Corvin studied the menu for a few seconds before looking up at Noah.
"I'll have a black coffee."
Noah gave a small nod, scribbling the order onto his notepad.
"Coming right up."
Marco glanced around the table with an amused grin.
"If the genius is drinking black coffee, I guess I'd better do the same."
Aisha shrugged.
"Sure. Black coffee."
"So will I," Mei Lin said quietly.
One after another, the others followed, more curious than enthusiastic.
"Eight black coffees," Noah repeated with a chuckle. "Didn't think today would become that kind of morning."
He tucked the notepad into his apron and turned toward the espresso machine.
As the grinder roared to life, Marco leaned back in his chair.
"Hey, Noah."
The barista looked over his shoulder.
"Why don't you join us? At this rate we're probably the only customers you'll have."
A faint smile crossed Noah's face.
"I appreciate the offer."
He shook his head.
"But I have a feeling we'll be getting a few more customers."
Marco raised an eyebrow but didn't press the matter.
The café settled into a comfortable silence.
The rhythmic hum of the coffee grinder filled the room while sunlight streamed through the front windows. Outside, students still hurried across campus, though the crowds had thinned considerably since the chaos outside the administration building.
Then—
Dimitri suddenly straightened in his chair.
His pale grey eyes widened.
"Я понял..."
The quiet words immediately caught everyone's attention.
Aisha frowned.
"Dimitri?"
"What happened?"
He ran a hand through his ash-blond hair, speaking faster than usual.
"Я наконец вспомнил... Стратосфера... Пепел... Это значит..."
Priya listened carefully, waiting until he finished before translating.
"He says... he finally remembered what ash reaching the stratosphere means."
The table fell silent.
Everyone leaned forward.
"What does it mean?" Priya asked, looking back at Dimitri.
He inhaled slowly before answering.
"Это пепельная зима... Настоящая пепельная зима."
Priya hesitated.
For the first time since meeting him, uncertainty crossed her face.
"He says..."
"...an ash winter is coming."
No one spoke.
Dimitri continued, his normally calm voice carrying an edge of unease.
"Пепел закроет солнечный свет. Температура по всему миру может упасть на десять-пятнадцать градусов. Это может продолжаться годами."
Priya swallowed.
"The ash will block sunlight."
She paused, almost reluctant to continue.
"Global temperatures could fall by ten to fifteen degrees Celsius..."
"...and it could last for years."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then it shattered.
"What?!" Astrid blurted.
"You're joking," Chase said, disbelief written across his face.
Marco shot to his feet so quickly his chair scraped loudly across the floor.
"Years?"
His voice cracked on the final word.
Priya stared blankly at Dimitri before slowly turning toward Corvin.
She wasn't asking him directly.
She was searching his face, hoping—praying—that Dimitri was wrong.
Corvin said nothing.
That silence was answer enough.
Astrid's composure broke.
"What about our families?"
Her voice trembled.
No one answered.
Dimitri lowered his gazem
Even Corvin couldn't bring himself to speak.
Behind the counter, the espresso machine hissed softly as steam escaped into the air.
The sound suddenly felt deafening.
Without turning around, Noah finally broke the silence.
"You'll have to survive first."
Every head turned toward him.
His tone wasn't cold. It was simply honest.
The weight of those four words settled over the table.
Astrid immediately snatched up her phone.
"I'm calling my parents."
"So am I."
Priya was already unlocking hers.
The call connected.
For a brief second hope flickered.
Then—
Network busy.
She tried again.
Call failed.
Astrid's screen displayed the same message.
Again.
And again.
Neither call made it through.
"It won't connect," Priya whispered.
Astrid's breathing became uneven.
"Mine neither."
Outside the café, several other students had begun making calls as well.
One after another, every phone displayed the same result.
Noah placed eight mugs onto a tray before carrying them over.
He set each cup down carefully.
"Everyone's trying to call home."
He gave a sympathetic smile.
"The network's overloaded."
The explanation made perfect sense.
It offered no comfort whatsoever.
Priya slowly lowered her phone onto the table.
"Then..."
She looked around at everyone.
"Don't we have to get back to our families?"
The question lingered in the air.
