"Hmm?"
After all that talking, Brian turned his head toward Sarah and saw her staring at him intently. A slight smile formed on his lips as he joked:
"What? Are you stunned by my analysis? Amazed by my wisdom?"
"Pfft, you're so full of yourself."
Sarah rolled her eyes playfully, letting out a soft laugh before suddenly leaning in and placing both hands on his cheeks, squeezing them curiously.
"I'm just wondering… what exactly is going through your head to make you think up all these wild ideas," she said with genuine curiosity.
"Alright already!"
With a light slap, Brian gently pushed her away. He glanced toward the courtyard where students were slowly dispersing and checked the time:
"Do you think you've rested enough?"
"Mm-hmm, let's go."
Feeling the pain in her arms, waist, and abdomen finally easing, Sarah slowly stood up, stretched slightly, and walked out of the training area alongside Brian.
They didn't return directly to the dormitory. Instead, they went back to the classroom building. Brian wanted to retrieve the two books he had left in his desk drawer — it was going to be a long night, and reading would help pass the time.
He had skimmed through the anatomy book earlier. Though not the most advanced text, it was still an introductory guide worth having. With nothing better available, it was better than nothing at all.
During their tour with Miranda, Brian learned there were seven libraries across campus. Except for those requiring electricity or already damaged, the rest had been relocated to two adjacent buildings for safekeeping. But since everything was still being organized, they weren't open to the public yet. If he wanted more comprehensive reading materials, he'd have to wait a bit longer.
As for Sarah, she came back mainly to check on Dick and Alan.
"Yeah... just like we thought," Brian muttered when he saw the two boys lying flat on the ground, tongues sticking out, completely drained.
"Let's go," Brian patted Sarah's shoulder lightly before turning to leave.
Seeing him walk off, Sarah followed behind:
"Aren't we going to see them?"
"They probably didn't meet the training requirements. They'll have to stay until the session ends. Do you want to wait here for another hour?" Brian replied without looking back.
"Oh... then forget it," Sarah sighed and gave up.
After agreeing to meet again for dinner, they parted ways at the dorm entrance. Very few people had returned, and from some rooms, faint snoring could be heard — clearly exhausted from the day's workout.
Brian didn't see this as a bad thing. While physical exercise was important, its main purpose seemed to be tiring out these energetic teenagers, preventing them from getting into trouble or causing chaos.
Still, he knew from experience that gathering so many young minds in one school without allowing them to leave would eventually lead to conflict. Although he didn't know how long this peace would last, he hoped it held for a while longer.
Back in his room, Brian filled a bucket with water and wiped himself down with a towel. The dorm lacked hot water facilities, and even if there were any, they wouldn't be accessible to students.
Considering the winter cold, he couldn't risk bathing in freezing water — that would only get him sick. After cleaning up, he used soap to wash his clothes and hung them on the balcony. In this weather, it would take two or three days for them to dry.
Then he checked the time, placed the books under his pillow, locked the door carefully, and walked downstairs, waiting quietly near the dorm entrance while watching the fading sunset.
...
Nightfall
After enjoying a hearty meal in the cafeteria with Sarah, Brian returned to his dorm and climbed under the covers. He pulled the thick blanket over his body, leaned against the bedframe, and retrieved the two books from under his pillow.
The surroundings were silent, with only distant footsteps and muffled voices filtering in from outside. Compared to the noisy midday atmosphere, everything was now peaceful — clearly, the intense training had worn everyone out.
Once night fully fell, Brian reached for the small table lamp beside the window and switched it on. The weak glow illuminated the space around his bed.
The main ceiling lights had long been removed, leaving each student with only this single lamp. Though dim, Brian wasn't about to complain — at least there was some source of light.
Spending two hours immersed in study, he finally set the books aside at ten o'clock, shut off the lamp, and curled under the covers to sleep.
Boom... boom...
His sleep wasn't very peaceful. Half-awake, Brian felt a familiar rumbling sound coming from far away. It wasn't clear, but it was definitely real.
And it sounded oddly familiar — like something he had recently heard somewhere.
Suddenly, Brian snapped his eyes open. Sitting upright, he threw off the blanket, slipped on his slippers, and made his way to the balcony.
It was just past five in the morning, the sky barely beginning to lighten. Leaning on the railing, he stared at a faint yellowish light in the distance, listening to the low rumbles echoing from beyond the perimeter.
Just moments ago, he had only been guessing. Now, wide awake, he recalled clearly — that was the same sound he had heard during their escape into the quarantine zone: the thunderous roar of tanks firing within the base.
Hearing such sounds from this distance meant the military had begun engaging the infected outside the safety zone. Their mission: to carve a direct path for new arrivals.
And if the army chose to act now, it must mean a convoy was approaching — likely carrying thousands of survivors. Opening a route quickly was crucial for their survival.
Three days passed like this, with the distant rumbling never ceasing. At first, the noise caught the attention of the students, but kids being kids, once they realized they couldn't understand what was happening, they stopped paying attention.
Brian, however, gradually adapted to life in the school. Mornings were spent studying inside the classroom, afternoons were dedicated to exhausting physical training, and lunch breaks were for resting. His days became surprisingly full.
During this time, he and Sarah, along with Dick and Alan, visited the administration office to inquire about Anna and the others, hoping to find their exact location and establish contact.
As Brian suspected, labor was extremely scarce within the quarantine zone. Residents from both sectors combined probably numbered less than twenty thousand. Everyone was required to work long, intense shifts — no time for anything else.
But according to instructions from above, things would improve once the next wave of survivors arrived. Then, the pressure would ease.
That very noon, the distant explosions abruptly ceased — signaling that the external passage had been successfully cleared.
Sure enough, the next morning, as Brian studied normally in class, he casually glanced out the window and noticed dozens of military trucks parked right outside the university gates.
From those vehicles, hundreds of children poured out one after another, looking around nervously, clearly overwhelmed by the unfamiliar environment.
Brian recognized that look immediately — it was exactly how he had felt when he first arrived. Just like him, these newcomers were now being led into the school, heading toward the classroom building's entrance. From a rough count, there were at least five or six hundred of them.
His gaze drifted downward, and sure enough, Miranda was already waiting below. This time, though, she wasn't alone — behind her stood a group of middle-aged women holding clipboards, ready to begin processing the new arrivals.
The sudden influx of people naturally drew the attention of the students inside. One by one, they rushed to the windows, stretching their necks to observe the commotion.
But soon enough, a stern cough from the instructor sent them scurrying back to their seats.
Brian simply remained seated by the window, quietly observing how Miranda evaluated the new students below.
At the same time, he also noticed how several older-looking kids were being called out separately by one of the instructors and escorted onto a school bus parked outside. The vehicle started its engine and slowly drove away.
Seeing this, Brian furrowed his brows. Though confident in his earlier deductions, he still couldn't be entirely sure whether he was correct.
But he quickly pushed the matter aside — none of it concerned him directly for now. No use thinking too much ahead.
...
In the week that followed, six additional groups of students arrived at the university. Some brought only a couple hundred kids, others over a thousand.
With fresh blood flowing into the school and the quarantine zone, activity picked up dramatically. And with the arrival of the final support convoy, the long-prepared plans were finally put into motion.