The announcement finally ended.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
The eight freshmen stood together beneath the dim lights of the university corridor, surrounded by the uneasy noise of Drake returning to motion. Doors opened. Voices rose. Somewhere downstairs, someone was crying while a professor tried to calm a group of students who had begun arguing.
But none of it felt normal anymore.
Corvin looked toward the nearest window.
The campus outside looked almost exactly as it had an hour ago. The trees still moved in the wind. Students still crossed the walkways. The old stone buildings still stood where they had always stood.
Yet something had changed.
Drake had closed its gates.
There was nowhere else to go.
Aisha exhaled slowly.
"So... we're really staying."
Nobody answered.
A phone began ringing.
Then another.
Within seconds, the group was checking their screens.
Corvin's sister.
Aisha's father.
Marco's father.
Astrid's brother.
Dimitri's father.
Priya's mother.
Chase's father.
Mei Lin's grandfather.
For the first time since the announcement, the eight separated.
They returned to their rooms.
---
Corvin answered first.
His sister appeared on the screen, seated somewhere underground. Behind her, he could see a concrete wall and a strip of emergency lighting.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. What about you?"
"We're okay."
She explained that the family had reached their bunker and sealed it. The reinforced walls, filtration system, water supply, stored food and medical equipment were all functioning.
Corvin listened quietly.
"You need to stay inside Drake," she said. "Don't leave unless you absolutely have to."
"I know."
"And Corvin?"
"Yeah?"
"We're proud of you."
He looked away for a moment.
"Thanks."
The call ended.
---
Aisha's father answered almost immediately.
"Dad."
"Hey, kid."
He sounded tired, but steady.
"Are you safe?"
"We are. We're in a place where the ash shouldn't hit us as badly. We've got food and water. Nothing fancy, but we're okay."
Aisha leaned back against the wall.
"So you're really okay?"
"For now."
She nodded.
"You'll figure something out," he said.
Aisha gave him a small smile.
"Because you always do."
"I'll call again when I can."
"Do that."
---
Marco found his father surrounded by several other people.
"We moved quickly," his father said. "We're staying with trusted family and a few employees. We've got generators, food, water and medicine."
Marco studied the faces behind him.
"You trust all of them?"
His father paused.
"I trust them enough."
Marco understood the answer.
"When resources become scarce, people change," his father said. "Remember that."
"I will."
"Take care of yourself."
"You too."
The screen went dark.
---
Astrid's brother answered from what looked like a community hall.
People were carrying boxes behind him.
"Everyone's staying together," he explained. "We've divided up food, water and medical supplies. Nobody comes in or leaves without approval unless it's absolutely necessary."
Astrid swallowed.
"Are you safe?"
Her brother hesitated.
"I can't promise that."
Her expression tightened.
"But I can promise we're doing everything we can."
Astrid nodded.
"That's enough."
It wasn't.
But it was all he could give her.
---
Dimitri's father appeared next.
He was sitting somewhere that looked nothing like a city.
"We left before roads became impossible," he said. "We're in a Grandfather's village in northern Siberia."
"You're safe?"
"For now."
His father explained that the village had livestock, stored grain, reliable water sources and small cave-growing systems. They were preparing to survive for roughly a year if necessary.
Dimitri listened carefully.
"You planned for this?"
His father gave a dry laugh.
"We planned for bad winters. Not this."
That made Dimitri smile.
"Good."
His father looked at him.
"Stay inside, Dimitri."
"I will."
"Do not try to be a hero."
Dimitri's expression became serious.
"I won't."
---
Priya's mother answered from a crowded emergency camp.
The background was full of movement—families, volunteers, government workers and medical personnel.
"Priya, breathe."
Priya hadn't realized she was holding her breath.
"I'm breathing."
"I know."
Her mother smiled.
"The government moved farmers, agricultural workers and other necessary personnel into emergency camps first. It's crowded, but we have food, water and medical care."
"Are you together?"
"Yes."
Priya closed her eyes.
"Okay."
"Listen to me."
Her mother's voice softened.
"Take care of your people."
Priya looked toward the door.
"I will."
---
Chase's father answered with the sound of waves behind him.
"Dad?"
"Hey, mate."
Chase immediately recognized the background.
"You're on a boat?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
His father laughed.
"Because we're fishermen."
