The zombies outside continued their howls and scratching, but without a clear target, their attacks became scattered and frantic. Unable to breach the door tempered by water and fire, the dormitory gained a brief respite.
In the dim light, the three sat or stood, silence spreading through the air. The life-or-death moment and the unfamiliar power within them both required time to process.
Gu Xun leaned against the wall farthest from the door, resting with his eyes closed, his face still pale. The first use of his light and water elemental abilities, especially simultaneously harnessing both to form a defense, had drained him of immense energy. Fine beads of sweat dampened his forehead, lending him a fragile beauty.
Jiang Jin, however, radiated intense excitement. He repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists, savoring the lingering heat of the power within him, his eyes gleaming with astonishing intensity. He turned to Gu Xun, his tone a mix of protectiveness and showmanship: "Liangzi, what do you think? In the end, it all came down to me, right? If it weren't for my fire..."
"If you hadn't created all that noise, we wouldn't have ended up in this mess," Gu Xun interrupted, opening his eyes. His voice was weak but carried an undeniable chill.
Jiang Jin's smug expression froze instantly, as if doused with cold water. He stiffened his neck. "Who knew that damn door was so flimsy! Besides, didn't everything turn out fine in the end? We even got lucky—we figured out this... this superpower!"
"It's a power," Lu Zhao murmured, unable to resist the correction. He slumped against the opposite wall, feeling hollow inside. Using his wind power and the frantic escape had drained him. He shot Jiang Jin a disapproving look. "Gu Xun's right. That was way too dangerous. We almost died here."
Jiang Jin whipped his head around and glared at Lu Zhao, his anger finding a new outlet. "Hah! So you're taking his side now? You were so capable climbing that window just now, weren't you? What was that gust of wind you made anyway?"
"Enough." Gu Xun pushed himself up, his voice quiet yet strangely piercing, choking Jiang Jin's rising fury in his throat. He didn't look at Jiang Jin, his gaze settling instead on the food scattered on the floor and the half-box of mineral water. "Arguing won't solve anything. We need a plan now."
He walked over to the pile of food, crouched down, and began sorting through it meticulously. "The food will last us three days at most. Water, if rationed carefully, might stretch it another day or two. But we can't count on rescue."
"What do you mean?" Lu Zhao looked at him.
"We must leave this place to find more supplies, or... go somewhere safer," Gu Xun analyzed calmly. "Holding our ground is a dead end."
"I agree." Lu Zhao immediately concurred. Having witnessed the chaos outside, he knew this dormitory building was no place to linger.
"Leave? The outside is swarming with those monstrosities!" Jiang Jin objected, pointing toward the doorway. "We can hold this place! We just need to wait for the military to arrive..."
"What if the army doesn't come?" Gu Xun lifted his head, his gaze sharp as it locked onto Jiang Jin. "Or what if, before they arrive, we starve to death, dehydrate to death, or attract even more, even stronger monsters?"
Jiang Jin fell silent. Gu Xun's question was unanswerable. He scratched his head in irritation, tacitly conceding the necessity of leaving, though his words remained stubborn: "Then what do you suggest? How do we get out? Climb out the window? Like Lu Zhao did?" A barely perceptible edge of sarcasm laced his tone.
"Breaking out head-on is impossible. The hallway situation is unknown, too risky." Gu Xun ignored his tone, walking to the window. He carefully pulled back a sliver of the curtain to observe below. "Lu Zhao managed to climb up from outside, proving the exterior wall is a viable route. His wind-type ability can help."
He paused before continuing, "We need to plan our route. Our target is the school supermarket or convenience store—they have the food and water we desperately need. Lu Zhao and my abilities are better suited for support and movement. Jiang Jin, your fire-type ability is highly offensive; you're key to breaking through."
Gu Xun's division was clear and logical, taking everyone's abilities into account. Lu Zhao nodded, convinced this was the most viable plan for now.
Yet this "optimal division" felt like a needle, piercing precisely the most sensitive nerve in Jiang Jin—he had been excluded from Gu Xun and Lu Zhao's "team." He stared at Gu Xun, his brow furrowed. "You and Lu Zhao? Support and mobility? What does that mean? You two are teaming up, leaving me to clear the path and take the hits up front?"
His tone bristled with hurt and resentment at being sidelined.
Gu Xun lowered the curtain, turned, and looked at him calmly. "This is the optimal allocation based on our abilities. No one is the enforcer. We're a team that needs to work together."
"Team?" Jiang Jin scoffed, his gaze sweeping between Gu Xun and Lu Zhao. "I'm not so sure. Some folks probably just want to ditch this dead weight."
"Jiang Jin!" Gu Xun's voice took on a rare sharpness. "This is no time for nonsense!"
"Me, making trouble?" Jiang Jin's voice shot up. The wandering zombies outside seemed stirred again, their low growls echoing. Suppressing his anger, he took a step closer to Gu Xun. "Gu Xun, get this straight—it was my fire that drove those monsters back! My power is the most useful! You should be relying on me, not..."
His gaze shifted pointedly toward Lu Zhao. "...someone who only knows how to dodge and climb walls."
Lu Zhao's expression darkened instantly. His fists clenched as the faint currents within him began to stir restlessly once more.
Gu Xun stepped in front of Lu Zhao, facing Jiang Jin's aggressive stance head-on. His eyes turned completely cold. "Jiang Jin, I rely on the strength that keeps me alive and rational judgment, not anyone's possessive desires. If you can't calm down and think about how to survive, then you can stay here and defend this place by yourself."
The words pierced Jiang Jin's tough exterior like an ice pick. He stared at Gu Xun in disbelief, a flicker of hurt crossing his eyes before being swallowed by deeper fury and obsession. His chest heaved violently as he glared at Gu Xun, finally grinding out through clenched teeth:
"Fine. Very well. Gu Xun, remember what you said today."
He turned away from everyone, walked to the corner of the room, and sat down with his arms crossed, facing the wall. An aura of forbidding hostility radiated from him.
The fragile alliance had barely formed before cracks began to appear.
Gu Xun rubbed his temples wearily, making no attempt to soothe Jiang Jin. He turned to Lu Zhao and murmured, "Rest up. Conserve your strength. After dark, we may need to move."
Lu Zhao nodded, his emotions tangled. He was grateful for Gu Xun's protection, but Jiang Jin's hostile, possessive glare and the tangled, unresolved relationship between Gu Xun and Jiang Jin hung over him like dark clouds.
He slid down the wall and closed his eyes.
In this apocalyptic world, human hearts seemed far more unpredictable than monsters.
Each of them retreated to their corners, lost in thought.
Outside, the world was falling apart. Inside, three young men prepared to step into the unknown—bound by powers they barely understood, and a bond that might not survive the journey.