The silence in the university hallway, after Thiago's words, was so thick it could have been cut with a knife. The distant murmurs of the other students, the hum of the air conditioning—everything seemed drowned out by the magnitude of what Thiago had just uttered. Lucas, Gabriel, and Sofia looked at each other, their faces a complex mix of shock, confusion, and, underlying it all, unquestionable loyalty. Their trust in Thiago was the anchor that kept them from collapsing in panic or simply turning their backs on this insanity.
"Crazy," Lucas finally whispered, the word almost a breath, not an accusation, but a statement. "This is pure madness, Thiago. Mortgaging the house... for a nightmare?"
"I know how it sounds," Thiago replied, his voice low but firm, each word weighing a ton. His eyes, which had seen the end of the world, fixed on each of them. He couldn't waver. Not now. "But I swear to you, on my life, that every word I said is the purest truth. I saw it. I lived it. And this time, we will survive. But for that, we need to act. And we need to act."now."
Sofia, the pragmatist, was the first to compose herself, her mind already processing the data, searching for the logic behind the chaos. She pressed her lips together, her eyes fixed on Thiago's, as if trying to decipher a complex code in his expression. "It's okay, Thiago," she said, her voice tense but controlled, a steely edge amidst her vulnerability. "Whatever it was you saw, and I trust you're not lying... What exactly...each of usshould do? And how do we do that without alarming anyone? You can't just come home and say, 'The world is going to end, mortgage the house.'"
A dark, almost imperceptible smile crossed Thiago's face. It was a bitter smile, forged by twenty years of despair and loss, but now carrying a new, terrible hope. "Exactly, Sofia. We can't alarm anyone.Plague that devastated the landWhen it comes, it will be swift and overwhelming. Widespread panic will only accelerate the collapse. We need discretion. Each of you will call your families. Use the same story I used with my parents: a very real nightmare about the future, the urgency of being together, the promise of safety. Tell them it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend a week in luxury in the finest hotel in New York, in the presidential suite. It's a gift, an irresistible excuse to get them out of their homes, their cities, their routines, without arousing suspicion. It's to get them out of the way of imminent danger.
He paused, letting the thought sink in, watching their reactions. Lucas was nodding slowly, absorbing the complexity of the necessary lie. Gabriel, his eyes narrowed, seemed to be formulating the exact words he would use. Sofia, for her part, already seemed to be calculating the risks and rewards.
"Explain that it is crucial thatall"The families come," Thiago continued, his voice gaining more authority, the voice of a leader forged in adversity. "Lucas's family, Gabriel's family, Sofia's family. And, of course, mine is already on the way. We need them to occupy four presidential suites. One for each family. It's an investment in our security, a temporary refuge that will give us time to prepare. Tell them the mortgage money will be for this and for 'future investments' in the family's security. Don't go into details about zombies or the end of the world over the phone. Just the urgency and the need for blind trust. It's an act of faith. And I know it's an insane request, but all of our lives depend on it."
Gabriel, who had been silent, absorbing everything, finally spoke, his voice calmer now, almost academic, as if analyzing a complex problem. "They'll ask why four presidential suites? Why not a large house, or something more discreet? A luxury hotel, even for a week, is an absurd expense for an ordinary family. They'll be suspicious."
"I know," Thiago nodded, the veteran's infinite patience evident. "But the hotel's secrecy is an illusion that protects us initially. The presidential suites are isolated, with restricted access. We'll have space to stock up on supplies without attracting attention. And most importantly: the day before the outbreak, we'll close the elevator doors and emergency exits on the entire floor. Not to prevent people from leaving, but to preventother people come in. To create a safe zone. A perimeter. I saw the chaos in the hotels in the early days of the apocalypse, the ease with which the infected invaded, the hallways that became slaughterhouses. This time, it will be different. We will have control.
"Close the exits?" Sofia asked, her brow furrowed in concern, the image of a luxury hotel transformed into a makeshift fortress. "Won't that... alarm the people in the hotel? Or security?"
"Not if we do it at the right time," Thiago replied, his voice filled with a calculating coldness that frightened even himself. It was the voice of a twenty-year survivor, a voice he never imagined he would have. "We'll do it at the end of the sixth day, or in the early hours of the seventh, when the chaos is still emerging but not yet visible to most. It will be a 'hotel security' measure, an 'emergency maintenance' measure. No one will question it much amid the initial buzz of the meteor and the strange shower. And when thePlague that devastated the landspreads, they'll be too busy panicking to notice anything other than their own survival. The world will be on fire, and no one will care about a blocked elevator door."
He looked at each of them, the seriousness in his eyes unwavering, the urgency of his mission reflected in his posture. "We need money. Lots of it. For what we need to buy. And for that, we will divide and conquer. Just as I did before, almost twenty years later." The reference to his future, though veiled, was a subtle reminder of his experience, an invisible weight he carried. He remembered how division of labor and coordination were crucial to survival in a world where every resource was scarce and every move dangerous.
The three friends looked at each other again, the magnitude of the task looming over them. The madness of the situation was undeniable, but Thiago's conviction was stronger. He had given them a plan, an escape route, a chance. And they trusted him.
"Okay," Lucas said, taking a deep breath, the jokester giving way to the serious man. "I'll call my parents now. But... what's the immediate plan? What exactly should each of us do?"
"Me too," Gabriel agreed, his mind already calculating the logistics. "I'll start thinking about arguments to my parents. But I need to know what to buy."
Sofia, with a firm nod, was already typing on her phone. "I'll let my parents know. And then, I need a to-do list. What's next?"
Thiago watched them, a subtle but profound relief flooding his chest. They were on board. The first phase of the plan was underway. He remembered how, in the future, loneliness had been his constant companion, a heavy burden he carried alone. This time, he wouldn't be alone. This time, he would have a team. Small, but loyal. And with the knowledge of the future, they had a chance. A chance to fight the Level 0 White zombies that would soon emerge, and those that would evolve into Pale Green, Moss Green, Greenish Yellow, Burnt Yellow, Dull Orange, Orange Red, Blood Red, Dark Purple, Electric Blue, and Sparkling Black. He needed Mana, skills like Fire Magic, weapons that could cut through the tough flesh of evolved animals and pierce the hide of rhinoceros-like tigers. He needed to survive the sea and sky transformed into death zones. And he needed the money to buy all of this through his System, the secret that would keep him alive and, perhaps, save everyone. The race against time had begun, and with each passing second, hope, once a flickering flame, grew stronger.