Chapter 2: Desperate Measures
Dylan walked through the paved ground of Arthur Avenue. It was an hour before noon, and the street was bustling. The sun was partly shrouded by the clouds, and the wind was calm and serene. The scent of freshly baked bread filled the air as he continued to traverse through the path towards the university. He was wearing a crimson suit on top a white polo shirt. A black tie was twined around his neck, and his crimson pants complemented the black leather sneakers he wore.
The shoes he wore were depressing to look at; it was unbefitting of his exquisite attire. Still, he did not care. Mobility was one of the things he would rather not lose once the apocalypse kicked in. On his back was a large backpack, and on his right hand was the scimitar wrapped in a purple cloth. At the corner of his eyes, he saw a convenient store, and his legs immediately halted to a stop. He entered.
“ Good morning!” the man at the counter automatically greeted. Dylan flashed a smile and grabbed a basket. Afterwards he immediately went towards the ‘preserved goods’ section. He did not know when he would again have the chance to acquire such ‘luxuries.’ He deemed that he should take full use of the opportunity.
His hands kept moving about, and by the time he was done, the blue basket he held in his hand was filled to the brim. It was filled mostly with canned goods and loaves of bread. A large bottle of water was included. After getting all of the items, he placed the basket before the counter and said, “I’ll take all of these.”
“With pleasure,” the man at the counter said. He was humming a tune, and his lips were curled into a smile. Would the man before him still be merry if he was to find out that the world would end today? Probably not. Dylan’s face distorted into a grim expression as he watched the radiant smile of the man before him. He felt his heart squeezed at the thought that such a person would soon be dead the moment the quake rips apart the area. Even if he managed to survive, the demons would eventually kill him the moment they saw him.
“Mister... love...,” Dylan said. He found it hard to continue the awkward words he was about to utter.
“Pardon?” the man before him stopped smiling. Its lips was partly opened at it stared at Dylan.
“Tell your love ones that you love them. After this purchase... do that... please.”
The man tilted its head and stared at Dylan with wary eyes. With cautious movements, it took the paper bills from its customer, and with an awkward smile, it replied, “Thank you for the purchase... sir. Here’s your change.” He handed Dylan his change.
Dylan sighed and grabbed the bag filled with goods. He then placed it inside the backpack. He cannot blame the man if it felt eerie after he made such remarks. He turned around, and before exiting the establishment, he mumbled, “I did my part. I can’t prevent it from happening anyway.”
After exiting the store, he turned left after coming to an intersection, and after walking for a minute, he came across the large campus’ gates. The university he went to was vast, and one needed a few minutes of walk to go from a department to another. Dylan showed the guard at the entrance his student I.D.
“What...,” the guard’s voice trailed off when he inspected the content of Dylan’s bag. It was filled to the brim with canned goods; it was an eerie sight. “You going... on a camp or something?” He glanced towards the material bundled in cloth that Dylan carried on his left hand. “What’s that?”
“Electrode probe for the machine in the laboratory. I broke one a few days ago. This is the replacement.” Dan’s voice was calm and unhurried. After the remark, he immediately went inside without waiting for the guard to personally check his scimitar. Thankfully, he passed through the laid-back inspection.
Dylan took out his phone and called a friend. He asked him to meet him right in front of the Science Building.
He walked through Serenity Park. It was a park encircled by exactly seventy-five coniferous trees, and at the center was a gargantuan fountain that resembled a geyser with its erratic eruptions. Numerous students flocked the area, and most of them sat on the boulders that ornamented the park like chained beads. The ground seemed peaty: dried crushed leaves blanketed it black-olive.
On his right, a towering structure with glass walls was seen. Its entrance was bronze-gold, and it inwardly opened, revealing a bright interior. It was the “Innovation Building,” the building for engineers and architects.
After walking a few more minutes, he had finally arrived at his destination. It was a brown structure that had an arched roof covering the fifth floor. A silver plate with the black engravings, “Science Building,” was seen. Dylan entered inside. Surprisingly, he was calm and composed. He had brushed with death numerous times before, and the soon to come spark of the Apocalypse was nothing but the tip of the iceberg for such veteran.
Dylan traversed the well-kept hall of the first floor and upon arrival at the room with the “104” sign, he stopped. He heard the muffled voice of the professor inside. “Aside from Van Handel and Zilversmith Method, another method of determining the triglyceride concentration is through the Hantzsch Condensation. It’s fluorometric. Basically, the triglyceride is converted into glycerol and fatty acid after the addition of alcoholic potassium hydroxide....”
Dylan breathed in a large gulp of air, and his chest rose in response. After an exhale, he opened the door with a loud bang sound. Everyone in class stared at him in shock, and the professor glared at him with menacing eyes. Its gaze clearly stated, “What the hell are you doing?”
Dylan’s eyes swivelled left and right as he searched for ‘that’ person. Upon seeing her, his lips formed into a curl. The bliss that accompanied the sight made him want to cry. Still, he held back the tears as he shouted, “Nestine! I love you! Become my girlfriend!”
His voice was loud enough to echo inside the entire first floor of the Science Building. Everyone in class stared agape at his bold declaration. Eventually, the silent atmosphere turned into one filled with buzzing sounds. Excitement filled the air, and everyone glanced towards the girl with ash blond hair at the back most portion of the room. She had a surprised expression on her face, and her partly opened mouth made her left dimple sink in response. Her skin resembled the snowflakes in winter, and her eyes reminded one of sapphire. Her crimson dress cut till the knees added more to her radiance.
