HEAVY RESPONSE: THE TRUTH THAT BURDENED THEM

Clara’s voice pierced the oppressive silence, trembling with raw emotion. “Ah, you guys are sick,” she cried, her words heavy with disgust. Her legs buckled beneath her, and she crumpled to the floor, her sobs echoing in the cold, sterile room. “It’s over. For fun? You did it all for fun? That’s ridiculous… It’s monstrous!” Her voice cracked as tears streamed down her face.

Florian and Julien knelt beside her, their own faces etched with pain and disbelief. They placed comforting hands on her shoulders, though their own bodies trembled with suppressed grief. Learning the truth—that this nightmare wasn’t the result of a natural disaster, an alien invasion, or even a tragic mishap, but the deliberate cruelty of people—was a blow none of them could fully withstand. It felt as though the ground had been ripped out from under them, leaving nothing but an endless void of despair.

Chen leaned against the wall, the chains binding the doctors rattling faintly in the stillness. His head fell back against the cold surface as he covered his face with his arm. Tears burned behind his closed eyelids, threatening to spill over. What was the point of restraining these people anymore? They had already destroyed so much, had reveled in the suffering of the world. They were content in their chaos, and nothing could undo what they had wrought.

The heavy doors to the lab swung open with a groan, breaking the suffocating tension. In-Ha and Yon stepped out, both looking utterly exhausted but carrying an air of grim accomplishment. They had done it—they had worked out how to create the cure. Charyeong, though still weak, was stable. Relief flickered in their eyes until Yon's gaze fell on Eugene.

Eugene was slumped on the floor, his head bowed as tears dripped silently onto the concrete. A small puddle had formed beneath him, the sheer weight of his grief pulling him lower.

“Eugene?” Yon’s voice was urgent, laced with worry as he hurried to the boy’s side. He knelt down, gently lifting Eugene’s face. His heart clenched at the sight. Eugene’s face was soaked with tears, his lips quivering, his expression shattered.

“Yon,” Eugene choked out, his voice cracking under the weight of his despair. “It… it was all for fun.” His hands gripped Yon's arms as though holding on for dear life, his tears now coming in heavier waves.

Yon dropped to his knees, pulling Eugene into a tight embrace. His face paled, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He felt helpless, anger and sadness coursing through him in equal measure. “Who?” he asked, his voice trembling with restrained fury. “Who made you cry like this? What happened, Eugene?”

Eugene could only shake his head, unable to put the words together. His shoulders heaved with sobs as he clung to Yon.

Jaeyeon, his jaw tight and his eyes still blazing with anger, stepped forward. He steadied Sae Joon Hyun with one hand while addressing Yon with the other. “We found out the truth,” he said bitterly, his voice low but fierce. He explained everything they had learned, every horrifying detail of the doctors’ confessions, every cruel twist of their monstrous game.

Yon’s expression darkened with every word, his gaze finally snapping to Bangsuk and the other doctors. His eyes burned with unrestrained fury.

Before he could act, Ha-neul’s voice broke through, trembling with desperation. “We’ll help,” she blurted out, tears streaming down her face. “We will help you.” Her voice cracked, and she hugged herself, trembling. “This… this isn’t why I joined them. I just wanted to survive. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

In-Ha sank to the floor, her hands trembling as she buried her face in them. “I had to give birth in this hellhole,” she whispered, her voice trembling with grief and disbelief. “I had to stay away from my daughter for two whole years… because of the virus you created for fun?” Her voice rose, shaking with a mixture of anguish and rage.

The room was suffocating with emotion, everyone teetering on the edge of collapse. Then Minji’s sharp voice sliced through the chaos, startling everyone. “Everyone calm down!” she yelled in English, her tone commanding. “Come back to your senses! Now is not the time to fall apart!”

All eyes turned to her, her presence commanding their full attention. She exhaled sharply, her eyes blazing with determination. “Yes, these guys are garbage,” she spat, gesturing toward the doctors. “But we are finally getting close to erasing this hellhole!”

“But…” Eunhye began, her voice weak with doubt.

“No!” Minji cut her off sharply, her voice rising. “You can continue singing on stage with your bandmates after this hellhole is gone,” she said fiercely, her gaze pinning Eunhye.

