Vivian needed to get her mind off Jeffrey. That was the only reason she had gone to the library.
She knew that if she returned to the dorm and lay in bed, she would spend the entire night thinking about him. She would remember his arms around her, the way his voice had softened when he saw her crying, and how easily her heart had betrayed her for those few seconds.
She didn’t want to think about it.
She had already spent too much emotions dealing with people.
First Julian, Chloe, Wyatt, then Jeffery.
She only had five months until the apocalypse.
Five months to become stronger, gather supplies, make money, figure out what had caused the outbreak, and possibly find a way to stop it.
She couldn’t afford to spend another night drowning in old memories.
She walked between the enormous bookshelves, running her fingers along the spines as she searched.
If she wanted to survive the apocalypse, she needed to understand it first. And if there was anywhere she could find the truth, it was right here.
"Fundamentals of Guiding," she murmured, pulling a thick textbook from the shelf.
She picked another book.
"Atomic Physics of Awakened Energy."
Another book.
"Guide-Sentinel Compatibility."
She carried the books to a large table near the window and dropped them one after another.
By the time she was finished, there was a mountain of textbooks in front of her.
Vivian stared at them, pulled out a chair and sat down.
Science had never been her thing.
In her previous life, she had spent more time trying to stay awake during science classes than actually understanding what the teachers were saying.
Now she was sitting in an academy library at midnight, voluntarily opening a book about atomic physics.
Life had a strange sense of humor. Apparently, dying and getting a second chance came with homework.
Vivian pulled the thickest book toward herself.
Atomic Physics of Awakened Energy.
She opened it.
The first few pages were filled with diagrams that made her eyes hurt.
"Okay," she muttered. "Slowly."
She traced her finger beneath the first paragraph.
"Energy is neither created nor destroyed. It exists throughout the universe in different forms, constantly transforming and interacting with matter."
She read the sentence again.
"Energy is..." Her eyes moved to the next line. "Everywhere?"
Vivian frowned.
"So awakened people don’t actually create their energy." She turned the page. "They channel it."
That part, at least, made sense.
According to the book, awakened humans possessed an ability to perceive, absorb, channel, and manipulate energy.
The ability wasn’t actually magic.
Researchers believed it was connected to changes within the human body that allowed awakened individuals to interact with energy in ways ordinary humans couldn’t.
The next section listed several known methods of energy manipulation.
The first was called the Mental Sea Method.
It involved visualizing energy like a sea within the mind and learning to draw it through meditation.
Vivian slowly nodded.
"So that’s how they train their energy."
The second method involved Natural Resonance.
Certain awakened humans could draw energy from their surrounding environment using heat, wind, water, minerals, and other natural sources.
Vivian’s eyes narrowed.
"That makes sense."
Then she reached the third method. She read the heading twice.
Dark Channeling Method.
This method involved siphoning energy from another person and forcing it through one’s own energy channels.
Vivian’s nose wrinkled. "That’s creepy." She immediately understood why it was called the Dark Method.
According to the text, the method was extremely dangerous and highly restricted. Taking another person’s energy could cause severe physical pain, damage the victim’s core, or, in extreme cases, result in death.
Vivian slowly closed the book.
"Nope."
She stared at the cover. Then opened it again.
"Actually..." She flipped back to the page. "If it’s dangerous, I probably need to know about it."
One thing the apocalypse had taught her was that dangerous information was still information. And information could save lives.
She continued reading. The further she went, the more questions appeared.
Eventually, she reached a section titled The Origin of Awakened Humans.
Vivian leaned forward.
According to historical records, the first awakened humans appeared decades earlier. However, researchers still disagreed about exactly what had caused the first awakening.
That wasn’t how her grandmother had told the story.
She could still remember sitting beside her nonna as a child, listening to the old woman explain where awakened humans came from.
According to Grandma, it all started when monsters appeared on Earth.
Not zombies, actual monsters.
Creatures that had supposedly appeared from hell and started attacking cities. Humans had been powerless against them at first, until people began awakening strange abilities.
Some could control fire. Some could manipulate earth and water. Some became strong.
Grandma had always called it a gift from God.
She used to say God had given humanity the power to fight back because He wouldn’t allow mankind to be wiped out.
According to the old story, the awakened eventually defeated the monsters and sealed them away in the Underworld.
Vivian smiled faintly.
As a child, she had believed every word. Then she grew up. She had never seen a monster.
And during five years of apocalypse, when the entire world had turned into hell, she had still never seen one.
Vivian leaned back in her chair. "Maybe Grandma really was just telling me bedtime stories."
She gave a quiet laugh. Then another thought crossed her mind.
"If monsters actually existed, they should’ve shown up during the apocalypse."
She pictured it for a moment. A giant monster charging into a horde of zombies while terrified humans watched from behind.
Vivian snorted. "At least they’d be useful." She shook her head. "Maybe they could’ve done the Sentinels’ job."
The thought was so ridiculous that she almost laughed again. "I’m actually losing my mind."
She turned back to the textbook. The story was interesting, but there was no evidence.
She continued reading.
Some researchers believed the first awakenings were caused by a genetic mutation.
Another theory suggested that an unidentified biological agent had triggered changes in human DNA.
Vivian stopped. She read the sentence again.
"Biological agent?"
Her expression changed. The apocalypse had started with an infection.
At least, that was what everyone had eventually believed.
She flipped the page.
Awakened humans possessed genetic mutations that separated their DNA from ordinary humans, although the expression of those mutations varied between Guides and Sentinels.
She flipped through several pages.
The information was becoming complicated, but one thing was becoming clear.
Awakened humans weren’t simply normal humans who had suddenly gained magical powers.
Their bodies had changed. Their biology had changed.
Something had happened to humanity before the apocalypse ever arrived.
Vivian reached for her notebook and began writing.
Awakened humans...possibly genetic changes.
Cause of first awakening... still unknown.
She underlined the last point. Then she added another question.
Connection to apocalypse?
She stared at it. That was what she needed to find out.
For the next few hours, Vivian moved from one book to another.
Guiding techniques. Energy pathways. Awakened anatomy.
She filled several pages of her notebook with important notes.
But the more she searched, the more frustrated she became.
Nothing mentioned zombies. Nothing mentioned apocalypse. Nothing explained why the dead had risen.
Vivian leaned back and rubbed her tired eyes.
"Come on..." She looked at the pile of books. "Someone has to know something."
She stood and walked toward another section of the library.
Disaster Studies.
She scanned the shelves. Nothing useful.
Vivian moved farther down the aisle. Then something caught her eye.
A dusty book had been shoved behind several larger textbooks near the bottom of the shelf.
She crouched, and reached underneath the shelf.
Her fingers brushed against something soft.
Vivian froze. Slowly, she pulled her hand back.
A dead rat lay in the darkness. Its dried skin had brushed against her fingers.
Vivian gagged. "Disgusting!"
She nearly fell backward. She wiped her fingers against her hoodie several times before reaching for the book.
It was covered in dust. She blew across the cover. The dust scattered through the air, revealing the faded title.
When Civilization Ends: Understanding Apocalyptic Events
Vivian stared at it. Her heart skipped.
She immediately looked around before pulling the book free.
This wasn’t another textbook about awakened humans. This was exactly what she had been searching for.
She hurried back to the table and placed the book in front of her.
Her fingers rested on the cover.
Then, she slowly opened it.