Corvin remained silent for several moments, carefully choosing his words.
"That's impossible."
Marco frowned.
"What do you mean impossible?"
Corvin folded his hands together on the table.
"No pilot is going to fly into an eruption like this."
"The volcanic ash alone is enough to destroy jet engines."
He paused.
"And even if someone decided to risk it..."
His voice became quieter.
"The probability of engine failure would be extremely high."
He glanced toward the café window.
"A plane could lose power over the ocean long before reaching its destination."
Nobody argued.
Nobody could.
Even those who knew nothing about aviation understood enough to realize he wasn't exaggerating.
The realization settled over the table like a weight.
Mei Lin stared into the black coffee Noah had placed before her.
"So..."
She barely raised her voice above a whisper.
"We're basically trapped here."
Corvin closed his eyes for a brief moment. He didn't want to say it but false hope would only make things worse.
"...Yes."
No one reached for their coffee.
Only minutes earlier, they had been ordinary freshmen celebrating the start of university life.
Now, they were hundreds—perhaps thousands—of kilometers from home, with no reliable way to reach the people they loved.
The silence around Corvin's table became almost suffocating.
No one reached for the coffee Noah had just served. Thin wisps of steam curled upward from the black liquid before fading into the air, untouched.
Just minutes ago, the café had felt warm and inviting.
Now it felt like a waiting room before bad news.
The bell above the entrance chimed.
Every head turned instinctively.
Five students stepped inside.
They were older—there was no mistaking it. Unlike the confused freshmen scattered around campus, these students carried themselves with an easy confidence that only came from spending years at Drake University.
Leading them was a young man with olive skin and neatly combed black hair. His posture was relaxed despite the tension hanging over the campus.
Behind him walked a broad-shouldered blond student with a permanent half-smile, a tall dark-skinned man whose calm expression contrasted with the panic outside, and two young women.
Neither of the girls looked as though they had slept in days.
One stared blankly at the floor.
The other absentmindedly twisted the sleeve of her hoodie between trembling fingers.
Mei Lin narrowed her eyes.
"I recognize one of them."
The others looked toward her.
"The one in front."
She pointed discreetly.
"He was leading another freshman tour this morning."
"So..." Marco glanced between the group. "They're seniors?"
"I think all of them are."
The newcomers approached the counter.
Noah looked up from cleaning a mug.
"Morning."
A tired smile crossed his face.
"How've you been today?"
The olive-skinned student laughed without humor.
"As bad as it looks."
Noah nodded knowingly.
"I figured."
"What'll it be?"
"The usual for me, Brian, and Tyrell."
He motioned toward the two young men behind him before glancing at the girls.
"And make the weekly special for Ino and Nia."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Maybe it'll cheer them up a little."
"You got it."
Noah grabbed another order pad.
"Coming right up."
The five chose a table only a few meters away.
Neither Ino nor Nia said a word.
They simply sat down.
Mei Lin quietly leaned closer to the group.
"They're definitely seniors."
Marco glanced around the table and stood up.
"We could spend another minute wondering who they are instead I'll just go ask them."
Aisha smirked.
"Of course you will."
Marco simply grinned before walking over.
"Mind if I interrupt?"
The five looked up.
The olive-skinned student smiled politely.
"Not at all."
Marco offered his hand.
"I'm Marco Montelli."
"My friends and I just started here today."
The blond student suddenly pointed toward him.
"Oh."
Recognition flashed across his face.
"You're the freshmen who avoided the crowd."
Marco blinked.
"You saw that?"
The blond shrugged.
"We were the group that was standing across the café."
The olive-skinned student laughed.
"So you were the smart ones."
He stood immediately, shaking Marco's hand with surprising enthusiasm.
"Welcome to Drake University."
"The name's Muhammad Ali."
"Nice meeting you."
Marco smiled warmly.
"I'm Brian Sterling," the blond added.
The tall student nodded.
"Tyrell Vance"
Marco's eyes drifted toward the two girls.
Neither acknowledged him.
One continued staring through the café window while the other remained motionless, her hands wrapped tightly around each other.
Ali noticed where Marco was looking.
"Don't mind them."
His smile softened.
"They're worried about their families."
