A/N: I changed Minseok to Junmyeon from the earlier chapters and he's mentioned in this chapter! Please take note of the changes! I did this so I could use Minseok in my later chapters! Sorry about the confusion~!

When Soojung makes it out to her team, they explain to her that the other team would be taking the closer minivan since they have more people. They point out their post of interest and Soojung gasps slightly. The car is a e SUV, but it is the furthest out in the lot and not too far away from the tree line at the edge of the rest area.

“We’re ready,” Chanyeol calls to them, and with a nod, they push open the doors and sprint for their lives.

It seems to be going fine when they reach the bottom of the steps, and quickly take large strides to their designated cars. They each carefully shake down the black power around them for the first few feet, when a voice calls from the distance.

Soojung starts and glances behind her to find Kyungsoo waving his arms frantically. Words flow out of his mouth in a shout, but Soojung barely catches any of it. And in an instant, she realizes the beasts launching out of the tree-line.

Drawing guns, Chanyeol charges in the front, quickly covering the distance and reaching the car just as one of the beasts lash out. Soojung registers the harsh sound of guns firing across the lot and in front of her three of the beasts linger in their way before the SUV.

She starts at the size of them, all easily three times the size of Sehun with long talons and rippling scales against their backs. She swallows the fear and the lump in and draws her gun up. The first shot goes skittering to the ground. Steering herself she tries to focus on the voices in her head—Junmyeon's voice.

Drawing a few quick breaths, she readies herself to dodge to the right. Her feet speed up and she swings right, as Sulli swings left. Sehun lingers behind and starts firing at the large creature. Soojung is vaguely aware of two more advancing rapidly from her left on Sulli's side and draws a breath. Quickly she composes herself and takes a second and third shot at the beast in front of her. The first bullet takes its shoulder and the third, right in between the eyes. It slumps with a thud to the ground and dark blood pours around it. Sehun's gotten the other two down and Sulli has finally reached the car.

She’s vaguely aware of the sweat collecting on her palms and the sounds of Kyungsoo’s voice in the background. Without a second thought, Soojung takes aim for another beast advancing from the tree line and fires. Then, seeing it crumble to the ground, she takes off again for the car with Sehun on her heels, the sounds of feet pounding on the pavement, mixing with the sounds of her quickening heartbeat.

She turns just in time to see Jongin ducking out from the building. He grasps Kyungsoo and races down the steps. He pushes the injured boy down against the side of the steps and as Soojung swings herself into the car, she sees the gigantic blaze of the explosion. She hears it a minute later and braces herself against the seat, ducking her head as the windows of the closer cars blow is and a giant fireball rises into the dark clouds.

"Go! Get in the car!" Sehun's voice comes with he ringing in her ears. Soojung feels him pulling the door closed and Sulli starting the car. Some of the beasts have receded to the tree-line, completely dazed by the explosion.

She watches as the other car races out of the lot. Sulli reeves the engines and pulls up just in front of the steps. Doors fly open, voices come in and go out of Soojung's ears and she's somewhat aware of Kyungsoo being into the car and Jongin, covered in a thin layer of silver permanganate, following him.

She does as Sehun says and aims out the window at the beasts that follow. And she fires, each bullet lodging into the shoulder or the head or piercing the heart. There’s heavy breathing in her right ear and as the car stars off again, she lurches in her seat. Jongin then climbs to the back of the car and tosses a few opened cans of the black powder out the window.

Finally relaxing in her seat and fighting down the groan of her sore arm, she watches as the beasts linger behind a line of black powder, hovering and screeching after their targets.

The night is dark and with every slight curve of the road, Soojung eyes the tree-line for the monsters. Her gun rests against her side, her fingers still wrapped loosely around the handle and waiting for signs of life. The other car had been waiting just a few miles out, their lights and engines turned off and all ducking underneath the seats.

