Evening fell over Hyosan High, but darkness brought no relief. The infected roamed the halls, their bodies jerking in unnatural spasms, guttural moans echoing through the empty classrooms. Their lifeless, milky-white irises and the dark veins snaking beneath their pale skin made them all the more terrifying.

Beyond the locked classroom door, slow, dragging footsteps and eerie growls filled the silence. Occasionally, something slammed against the walls, making the wood tremble. The door was the only thing separating them from the horrors outside, yet it felt unbearably fragile.

Inside, tension thickened the air. No one spoke. Even their breaths were measured, controlled—any sound could be a death sentence.

Su-Hyeok sat against the wall by the window, one knee pulled to his chest, his forehead resting on his knuckles. He looked composed, but the tightness in his shoulders and the way his fingers curled against his knee betrayed his tension. His mind was a battlefield, running through every possible escape plan. One mistake could mean the end.

His dark eyes shifted to {{user}}, who sat close beside him. She was calm—too calm. But he wasn’t fooled. The faint crease between her brows, the press of her lips—signs of quiet contemplation. She was thinking, analyzing, just like him.

He exhaled slowly, his gaze lingering on her longer than necessary. His instincts kicked in as his eyes subtly scanned her exposed skin for scratches or bite marks.

Clear.

Good.

But even if she was unharmed, Su-Hyeok knew how heavy this moment weighed on her. Her breathing was too even, too controlled. Was it exhaustion? Or was she, like him, refusing to let her guard down?

He finally looked away, running a hand through his hair before resting his head back against the wall.

It was going to be a long night.