The classroom filled slowly, the sound of wet shoes squeaking against the floor mixing with the soft murmur of students settling into their seats. Jackets dripped rainwater. Umbrellas leaned against desks. The air smelled faintly of damp fabric and cold pine drifting in from the open windows.
Blake stood at the front, marker in hand, watching them.
Young faces.
Bright eyes.
Unburdened laughter.
They had no idea.
He swallowed hard.
In the old timeline, he had taught until the very last week before the outbreak. He remembered the confusion, the rumors, the sudden cancellations. He remembered the empty hallways, the abandoned classrooms, the silence that swallowed the campus whole.
Now, everything was alive again.
A student raised a hand. "Sir, are we starting?"
Blake blinked. "Yes. Sorry."
He turned to the board and began writing:
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY & FAILURE POINTS
Week 3 Lecture
His handwriting was steady, but his heart wasn't.
He capped the marker and faced the class. "Today, we'll discuss how buildings fail."
A few students straightened, ready to take notes.
Blake inhaled.
"Most people think buildings collapse because of one big event—an earthquake, a landslide, a fire. But in reality, structures fail because of small weaknesses that go unnoticed."
As he spoke, a soft chime echoed in his mind.
---
[System Notice: Structural Scan Activated]
[Analyzing Environment…]
---
Blake stiffened.
Not now.
Not here.
But the system didn't care.
A faint holographic overlay flickered across the room—visible only to him. Blue lines traced the walls, the ceiling, the beams. Then red marks appeared.
Cracks.
Stress points.
Weak joints.
Areas weakened by moisture.
Aging concrete.
Corroded rebar.
Blake's breath caught.
He had taught in this room for years.
He had never seen it like this.
The system pulsed again.
---
[Warning: Structural Weakness Detected]
[Probability of Failure During Major Seismic Event: 62%]
---
Blake's grip tightened on the marker.
Sixty-two percent.
In the old timeline, Baguio had suffered multiple quakes after the outbreak. Buildings had collapsed. People had died. He had walked through rubble that used to be classrooms.
He forced himself to breathe.
A student raised a hand. "Sir? Are you okay?"
Blake blinked. "Yes. Continue taking notes."
He turned back to the board, pretending to write while the system continued scanning.
The ceiling.
The beams.
The columns.
More red marks appeared.
---
[Recommendation: Evacuation During Seismic Activity]
[Recommendation: Reinforcement Required]
[Recommendation: Avoid Large Gatherings in This Structure]
---
Blake closed his eyes.
He remembered the old timeline:
The screams.
The dust.
The shaking ground.
The buildings collapsing like sandcastles.
The students he couldn't save.
He opened his eyes again.
The classroom was still intact.
The students were still alive.
The world was still whole.
He forced his voice to steady. "Let's continue."
He pointed to the board. "Structural failure often begins with—"
Another chime.
---
[New Feature Unlocked: Environmental Hazard Mapping]
[Would you like to view campus-wide vulnerabilities?]
---
Blake's pulse quickened.
Campus-wide?
He hesitated.
Then whispered, "Yes."
The classroom dissolved into a translucent map of Saint Louis University—blue lines outlining buildings, pathways, parking lots, and open spaces.
Then red marks appeared.
Devesse Building — High Risk
Main Library — Moderate Risk
Engineering Building — High Risk
Gymnasium — High Risk
Canteen — Moderate Risk
Old Chapel — Critical Risk
Blake's stomach dropped.
The old chapel.
He remembered it collapsing in the old timeline during a storm. Students had been trapped inside. He had helped dig through the rubble with his bare hands.
The system pulsed again.
---
[Projected Casualties During Outbreak + Seismic Event: Severe]
[Recommendation: Preemptive Reinforcement or Evacuation]
---
Blake's hand trembled.
A student in the front row frowned. "Sir… are you sure you're okay? You look pale."
He forced a smile. "Just tired. Continue writing."
But his mind was racing.
Ninety-seven days.
He had to save his family.
He had to save Marie's family.
He had to save his students.
He had to save the city.
He had to save everyone he could.
He looked at the classroom again—at the students scribbling notes, unaware of the red marks floating above their heads.
He swallowed hard.
"Let's take a short break," he said quietly.
The students nodded, grateful for the pause.
Blake stepped to the window, staring out at the mist-covered campus.
The system pulsed softly.
---
[User Emotional State: Elevated Stress]
[Reminder: You Have 97 Days]
[Reminder: You Can Change Everything]
---
Blake closed his eyes.
He had lived through the end of the world once.
He would not live through it again.
He would fight it.
He would prepare.
He would build.
He would save them all.
He opened his eyes and whispered to himself:
"This time… I'm not too late."