"Where exactly are we going?"
Ella whispered, finally voicing the question that had been bothering her. They'd been walking for a while now, yet it felt like they had no real destination.
Thankfully, no creatures had shown up in the halls they passed, so at least they didn't need to sprint for their lives—yet. Ella preferred it that way. Better to save her energy for when it really mattered. With her average stamina, she wouldn't be surprised if even a limping monster could still catch up to her.
But even walking nonstop was starting to wear on her thighs, especially since she wasn't just carrying her own weight.
"Thino, wait—let's stop for a second."
She tugged his arm and forced him to turn around to face her.
"Be honest. We're not exactly Dora and Boots out exploring the campus, right? So where are we really going?"
Thino didn't answer. He just stared at her with a calm, unreadable expression that made Ella frown.
What's with him? she thought. Don't tell me he's walking like this just 'cause he really needs to pee or nature's calling?
But no—it wasn't that. Thino wasn't distracted by something trivial. There was a real reason behind his urgency. He just hadn't told her yet.
The truth was simple: they needed to find the key if they want any chance of getting out of this place. It should've been easy to explain. But fear held him back.
'I already changed the past to save Ella,' he thought. 'But what if… what if I just brought her closer to something worse?'
That anxiety left him torn. Should he continue searching for the key like before—or should they just find a safe room and wait it all out? After all, the campus had enough supplies for them to survive a while.
SLAP!
The sharp sound rang through the air like a gunshot. Thino's head snapped slightly to the side, his cheek stinging from Ella's palm. He instinctively raised his hand to it being surprise and dazed.
"Your mind was drifting way too far," Ella said, her voice calm but firm. "I was starting to worry your soul left with it."
"I… did I?" Thino blinked.
"Big time. I called your name like three times, and you didn't even flinch."
She shook her hand out with a quiet hiss, flexing her fingers like she'd hurt them.
Of course, Thino had no idea that the slap was just a last resort. She only tapped his shoulder one's yet no result—therefore, if he wasn't going to answer, she wasn't going to waste her breath any further.
"I see… sorry. Still hurts, though." he mumbled, rubbing the sore spot.
Ella gave him a sly smile and looked down at her reddened palm.
"Whatever's bothering you, don't keep it to yourself. And whatever's on your mind, let me in on it."
Then she held up her hand for him to see—slightly swollen now—before continuing, this time with a softer tone.
"Because the one thing I really hate… is wasting all this effort only to find out I wasn't even part of the plan. Or worse, that I don't even get anything out of it."
Ella had spent her whole seventeen years doing things for others—not because she was weak, but because it taught her things. Like Julius Caesar said, 'Ut est rerum omnium magister usus.' Experience is the teacher of all things.
So even if it was exhausting or terrifying, backing down wasn't in her vocabulary.
Well… unless it involved Tina.
That girl was something else—lazy, boring, and completely pointless. The only reason Ella ever lost arguments with her was because Trina always had numbers on her side.
"We need to get that key,"
Thino finally declared after a long stretch of tense silence.
Ella followed the direction of his pointed finger through the cracked glass window. Outside, she could now clearly see the parking lot where cars used to gleam under the sun—windshields wiped clean, hoods untouched. But now, those same cars looked like butcher tables. The creatures were hunched over them, feasting on torn human remains.
"I-I see... So, we're going out?" she asked, while her voice trembling.
"You don't want to?"
"O-of course I do! Even if a part of me doesn't... I mean, we have basic supplies here on campus. B-but still, I believe everything comes to an end."
"Exactly. So maybe it's better if we stay put? Like you said, if all things end, that includes them too,"
Thino replied, nodding toward the creatures outside. He gave her a look of innocent teasing, clearly trying to get a rise out of her—because for once, he felt like he didn't have to be on guard around her anymore. She wasn't the same person who used to always favor him blindly.
"Are you serious? Sure, things end—if we end them. But these things aren't just going to rot away or self-destruct like spoiled food."