He explained that several fishing families had taken their boats toward a remote island east of New Zealand. They had fuel, fishing equipment and enough people to keep the boats and equipment operating.
Chase stared at him.
"You actually planned all that?"
"We're fishermen."
"That doesn't answer the question."
"It does."
Chase laughed despite himself.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then his father said, "Stay safe, mate."
"You too."
---
Mei Lin's grandfather answered last.
His face appeared beneath harsh white lighting.
"Are you safe?"
"Yes."
"And the others?"
"They're safe too."
He nodded.
Mei Lin could tell from the background that they were underground.
"Where are you?"
"You don't need to know."
She waited.
He eventually explained that the family had secured space in a government-funded nuclear bunker with independent power, water filtration and long-term supplies.
Mei Lin understood what that meant.
Connections had opened a door that would have remained closed to most people.
"Stay with people you trust," her grandfather said.
Mei Lin looked down at her hands.
"I am."
The call ended.
---
Fifteen minutes later, the eight met again.
Nobody asked for details.
They only needed to know one thing.
Their families were alive.
Safe.
For now.
Astrid sat down.
"They're all alive."
Priya nodded.
"That's what matters."
"We're lucky," Corvin said.
Dimitri looked toward the hallway.
"So are many others."
The others looked at him.
He didn't explain.
A burst of static came through one of their radios.
"All available security personnel to East Entrance. Reinforcements required. Crowd control required. Repeat—"
Corvin stood.
"The East Gate is close."
Aisha was already moving.
"Let's go."
---
The East Entrance was less than five minutes away.
They heard the crowd before they saw it.
Shouting.
Crying.
Arguments.
Then they rounded the final corner.
Thousands of people stood outside the gates.
Some carried suitcases. Others had backpacks, boxes or whatever possessions they had managed to grab. Parents held children close. Cars were abandoned along the road, their doors still open.
A man near the front pushed against the barricade.
"My family has nowhere to go!"
A guard stepped forward.
"Stay behind the line."
"We have children!"
"So do we!"
Another voice shouted from somewhere behind him.
"Let us in!"
The crowd surged.
Security personnel immediately tightened their formation.
Travis Harper stepped toward the gate.
"We can't let you onto the campus."
"We're not asking for much!"
"You're asking for shelter, food and water."
"We'll work for it!"
"We'll sleep outside!"
"We'll ration!"
"We don't care!"
The voices overlapped until individual words became difficult to distinguish.
Then Vice Director Morales arrived.
He moved toward the front of the security line and raised both hands.
"Everyone, listen!"
It took several attempts, but the shouting gradually weakened.
Morales looked over the crowd.
"I understand why you're here."
"Then open the gate!"
A wave of agreement moved through the people.
Morales waited for it to fade.
"Drake's supplies were calculated for the population we have inside. Food. Water. Medicine. Fuel. Every part of our emergency planning was based on those numbers."
A man shouted, "We'll ration!"
Morales nodded.
"I understand."
"Then let us in!"
"If we bring several thousand more people inside, those supplies will disappear much faster than they were designed to."
"We can work!"
"We can grow food!"
"We'll take empty buildings!"
Morales raised his voice.
"And if the ash lasts longer than expected?"
The crowd quieted.
"What happens when the food runs low? When medicine runs out? When the generators need fuel?"
Nobody answered.
A woman near the front pushed through the crowd, clutching a young child against her chest.
"Are you seriously telling me you're going to let my child die outside your gate?"
Morales looked at her.
"No."
The woman stared at him.
"I am telling you that I cannot promise your child's survival by bringing her inside."
The words hung in the air.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Travis Harper stepped forward.
He drew his sidearm. Several people screamed.
Travis raised the weapon toward the trees beside the entrance.
A single gunshot cracked across the campus.
Birds scattered from the branches.
The crowd fell silent.
Travis lowered the weapon but kept it in his hand.
"Drake cannot take you in."
His voice was calm.
"You need to find shelter somewhere else before the ash arrives. Staying outside this gate will not save you."
Nobody answered.
Then someone shouted, "Where are we supposed to go?"
Travis didn't respond.
Another voice rose.
"You think that gun is going to make us disappear?"
"We have nowhere else!"
A mother began crying.
A few people started moving backward.
Others refused to move at all.