A Flicker of Hope

Minji’s voice rang out again, firm and unyielding. “You all will be able to do what you wanted to do,” she declared, her eyes sweeping across the group. Her tone carried desperation but also undeniable conviction. “In-Ha, Kaneisyeon will live in a world free of zombies after this. Do you not want that? Yon!” She turned her fierce gaze to him, her words cutting through his dazed state. “You and Eugene can continue meeting each other and being friends in a normal world. Don’t you want that? All of you will be able to cure your loved ones. So, come on! Don’t fall now!”

Her voice cracked slightly as she screamed the last words, her breath ragged from the effort. She stood there, panting and trembling, as her eyes darted across their faces, searching for even a flicker of resolve.

But they remained still, trapped in the suffocating grasp of their own shock. The truth, so cruel and senseless, had left them frozen. Their minds churned in endless loops, struggling to process the enormity of what they had learned. Yet Minji’s words lingered, a faint echo of hope amidst the swirling despair.

Hours passed, the group huddled together in silence. They stayed in the corridor, unmoving as the night stretched on. It wasn’t until morning broke, the first soft rays of sunlight seeping into the grim room, that something began to stir.

Kaneisyeon, her tiny frame wrapped in warmth and innocence, yawned and rubbed her eyes. She smiled brightly, her face untouched by the darkness that plagued the adults around her. Her gaze landed on Jeha, who sat slumped against the wall like a lifeless shell. Without hesitation, she toddled over to him, patting his cheeks with her small, gentle hands.

“Soon, the bad zombies will be gone,” she said with a bright, innocent smile, her voice filled with childlike certainty.

Jeha blinked, her words breaking through the haze of his despair. He stared at her, his lips trembling as he watched her snuggle into his chest, her warmth and trust pulling him back from the edge. Slowly, a weak but genuine smile spread across his face. He placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair gently.

“If not for anyone else,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion, “we’ll definitely work to free this world of zombies—at least for you kids.”

The other children, Elisa, Manon, and Quentin, soon joined Kaneisyeon, their innocent laughter filling the room like a balm for their weary souls. That small moment of pure, untainted joy was enough to remind them all of their purpose.

One by one, the others began to stir. In-Ha sniffled, wiping her tears away with trembling hands. “It doesn’t matter anymore,” she said, her voice quivering but steady. “What you did is unforgivable,” she spat, glaring at the doctors still bound in chains. “But I will not stop until I make this cure a success.”

She glanced at Yon, her resolve mirrored in his determined nod. He stood and helped Eugene to his feet, his touch gentle yet firm.

“The reason we came out here in the first place,” In-Ha continued, her voice gaining strength, “was because we made the prototype. And we’re going to test it. We want you all to see it.”

The air shifted. Where there had been despair, now there was a fragile but growing resolve. They gathered their strength, pulling themselves together as the weight of their mission came back into focus.

Time passed as they composed themselves. Emotions were soothed, tears were dried, and their resolve was solidified. By the time they stood together in the lab room, they were no longer a broken group but a unified force.

Boram entered, guiding a snarling, growling zombie into the room. The creature thrashed violently, its chains rattling as it tried to break free. Its pale, decayed face twisted with fury, but it was no match for the officers who strapped it securely onto the examination bed.

Jeha ushered the children to the corner, shielding them from the grotesque sight. “Don’t look, little ones,” he said softly, his protective instincts taking over. The children obeyed, their trust in him absolute.

In-Ha stepped forward, holding the syringe in her trembling hands. She took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she prepared herself. This was the moment they had worked so tirelessly for.

Yon caught her gaze and gave her a firm nod. “You’ve got this,” he said, his voice steady despite the tension crackling in the room.

In-Ha nodded back, her resolve hardening. With precise movements, she approached the zombie. The creature thrashed wildly, its snarls echoing in the tense silence. She steadied her hand, her heart racing as she pierced the needle into its decayed arm, injecting the prototype cure directly into its veins.

The room held its breath as she pulled back, stepping away from the creature.

“We must wait for four hours,” she said, her voice steady despite the tension in her expression.

And so, the waiting began. The group stood together, their eyes fixed on the restrained zombie as hope and fear battled within them. It wasn’t just the creature strapped to the bed that they were watching—it was their chance at redemption, at freedom, at a future.