Shadows of Prophecy: The Tangled Web of Destiny

The night enveloped them like a suffocating blanket as they sped through the city, the glow of streetlights flickering in the mist. The air inside the jeep was thick with tension, each occupant grappling with their own fears and uncertainties. In-Ha sat clutching Eunhye's hand, her breath shallow with the pain of labour. Jaeyeon's knuckles were white against the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"Where are we going?" Minji's voice quivered with unease, breaking the heavy silence that hung over them.

"A hospital. Any hospital," Jaeyeon's reply was terse, his foot pressing down on the accelerator as if to outrun the shadows that loomed around them.

"Stop!"

The abruptness of Hailey's command startled Jaeyeon, his foot instinctively easing off the gas pedal. "What? What is it? Can it wait?" His voice was strained, his eyes darting between Hailey's tense form and the darkened streets beyond.

"No, Jaeyeon Oppa. I have something to say," Hailey's voice wavered, her eyes darting nervously from one face to another.

Yohan turned to her, his brow furrowing with concern. "Hailey Noona, what's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, Hailey spoke with urgency. "Listen carefully. In the next twenty to thirty minutes, we'll arrive at a hospital just across this street. After In-Ha's delivery, they will ask us to stay. Say no."

The weight of Hailey's words hung heavy in the air, drawing puzzled looks from the group. Sae Joon Hyun broke the silence, his voice tinged with skepticism. "Why should we say no? What's going on?"

"Oppa, please," Hailey's voice trembled, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Just trust me. We can't stay. None of us should go in—me, Yohan, Eunhye Noona, Jaeyeon Oppa, or Yuri Seonsangnim."

Sae Joon Hyun scratched the back of his head, his expression torn between doubt and concern. "Okay... okay, I'll do as you say."

They continued in uneasy silence, the weight of Hailey's premonition settling heavily on their minds. Jaeyeon started the engine again, the sound reverberating through the quiet night as they approached the hospital.

But before In-Ha could speak to Jeha, Hailey suddenly clutched her ears, a sharp ringing echoing in her head.

Beep... beep... Beep...

Yohan's voice cut through the noise, his concern evident as Hailey found herself back in the timeloop. "Hailey, what's happening?"

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Hailey repeated her instructions with urgency. "Listen carefully. We'll reach a hospital across this street soon. After the delivery, they'll ask us to stay."

"Say no. When they ask you to stay, please say no and leave immediately. And none of us should go in. Not me, Yohan, Eunhye Noona, Jaeyeon Oppa, or Yuri Seonsangnim," Hailey's voice quivered, her hands shaking.

"And there's a zombie there," Hailey added, her words causing a stir of disbelief among the group.

Yon's patience wore thin, his frustration bubbling over. He grabbed Hailey's arm, his grip firm. "Enough of this nonsense. What are you talking about?"

Hailey met Yon's gaze with fierce determination. "Yon, there's a zombie there. Blonde hair, grandmother in Andong, thick eyebrows, small eyes. His name is Minwoo. Please, you have to trust me. We need to pull him out and save the survivors."

Yohan intervened, pulling Yon back urgently. "We don't understand everything, but can't we just trust her? What harm could it do?"

Yon sighed in resignation, his shoulders slumping. "Fine, let's do as she says."

Following Hailey's cryptic instructions, they returned to the jeep in stunned silence. Confusion and apprehension lingered in the air as they closed the doors behind them. The hospital loomed ominously in the distance, its lights casting eerie shadows on the deserted streets.

"There really was a zombie," Sae Joon Hyun muttered, breaking the silence as he sat next to Eunhye. All eyes turned to Hailey, who could only shrug helplessly in response. "I don't know," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the engine.

Yohan reached for Hailey's hand, his touch gentle yet firm. She looked up at him, her eyes searching his for understanding amidst the chaos of their reality. "What was all that? How did you know?" Yohan's voice was soft, filled with a mix of concern and curiosity.

