"No… what I mean, Miss… they're literally standing up."
Jake's voice trembled with disbelief as he stared out the window, his words barely escaping his lips. His eyes remained fixed on the horrifying sight unfolding before him. In a split second, his companions rushed towards the bus window, curiosity and unease pushing them forward. But the moment their eyes caught the same scene; their expressions shifted from confusion to pure shock.
Just a moment ago, the monsters that had fallen lifeless to the ground—mangled, broken, seemingly defeated—were now rising again. Not crawling. Not twitching. Standing.
"They were already crushed… their faces were torn apart... and yet they can still move?" Rian muttered, his voice thick with dread and confusion.
"It seems that their head isn't the weak spot," Shan observed grimly, narrowing his eyes at the gruesome figures now walking—no, staggering—toward their bus once more. Their movements were unnatural, jagged, as if every limb protested but still obeyed some hidden command.
"But how are they even able to find us?" Light asked, eyebrows furrowed. His voice betrayed a deep confusion, not fear, but sharp unease. "Their eyes… they're gone. They shouldn't be able to see us."
Despite missing limbs and faces disfigured beyond recognition, the creatures—now confirmed not just dead but something else entirely—moved with eerie purpose. Their sense of direction was unerring, as if drawn by instinct or something more sinister.
"Instead of trying to study them… isn't this the perfect chance to escape?" Koi cut in, her tone urgent and serious. "They're not as aggressive anymore… and they're no longer blocking the road. But that doesn't mean we're safe. Their heads might not work, but their bodies still can. If even a single part of them touches us, or if we're exposed to their blood… it could still kill us. Worse, we could get infected."
Her words snapped the rest of them back to reality like a slap to the face. No more hesitation. This wasn't the time for observation—it was time to move.
With tension thick in the air, they leapt into action. The plan to escape was already in place—simple, direct, and desperate. But as the driver turned the key in the ignition, something was wrong.
The engine didn't roar to life.
It sputtered.
Then died.
A strained look crossed the driver's face as he tried again, twisting the key harder this time. But the same sound echoed—a choking, useless whine of a machine refusing to awaken.
"R-Rian… I think… I think they broke something in the engine," the driver stammered, panic slowly blooming in his voice. His eyes met Rian's, pleading for confirmation or guidance.
"What? Try it again!" Rian demanded, rushing to the driver's side.
The driver obeyed. The engine clicked again—once, twice—but wouldn't start. Rian leaned in, listening intently to the faint mechanical clicks and thuds.
"This isn't good…" he muttered under his breath. "Something disconnected… I think it's the battery."
Without wasting a second, Rian turned to the others. His jaw clenched as he delivered the bad news.
"The engine's dead. I need to check it—manually."
His grim announcement hit the group like a brick wall. Silence fell. A heavy, suffocating silence filled with dread and hopelessness. Some let out frustrated groans. Others simply slumped in their seats.
"Well… I guess we need to make a new plan again," Shan whispered after several long seconds, his voice barely audibles over the heavy air.
------------
Five o'clock in the afternoon.
That was the time that greeted Koi's weary eyes as she glanced at her wristwatch. For the young woman, it was startling to realize how much time had passed since they began planning this. And yet, even now, her companions were still solemnly preparing, each person focused on their role in the risky plan they had committed to.
Given their earlier condition, it had taken everything they had to convince even a handful of people to join them. Many were still paralyzed by fear, unwilling to take the risk, clinging to the illusion of safety. But that hesitation had begun to crack the moment Koi, resolute and sharp, issued a firm warning about what awaited them if they continued to stand still.
"Is everyone ready?" asked Jake, gripping his hammer tightly while sweeping his gaze over the group.
"I am," Shan replied flatly, preoccupied with adjusting her weapon—an improvised spear forged from a broken chair leg.
Jake then turned to another member of the group, noting how the young man was carefully taping layers of cardboard over his arms and legs for protection.
"How about you, Light?"
"I'm ready," Light replied, his voice low but certain.
Koi, seeing that everyone was set, gave a subtle signal to Jake, who immediately responded.
"Everyone, listen up!" Jake shouted, his voice slicing through the tense air, drawing all eyes toward him.
"Now that we're ready—make sure to give it everything you've got. Pour all your strength into this. Don't let them overpower you! If you hesitate, we're all dead! Do you understand me?!"
"Y-Yes! Yes, sir!" a few shouted back, their voices shaky but determined. Each of them gripped their makeshift weapons tightly, knowing this could be their last fight.
Jake and Light took position near the entrance, forming the front line, while Rian, Shan, and Koi remained inside the bus, positioned behind them as they prepared to rush out and fix the engine the moment it became safe.
Light began counting silently in his head. The seconds ticked by, but his thoughts were a blur of panic and purpose. He couldn't quite describe the emotion rising in his chest—it was a whirlwind of dread, hope, and resignation.
