SURVIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: REFLECTIONS

“Something’s not right. I can feel it.” Jiu said, as the five of them were walking towards a nearby store, the sunlight touching their skin, trying to raid and stock up on their ammunitions and supplies.

“What do you mean, something’s not right?” Yuqi asked, the girl’s eyes turning red for a moment before turning back to black, pure black, then white, looking around and scrunching her brows.

“I can’t sense Gahyeon everywhere.” Jiu said, Soojin widening her eyes at that as her eyes turned into the same colors, and nodded at Jiu.

“What does that mean?” Yuqi said, Jiu gritting her teeth.

“It means that she must have changed her form and blocked her link to us, or she… she died.” Soojin said, her eyes turning black, as if scanning the area.

“And how do you know that?” Jaechan asked, also getting worried as Jiu leaned down onto a wall, relaxing herself.

“The colors are heightened senses; they detect the undead, as well as strangers, and they detect the link we have together. I can only sense mine and Soojin’s but hers is gone. It’s cut off, or blocked, as if she doesn’t want us to know where she is.” Jiu said, her arms over her chest, trying to think of something.

“We’ll find her, unnie. I don’t think she’s dead; the Masterminds can’t afford to kill of the last Firstborn that they can control. She’s in their control, and they’re making her do dirty work again.” Soojin said, Jiu nodding at that, while Mina raised a brow.

“What do you mean about the dirty work?” Mina asked, Soojin sighing at that.

“Considering the situation that we have, that would mean killing you, your friends, possibly bringing Soyeon to the base and giving her to the main leader, and also killing us off since we betrayed the Corporation.” Soojin said, Mina widening her eyes at that.

“But… why would they need Soyeon?” Yuqi asked, not able to think of any reason why Soyeon was the one needed in the first place.

“That’s a reason that wasn’t divulged to us. I… I had the innate instinct programmed to me by the Corporation to protect her until we reach the Paradise, and to let her become a leader there so she wouldn’t be able to leave instantly.” Soojin said, as Mina nodded at that.

“Then… what happened to your lackeys, Jiu unnie?” Yuqi said, Jiu widening her eyes at that.

“I… I forgot all about them. We were focused on getting out of Paradise with Miyeon and go to the laboratories, so I forgot.” Jiu said, Mina nodding at that.

“What if Hayoon and Hara betrays you and becomes something that could be a problem to us? We’re not like you who can kill them at once; we’re humans.” Mina said, Jiu scoffing at that.

“We’ll take care of that, don’t worry. They cannot turn off their link since they are a Second born, and we can sense them from a mile away.” Soojin said, stopping her older sister before she could speak, as Jiu sighed, keeping quiet.

“We have to get going, we’re not safe here.” Jiu said, Mina chuckling at that.

“We’re not safe anywhere, so where would we go?” Mina asked, Soojin nodding at that.

“We have to find the others and end this once and for all. We can’t afford them releasing their biggest weapon yet.” Soojin said, Yuqi raising her brows at that.

“What do you mean?” Yuqi asked, Soojin sighing at that.

“The higher ups had already finished formulating a virus even greater than the first virus that was released last year, and they intend to release it, further infecting all of the remaining people in Seoul that wasn’t affected, and then the world.” Soojin said, as they walked towards the center of the road, beckoning the others to follow them.

“We don’t want that, do we?” Jiu said, as Mina and the others followed, then going inside a store as they picked up some supplies that they needed, then putting it in carts that they would take out with them, bringing it to where they would go.

“What if they find us, will they kill us?” Yuqi said, Jiu sighing at that.

“You guys are filled with what ifs, aren’t you? I have a feeling that you guys don’t like getting into unsure situations where you don’t know the consequences of each action you make. Well, that is life.” Jiu said, her eyes changing color again, as if she was scanning for something along the area.

“It’s safe, I think. Anyways, should we go deeper to the city? I love playing into enemy territory.” Jiu said, chuckling, but Soojin sighed at that.

“We can’t go there, unnie. Mina and the others can’t handle that.” Soojin said, Jiu pouting as she nodded, retiring into watching the rear side of them.

“Anyways… where do you think would the others be?” Jiu said, as they tried to think for a moment.

“I don’t know… honestly. I don’t even know Soyeon anymore. Ever since our stay in Paradise, she had grown into this person that I don’t recognize.” Yuqi said, Soojin sighing at that.

“I’m sorry. I should have—”

Jiu put a finger onto her sister’s lips as she pulled the four of them close, staying down as her eyes changed color again, scanning for the danger she sensed across the area, finding some hordes of zombies gathering all over the place, as if they knew that they were there.

