Nearly two months had passed since Mia and her family entered the bunker.
At first, the underground shelter had felt strange, too quiet, too sealed off from the outside world. But over time, they adjusted.
Life inside the bunker slowly developed its own rhythm.
Every morning began with exercise.
Luis usually trained first in the fitness room while Mia practiced knife drills nearby. Later, they switched to the shooting simulator, a virtual training system designed to practice firearm accuracy without wasting ammunition.
Frederick and Michael often joined them, while Olivia and Helen focused on maintaining the hydroponic garden and food supplies.
The bunker, once only a precaution, had become their new normal.
Sometimes the two families gathered for meals together, sharing stories and trying to keep their spirits high.
They were safe underground.
But outside, the world was falling apart.
---
Helen continued trying to contact her brother Daniel in Australia whenever possible.
The internet connection had become unstable a week ago.
Calls dropped frequently.
Messages failed to send.
It was becoming harder to reach anyone outside the bunker.
One evening Helen sat beside the communication console again, trying the number.
Static filled the line.
Then the connection cut.
She sighed.
"It didn't go through again."
Mia gently placed a hand on her mother's shoulder.
"It's probably the signal."
Helen nodded, but the worry in her eyes didn't fade.
Before the outbreak, international calls were easy.
Now even a simple connection felt like a miracle.
Mia had already suggested something important during their last successful call.
"If possible, Uncle Daniel should get a satellite phone," she had told her mother.
If the communication networks collapsed completely, satellite signals might be the only reliable way to stay connected.
But even that wasn't guaranteed anymore.
---
Luis had better luck contacting someone closer.
Two weeks after his last attempt, his phone finally connected.
"Pablo?"
Static crackled on the line.
Then Pablo's voice came through.
"Luis! Finally."
Luis leaned against the wall with relief.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. We arrived safely."
Pablo explained everything quickly.
His parents' house was located in a rural area outside the city.
They managed a small farm.
Once Pablo and his family arrived, they immediately reinforced the property.
They surrounded the farm with thick barbed wire fencing.
More importantly, Pablo's father had installed a high-voltage electrical line through the fence.
"If anything tries to climb over, it'll get fried," Pablo said.
Luis almost laughed in relief.
"And the house?"
"We barricaded everything."
Pablo explained that every night they slept inside the basement shelter.
Not only because of infected.
But also because of desperate people.
"Some survivors are worse than the infected," Pablo said quietly.
Luis understood.
When resources disappeared, humanity showed its darkest side.
"Call me again when you can," Luis said.
"I will."
Then the signal disappeared again.
But Luis felt better knowing his friend had reached safety.
---
Inside the bunker's hydroponics room, something else brought joy.
Helen carefully picked several ripe strawberries from the plant trays.
"They're perfect."
The small harvest filled a bowl.
Olivia clapped her hands happily when Helen brought them to the dining table.
"Fresh strawberries!"
Everyone gathered around.
Even in difficult times, small comforts mattered.
Olivia tasted one and smiled widely.
"They're sweet."
Helen laughed softly.
"I told you hydroponics would work."
Mia watched the two mothers chatting happily.
For a moment, the bunker felt peaceful.
Luis sat beside her, quietly eating a strawberry.
"Worth the wait."
Mia nodded.
"Definitely."
Not everything in their new life was hardship.
Some things still brought warmth.
---
Luis also checked on the small livestock area inside the bunker.
Several chickens moved around their enclosed space.
Unfortunately, they were still young.
"No eggs yet," Luis said while feeding them.
Mia laughed lightly.
"They need more time."
Luis sighed dramatically.
"I was hoping for fresh breakfast eggs."
"Be patient."
Two months underground had made them appreciate even simple food.
---
Later that afternoon, Mia and Luis were in the training room again.
The shooting simulator displayed moving targets across a digital screen.
Luis finished his round and lowered the virtual rifle.
Mia suddenly spoke.
"Luis."
He looked at her.
"Yes?"
"Do you want to watch a series together sometime?"
Luis blinked.
For a moment he looked completely stunned.
"Uh… sure."
Mia smiled casually.
"When?"
Luis hesitated.
"Where?"
"In our living room."
He nodded slowly.
Then Mia added something else.
"You can invite your parents too."
Luis froze.
"My parents?"
"And mine."
She gave a small laugh.
Luis suddenly realized something.
She had been teasing him.
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Sure."
But his expression still showed slight disappointment.
For a brief moment he thought she meant just the two of them.
Mia tried not to laugh when she saw his reaction.
Luis finally chuckled.
"Fine. I'll bring popcorn."
Maybe next time he would ask her for an actual date.
---
Above ground, the headquarters of Alps Builders had become Kevin and Chelsea's shelter.
For an entire month they had lived inside the office building.
They rarely turned on lights at night.
Through the windows they could see infected wandering through the streets of Viremont City.
The creatures reacted violently to noise.
Even a small sound could cause them to sprint toward the source.
Kevin and Chelsea had learned quickly to stay silent.
The building's security systems still worked.
The locked doors and reinforced entrances kept them safe.
Inside the pantry they found large food supplies meant for employees.
Kevin calculated the stock carefully.
"If we ration it, we have six months."
Chelsea nodded nervously.
Neither of them wanted to leave the building.
They had seen too much outside.
One week earlier, Kevin watched from the window as a group of starving survivors looted a nearby convenience store.
The fight quickly turned violent.
Then infected appeared.
Kevin saw one man dragged down and torn apart.
Moments later, the man stood again.
Even though his stomach was ripped open.
Chelsea nearly vomited when she saw it.
They avoided the windows after that.
Still, Kevin began searching offices and storage rooms.
"If we're staying here long term, we need tools or weapons."
Anything that could help them survive.
---
Authorities still tried to control the outbreak during daylight.
Soldiers cleared infected in certain districts.
But many soldiers were bitten during operations.
Helicopters occasionally dropped food packages into designated safe zones.
Desperate people rushed the supplies the moment they hit the ground.
Sometimes they fought each other just to get a single box.
The city had changed completely in only one month.
And still…
There was no cure.
---
Inside the bunker, Mia continued monitoring the outside world.
But news updates were becoming rare.
Television broadcasts appeared only once or twice a day.
On social media, fewer people posted each week.
Mia noticed it immediately.
"The internet is disappearing."
Some areas probably lost connection completely.
That meant fewer updates.
Fewer warnings.
Less information about what was happening beyond their bunker.
Even contacting Daniel in Australia was becoming difficult.
Mia worried about the future.
Without communication, the world outside would become blind.
---
She studied another government announcement on the screen.
Authorities advised citizens to remain inside their homes.
Food drop schedules were posted once a day.
Officials claimed they were still attempting to control infected populations.
But Mia knew the truth.
The virus had already evolved again.
Last month it took four hours to turn.
Now…
Only minutes.
Just like in the future she once lived through.
Many people had waited for a cure that never came.
They believed the crisis would pass.
Instead, it grew worse.
And early government mistakes had cost countless lives.
At the beginning, authorities refused to destroy the infected.
They tried to capture them instead.
Too many soldiers were bitten.
Too many people became infected.
Now the world was paying the price.
Mia stared at the screen silently.
Outside the bunker, humanity was slowly losing the fight.
And the worst part was,
This might only be the beginning.