A few hours earlier, at the Technological Engineering Institute University, about fifteen kilometers away from Richard's base of operations.
Beside the window, a tall girl stood. She had long, slender arms and legs, and her platinum silver hair was styled in a half updo, framing her chiseled features and gentle face. Her attire was a white blouse with a ribbon tie, a fitting checkered skirt that highlighted her figure, and black tights, giving off a mesmerizing beauty that etched an unforgettable impression on anyone who laid eyes on her.
She held a phone and engaged in conversation with someone she held close to her heart.
"Okay brother…be careful," she spoke in a soft tone before ending the call.
Lowering the phone, she turned to her classmates and met their expectant gazes.
"My brother said he's coming with others...they're on their way to rescue us. We need to ration the food we have left for a day…"
"Lisa, is that true?" a pink-haired girl, whose appearance rivaled hers, inquired, hope shining in her eyes.
"Yes, Angela."
"Who are the others?" Another woman with purple hair, dressed in a blouse, chimed in.
"I don't know Denise, I was surprised too when my brother said he is going to come and save us with others' help. I can't think of someone who would join him. Anyways, we just have to follow his words."
"Follow his words my ass," one of the cool-looking men spat. "Your brother won't be able to save us in this mess. He'll only get himself killed."
"Niel is right. It's not like your brother has something that can help us," one of his friends added. "The only people that can only save us from this mess are either the military or the police. But both of them are nowhere to be seen."
"Probably, the military has fallen," another one of his friends muttered.
"Richard was it?" Niel said. "I have met him before, and I don't have a good impression of him. Given he is good at his studies, that's only it. I am not going to put my life in the hands of some guy who thinks he's a hero."
Lisa lowered her head, Niel did have some points. Even she told her brother not to come here due to it being dangerous. But her brother insisted, and there was no way she can talk him out of something he already decided.
"Even so…I'm still going to hope," Lisa said, her voice determined.
Niel rolled his eyes and scoffed, clearly unconvinced.
Silence settled upon the classroom as Lisa's declaration hung in the air, creating an awkward pause amidst the tension.
Angela broke the silence. "Look, whether we believe in Lisa's brother or not, we can't deny that we're in a tough spot. Waiting for the military or police doesn't seem like an option right now. We have to do something."
"Do exactly what Angela?" Niel cut her off. "There are zombies in the hallway. The only safe place here is this classroom."
"So we are just going to stay here…and starve to death?"
"Do you have a better idea, Denise? Hmm?" Niel countered and Denise was silent. "I don't think so."
The classroom went silent again as the weight of their situation settled in. The group exchanged glances that revealed their shared anxiety.
Lisa's determined voice broke the silence. "We can't afford to give up. If my brother and his group are really on their way, we have to hold out until they arrive. He said he is going to arrive tomorrow."
"And when exactly is that tomorrow? Did you ask him?" Niel asked, his skepticism still evident.
Lisa hesitated for a moment, recalling her conversation with her brother. "He didn't give an exact time, but he sounded urgent. I'll call him."
Lisa opened her phone to call her brother but when saw that there was no signal available, frustration knotted her brows. She tried moving closer to the window, hoping for a better signal, but it was no use.
Niel sighed. "I can't believe we are all going to die here."
"Don't say that Niel," Angela rebuked.
"Just accept the situation, everyone. Lisa's brother will not be able to save us. I mean what do you expect from a college student? It's not like he is a fighter or something. Oh my god…I can't believe I will die a virgin."
"What a disgusting creep, saying that kind of thing at a time like this," Angela snapped at the inappropriate comment.
Denise shook her head in disbelief. "Seriously? You're worried about that right now?"
Niel's gaze lingered on Angela, Denise, and Lisa, planning something malicious—then was interrupted when one of his friends gathered the attention of everyone.
"Everyone… listen to this. The President is making a speech."
The group immediately huddled around him. Niel and Lisa were next to each other. He can smell her good perfume and the softness of her body when her shoulder pressed against his. He gulped and could feel himself heating up as he imagined her in his head doing erotic things.
He had a secret admiration for Lisa, and he couldn't bear to say it to her in person. But this apocalypse, bringing him and her this close, is like fate.
But his thoughts were interrupted when the President started speaking.
[Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Filipinos,
Today, we find ourselves facing a crisis unlike any we have ever seen before. A challenge that transcends borders, politics, and ideologies. Our beloved nation is under threat, not from the usual adversaries, but from an unexpected and unimaginable foe—the rise of the undead.
Yes, my dear countrymen, the world as we know it has been turned upside down by a zombie apocalypse. A plague that defies reason and comprehension has swept across our land.
But let me assure you, even in the face of this dire situation, the spirit of the Filipino remains unbreakable. We have faced storms, earthquakes, and countless trials before, and emerged stronger every time. Today is no different. We shall stand together, hand in hand, to confront this menace head-on.
Our armed forces, our police, and every brave citizen who still possesses the will to fight to know that we are committed to eradicating this threat. We will protect our families, our communities, and our way of life from this unnatural scourge—]
The speech was interrupted by the sound of the people screaming, monstrous creatures, that are different from the zombies the students witnessed outside, had attacked the area where the President was speaking. They watched in horror as the President was being escorted by his security detail—only to get caught by the nightmarish creatures that had invaded the scene.
Gasps and expletives filled the air as the students saw the President and his security detail cut in half. The camera that was recording the whole scene, tipped over, and the transmission suddenly ended.
"No way—" one of the girls muttered.
"The president is dead…" another one of the girls added.
"This situation has gotten worse," the man holding the phone said. "Within a day, the Philippine government collapsed."
"I don't think the military is going to save us now," Niel said, his tone calm despite the situation. And then he smirked—society will undergo massive changes. Just like in everyone zombie apocalypse novel, anime, series, and movie, there'd be a state of anarchy.
Everyone went back to their spots. Niel tapped his friends on their shoulders. "Bert, John, I have something to talk to you guys about."
Bert and John leaned in, their curiosity piqued by Niel's sudden seriousness.
"You guys, I'm sure you have something you want to experience before dying right? Well, you have an opportunity right here," Niel said as he lifted his gaze towards the seven girls in the classroom.