Irvin made his way down the fire escape, footsteps echoing on the metal stairs. As he reached the ground, he paused, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of people.

Seeing none, he set off away from the dorms into the campus.

Irvin moved quickly, his eyes darting from building to building. He passed the library, its windows dark and empty. The student center was equally deserted, the usually bustling cafeteria silent and still.

As Irvin approached the campus courtyard, the eerie silence that had permeated the dormitory gave way to a scene of controlled chaos. The once open space was now dotted with emergency tents.

Irvin's sharp eyes scanned the area, taking in the sight of police officers and medical personnel rushing about, their faces etched with a mix of determination and worry. The tents which have been set up near the student center, were giving out food and Irvin could see bewildered staff and students being tended to by volunteers.

As he moved closer, Irvin noticed the makeshift stretchers lined up outside the tents, some occupied by injured individuals.

The air was filled with the sound of shouted instructions and the occasional cry of pain, a stark contrast to the usual peaceful atmosphere of the campus after exams.

What the hell happened? Irvin thought, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the scene before him. This can't just be a power outage. Something bigger is going on.

He watched as a group of paramedics rushed past him, their arms laden with medical supplies. One of them bumped into Irvin, mumbling a quick apology before hurrying on. Irvin noticed the dark circles under the man's eyes and the tension in his shoulders.

They look exhausted, Irvin mused, his gaze following the paramedic as he disappeared into one of the tents. How long have they been at this?

As he continued to observe the scene, Irvin's attention was drawn to a group of police officers huddled near one of the tables. They were speaking in hushed tones, their expressions grim. Irvin strained to hear what they were saying, but the distance and the surrounding noise made it impossible.

I need to find out what's going on, Irvin thought, his jaw clenching with determination. I can't just stand here and wait.

His eyes landed on a staff member who was directing a group of students towards one of the tents. Irvin recognized her as one of the assistants from the student center.

Approaching the woman, he kept his expression carefully neutral. "Excuse me," he said, straining to keep his voice calm. "Can you tell me what's happening? Why are there so many emergency services on campus?"

The woman glanced at Irvin, her eyes widening slightly as she took in his appearance. Irvin realized he must look a bit disheveled, with his backpack and the small cuts on his hand from breaking the glass.

"I'm not entirely sure," the woman admitted, her voice strained. "We've been told that there's been some kind of incident in the city, and they're bringing the injured here for treatment. But with the power out and no phones or internet, it's been hard to get information."

Irvin nodded, trying to piece together the bits of information. An incident in the city, he mused. Could it be a terrorist attack? A natural disaster?

Irvin approached the food tent, his mind still reeling. He joined the line of students and staff waiting for their rations, his eyes going over the faces around him. Some looked scared, others confused, but all shared a sense of uncertainty about what was happening.

As he reached the front of the line, Irvin held out his hands to receive the ration of food and water. The volunteer handing out the soup noticed the cuts on his hand and frowned.

"What happened to you?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

"I cut myself on some broken glass," Irvin explained, his voice even. "Accidentally knocked over a lamp in my room. Didn't realize I'd gotten nicked until later."

The volunteer nodded, seeming to accept his explanation. She pointed towards bigger white tent with red cross on the front of it. "You should get those cuts looked at," she advised. "We have medics on site."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Irvin thanked her and made his way to the medical tent, his thoughts already turning to his next steps. As he waited for his turn, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement mixed with trepidation about what was quiet clearly city wide emergency.

This is a chance to start over, he mused, his mind working through the fantasy he carried around for years of opportunities that similar chaos presented.

A chance to be someone different, someone better.

But at the same time, Irvin couldn't shake a fear tugging at this mind. I should have exercised more. All those movies and books make it look simple, but this is going to turn into shitshow if the power doesn't go up again. His heart raced at the thought. Can I even win in a fight?

Probably not.

As the medic tended to his cuts, Irvin stared at the disinfection and band aids being applied to his hands, considering what to do next. I can't just sit here and wait for someone else to tell me what to do, he thought, his jaw clenching with determination. I need to take control somehow.