"Oh, that's right. You said 'things.' We're not 'things,' right?" he said with a smirk as they started heading downstairs toward their target.
Ella rolled her eyes, the sarcasm in her tone unmistakable. "Seriously Thino, did my slap rattle your brain? Or maybe it wasn't hard enough to bring the old you back?"
Thino let out a low chuckle.
That laugh… it actually felt good, he thought. It's been so long since I laughed like that.
"By the way, why are we heading down again?" Ella asked mid-step.
"Hmn? To get the key, remember?"
"The key? Wait—there's a security room downstairs?"
"Huh? No. We're not after the security room—we need a car."
"A car? Yeah, sure, but how are we even going to start one? Don't tell me…"
"What?"
Thino looked at her, confused, just as they reached the basement parking.
Ella froze. Her hand shot to her temple in frustration.
"You... You seriously think we'll just find a car with the keys still inside and drive off?"
"Ah..."
"As if the owners would just leave the keys in the ignition, Thino. Ugh. Now I finally get why your name is Thino."
"What does that even mean?!"
"Because somehow you're brain is thin that makes you slo—"
"Aaargh!"
She didn't get to finish. A sudden swarm of creatures emerged in front of her, cutting off her sentence. She staggered backward, nearly losing balance, but Thino caught her just in time and put a finger to his lips, signaling her to stay silent.
Luckily, the creatures hadn't noticed them yet.
They crouched in the shadows, hiding behind one of the concrete pillars.
"T-they're too many," Ella whispered shakily as she peeked down the hallway where the horde had gathered.
"Aaarrgh!! Eeeiiikk!!"
A shrill scream from one of the creatures echoed through the space, forcing Ella to shrink deeper into the corner. Thino, however, remained eerily calm, watching as the beasts fought over bloody scraps where silence once ruled.
"What should we do now? Why are they suddenly out here?"
"There's only one reason."
"W-what is it?"
"I don't think we're the only ones on this floor…"
"You mean—someone else survived?" she asked, the first flicker of hope lighting up her eyes.
"Yeah."
His quiet confirmation brought a smile to her face. But instead of celebrating, she simply nodded, grounding herself in the moment.
"Then we really have to leave. Do you have a plan?"
"I think we'll have to use this,"
he muttered, pulling something out from his bag, it is a heavy-duty alarm clock. Ella took one look at it and nodded approvingly. It was loud enough to distract the creatures.
"Set it for 50 seconds before it goes off. That'll give us enough time to move before it hits the ground."
Thino adjusted the settings on the alarm clock, activated it, and hurled it across the hall.
To Ella, the throw seemed like it happened in slow motion. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, amplifying every small sound. Her senses sharpened—every detail became vivid.
KRRRRIIINNNGGGGG!!
"Graaaahhh!!"
Just as they expected, the creatures snapped their heads toward the noise and screamed violently, scattering in the opposite direction.
"Run," Thino whispered.
Without another word, Ella took off, unleashing every ounce of her strength. She inhaled deeply before the sprint—and for the first time, Thino found himself lagging behind.
She's… fast. Perhaps just too shy to admit it, he blink amusedly.
Meanwhile, Ella had her own problem.
The fudge… why does my bladder decide to act up NOW of all times?!
She pinched her nose, trying to block the foul stench around them as she ran.
Click—
"This is the security room?"
Thino asked as they slipped through the door. Ella only gave a quick nod before sprinting to the restroom.
"Gosh, what a run," she muttered breathlessly, slumping down on the water closet and finally relieving herself.
Several seconds passed. She wiped, adjusted, and reached to open the cubicle door… But then she suddenly froze. When A blade, sharp, and cold cutter was pressed near her eye.
"Don't you dare scream, you b*tch,"
A voice hissed, makes Ella's body locked in place; her breath caught in her throat.
On the other hand, Thino was scanning the monitors in the security room, oblivious. The footage showed glimpses of what was happening outside—though there was no sound. He stared in quiet sympathy at the people still getting slaughtered.
Please... let there still be others like us, he prayed.