Damn it. I thought I'd be free by now. I thought I could leave quietly and go find them… But fate clearly has other plans. So be it. I just hope I can make it in time, Thino.
Light had only one true desire left, to find his best friend Thino and the girl who had been with him—Summer. If they could fix the bus, maybe he still had a chance.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the building, Thino and his group were also finalizing their part of the plan, getting the generator running.
"It's already set now, Thino," Ella whispered after double-checking the generator's timer switch. Summer stood calmly by the exit door, waiting for the signal.
"Good. Get ready. We'll only have ten seconds after this," Thino said, gripping the switch firmly. He nodded to Ella, who swiftly moved into position beside Summer at the door.
Once he saw they were ready, Thino flicked the switch and bolted toward them.
"Let's count—ten... nine... eight…" Ella began in whispering voice, eyes locked on the panel board.
"Seven... six... five…" Light's group mirrored the countdown, sweat beading on their brows and nerves thrumming through their limbs. Their eyes remained fixed ahead, unaware that the monsters had yet to notice anything.
The simultaneous countdowns continued...
"Four... three... two—"
"Let's go!!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!!
"AARRRGHHHH!!"
A wave of noise suddenly exploded around them—screams from the monsters, mechanical clanging from below—stunning Light into confusion.
They weren't being charged by the lurkin.
Instead, the creatures had turned, running toward the loud noise in front of them. It wasn't the bus they were after—it was something else.
"W-What's going on?" Light murmured, inching forward, eyes scanning the chaos.
"I don't know either... but I think this is our best shot at fixing the bus," Rian muttered. Without waiting, he jumped out of the bus and headed toward the engine, with Light following quickly behind to help Koi and Shan stand guard. The two women provided cover as Rian rapidly reconnected the battery wires.
"It's done! Start the engine!" he shouted to the driver. The man turned the key—and the bus rumbled to life. The three of them nodded at each other and clambered back inside.
All except for Light and Rian.
Light's attention had drifted to the school building. Something had caught his eye. Rian, gathering his tools, noticed his companion distracted gaze.
"Hey, you two! What are you doing? Let's go already!" Jake shouted from inside, alarmed by the increasing number of lurkin now heading their way.
"Oi, they're calling us. We need to go," Rian urged, stepping closer—but he, too, noticed the strange look on Light's face.
"Is that…?" Light whispered, staring hard.
"What?" Rian asked, confused.
But instead of answering, Light kept staring—and then, his eyes widened.
"I—I'm not mistaken…"
"Huh? What are you—Oi!" Rian blurted as Light suddenly broke into a sprint toward the school. Caught off guard, Rian could only watch in shock.
"Damn it! You've got to be kidding me!" he shouted, before chasing after Light.
Back at the bus, their absence sent waves of confusion through the group.
"I think… they saw someone else survived," Shan guessed.
"And then what? Are we supposed to just stay here again until we're completely surrounded?" Koi snapped, her tone edged with frustration.
"T-That's—"
"Enough with the excuses. If that's what they decided, then we need to go," Koi interrupted sharply and marched back in her seat.
"We can't just leave them behind."
"And we can't stay here either."
"We need a new plan—"
"What's with you? isn't this plan to you? to escape." Koi snapped, irritation flaring in her voice, causing Shan to scowl in frustration.
"That's not what I—"
"Oi, oi, oi… what's with all the shouting?" A voice—unfamiliar and casual—cut through the rising tension.
Outside the bus, a stranger suddenly called out, interrupting them mid-argument. He stood just a few feet from the door, wearing a twisted grin that made their skin crawl.
"I'm talking to you. Don't you people have mouths?"
Jake immediately stepped forward, glaring at the man—but the stranger didn't flinch.
"I don't like your tone—agh!"
With alarming swiftness, the stranger pulled a blade and stabbed Jake in the gut. The bodyguard hadn't even had time to react. Koi stared, frozen, unable to believe what just happened.
Blood trickled from Jake's lips as he turned toward her, eyes wide and confused. Before anyone could intervene, the stranger seized Jake's body and hurled it through the door—straight into the growing horde of lurkin.
"AAAGHHHK!!"
"N-No—help—AAAHHH!!"
It all happened so fast that no one inside the bus could react. All they could do was stare in stunned silence.
"If any of you want to join him, just come closer," the stranger sneered, gesturing for his companions to come forward. One of them was holding someone bound—Trina.
"Oi, driver. Start the bus. Or do you want to be next?" he threatened, pointing to Jake's bloodied body.
The driver obeyed instantly, panic overtaking hesitation. Koi and Shan remained silence, stunned, unable to move or speak, still reeling from the sudden violence and the horrifying turn of events.