A few moments passed after they confirmed that the driver was truly no longer breathing.
No one moved right away.
The students simply stood surrounding the man's body, some still frozen in place, others with their heads bowed. A few were even still crying quietly after witnessing how the man who, just minutes ago, had been driving their bus now lay motionless on the wet ground.
William was still kneeling beside him.
His hand, which had been pressing against the driver's abdominal wound, slowly dropped. The dried blood on his palm felt cold.
He stared at the man's face for quite a while.
The guilt that had been weighing on his chest all this time grew heavier.
His own orders kept echoing in his head. If only he hadn't told him to keep going...
If only they had stopped sooner...
William bowed his head.
"I'm sorry..." he murmured once more.
Behind him, a small sob could be heard.
The female counselor, who had been standing not far away, finally approached. Her face was still pale, and both her hands continued to tremble.
"Mr. William…"
William didn't answer right away.
"He…" Her voice trailed off. She took a breath before continuing, "Is he… really dead?"
William nodded slowly.
"Yes."
That brief answer left the woman speechless. She covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hold back the tears welling up in her throat once more.
"We were even… just talking to him a few hours ago."
William clenched his fists.
"I know."
He then stood up slowly and looked over at the group of students.
Not a single one of them looked okay.
Some students sat in groups, crying. Others were still checking their own injuries. A few just stood there silently, their gazes vacant, as if they were still unable to accept the reality that a trip originally intended to be just an ordinary outing had turned into something horrific.
Behind the fog, the trees stood dense and silent.
William stared in that direction.
"They might come back."
The female advisor turned to look as well.
"So… what should we do?"
William was silent for a moment.
"We can't stay here."
"But where are we supposed to go?" she asked softly. "We don't even know where this place is."
William didn't answer.
"That's the problem."
They didn't know where they were. There were no clear paths, no cell service, and now their bus was out of commission.
But there was one thing William knew for certain: staying here was tantamount to waiting for death.
"Let's round everyone up," he said finally. "Make sure no one gets left behind."
The woman nodded, though fear still lingered on her face. William then turned his gaze toward the students.
His eyes settled on a figure standing slightly apart from the crowd.
Raven.
He stood motionless with a serious expression, his gaze constantly sweeping over the trees and the fog surrounding them. Unlike the other students, who were still overcome by panic, Raven seemed to be deep in thought.
William called out.
"Raven!"
He turned his head.
"Come here for a moment."
Raven walked over. His steps were steady, but his eyes still occasionally glanced toward the foggy forest behind them.
"What's wrong, sir?"
William stared at him for a few seconds before answering.
"You're pretty calm for a situation like this, aren't you?"
Raven frowned slightly.
"I guess so."
William let out a short sigh. "Good. I need your help."
He pointed toward the group of students who were still scattered around the overturned bus.
"Go find Theo. Tell him to gather all the students in one place."
Raven followed the direction of his hand.
Some students were still sitting on the ground, while others were busy helping their injured friends.
"Theo?" Raven confirmed.
"Yes." William nodded. "He's the class president. The students are more likely to listen to him than if we were all just shouting on our own."
Raven was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"All right."
Raven turned and walked toward the group.
She made her way along the side of the overturned bus, passing several students who were helping their friends. The sounds of crying, groans of pain, and panicked whispers mingled together.
Raven scanned the area.
He saw several students gathered near a tree, but he wasn't there. On the other side, a few people were helping an injured student. Still, he wasn't there.
Until finally, his gaze settled on someone standing alone a short distance from the crowd.
Theo…
He was standing with his back to everyone.
Motionless.
Raven frowned and walked closer.
"Hey, Theo."
No answer.
Raven stopped a few steps behind him. Theo just stood there with his hands hanging at his sides. His head was slightly bowed, while his eyes stared blankly at the wet ground.
It was as if everything they'd just been through had drained every last ounce of energy from him.
Raven moved closer.
"Theo."
Louder this time.
Slowly, Theo lifted his head.
His face was pale. His eyes were red and vacant, like someone who didn't even know what to feel anymore.
"What's wrong…?" His voice was soft and hoarse.
Raven stared at him for a moment.
"Mr. William wants you to gather everyone."
Theo didn't answer right away.
He just stared at Raven with a blank expression.
"Gather… everyone?"
"Yes."
Theo lowered his head again.
"What for?"
Raven frowned.
"We have to make sure everyone gathers."
"And after that?"
Raven fell silent.
Theo let out a small laugh.
It wasn't a happy laugh, but rather a short, hollow sound that sounded more heartbreaking than a cry.
"Where are we going after that, Raven?"
He lifted his face.
"We don't even know where we are."
Raven didn't answer.
Theo clenched his fists. His shoulders began to shake.
"The first bus crashed..."
His voice grew quieter.
"The people inside..."
He paused for a moment, swallowing hard.
"They're dead."
Raven remained silent.
