Approaching the classroom, Kazimir noticed that the code on the door. It started with a GH. Apart from the G, which denoted the level, the H indicated the type of storage unit this was. What was the H for? He wasn't sure,, but it usually meant a bigger unit. the class might be large. That made him pause for a moment. A breath. To question if he had any second thoughts. Then he stepped in.
The room had declining stairs. Its floor was lower than the rest of level 7. Inside, large containers piled on top of each other. A hundred? Maybe more. They were like bricks, forming a wall that almost touched the ceiling. Despite half of the room being hidden, the remaining space was nearly three times the size of his room.
In that space, stood a whiteboard with two markers, and a sponge sitting on a chair right under it. Three chairs faced the board, dustless. Recently used. Just three. What a relief. He sat in one of them, waiting for someone to arrive, yet hoping no one would.
A while later, a woman came through the door. Late thirties, maybe?. She was 5'4". Her long, straight hair made her look even shorter. Her face was pale white, with dark circles under her eyes. She wore plain clothes and no makeup, which made it clear. she was extremely tired.
Josephine Kneib was the only other architect inside the wall. She held a degree in physics and was pursuing a PhD in aerospace architecture. Unlike most survivors, she was lucky: both her parents survived day zero.
The door swung closed behind her. Then, there was a moment. Just awkward silence. She stared at him for a few seconds. Her eyes reflected a touch of... surprise or fear even. He couldn't quite place it. He saw was a short woman with a book in her hand, she must be the other architect. But her eyes saw a tall pale man with long, messy hair and uneven clothes looking down at her without any flicker of emotion in his unblinking eyes surrounded by dark jagged cracks that stretched in all directions. No wonder she looked afraid.
After seconds of hesitation, she walked towards him. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to scare you."
She extended her hand for a shake. "I'm Josephine. You must be Kazimir."
He left her hand hanging, "yeah, Kazimir."
She retracted her hand. "Never mind, we just met." she said, smiling awkwardly. "Let's just take a seat and I'll explain things."
She walked to the empty seat under the whiteboard, removed the markers and sponge, and sat down.
"Don't let the name school fool you." She started. "This is more of a club where we discuss interests, share knowledge, and maybe have a little fun afterwards." She looked at him, but he had no reaction, so she continued, "I appreciate that you came early, but for at least three classes, I suggest you audit us in action. Take your time and jump in whenever you feel like it."
"perfect," Then he leaned back in his chair. I shouldn't have come, he thought. And what's that smile on her face?
She was glad he finally showed some expression. "And if you don't feel comfortable continuing the class, feel free not to." She paused with the same smile on her face.
"You know?" she asked. "This class once had 18 students. only 3 still come." she paused, "We don't know if there is a tomorrow, so why spend your final days doing something you don't like?"
That was too philosophical, she thought to herself. Why did I say that, she wondered. Don't worry, he probably won't respond. He might not have even heard it. Can he hear well? I strongly doubt it.
She kept thinking. Now she believed she had made a mistake saying that, but he heard it.
Amid her thoughts, he spoke quietly.
"If it's the final days, like you said, then nothing matters. Whether you act, submit, or do nothing—it all ends the same."
hat caught her off guard.
She didn't expected something like that. There was a slight movement in his eyes as he said it, something she couldn't name. But it made her want to speak again.
"That doesn't undo what I said," she replied. "If nothing matters in the end, then how you spend what's left becomes everything. Choosing your path—that gives you relief. You said it yourself. If it's all meaningless, then at least make it yours."
He raised his voice, slightly.
"Sure. But how much of our path is really ours? What choice do we actually have?" He wasn't challenging— just asking. "Do we choose our parents? Our birth? The disasters that shaped us? All we ever do is react. Try to crawl back from things we never asked for."
"Even then. Even when..." She paused, thinking about what to say next. "Even when it feels like the world's already made every decision for you, there's still something. You might not see it at first. You might need time. But there's always a way forward. Always a better place to reach for."
He gave her a strange look. Calm. Cold.
"Okay, then let's test that."
His voice was still quiet, but lower now.
"Let's say I hate how cheerful you are. Let's say I decide your opinions are dangerous. Misguided. And for that reason, you don't deserve to live."
He looked her directly in the eye.
"What's your way forward then? What choice do you have left?"
A thin pause.
She held his stare, but something in her face changed. A breath, maybe. Or fear.
"I hope you don't choose that," she said, forcing a faint laugh. It didn't last.
He didn't reply.
The silence stretched.
Then the door opened. Two students walked in—Berthold Schlender and Lili Wruk.
---
[CHARACTER FILE – BERTHOLD SCHLENDER]
Full Name: Berthold Schlender
Age: 23 going on 48.
Height: 6'
Race: lebanese? jordanian, maybe? idk something terroristy.
Hair Color: What hair?
Known For:
– Studied law, didn't graduate.
– alcohol addiction
– 10-inch forehead
Combat Proficiency: 0/10
Martial Arts: None (unless crying in the shower counts)
Personality:
- The incident of day zero took the life of his father, brother, and dog
- Had to go through two months of therapy to get over that
Notable Traits:
– wide shoulders, Muscular build
– Advanced hair loss
– Healthy skin and tight jawline
– No dark circles, somehow
– Forehead visible from low orbit
– Would've been a brown Hemsworth a timeline where genetics played fair
Survival Rating: 5.5/10 (7.5/10 if sober)
Current State: quite hungover, still functional
---
[CHARACTER FILE – LILI WRUK]
Full Name: Lili Wruk
Age: 19
Height: 5'
Eye Color: Green
Skin Color: Orange
Hair Color: Tangerine
Known For:
– took an extra year to finish high school
– Calling the apocalypse "a vibe shift"
Combat Proficiency: 1/10
Martial Arts: Light scratching
Personality:
- before she could get into college, the outbreak happened and her family was chosen to survive.
- Her mother refused to get inside the wall. She died.
- She took exactly 15 minutes of therapy to get over that.
Notable Traits:
– Orange skin
- solar-powered
– Puffy cheeks, turned-up nose, curved brows (cartoon animal)
– Uses oil like it's a religion
– coped in record time (15 minutes flat, certified world record)
- Compact apocalypse-class cruiser with high-speed sarcasm drive.
Survival Rating: 4/10
Current State: Mildly sweaty.
---
As the two students entered, Kazimir rose and took his chair to a corner, and sat there, silently observing. Josephine introduced him, saying he'd be observing them for the next few sessions. The kids sat down.
"Where's Edward?" she asked. "You didn't fight again, have you?"
"He's decided to stop coming." Lili replied, "Wants to focus on studying for third-year med school."
"That's a bit optimistic, isn't it?" Josephine said sarcastically.
"He heard something about a food supply coming soon." Lili said.
"Yeah, I heard that too." Berthold added, "The council is sending a mission outside to get supplies enough about 10 years."
"Well, that sounds unrealistically good, which makes me doubt it." Josephine said.
"Can't believe it either." Lili said. "Wouldn't it be exciting if we lived in a cannibalistic society?"
"Very," Josephine said flatly. "Now, let's see what I brought. Found some old projection sheets from my college days.'
And the class began . It was Remove for being too boring.
During the lesson, Kazimir sat still, but his mind wandered.
I spoke too much, he told himself. Shouldn't have opened up like that. He doesn't like that.
It broke the consistency of the character he's been building. Was he forced? No—he chose to. But why?
Was it her optimism?
Why would that throw me off?
Well, it did. And I don't like it.
Halfway through the class, he stood up and left the room.