WHISPERS OF DESPAIR: SHATTERED TRUST AND FRAGILE HOPE

The air was thick with tension, and Jaeyeon’s bitter words sliced through the heavy silence that had settled over the group. He chewed on his lower lip, frustration etched into his face as he surveyed the situation. "What the heck... he has three cages laid right behind us." His voice carried the unmistakable sound of defeat. The bus they had been traveling in had broken down in the middle of their journey, its engine sputtering and smoking until it finally died. The group was stuck—trapped in an unknown area, unable to move forward.

The man, a stranger with blazing red eyes and seaweed green hair that almost appeared to ripple with an unnatural aura, had appeared out of nowhere. His white shirt and khaki pants were nondescript, but his demeanor was anything but. His presence was menacing, and before they could react, he swiftly tied their hands and legs with ropes. The man then entered the back of the bus, jumping out just as quickly, searching for a new vehicle.

Their bad luck only worsened when the man found a cargo truck. He placed the cages—filled with the zombies that had been terrorizing the survivors—into the back and then shoved the group into the truck as well. They fell unceremoniously onto the cold, hard floor of the truck bed, disoriented and struggling to maintain their balance. The man’s threat rang through the air like a death sentence. "Try anything and those zombies will devour you." The words hung in the air, chilling their very souls.

“Jaeyeon... what do we do now?” Yuri asked, her voice shaky with fear. Eugene, who had been knocked unconscious during the chaos, lay motionless on the floor of the truck. The atmosphere inside the truck felt suffocating, as though every breath they took only added to the weight of their helplessness.

Yohan, trying to hold onto any sliver of hope, turned toward Hailey. “Hailey. Can you try to untie me?” he whispered, his voice low with desperation. Hailey hesitated, her gaze flicking nervously to his tied hands behind his back. She pushed herself closer to him, her own hands tied in the same way. Her back pressed against his as she struggled with the ropes, unable to meet his eyes, knowing how little she could do to help him.

“Careful,” Jaeyeon whispered slowly, keeping an eye on the man who could return at any moment. The tension in the air was palpable, and Jaeyeon knew every decision they made could cost them dearly.

Yuri, trying to wake Eugene, kicked him lightly in the legs. He groaned in response, but he didn’t stir.

“Shall we break the door and run out?” Yuri asked, her voice filled with anxiety.

“But we’re tied,” Jaeyeon reminded her, his tone sharp but tinged with helplessness. “And the man has control of the cage’s locks.”

Yuri’s frustration was evident in her voice. “We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

There was a long pause before Yuri spoke again, her voice quieter but filled with concern. “Uhm... Jaeyeon... where exactly is Jeha?”

Jaeyeon blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in the conversation. “Huh? He’s probably with Mina and the girls,” he said, his voice faltering slightly.

“I... don’t think so...” Yuri said, her voice trembling.

“What do you mean?” Jaeyeon asked, confusion clouding his features.

***

[Meanwhile]

Jeha’s POV

While the others were distracted with their plans, I couldn’t just sit back and wait. The only thing on my mind was protecting Kaneisyeon. She was the only thing that mattered right now. I knew I had to keep her safe—no matter what. When the man left with the others, I used the opportunity to sneak. I crawled discreetly to the driver’s seat of the jeep, and when I saw that the others had gotten out, I made my move. Quietly, I opened the door next to the driver’s seat and slipped out. With Kaneisyeon in my arms, wrapped securely in a soft white cloth, I ran as fast as I could.

I ran towards the storage room, the only place I could think of that might offer some shelter. The room was bare, the faint blue light flickering in and out, casting an eerie glow over the long tables that lined the space. It felt like a maze, but I pushed forward, focused only on protecting her. At the end of the room, I found a door, and when I opened it, I was greeted by the outside world.

I quickly crossed lanes and lanes, my heart pounding as I desperately searched for a safe place. Eventually, I came across a meat shop, its windows fogged up from the inside. It wasn’t much, but it was shelter. I had no phone, no way to call for help, and no idea where the others were. I only had Kaneisyeon.

I thought she might be hungry, so I asked her softly, “Hey, Kaneisyeon. Are you hungry maybe?” But the baby just cried louder, her cries echoing through the empty shop.

“Shush, shush. Please stop. You’ll get us in trouble. Come on, what do you expect from Hyeong, huh?” I whispered desperately, trying to soothe her, but she kept wailing.

I glanced around the small shop, noting the doors I had sealed shut with whatever I could find—tapes, newspapers, smaller shelves, chairs, and tables. They wouldn’t keep anyone out for long, but I had to try.

I reached into my bag and pulled out a bottle of milk, hoping she’d calm down. But Kaneisyeon kicked the bottle away, refusing to feed.

"Oh. You want a change of clothes, huh?" I muttered, the realization hitting me. I quickly undressed her and changed her into the clothes I had packed. As I tossed the used diaper aside, Kaneisyeon stopped crying, and to my relief, she began giggling. Her little smile, her eyes gleaming with my reflection, melted my heart.

"Okay. Shush now. Good baby. Let's survive, alright?" I whispered softly, patting her belly gently before standing up. I held her close, tightly wrapped in my arms, secure and safe. But my thoughts kept racing.

“We can’t stay in this meat shop forever. The base isn’t safe anymore either. And from the loud crash I heard before leaving through the storage room, I’m pretty sure something broke in there,” I murmured to myself. The weight of responsibility bore down on me. I couldn’t battle while protecting her, but I couldn’t leave her alone either. I sighed, staring at the sealed doors.

