Jaeyeon risked a glance over his shoulder. The horde was a chaotic wave of limbs and snarling faces, clawing their way up the stairs. Some lost their footing and tumbled back down, only to be trampled by the others.

“Keep going!” he yelled to Su-yeong.

She didn’t look back, her focus fixed on the top of the staircase. They both knew they couldn’t afford to slow down. The only way out was forward, and the swarm was too close for mistakes.

ECHOES OF TERROR: SHADOWS OF REVELATION

Finally, they emerged through the ceiling door, one by one, the air above offering a fleeting sense of relief. Jaeyeon was the last to climb through, his movements rushed yet precise. As soon as he stepped out, Yon swiftly slammed the door shut behind him, narrowly missing catching Jaeyeon’s jacket in the process.

“Wait a second,” Hailey said, glancing at the hatch. “How exactly was this supposed to stay locked again?”

“We used the lever,” Eugene replied, pointing to the mechanism bolted beside the floor door. His voice carried a hint of uncertainty, though he tried to mask it. Yon didn’t waste any time. He leaned over and yanked the lever downward, the metallic clang echoing through the dimly lit parking lot.

“That should hold it,” Yon muttered, his voice laced with hope rather than confidence.

“Even so,” Eunhye chimed in, her breath slightly uneven but her tone firm, “we shouldn’t stay here any longer. Better to keep moving than risk finding out how strong that door really is.”

Jaeyeon, still braced against the door with his weight, gave a small nod. “Fine,” he agreed, releasing his hold on the hatch. The second he stepped back, a thunderous banging erupted from below. The door trembled violently under the assault of countless hands. The snarls and groans of the undead rose like a macabre symphony, reverberating through the lot.

“Run!” Sae Joon Hyun ordered, urgency thick in his voice. “We don’t know how long that door will last!”

The group took off without hesitation, their footsteps echoing as they sprinted away from the trembling hatch and the parking lot that had become their trap. Every second they spent there felt like an invitation for disaster. They had considered using one of the parked vehicles to make a quick escape, but access to the keys was impossible. A long shot wasn’t worth risking their lives.

As they ran, Eunhye pulled her walkie-talkie from her belt and pressed the button, her voice steady despite the chaos. “Hamin, we’re heading out. Get moving. Over.”

The device crackled to life, and Hamin’s voice came through, calm but determined. “On my way. Over.”

Relief flickered across Eunhye’s face, but there was no time to dwell on it. They kept running, their breaths coming in quick bursts. Every corner they turned, every hallway they passed, felt like a gamble, but they pushed forward. Their escape was anything but smooth. There were interruptions, sudden sweeps of danger, and threats that loomed larger with each passing moment. Yet, despite everything, they pressed on, surviving through grit and sheer determination.

Hamin, meanwhile, was still on the upper floors, gathering every piece of medical equipment he could find. Yon's earlier instructions had been clear: grab whatever supplies could fit into the bags and don’t leave anything behind. Hamin worked quickly, stuffing the last of the items into a bag before slinging it over his shoulder. The distant sounds of chaos below spurred him forward. He darted toward the stairwell, taking the steps two at a time as he made his descent to the ground floor.

By the time he reached the bottom, the rest of the group was waiting for him, their eyes scanning the area for any sign of pursuit. Seeing his friends standing there filled Hamin with a rush of emotions he hadn’t expected—relief, joy, and a sense of hope that had been missing for far too long. But now wasn’t the time to let his guard down. He swallowed the lump in his throat, gave them a firm nod, and fell into step with the group.

Without exchanging a word, they moved as one, sprinting out of the building and into the night. The weight of what they’d escaped and what lay ahead pressed heavily on their shoulders, but none of them faltered. They weren’t sure if the organization they had fled from would come after them again, but one thing was certain—they would be ready next time.

As the building disappeared behind them, the group felt the faintest whisper of freedom. It wasn’t the end of their struggle, but for now, they had survived. And that was enough.

