Survival in the last days of America

"Yeah... I finished it."

Amir responded quietly, glancing down at his right fist, which was still swollen. As he recalled the bully who had mocked his parents months ago now begging for mercy at his feet, a cruel smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Nothing serious happened, right?" Brian asked as he turned to face him.

He looked Amir up and down — his jacket was open, his clothes messy, sweat soaked his hair, and his knuckles were bruised. Even his lips were cut. It was clear he had been in a fierce fight.

"Not really," Amir said in his usual cold tone, touching the wound on his lip, wincing at the sting. "I just remembered some bad things... I almost lost control. But when I was about to go too far, someone from the school stopped me. I didn't stick around — I just ran back. Now that I think of it… they were probably watching me the whole time, only stepping in when they saw I was serious."

Brian couldn't help but smirk inwardly. He already knew what had happened. But he didn't show it on his face.

"Let it go. You've had your revenge. Have you thought about what you're going to do next?"

Amir looked at him with confusion, not quite understanding why Brian would ask such a strange question. But after a pause, he murmured:

"I… I don't know."

"Take your time. Don't rush," Brian said, placing a hand on Amir's shoulder and guiding him toward Sarah and the others.

"Rest for a bit with them."

As Amir sat down, everyone gathered in a small circle, chatting happily with each other. There were no barriers, no tension. Over the past month, they had spent enough time together to form a bond.

Once everyone was settled, Brian also took a seat. He pulled out his white magnetic card and gave it a serious look before speaking:

"Listen up. Guard these cards carefully. Never lose them. There's no way to replace them. And all the credits you earn will go directly into them. If someone else gets their hands on it, you'll be working for their benefit."

He paused, then added:

"Recently, there have been cases of students stealing these cards. From now on, be extra cautious. Hide them in a secure place, or carry them with you at all times. If you want to exchange something, bring someone with you. Don't go alone. Understood?"

"Understood!"

Everyone nodded firmly, checking their own cards with concern. The thought of losing them made their hearts race. Each of them was already thinking about where to hide them next.

Seeing that everyone took his words seriously, Brian stretched a little and turned his gaze toward the training field.

Normally, after daily exercises, the place would be empty. But today, with the credit distribution, many students rushed to the store to exchange for entertainment items — basketballs, baseball bats, even card games.

Seeing the kids running around and laughing under the twilight sky, Brian smiled faintly for the first time since arriving at the school. It was the first time he had seen such genuine, carefree smiles in this otherwise oppressive environment.

"Today is the last day of 2010," Brian said, looking around. "Tomorrow is 2014. Let's go buy some food and stuff to celebrate this cursed year."

"Great idea!" Alan was the first to jump up in excitement. Being stuck in this school with endless training and studying had driven him nearly insane.

The others didn't object either. Ever since they entered the school, their lives had been tense and monotonous. It was time to relax.

So the group of six cheerfully made their way to the store. But when they arrived, they saw a massive crowd already inside — clearly, they weren't the only ones with plans for the night.

"Ugh... looks like we came at the worst time," Brian muttered with a slight frown.

He had almost forgotten — today was the day credits were released. Naturally, everyone with even a little would rush to exchange them. Even those with low scores came to buy something small. And of course, pickpockets and troublemakers wouldn't miss this chance either.

But the school wouldn't let chaos last long. With so many people gathered in one place, it was easy for things to get out of hand. Even with surveillance cameras, it was impossible to monitor every detail.

Soon, a few soldiers entered the store, restoring order and temporarily banning new entries.

The students with ill intentions quickly panicked. After a body search, they hurriedly left, not daring to stay any longer.

In no time, the crowd thinned out. Brian and the others finally stepped inside.

The moment they walked in, their eyes widened. The shelves were packed with supplies — it had been so long since they had seen so much organized material in one place.

Alan and Dick, being the youngest, immediately ran toward the game section, shouting excitedly all the way.

Brian watched them with a hint of amusement before turning to Sarah, Lulu, and Amir:

"The store has two floors. There's a lot here. Let's split up and look around. We'll meet back here."

Without hesitation, Lulu grabbed Sarah's arm and dragged her toward the food section. Amir, after a brief glance at the sign, headed straight to the second floor — where the sports equipment was.

Brian himself wandered without urgency. Unlike the others, he wasn't really interested in food or games — he wasn't a child anymore.

But as he passed the beverage section, something caught his eye.

Rows of beer bottles lined the shelves.

He paused in surprise. He hadn't expected to find alcohol in a school. But when he checked the price, he nearly took a step back.

Fifteen credits per bottle — almost half of his total.

Without hesitation, Brian put it back. As much as he wanted a drink, he'd rather spend his credits on more useful things.

After wandering a bit more, he only grabbed a few bottles of energy drinks and mineral water.

When everyone came out of the store, they were all holding something different.

Sarah and Lulu carried a mountain of snacks. Alan and Dick had games, most notably the Ludo board game tucked under Alan's arm.

But the most unexpected was Amir — he had exchanged his credits for a dumbbell. It was as if he had developed a sudden obsession with physical training since that first session.

...

Back at the training field, though it was already dark, many bonfires had been lit across the area. Students gathered around, laughing and chatting as the fire's warmth spread.

The school clearly understood why the students stayed out so late — so instead of dispersing them, they even turned on the outdoor lights for better visibility.

Brian led the group to a spacious spot, gathered some dry branches from under nearby trees, and with a lighter and some flammable materials, lit the fire. Soon, the flames crackled under the night sky.

The warmth of the fire wrapped around them all. Everyone stretched their hands toward the flames, letting out satisfied sighs.

Alan quickly pulled out the game he had chosen — Ludo. He called the others to play, and soon, laughter filled the area.

Brian sat halfway on the ground, looking up at the stars in the sky. Suddenly, he realized he hadn't had a moment like this in a long time — just sitting, relaxed, not worrying about survival or training.

He felt like everything was a dream.

Since arriving in this world, he had seen the grotesque infected, witnessed both kind and cruel humans, and gone from surviving in the outside world to being trapped in this school's strict training and study schedule. All of it felt surreal.

"What's wrong? You look so gloomy."

Just as Brian was lost in his thoughts, Sarah's familiar voice reached his ears. He slowly turned his head and saw her face — so familiar, so comforting — that he couldn't help but smile.

Feeling Brian's gaze on her, Sarah's cheeks flushed slightly. To hide her reaction, she playfully slapped him and said:

"Talk already! Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Ha... Nothing much. Just thinking about the past."

With a faint smile, Brian gently wrapped an arm around Sarah's shoulders. The melancholy that had gripped him moments before vanished like smoke in the wind.

Hearing the laughter of his friends, feeling the warmth of the girl beside him, Brian silently made a vow:

No matter what the future holds, I will protect my loved ones and friends. We will survive in this apocalyptic world!