“Are there empty houses nearby? I can’t keep her safe here. What do I do...?”

***

[The Same Day. China. Restaurant]

“Mister Chen Wu, here is your soup,” a waiter said, his voice polite but his hands slightly trembling.

“Thank you,” Chen Wu replied in a calm, collected tone, his black eyes sharp and steady as he accepted the soup. He lifted the faded white bowl, decorated with delicate pink flowers, and prayed quietly before sipping it slowly, savoring the warmth in the middle of his calm meal.

As Chen Wu sat there, the door of the restaurant suddenly slammed open with an unsettling force. A woman flew in, crashing into the wall before slumping to the ground, her body twisted unnaturally. The restaurant patrons gasped in shock, and immediately, chaos broke out.

“Is she okay?” someone shouted. “She’s hurt badly!” “Call the ambulance!” “Someone help her!”

The restaurant filled with frenzied commands, customers rushing to help the woman. One of them approached her carefully, but as he neared, she suddenly twisted her body, pushing herself up from the floor with a grotesque, unnatural movement. Her eyes were cloudy and lifeless as she glared at them, her face disfigured, her dress torn and covered in blood.

“What’s wrong with her?” The man asked himself, immediately stepping back.

“She doesn’t look right!” someone else shouted.

“Don’t go close to her!” another warned, as the woman began crawling toward them, maintaining her twisted position.

She reached out, grabbing one of the customers by the leg, throwing him down. Without hesitation, she leapt onto him, sinking her teeth into his head with a sickening crunch.

“Argh! It’s those zombie freaks from the movies!” another customer screamed. “Run! Save yourselves!”

People scrambled to escape, but another beast had already made its way inside the restaurant, dragging one of them to the ground. The chaos was unbearable.

Chen Wu finished his soup without a care, unfazed by the carnage unfolding around him. His peace was disturbed, but not enough to unsettle him. With a swift motion, he turned around and kicked the woman in the stomach, sending her tumbling out of the restaurant. He then approached the bitten man, dragging him by the collar and tossing him outside with the woman.

With the door now secured, Chen Wu gave a calm command, “Help me secure the door.”

The patrons hurriedly grabbed chairs, tables, and shelves, pushing them against the entrance. Once the door was secured, they retreated to the kitchen, where they hid, each of them crawling into different corners of the room. Chen Wu casually strolled to a chair, sitting with ease as he pulled out his phone, continuing to scroll as if the world outside hadn’t just collapsed.

One of the customers, visibly shaking, muttered to himself, “What is going on? This isn’t right… How are they here? I don’t want to die yet…”

***

[South Korea. The Base. Same Day]

“Sae Joon Hyun, are we not going to save them?” Eunhye’s voice trembled with frustration, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. She was referring to Jaeyeon and the others who had been taken away without a trace. Her heart raced, desperate to find some way to help them.

“We can’t,” Sae Joon Hyun replied, his voice flat. “Their phones are turned off.”

“But is there really no way?” Eunhye asked again, her voice rising with urgency.

“I’m telling you, Noona. We can’t do anything right now. Jaeyeon is with them. They should be fine.”

“What are you saying?! My baby is in danger! We must go save them!” In-Ha screamed, her voice sharp with panic. Her gaze pierced Sae Joon Hyun, her eyes blazing with a mixture of fear and anger.

“THEN YOU DO IT YOURSELF!” Sae Joon Hyun’s voice exploded, his frustration boiling over. “I AM SO SICK OF YOU IN-HA! KANEISYEON THIS, KANEISYEON THAT. I UNDERSTAND SHE IS YOUR CHILD BUT CAN'T YOU HAVE A LITTLE TRUST IN THAT BOY?! YOU DECIDED THIS YOURSELF! YOU HAVE TO HAVE PATIENCE, SERIOUSLY! I MIGHT SOUND RUDE, BUT THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO RIGHT NOW... so... PLEASE DON’T MAKE THIS ANY HARDER FOR ME, PLEASE…”

The words hit In-Ha like a physical blow. She stood frozen, the fire in her eyes flickering out as the harshness of Sae Joon Hyun's outburst sank in. Her breath hitched in her throat, and for a moment, the only sound in the room was the rush of blood in her ears, a mix of disbelief and hurt.

In-Ha’s chest tightened as she struggled to breathe through the weight of the silence that had followed Sae Joon Hyun’s outburst. Her gaze shifted downward, her hands trembling at her sides. For a moment, she couldn’t even find the words to respond. The sharp sting of his words pierced deeper than any physical injury ever could. She had never seen him so harsh, so full of frustration. And yet, a small voice inside her whispered that maybe he was right.

Everyone was trying their best. Everyone had their own burdens, their own fears. From the moment Kaneisyeon was born, In-Ha had promised to protect her, no matter what. The world had been turning upside down, and yet she refused to accept that the apocalypse could come between her and her child—the life she had fought so hard to protect. She had given her word to Jeha that she would trust him with Kaneisyeon’s life. But now, standing here, with the weight of Sae Joon Hyun’s frustration pressing down on her, her heart ached with the realization that perhaps she wasn’t ready to fully accept the fear that clung to her like a shadow.

In the midst of this painful silence, Eunhye stepped forward, her voice softer but filled with a quiet authority. “Sae Joon Hyun. In-Ha. Calm down. Let’s be positive here. That is all we have in our power right now.”