Marco's own smile faded.
"I think everyone is."
Ali gave a quiet nod.
"Yeah."
For a few seconds neither spoke.
Finally Marco gestured toward his own table.
"My friends would love to meet you."
Ali glanced at the others.
"What do you think?"
Brian shrugged.
"Sure."
Tyrell stood.
The two girls silently followed.
When they reached Corvin's table, Marco began introducing everyone.
Ali nodded respectfully after each introduction.
"It's nice meeting all of you."
"So," Brian said as he sat down.
"What do you think is going to happen?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Instead, everyone's attention drifted toward the large windows overlooking the campus.
The difference compared to only a few hours earlier was startling.
Students rushed across the pathways carrying overstuffed backpacks and rolling suitcases.
Cars crept toward the university gates in long lines, their impatient drivers leaning on their horns.
Several students abandoned their luggage altogether, choosing instead to sprint toward the city.
Others pedaled bicycles so fast they nearly collided with pedestrians.
A young man frantically waved down every passing vehicle.
Another sat on the curb with his head in his hands, phone pressed against his ear despite the call clearly having failed.
The panic had spread.
Not through official announcements rather through people.
Every frightened face convinced another person to leave.
Fear was becoming contagious.
Inside the café, conversations gradually faded away.
Nearly every customer found themselves staring out the windows.
Nobody needed to explain what those students wanted.
The answer was obvious.
Home.
The tragedy was that many of them probably wouldn't reach it.
Tyrell folded his arms.
"Looks like most of campus is trying to leave."
"They are," Brian replied quietly.
"They're scared."
Ali watched another group load bags into the trunk of a sedan.
"So would you be."
No one argued.
Because he was right.
Even Corvin couldn't blame them.
Everyone's first instinct in a disaster was the same.
Go home.
Go to family.
Go somewhere familiar.
The problem...
Corvin glanced at the failed call notification still glowing faintly on his phone.
...was that reality didn't always allow people to follow their instincts.
Before anyone could continue—
BEEEEEP.
The sharp electronic tone echoed across the entire campus.
Every conversation inside the café stopped.
Noah froze halfway through drying another mug.
Outside, dozens of students halted in place, looking toward the nearest loudspeaker.
Even Nia and Ino, who had remained lost in their thoughts since entering the café, flinched at the sudden sound and looked up.
A familiar voice filled the campus.
"Good afternoon, students and staff."
"This is Vice President Alejandro Morales."
Every remaining conversation died instantly.
Vice President Alejandro Morales' voice carried through the speakers with the same calm authority he had displayed during the morning orientation.
Only this time, there was a strain beneath it.
"Good afternoon, students and staff."
"I understand many of you are frightened by today's events."
A wave of murmurs swept through the students.
"You have every right to be."
Morales paused, allowing the words to settle.
"Due to the unprecedented volcanic eruption in Indonesia and the uncertainty surrounding its long-term effects, Drake University will be suspending all academic activities."
The room grew even quieter.
"Effective immediately..."
"...the university will be closed indefinitely."
Outside the café, several students who had been hurrying across the courtyard stopped in their tracks.
"What?"
"They're shutting down?"
"Already?"
The whispers drifted through the open doorway.
Morales continued before anyone could process the announcement.
"Students who are able to safely return to their families are strongly encouraged to do so."
Another carefully measured pause.
"If your parents or guardians are able to arrange transportation, we recommend coordinating with them as soon as possible."
Students who had given up trying only moments earlier dialed once again.
Every screen showed the same result.
Call Failed.
Network Busy.
Corvin didn't bother trying again.
He already knew the outcome.
"Our residence halls will remain available temporarily for students who require additional time before departing."
Morales' tone remained steady.
"If you have a safe alternative place to stay, we strongly encourage you to make use of it."
Corvin slowly raised an eyebrow.
The Vice President continued.
"Our faculty and staff will assist students with departure procedures throughout the day."
"We ask everyone to remain calm, cooperate with university personnel, and avoid unnecessary gatherings."
After another brief reminder to monitor official university announcements, the speakers clicked off.
The silence lasted only a second.
Then conversations exploded throughout the campus.
"They're telling us to leave!"
