That morning, though the sky hung overcast as if hiding something, the sixteen survivors stood in silence. Their faces still showed the exhaustion of a sleepless night, but their eyes were steady—their resolve had been made.
"Everyone knows their job," Altair said, standing by the door of the building they had occupied for the past three days. "Team A comes with me northwest to the old supermarket supply depot. Team B goes with Sofia to the former aid distribution site."
Sofia added, "No fighting unless absolutely necessary. Our top priority is food and water. I'll say it again—no recklessness."
There were no objections. Everyone understood what was at stake.
The teams split without a word. Each slipped out through the pre-planned routes from the night before. Their movements were swift and efficient, the result of drills under intense pressure. Strangely... everything went too smoothly.
"This is... weird," Rina muttered as she looked up at the gloomy sky.
