***

“Lucas, it's about time you went outside. It's been two days,” Lucy urged, walking over to him with the katana still in her hand.

“You didn't even go to see Meri yesterday. You wouldn't believe the number of magpie corpses outside the barrier,” she continued, a hint of concern in her voice.

Lucas groaned, rolling away from her on the bed. “I've been walking around for over a month. Let me have a good rest,” he grumbled, pulling the blanket over himself.

Lucy found herself questioning the boy who had saved her as she yanked the blanket off Lucas. “Oh, come on, get up. We need to clear the zombies near the barrier. Or do you want to go buy another one?” she insisted.

Lucas felt a mix of annoyance and amusement at her persistence. He reluctantly sat up on the bed, rubbing his eyes. “Fine, fine. I'll go. But we can't buy another one, Lucy,” he said, his voice slightly muffled from his hands.

“What do you mean?” Lucy raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

“Just know that I can't simply go buy another one,” Lucas replied, his tone a touch exasperated. He got up, straightening out the makeshift bed – a tower of towels, pillows, clothes, and blankets.

Lucy still didn't quite grasp the situation. “I still don't get it. Why can't you just buy another one? And where is it?”

Lucas sighed, feeling like he was about to explain something elementary. “The place I bought the barrier from is located in another group's base. I can't just waltz in again. They didn't seem all that friendly, so I'd rather we avoid interacting with them. Conflict is the last thing we need.”

Lucy was taken aback. “Huh... Why didn't you tell me this sooner?”

Lucas shrugged nonchalantly. “It didn't seem like a pressing issue for you to know. As long as we don't cross paths with them, I think we'll be fine. At least, that's what I'm hoping.

“And you're mentioning it now? Do they know we're here?”

Brushing dirt off his pants, Lucas answered, “I'd like to think they didn't spy on me when I left their building, but I can't be sure. Their shelter looked like a gym to me.”

“Don't you think you should've told me earlier?” Lucy pressed, a mix of concern and annoyance in her voice.

“Don't worry too much about it, Lucy. I'm going to take a quick shower now,” Lucas said as he grabbed a larger towel and headed towards the bathroom. “Let's catch up during lunch. You go have breakfast with Meri and Cale. I'll eat later.”

***

“That's strange,” Lucy muttered, a frown forming on her face.

“Hey Cale, have you seen your sister?” she asked her younger companion.

Cale shook his head, his attention focused on the toy he was playing with – a keepsake Lucas had carried with them during their journey to the university.

“Meri…” she called; her voice tinged with concern.

Her search led her back to the bathroom area, then to the garden, but there was no sign of Meri anywhere.

Lucy's frustration grew, and she decided to head to the boundaries of the university.

‘I should go check outside,’ Lucy thought aloud.

“Dried blood... it must be from yesterday,” she mumbled to herself, observing the multiple magpie corpses around the barrier. Zombies had gathered, cleaning up the green blood, and leaving stains on the pavement.

“Disgusting,” Lucy muttered, her disgust evident. She drew the katana from its sheath and swiftly decapitated a zombie nearby.

This became her task as she moved around the barrier – a strategy reminiscent of a tower defense game. Staying within the safe confines of the barrier, Lucy systematically cut down zombies one by one, her focus unwavering.

“Oh...” Lucy muttered, spotting a fresh trail of green blood. As she looked closer, she realized it led outside the barrier, accompanied by several other bird corpses whose green blood hadn't yet dried.

“Is this where Auntie hunts them?” Lucy wondered aloud.

Further along, she noticed another fresh trail of green blood in an alleyway.

‘Has Auntie gone outside, or is there someone else here?’ Lucy's thoughts raced as she grappled with her concerns. She attempted to dismiss the possibility that Auntie might have ventured outside and decided to return.

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‘I should inform Lucas,’ Lucy thought as she retraced her steps back to the university, intending to share her worries with him.

En route, she made a brief stop in Cale's room, where he was playing with Lucas.

“Lucas, can you come out for a moment?” Her voice was edged with concern.

“Is it something urgent?” Lucas inquired, picking up on the urgency in her tone.

“Yes,” Lucy confirmed.

With that, Lucas stood up and made his way out of the classroom.

“Cale, play for a bit. Uncle will be back soon,” he instructed Cale with a reassuring smile before stepping out and closing the door.

