Day 233 - Monday, 8:00 AM
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The morning sun spilled through the cracks of the central hall windows. It was breakfast time at U-Zone, but the mood was different - quieter, heavier.
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Everyone had gathered to say goodbye to Mr. Amar. He had been with us only a short while, but his presence left a deep mark. His calmness. His wisdom. His will to survive. Today, he would continue his journey north to find his wife - a reunion he'd been dreaming of since the beginning of the outbreak.
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There was a microphone set up at the front, like we always did for community announcements. I waited. My heartbeat was wild.
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And then... I stepped forward.
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I took the mic and spoke, voice steady but heart trembling.
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"I want to go," I said. "I want to go find someone. Someone important to me. Her name is Valli."
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Gasps. Silence.
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Everyone turned toward me - confused, stunned. Some shocked. Ajay blinked. The English teacher almost dropped his mug.
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I continued. "I know it sounds crazy. But I can't stay here and wonder anymore. I need to know if she's alive. I have to see her, even just once."
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Before anyone could speak, Ajay stood up beside me. "Then I'm going too," he said without hesitation.
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Even more gasps. The chief raised an eyebrow.
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The room buzzed with murmurs and concerned glances. After everything we had built in U-Zone, two of us wanting to leave - it wasn't easy for them to accept.
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But the chief finally stood. His voice, strong but thoughtful:
"I understand your heart. But the world out there is not the same. Are you prepared?"
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We nodded.
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"Then we'll train you," Mr. Amar added. "We'll prepare you properly. If you're going out there, you better be smarter than the virus."
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That entire day, the three of us - me, Ajay, and Mr. Amar - trained nonstop.
Weapons, terrain reading, traps, basic first aid, how to read weather signs, how to mask our scent. Everything. Even how to feel danger before it arrives.
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Mr.Shaiful made a few gadgets to help on our mission which he was working all these days. He gave us the Cyclops, a four sided camera with a motion detector, The Zhask, a strong taser baton that can kill a Bulk, sticky grenades to trap the Rottens and Hackbrain, a device to unlock any powered door.
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Later, we sat in Mr. Amar's room, going over maps and routes. According to plan, he would head toward Langkawi, while we would start the journey southwest to Melaka.
The safest path involved traveling with him for the first leg - to Pangkor Island - then splitting from there.
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Before bedtime, I visited Rosy. I gave her Jimmy, our loyal dog. I couldn't risk taking him, and I trusted her more than anyone.
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"You're really going?" she asked, eyes soft.
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"Yes."
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She nodded slowly, holding back her emotions. "Then come back... both of you."
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Before sunrise, the chief came to our room and handed us two revolvers and some ammo. Not much, but enough for emergencies.
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He looked at us with a fatherly pride.
"You're not just leaving to find someone. You're carrying hope. That's heavier than any weapon."
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That night was our last in U-Zone - our home for 233 days.
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The next morning, we would begin our journey.
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