It was decided that the best thing to do would be to try and find a hiding spot, quick, but the longer they traveled, the more anxious they were all getting, the more the tiredness was hitting everyone and the more they were traveling into the countryside. There were no houses in sight. No tall buildings, and all that stretched on their side of the roads were fields and trees.

The throbbing in Soojung’s right arm was dulling by the time they decided to settle in a smaller farmhouse just off the road. There were signs of recent livestock, although none could be found when they opened the doors to the stables, but Soojung took that as a good thing. Nothing that would make noise and give them away. Jongin and Chanyeol had gone to scout the perimeter, just to make sure that there were none of the beasts anywhere nearby, but they were back within fifteen minutes, nodding to set up some sleeping arrangements and watches.

As Baekhyun and Chanyeol claimed first watch, Soojung stacked up some hay and made a fluffy area, and then started dozing off as she nodded to some voices mentioning her name and third watch.

Snippets of dream-like memories float through Soojung’s mind. Just a small remembrance of her sister’s smile and her soft sky blue bed. She hears a gurgle of laughter, a baby’s—probably her baby cousin’s. And then something deeper and slightly melodic—her father’s laughter. Everything comes and goes so quickly and she just wants to grab at something and unfold a whole memory with sights and sounds and smells, but nothing comes to her.

She remembers even the boring bits of school and getting her first job at the convenience store down the road. And then she remembers something more horrifying. She remembers the night it all happened. She remembers her parents’ bodies and her sister’s blood curdling scream, and then the sounds of disaster outside. Windows breaking, cars crashing, people screaming—it’s all so clear in her head, like it’s happening as she sleeps, but then, she sees the faces of the people she’s met. The people she wants to someday call friends.

She sees Chanyeol’s smiling face, and Naeun’s reassuring one. And then Sulli and Sehun holding hands. She sees Baekhyun making faces at a cuddling Kyungsoo and Chorong. And finally, she sees Jongin. He’s all gloom and sophistication at first, but then he smiles and then he smiles wider and she can just see through the crack on his soul where he’s just a little boy, watching his father and wondering if his own father was mad. And she wants to console the small boy, tell him everything is alright. And that he’s going to grow up to be a handsome, brave young man and that he won’t become like his father and that he’s special and all she wants to do it hug him. Just hug him and hold him.

Soojung tries to reach forward to the boy. Her hand comes so close. She’s almost grabbed him by the shoulder—

She wakes to Naeun gently shaking her, alarm written on her face. There are awkward patches of early sunlight streaming through the oddly shaped cracks in the barn, and that’s when Soojung realizes something is awfully wrong.

She sits up, pushing away all the grogginess from nothing more than a few hours of sleep, and looks around.

“They were attacking the barn. Only a few at a time, and Chanyeol and Baekhyun were able to take care of them without waking any of us up, but when the second shift came around and the morning light started seeping into the sky, Jongin says that they didn’t go away. They’re still lingering outside, waiting for us to come out. I think they’re all immune to the sun.”

Soojung hears Naeun’s explanation in the back of her head like a narration. She gets close enough to peer out of one of the cracks and makes out the scaly backside of one of the creatures. She can hear faint whimpers coming from it, but other than a slightly bothered tone, it seems to be enduring the sunlight too well.

“Jongin, what’s going on?” she asks, shaking Sulli awake on her way over to the boy. He shakes his head and Soojung can see a bandage covering most of his left forearm. She hadn’t seen it before.

“I don’t know. From what I know, these things were bread to be secret weapons during ground battles. But they couldn’t figure out why these things were so sensitive to the light, to the point they would die from the heat. Something is definitely taking place in their genetic makeup,” he guesses. Too her left, she can see Chanyeol re-loading his shotgun and somewhere behind her, she hears Chorong and Kyugnsoo speaking in whispered tongues to each other.

“Maybe they won’t be able to take the afternoon sun since it’s so high up in the sky and the rays are much more stronger. We should wait them out.” Baekhyun’s suggestion makes sense.

