Several challenging days had passed since Noah and Yuri entered this mysterious place. The physical and mental toll was evident, especially on Noah. At just 18, he was now forced to navigate a post-apocalyptic world without family or any knowledge of the situation. Yuri, on the other hand, was adapting well. Although not a natural scavenger, her quick thinking often made up for it.
Currently, they were on a hunt for food. The more they searched, the more spoiled food they found. They had enough to last a month or two, but they knew it wouldn't be sufficient if things went wrong. As Yuri rummaged through the store's inventory, she discovered an old, leather-bound notebook. Curious, she opened it and began to read. Her face darkened with each page she turned, her usual bright expression giving way to shock as she read the date: "Year 2718."
The revelation was staggering. The last thing she remembered was working in the year 2024. They were over 500 years into the future. Deciding to spare Noah the pain of knowing his family was long dead, she hid the notebook away.
Noah stormed in, excitement in his voice. "I found a good amount of frozen food," he said, then noticed something in her hands. "What's that?"
Yuri quickly tucked the book into her bag. "Nothing, just some old food. It looked promising at first."
"Oh, alright. Well, come check this out—the freezer here is still working," he said, walking away, expecting her to follow.
Yuri followed him to a large freezer powered by oil, packed with enough food to last a year. Her mind, however, was fixated on the impossibility of their situation. How could they be in the future?
Noah, noticing her distraction, asked, "Is there something you're hiding from me? Why are you so uninterested in this much food?"
Realizing her mistake, Yuri responded coldly, "It's nothing. I was just wondering if we could use this place as a base."
Noah's eyes lit up at the idea. "That's a great idea. Let's do that."
They began working on renovations, cleaning up the store, turning it into a semblance of a home amidst the ruins.