She pulled out a handful of toffees. She usually carried candies with her, though in all the chaos, she hadn't been sure they were still there.
She held them all out to Rina. "Here, eat these for now."
Rina's eyes went wide. "Where did you get those from?"
"I usually carry some with me," Seraphine replied.
"You like candies that much?" Rina asked, looking surprised.
"I guess so. If you're hungry, just eat them and stop asking unnecessary questions."
"Than... thank you, my dear Sera," Rina said softly, her voice full of genuine gratitude. She unwrapped a toffee and started eating it, the sugar giving her a much-needed spark of energy.
While she chewed, Rina looked at Seraphine with concern. "Aren't you hungry? Why aren't you eating anything?"
"I can handle my hunger better than you can," Seraphine said with a bold, confident smile.
"Ohh, is that because you're a 'military girl'?" Rina joked through a mouthful of candy.
"Hey, I don't like the way you address me," Seraphine said, giving Rina a light bump on the shoulder. "Well, I can't deny it. We were trained to go without food for two or three days. That kind of training was hellish, but it doesn't mean we don't feel hunger. We're humans, after all."
"Mm, I see," Rina replied softly, leaning back against Seraphine.
Though Rina always carried a cheerful vibe around her, Seraphine could already see through it. She knew Rina was deeply sad inside, weighed down by guilt.
She knew the reason, too. Rina was desperately trying to mask the sorrow of missing her friends.
"Hey, Rina," Seraphine called out.
"Mm?" Rina raised her eyebrows, still munching on the last of the candies.
"Don't blame yourself too much, Rina. It's not your fault," Seraphine tried to comfort her.
"About what?" Rina asked, feigning ignorance.
"You might be able to fool others with your behavior, but I can see you're really hurt inside. You're blaming yourself for not helping them," Seraphine explained gently.
"Ohh… you noticed that? I thought I could fool you." Rina smiled bitterly, but tears began to flow down her cheeks at the same time.
Seraphine reached out, grabbed Rina's head, and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, don't be like that. I told you--it's not your fault. We weren't in a condition where we could care about others, Rina. So don't feel guilty."
"But still... sob... sob..." Rina started to cry, pressing her face against Seraphine's chest. "The.. they should be alright, right? They're alive, right? Right, Sera? Arya... Sylvia... they should be alive, right? They... they wouldn't be dead... right?"
Rina looked up at Seraphine, Her red eyes searched Seraphine's face desperately, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Seraphine's heart clenched. She didn't know what to say. Seeing Rina's fragile state, she only hugged her tighter.
"I… I'm sure they're safe and alive. So… please, don't cry. Please…"
She couldn't bear to see her friend in such pain.
But suddenly..
out of nowhere..
a sound came...
Knock... knock...
Both girls recoiled. Rina's sobbing cut off instantly as they both stared at the door, eyes wide with terror. They hugged each other tightly, their knuckles white as they gripped one another.
The knock came again, sharper this time.
Knock... knock...
Rina stubbornly opened her mouth, about to ask who it was, but Seraphine quickly covered her lips with her hand, signaling her to stay quiet. Rina understood the gesture and held back, her heart pounding.
Another knock echoed.
Knock… knock…
But this time, a voice followed.
"He… hello…"
"is… ther… anyone… there…?"
"Hello… anyone… there?"
Rina's eyes widened, her lips trembling as she tried to respond, but Seraphine silenced her again.
Then came words that froze them both in place.
Words that pierced through the door and into their hearts.
"Any… anyone there… please?"
"Seraphine… Rina…?"
"Please… please… can you open the door?"
"I… it's me… Arya…"
Both girls were left dumbfounded, their hearts pounding in disbelief. Rina especially froze, recognizing the voice instantly.
Suddenly, she pulled Seraphine's hand away from her mouth and shouted, her voice trembling:
"A… Arya? Is that really you?"
"Yes… yes, it's me, Arya…"
"ca… can you please open the door?"
"Please… it's very dark outside…"
"I'm scared… please…"
Rina's eyes lit up, and without hesitation she jumped from her spot, ignoring the pain in her injured leg. Hobbling on one foot, she moved toward the cupboard to remove the barricade.
Seraphine watched her, feeling a massive wave of relief wash over her. They weren't alone. Another friend had survived the nightmare.
For a moment, hope flickered in her chest.
But then…
A cold thought struck her, stopping her breath. Something didn't add up. There was something incredibly fishy about this. She couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but a question screamed in her mind,
Her instincts screamed at her. 'Wait… how did Arya know we were exactly here, in this building?'
Rina's hands trembled as she tried to push the cupboard away, but Seraphine's instincts flared. She leapt forward, wrapping her arms around Rina's waist and pulling her back.
"Wh… what are you doing, Sera?" Rina blurted out, frustrated.
"Wa..wait, Rina. Don't be so hasty!"
The two of them were locked in a brief tug-of-war in the middle of the dark room. Rina was desperate, her breathing was ragged, but finally, she went quiet, realizing Seraphine wasn't letting go.
Seeing that Rina had calmed down, Seraphine began to explain. "Rina… if it was really Arya, then how did she know we were exactly here, in this building?"
"But still… it's Arya. I can clearly recognize her voice," Rina justified,
Seraphine bit her lip. She had no immediate answer to that.
"Hey... Rina... Seraphine..."
"please! Please... open the door..."
"Wait a second, I'm coming, Arya!" Rina shouted. She moved to pull the cupboard again, but Seraphine caught her hand, her grip like iron.
This time, Rina looked genuinely irritated. Her friend was suffering outside in the dark, and Seraphine was standing in the way.
Sensing Rina's shifting mood, Seraphine softened her tone. "So… sorry, Rina. I understand your feelings. But please, calm down first." She turned toward the door, her voice was firm.
"Hey… Arya…"
"Y… yes?" came the muffled reply.
"How did you know we were exactly here, inside this building?" Seraphine asked, her words cutting through the silence.
The voice on the other side went silent.
One second…
two…
three…
four…
five…
ten…
Still no response.
Seraphine's blood ran cold. This was a massive red flag.
Rina's eyes widened too, equally shocked by the sudden pause.
"Right, Arya… how did you know that?" Rina asked, with a trembling voice.
The voice outside didn't answer. The silence was stretched, heavy and suffocating.
Then, suddenly, it spoke again.
"Tha… that…"
"I saw you guys walking inside this building earlier… "
"now… please… open… the door…"
Seraphine didn't buy it. "If what you said is true, then why didn't you approach us earlier? Why wait until now? Why in the middle of the night?"
Her military‑trained mind knew the truth--if Arya had really seen them enter, she would have come instantly, not after five or seven hours. Even without tracking exact time, Seraphine had a rough sense that long hours had passed since they barricaded themselves inside.
The voice outside fell silent again.
Seraphine's heart started to thump faster, a rhythmic drumming in her ears. This time, she wasn't just suspicious.
She was 100% sure of one thing.
Whatever was standing behind that door... IT WAS NOT ARYA.