“What's the matter, Lucy?” Lucas asked, his tone shifting to alertness.

Lucy's gaze was focused and intense. “Meri has gone missing.”

“Missing?” Lucas's voice betrayed his shock.

“Have you tried looking for her?” he asked.

“Yes, I've been searching for her for about half an hour. I checked both the male and female bathrooms and even asked Cale, but he doesn't know either.”

“Did you check the library?”

Lucy shook her head. “Yes, I did that before I asked Cale. Then I went outside, but she wasn't there either. I checked near the barrier and I think I found the spot where she was, but...”

“But what?” Lucas prompted, concern evident in his tone.

“But she wasn't there. However, I did notice fresh green blood in an alleyway not far from the barrier, along with a few zombie corpses.”

“You think she went outside?” Lucas inquired.

Shaking her head, Lucy responded, “I'm not sure. I don't understand why she would go outside or why I can't find her anywhere. But what worries me more is the group you mentioned this morning. Meri can handle herself against zombies, but I'm not so sure about humans.”

“Are you suspecting them, Lucy?”

“Yes, I have to admit that my previous encounters with other groups haven't been very positive. But I can't help but be suspicious.”

Lucas offered a suggestion. “How about this, Lucy? Let's split up and search around the building. If we still can't find her, we'll follow the trail you found and venture outside to look for her. Does that sound okay?”

Finding the plan reasonable, Lucy nodded. “Let's meet back in ten minutes, then. We shouldn't take too long in case Aunt Meri is indeed in danger.”

“Agreed.”

With that, Lucas headed in a different direction, making his way to the fourth floor. Aware that Meri was an archer, he knew that she would often shoot from this floor's windows, despite the limited field of vision they provided.

“This is odd... She's not here either,” Lucas muttered, his tone laced with concern.

Lucas retraced Lucy's steps, checking the self-study room before proceeding to the fourth floor's bathroom area. Still no sign of Meri.

He decided to expand his search to the third floor, calling out, “Meri, if you can hear me, please respond.”

Lucas's voice rang out within the confines of the university, echoing through the empty halls and rooms. No response came, not from a zombie or any other human within the barrier. The silence grew unsettling, and his concern for Meri deepened. She should have been shooting birds to earn experience points and catch up with the rest of the group. Why would she have gone outside?

“No, there's no way she's that naïve to go out alone,” Lucas muttered to himself as he continued his search. Despite his efforts, he found no trace of her, not even a single strand of her hair.

Heading downstairs, he crossed paths with Lucy.

“Did you find her?” he asked.

“No, did you?”

“If I had found her, I wouldn't be asking you. I've looked everywhere, but there's no sign of her.”

“Alright then, it's settled. Let's search for her outside.”

“But Lucas, who will look after Cale?”

Lucas felt the weight of a new concern bearing down on him. Taking care of Cale was suddenly a priority, and he grappled with the decision of whether to take Cale along or leave him with Lucy. He knew it wasn't fair to bring a young child into potential danger, but he also couldn't leave Cale alone.

“Okay, Lucy, you stay here with Cale. I'll go out on my own.”

“But Lucas, it's dangerous to go alone,” Lucy protested. She knew he was right, but the risks were undeniable.

“It's fine, Lucy. You stay here with Cale. I'll find Meri and bring her back. Look, my wound is healing well. There's just a scar left, and it won't reopen anytime soon.”

Lucas reassured her, attempting to ease her worries. “In any case, try to keep Cale distracted from looking for me or his sister. We'll be back before sunset, whether I find Meri or not.”

Lucy fell silent. The morning had started with a sense of ease, but now tension hung in the air. A member of their group had vanished without a trace.

“Okay, Lucas, be safe out there. Make sure to find Meri and bring her back. Even if she did go outside, don't blame her too harshly. I'm sure she has her reasons, Lucas.”

“I'll evaluate the validity of her reasons when I find her. If she's endangered us without a valid reason, she'll have to answer for it. But if she was taken against her will, the barrier should have protected her. It only permits those I allow to enter.”

“I understand, Lucas, but please be lenient with her.”

“I'll consider her circumstances,” Lucas assured Lucy.

“Take care of Cale,” he added as he turned to leave the university premises, embarking on his search for Meri.