The group continued toward the cafeteria.
Nobody said a word.
Noah walked at the front, his spear still gripped tightly in one hand. He could feel the weight of the silence behind him, the tension hanging so thickly in the air it could almost be cut with a knife.
He glanced over his shoulder.
Emilio was walking with his head lowered, his eyes still red from crying. Every so often, his gaze would lift toward Noah before quickly looking away.
Noah frowned. He still didn't understand.
He had checked the hallway. Levy had been watching their rear.
Had the walker just appeared from my blind spot?
His jaws worked as he continued forward.
Behind them, Levy remained quiet.
His eyes briefly drifted toward the back of Jared's head before looking away.
The cafeteria wasn't far.
They encountered only a handful of wandering walkers along the way, which Noah and Levy dispatched without much trouble.
〔Level: 3 (125/400〕
Even so, Noah never relaxed. The silence behind him bothered him more than the walkers did.
Eventually, the cafeteria doors came into view. Noah reached for the handle and pushed them open.
The cafeteria doors opened.
Noah stepped inside, followed closely by the rest of the group.
Oddly enough, the room was far from empty.
Students and teachers occupied nearly every corner, some sitting against the walls with vacant expressions while others huddled together in small groups.
A select few wept silently, their faces buried into the shoulders of friends, while others stared at the floor as though they were still trying to comprehend what had happened.
The room was eerily quiet.
Not because no one was talking, but because nearly every conversation had been reduced to hushed whispers. Nobody seemed willing to raise their voice, as if doing so might somehow draw the attention of whatever horrors were lurking beyond the cafeteria doors.
As Noah's group entered, several heads turned in their direction.
The blood coating Noah's spear drew a few uneasy glances. The crimson stains covering both his and Levy's clothes didn't help matters either.
Noah paid them little mind; he was more focused on finding somewhere for everyone to settle.
The group moved farther into the cafeteria, eventually finding an open section where they could gather together. Noah lowered his spear slightly, though he held it firmly in his hand.
For the first time since leaving the classroom, he allowed himself to take a proper breath.
Then his eyes drifted toward Emilio.
The boy sat with his head lowered, his expression hollow.
Noah looked away.
There was nothing he could say.
Not right now.
Jared walked over to Emilio, settling in a seat beside him. He glanced at Noah briefly before turning his attention elsewhere.
A few moments passed before Ms. García approached them.
Her eyes immediately went to Noah, then toward the hallway behind him.
"How are you doing?"
Noah shrugged absentmindedly. "I'm fine."
Her gaze lingered on him for a moment before she looked past him.
"Where's Levy?"
"Right here."
Levy stepped forward from the back of the group, giving her a small nod. "I'm alright."
Ms. García let out a quiet breath, seemingly relieved to see both of them standing.
Before the conversation could go anywhere, a middle-aged man wearing a white dress shirt and loosened tie stood atop one of the cafeteria tables.
He cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the room.
"Can I have everyone's attention, please?"
The scattered conversations gradually died down.
"As most of you know, I'm Mr. Barnes, vice principal of City View High."
His voice remained remarkably steady despite the circumstances.
"I know everyone is scared," he smiled softly, "I'm scared too."
Several students looked up at that.
"But panicking or weeping isn't going to improve our situation."
He paused, allowing his words to settle over the room.
"What we need right now is information."
His gaze moved across the cafeteria before settling on Noah and Levy.
"I've been told by Ms. Garcia you two have encountered these things firsthand."
Noah glanced at Levy.
"We have."
Mr. Barnes nodded. "Then, if you don't mind, could you tell everyone what you've learned?"
Noah took a slow breath—then another.
He glanced around the cafeteria, taking in the faces staring back at him. Some looked frightened. Others were confused. A few seemed almost desperate for someone to tell them what was happening.
He understood the feeling. Not long ago, he'd been just as clueless.
Noah lowered his gaze toward the spear in his hand before slowly standing.
"There are a few things you need to know."
He rested the butt of his spear against the floor and took another breath.
"The things you've been seeing... they're called walkers."
A murmur immediately spread through the cafeteria.
"They're not fast. They don't seem particularly intelligent, either. They don't dodge, they don't defend themselves, and they don't seem to care if they're injured. As far as we can tell—" he glanced at Levy, "—the only reliable way to kill them is to destroy their brains."
Several students exchanged uneasy glances.
Noah continued.
"They're still dangerous, though. Especially when they group up." He paused. "There's also something else. A System."
The room grew quieter.
"I don't know where exactly it came from or why we have it, but it's real. Everyone should have access to a Status Screen now. It shows your level, attributes, and other information."
For several seconds, the cafeteria was completely silent. Then translucent screens began appearing in front of students and teachers alike.
Some stared at the information hovering before them as if afraid that looking away would make it disappear. Others reached out instinctively, their hands phasing harmlessly through the screens.
A few people began whispering to themselves.
"Level one..."
"What are these numbers?"
"Strength? Agility?"
The confusion quickly spread throughout the cafeteria as everyone began examining their own Status Screens.
Someone near the back raised a trembling hand.
"And... you can really get stronger?"
Noah nodded.
"By killing walkers, you gain EXP. Once you level up, you receive Attribute Points that can be used to improve your abilities."
A few murmurs spread through the cafeteria again, but this time they sounded different.
There was still fear, but there was also something else.
Hope.
"So we're not completely helpless..."
The words came from somewhere in the crowd.
Another student immediately shook their head.
"You're seriously expecting us to fight those things?"
"I-I don't think I could kill someone..."
"They're not people anymore."
"They were our classmates..."
The room began filling with overlapping voices.
