Devin led Brian and the group of boys out of the office when suddenly four figures appeared in the distance — one tall, three small.
As they drew closer, Brian recognized Sarah and the other two girls returning from the female dormitory. But this time, instead of Miranda, a middle-aged woman in a loose long dress was leading them — quite attractive and visibly approachable.
Upon seeing her, Devin's eyes lit up with obvious delight. He hurried forward to greet her warmly, his enthusiasm making it easy to guess his feelings for her.
From their conversation, Brian learned that the woman was named Anne . Like Devin, she was responsible for managing all the girls' dormitories.
Once Anne entered the office with the girls, Devin didn't leave immediately. Instead, he waited patiently outside until they came back out, then chose to walk away with them.
All the way, Devin kept trying to strike up conversations with Anne, completely different from the stern and intimidating figure he had shown earlier — as if he were an entirely different person.
Anne, on the other hand, remained expressionless, her face cold and unreadable. Only the slight irritation in her eyes revealed any hint of impatience.
"How was your room? Did you get assigned alone, or was there already someone living there?"
Unlike the others who watched the adults curiously, Brian walked over to Sarah and quietly asked.
"No one else. I have the whole room to myself," Sarah replied, giving him a slightly annoyed look. "But whoever lived there before left a huge mess — cabinets full of garbage! It almost made me sick."
"Same here. My closet was full of junk too, but I found a few useful things. At least it wasn't all waste. Did it tire you out?"
Hearing Brian's concern, Sarah smiled brightly and said:
"Pfft, cleaning is nothing. Back home, I used to clean everything by myself whenever my dad was away..."
She trailed off, her smile dimming slightly as she thought of her father. But unlike before, the sadness didn't overwhelm her anymore.
Brian noticed this subtle change and smiled faintly. He reached out, ruffled her hair, and gently pulled her along.
If Sarah had finally stepped out of her grief, then now, all he needed to do was support her.
To the west side of campus stood a large, three-story cafeteria spacious enough to hold thousands of people.
It was nearly lunchtime, and many soldiers and students were already heading inside. As Brian and the others entered, they couldn't help but gasp at the sheer number of people moving around. After so long outside, seeing such a crowd felt surreal.
The cafeteria was divided into two sections — one for soldiers, one for students. Without a word, Devin and Anne simply left the children behind and headed straight for the soldier's section, offering no explanation.
The kids stood awkwardly, watching people pass by, instinctively huddling together.
Brian twitched his lips slightly, gave one last glance at Devin and Anne's retreating figures, and scanned his surroundings carefully.
Then, taking initiative, he led the group toward the food counters. Being the oldest among them, both physically and mentally, he naturally became the leader. Silently, he guided them into line and started waiting.
Time always passed slowly while waiting, so Brian struck up a conversation with the boy ahead of him in line, learning more about how the school operated.
First, the academic credits functioned like currency within the school, allowing students to exchange for non-essential items — though strictly excluding weapons or controlled knives. They worked exactly like the supply cards.
Of course, credits were only used when exchanging for special items. Daily meals were free — just swipe your magnetic card at the reader.
As for earning credits, the boy admitted he didn't know much either. According to him, the system had only been introduced a week ago, after the military began bringing children into the school. The credit system had been announced, but aside from a few interested students, most had already forgotten about it.
Brian wasn't surprised. He understood why the credit system hadn't been fully implemented yet — not only because the students had just arrived, but also because the school was likely waiting for more survivor convoys to arrive.
He also learned that currently, no student could leave the university grounds unless there was a special circumstance, such as the death of a close relative. Even then, formal permission was required.
If someone wanted to contact relatives outside, there was a mailbox near the main entrance. Letters would be collected daily and sent beyond the zone.
As for whether students could eventually leave the school — that would depend on future developments, likely decided once all the remaining convoys arrived.
Without realizing it, the line moved forward, and soon it was their turn. Brian followed the example of those before him, swiped his magnetic card against the scanner, and received the tray of food placed before him.
When finding a seat, he looked down at the contents of the plate — mostly meat, with only a pitiful amount of vegetables and potatoes. Not very balanced.
The five kids sat together, finishing their meal in under half an hour before leaving the cafeteria.
Just as Brian expected, Devin and Anne were already waiting outside for them. After a brief instruction, they were taken back to the dorms — they had an hour to rest before afternoon classes and training.
Lying on the bed, Brian's mind churned through the information he'd gathered during lunch.
Outside, laughter and chatter drifted from other dorm rooms. Before he realized it, he had fallen asleep — waking only when it was nearly one o'clock.
This time, when they left the dorms, Devin and Anne didn't accompany them. They simply told the students to go to the classroom building themselves, saying someone would guide them. Their job seemed complete.
Thankfully, Brian took charge. The children didn't panic or scatter, following the stream of other students toward the academic buildings.
Soon, they returned to where they had been that morning. There stood Miranda, calmly waiting. As students passed, she greeted each with a warm smile, responding to every greeting she received. Clearly, the kids liked her.
"Do you like it here? Do you enjoy being at the school?"
Seeing Brian and the others approach, Miranda crouched slightly, smiling kindly as she asked.
"It's great!"
"I love it!"
"..."
Looking at her friendly face, the previously nervous children relaxed instantly. No longer stiff, they answered Miranda's questions enthusiastically.
Standing nearby, Brian observed silently, somewhat impressed. Just with this kind demeanor — even if partly an act — she could easily put young minds at ease, making it simple for her to understand them and make accurate assessments.
Following Miranda into the classroom building, they hadn't thought much of it in the morning. But upon entering, a loud buzz of voices filled their ears.
Each classroom on both sides was packed with students of similar age. Some sat quietly reading, some whispered to each other, others ran and played around. The atmosphere was lively and chaotic.
Miranda first placed Dick, Alan, and three younger kids into classrooms on the first floor. She didn't keep them together — she scattered them across different rooms.
Brian noticed that the first-floor classrooms were twice the usual size. Filled with hundreds of students, it looked like walls had been removed to merge multiple classrooms into one large space.
They were then taken to the second floor. Just like the first, these classrooms had also been expanded.
Brian, Sarah, and another girl were separated into different rooms. Before parting, Miranda left them with these words:
"This will be your classroom for now. Once inside, find a seat wherever you can. The school is still preparing — there are no official teachers yet. We've placed books at the back of the classroom in case you want something to read. But remember — no damage or destruction allowed."
With that, she turned and walked away, her high heels clicking softly against the floor as she disappeared around the corner of the upper hallway.