Hruday woke up with a surge of energy he hadn't felt in a long time. The clarity and vigor coursing through him made everything seem sharper, more intense. As he went through his morning routine, he pushed himself harder than ever before, feeling as though he had tapped into a new well of strength. Each movement was precise, powerful, and controlled. His muscles ached, but today it was a welcome challenge, a sign of growth.

Across the room, Michael watched with raised eyebrows. "Dude, this guy has totally zoned out," he muttered, noticing how Hruday was devouring a handful of nuts like they were the most delicious thing on earth.

But Hruday's thoughts were elsewhere. He was mulling over an idea he'd had the day before—pretending to have a split personality so he could make the tough, ruthless decisions that survival demanded. It was a ridiculous notion, but somehow, it felt right. He needed to be different, stronger—someone who could handle the pressure without cracking.

Driven by this newfound clarity, Hruday dashed out of the room, ignoring Michael's call. He sprinted to the side of the building and, without a second thought, began to climb. As he reached the top, he looked down, feeling the familiar tug of fear. But it was different now. "I am different from yesterday," he whispered to himself. "I am new and powerful."

He leaped from the roof, and the world seemed to slow as he soared through the air. He landed solidly on the next platform, his senses heightened and alive. The pain in his ankle barely registered as he continued, moving from platform to platform with increasing confidence.

In the midst of his intense parkour session, Hruday noticed Nick sprinting as if he were being chased by a horde of zombies. Intrigued, Hruday took off after him. Nick glanced back, eyes wide with terror, and pushed himself to run faster. He even climbed up a nearby building, trying to lose Hruday, but Hruday followed with ease, his focus sharp, almost predatory.

Hruday was impressed by his own feats. He had essentially climbed vertically, something he had seen Tyler do and always envied. Nick, still in a state of horror, jumped to another platform, the chase continuing until he finally hid somewhere out of sight. Exhausted, Hruday stopped, panting heavily. "Breathing like this increases stamina, huh?" he thought, a slight headache creeping in. "What the hell did I just do? Amazing, right?"

Just then, Hruday closed his eyes, looking as if he had dozed off. Roy, who had witnessed the whole thing, was bewildered and impressed. But before Roy could say anything, Hruday snapped back to "normal," turned on his heel, and headed back to their base, pondering what he should do next.

Back at the base, Hruday almost convinced himself that the morning's events were a dream, if not for the sound of Michael typing frantically on his computer. Michael had picked up the habit of writing stories, but the cringiest part, in Hruday's opinion, was that the protagonist was clearly based on him. It felt weird, almost invasive, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Michael to stop.

After a quick cold shower, Hruday felt reinvigorated. The thought of working out again made him hesitate. "Did I take it too far?" he wondered aloud. But there was no time to dwell on that. They had plans to set up a parkour training area, and Hruday needed all the help he could get.

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Surprisingly, when Hruday asked for assistance, Sophia declined. She was engrossed in something, either improving the system or writing in her own diary, Hruday assumed. The rest of the group, however, was eager to help. Even Tyler, the ex-parkour YouTuber, showed up, ready to lend a hand.

"Let's surprise them by making this place an entertainment hub," Hruday suggested, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Michael's eyes lit up. "For that, we need to raid the zipline building. We'll need computers, games, and… my secret stash."

Hruday raised an eyebrow. "Secret stash?"

Michael nodded, grinning. "Yep, you'll see."

They chose the church side of the compound for their project. The building already had a line of small rooms attached to the zipline structure, including a sports equipment room, which was a pleasant surprise. As they explored further, they found what appeared to be an old office, another room filled with tools for water and electricity maintenance, and a storage area.

Despite the other members noticing their work, they were too preoccupied with their own tasks to intervene. Hruday and his crew pressed on, determined to turn the abandoned college grounds and parts of the church into a fitness and parkour training center. The idea of using the church itself for training raised a few eyebrows, especially among the more religious members, but after some convincing, they agreed. Hruday had even considered using everything inside the church, but he decided against it, realizing it was a bad idea to push too far.

They set up the parkour course on the roof of the church, finding it the perfect place to practice their jumps and climbs. The view was spectacular, and the height added an element of danger that made the training all the more exciting.

As they set up the computers and connected them to the limited power supply they had managed to rig up, the atmosphere in the room shifted. It was no longer just a survival base; it was becoming a place where they could live, not just exist. They arranged the games neatly, setting up stations for different activities. The old sports equipment was dusted off and arranged in a makeshift gym area.

Tyler, always the optimist, even managed to rig up a sound system using some old speakers they found. The sound wasn't great, but it was better than nothing. As the day turned into night, they all gathered around, admiring their work.

Michael, unable to contain his excitement, whispered to Hruday, "This is going to be awesome. We've actually made something good out of this mess."

Hruday smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "Yeah, we did."

They had turned the remnants of their old lives into something new, something that could help them keep going in this brutal world. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.

As the group settled in for the night, Hruday lay awake, his mind racing with plans for the future. He knew they couldn't stay hidden forever. The world outside was still dangerous, and the calm they were experiencing was just a brief respite. But for now, they had something to hold onto, something that made the next day worth facing.

In the back of his mind, the thought of the virus still lingered. His strange meditations, the rituals, the imagined alter ego—they all seemed to be working, but he wasn't sure how much of it was real and how much was just in his head. All he knew was that he felt stronger, more focused, and more ready to face whatever came next.

He glanced at the others, who were already falling asleep, exhausted from the day's work. Hruday allowed himself a small smile. They were becoming a real team, something more than just survivors. They were building a community, a place where they could find strength in each other.

And as sleep finally took him, Hruday knew that tomorrow would bring new challenges. But for now, they had done something remarkable. They had found a way to keep living, even in the midst of chaos.