"My uncle lives two hours away!"
"I need to find a ride."
"My parents still aren't answering!"
Tyrell scratched the back of his head.
"...That sounded pretty normal."
"It did," Ali agreed.
He folded his arms.
"But listen to what he actually said."
Tyrell frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Before Ali could answer, Corvin quietly spoke.
"They want people to leave."
Marco slowly nodded.
"They never actually said everyone should evacuate."
"They don't have to," Mei Lin added.
Everyone turned toward her.
"They repeated the same message several different ways."
Corvin continued.
"They're encouraging students to leave without making it sound like an evacuation."
Dimitri nodded before quietly adding,
"He says they're being extremely careful with their wording."
Brian smiled.
"They caught it."
Ali chuckled.
"I was wondering how long it'd take."
He leaned forward.
"If the university officially announced an evacuation, what do you think would happen?"
Tyrell answered almost immediately.
"Complete chaos."
"Exactly."
Ali pointed toward the windows.
"So instead, they let everyone think leaving is their own idea."
Brian snapped his fingers.
"People follow suggestions much more calmly than orders."
Mei Lin looked outside where another line of cars crawled toward the main gate.
"If enough students leave..."
"...the university has fewer people to support."
Marco finished her thought.
"Less food, water, medicine, and troublesome people"
Ali nodded approvingly.
"Exactly."
"You freshmen are sharp."
Tyrell looked from one face to another.
"So..."
"The Vice President was manipulating us?"
Brian laughed.
"Manipulating is a harsh word."
"He was persuading everyone without causing panic."
A look of realization slowly spread across Tyrell's face.
"Oh..."
Brian burst into laughter.
"There he is."
"I thought we'd lost you for a minute."
Tyrell rolled his eyes.
"Oh, shut up."
Even Ali couldn't help smiling.
For the first time in what felt like hours, the tension around the table eased slightly.
Then—
"What the hell happened?"
Every smile disappeared.
The blunt voice belonged to Nia.
She had finally looked up.
Her eyes were red from crying, and she looked around the café as though she had only just become aware of the conversations happening around her.
Ali answered gently.
"The same thing as before."
She frowned.
"What?"
He gestured toward the windows.
"Everyone's still panicking."
Outside, another group of students hurried toward the gates carrying luggage over their shoulders.
"They're trying to get home."
Nia watched them for several long seconds.
Then she turned sharply toward her brother.
"Then why the hell are we still sitting here?"
Her voice echoed across the café.
"Why aren't we going home too?"
Tyrell didn't hesitate.
"Because I don't care about going back."
The words landed like a stone in still water.
Nia stared at him, disbelief replacing the frustration on her face.
"...What?"
Tyrell met her eyes without flinching.
"I don't care about going back to her."
His voice remained steady.
"She never cared about either of us."
A flicker of pain crossed Nia's expression.
"You know that's not true."
"It is."
"No, it isn't!" she snapped, her chair scraping against the floor as she stood. "She's still our mother!"
Tyrell's jaw tightened.
"No. She doesn't deserve to be called one."
His voice wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
There was no anger in it anymore—only years of disappointment.
Even Brian lowered his gaze.
Ali rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable.
The argument wasn't new to them.
Nia clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"I don't care what happened."
Tears welled in her eyes again.
"I still want to go."
For a brief moment, it looked as though Tyrell was about to argue back.
Instead, another voice quietly interrupted.
"We need..."
Everyone turned.
It was Ino.
She had remained silent ever since entering the café, crying quietly while the others spoke around her.
Now, she slowly raised her head.bHer eyes were swollen, but her breathing had steadied.
She looked first at Nia...
Then at the crowded streets beyond the café windows.
"We need to stay alive first."
The words were barely above a whisper yet they carried through the entire room.
"If we leave now..."
She paused, watching another car force its way through the growing traffic.
"...there's a high chance most people won't even make it home."
No one spoke.
Outside, horns blared continuously.
Students darted between moving vehicles, desperate to leave before someone else beat them to it.
The roads leading away from Drake University were becoming increasingly congested.
Communication had already begun collapsing. Most airports had shut down. Roads are filled with panicked people.
No one even knew how widespread the ash was.
