"I just cleared out the cafeteria, and there are rations that can last the crowd for about three days. You can send people to come pick up the foods." Garret added as he walked passed them.
Eira could hear some sighs of relief, others hugged each other, but she knew it wasn't enough. If the government couldn't somehow come to their aid, then they would have to move. But how many would brave the current world. She herself had almost died but by overcoming that, she got a powerful skill testament to her being alive right now. Nighttime was arriving and the cold was biting. She knew if they didn't find a better alternative by the next three days then it would get really troublesome.
"How is he so unbothered," She wondered as she watched Garret's silhouette fade to the cafeteria
Garret after cleaning out the room, decided to rest a little bit. He had been through a lot during the day. He had almost lost his life on several occasions. But somehow he survived.
"Eva, I have to find you. I will start the search after I rest. I will find you and then together we can go to our families. Dad, mom, little Claudia I hope you're safe… Because if not." He didn't dare imagine
As the warm thoughts of his family were drifting in his mind. Then the uneasy, fragile embrace of sleep claimed him. He dreamt about something but he didn't remember anything when he woke up
He was woken up by a knock and then a shy sound
"Hey Garret are you asleep."
No response.
"Garret... um... food's ready. Eira said to call you." She said gently opening the room.
Garret pushed himself up, rubbing at his eyes. "You didn't have to come all the way down here."
Leah shook her head, glancing nervously down the hall. "I offered. She's... busy with the others." A pause. "She trusts me to help."
He studied her from across the dim room, this quiet girl who had barely spoken when they first met now carrying messages from Eira herself. Somehow, in just a few hours, she had slipped into the Ice queen's inner circle.
"I'll be down in a minute."
He had to sort out yesterday's spoils. He had gained 8 levels from killing the mantis, but surprisingly he had not gained anything from the horde of zombies. He had also gained a yellow orb and a skill scroll whom from which he had high hopes considering his previous gains. Rummaging his backpack, he placed the normal sword on the ground, he already had a candidate to give the sword to. Carefully placing the yellow orb and the skill scroll on the ground, he took a second to praise himself for such great work.
"I look like a damn lunatic smiling at orbs and scrolls," He sneered. "Time for the moment of truth."
Gently squeezing the orb in his hands, he heard the soothing voice of the Weave. With a flash the orb disappeared and a new object rested on his palm. A slender earring shaped like a crescent moon, faintly pulsing with a dull violet glow.
"An earring, I don't have my ears pierced. Gods, will Eva see me in that?" Garret lamented. "Let's see what this baby can do."
{Rare grade; Moonstone Earring: A crescent-shaped relic formed from shadow and moonlight. Defends the soul thrice before fading into silence.}
"Now that's handy," Garret said, visibly impressed And quickly equipping the earring.
"Now the scroll."
{Passive skill; Adapt lv 1: Your body subconsciously adjusts to repeated threats, slightly faster reaction time, steadier breathing and improved focus.}
He could feel he had a better grasp of his surroundings, added to his skill Light Absorption, which would buff his skills, he felt much more powerful. He felt if he met the mantis again, it wouldn't be a one sided fight like before. In a good mood, he walked towards the others not wanting to keep them waiting.
The gym lights buzzed faintly overhead, casting long uneven shadows across the room. Tables had been pushed together to form a makeshift meeting space. On one side sat Eira, Kael, Darrius, Leah, Dave, and two of the campus staff, the only ones left who could still think clearly enough to plan. Garret sat opposite them, alone. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes carried the kind of focus that made people uneasy. He'd barely spoken since the fight outside, and even now, silence seemed to bend around him. Kael tried to break it first, his easy smile doing little to soften the edge in the air.
"So... Garret. You've seen how bad things are out there. We're short on food and medicine. A few people are already coughing, could be the cold, could be worse."
Darrius crossed his arms, voice gruff. "We need someone fast, someone who can handle themselves."
Garret didn't look at any of them. "I work alone."
The words were quiet, but final. Leah's hands fidgeted in her lap, Dave avoided eye contact altogether. Even the two staff members shifted uncomfortably, glancing toward Eira as if she could somehow control him. Eira leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. Her gaze was steady, sharp.
"This isn't about you. People are sick. Supplies are running out. We need everyone working together."
"I'm not part of your group," Garret said evenly. "My sister's still out there. I'm finding her first."
A tense silence followed. Kael opened his mouth, but Darrius's hand on his arm stopped him. Eira's expression hardened, that composed calm of hers cracking for the first time since anyone had met her.
"So you'd abandon everyone else for one person?" she asked, her voice low. "You'd walk out there alone and waste your life on a maybe?"
Garret's eyes met hers at last. "It's not a maybe."
For a moment, no one spoke. The air felt cold, heavier somehow. Leah's eyes darted between them, fear flickering in her face. Then Eira stood abruptly, her chair scraping the floor.
"Fine," she said, her voice cutting like ice. "Go, then. If your life's worth so little, don't let us stop you."
Garret rose too, calm and unshaken. He didn't argue. Didn't even glance at the others. Just turned and walked toward the door. Behind him, Leah whispered something, maybe his name, but it was too soft to reach him. Eira stood rigid, staring after him. Kael watched her, concern flickering in his eyes, but said nothing. The frost on her fingertips was faint, but unmistakable. The moment the door shut behind Garret, silence filled the cafeteria. The faint hum of the old lights and the distant groan of wind outside were the only sounds left.
Eira stayed standing for a while, staring at the door. Her hand trembled slightly, not from fear, but from anger she couldn't quite place. Kael leaned back in his chair, letting out a long breath.
"You didn't have to go that hard on him."
Eira turned her gaze on him, sharp and cold. "You think I care what happens to someone who'd rather run off alone and die?"
Darrius snorted from his seat. "That guy's trouble. Did you see the way he moved out there? He's not normal. Let him go."
Kael broke the silence after a moment. "He's not heartless, Eira."
Eira exhaled slowly, running a hand through her hair. The faint frost that had gathered at her fingertips was already melting away.
"We don't have time for people who can't commit to the group," she muttered. "Everyone here depends on each other."
Leah looked up hesitantly. "Still... maybe he'll come back. Maybe he'll find her."
Eira didn't answer. She just turned away, walking toward the gym's entrance where the dim moonlight pooled across the floor. For a moment, her reflection shimmered faintly in the glass, strong, composed, but tired in a way that went deeper than the body.
Finally, Kael said softly, "If he does come back... I hope it's not as another corpse outside the door."
No one replied.