Meeting Prince Harry in an Apocalypse

Day 0 - Sydney

SYDNEY PIERCE

Sidney sat in the corner of the cafe, her laptop open, textbooks scattered around her like fallen leaves. She tapped her pen against the table, eyes glued to the screen, though her focus had faded hours ago. The noise of the city hummed through the windows-cars, people, the distant thrum of sirens. Life, as usual.

Mark slid into the chair across from her, holding a steaming cup of coffee. "You're still here?"

Sidney didn't look up. "Finals. What's your excuse?"

"Life's too short not to enjoy overpriced coffee and lazy afternoons."

She glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "You sound like my dad."

"Smart guy." He took a sip, watching her over the rim of the cup. "Seriously though, you've been at this for hours. You need a break."

Sidney pushed her hair back, sighing. "I need to pass this class, then I'll take a break."

"You're going to burn out."

Sidney typed something into her laptop and closed it with a frustrated thud. "What's going on with you? You didn't just come here to lecture me."

Mark leaned back, his hands resting behind his head. "Just keeping up with current events. You hear about the protests in Europe?"

"No," Sidney said, pulling out a notebook. "What's going on now? Another economic thing?"

"Bioweapons this time. People are losing their minds. It's all over the news. Apparently, some lab leaked something, and now everyone's paranoid."

Sidney frowned. "Bioweapons? Seriously?"

"Yeah, they're saying it was aimed at the rich. Like, some kind of attack on elites. But no one knows if that's true or just media hype."

She flipped through her notes absentmindedly. "It's always something, isn't it?"

"This feels different, Sid. People are scared. Flights are being canceled, and borders are tightening up. Feels like the beginning of something."

Sidney finally looked at him, the concern on his face catching her attention. "I don't have time for the news right now. But... you think it's serious?"

Mark shrugged, though his face stayed grim. "I don't know. I just have a bad feeling."

She paused, her fingers resting on the notebook. "Mark, you're always having bad feelings. Remember when you thought the government was hiding an alien invasion because of that meteor shower?"

"That was different," he protested. "This... this feels off."

Sidney closed her notebook and slid it into her bag. "Well, if the world's going to end, I'd rather not spend my last day studying. Let's grab something to eat."

Mark grinned. "Now you're talking."

They walked outside into the afternoon rush, the sun casting long shadows between the buildings. People brushed past them in every direction, heads down, phones out, lost in their own worlds. The smell of street food wafted through the air, mixing with the gasoline and city grime.

Mark stuffed his hands in his pockets, glancing at the busy street. "Feels like any other day, huh?"

"Yeah," Sidney said, scanning the sidewalks. "Just a normal Tuesday."

A siren blared in the distance, but neither of them paid much attention. It wasn't unusual in New York.

"You ever think about how fragile all this is?" Mark asked.

Sidney gave him a sideways glance. "What, the city?"

"No, like... everything. Society. Civilization. All it would take is one thing, you know? One catastrophe, and everything we know would just collapse."

Sidney shook her head, laughing. "You really are in a mood today."

"I'm serious, Sid. Think about it. One minute we're drinking overpriced lattes and stressing about finals, and the next minute, we're-"

"We're what?" Sidney interrupted, pulling him toward a food truck. "Trying to survive in some post-apocalyptic wasteland? Come on, Mark."

He hesitated, then followed her to the truck. "I just can't shake the feeling. It's been on the news all day. They're saying things might escalate."

She ordered a sandwich, then turned to him. "If things get that bad, I promise I'll let you say 'I told you so.' But until then, how about we just enjoy today?"

Mark smiled weakly. "Deal."

As they waited for their food, the hum of the city continued around them. People laughed, cars honked, and the world spun as it always had. But Mark's words stuck with Sidney, a strange unease settling in her stomach. It was just another news story, right? Just another crisis in a world that never seemed to stop having them.

But as the sirens grew louder in the distance, she couldn't help but wonder if he was right.