One family turned away from the gate, but a group beside them remained locked in place. Two men began arguing over where they could go next. Someone sat down on the pavement, apparently too exhausted to move.
The crowd did not disperse.
It fractured.
Some people slowly backed away.
Some continued shouting.
Others simply stood there, staring at the gates as though waiting for someone to change their mind.
The security line remained in place.
Travis watched them without saying another word.
Astrid stared at the gun.
"He just..."
"I know," Priya said quietly.
Chase swallowed.
"He didn't shoot anyone."
Astrid looked at him.
"That doesn't make it okay."
"No."
Corvin's eyes remained fixed on Travis.
"The shot wasn't necessary if the objective was explanation."
Aisha glanced at him.
"So why do it?"
Corvin watched as another group began backing away.
"He wanted certainty."
Aisha's expression hardened.
"And he got it."
"The shot worked," Corvin said.
He didn't sound impressed.
That was what bothered him most.
Aisha looked back toward the gate.
"Effective."
She shook her head.
"I hate that it was effective."
Marco watched the crowd.
"The argument stopped being about resources."
Corvin glanced at him.
"Before that, everyone was thinking about what Drake could give them," Marco said. "After that, they were thinking about what Drake could do to them."
Dimitri looked at the weapon in Travis's hand.
"Fear is efficient."
Priya gave him a sharp look.
"Don't say that like it's a good thing."
"I didn't."
Mei Lin said nothing.
She was watching the guards. None of them looked surprised.
That unsettled her more than the gunshot.
They had already accepted that this was something security might have to become.
Footsteps approached from behind them.
Ali, Brian, Tyrell, Nia, and Ino hurried toward the entrance.
Ali stopped when he saw the crowd.
"What happened?"
"Thousands showed up," Aisha said.
Ali looked toward the gate.
"Yeah."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I should've expected that."
"You expected them?"
"Not today." His eyes remained on the people outside. "But everyone outside knows there's food here now."
Travis turned toward Morales.
"We need more guards."
"How many?" Morales asked.
"As many as we can get."
"We already have most of security here."
"Then find more."
Morales stared at him for a moment.
"I'll work something out."
Travis looked back toward the gate.
"It won't be enough."
Morales didn't answer.
Travis returned to his position.
"Next time," he said, "they might not leave."
---
By the time the thirteen returned to Favilla Hall, the campus had gone strangely quiet.
The hall felt different too.
Several rooms were empty now.
A backpack had been left beside one doorway. A pair of shoes sat beneath a bench. Someone had forgotten a jacket in the common room.
Small things.
Evidence that people had left believing they would eventually come back.
Nia ran a hand along the wall as they walked.
"It feels different already."
Aisha looked around.
"It does."
Nobody said anything after that.
A door opened at the far end of the corridor.
Alex Aguilar stepped out.
He was carrying three pistols, each secured safely in a holster.
The group stopped.
Alex looked at them for a moment.
"You want a job?"
Aisha blinked.
"Now?"
"Especially now."
His gaze moved across the group.
For a moment, it seemed as though he was taking each of them in, measuring something they couldn't see.
Whatever conclusion he'd reached, he kept it to himself.
"Drake is going to need people who can do more than sit in their rooms and wait for the ash."
Corvin looked at the weapons.
"What kind of job?"
"One that requires responsibility."
Alex's expression remained serious.
"Things are going to get harder from here. The university needs people who can move when everyone else is waiting. People who can handle pressure. People who can be trusted when something goes wrong."
Aisha folded her arms.
"And the guns?"
Alex glanced down at the holsters.
"Part of the job."
Astrid looked uneasy.
"Why do we need guns?"
Alex turned toward the windows.
Beyond them, the distant crowd was still visible near the outer road.
"Because today was a warning."
He looked back at them.
"Next time, we might not get one."
Silence settled over the corridor.
Corvin studied him.
"What exactly are we supposed to do?"
"You'll find out."
Aisha raised an eyebrow.
"That isn't much of an answer."
"No."
Alex's gaze passed over the eight again.
"But you don't need all the answers tonight."
He started walking past them.
"I'm not asking you to decide right now."
He stopped at the end of the corridor.
"And don't take too long."
Then he disappeared around the corner.
The eight remained where they were.
Outside, beyond the sealed walls of Drake University, thousands of people were still searching for somewhere safe.
Inside, Drake was already changing.