The days following the sighting of the mushroom cloud blurred together for Hruday. The haunting image replayed in his mind, creating a sense of urgency that he couldn't shake. Yet, instead of springing into action, Hruday retreated inward, withdrawing from the group and focusing on his own survival. His days were spent in isolation—training, meditating, and devising plans in the quiet corners of his mind.
Hruday had always been an overthinker, but now his thoughts take on a new intensity. His meditations became a regular practice, an attempt to calm his mind and wrest some control over the chaos. There was a part of him that couldn't help but toy with a seemingly absurd idea: What if he could influence the virus within him? It sounded ridiculous, yet the thought persisted. What if he could force the virus to die off or even become a part of him in a controlled way?
As these thoughts took root, Hruday couldn't help but chuckle to himself. *Man, I really need to stop reading Michael's manhwas.* But the idea intrigued him. He had read them only because they offered a unique concept, something he hadn't considered before. Now, those concepts seem like a lifeline in the face of uncertainty.
Delving deeper into his meditation, Hruday began experimenting with visualizations. During one of his daily reading sessions—poring over downloaded materials—he stumbled upon the concept of lucid dreaming. The power of the mind, he read, could influence the body in profound ways, controlling even the most uncontrollable aspects of one's physiology. In the space between sleep and wakefulness, the brain held tremendous power.
Hruday had heard of such things before, long before the apocalypse turned his world upside down. Back then, these ideas were just fun concepts, no different from chakra or other fantasy elements. But now, in the midst of chaos, they felt worth exploring. He began practicing techniques like *trataka* and focusing on his so-called "third eye," techniques he would have mocked in the past. He had nothing to lose.
In his meditations, he imagined himself commanding the virus within him. He pictured it as an army of tiny immunity soldiers, capable of both destruction and transformation. He guided them in his mind, ordering them to kill off the weak cells and absorb their nutrients, using them to strengthen his body. It was absurd, but it gave him a strange sense of control—a way to fight back against the helplessness he felt.
He also started performing small rituals to reinforce this imagined power. Hruday had read a book about Kobe Bryant and how he used an alter ego, "Black Mamba," to achieve greatness on the basketball court. Hruday adopted this idea, creating his own alter ego—a monstrous version of himself, always mocking, always pushing him to do just a little more.
Hruday felt like he was winning—small victories every day. He even achieved lucid dreaming—one night, he managed to wake himself from a nightmare by summoning a mirror out of nowhere. He used techniques like waking up in the middle of the night and then going back to sleep to induce these lucid states. Before each training session, he would rub a piece of black cloth, imagining it as the trigger that called forth this darker, more powerful side of himself. In his mind, this monstrous version of him was always doing everything just a bit better, faster, and more efficiently. It drove him to push his limits and strive for more.
Meanwhile, Nick had his own way of coping, one that was both unique and oddly effective. Though he didn't know about the nuclear explosion, he created a game system in his mind, turning every task into a mission, like something out of Solo Leveling. Training wasn't just about building strength—it was about earning experience points. Failing a mission meant, in his mind, being chased by zombies—a terrifying, yet motivating, consequence. Of course, Nick wasn't actually facing zombies, but each time he pushed himself harder, it seemed to work.
Nick spent time with Roy's father, asking endless questions about plumbing and other practical skills. To him, these were quests, part of a larger game he had created to keep himself focused and sane. Roy's father enjoyed the company, finding amusement in Nick's quirky approach to survival. They tinkered with pipes, made small adjustments to their fortifications, and even joked about "leveling up" their skills.
Michael, on the other hand, was deep into his manhwa obsession, particularly the "Returner" series. He was convinced that Hruday was like the protagonist of those stories, and he often pestered Hruday with pointed questions. "What would you do if you found out you had hidden powers all along?" he'd ask, excitement gleaming in his eyes. Hruday, amused, sometimes indulged him, imagining himself as if he were cultivating in a fantasy world, commanding the virus within him to become an asset rather than a curse.
Roy and Troy began to notice the changes in Hruday. He seemed more focused and determined, as if he were carrying some secret knowledge that was driving him forward. Roy, ever the skeptic, watched with a mix of admiration and concern. "He's got good genetics; I'll give him that," he muttered half-jokingly to Michael.
Michael, however, took it in stride. "Oh, come on. It's the main character's bluff. But I'm starting to believe it's real," Michael said, keenly observing Hruday's reaction.
They all trained together, each with their own strengths. Michael had the most arm strength, lifting heavy objects with ease, while Roy was more balanced, his core strength giving him an edge in climbing and agility exercises. Hruday, who had started off as one of the weakest, just barely ahead of Troy, was rapidly improving in every area. It was as if the rituals, the lucid dreams, and the intense meditation were actually working. He was catching up to them and even surpassing them.
One day, as they trained outside with Roy's father, Tyler approached Hruday. "Hey, guys, I saw a nuclear bomb..." Tyler began, but Hruday quickly shut him down. "I know, Tyler. Don't mention it to anyone. We need to keep that information contained."
Tyler nodded but couldn't resist asking another question. "By the way, is that cold storage thing you set up actually a bunker?"
Hruday hesitated, then reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, it is. Just don't spread it around. We need to keep the group calm."
Tyler grinned. "Thought so." As they continued training, Tyler casually mentioned, "You know, I was the one who set up those mirrors, right?"
Hruday felt a bit surprised. "So that wasn't a survivor group?"
Tyler shook his head. "No, not all of them. I did most of them. But it's funny—some seem to follow the same idea."
As the days went on, Tyler became a regular part of their discussions, often bringing up rumors spread by the scout leader about Hruday hoarding food. At first, Hruday felt a little guilty, but now he doesn't care. He slowly cleared everything up, organizing the food supplies during his visits to the storage rooms.
Meanwhile, Nick's "system" continued to guide him. He completed tasks with a focus and enthusiasm that seemed almost childlike, though it clearly kept him grounded. He often joined Roy's father in practical tasks, learning as much as he could, treating each piece of knowledge as a valuable skill point earned.
As the group continued to train and prepare, they became stronger and more unified. But there was an undercurrent of tension—an unspoken understanding that the calm couldn't last forever. They knew that soon they would face new challenges, whether from zombies, the elements, or even from within their own ranks.
Hruday's meditation had shifted from merely visualizing white blood cells as soldiers to something more advanced. He no longer saw the virus as just an enemy to be destroyed but as a force he could control and manipulate. In his mind, he guided it like a commander directing troops, breaking it down into nutrients that he could use to strengthen his body. He experimented with different methods—sometimes imagining the virus as an ally to be cornered and controlled, other times as a resource to be harvested for energy.
The rituals, the dreams, the alter ego—these were all parts of a larger strategy. Hruday was preparing himself, not just physically but mentally, for the battles ahead. He didn't know what was coming, but he knew he had to be ready for anything.
The group was becoming something more than just a collection of survivors. They were evolving, each in their own way, driven by their own motivations. And as they did, the world around them continued to change, shaping them into the warriors they would need to be for the fight that was surely coming.
.