"You saw for yourself how that bus crashed, right?"
Theo's breathing became erratic.
"And now… the driver is dead too. It won't be long before we meet the same fate." He stared at his trembling hands.
"Listen, Raven…"
His voice trembled.
"We're going to die."
He took a shallow breath, but found it even harder to catch his breath.
"Die."
"It won't be long before those people find us."
Raven took a step forward.
"Theo."
"I can't."
Theo's voice was barely audible.
"I don't know what to do."
For a few moments, the two of them just stood in silence.
Behind them, the voices of the other students could still be heard. But to Theo, all those sounds seemed to grow fainter and fainter.
"I'm the class president…" He lowered his head.
Then he let out a small, bitter laugh.
"It's truly disgusting to hear that."
His hands clenched into fists.
"It doesn't mean a thing anymore when death is right in front of us."
Raven stared at him for a long time.
Theo still had his head down, his body trembling.
"I just…"
He took a shaky breath.
"I just don't want to die."
Raven said nothing.
Then, without warning—
THUD!
Silence…
The sound of the punch instantly drew the attention of everyone around them. Several students who had been caught up in their own panic even froze in place, staring at Raven and Theo with shocked expressions.
Raven's fist struck Theo's face hard. Theo's head snapped to the side before his body lost its balance and he fell, landing on the still-wet ground.
"Raven!"
Hana instinctively stepped forward, but stopped when she saw Raven still standing right in front of Theo.
Theo himself hadn't moved. He simply lowered his head while bracing himself against the ground with one hand. A few seconds later, his hand rose to touch the corner of his lip, which felt sore.
When he saw the blood on his finger, his expression changed.
He slowly lifted his face and looked at Raven.
"…Did you hit me?"
Raven stood before him, her jaw clenched.
"If I had to, yes."
"Why?"
"Because I'm sick of hearing you say we're going to die."
Theo let out a hollow laugh.
"Then isn't that exactly what's happening?"
Raven didn't answer.
"You saw it yourself, Raven." Theo began to stand up, even though his legs were still trembling. "That bus fell into the ravine right before our eyes. The people inside must be dead. We don't even know what this place is. We have no way out, and those people earlier—"
His voice faltered.
"They could show up at any moment."
Theo clutched at his own hair.
"So what are we supposed to do?"
He stared at Raven with eyes that were starting to redden.
"Tell me to calm down? Tell me to think clearly? I don't even know if I'll still be able to see the sun tomorrow morning."
A few students who overheard the conversation began to lower their heads.
No one argued—because they were all thinking the same thing.
Raven finally let out a sigh.
"I don't know either."
Theo fell silent.
"I'm anxious and scared, too."
That admission made a few people turn their heads.
Raven stared at her own hands, which had been clenched into fists the whole time.
"After seeing all that, do you think I haven't thought about dying?"
She lifted her face.
"But if we just stand here and be afraid, what's going to change?"
Theo didn't answer.
"We don't know what's out there. We don't know if they're still looking for us. We don't even know where to go."
Raven took a slow breath.
"But up to this point… we're all still alive, right?"
That simple sentence silenced Theo.
A few students who had been crying slowly lifted their heads. Even the two counselors standing nearby looked at Raven in silence.
Raven continued,
"We're all scared. Anxious. Some of us might even still be traumatized after seeing what happened earlier."
Her gaze lingered on a few faces that were still pale.
"But remember one thing."
Her voice grew slightly louder.
"We have people waiting for us to come home."
No one interrupted.
"Parents. Friends. Siblings… or whoever is important to us."
Raven clenched her fist again, then slowly opened it.
"They don't know what's happening to us right now. But they must be hoping we're okay."
He looked straight at Theo.
"So at the very least, don't give up on that hope."
Theo furrowed his brow.
"Hope…?"
Raven nodded slightly.
"Yes. Hope for life."
He glanced around.
"Isn't that what you've been worried about all along?"
The words were simple, but for some reason they felt like a harder slap than they realized. Not because Raven was blaming them, but because she reminded them of something they'd almost forgotten over the past few minutes.
They were afraid of dying, but that was precisely why they still wanted to live. Theo lowered his head. For a moment, he couldn't find an answer.
Raven then reached out her hand to him.
"You said you're the class leader, right?"
Theo was still staring at the outstretched hand in front of him. There was hesitation on his face, as if part of him still wanted to stay seated and give in to the fear that had been consuming his thoughts all along.
Raven didn't pull her hand back.
"Then stand up."
Theo fell silent.
Raven snorted softly.
"Do your job.
For a few moments, Theo just stared at him. Then he let out a long breath, as if he'd just decided to let go of something that had been weighing him down.
"Huh… all right."
The corners of Raven's lips almost curled upward.
"It's good to see you back, Leader."
Theo finally grabbed Raven's hand and let her pull him to his feet. He brushed the mud off his pants, then adjusted his glasses, which had slipped askew from the blow.
