Chapter 10: Separation

Mr. Im cautiously approached Ah Rim, his voice soft but firm. "Ah Rim… what's happening? Is there something you want to talk about?"

Without turning to face him, she brushed him off with a dismissive wave. "Mind your own business," she muttered, her voice cold and sharp. Her body was still tense, her eyes refusing to meet his.

Mr. Im hesitated, but before he could press further, Jae Hyun's voice cut through the room with a low warning. "You're all making way too much noise." His eyes never left the security cameras, his fingers drumming anxiously on the desk. "They're drawn to sound. Do you want them to come straight for us?"

Everyone froze, the weight of his words settling in. The last thing they needed was for the infected to be alerted to their presence. The oppressive quiet returned, thick with the tension of what they'd just narrowly avoided.

Breaking the silence, Mr. Im cleared his throat and addressed the group. "We need a plan. We can't just sit here waiting for something to happen. The president said to stay safe, but if help doesn't come soon, we'll be trapped." He turned to Seung Min, Kyung Jisoo, and Hwang Jin. "We should get to the rooftops. We can make an SOS sign, something visible from the air. It's our best chance of getting rescued."

Jae Hyun finally tore his gaze from the monitors and gave Mr. Im a hard look. "That's a stupid plan," he said flatly. "The block we're in is crawling with the infected. There's no way we can just waltz up to the roof and make a sign without getting caught."

Seung Min, his breath steady now after using his inhaler, stepped closer to the security feeds, studying the screens. His brows furrowed in thought. "If we're surrounded, what do you suggest? We can't just sit here waiting to die."

Jae Hyun's eyes flicked to another camera feed, showing a slightly clearer path. "We can't go directly up from this block. But if we make it to the other side of the school—the east block—the infected are thinner there. It's risky, but it's our best shot."

The group exchanged uncertain looks. Mr. Im rubbed his temple, clearly weighing their options. "How far is it to the east block?"

Jae Hyun pointed at the screen, where a map of the school's layout was visible. "It's about two floors up and through the main hall. Problem is, the main hall is where the majority of them are gathered. If we can distract them or take a different route, we might make it. But we'll have to be quick and quiet."

Hwang Jin crossed his arms, his voice heavy with doubt. "And what do we do if we get cornered? We'll be trapped without any exits."

Kyung Jisoo, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke up, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him. "We can't stay here. We have to try. If we don't take this chance, we're sitting ducks."

Akiko, still comforting Iseul, nodded. "Kyung Jisoo's right. It's risky, but it's better than doing nothing."

Mr. Im looked at each of them, his face a mixture of fear and resolve. "Alright," he said quietly. "We'll go with Jae Hyun's plan. We'll move to the east block, make our way to the roof, and signal for help. But we'll need to be careful—any noise, any mistake, and we're done for."

Jae Hyun stood up from his seat, his face grim. "If we're doing this, we need to move fast. They're not going to stay in the same place forever."

Ah Rim, who had been leaning against the wall with a scowl, finally pushed herself off and cracked her knuckles. "Fine," she muttered. "Let's see how long we last." Her tone was biting, but there was a glint of determination in her eyes.

With the plan set, the group gathered near the door. Mr. Im took a deep breath, his hand hovering over the handle. "Stay close," he whispered. "No sudden movements. And for God's sake, don't make any noise."

The faculty room was now filled with a tense silence, everyone bracing themselves for the danger that awaited them outside. The sound of the infected, distant but menacing, echoed faintly through the halls.

Mr. Im, having counted them all carefully, furrowed his brow. "Fourteen students…" he muttered, glancing around the dimly lit faculty room. "Including me, that makes fifteen. We need to stick together, understand?"

The others nodded in silent agreement, their faces pale with fear but determined. Jae Hyun, his eyes still glued to the monitors, looked back at them one last time before they moved out. His voice was steady but cold, "Listen up. If something happens out there—if things get bad—I'll signal. When I do, you **freeze**. Don't move. Don't breathe. If you make any noise, you're done for. Understand?"

A few of the students exchanged uneasy glances, but no one dared argue. The stakes were too high. Akiko, who had been quiet most of the time, stood up, revealing a sheathed katana strapped to her back. The room fell silent as she unsheathed it with a quiet hiss, the blade gleaming under the flickering lights.

Ah Rim's eyes widened in surprise, her lips curling into a smirk. "Where did you get that?" she asked, stepping forward as if drawn to the weapon. "You don't need it as much as I do—"

"Shut up," Jae Hyun cut in, his voice sharp. His tone left no room for argument, and Ah Rim's smirk vanished. She huffed and stepped back, crossing her arms, clearly irritated.

