Survival in the last days of America

"Relative? Are you sure about that?"

After hearing Brian's response, the old man suddenly lifted his head. His gaze sharpened instantly, piercing through like twin blades aimed straight at the heart.

Brian froze under that intense stare. Without thinking, he took half a step back, sweat forming on his forehead. But quickly, he regained his composure and met the old man's eyes with unwavering determination:

"Yes! She's family!"

Still hesitating slightly, Brian stepped forward and sat down across from the old man, honestly explaining their reasons for the search.

The old man listened quietly until Brian finished. Then, his sharp gaze softened just a little. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he murmured:

"You're clever..."

"Ahem... ahem!"

Hearing that, Brian paused, coughing lightly into his fist to hide his discomfort. He felt a flash of embarrassment — his small lie had been uncovered.

He knew perfectly well that without being blood relatives, it would be nearly impossible for someone to help them look up information on a total stranger. That was why he had lied and said Marlene was family. If they got caught, he'd just tell the truth — for Sarah, Sylvie was practically family.

But what he hadn't expected was for the old man to see through him so easily. Although the man didn't outright expose him, he clearly wasn't buying the story either. Brian simply lowered his head and pretended not to understand.

"Tell me whatever you know. I'll try to help find her."

Looking at the two young people before him, the old man gave a nostalgic sigh before speaking.

"Great!" Sarah's face lit up immediately.

She quickly told him all the details she remembered: Marlene's name, age, race, and the fact that she used to attend George High School in Atlanta.

"Ah… Marlene… between seventeen and eighteen years old… African American… previously attended George High…"

As Sarah spoke, the old man put his glasses back on and slowly typed the information into the computer. With each piece of data entered, he read it aloud to double-check.

Time dragged by slowly. Watching Sarah grow restless in her seat, Brian gently patted her back to calm her. Though he himself didn't care much whether they found Marlene or not, he knew how important this was to Sarah. So he forced himself to stay patient.

"I think I found something."

Finally, the old man straightened his posture slightly, adjusting his reading position.

"There are currently ten students named Marlene in the school, but only one matches your description. Unfortunately, she isn't here on campus. Here's her photo — check if this is the person you're looking for."

Saying this, he pushed the screen toward Brian and Sarah, revealing half of the monitor.

In the center of the screen was a photo of a black teenage girl. Her hair was tied in braids, gathered into a high ponytail. Her expression was cold, indifferent.

Brian barely looked at it before shifting his eyes away. Truthfully, unless someone had very distinctive features or he had spent enough time around them, he couldn't really tell apart faces among people of different races. It was a weakness he had tried to overcome, but hadn't yet.

He had seen a photo of Marlene once — hidden inside the necklace Sylvie had left behind — but that was already quite some time ago. So instead, he turned to Sarah, waiting for her confirmation.

Sarah, however, also looked uncertain. The last time she saw Marlene's picture, the girl had still been a child — not yet a teenager. Though there were similarities, she couldn't be certain.

Noticing the hesitation in the two kids' expressions, the old man thought for a moment before saying:

"Don't worry too much. You don't need to rush. Come back in three months. By then, I'll have more accurate records. You can write her a letter or even visit personally to confirm."

"Three months?! Why do we have to wait so long? She should've arrived already—mmph! Mmph!"

Before Sarah could finish voicing her frustration, Brian quickly covered her mouth with his hand. Shooting an apologetic glance at the old man, he dragged her out without asking further questions.

Once outside, he softly closed the door behind them with a quiet click .

Inside the office, silence returned. The old man stared at the closed door for a while before picking up his pen again, placing a document in front of him, and continuing to write. In a low voice, he muttered to himself:

"What interesting kids."

...

Outside the Office

"What was that back there? Why did you act so impulsively?"

After leaving the office, Brian led Sarah toward the library. Looking at her lowered head and gloomy expression, the irritation he had felt earlier faded instantly.

Ever since they started searching for Marlene, Brian had noticed a shift in Sarah's demeanor. She had made it her personal mission, losing the usual calmness she had recently regained.

"Lift your head up!"

Seeing her mood hadn't improved, Brian turned and placed both hands on her shoulders, his tone firm but kind.

"No one wants things to go wrong, but sometimes reality doesn't work out the way we hope. Don't put pressure on yourself. As long as we've done our best, we have nothing to regret."

Staring at Brian's face, Sarah seemed momentarily stunned — whether because of his words or something else, she didn't say anything. Slowly, she raised her head, her bright eyes fixed on him. A light blush crept onto her cheeks, almost imperceptibly.

"We're wasting time. Dick and Alan are probably already at the library," Brian added, trying to break the emotional tension.

As if realizing her own reaction, Sarah suddenly pushed his hands off, grabbed his arm, and hurried ahead, hoping to hide the growing warmth on her face.

"Huh?"

Brian was briefly confused, watching Sarah skip ahead with sudden energy. He wore a puzzled frown.

"Didn't I just finish comforting her? How come she recovered so fast? Wasn't she genuinely upset before?"

Meanwhile, Sarah pressed her cool hand against her cheek, feeling its increasing heat and the quickening of her heartbeat. Her thoughts were a mess, though a small, involuntary smile curled on her lips.

...

The Library

Inside the spacious reading area, a few dozen students sat scattered among the tables, quietly absorbed in books.

Most of the other students were still finishing afternoon training, and those who had completed it often chose to rest rather than study. Even those who came here usually went for comics or novels — hardly anyone touched the academic materials.

Brian slowly walked between the rows of shelves, scanning every book from top to bottom. Yet he didnando no pick up a single one — merely wandering through the aisles, taking his time.

Eventually, he picked up a military firearms encyclopedia and exited the stacks, making his way to the edge of the reading area where Sarah, Alan, and Dick were already seated, deeply focused on their studies.

"How's it going? Anything you don't understand?" Brian sat in the only empty spot left and leaned over, looking at Alan and Dick, whose brows were furrowed and faces stuck close to their books.

"Ugh... studying is so hard!" Alan groaned, slamming his head onto the textbook.

Then, noticing the book Brian had brought with him, Alan's eyes suddenly lit up. His previous frustration vanished, replaced with eager interest in the Gun Encyclopedia resting on the table.

"Hey! What's that book about?"

Seeing Alan's eyes glued to the book, Brian gave him a light slap on the head and warned:

"Stop staring and get back to your studies! I don't expect you to get good grades anyway, but primary and middle school level material is easy. At least finish that part and collect the credits. After that, do whatever you want — I won't care."

Alan sighed, rubbing his head with resignation. Then, lowering his gaze again, he continued flipping through the dull textbook.

Brian shook his head. He had figured it out — Alan had no interest in learning, but he showed clear fascination with weapons and combat. The boy was clearly one of those reckless types.

Shrugging, Brian flipped open his book. Honestly, as long as Alan managed to earn the basic credits, it didn't matter much whether he actually learned anything.

"Kill him!"

"Fucking hell! He dared to fight back!"

"..."

Just as the library settled into quiet concentration, a sudden commotion broke out from somewhere outside.

The unexpected noise pulled everyone's attention away from their books. Many frowned, clearly annoyed. All heads turned toward the source, trying to figure out who had disturbed their peace.