"Sigh… Why do they have to make things even worse?"
The soft question came from a girl sitting quietly in the darkest corner of the room. Her voice barely rose above a whisper, like a thought that escaped her lips. She looked exhausted, the fear etched into her face matching the stains and tears on her uniform — a quiet reflection of everything she had endured inside the campus.
"Because fear and uncertainty bring out the worst in people."
The unexpected answer made her flinch and glance up. She hadn't noticed anyone nearby. Her eyes widened slightly when she recognized the person standing a few steps away — and his calm smile only made her turn her gaze away more quickly, as if caught in a moment too vulnerable.
"Y-you're… Light," she stammered. Her tone carried a nervous edge, and though she tried to act composed, there was no hiding the flush on her face — or the sudden way she became self-conscious of how she looked.
Light, for his part, seemed amused — not mocking, but comforted. Seeing her like this, alert and emotionally responsive, was a sign that she wasn't completely broken down by what they'd just gone through. Compared to how lifeless she had seemed earlier, this was an improvement.
"Guess I don't need to introduce myself anymore," he said lightly. "How about you? What's your name?"
"S-Summer..."
"Nice to meet you, Summer. You're in 12th grade?"
"I'm in eleventh, under Arts and Design," she answered softly.
"Oh, same track as me. What do you plan to take in college?"
"I want to be a painter..."
"I see," Light smiled. "I think you're going to be a great one — maybe even one of the best in the world."
His words took Summer off guard. He hadn't even seen her work, and yet he said it with such sincere confidence that it momentarily silenced all the doubts in her chest.
"I—I don't think so… I'm not that good. And I doubt there'll be anyone left who cares about art after this... not if the world ends tomorrow or next year..."
She trailed off, her gaze dropping to the floor. The heaviness in her voice was unmistakable.
For a moment, Light couldn't respond. Her hopelessness mirrored something inside him — the same fear that maybe his dream of becoming a digital artist was now just a foolish memory. Would college even happen anymore? Had everything they worked for become meaningless?
Still, he found himself saying,
"But, you know, Summer... no one's taken away our right to hope yet. Or believe. Believe that all of this will end someday, and that we'll still find a way to chase the dreams we once had."
His eyes were distant, lost in thought. Maybe it wasn't the right time to be dreaming — maybe it was reckless — but he needed that moment. Just one breath of the future. Because today, everything he once held close — his memories, his goals — felt like they were flickering out of reach, like a life he was watching die in slow motion.
"Stop saying bullsh*t!!"
The angry voice rang out suddenly, snapping everyone's attention back to the present. Even the creatures outside seemed stirred by the outburst.
"Arrrgh..."
But the people inside didn't notice. They were still too caught up watching the escalating fight between Rian and the principal.
Meanwhile, Light couldn't help but think of Thino — his closest friend. A knot of worry tightened in his chest. Thino had never been the confrontational type. He was barely treated with respect even in Wosker's group. How was he supposed to survive out there with monsters?
Still… something about the way Thino looked earlier — that sharp, determined glint in his eyes — made Light believe that he wasn't completely powerless. Maybe… just maybe, Thino had discovered something the rest of them didn't know yet.
It wasn't the face of someone surrendering to fear. It was someone walking into the storm knowing exactly what he needed to do.
But before he could get lost in his thoughts, the shouting resumed with new force.
"You think you're in charge just because you're wearing that damn ID?" Rian barked, his fists clenched, chest heaving with fury. He stepped closer to the principal, his broad shoulders squared, jaw tight. "You left us to die in the gym! And now you're here pretending you care?"
Principal Duran didn't flinch. He stood with arms crossed, back straight, his voice cold as iron. "I made decisions to preserve what little order we had left. Sacrifices were necessary. I don't expect a hot-headed child like you to understand."
"A child?" Rian scoffed. "You locked people out of safety. You gave orders that got students eaten alive. You're not a leader—you're a coward hiding behind a badge!"
Summer stiffened where she sat, shrinking deeper into her corner. The tension in the room felt suffocating now, like the walls themselves were holding their breath. She could barely hear herself think past the rising shouts.
"Please..." she muttered to no one in particular. "Can't we just wait quietly? Just... stop fighting..."
But her voice was a feather tossed into a storm. No one heard her.