Some saw the System as their only chance to survive; others looked horrified by the idea of gaining strength through killing what had once been their friends, classmates, and teachers.
Noah remained standing in the middle of it all, listening as the cafeteria slowly divided between those who saw a silver lining and those who couldn't look past what those numbers represented.
Noah lowered his gaze. He understood both sides.
He'd already killed more walkers than he cared to count, but every time he drove his spear into one, a small part of him still remembered that there had once been a person behind that face.
Before the conversation could continue, a familiar voice cut through the room.
"So if they're that easy to kill..."
Noah looked up. Jared stood a short distance away, his arms crossed over his chest.
His eyes were fixed on Noah.
"How did one get past you?"
The cafeteria gradually fell quiet again.
Noah's expression tightened.
"What?"
"You said they're slow. You said they don't dodge or defend themselves." Jared gestured toward the spear in Noah's hand. "So how did one of them get close enough to bite her?"
Noah stared at him.
"...I don't know."
The answer came honestly.
He'd checked the hallway before they entered. Levy had been watching their rear. Yet somehow, the walker had still slipped through.
Jared scoffed.
"Convenient."
Levy immediately stepped forward.
"Watch it."
Jared's eyes shifted toward him.
"I'm just asking a question."
"No, you're not. You're looking for someone to blame."
A tense silence settled over the cafeteria.
Jared glanced toward the floor.
"His sister is dead." His gaze shifted toward Emilio. "And Noah was leading everyone."
Emilio slowly lifted his head. His eyes were red from crying, but the grief in them had long been replaced by something harsher.
"You said you were watching the front," he said quietly.
Noah looked at him.
"I was."
"Then you should've seen it."
Noah's jaw tightened. "I checked every corner."
"But you didn't see it." Emilio's voice cracked. "My sister is dead because you didn't see it."
Noah fell silent. There wasn't an easy answer to that. He hadn't seen the walker, and he still couldn't understand how it had slipped past him. But that didn't mean he'd caused what happened. He knew that much.
Levy stepped between them.
"That's enough."
Emilio glared at him.
"You weren't even looking forward. You were watching the rear."
"I was."
"So you didn't see it either."
Levy's expression hardened. "No. I didn't."
He pointed toward Noah.
"But neither did he because there was nothing there when he checked."
Jared immediately shook his head.
"That doesn't change the fact that Noah was supposed to be leading us."
"Leading doesn't mean he can see through walls," Levy shot back.
A few students shifted uncomfortably when Ms. García finally stepped forward.
"That's enough."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried through the cafeteria.
"Noah and Levy have done more than enough to keep this group alive. Whatever happened down there, blaming either of them isn't going to bring her back."
The class president nodded from nearby.
"She's right. We all saw what those things can do. Nobody knows exactly how that walker got there."
Emilio looked away, his fists trembling at his sides.
Jared remained silent.
For the moment, the accusation had stalled, but the tension it created hadn't disappeared. Noah could feel the uncertainty hanging over the cafeteria as several students exchanged uneasy glances.
Nobody had seen what happened.
And without knowing the truth, there was no way for anyone to say who was responsible.
Noah remained quiet for a few moments, his gaze lowered toward the floor. He could feel the weight of everyone's eyes on him, but he didn't have the energy to argue anymore.
His parents were still out there. That thought alone was enough to make his decision.
Noah slowly raised his head.
"You can believe whatever you want." His amber eyes briefly met Emilio's before moving across the room. "My family's still out there."
The silence stretched.
Noah turned toward the entrance. He didn't wait for anyone to respond before walking away.
Levy watched him for a moment before following.
"Wait."
Noah glanced back.
Levy caught up to him, falling into step beside him without another word. The two walked toward the cafeteria doors.
Neither looked back as they slipped back into the hallway.
It was still quiet; the halls were eerily silent, save for the occasional distant groan echoing somewhere beyond the walls. Their footsteps seemed unusually loud against the tiled floor as they walked side by side.
Neither spoke for the time being.
Once they were a good distance away from the cafeteria, Noah finally broke the silence.
"I appreciate you having my back and all, but what about your family?"
"They're overseas," he replied with a bitter smile. "There's not exactly much I can do for them right now."
Noah glanced at him.
"So until I figure out my next move..." Levy adjusted his grip on the pair of scissors tucked into his waistband. "...I'd rather watch your back than sit around here waiting for something to happen."
Noah studied him for a moment before giving a small nod.
"...Sounds like a plan."
The two continued through the halls, leaving the cafeteria far behind. The school had grown quiet again.
They encountered a few stragglers along the way, but none posed much of a threat. Noah dealt with them quickly, while Levy handled any that got too close from behind.
Eventually, they reached the school's main entrance.
Noah pushed open the doors.
The moment they stepped outside, they came to a halt at the walkway.
The black clouds that had once swallowed the sky were slowly beginning to break apart. Thin rays of sunlight filtered through the widening gaps, casting streaks of light across the campus. The scent of fresh rain lingered in the cool air, and for a brief moment, the world almost looked peaceful.
Almost.
Noah tightened his grip around the shaft of his spear and looked out across the campus.
"Come on."
The drive from school to his house normally took seven minutes while on the highway. Under normal circumstances, he would've gotten home before most people could finish listening to an EP.
But these were anything but normal circumstances.
Cars littered the roads. Countless drivers had likely transformed while behind the wheel, turning the highways into massive graveyards of twisted metal. The chances of making it through by car were abysmal.
If we jog...
Noah quickly did the math in his head.
An hour... maybe more with the streets like this.
His stomach tightened. It still felt too slow.
He clenched his jaw.
Just hold on.