Standing in the middle of the deserted road, away from the chaos they had just escaped, felt like a small reprieve. The group gasped for air, their chests heaving as they tried to steady themselves. The dim glow of the moon lit their exhausted faces, their sweat glistening under the night sky. For a brief moment, the eerie stillness of the night offered a deceptive sense of safety compared to the horrors they had just endured inside the building. Muscles ached, hearts pounded, and yet, no one dared to speak first.

Finally, it was In-Ha who broke the silence, her voice trembling with emotion as she struggled to catch her breath. “My… child…” she managed to say between gasps. Her words sent a ripple of unease through the group.

Kaneisyeon.

The realization hit them all at once. The little baby wasn’t with them. She hadn’t been in the building either. In-Ha’s desperate, panicked gaze swept over the group, searching for reassurance, but no one could meet her eyes.

Eunhye, bent over with her hands on her knees, looked up sharply at In-Ha. Her own breathing was still uneven, but the weight of the situation forced her to focus. Her gaze darted to Sae Joon Hyun, silently pleading for answers. He stood straighter, though the exhaustion in his eyes mirrored hers. With a heavy shake of his head, he wordlessly confirmed what she already feared.

“Let us tell you what happened,” Yuri said, stepping forward. Her voice, though steady, carried an edge of weariness and sorrow. Everyone turned to her, their expressions a mixture of dread and anticipation.

Taking a deep breath, Yuri began recounting everything that had led them to this moment. “It started when I first woke up in the white building,” she began, her voice calm but heavy with the burden of reliving the events. “At first, it was quiet—too quiet. Then, I realized I wasn’t alone. I saw… them. Zombies. But not just any zombies. They looked exactly like us. The way they moved, the way they acted—it was like looking into a distorted mirror.”

Her words sent a chill through the group, but no one interrupted. Yuri continued, detailing the chaos that had erupted as she, Sae Joon Hyun, and Eunhye had made their first desperate escape from that nightmare. She spoke of narrow corridors filled with clawing hands, of moments where survival had seemed impossible.

“We met Jaeyeon and the others after that,” Yuri said, her voice softening as her eyes flicked toward Jaeyeon, who stood silently at the edge of the group. “For a moment, it felt like we might have a chance—like we could fight back together.”

Her tone shifted, a shadow crossing her face. “But then we got separated again. It wasn’t just the zombies we were running from. There were things… worse than them. Creatures. Things that didn’t belong in this world.” She paused, her gaze briefly meeting Jaeyeon’s. “Jaeyeon was different after that. His… features began to change. It was like he wasn’t entirely human anymore.”

Jaeyeon said nothing, his expression unreadable, but his jaw tightened.

“Hamin and Su-yeong…” Yuri’s voice faltered. She clenched her fists, taking a moment to steady herself. “They weren’t like us anymore either. They’d become zombies. But not the mindless kind. They still… remembered us. They fought with us. They saved us.” Her voice broke slightly, and she quickly cleared her throat.

The group listened in silence, the weight of Yuri’s words pressing down on them.

She went on to describe the brutal battles they had faced, the moments where life and death had hung by a thread. “Sae Joon Hyun…” She glanced at him, her eyes briefly flicking to the bandage on his side. “He took a bullet for us. We thought we might lose him, but we didn’t. We made it out because of him.”

Finally, she brought them to the present. “We came back to this place with one goal,” she said, her voice firm despite the tears welling in her eyes. “To find you all, if you were still alive. And now we’re here.”

Yuri’s voice trailed off, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. In-Ha stood frozen, the weight of everything Yuri had said pressing down on her. The others exchanged glances, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten as the enormity of the situation settled in.

“We’ll find her,” Sae Joon Hyun said suddenly, his voice cutting through the tension. His tone was quiet but resolute. “Kaneisyeon. We’ll find her. Together.”

In-Ha’s lips trembled, but she nodded, clutching her chest as a tear slid down her cheek. The group shared a silent agreement. They weren’t just running anymore. They were fighting.

And they wouldn’t stop until they had answers.