With his hands bandaged and his rations soup and potatoes on a plate he sat at a table nearby. Can't go back to dormitory. They might have already figured out that the door is broken and someone got outside.

Hours passed by as he though again and again about what to actually do. Trying to go to the city sounded like a best option until he realized that injured people were gathered to the campus from the city.

From the conversations around him, he gathered that multiple explosions and accident happened throughout the city as the electricity failed including backup generators. From cars hitting each other, gas station exploding to the whole hospital shutting down resulting in multiple deaths within hours from the blackout.

In the end he decided to lay down on one of the cots and get some sleep.

If this all goes to normal tomorrow I would be in deep shit if I try to pull anything now. The excitement left his body on the realization that he might have been getting too much ahead of himself.

As midnight approached, an eerie silence settled over the campus, broken only by the occasional murmur of worried voices or the rustle of sleeping bags.

Irvin lay on his cot, his mind still churning with the events of the day, when a sudden crack jolted him from his thoughts. With yell the cot beneath him croaked and then collapsed, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Around him, others began to stir, their own cots and makeshift beds breaking beneath them. Irvin scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding as he surveyed the scene. The tent itself seemed to lean on the side before his eyes, the metal pipes creaking before the whole tent collapsed on top of them.

What the fuck is it now? Irvin thought. First the electronics, now this?

Panic began to spread through the crowd as people scrambled from underneath the tents. Shouts and cries filled the air as they struggled to make sense of the situation.

Irvin crawled his way under the hard fabric, his backpack clutched tight to his chest, unable to see anything.

Outside, the situation was no better. People ran in all directions, some crying for help, others simply staring in mute shock. With no lights the night was much darker then usually with the sky covered in dark clouds, they couldn't see much outside of the impromptu fires.

"Look out. The building." Someone yelled, before loud snapping sounds pierced the chaos.

One of the newer buildings on campus, a sleek glass and metal structure, had begun to crumble, large chunks of debris raining down on the courtyard below.

Few people got crushed by the falling pieces but the overall building was leaning to the opposite direction, dust rose covering the ground as others scrambled away.

This can't be happening, Irvin thought, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps leaving his lungs as he scrambled to the middle of the open area. What are we supposed to do?

The tables in food section were reduced to piles of desks. And the pots leaked its content on the grass, reflecting the shimmering fires.

It's not just the electronics, Irvin realized, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. It's everything. Everything mechanical too. It's all failing.

Irvin's headache crept in as he tried to process the unfolding chaos. The world's gone mad, he thought, his eyes darting from one scene of destruction to the next. And I'm stuck in the middle of it.

He watched as a group of students tried to help an injured woman, her leg pinned beneath a chunk of rubble. Their efforts seemed futile, their hands slipping on the blood-slicked stone. Irvin's stomach churned, but he forced himself to look away.

Within the next few minutes cacophony of sounds echoed in the darkness around them, screeching metal, breaking glass and wheezing of concrete. It was unfolding slowly, each sound reaching them as the building slowly gave under the invisible pressure.

I can't worry about them, he told himself, his jaw clenching. I have to focus on my own survival.

He scanned the area, looking for a way out of the courtyard. The whole place crawled with people, everyone trying to find a safer place between the collapsing campus. Irvin's gaze landed on the fire which expanded into a bonfire.

That's my chance, he thought, adjusting his backpack on his shoulders.

He moved quickly, weaving through the crowd with a singular focus. A few people called out to him, their voices pleading for help, but Irvin ignored them all.

As he reached the fire, he glanced back over his shoulder. The courtyard was a sea of chaos, the flickering firelight casting eerie shadows across the faces of the desperate and the dying. Irvin felt a twinge of something - guilt, perhaps, or regret - but he pushed it aside.

Survival first, he reminded himself, turning away from the scene. Everything else comes second.

As the world crumbled around him, Irvin felt a wave of fear wash over him, his heart pounding in his chest. Yet even as panic gripped those around him, he found himself strangely calm.

This is it, he thought, his eyes scanning the chaos. The world as we know it is over.