POV: Jun-ho
The sky had turned an unnatural shade of dark violet as the last rays of the sun faded behind the mountains.
The island, which had once been a place of peaceful isolation, now felt like a foreign land, cloaked in dread. The ocean whispered its cold warnings at the foot of the cliffs, the crashing waves more ominous than soothing.
The dorm was eerily quiet, save for the occasional creak of the wood and the soft shuffle of feet.
The students huddled together in small clusters, their eyes wide with fear. No one spoke. We all knew what was coming.
"Hold fast." I muttered under my breath.
My fingers tightened around the makeshift spear I had fashioned, a long, jagged piece of metal I had found in one of the storage rooms. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. We didn't have time to be picky.
Outside, the wind had started to pick up, pushing through the cracks in the walls with a mournful whistle.
The barricades had been reinforced as much as possible—furniture, bookshelves, and anything that could block a window had been piled up.
But even with all the preparation, the feeling of vulnerability was unbearable. The infected were relentless. We were going to be tested tonight.
I paced the main room, surveying the group. There was a certain stillness to the air, like the calm before the storm, but underneath it all, I could feel the undercurrent of fear rippling through the students.
Minjae was pacing too, his eyes darting between the barricades, his hand twitching as if he wanted to tear through them and take the fight to the infected before they arrived.
"I still say we should take a more aggressive approach." Minjae muttered, his voice tinged with frustration. His eyes were burning with a restless energy, the kind that didn't sit well in times like these.
"Ara. I need you to be ready. There's a good chance we'll need every hand available." I said, turning to her. She was sitting near a corner, quietly organizing a first-aid kit. She looked up, her eyes sharp.
Her gaze held mine for a moment, her expression unreadable.
She nodded quietly, but I saw the concern in her eyes, the weight of the responsibility she felt. It wasn't just for the others—it was for me too.
I had a feeling she saw what I was becoming, how much I was changing, and maybe she wasn't sure what to think of it.
It didn't matter. What mattered was keeping them all alive.
—
Nightfall came quickly, a darkness that felt heavier than it should.
The first sounds were faint—scratching at the doors, low groans as the infected tested the perimeter. But it was enough. We were ready.
I gestured to Minjae, who was already shifting from foot to foot in his usual restless way. "Keep your head, Minjae. Don't let your emotions control you."
"I'm ready." He nodded, though his expression was tense. I moved to the barricade by the door, lifting the wooden beam that kept it in place. It was heavy, but I managed. The air was thick with silence now, broken only by the distant groans and snarls of the infected closing in.
"Don't let your guard down." I whispered, my voice steady, though I could feel the adrenaline surging through my veins.
I had always been good with my hands, with strategy, and now it was time to prove it.
I had picked up a few things over the years—wrestling, judo, even some basic street fighting—and tonight, I would put all of it to use. We had to fight like it was the only thing that mattered.
Suddenly, a loud bang echoed from the back of the dorm. The first wave of infected had found our barricades.
"Positions!" I shouted, pulling my spear tight in my grip.
There was no time for hesitation. I stepped forward, moving with calculated precision, eyes scanning every corner, every shadow.
A student—one of the younger ones—was crouched behind a table, shaking, eyes wide with fear.
I moved swiftly, crouching beside them and offering a hand. "Stay with me. We're going to make it through this." They nodded, clutching my hand, and together, we moved back to the group. We had no time for heroics, no time for overconfidence. All we had was our will to survive.
The sound of the zombies growing closer had me focusing, everything becoming instinctual now.
The infected were slamming their bodies against the barricades, the wood splintering with each impact. I watched as one of them, a woman with wild eyes and bloodstained clothes, staggered into view.
I didn't hesitate. I lunged forward, using the spear to catch her off balance. The weight of her body crashed into me, but I twisted, using her momentum to throw her to the ground.
I had to end this quickly. I grabbed the woman's throat with my bare hands, choking off her breath until her struggles slowed. When she stopped moving, I released her, not feeling any sense of satisfaction, but only the cold necessity of it.
The next wave was already coming, shuffling forward like a wave of death. I glanced to my left and saw Ara moving quickly through the dorm.
She wasn't just sitting there. She was helping. Calm. Collected. She had picked up a first-aid kit and was bandaging a student's arm, their face pale with fear but trusting her hands.
She met my eyes for a brief second, and a fleeting look passed between us—something unspoken, a quiet understanding. Her presence here felt like a tether, pulling me back to myself.
I couldn't let anything happen to her.
The door creaked again. The next wave came in force. I saw them—dozens of them—slamming against the barricades, their bodies writhing, clawing at the gaps, their guttural growls filling the room.
"Move! Don't let them through!" I shouted, grabbing a nearby wooden chair and bracing it against the door.
Minjae was already there, his face set with determination, using his body to push against the barricades. He was stronger than I gave him credit for. Together, we managed to keep the door intact, but the strain was clear.
Suddenly, a hand shot through a gap, and a figure grabbed at me. I spun, heart racing, but just in time—Ara was there, pulling me away.
And then, the worst happened.
One of the infected lunged forward, its mouth open, teeth bared. I didn't think—I reacted. I shoved Ara aside, my body moving faster than I realized. The infected's jaws snapped shut, missing me by inches.
"Ara, get back!" I yelled, voice raw with urgency.
She hesitated, but I saw the fear in her eyes. It wasn't just fear for the infected. It was for me, for all of us. But there was no time. There was never enough time.
I twisted around, pushing the infected creature back and using its own momentum to slam it into a pile of debris. The noise was sickening, but the threat was neutralized—at least for now.
But the worst wasn't over.
The infected were relentless, clawing, pushing, testing the barricades like they had all the time in the world.
Inside, the group was tense, some of them already whispering about what we would do if the walls fell. I couldn't think about that. Not yet.
"We've got to hold them off until morning. Everyone, stay close. We fight together." I said, my voice hoarse but resolute.
—
The hours passed like days. The barricades held, but barely. The infected were growing more organized. They were adapting, and we weren't prepared for that. The group's energy was starting to wane.
We had too few supplies, too little food and water, and now, the dorm was showing signs of strain.
The roof was leaking in spots, the walls had started to crack, and the stench of sweat, blood, and fear hung thick in the air. But for now, we had survived the night.
As dawn broke, the light creeping through the cracks in the walls, I exhaled. Just barely. We had made it. But the island—this island—was changing, and we had to change with it.