Survival in the last days of America

The morning sun pierced through the clouds, casting warm rays over the icy ground. Snow slowly melted into puddles scattered across the streets. Bare tree branches sprouted fresh green buds. The temperature was gradually rising — winter had quietly passed without anyone noticing.

"Let's go!"

"Are you ready? Hurry up!"

After finishing their afternoon training, most students rushed back to their dorms with excitement. With their academic credit cards in hand, they had already exchanged for items from the store — snacks, games, even new clothes. They packed everything into their backpacks and hurried toward the school gate with friends.

A few students didn't show as much enthusiasm, but still wore relaxed expressions, chatting happily with roommates while walking around campus.

...

Male Dormitory

"I'm telling you, today is the only day we're allowed to leave the campus. Are you really not going out?" Brian shouted from inside the bathroom as he wiped sweat off his face.

He had just finished cleaning himself after a long workout, pouring water from a bucket onto his body before stepping out with damp hair.

Amir, shirtless and lifting dumbbells, barely looked up. His upper body showed early signs of muscle development, though beads of sweat rolled down his chest.

"Hmph," Amir muttered between breaths. "I don't have any family out there. What would I do outside? I'd rather keep training."

"Tsk tsk... never thought I'd turn you into a gym rat," Brian teased slightly, shaking his head.

Without further words, he emptied the bucket and stepped out of the bathroom. He tossed his dirty clothes into it, opened the wardrobe, and pulled out clean ones to change into.

Still seated on his bed, Amir turned his gaze toward the sunlight streaming in from the balcony. Ignoring Brian's tone, he said calmly:

"I'm just giving myself something to focus on. If I keep training, I wonk about other useless things."

Brian paused mid-motion at those words, then resumed dressing.

"Well then, if you insist on staying, I won't force you. Just watch our stuff. See you later."

"Mm-hmm. See you."

...

Leaving the dorm behind, Brian quickly made his way to the fifth floor, helping Dick and Alan finish packing. After locking their door, he met Sarah and Lulu, who were already waiting by the entrance.

The five of them walked along the quiet paths of the school, chatting and laughing. But due to the large number of students leaving at the same time, progress was slow.

Once outside the campus, Brian pulled out the official map of the quarantine zone from his pocket and asked:

"Lulu, where does your mom live?"

"She told me she's in Sector C," Lulu replied after a brief pause.

"Sector C…" Brian traced his finger across the map, easily locating it.

"Alright. Let's drop Dick off in Sector D first. That'll take us straight into Sector C. Once we've seen everyone home, we can go find Anna in Sector A. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded. For the past three months, Brian had always taken the lead. They were used to following him.

Their current location was the central area — Sector G — making it easy for students to travel outward. It took minimal time to reach any destination.

As they walked through the city streets, cracks lined the road surface. Scattered residents roamed around — mostly elderly people with white hair and women caring for young children. Only a few were strong young workers.

Seeing these teenagers — so rarely encountered in daily life — many older citizens turned their heads in curiosity.

But what caught Brian's attention more than anything else were the soldiers patrolling every block. Almost everywhere they went, at least two guards could be seen.

This level of military presence immediately raised his suspicions. Although he hadn't interacted much with the outside world during his three months in the school, this wasn't normal. Something must have happened in the quarantine zone.

Yet he held back his curiosity for now. Instead, he led the group forward, reaching a checkpoint after half an hour of walking.

There, a dozen soldiers stood guard. Seeing the approaching students, one of them gave a slight start before returning to professional demeanor. As soon as they got close, he asked:

"Please show your identification."

Brian wasted no time, pulling out all their ID cards and handing them over.

The soldier briefly checked each document, already knowing their purpose, but still followed protocol:

"What brings you here?"

"It's our only break of the month. We're visiting our families," Brian answered casually.

"Understood. Go ahead."

With a nod, the soldier returned the documents and moved aside, allowing them to pass.

...

Crossing through the security gates, Brian and the others obtained directions from the officer and continued walking.

As they moved along the sidewalks, a police car suddenly drove by, its loudspeaker broadcasting:

"The quarantine zone is currently under special management. Report any abnormalities to the nearest control center immediately. We will respond promptly."

Upon hearing the message, they all stopped and turned their heads, watching the vehicle disappear around the corner.

"Why is the quarantine zone under lockdown?" Sarah asked, turning to Brian.

"How should I know?" Brian slightly twitched his lips, avoiding her probing stare.

"I'm not God. I don't know everything. Our information is limited. Let me think about it first."

"Oh…"

Unknowingly, nearly an hour had passed. As they walked, the streets grew busier. At an intersection, they saw a factory gate opening, and tired-looking adults exiting — clearly the end of the workday.

Brian gave them a passing glance, focused on his address notes. Asking locals for directions, he finally found someone who pointed them toward a small alleyway.

At last, they arrived at the entrance of a somewhat worn residential building.

"This should be it," Brian confirmed after double-checking the address.

"Let's go upstairs."

Leading the group, he entered the building. Of course, the elevator had long since been shut down — they climbed the stairs directly.

The entrance faced away from direct sunlight, always shadowed. Around noon, some light filtered in through corridor windows, but by six o'clock, the stairwell was pitch black.

Luckily, Lucy and Daphne lived on the fourth floor — not too high. Still, the darkness made the climb feel longer.

Knock knock knock!

Each floor had four units. Checking the numbers carefully, Brian knocked firmly on Room 401.

"Coming!" came a female voice from within, followed by quick footsteps.

Everyone paused slightly, surprised. Then, instinctively, their eyes turned toward Room 402 next door — the source of the sound.

Creak—!

The door to 402 slowly opened, revealing Daphne's familiar face.

"Mom!"

Dick was the first to rush forward, throwing himself into his mother's arms and holding tightly.

"Ugh… haven't you grown out of this?" Daphne smiled warmly, gently stroking her son's head. Though she tried to hide it, her voice cracked slightly with emotion.

Then, seeing the rest still standing at the doorway, she waved them in:

"Come in, don't stay outside."

One by one, they entered the apartment. It wasn't big — maybe sixty square meters at most. Inside, they saw Lucy sitting on the couch, already waiting.

Sarah greeted Daphne and introduced Lulu before asking curiously:

"Why are you living together now?"

Daphne poured tea and sweets while responding with mild concern:

"Things have gotten unstable lately in the quarantine zone. Lucy suggested I move in temporarily — it's safer this way."

Hearing that, Brian instantly recalled the patrols and the earlier announcement from the police car. Furrowing his brow slightly, he asked:

"Unstable? What do you mean?"