On the other side of the area, a few students huddled by the lift, arguing in hushed tones about the broken vehicle being repaired. One of them kept insisting they could hot-wire the engine and leave without the others. Another was just trying to charge a half-broken phone.
It was chaos—loud, fragmented chaos.
No one noticed the soft scrape of metal just outside the closed service door.
No one noticed the faint hiss of breath from something with more teeth than reason.
Summer's eyes drifted toward Light again. Despite the shouting, he hadn't moved. His arms were crossed, leaning lightly against the wall beside her, expression unreadable.
"Do you really think..." she started softly, "...that Thino will be okay?"
Light blinked, then looked at her, surprised.
"You know him?"
She hesitated, then shook her head. "No. Not really. I saw him once or twice... but I heard the name earlier. I just... I don't know why it stuck with me."
Light's gaze dropped. "He's my best friend."
There was a pause. She could hear Rian yelling again.
"You're full of it, old man! You think just because you're older, you're always right?"
"And you think screaming makes you a hero?" Duran snapped. "You don't have the guts to make hard calls. You'd let emotion lead you straight to ruin."
"Emotion is what makes us human!" Rian roared back. "You forgot that when you turned your back on your own students!"
Something slammed—someone had kicked over a toolbox. Wrenches and sockets clattered across the floor, rolling toward the corner where Summer sat. She flinched but didn't move to pick them up. Her fingers clutched her sleeves tightly.
"How long has he been gone?" she asked quietly, eyes on the floor.
"Too long," Light muttered. "But knowing Thino… he's probably doing something stupid and brave."
Summer gave a faint smile. "I hope he comes back… I think we need someone like that right now."
Light nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching with the ghost of a grin.
The air in the room grew heavier. Somewhere, a girl started crying quietly behind the stacked tires. Another student vomited in a corner after hearing something outside—though no one dared go check.
Amidst all the noise, Summer found herself oddly focused on Light's presence. His calmness felt like an anchor in the madness, even if it wobbled at the edges.
"I used to have a plan," she whispered. "After school, I mean. It felt important before. Like, I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about my portfolio, deadlines, applications..." She shook her head. "Now it feels like I was just dreaming with my eyes open."
Light leaned slightly toward her, his voice low. "You weren't. That dream's still yours. Even now."
Her lips parted slightly. Something in his voice pulled at her. Not just the words, but the way he said them—like he needed to believe it just as much as she did.
But before either of them could say anything more—
BANG!
A loud crash jolted the room. Everyone jumped. One of the students had punched a locker so hard it dented, sending a cascade of tools tumbling off the top. Gasps and curses filled the space.
Summer clutched her chest, her breath catching.
"It's fine!" someone shouted. "He just lost it, okay? Nobody's dead!"
But even as the tension surged again, no one noticed the quiet scraping sound coming from the garage lift hatch. No one noticed the oily smudge spreading slowly near the base of the door. The monster was already close—but the fight inside kept everyone blind.
Duran stormed across the audience, pushing through the gathered students. "Enough!" he barked. "If any of you lay another finger on school property, I will personally throw you out to fend for yourselves."
"You act like you're still in control," Brian growled. "But nobody here is following you anymore."
"Then leave," Duran snapped. "Let's see how long you last out there without my logistics, my access cards, my evacuation plan."
"You mean your lies?" Brian stepped forward, fists still clenched. "I bet you already know this place is done for. You're just stalling. Waiting for a chopper that's only coming for you."
Gasps rippled through the room. Summer's eyes widened.
Duran didn't deny it.
His silence said everything.
A bitter laugh escaped someone in the back. "I knew it… He's not saving us. He's saving himself."
Light's fists clenched at his sides. He hated being right sometimes.
But Summer's gaze was locked on Duran. "Why?" she said, barely above a whisper. "Why wouldn't you just tell us the truth?"
"Because truth doesn't save lives," Duran replied, his voice icy. "Order does. And if I lose control of this group, then we all die. Now, if you're done whining, sit down and shut up."
The weight of his words dropped like a stone. No one dared speak for a long moment.
Summer slowly sat back, heart pounding.
But somewhere nearby… the soft click of a metal tool rolling across the floor caught her ear.
She turned, scanning the shadows near the mechanic's bench.
Nothing.
Just silence or just she tough…