CTLI — Chapter 27

“But going out at this hour is a suicide mission.”

He tousled his hair in frustration as he walked over and grabbed my arm, his expression uneasy, as if he were afraid I’d slip out while he hesitated.

“Don’t go.”

“I don’t have time tomorrow. If you could just rest here for a bit…”

“…Zombies will break in soon.”

“…What did you just say?”

I’d only just begun to think he was genuinely worried about me, but the words that followed threw me off so much I couldn’t hide my confusion. Instead of explaining, he stared out the window. A cold chill spread through my body at the sense of dread creeping in.

“Zombies will come in here.”

“Zombies will come in here.”

“…”

“If you go out, you’ll die, hyung.”

I should’ve asked how he knew that, but no words came out. And it didn’t feel like he was joking. In fact, he grabbed me roughly with a serious look on his face. My legs went weak, and I stumbled as he pulled me along.

This was supposed to be one of the safest areas, with reinforced security to keep the zombies out. The idea that they could breach this place… it shouldn’t have been possible.

“They’re here.”

He dragged me over to where Yoon Seohwa was sleeping. “Just stay here. I’ll handle it.” His voice, saying those words, felt detached from reality. Didn’t he ask earlier why I never questioned the ending? I looked down at my own fingers, trembling helplessly.

BEEEEEEP! A sharp siren blared from outside.

Startled, I turned toward the window. The once-dark city had turned completely red. Even from inside the building, the chaos outside was palpable. I quickly pulled the radio out from my coat.

As expected, it was already going off with a shrill beeping, calling me urgently. I steadied my breath and calmly pressed the button.

Chzzk. Amidst the radio’s static, Park Moonkyu’s voice came through.

— Where are you right now?!

“Temporary civilian shelter. Why is it so loud outside?”

I tried to sound calm, but the tremble in my voice gave me away. I hoped desperately that it was nothing. Maybe a false alarm. Or just a stray zombie. But then the sirens began to wail, and Park Moonkyu’s voice returned, more urgent than ever.

— Then get the civilians in that area and head to the evacuation point! Something like a monster showed up right in the middle of the city! Hurry!

It was definitely an emergency. He didn’t even wait for a response before the transmission cut out. I quickly stuffed the radio back in my coat and turned toward the door, but Choi Dohyun stepped in front of me, gripping my shoulder tightly again.

“No. Don’t go.”

“Move aside.”

“Hyung.”

“I said, move.”

“Aren’t you scared of dying? Let me go instead. You stay here.”

“All the more reason for you to move. Wake Yoon Seohwa and bring her with you.”

I swatted his hand away roughly, my voice sharp with frustration. Smack! The sound of flesh on flesh echoed as Choi Dohyun reflexively stumbled backward a few steps.

Who isn’t afraid of dying? That’s exactly why I was trying to go out.

I was lucky. I knew I wouldn’t die. But others weren’t so fortunate. They were terrified, they suffered, they trembled in fear and fell into despair.

“I said don’t go. It’s dangerous.”

“I’m a soldier. I have a duty to protect civilians. And even if I don’t go out, this place isn’t safe. Mr. Choi Dohyun. Maybe you’ll be fine, but Ms. Yoon Seohwa must be protected.”

“That’s why I’m saying stay here! You know this place is safe. I’ll go instead.”

“Yes, I understand what you’re saying. I do. But…”

Aaaaagh! People screamed outside. The radio began blaring again. Evacuation announcements echoed throughout the city in a frenzy.

I rushed out to the entrance. As I yanked open the door, I was met with smoke rising from all directions and a writhing mass of flesh in the wide plaza. Countless hands sprouting from its body crawled along the ground, and a gaping hole—presumably its mouth—opened wide, inside which a person’s severed head tumbled about. It devoured fleeing people as they screamed and let out a piercing howl. It sounded almost like a wolf’s howling.

I forced my trembling hands to steady as I roughly grabbed a man who had collapsed in the hallway.

“Get to the evacuation site immediately! Run! Now!”

When I pushed him hard on the back, the staggering man bolted toward the stairs, his face drained of all color. Dammit. I cursed, blaming myself for only bringing a single pistol. I never imagined I’d have to face that monster again—the very one that killed me the first time. How could I forget that form?

Dozens of soldiers kept a defensive perimeter. I could see them firing bullets and tossing grenades, but the monster only howled and scanned the area as if searching for something. Occasionally, when a person came into view, it devoured them without hesitation. It was a horrific sight.

“Please, hyung!”

From inside the building, Choi Dohyun came to his senses and bolted out, grabbing me tightly. I staggered from the momentum as he shoved me roughly back inside. My legs tangled, and I stumbled against the wall, eventually collapsing to the floor.

I must’ve hit my head on a corner—an aching numbness spread through my skull. That bastard. Rage surged up in an instant. I raised my head with a snarl.

