Sol slightly smiled, amused by their silence.
— "While you were hiding here, Hayden's group was facing reality."
He paused dramatically, letting his words sink into everyone's mind.
— "They survived an attack by five golden zombies. Not ordinary creatures. The same kind you saw earlier tearing through your security."
Véra paled, remembering the massacre she had just witnessed on the screens.
— "And yet… they won."
A Battle of Sheer Will
Sol crossed his arms, carefully observing their reactions.
— "Hayden, that laid-back kid you might have underestimated… faced two zombies on his own. His body was pushed to the limit, his mind shattered—but he got back up."
Loïs let out a bitter snort.
— "Tss… Sounds like a cute little hero story."
Sol tilted his head, amused.
— "Oh, but he's not a hero. Just someone who understood the harsh truth: those who hesitate die. Those who stagnate are left behind."
Loïs looked away, clearly uncomfortable.
— "Katie, a skilled fighter… put all her knowledge to the test. But even she collapsed at the end of the fight, unconscious from exhaustion."
— "Flora turned a library into a battlefield… and rubble. But her ingenuity kept her alive. Though it cost her—several broken bones."
Gabriela furrowed her brow, taking in every word.
— "And William… Ah, William. He used everything he had. His surroundings, his wit. And still, by the end, he dropped—completely drained."
Liam crossed his arms, unsettled by the brutal details.
— "And Mary… she's the reason they knew what they were walking into. But in this world, information alone isn't enough. You have to act."
A Different Mentality
Sol paused, letting the tension rise among his listeners.
Then, in a calmer voice, he said:
— "You see… unlike you, they didn't hide."
Silence fell like a weight.
— "They suffered, they bled. But they moved forward. While you sat here in this artificial comfort, they learned what it really means… to survive."
Amber clenched her fists, her pride stung.
Véra looked away, nervously biting her lip.
Loïs folded her arms, her gaze vacant.
Even Gabriela, usually so composed, seemed shaken.
Sol Ends His Story
Sol straightened slightly, raising an amused eyebrow.
— "So, tell me…"
He opened his arms, inviting a response.
— "After hearing all that… do you truly believe you're ready for this world?"
Sol's Final Warning
Sol slowly lowered his arms, letting his final words echo in their minds.
Léna, still silent, watched Amber's group with an unreadable smirk.
— "You've heard my story. Now you know where you stand in this new world order."
He stepped back slightly, his sharp gaze landing on Gabriela.
— "I'll leave you… for now."
His voice was calm, but laced with a clear, ominous undertone.
A Countdown Begins
Sol crossed his arms and addressed the entire bunker with a clear voice:
— "Take all the time you need to reflect. But know this…"
His stare hardened, piercing each of them.
— "The longer you wait, the harder it will be to catch up to Hayden's group."
Amber twitched, clearly bothered by the idea of being left behind.
Véra let out a false laugh—but it was forced.
Loïs pressed her lips tightly together, the truth hitting her hard.
Gabriela remained stoic, but her clenched fingers on her wrist betrayed her frustration.
— "In one month, I'll return."
Sol's voice was sharp—almost like a sentence.
— "And on that day… you'll show me whether you've learned something—or if you're doomed to remain in the shadows."
A Departure Without Goodbyes
Without waiting for a reply, he turned to Léna.
— "Let's go. There are others who still need a reality check."
Léna gave one last, scornful glance to her former friends.
— "Enjoy the luxury… while you still can."
Then, in a flash of white light, Sol, Léna, and the special zombie vanished, leaving behind a bunker frozen in fear and uncertainty.
A Night of Reflection
After Sol and Léna disappeared, silence reigned in the bunker. The atmosphere was heavy—everyone still reeling from the revelations and the implicit threat Sol had left behind.
No one spoke at first. Their world had shifted… again.
One by one, they drifted away, returning to their rooms with minds clouded by questions and a bitterness they couldn't voice.
The Morning After: A Necessary Debrief
In the bunker's large meeting room, a circular table had been set up. Gabriela was already there, arms crossed, her gaze cold and calculating.
The teens entered one by one, some more nervous than others.
Amber was the first to break the silence, sitting down with casual defiance.
— "So… what now?" she asked, her cynical tone barely hiding her frustration.
Véra stretched lazily, but a strange glint shone in her eyes.
— "Same as usual, right? We sit around while Hayden and his crew become apocalypse royalty?"
Gabriela stared at them intensely.
— "I don't think staying passive is a viable option."
Her dry tone cut through the sarcasm like a knife.
— "I want to understand what makes you different from them. What made their group rise to a level you haven't reached."
The teens exchanged glances. It was a question they'd all asked themselves throughout the night.
Liam, the group's narcissist, shrugged.
— "They just got luckier than us."
Gary growled, annoyed.
— "You really think it's just luck?! They took on five golden zombies! While we sat here watching our security team get slaughtered in thirty seconds!"
Loïs, ever the pragmatist, tapped the table.
— "If we want to move forward, we need intel on them. And luckily, we've got someone at the school."
Gabriela narrowed her eyes.
— "Laelia."
Véra nodded with a sly grin.
— "She probably saw Hayden's group in action. She may not know everything… but she definitely knows more than we do about what's going on over there."
Amber crossed her arms, thinking.
— "She could tell us how they train, how they've evolved. We could compare our methods and see what's holding us back."
A Defining Choice
Gabriela studied them for a long moment.
— "And then what? You'll just observe? Or are you going to do something real?"
Harry, the follower of the group, hesitated before speaking up softly:
— "We… we want to be trained."
Silence fell.
Gabriela assessed them one by one. They all seemed in agreement.
Gary clenched his fists.
— "We can't afford to be left behind. If Hayden's group keeps growing stronger, we'll be useless in this world."
Véra's smile was more serious than usual.
— "And we all know what it means to be useless here."
Gabriela let out a quiet sigh, then nodded.
— "Alright. We'll set up proper training. But know this—you've already lost precious time."
She folded her arms and met each of their gazes.
— "In one month, Sol will return. Ask yourselves this: will you still be prey… or will you have become predators?"
The teens said nothing, but in their eyes… a new determination had been born.