“There are sensors placed all over the city and CCTVs that enable the Corporations and the Masterminds to see everything in the city. The people watching the feeds are also doing serious work, since it is their life and death. Someone must have seen us in the cameras and triggered the sensors alarming only the undead, gathering them here to make it hard for us.” Jiu said, seeing some of the hordes drawing dangerously close for them.

“What should we do?” Mina asked, Soojin sighing as she tried to think of something.

“It would be overwhelming for the two of us to fight alone, so we need to run past everyone undetected. We’ll distract them, and you guys go the other way as quiet as you can, and we will meet you there.” Soojin said, Jiu agreeing at that as they were about to go, but Yuqi stopped them.

“It’s not safe. You guys might be caught, and our locations will be compromised. It’s best not to show yourselves for now, right?” Yuqi said, Jiu raising her brow at that.

“You got a better plan, doctor?” Jiu said, Yuqi nodding at that.

“We could use the subway train or the overhead railroad tracks that settle above the city, you know. That way we can get through the roads efficiently, and go across the city unnoticed since there isn’t a lot of cameras there.” Yuqi said, Mina nodding at that as Jiu sighed, nodding at that.

“Alright, we’ll go with your plan. Don’t worry, we’ll guide the front and the rear of your pack, but where should we go?” Jiu said, Yuqi thinking for a moment.

“Near the center of the city, I think? We could move anywhere we wanted, but it would be tough since there would be too many of the undead and we wouldn’t be able to sleep well, since we have to be on guard most of the time.” Yuqi said, trying to think of where they would go.

“Then… Soyeon’s apartment?” Jaechan said, Yuqi widening her eyes at that.

“Right, I’m sure they would unconsciously go to the place that was second to Paradise, where we stayed for a month or so before going to the island.” Yuqi said, Jaechan nodding at that as they backtracked silently, retracing their steps and going towards the rails built all over the city, wondering if they could reach Soyeon’s apartment with this route.

A lot of walking later, they reached the road leading to Soyeon’s apartment, the two who formerly lived there remembering the places they saw before going to what they thought was a refuge, but was a place that was leading them to death.

They passed the police precinct where Jaechan was holed up, the convenience store that Minnie and the others robbed the first time, and the memories came rushing in.

What if they didn’t leave for Paradise in the first place? What would have happened?” Yuqi said, Soojin sighing at that.

“I was put with your group to manipulate you all into either going to Paradise or staying here and getting killed by rebels, since their plan were pretty tight. They would ensure that you guys would arrive at Paradise no matter what, or stay here and die.” Soojin said, her hands on her pockets, regret written all over her face.

“We were all manipulated by that company, but it’s time to end this, you know—”

Jiu pulled the girls again, Jaechan following them as they surveyed the area, Jiu sensing something dangerous before them.

“Isn’t that…” Yuqi said, seeing some girls and a child kneeling down on the road, blindfolded and one of them beaten up, another girl standing before them.

“Miyeon?” Yuqi said, staring at the girl’s face that was staring fiercely at the girls that were kneeling down in front of her, a grin that was cruel.

“No, that isn’t Miyeon. I can sense something in her that’s trying so hard to mask her real self.” Soojin said, Jiu widening her eyes.

“So that’s…” Mina said, Jiu nodding at that as Jaechan widened his eyes.

“Gahyeon?” Jaechan uttered, his hands falling to his sides.

Some hours later

“Should we go?” Minnie said, Shuhua nodding at that as she carried the still sleeping child on her back, the three girls slowly opening the doors, Minnie shutting it close and tight, making it look like they were still inside the building, as they made their way downstairs—

“Miyeon?” Minnie uttered, seeing a girl so familiar to her, walking slowly towards her.

“Minnie-yah…” Miyeon said, Minnie pulling and hugging her tight, tears falling as Soyeon smiled at her, while Shuhua only stared at her.

“I’ve been looking for you… here you are…” Miyeon said, tears falling as they hugged for a very long time.

“There are rebels here, we have to go.” Shuhua said, rushing them as Minnie nodded, holding Miyeon’s hand and walking away from the place, Shuhua still having doubts as she knew that there was something wrong with Miyeon—

She widened her eyes as she saw Miyeon hit the Thai on her nape, sending her falling down the ground, Soyeon about to protest but Miyeon had already done the same, Shuhua backing away as she saw that two of her friends had already fallen down to the ground, fast asleep.

“You know, don’t you?” the girl said, bearing Miyeon’s voice but was slowly shifting shape, into a face that Shuhua knew so well.

“Seo Gahyeon.” Shuhua uttered, clutching the child tight, backing away from the girl.

