Act 10 “Cracked”

The darkness overwhelmed their sight as the heavy snow storm pierced their skin. They kept walking instead of turning back because they had enough of this sickness; they wanted to end it. Using their remaining stock, they drank the last bottle as they got their cat eyes back; everything seemed crystal clear now.

Walking passing the brushes, they reached a stoned-door and heavily pushed it open. Getting inside, they were covered from the rain as they took off their mask. They spotted mosses and spider webs around them; proof of no one’s existence for ages.

“Hyu…hyung, can…hear…me?” a voice cracked from their ear receiver.

“Not so clear, Changmin,” one of them answered,” We’re in and there’s no trace of zomb---Arrg!”

“Jaejoong, are you okay?”

“I’m fine…Yunho,” Jaejoong answered his partner,’ the receiver just blew up on my ears.”

“…I can’t contact Changmin too,” Yunho checked his receiver but he got none. They’re trapped now; with no remaining stock of their strawberry juice or hot chocolate. Not forgot to mention, they’re so tired and had bruises all over their body. The wound kept them awake but the pain was killing them slowly.

“We can’t go back, we already came this far,” Jaejoong declared even though he was so beaten up.

“I know, let’s finish this as soon as possible then,” Yunho gave the conclusion as Jaejoong nodded. After make sure the door was locked and no way had the zombies followed them inside, they walked through the cave-like clay tunnel. 

“I can’t believe centuries ago, the ancient dynasty used this place to treat people,” Yunho commented. It was so moist and hard to believe it used to be an ancient hospital decades ago. Even the building was buried underground because few earthquake s that happened.

“At least, there are no zombies here,” Jaejoong pointed out the vital point as they reached the end of the tunnel and made it to a big square room with some pillars. They spotted old-stoned-bed that was probably used for sick patients covered with thick moss. It was so dark till Yunho managed to find a torch and lightened it.

They approached closer to an altar in the middle and walked up the stairs. There was old carving on the tomb-like stoned-trunk. Jaejoong didn’t have any idea what it said and neither was Yunho. They took photos with their camera and decided to let Changmin examined it later.

“It’s a silly mission,” Jaejoong finally spoke,” We risked our life just for this stupid tomb.”

“I know, but we might end this madness if we’re right,” Yunho said,” Let’s try to open this trunk.”

They pushed the cover hard till they made friction noises and finally made it fell on the ground hard. They took some breathe as they looked into the content of the tomb.

“Tell me I’m hallucinating,” Yunho demanded.

“You’re not because I’m also looking at a fine human being with old-fashioned robe sleeping peacefully,” Jaejoong whispered as he poked the person inside the tomb. There’s no answer or respond. Yunho decided to get the person up with his bare hand. They examined the old man that looked around his fifties and had few white hairs.

Then, the eyes suddenly opened.

“Woaaaa!” Yunho and Jaejoong shouted as they backed off. They were ready to shoot or cut the person that was staring at them with blank eyes. They kept like that till they heard hoarse voices from the person.

“Poor little thing…Even after many eras passed, they’re still haunting you…”

Yunho pulled Jaejoong to his back when the old man smiled at them.

“You two are just the same like ever, trapped in this stupid game forever…Not knowing what’s really going on…”

“What do you mean?” Jaejoong dared to ask,” Who, I mean, what are you?”

“Ignorance, aren’t you?” the old man mocked,” Even though your souls are still intact…”

Yunho wanted to ask many question but he couldn’t as pain attacked his whole body. He screamed and could hear Jaejoong cried out in pain too. Yunho tried his best to get up and reached for Jaejoong, just to get himself knocked down into the ground.

He felt so cold, so scared, and so fragile. His body betrayed his brain as he lost his sight completely. Both Jaejoong and Yunho fell into a very deep sleep as the old man walked out from his tomb; coming closer to the unconscious men.

“Let your souls speak and so you’ll understand how fool you’ve been…” was the last whisper Jaejoong and Yunho managed to hear in their slumber. The old man smiled as he continued talking to himself in some ancient language; it was like a song, yet, it’s not.

“Hmm, I wonder should I make the other three awaken too?” was the last things the old man spoke before he vanished into thin air.

---

Changmin was dead worried; he had been trying to contact Yunho and Jaejoong for hours but he got nothing. Nothing like this had happened, at least till their last mission a year ago. He had even called Yoochun and Junsu for their help but they still got nothing. And what pissed him off more was their supervisor; they didn’t want to send any rescue team in at all. Coward! Changmin screamed in his head.

