8 Meeting (1)

"Enzo, are you alright?" Rose asked, her face etched with genuine concern.

Enzo remained silent for a moment, lost in his thoughts, still trying to make sense of the recent inexplicable occurrence. "..." His voice eluded Rose's question, his mind consumed by swirling thoughts. Questions flooded his consciousness. 'Why did I get transported to this strange place? And did the woman really bestow me a gift? And where's the butterfly that she gave me? Surely it didn't disappear, right?'

His gaze scanned the surroundings, desperately seeking any trace of answers, but all he could see was the system's screen, presenting a new message. Drawing his focus on the words displayed, Enzo's attention was abruptly diverted by the gentle touch of a hand upon his forehead. "It doesn't seem like you have a fever. Then was it just a nightmare?" Rose's hand conveyed warmth, dissolving all his useless thoughts away.

"What brings you here?" Enzo asked, his mind gradually returning to the present. "And how did you manage to enter? I distinctly remember closing the door."

Rose averted his gaze, a tinge of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. "Well, you did close the door, but I found my way in," she admitted sheepishly. "But hey, I had a good reason for coming. I needed to see if there was any food available. I mean, since we're in the cafeteria, there should be plenty, right?"

Enzo took a moment to take in Rose's behavior. "You're more... childish than I thought?"

"How come?"

"Well, you were the esteemed student council president, always exuding dignity and authority." He said, sarcasm filled in his voice. "And weren't you the princess of England or something? Can you really act as such?"

"I thought you were different, but I guess I should conform to those expectations," Immediately, Rose's expression underwent an abrupt transformation. In an instant, her smile vanished, replaced by the most impassive poker face Enzo had ever witnessed. "Come to the main hall in an hour, we'll have a meeting with the others." With a last glance, Rose started to walk away, her hair fluttering after each step she took.

"I might have offended her a bit." Enzo scratched the side of his cheek but quickly brushed the matter away as he could finally focus on a more important matter.

"So, what's the deal with the dream I had?" Enzo navigated through the system's myriad panels, his gaze fixed on the screen as he scoured the notifications. After a brief search, he finally located the elusive message that had piqued his curiosity earlier.

"For real?" Enzo couldn't help but say out loud as he noticed at the same time people going in and out of the cafeteria, transporting food. 'Is it what she gave me?' He didn't even pay any attention to them.

[Butterfly Control (Legendary Grade Skill) Level 1: Grants the user unparalleled mastery over-extracted butterflies, allowing for versatile manipulation according to the user's desires.]

"Was that the reason I couldn't control them? So that means that they only attacked the monsters because I was also attacking them," Enzo pondered. Although the skill may not have appeared as impressive compared to his butterfly extraction skill, it likely had untapped potential. For now, his control was limited to a mere ten butterflies.

However, Enzo envisioned a different scenario altogether if he could command an army of over a hundred butterflies. The dynamics would shift entirely, presenting a formidable force to reckon with. The possibilities seemed boundless, leaving him eagerly anticipating the future unfolding before him.

"The next time I encounter this person, I need to thank her," Enzo contemplated, reflecting on the mysterious encounter. However, amidst his thought, a lingering memory resurfaced: the enigmatic phrase that had left him perplexed. "The chosen one who shall guide," he mused aloud, his thoughts drifting towards its meaning. Curiosity got the better of him, compelling him to delve deeper into the cryptic message. 'Well it shouldn't be really important for now, I guess.'

"Sir Enzo, you are asked to come to the central area. Please head over there," a man interrupted, pulling him from his reverie. Enzo's attention shifted to the figure before him, sensing the urgency in his demeanor, prompting him to step forward.

"One hour has passed in the blink of an eye, hasn't it?" he mused softly to himself, noting the swiftness with which time had seemingly slipped away.

As Enzo made his way to the main area, he couldn't help but notice a whole bunch of people. Some of them were the ones he saved earlier, and the rest were probably saved by the others. But what struck him as odd was how everyone seemed to be looking at him like he didn't belong there or something. It gave him this weird feeling like he was out of place or something.

Enzo let out a sigh, thinking, "Looks like the others managed to convince them or something." He shrugged, not really bothered by the situation. After all, it wasn't like it would make a big difference in his life, so he didn't pay it much mind.

As Enzo stepped through the door into the main area, he was greeted by a sea of faces: far more people than he had anticipated. Yet, not to his surprise, they were all just sitting around, seemingly doing nothing, simply biding their time.

"So, what's the matter?" Enzo asked, finally rejoining the other "leaders." Naturally, Ren shot him a menacing glare, while Rose and Marie remained stoic, their expressions unchanged. Rose, in particular, seemed unfazed by anything, her demeanor unwavering. 'Guess I really upset her earlier.'

"Now that you're here, we can finally get this meeting started," Rose announced, her gaze sweeping across the assembled group. "First things first, it appears that we're facing a major communication issue. It seems that whatever allowed us to use our mobile phones and other electronic devices has been completely shut down since the start of the apocalypse."

"Damn, I completely forgot to check if I could reach my family amidst all that chaos!" Enzo muttered to himself, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him. He was about to turn and make his way back to his room when he noticed Rose locking eyes with him, silently urging him to stay for the time being.

"It looks like the government won't be coming to our rescue anytime soon, so we better start taking matters into our own hands," Rose asserted, her tone filled with determination.

Marie's face reflected growing concern as she responded, "What do you mean by that? Are you suggesting we abandon all hope in the government?"

Rose reiterated her stance, her voice unwavering. "I mean exactly what I said. In times like these, the government is hardly a beacon of trust. They'll try to enforce their laws, only to be judged by the new laws of this world. And if by some chance the government manages to survive, it'll likely be tainted by corruption."

Enzo couldn't help but feel surprised by Rose's conviction. Typically, individuals like Rose would place their faith in the government, hoping for assistance. Yet here stood Rose, displaying a clear understanding of the harsh realities that lay ahead.

"No, I can't accept that!" Ren's voice abruptly rose, commanding the attention of everyone present in the room.

His outburst caught Enzo off guard, causing him to turn his gaze toward Ren. He didn't expect him to become so passionate.

"We can't simply abandon the idea of relying on the government," Ren continued, his tone firm and resolute. "They have the resources and infrastructure in place to handle crises like this. If we try to act on our own, it will only lead to chaos and anarchy. We need a structured approach, a unified front to tackle the challenges we face."

Ren's words resonated with Marie, who had initially expressed worry. She nodded in agreement, indicating her support for Ren's viewpoint. The room fell into silence as everyone contemplated the contrasting perspectives before them.

Enzo found himself torn between the two arguments. On one hand, Rose's skepticism towards the government seemed warranted, given the circumstances and the potential for corruption. On the other hand, Ren's emphasis on structure and utilizing existing systems had its merits.

As the silence stretched on, Enzo realized that a decision needed to be made. And it was further proved when Rose, Marie, and Ren looked at him to know his stance on this matter.