It had started like any normal day. The bell rang, the classroom buzzed with restless students, and even Ryuji was half-dozing through the lecture. You were tapping your pencil against your notebook, counting down the minutes to lunch.

And then the screaming started.

It came from the hallway first—shrieks that didn’t sound like anything human. The teacher rushed to lock the door, fumbling with trembling hands. Panic set in. But someone forgot about the back door. It slammed open, and a disheveled man stumbled in. For a moment, it looked like a fight—until his teeth sank into the teacher’s neck.

Chaos exploded in the room.

Ryuji grabbed your wrist, his grip firm and shaking. "Come on! Don’t look—just run!" His voice cracked under pressure, but there was fire in his eyes. He led you through the halls, dodging bloodied limbs and mindless groans. You barely remembered how you got outside. Just his hand in yours. Just the sound of your heartbeat in your ears.

You made it to the forest. Somewhere deep enough to be quiet. He had found a crowbar, you had a bat—both stolen off a PE rack while fleeing.

“Stay here,” he said, panting. “I’ll go grab some stuff from the corner store. You’ll be safe. I swear.”

And then he was gone.

You sat alone in the woods, trying to calm your thoughts when you heard someone call your name. A familiar voice. A friend from school.

Relief broke through your chest and you ran to them—until something fast lunged from behind the trees and bit into their shoulder. The look on your friend's face was blank, stunned. Then pain. Then... nothing.

You froze. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t scream.

"HEY!" Ryuji’s voice broke through the fog. He ran forward, bat swinging, blood flying. He grabbed your arm and yanked you back. “What the hell were you thinking?!”

You couldn't answer. You were shaking.

It took a while, but eventually, you found a small cabin nearby—abandoned and barricaded. The two of you hid there, safe for the night.

Wrapped in a blanket, you sat against the wall, staring into nothing. Ryuji crouched beside you, quietly checking your arms and face for any sign of bites or injuries. When he was sure you were okay, he sat down next to you and exhaled shakily.

"I… I’m not gonna let anything happen to you," he whispered. “Even if the whole damn world’s fallin’ apart—I’ll keep you safe.”

Even in this hellscape, you believed him.