With that, they began to move. Mr. Im led the group with Seung Min close behind, while Jae Hyun took up the rear, keeping his gaze trained on their surroundings. The halls were eerily silent, the only sounds being their quiet footsteps and the faint groaning of the infected in the distance.

They reached the main hall, and just as they were about to step through, they froze in horror.

The place was swarming with infected. Dozens of them—students, teachers, and staff who had once walked these halls—now shuffled aimlessly, their bodies twisted and grotesque. Their skin was pale and blotched, eyes dull with hunger. It was a sea of the undead.

Jae Hyun quickly signaled for everyone to stop. He raised his hand, gesturing for absolute silence. The group stood rooted to the spot, their breath held tight in their chests.

They began to inch forward, moving quietly, trying to avoid the infected as best they could. The tension was unbearable. Kyung Jisoo's heart pounded in his chest as he tiptoed forward, eyes darting between the roaming monsters and his fellow survivors.

Suddenly, one of the infected turned and began walking toward them, its hollow eyes locking onto **the girl who had been hugging her knees** back in the faculty room. She stood frozen, her wide eyes filled with terror as the creature approached, sniffing the air around her. Her breathing grew ragged, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Don't…" Jae Hyun whispered through clenched teeth, signaling for her to hold still, his hand raised to signal **stop**.

But it was too late.

Panic overtook her. With a terrified scream, the girl bolted, her feet pounding against the floor as she ran for her life. The infected nearest to her turned in unison, their heads snapping toward the sound. In seconds, they were on her. Kyung Jisoo instinctively took a step forward, his muscles tensing to help her, but Jae Hyun shot him a deadly look, silently ordering him to stay put.

"Stop," Jae Hyun mouthed, his face cold and unfeeling.

The girl's screams filled the hall as she was tackled to the ground, her body vanishing beneath the swarm of infected. Her cries of terror quickly became gurgles of pain, then silence.

Kyung Jisoo clenched his fists, his heart tearing in two. He wanted to move, to help, but he knew—he *knew*—that if he did, they'd all be next. His body trembled with frustration and sorrow as he watched the life drain from her, helpless to do anything.

Iseul, who had been trying her best to stay calm, began to tremble uncontrollably. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of the girl being consumed, her mouth opening as if to scream. Before she could make a sound, Akiko was on her, swiftly clamping a hand over her mouth and pulling her close. Iseul's muffled sobs were the only sound now, as the group watched in stunned, horrified silence.

The infected, having feasted, slowly dispersed, returning to their aimless wandering.

Mr. Im exhaled shakily, his face pale, sweat pouring down his temples. He glanced at the group, then at Jae Hyun, who gave a short nod. They could move again, but the weight of what they had just witnessed hung heavy in the air.

"We… we keep moving," Seung Min whispered, his voice shaking. "We can't let it happen again."

The group, now down to 14, continued forward, haunted by the fate of the girl they had just lost.

The scene was sickening. The air was thick with the stench of decay and the eerie silence was punctuated only by the occasional groan of the infected. The group stood frozen, their eyes wide with horror, when suddenly they heard a loud crash.

A huge hand appeared on a nearby window frame, shattering the glass with a resounding bang. The window was torn open, and a monstrous, infected figure climbed through the opening with terrifying ease. The creature was massive, its limbs twisted and grotesque, its eyes glowing with a malevolent hunger. It brandished a bloody axe that it pulled from its back, the weapon stained and dripping.

Kyung Jisoo's heart sank as he recognized the creature. This was the same infected he had fought earlier, the one he had struck with an axe. The memory of their previous encounter came rushing back, the sense of dread amplifying as he saw the axe still clutched in the monster's hand.

The boy with the bandaged arm, his face pale and eyes wide with fear, turned to Jae Hyun. "Did you see that? Did you know about this?"

Jae Hyun's expression was grim as he nodded. "I didn't know it would come here. It's bad. Really bad."

The monstrous figure's gaze shifted toward them. Its gaze locked onto the group, and it pointed directly at them. The infected around it turned as one, their collective moans growing louder and more insistent.

Panic erupted among the group. Someone screamed, "Run!" The command echoed through the main hall, and chaos ensued. The infected, now fully aware of their presence, surged forward with a terrifying speed.

In the ensuing confusion, the group was scattered. The once-organized formation broke apart as each person ran in a different direction. The hallway split into separate paths, leading to different blocks of the school. The roar of the infected filled the air, and each section of the group found themselves separated, with the horde coming after them relentlessly.

The group had been divided into two teams of seven, each fighting to survive against the oncoming horde. The fear and confusion of being separated from the others made the situation even more dire, with no certainty about who would make it out alive.