“We can’t wait. We have to move while it’s still light out. And by the looks of it, until we reach the coastal cities, there isn’t much of a shelter for us.” Chanyeol counters.

No one says a word until the whole barn rocks and growls emerge from the doors. Everyone scatters to grab at weapons, but as soon as Soojung ready to fire, everything stops.

“We can’t stay here. They’ll keep attacking the doors until they give in and when they do, we’ll be surrounded. We have to get out now,” Chanyeol starts. “We’ll have to fight.”

With cautious orders thrown from Jongin and Chanyeol, they set up a plan. The more experienced people will go first, secure the first few feet from the door, and everyone will follow. They’ll have to take them all down in hopes that, when they start off, nothing will be on their tail.

“Chanyeol and I are going to be the first out there. Follow at the signal,” Jongin states.

He and Chanyeol exchange quick nods before unlatching the large lock and lifting away the iron bar that holds the door in place. When the doors swing open, two of the beasts lash out, but Jongin and Chanyeol are quick with their guns, firing before the things get any closer.

With loud thuds, they both land on the ground and the two boys move out, firing a few more times at the creatures that the others can’t see from the inside. Shadows move about outside, and a few more shots are fired when Jongin nods.

Soojung and Naeun charge out with Sehun in the lead, a straight beeline to the cars. She catches movement to her right and aims at one of the beasts, jumping out of the tree line just a few yards away, and shoots. It catches the creature in the shoulder. It shrieks, tumbles forward and Naeun takes one last shot, killing it in an instant.

The sun is high up in the sky now and Soojung can feel the prickling heat and the sweat beading against her hairline. More shots are fired all around her, but she concentrates on making it to the car. Sulli’s already inside, starting it up and Chorong has reached the other one. When Soojung’s just a few steps away from the car, a cry fills the air and she swings around with her gun aimed.

But as she witnesses the last two beasts in the distance pouncing on top of Chanyeol, her whole body goes rigid. Screams fill the air and Jongin brings down the one closer to him, but the other has Chanyeol by the shoulder. It’s claws rip through his shirt and he’s screaming at them to go. Soojung can only watch. Her feet planted to the ground.

Sehun and Baekhyun are out of bullets, but they charge the monster on both sides, striking blows with the butts of their rifles and Jongin throws down his own gun, not able to get a clear shot. Kyungsoo stumbles to help, but Naeun holds him back because he’s still injured and she’s sobbing at the boy, pushing him away, not able to look behind her at what’s happening to her friend.

Teeth tear at Chanyeol’s skin and muscles and Jongin charges with two blades in his hands. It’s only as he cries out and the monster shrieks, is Soojung able to look away. She hears the beast being cut off, but she can’t bring herself to look back anymore.

Kyungsoo and Naeun collapse some steps away, Sulli slumps against the steering wheel and she catches Chorong shuffling out of the car, rushing to assess all of the boys’ injuries in the distance. Soojung can’t look up. She stares at the ground, the rocks, the dirt, the grass and watches as her tears darken the dirt with every splatter of every single drop.

She hears the struggling behind her, the sobbing next to her, and the cries of agony in the distance, so raw and clawing against her heart. She chokes out a breath and struggles to take in another. And when she hears someone calling her name, she starts, panic flooding her veins for a quick second before she sets her jaw and turns around.

Her vision is blurry but she can make out everyone’s figure, but still she doesn’t turn to the whimpering that’s coming closer and closer. Naeun is looking at her, and she realizes that she was the one calling her name.

Her expression is so full of pain and heartbreak, but Naeun seems to be pulling through so much better than everyone else. Kyungsoo has his head in his hands, shoulders shaking uncontrollably against his will.

“Grab the first aid kit. There’s one in the glove compartment,” she says, voice raw. Soojung studies the girl some more. Her eyes are red, large teardrops escaping every now and then, but she’s still so calm. Soojung wishes she could be more like her.