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“Woah! How bold!”
“An unknown guy confessed his love during class!”
“Gotta post this on the site after the lessons!”
Murmurs and buzzes filled the air as Dylan stood next to the door. His face was filled with resolve from the outside, but inside, he was ashamed to death. He had met Nestine after the initial part of the apocalypse took place, and their time together was brief. Still, it was the most prized memories of his life. It was memories he would not part with even in death.
Nestine was left unable to reply, and she just sat on her chair as she looked at the unknown man before her. She had never met him before, that much, she was sure. She had received numerous proposals before, but it was the first time she had received such bold declaration. Her heart was filled with conflicting emotions: mainly shame and guilt. She did not want to reject the young man before everyone’s eyes.
“Please! I need to speak with you!” Dylan added. It was the only way he had thought of to make Nestine come out of class. Soon, the violent quake would decimate the university, and he would only be able to protect her if he was with her. He needed her to come out of the place of peril.
“Which class are you from?” the professor remarked. Its eyes were squinted as it glared at Dylan. “Get out of my class—Now!”
“Shut it. I need to speak with her!” Dylan spat. He did not care of what would happen next after the ruckus. After all, the world as they knew it would soon be gone. All he cared about was to ensure the safety of the girl he loved the most.
Nestine frowned after Dylan’s incessant remark. With a reluctant tone, she said, “I don’t know you. Please, don’t bother me again.” The whole class made ~ooh sounds after those words. They attentively glanced at Dylan as they awaited his response.
Dylan took a step forward, and he placed a hand on his chest. As if making a formal statement, he said in a loud voice, “Please! Even if it’s just a few seconds... please speak with me outside! I promise that I would not bother you again after that!” His last words were a lie. Even if it was against her will, Dylan resolved himself to be by her side. He would not let anything happen to his seraph.
The entire class turned towards Nestine, looks of anticipation were upon their faces. Nestine bit her lips, and she casted her eyes downwards. After a long pause, she heaved a sigh and turned towards the professor. Her eyes clearly depicted the words, “can I speak to him for a second?”
The professor gave consent with a nod, and Nestine replied, “Fine. Let’s talk—Mr.Stranger.” The last part was said with a hint of mockery. She disliked the way Dylan made rude remarks to her professor.
Murmurs sounds filled the air as she walked towards Dylan. After they stood before each other, she saw the peculiar smile the man was wearing. His lips turned into an impossible crescent, and his eyes were dancing. She resisted the urge to take a step backward as she uttered her words. “What do you want?”
Dylan fondly gazed into her sapphire eyes. It was the most beautiful gemstone he had seen in his life. “Let’s go outside. Somewhere private.” It was his excuse to make her go out of the building.
Nestine was reluctant, but after some thoughts, she eventually agreed. She followed Dylan as they traversed through the first floor. “Isn’t this private enough? Speak.”
“No. We’ll go outside.” Dylan fumbled inside his pocket, took out his phone, and read a message from it. After that, he smiled and mumbled inaudible words. Nestine followed him all throughout the entire ordeal.
“This should be good enough,” Dylan said as he they exited the Science Building. The sun now directly hovered above, and its rays were scorching. It sapped the strength in their body the moment it touched their skin. Dylan felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to its source.
“Hey! Good to see you!” Dylan said as he hugged the male student next to him. The student was taken by surprise and immediately pushed Dan away.
“What the hell man! Gross! What’s been into you?” the male student said as he dusted off his garb.
“Sorry ‘bout that. Just glad to see you, Marc.”
Marc was Dylan’s best friend. He was someone he had known before he entered university. He was like a brother to him. Unfortunately, after the apocalypse took place, machineries stopped working, and Dylan lost contact of him. He had never heard of him again after that.
“This is a waste of time.” Nestine’s voice rang out, making the two male students stare at her. Even Marc was agape when he saw the goddess before them. He glanced at Dylan and stuttered, “Y-You called me o-out here to... introduce your g-girlfriend?”
“Yeah. She’s my girlfriend—soon,” Dylan said in utter bliss. He had an eerie look in his eyes as he savoured the euphoria. Just the fact that he was able to see her again sent him to cloud nine.
“Who’s your girlfriend?!” Nestine’s face turned into disgust. She felt that the man before her was a pervert. She was about to turn around and go back to class when suddenly, Dylan’s hands grabbed her hand. She froze as she felt the warmth of his skin crawl to hers.
“What are you doing?!” She wanted to scream for help, but she did not want to create a commotion. “Don’t touch me! You’re disgusting!” She had never seen the guy before, and now, he boldly declared that she was his girlfriend. He even went out as far as to call his friend to introduce her. He had no shame!
“Listen. In a few minutes, something extraordinary will happen. You need to be with me so that I could protect you!” Dylan said. He turned to Marc. “You too! Don’t leave my side, okay?!”
Marc raised a brow as he watched the peculiar scene before him. He was about to utter his reply when suddenly, a notification popped up in front of him. He stared at it in shock.
Surprise bitches! The Day of Judgment is finally here! God exists, but unfortunately, he does not care. You are all destined for hell!
And the violent quake started.