“I could kill you right here, Shuhua-ssi, don’t you know? I could grow my hand here and stab through you and the child you’re carrying.” Gahyeon said, still carrying Miyeon’s voice, sending shivers through her spine.

“Stop using unnie’s voice, it’s not yours.” Shuhua said sternly, as she watched the girl tie the two unconscious ones up, putting a blindfold over their eyes.

“If I were you, I’d kneel down right now, and let yourself get tied up. It would be the best for everyone, isn’t it?” Gahyeon said, Shuhua sighing at that.

“What makes you think that I would follow your order—”

Shuhua widened her eyes as Gahyeon was already in front of her, kicking her on her stomach with such force that she knelt down the ground, the child laying down asleep, Gahyeon tying the child up and putting a blindfold over her eyes, Shuhua coughing up blood and spitting it onto the concrete road.

Gahyeon kicked her again, this time with less force but onto her face, sending her dizzy and bruised onto her face, the girl tying her tight with a blindfold over her eyes, pain spreading all over her body as she coughed up more blood, gritting her teeth and trying to stay awake.

“As I said, you should have followed me, Shuhua-ssi. You should have stayed away from Soojin unnie, you know.” Gahyeon said, grabbing a fistful of the girl’s hair and pulling her head up, forcing the girl to face her, Shuhua not replying to that.

“You got dragged into this mess, and Soojin unnie isn’t even in the same side as you, and yet you keep believing on her. Such love, Yeh Shuhua. Such love.” Gahyeon said, Shuhua scoffing at that—

She drew her head back in a swift motion and tried to hit the girl with her head, but the girl was too fast for her, as she dodged back, then slapped the girl hard, laughing at that as Shuhua’s cheek stung, kneeling down the ground and trying to bear the pain.

“You found them, isn’t that nice?” another man said, Shuhua facing the direction of the voice, but a hand kept her head down, forcedly bowing in front of the people that were arriving.

“They’re yours to kill, I expect that you would do the job and finish it, this time. Or would you be like Soo Jung? Should I just let all your men be eaten by the undead that I could easily call here?” Gahyeon said, Shuhua hearing the man grumbling as he removed Shuhua’s blindfold, the sun blinding her for a moment before she could see a man that was staring at her with hate and pure anger.

“Your face is familiar, girl… It’s like looking at a mirror.” He said with a grin, Shuhua widening her eyes.

“My father… you met him?” Shuhua said, tears on the verge of falling as the man went towards Minnie, who was already awake and silent, probably listening onto the conversation they were having.

“Why don’t you listen to the one who killed him with her two companions, hmm?” He said, Shuhua widening her eyes at that as she stared back at Minnie, who already had her blindfold removed, refusing to look at her.

“Unnie… you… did you kill my father?” Shuhua said, Minnie looking down, then let out a small nod, and tears fell from Shuhua’s eyes.

“No… you… why…?” Shuhua said, the men dragging Minnie in front of her, the man only watching as Shuhua couldn’t contain her tears, looking angrily at Minnie.

“I… I’m sorry, Shu.” Minnie said, Shuhua gritting her teeth and hitting Minnie with her head, pushing her away as she cried, pain ripping through her heart.

“Now that’s over… Should we see the main star of this all, the one that is behind everything…?” the man said, ripping away the blindfold of the third person, Soyeon kneeling down the ground and not looking at any of them, her eyes trained onto the ground.

“Look at us, Jeon Soyeon.” The man ordered, but the girl did not move.

The man grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her hair up, her face moving upwards, Minnie lunging towards the man that was hurting her sister, but a couple of other men had pinned her down the ground.

“Kill me, if you’re so brave.” Soyeon uttered, the man chuckling at that as he grabbed a small knife from one of his men, slicing onto her cheek and drawing blood, but she didn’t dare move, not when the man could easily slit her throat—

“Stop playing with her and kill her now, Seokhoon. We don’t have time for this.” Gahyeon said impatiently, back to her true form as some of the men had already brought the wounded Miyeon with them.

“Give me a gun.” The man named Seokhoon said, one of his men giving him a gun that he aimed onto the girl, Soyeon staring into the gun bravely, knowing that it could be the last thing she’d see.

“Goodbye, Jeon Soyeon.” Seokhoon said, as Soyeon closed her eyes, waiting for the fated gunshot—

A loud gunshot rang into the air, but Soyeon’s ears were only ringing, unaware of the chaos that was happening all around her, as she felt a heavy mass lean onto her, something wet trickling all over her shoulders and her chest, as she opened her eyes.

“Yuqi…?” She uttered, the woman leaning down onto her, blood pooling from her chest.