Trying to reach home now wasn't just difficult.
It was dangerous.
Nia's shoulders slowly relaxed.
She looked back out the window.
The determination in her eyes faded, replaced by uncertainty.
"..."
Without another word, she sat back down.
The café grew quiet again.
Not the awkward silence of strangers.
The heavy silence of people thinking about impossible decisions.
Noah quietly placed the seniors' meals on the table.
"Here you go."
No one touched the food immediately.
Even the smell of fresh sandwiches and soup failed to stir anyone's appetite.
Outside, another student sprinted past the windows carrying two duffel bags, nearly colliding with someone pushing a bicycle.
A few seconds later, an SUV accelerated toward the campus gates, its trunk packed so full that the lid wouldn't close completely.
Everyone watched without saying a word.
It was Priya who finally broke the silence.
She forced herself to smile.
"Well..."
Twelve pairs of eyes turned toward her.
She wrapped both hands around her coffee mug.
"On the bright side..."
She hesitated just long enough to choose her words.
"If we play our cards right..."
"...we can survive."
The statement sounded almost absurd after everything they had discussed.
Yet somehow. It didn't feel naïve rather it sounded hopeful.
Ali let out a dry laugh.
"Heh..."
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting toward the pale afternoon sky beyond the café windows.
The sunlight already seemed dimmer than it had that morning, though perhaps it was only their imagination.
"You're right."
He nodded slowly.
"We can."
Then his expression grew serious again.
"If..."
That single word lingered in the air.
No one needed him to finish.
If food, water, and medicine last.
If society didn't fall apart.
If they made the right choices.
If luck stayed on their side.
Survival had suddenly become a chain of uncertainties.
No one spoke for nearly a minute.
Finally, Noah broke the silence from behind the counter.
"You should all finish your coffee."
The students looked over.
He lifted his own empty mug with a small smile.
"Enjoy it while you can."
Aisha raised an eyebrow.
"What makes you say that?"
Noah chuckled softly.
"Because coffee's will become a luxury real soon."
The words earned a few faint smiles.
Not because they were funny.
Because everyone knew he was probably right.
Without another word, the thirteen students lifted their mugs. The coffee had grown slightly bitter as it cooled.
None of them complained.
Each silent sip carried the strange feeling that they were enjoying something ordinary...
...for what might be the last time in a very long while.
The conversation gradually found its rhythm again.
What started as awkward introductions slowly became genuine discussion.
The thirteen students came from different countries, different majors, and different backgrounds, yet for the next several hours those differences hardly mattered.
Marco somehow managed to get Brian laughing over stories about orientation.
Aisha and Tyrell argued over which sport demanded better athleticism.
Priya drew even a reluctant smile from Nia after telling an exaggerated story about accidentally getting lost in a theater backstage during a school performance.
Meanwhile, Corvin, Dimitri, Ali, and Mei Lin drifted into quieter conversations, discussing everything from volcanic eruptions to emergency logistics.
Every so often Noah would wander over to refill water glasses before returning to the counter.
Outside, Drake University continued changing.
The constant flow of students slowly dwindled.
Parking lots that had been overflowing that morning now sat half empty.
Entire residence hall entrances stood deserted.
Only the occasional car or cyclist hurried toward the university gates.
The excitement of freshman move-in day had disappeared.
In its place was an uneasy stillness.
It wasn't until Chase happened to glance toward the clock hanging above the counter that anyone realized how much time had passed.
"Eight fifteen."
Almost as soon as he spoke—
BEEEEEP.
The familiar tone echoed across campus once again.
Conversations throughout the café stopped instantly.
Vice President Alejandro Morales' voice followed.
"Attention all remaining students and staff."
"We ask everyone still on campus to gather inside the university auditorium before nine o'clock this evening."
"This meeting is extremely important."
"Thank you."
The announcement ended as abruptly as it had begun.
Ali pushed his chair back.
"Well."
He stretched his shoulders before grabbing his jacket.
"That's our cue."
Before leaving, Ali looked back at Corvin and others.
"One last thing... Don't blindly trust every announcement from the Vice President."
"He's trying to save the university. You need to make sure you are saying yourselves."