After that, he turned to their friends. His face was still pale. His voice hadn't quite returned to normal yet.
But this time, there was no longer a note of despair in it.
"Hey!" he called out.
Several students who were still standing in silence immediately turned to look at him.
Theo took a breath, then continued in a firmer voice.
"Listen, everyone. We don't know what's really going on yet, but we won't find the answer if we just stand here and panic."
He looked at each face in front of him one by one.
"So, first of all… make sure you're all still able to stand. If anyone's injured, speak up now. Don't just stay silent."
Some students began checking on one another. Some helped their friends to their feet, while others started calling out their friends' names to make sure everyone was still together.
"No one goes off alone," Theo continued. "Anyone who's injured stays in the center. Let's gather everyone first, then we'll see what we can salvage from the bus."
Raven, standing a few steps behind him, simply watched in silence.
Theo's voice still sounded a little shaky, but at least he was thinking clearly again.
And for now, that was enough.
A student raised his hand hesitantly.
"So… what happens after that?"
Theo was silent for a moment.
He glanced at Raven.
Raven just shrugged.
Theo sighed.
"After that… we'll figure it out together. The point is, right now we have to stay alive."
There was no perfect answer, but at least this time they had something to do.
Amid the chaos, William watched from a distance. When he saw the students start moving again, he approached Raven.
"Good."
Raven turned her head.
William pointed at the overturned bus.
"Before we go, take everything that's still usable. Food, water, medicine, flashlights… anything."
He glanced toward the fog-shrouded forest.
"We don't know how long we'll be here."
Raven nodded.
"Okay."
She then walked toward the bus with Kyle and a few other students. No one knew what lay beyond the fog.
But for now, they were still alive.
And that was enough to keep them moving.
They quickly scattered around the wreckage of the bus. The dented side door was forced open, while shards of glass still littered the ground. From the front, the smell of oil mixed with blood filled the air, causing some students to instinctively cover their noses.
Raven climbed in through the open door. She tried to ignore the scene at the front of the bus and immediately began searching for items that were still usable. She pulled several backpacks from under the seats and tossed them out one by one.
"That's all there is!"
Theo emerged from the front of the bus carrying a first-aid kit.
"Put it here," Raven replied. "Grab a water bottle, too. Don't leave anything behind."
Theo nodded and went back inside.
For the next few minutes, they worked without saying much. Backpacks, water bottles, snacks, a few raincoats, flashlights, medicine, and other potentially useful items were gathered outside the bus.
Meanwhile, other students began tending to the injured.
Karin helped a female student who had injured her ankle. Hana tore off the bottom of her shirt to bandage her friend's arm, while Lisa sat next to a student who was still shaking violently and tried to calm him down.
Kyle arrived carrying a large bag that nearly knocked him off balance.
"Man, this is heavy…"
Raven, who had just stepped off the bus, glanced at him.
"Kyle."
"Hm?"
"Give that bag to Theo. Help Karin."
Kyle glanced at the bag in his hand, then looked at the girl Karin was supporting.
"Ah… okay."
He handed the bag to Theo and immediately went over to them. After bending down, he let the girl climb onto his back.
"Come on. Hold on tight."
"Am I… too heavy?"
Kyle snorted.
"Not at all, so don't worry about it."
The girl fell silent.
"Just hold on," Kyle added, this time more gently.
Raven watched them for a moment before turning her gaze toward William. He was still standing near the bus, staring at the fog slowly drifting among the trees.
"We're done," said Raven.
William nodded slowly.
"In that case… we can go now."
Raven tightened the straps of her backpack, then looked at the group that was beginning to gather.
"Listen, everyone. Don't walk alone. Stay close to the group."
She turned toward the forest.
"If anyone sees anything, speak up right away. Don't act on your own."
Before they actually left the place, Raven glanced back at the wrecked bus.
A few students were crouching under a tree not far from there. They hadn't had time to dig a grave, and didn't even know if it was safe to linger there. Using old rags they'd found inside the bus, they'd wrapped the driver's body as best they could before laying him under the tree.
A few twigs and leaves were then piled on top of him.
It wasn't a proper burial, but at least they didn't just leave him there in the middle of the road.
William stood for a moment in front of the spot. His face still bore a sense of guilt that hadn't faded.
"I'm sorry, sir…" he murmured softly.
No one answered.
Finally, William turned away.
"We have to go."
The group set off again, leaving the wrecked bus behind.
The ground beneath their feet was still wet and slippery. Several students nearly slipped a few times, but they helped one another so that no one would be left behind. Theo walked not far behind Raven, occasionally glancing back to make sure the group stayed together.
The fog was increasingly engulfing the path ahead of them.
The sound of footsteps, heavy breathing, and the rustling of leaves were the only sounds accompanying their journey.
No one dared to voice what they were thinking.
They simply had to keep walking.