They reached the shelter just before the darkness completely swallowed the city.
The place wasn't much. The floor was rough concrete, clothes covered the broken windows, and a few lanterns hung in the middle of groups, barely illuminating the surroundings.
Stanley's gaze moved swiftly.
Roughly around twenty people at most. Most of them were gathered in small groups.
Less than what I expected.
Some sat on cardboard sheets. Others stood against the pillars, bags close to their feet, tools within reach. Stanley could easily tell not one of them was relaxed enough to forget what world they were currently living in.
Better than that subway at least.
Rick stayed close to Stanley when he stopped.
"This is the place."
"Definitely it is."
"It's better than that subway, right?"
"Is it?" Stanley muttered, "Can't say for sure. But one thing's true though, people here know what they're dealing with. Ready for whenever things go wrong."
"Yeah..." Rick nodded quietly, then tilted his head towards a man in a black jacket, leaning against the wall. "That guy over there. He's quite good at maps and routes. Even though only a few days have passed, he has enough knowledge about the place."
Stanley followed his gaze slightly, not making things obvious. The guy didn't look special to him—average build, a callous look on his face. A guy who listens more than he speaks.
Is anyone special in this place?
Rick continued, pointing to another figure. "The woman near the window handles supplies and also seems to be the leader of the woman's faction, you might call it."
Stanley nodded slightly.
Free knowledge doesn't hurt after all.
Two men slid away from the far side of the room and walked over. Both looked young—early twenties, maybe. One of them smiled when he saw Rick.
"Hey," the guy said, "how'd everything go on your side?"
Rick returned the smile. "Good, I'd say. We didn't run into trouble."
The other man glanced at Stanley, slightly curious. "Friend of yours?"
Rick tilted his head slightly. "Remember the subway I told you about? We met there."
Rick didn't go into more details.
"I'm Caleb," the first one said, sticking out a hand. "This is Jonah."
Stanley hesitated for a fraction of a second, then shook it. "Jin."
"Hard to believe you survived this long," Jonah said, "you look very young."
"Lucky, I guess," Stanley replied awkwardly.
"Age has nothing to do with how long you've survived here," Rick cut in sharply.
"Guess you're right," Jonah agreed quickly, "it's not like anyone got in any differently from others."
"Yeah, obviously," Caleb said, "everyone's on the same page here. And you also don't worry too much," he looked at Stanley, "this place is good. The people here are also good, which is hard to find in this age."
Stanley gave a small nod. "That's what I'm hearing."
The exchange remained light after this. Jonah spoke about a few people there, describing how the work truly functioned and which individuals to be wary of. Stanley found himself at ease.
Then the room subtly shifted, a slight alteration in the focus of attention.
A man stepped in from the side room.
Rick straightened slightly. "That's him," he said under his breath. "The leader."
Stanley watched the man from where he stood. Ordinary. He was like any other individual you could find on the streets. Stanley didn't sense any extraordinary aura emanating from him.
"Who is he?"
The man didn't even announce himself. People started to shift simply from his presence alone. Conversations stopped abruptly. The woman who was dozing off earlier quickly pulled her bag.
Was it fear? Not really. Then it must be respect.
But Stanley didn't feel any of those emotions.
It was more like a habit. The man moved through the shelter like he belonged there.
He looked to be in his mid-twenties. Average face, average build. No visible scars that Stanley could see. His clothes were worn but cleaner compared to the rest.
The man smiled when someone spoke to him, nodded when someone talked too long, never leaving the conversation halfway. He was moving in the sidelines, never taking center stage. But for a moment, in Stanley's gaze, it was him alone.
He watched the leader stop by the two men arguing softly near the wall. They both went silent the moment he arrived. The leader said something quietly; one guy quickly scoffed, and both split up without saying anything.
Control without force.
Stanley nodded at something Rick was saying, though he hadn't actually heard.
This wasn't a temporary camp surrounded by a crowd surviving by chance. This was a structure formed in real time, and he was standing inside it, uninvited.
The line moved slowly, but no one seemed to be bothered by it.
Stanley stood between Rick and Jonah, eyes looking at the crates instead of the people. Food handed out in measured portions. Nobody asked twice. The woman handling it didn't speak much, only nodded when she recognised a face and passed the item along.
Jonah took his share and stepped aside. "Could be worse," he muttered, popping open a can with a twist. "Just didn't happen like the last time."
Caleb scoffed. "You snatched mine."
"Only half of it." Jonah retorted, "and don't forget how I saved your ass the last time."
Stanley glanced at him. "What happened last time?"
Jonah took the lead and spoke up, "this guy was about to turn into swiss cheese by drones. I distract them."
Caleb shot him a look, "it was you who told me to go there."
"It was Renly's order." Jonah said, "It wasn't my fault."
"Renly?" Stanley asked.
"Yeah, the guy who handles the supply routes and drones mapping." Jonah replied as he pointed it towards the empty spot near the wall.
Stanley lifted his bag from the shoulder and sat down. He opened his can and ate in small bites. The food had lost its all flavours, it tasted completely bland. Though it went down anyway.
Jonah nudged his nose slightly and chuckled, "Still, it's hard to believe... It's already been four days since that stadium chaos."
"Yeah."
Celeb and Rick both nodded softly. Stanley didn't.
Something isn't right.
"Four days?" Stanley asked, a little confused.
"Yeah, it's the fourth day, right?" Jonah found himself in confusion. "Even I'm not sure how long has passed."
"It is the fourth day," Celeb said confidently.
'This is not right. It is supposed to be the second day since the stadium. I remember everything. Or was I just passed out for that long?'
Stanley turned to Rick and asked, "You arrived here after the subway night, right?"
"Yes," Rick answered calmly.
"And that was the first night, right? The same day everyone arrived at the stadium?"
"Yes," Rick nodded again, looking at Stanley. "Is there something wrong?"
'Something? There's more than just something. Everything makes sense now. How everyone is getting used to this situation so quickly, those guys who killed that man on the streets, the random murders occurring, groups gathering broken drones and robot parts.'
'Why didn't I think of this clearly? Four days have already passed. Of course, everyone has gotten used to this world. Everyone has started moving forward, and I'm the only one who is still stuck in the past.'
Jonah and Caleb looked confused at Stanley's sudden silence.
Stanley finally lifted his eyes up, "No, it's nothing. I also found it hard to believe that it's almost a week since that day."
"Yeah, right?" Celeb said.
Rick stood up and crushed his empty can. "You done?"
"Yeah."
Rick hesitated, then glanced toward the small tent near the back. "You should meet the leader."
Stanley looked that way.
Rick added, "It's better if he knows who you are."