The sun was almost at the horizon, its hue mixing into pink with a pinch of orange.
The trio sat by the window, discussing what Keneric saw during his "late night walks."
Well, at least no one questioned why he even did those in the first place. Once he shared the story, the discussion was sharp and straight to the point.
"So the professor is hoarding food while the students are barely getting by?" Rune whispered, looking down with anger in her eyes.
"And Melissa—"
"Is warming his bed," Keneric cut in, as blunt as ever. "I'd say it's a classic power play. She gets privileges, and he gets... well, you know."
Joy, who had dragged her bed near the window, hugged her knees to her chest. "It's not right. People need to know what's happening here."
Keneric leaned back against the window frame. "And what exactly would that accomplish? The best you can hope for is mass panic or riots. That's not great for any of us. Everyone's already on edge or too depressed to do anything. This place would crumble apart if pushed too far."
He looked outside. The monsters were getting more powerful as their mutations grew stronger too. Sooner or later, even Keneric would struggle to fight them—just like the ordinary students who already did.
He had seen it firsthand when a stray Ravager showed up at their doorstep. It had taken nine students and the barricade just to barely hold it off. The sight had been anything but pleasant.
Rune pulled him back to the moment. "But he's letting people starve while sitting on a stockpile!" Her voice rose too high. Joy quickly shushed her and tried to calm her down.
"Keep it down," Joy warned. "What if someone hears us outside?"
Keneric looked at her. "Even if everyone knew—what then? There's probably no justice system left. No police will arrest him. We haven't even heard a single ambulance, firetruck, or any signs of a rescue team. The apocalypse probably wiped them all out, or they're too busy just trying to survive."
Joy sat with that for a second. "Do you have a plan?"
It wasn't just a question. She was asking for reassurance, her mind drifting to her family back home.
"Maybe," Keneric said. "But for now, we should focus on blending in."
Then he pointed at Rune. "And don't draw too much attention. We need to understand the full situation—both inside and outside—before we make a move. I'm not about to take the lives of fifty people onto my hands just because of moral responsibility."
The weight of others' lives was heavy, and Keneric didn't want to carry it—he really didn't.
"What about Melissa then?" Rune finally asked, her voice strange. "She seemed so nice. So helpful. What should we do about her?"
Keneric just shrugged. "Ignore her. Everyone has their reasons. Maybe she's only nice on the surface. Maybe she's playing her own game. Or maybe she genuinely likes that middle-aged professor. Either way, it's not our concern—unless it affects us."
"That's cold," Rune muttered, and Joy nodded in quiet agreement.
"The world isn't what it used to be. The sooner you understand that, the longer you'll live. Or... do what you want."
Joy stared at him, then looked at Rune and touched her shoulder. "He's right. Before we save anyone, we should try saving ourselves first." Then she glared at Keneric. "But we don't have to be heartless, either."
Keneric took that as a good place to end the conversation. He stood up abruptly. "I need to go scout. One shelter isn't enough—we need a backup point in case things go south."
"Now?" Joy asked, surprised. "It's barely dawn."
"This might be the best time," he said, already hanging at the edge of the window. "Most monsters scatter at sunrise. The morning patrol just passed and won't circle back for another forty minutes."
As Keneric stepped out the windowsill, Rune called out, "When will you be back?"
"Nightfall, probably. If everything goes right. But don't wait up."
Then he dropped out the third floor, twisted mid-air, and landed on all fours like a cat. Rune and Joy rushed to the window, just in time to see Keneric land without a sound from so high. He got up and sprinted toward the ever-changing swamp.
"That was cool," Rune said, unable to even process the idea of trying it herself. Yeah, if she—or any normal person—did that, they'd splat and break every bone in their body.
Joy smiled. "You get used to it."
The two girls changed into outfits they had bought for dirt cheap using contribution points and got ready for the day.
Just before they stepped out the door, Rune asked, "So, when are you going to tell me the full story? About what happened to Keneric... why he's like that. And how you two met."
Joy huffed and flicked her hair like one of those childhood princesses. "Maybe someday, when I'm feeling magnanimous."
"Ugh," Rune groaned as they both walked out the room.
However, the first person to greet them at the end of the hallway was Melissa.