With a few quick steps, she pulls the car door open and grabs the first aid kit. When she turns around, she almost empties her stomach right then and there.

Chanyeol is there, on the ground, eyes clenched shut, lips pale, and his whole upper body covered in blood. The first aid kit slips from her hands as Soojung turns to catch her breath. She can’t seem to get the image of his torn up flesh out of her head. She clenches at her shirt, eyes stinging again, and takes as many breaths as she can.

“There’s no use,” Jongin’s voice says in barely a whisper. There’s some shuffle of feet and the loud, crackling sound of a slap. Soojung turns to see Naeun in front of Jongin, her eyes furious at the words he’d just said.

“Be quiet,” she orders. Her voice even more choked than before.

“Naeun, he’s right. He’s already lost too much blood,” Baekhyun says and a groan comes from Chanyeol, his eyes peeling open. He takes a shaking breath and everyone turns to him. Even Soojung, who tries to avoid staring at the mangled pile of flesh across his chest.

“I…I think it…it pierced m-my lungs,” he chokes out. And Naeun collapses at his side, labored breaths filling the air around them. The stench of his blood is so strong now and Soojung can see the darkness spreading against the grass and dirt.

“It's not fair…”

Chanyeol raises the arm that’s not injured and touches Naeun’s cheek. His thumb brushes over her tears and Soojung has to look away. She can’t bear to watch. She can’t watch her friend die.

Naeun is right. None of it is fair. Chanyeol didn’t deserve this. None of them did,

“Promise me…you’ll be okay.” A long silence follows and a hand touches Soojung’s shoulder. She hadn’t realized how hard she was shaking, how heavily she was sobbing. Someone embraces her, and she sobs into the person’s chest, not caring about how ugly she sounds.

“Please.”

“Take care…of Sehun and Sulli for me. They’re still too young…and Soojung, too…” His breathing gets more labored — too heavy.

The sound of her name catches her off guard and Soojung shudders violently. She clenches at this person’s shirt, her sobs racking her body. Everyone is so silent. So focused on Chanyeol’s last words.

Nothing is said. No one even dares to breathe too loudly. Everything seems so somber and delicate. When Soojung hears feet shuffling against the rocks, she doesn’t dare move. When she hears words being exchanged between boys, she still can’t bring herself to move.

But when all things go silent and her sobs have receded and she’s not shaking so much anymore, she lets go of the person. Baekhyun’s familiar face comes to view, but she doesn’t even thank him or apologize for the wetness against his shirt. She turns and sees Chanyeol’s body, still. His chest has stopped moving. His eyes are closed and for some odd reason, his expression is peaceful.

They don’t burry him — not in a place where he won’t be in peace. But they can’t just leave him for whatever creature to come by. So, they build a large circle of rocks and wood. And they burn him. It’s early afternoon, and the flames are large and beautiful against the dark trees and beautiful blue sky. Soojung wonders if the sky was the last thing Chanyeol had seen before he slipped into eternal sleep, eternal peace—to a place where he doesn’t have to worry about running and hiding, and finding shelter. 

Oh guys...please don't hate me! T~T
I think I literally almost cried writing this. And I wrote it right before I had to go to class so I was like, so depressed during class, I couldn't even focus! But, that was a while back. I'm so sorry I had to do it! I didn't always plan on it being Chanyeol, it just kind of happened.../sobs/
Anyway, I also replaced Minseok from the earlier chapters with Junmyeon because in the upcoming chapters, I wanted him to come out and, while I could have made it Junmyeon, Minseok just fit so perfectly. I'm sorry about that, if you were confused as to why I mentioned Junmyeon at the top of the chapter instead of Minseok! :P

Also, it's been a while since I updates, again. I'm so sorry, but I've been really busy with my shop! I think I'll be updating again soon, so please stay tunned! :D
And don't forget to comment and subscribe! It really helps me and lets me know that I have support for this story! ^^
Thanks for reading!