"What?"
The moment Bryan mentioned the Administrative Office, everyone turned to stare at him—including Antoine, who'd been watching from the sidelines with an amused expression.
They'd all heard the police broadcast earlier. Going to the Administrative Office meant only one thing: inquiring about voluntary transfer to another Quarantine Zone.
"So... you've decided to leave after all?" Osborne raised an eyebrow. He knew Bryan had always wanted to leave. If not for the dangerous conditions outside and the establishment of the Quarantine Zone, the boy probably would have found a way out long ago.
But they'd traveled together. Spent time together. Osborne didn't want to see him give up a potential spot in Dallas to risk a journey to some other zone.
"I was just asking questions. I haven't... decided yet." Bryan shook his head, his expression conflicted. "Besides, if I don't get into the Dallas zone, we'll be forcibly assigned somewhere else anyway. At least if I volunteer, I have some control over where I end up."
Watching Bryan's troubled face, Osborne sighed quietly. The boy's answer was uncertain, but the determination in his eyes told Osborne everything he needed to know.
"Do you... have somewhere in mind?"
"Yes. Atlanta." Bryan glanced at Antoine before answering, revealing only the destination he'd been considering—nothing more.
...
"Attention. Curfew begins in one hour. Information registration will resume tomorrow at 6:00 AM. All citizens must return to their residences by 8:00 PM. Anyone found outside without authorization will be subject to arrest and prosecution."
As the curfew announcement echoed through the speakers, everyone still waiting at the registration points dispersed. Dallas had boasted a population of nearly seven million before the outbreak. With refugees from the south added in—even accounting for deaths and departures—the number now exceeded ten million. At the current registration pace, it would take far more than a day or two to process everyone.
Dallas was now one of the most populous cities in post-outbreak America. The country had once held over 300 million people; ten million was barely three percent of that total. The scale of devastation was staggering—and countless more had been transformed into infected.
That's why Dallas needed to redistribute its population to other zones. The local zone simply couldn't support this many people or provide enough food. Other zones also needed more people for production and defense.
Bryan leaned against the RV, watching the fires flicker to life around him. With dropping temperatures, night came faster than before. It was barely past eight, and the surroundings had already grown dim.
He'd been sitting here for nearly a day, turning over the information he'd gathered at the Administrative Office.
The worker had mentioned the area around Atlanta was a disaster zone. It didn't take much imagination to guess the city itself wasn't faring much better—probably purged at some point. Why else would the new government be forcing other zones to send reinforcements?
It had to be incredibly dangerous. That's why he'd been hesitating: risk the journey to Atlanta, or wait here for the lottery results and hope for Dallas or some safer zone.
Bryan rubbed his aching head, his thoughts a jumbled mess. He glanced around. Osborne and Kelly had already gone to sleep, clearly planning to get up early and claim a good spot in line. Only he and Sarah remained outside, braving the cold night wind.
Feeling the chill bite at his cheeks, he closed his eyes and let his mind settle. After weighing his options one final time, he made his decision: Atlanta.
"Sarah, wake up."
Decision made, Bryan opened his eyes and walked over to where Sarah sat on the bench, half-dozing. He sat beside her and, after a moment's hesitation, gently shook her shoulder.
"What is it?" Sarah's eyes flew open at the touch. Seeing it was Bryan, she blinked sleepily at him.
Looking at her face, pink from the cold, Bryan reached over and pulled her hood up. "There's something I need to tell you."
"Go ahead." Seeing he had something important to say, Sarah slapped her cheeks lightly to wake herself up.
Bryan scanned their surroundings. Everyone still outside was clustered around the fires for warmth—no one within earshot. He told her what he'd learned about Atlanta at the Administrative Office.
"Why didn't you mention this earlier when everyone was around?" Sarah frowned slightly, curious.
Bryan shook his head with a bitter smile. "First, I hadn't decided whether to go to Atlanta yet—no point worrying everyone. Plus, it was broad daylight with people everywhere. If someone overheard, it could've caused trouble. Second, Antoine was there. I'd rather he didn't know about this."
"So... have you decided now?" Sarah fixed her gaze on him. She didn't particularly care about his reasoning—she just wanted to hear him say it.
Meeting her eyes, Bryan nodded firmly. "I've decided. I'm going to the Atlanta Quarantine Zone."
"Okay. We'll go to the Administrative Office tomorrow and apply." Hearing his answer, a flicker of worry crossed Sarah's eyes, but her expression remained calm. She nodded her understanding without another word.
Bryan looked at this girl who'd been by his side through everything. He knew this decision carried enormous risk. The safest thing would be to leave her here.
But he wasn't particularly brave or selfless. He had his own selfish reasons. In an apocalypse, having a trustworthy companion was essential for survival. The only person he completely trusted was the girl in front of him. And honestly, he didn't want to face this alone.
"Sarah..." Bryan's heart churned with conflict. But after a moment, he forced himself to speak: "You don't have to come with me. If you pretend to be Osborne's daughter, you could probably—"
"No."
Before he could finish, Sarah reached out and covered his mouth, cutting him off. She shook her head, her eyes steady and unwavering. "Wherever you go, I go."
Looking into her clear eyes, hearing the resolve in her voice, Bryan's mouth fell open. No words came. His heart lurched as if struck by lightning, leaving him breathless.
He quickly turned away, unable to keep looking at her. He didn't understand what was happening to him—why such a strange feeling had washed over him. It was a long moment before he regained his composure. When he finally dared to look at Sarah again, the feeling had vanished, like it had never existed.
"Ahem..." He noticed Sarah watching him with a puzzled expression. She'd clearly noticed his odd behavior. He coughed twice to cover the awkwardness.
"Wh-what? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Sarah studied him, confused by whatever had just happened. "Are you okay? You looked like you were possessed or something."
"Nothing. Just... tired, probably." Bryan couldn't explain it himself, so he brushed it off with an excuse. "Is there anything else? If not, we should get some rest."
"Oh, okay. Good." Relieved that he seemed fine, Sarah glanced at the RV. "Are we going to tell Osborne and Kelly about Atlanta?"
"Mm..." Bryan considered for a moment, then shook his head. "No. Since we're leaving anyway, there's no point worrying them."
He checked the sky and his watch. "It's late. Let's get some sleep."
Mentally, Bryan was already planning the days ahead. Since he'd committed to Atlanta, they couldn't just sit around anymore. Besides preparation, they needed to get stronger—or at least faster. If they couldn't outmuscle the infected, they'd damn well need to outrun them.