Starting from the seconds their supervisor asked them this insane mission, Changmin already had bad feeling. How could he not? Imagine bunch of zombies had a campaign in some abandoned ancient hospital in a wild forest and you needed to get inside just to know what they’re doing there. The size of the monster was like as much as small town citizen; they’re almost three hundreds or even more. Changmin definitely disagreed with the crazy idea but Yunho and Jaejoong wanted to do the mission; they said they might find the truth of the zombies here. It was indeed a rare opportunity for the zombies to gather at certain places. That’s why they’re hoping they could find out whom or what was responsible for this sick virus. They might be able to end everything.

So, the mission started and Changmin managed to get them there with a lot of struggle. Yunho and Jaejoong barely made it to the entrance after they encountered so many walking dead. They fought bravely and carefully but there’re too much of them; even though Jaejoong and Yunho got stronger every time they got bitten, the zombies rather hurt them than bit them. It seemed the virus had learnt how to deal with the broken ones.

“Hyung, I can’t contact them at all,” Changmin hissed desperately as he kept punching the keyboard with his fingers. Yoochun and Junsu were also busy tracking Jaejoong and Yunho from the device they put inside the infected blood; it would be on once they drank it from the bottle, another advance tracking machine they managed to develop.

“Damn, the storm is killing the signal,” Yoochun spoke.

“Look!” suddenly Junsu pointed to the screen in front of them,” They’re here but…it’s weird…”

“What weird?” Changmin asked.

“Their heart beat,” Yoochun answered instead of Junsu after he examined the other screen,” It’s like they’re in a deep sleep…”

The tracking device was on their blood and it could be used to know their condition, such as heart rate and how bad was the wound. It would be on for three hours after it switched and so far, it had been almost half hour.

“Seriously, I’ve enough of this,” Changmin finally spoke,” I’m going there to help them. I have a very bad feeling that something really bad happened there…”

“But Changmin, the order---“ Junsu couldn’t finish his sentence.

“ the order!” Changmin hissed as he got ready, wearing his armor and guns,” Jaejoong hyung and Yunho hyung areout there, hurting or maybe dying, I don’t give a crap about our coward superior’s order. They can hide in their safe room but our friends are freezing and dying out there!”

“Stop, Changmin. I and Junsu will go instead,” Yoochun stopped Changmin as he continued,” You’re the only one able to back up us if anything happens, that’s why I need you to stay here.”

Changmin wanted to protest but he knew it was right. He was the only one could think fast and make good strategy behind the stage. Meanwhile, Yoochun and Junsu had worked together for so long and they would be a better rescue team than him alone.

“I’ll make sure they’re okay,” Junsu promised as he and Yoochun got ready. Changmin helped them as he prepared the guns and the temporary vaccine, in case Junsu or Yoochun got bitten. In ten minutes, both of them departed, out to the snow storm.

Changmin was finally alone, in big iron trunk in the middle of the forest. Their stupid supervisor was the one gave the idea for the trunk so Changmin, Junsu, and Yoochun could assist Jaejoong and Yunho in the mission. They were totally alone in the forest; the rest of the army was outside the forest, making parameter so the zombies wouldn’t come out. What a coward, Changmin cursed again.

Sighing, Changmin kept trying to contact Yunho and Jaejoong. He kept talking into the microphone but still no answer. He was dead scared when he heard screams from the other line.

“Yunho hyung! Are you okay?!” Changmin was terrified, then he heard Jaejoong’s,” God! Jaejoong hyung! Please tell me you’re okay!”

Then the line died again; blame the storm. Changmin was sweating hard; he told Yoochun and Junsu about the scream and told them to go faster but the zombies just wouldn’t let them get in easily. Changmin was dead worried and he was sweating so much; he tried his best to guide Yoochun and Junsu. They’re half way and it had been another half hour. Luckily, no one was bitten, yet.

To his horror, Changmin heard loud bang as his body was thrown from his seat. He hit the desk nearby as he groaned in pain. Changmin could see an old man figure right on the door, which was made by heavy metal and no way could human or zombies break it.

“You should worry more about yourself than them,” the old man in old-fashioned robe muttered. Changmin tried to use his gun on his pocket to shoot but the bullet was smashed away. He struggled but it was useless; it was like his whole energy was drained from him.

“Finally the time has come, the time for me to rise again!” the old man laughed like mad man,” All thanks to you…You’re the reason for all of this. You fool! You’re the one started all of this!”

“What…do you mean?” Changmin managed to speak even though he couldn’t see clearly anymore.

“Enough…Let’s dance with the undead, shall we? So the souls of you, five ignorance beings, will be awakened once again…”