It was past eleven at night, yet the sky glowed red like a burning sunset. Black smoke rose, mingled with the screams of people and the gunfire of soldiers. Choi Dohyun stood over me, turning his back on the tragedy playing out behind him.

I scrambled to my feet and lunged at Choi Dohyun. There was no time to waste here. His continued interference was both infuriating and repulsive—especially knowing where his selfishness stemmed from.

I hooked his firmly planted leg, toppling him, then swung a fist hard into his face. Thud! The impact must have been painful, but Choi Dohyun gritted his teeth and yanked at my collar. I straddled his stomach as he fell and punched him again across the opposite cheek. With a dull crack, blood streamed from his nose. He shouldn’t have been able to see straight with that much damage, but he bent his knees and thrust his hips upward, knocking me off balance.

As my body tilted forward, he grabbed my arm and collar and flipped me over with swift, practiced movement, pinning me down.

He pressed my shoulders and arms with his thighs, and no matter how much I squirmed, I couldn’t move. Clicking my tongue, I hooked my legs around his neck and yanked downward.

Crack. With a crunching sound, I slammed Choi Dohyun’s head into the floor and scrambled to my feet.

I looked down at him as he wiped his nose, his breathing steady despite the bright streaks of blood smeared across his face like paint.

“Stay still.”

“Please, hyung.”

“I won’t die. Just take care of Yoon Seohwa.”

“How can you be so sure?!”

I had put enough force into my blows to break bones, yet Choi Dohyun stood up again as if it were nothing.

Sighing, I felt my eyelids twitch and twisted my lips. Fine. It was pointless.

“I really won’t die. Even if I do, I’ll come back after a certain amount of time.”

“How would you come back to life…?!”

Choi Dohyun, who had been shouting desperately, suddenly went blank. He gasped for air, mouth open, and stared at me with unfocused eyes. Then he turned his head sharply, staring into space, and muttered dumbly.

“…Why… the Hidden…?”

“So step aside.”

I frowned as that word—one I didn’t want to hear—slipped out. I turned to go.

Boom!

A bomb exploded outside, followed by the monster’s shriek. Tsk. I clicked my tongue and bent down to pick up the pistol that had fallen during our scuffle.

“Do you really… really not die?”

The ground shook so violently that I paused, steadying myself against the wall. I nodded at Choi Dohyun, who slumped to the floor, dazed.

Whether he believed me or not was his decision. Time was already running out, so I pushed through the front door. Choi Dohyun’s voice didn’t follow—perhaps he had finally given up.

The outside remained chaotic. Unlike the first time I’d seen the monster, the number of soldiers’ corpses had increased, strewn across the plaza. The creature, larger than before, howled and rolled its eyes in search of prey.

Should I turn back time? Wouldn’t it be better to ask Choi Dohyun to reset everything from the beginning? I wanted to save the ones who could still be saved.

Unable to hide my impatience, I cursed under my breath. As I ran through the hallway, I helped people up, banging on doors in case anyone was still asleep, shouting at them to evacuate. If only I’d told Choi Dohyun sooner that I could come back to life, we wouldn’t have been delayed like this.

Bang!

Amid the hail of gunfire, one particularly loud shot pierced my ears.

Just one step later, my legs faltered. I grabbed the railing. It felt like fire had ignited in my stomach. Dazed, I blinked slowly and looked down.

Drip, drip. Dark blood was falling onto the cement floor.

“Ah…”

Was I seeing this wrong? I pressed my hand to my stomach, then pulled it away. My palm was soaked in blood. What… why… I slowly exhaled and turned around.

Choi Dohyun stood in the hallway, holding a smoking gun.

“Choi Do—”

Instead of finishing his name, I coughed up a mass of blood. My head spun, like someone had shaken me inside a jar. Sounds began to fade. Huuuh… My breathing echoed loudly in my ears.

Beep, beep, beep. A mechanical sound reached me, repeating and fading.

As Choi Dohyun approached, I swayed and collapsed backward. My body hit the hard, cold cement floor, but the pain in my stomach far outweighed the impact elsewhere. It hurt—it hurt so much.

I mouthed the words over and over without sound, staring blankly up at Choi Dohyun as he stood over me. Why? I gazed at him accusingly, but he only looked down at me with a face on the verge of tears.

“…I’m sorry, hyung. I’m sorry…”

“…”

“I believe you when you say you won’t die. I do. I… I really do…”

“…”

“I don’t want to lose you… So please, wait here with Yoon Seohwa. I’m sorry.”

Click. Choi Dohyun reloaded the gun and pointed it at me. Strangely, his expression looked like he was the one who’d been shot—his hand trembled violently.

I wasn’t thinking about the betrayal of being shot, or even the pain in my stomach. The only thing I could focus on were the screams of people, now growing faint and distant.

These people… they’re not paper dolls to me.

As my vision blurred and the fully-pulled trigger entered my sight, I died—again.