"Yohan..." Hailey hesitated, her voice trembling as she recounted the haunting nightmares that had plagued her.

"You kept dying... every time Minwoo turned, you died. Over and over again... falling, or getting torn apart..."

Yohan's hand moved soothingly through Hailey's hair, his touch offering comfort amidst her unraveling emotions. She clung to him tightly, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt—the same school uniform they all wore, stained with sweat and fear.

"You, me, Eunhye Noona, Jaeyeon Oppa, and Yuri Seonsangnim were supposed to be wearing those blue staff uniforms... but we're not. I changed everything. But I couldn't let you all get out of those stained clothes," Hailey's voice cracked with emotion, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Noona... Hailey, please calm down," Yohan's voice was gentle, his touch a grounding presence amidst the turmoil that threatened to engulf them.

"...I tried so hard to save you. But things never worked out, and even when they did, I kept coming back," Hailey's voice faltered, her guilt weighing heavily on her heart.

"That's why I told you about the zombie... Yohan, I relived that nightmare so many times..."

"It's okay. You're safe now," Yohan murmured softly, his arms wrapped protectively around her.

"Yeah... you're safe too. Minwoo was infected... maybe my guilt brought me back in time, and..."

"And we stopped him," Yon's voice cut through the somber moment, the weight of their actions settling over them like a heavy fog.

Past

A day ago. The hospital

After In-Ha's delivery, they had remained at the hospital as the doctor advised, allowing In-Ha time to rest and recover. Yon's mind churned with Hailey's cryptic warnings, her words echoing like a haunting melody that refused to fade.

The following morning, Yon stood among the survivors, his mind consumed by thoughts of Hailey's ominous premonition. In his clean staff uniform, he moved through the crowd with purpose, bidding farewell without revealing their destination. But Hailey's words echoed in his mind, urging him to confront the truth.

Seizing Minwoo by the collar, Yon faced him with unwavering determination. "You're Minwoo, aren't you?"

Minwoo's eyes widened in fear, his protests falling on deaf ears as Yon confronted him boldly. The crowd gasped in confusion at the sudden accusation.

"Minwoo, you're infected, aren't you?" Yon's voice was steady, his grip firm on Minwoo's collar.

"No... I am not..." Minwoo's voice trembled with fear, his denial crumbling under Yon's unwavering gaze.

"Sheesh," Sae Joon Hyun's voice broke the tension, his dismissal of Minwoo's protests clear and resolute.

They explained the symptoms of infection to the crowd, denial, shaking hands and blood red eyes, naseousness, immense itching, and loss of hair, all of which Minwoo showed bare as soon as he was confronted. Their words were a stark reminder of the dangers lurking within their midst. Yon then shoved Minwoo aside and shot him directly in the head with the gun Sae Joon Hyun had entrusted to him.

***

"I see... he's dead," Hailey's voice was barely audible, Yohan's gentle pat on her head a silent acknowledgment of her ordeal.

"You've been through so much," Yohan murmured, his voice a comforting presence amidst the turmoil.

"Do you trust me, Yohan?" Hailey's voice trembled with vulnerability, her eyes searching his for reassurance.

"Why?" Yohan's question was simple yet profound, his trust in Hailey unwavering despite the surreal circumstances.

"Because no one else does... I mean, it's pretty weird, isn't it?"

"I do trust you."

"But why?"

"Why not?"

"It's weird... I'd rather you just said I was dreaming or something."

"But you know you weren't."

"Yes..."

Silence settled between them like a heavy fog, the weight of their reality impossible to ignore. In-Ha's voice broke through the quiet, her concern for Jeha pulling them back to the present moment.

"Are you okay?"

Hailey's lips curled into a weary smile, the trials of the night etched in every line of her face.

"Oh yeah... that happened," Hailey thought to herself, a fragile sense of relief washing over her as she leaned back against the seat.

The journey continued through the deserted streets, each mile stretching into an uncertain future. Yet, in the face of inexplicable events and uncertain dangers, they were bound together by a fragile trust and a shared determination to survive.