"Hey Merlin? Do you intend on sitting there for the whole day? Or are you going to get up. If we leave now, we could maybe even catch the last train. Only if we run all the way and there is the usual delay of 2.73 seconds for each train's door closing."
"Hmm"
After contemplating for a while, Merlin finally decided on a plan of action. He had to act soon, because the Apocalypse would start soon. Alex is unaware about Arcania and the system notification, just like last time. As it turned out, only a handful of people heard the announcement during the tutorial. It was only until after the 3 days into the zombie Apocalypse that the others were able to access the system and hear that mechanical voice.
Although Merlin was one of those selected people last time and this time as well, he did not say a thing about it. Last time, Merlin's father had just passed away during a liver transplant surgery, due to complications while removing the old liver with cancer due to alcohol. And a few months before that, Merlin's mother had passed away in a hit and run case while she was out shopping.
The death of his wife caused Merlin's father to fall into depression along with Merlin himself. But Merlin's father Josh became an alcoholic, while Merlin locked himself in his room for 2 days. It was only until the police broke into the room that they found an unconscious Merlin, laying on the floor, to parched to move. After recovering, he was given the bad news that his father had a bad liver and needed a liver transplant. However, the operation was unsuccessful, resulting in Josh's death.
With that, Merlin had lost all his known family, and was progressing deeper and deeper into the pit of depression. However, in this time of need, he still had one pillar of support, the Jacksons. Alex Jackson and his family reached out a helping hand in this time of desperation for Merlin. Merlin's parents and the Jackson's were childhood friends, and even though they were not of equal financial status, they got along just fine. Both of Alex's parents ran their own companies, while Marlin's mother ran a small law firm, while his father worked as the deputy CEO for a large firm.
After Merlin's parents died, the Jacksons asked if they could adopt Merlin, since they felt responsible for the child of their closest friends. Naturally Merlin rejected since he was already 16 and his parents had just died, with not enough time to get over the trauma. Instead, he accepted the offer to live with the Jacksons in one of their extra rooms until he could pay for his own house.
Time passed and both Merlin and Alex grew up with a stronger bond as brothers rather than close friends. However, Merlin would still get nightmares about the world ending in different catastrophes.
Therefore, when he first heard the announcement, Merlin had thought it was just one of his hallucinations and completely disregarded it.
But this time around, he would not make the same mistakes. He wouldn't let Alex, nor his parents die. They were the last remaining resemblance to a proper family. During the Apocalypse, Merlin would not only miss his own parents, but the Jacksons as well for all the love and care they had given him. He would pay them back this time for sure!
"Alex… Listen to me. Call both your parents and tell them that it is an emergency and to come home within an hour. Make sure to emphasise the one hour part. Got it?"
"Wait, what, why?"
"Just do it! It is very important. Their life is on the line!"
Saying this, Merlin got up and began walking north, towards his temporary home.
"Uhm, fine. But where are you going?
"To make preparations" said Merlin.