C H A P T E R 001         

Prior to the outbreak, Hangang was once a well-liked area to be mentioned in every travelers' bucket list when visiting the city of the future. A place where one can imagine what cities will look like in the years to come. South Korea has developed a reputation for its coveted pop culture, which was increasingly sought after not only in Asian countries but throughout the world. The country was once a poor city that has bloomed into a cultural capital with high-profile architecture, top museums, and an influential art scene. Even the citizens were hardworking, passionate about their dreams and plans, settling debts, opening up a shop to begin their bestselling foods around to serve the exhausted and starving customers or drop by. 

Their most favorite spot by the stall, seated at one of the tables and served with bottles of cold alcohol to enjoy the evening after a long day at the workplace. Men in suits, men in sweats, everyone seemed to live to the fullest as if they do not have to worry about what could happen by the next day. Those memorable smiles and laughter were used to create an echo around the four walls, of course, they were not capable to escape from feeling pain, dealing with constant heartbreaks, crying over small matters, getting upset or mad when they wasted their last salary on a ridiculous cute keychain at the nearest accessory store. Mascots were luring them over to make a purchase. It was used to be a whole peace, they were living such an ordinary lifestyle.

They knew nothing lasted forever but they have never thought about it attacking their mentality way too soon. 

They knew that happiness does not belong to them everlast but it felt too short, way too soon.

Everything passed by way too soon.

 

Especially for someone as fragile as the fourteen-year-old Bang Chan covered in muds from playing hide and seek with his group of same-age friends only to end up witnessing the other corner of his eyes to catch on his best friend being brutally ripped apart on the flesh. They were all crying and screaming excruciatingly, begging for mercy on their lives but Chan was left frozen on his two legs, shaken and trembled to the maximum he was not aware of his surroundings until he heard a familiar voice yelling from a predictable distance, “Chan! Get away from there!”

It was his elder sister, sprinting up towards him in defense.

Only to realize the nearing predator with another one closest to his contact attempted to tackle him down causing his eyes to widen, out of anything that horrible than his nightmare to ever existing upfront. In the reality. He was not expecting any of these to occur, none of these were written in history, never once they would ever look forward to how the world sweeping away humanity as a counterattack against human beings.

His breaths shorten, struggling to break free from the grip on his ankle by one of those monstrous creatures taken over the bodies of humans, including his own friends as if they have transformed in a split second. He shrieked in panic when he yanked his limbs and jolted away from the scary teeth with his foot smashing into the crooked face like a damned maniac, “Get away from me!” He shouted in a hoarse voice, hinting out his dry throat all through that war between himself and the horrific attacks. He thought his life would end there, just like that, after he lost hope by seeing his sister being swallowed in the horde.

She was screeching and screaming at the top of her lungs in agony from the wrench and dismembered cruelly.

The young male shut his eyes tightly, as tight as he hugged his favorite dinosaur stuffed toy at home, imagining himself blanketed comfortably and protected by the locked windows when he was easily frightened by the presence of shadows and monsters under his bed. 

Then the next thing he heard, “Get up, you coward!”

Gasped in surprise, Chan eventually plucking his eyes open to check the owner of that voice and taking recognizable notes on that figure around his age then he recollected those moments he was jokingly bullied by that troublemaker in school.

“What the heck are you looking at? Get up!” said the brown-haired, known to be Minho, he had fresh blood scented scar on the cheek signaling he has killed someone before he came saving the frozen Chan on the ground cornered with infectious walkers being slaughtered abundantly had Chan questioning a lot on his mind but they were lacking time to converse further, so he tagged along behind the speedrunner Minho without a single doubt.

They needed to be desperate to live again.

They knew they needed it.

Minho only brought a mop stick previously sharpened first and foremost, has deadly covered in dirty blood splattered in a sticky liquid but he was left with no other option than to reuse the hard wooden stick. Chan glanced around in regrets when he caught every corner and sides were playing similar scenes, left and right, everyone got captured and eaten.

As soon as they were bitten, they would wake up but in a different form and as if they have gone mad.

The world has gone mad.

 

“Chan? Chan, wake up.” Minho coldly shook the slightly older male on the shoulder in an attempt to wake him up.

The furrowed eyebrows and frowning Chan jumped up on his bed with a long inhaling of breath, panting heavily. He immediately throwing gazes all over the areas in tears and blurry visions slowly adapting to clear out his sight. The moment he sat up with his flexed muscles of his arms propped against the springy materials, he could tell there was barely less than three-person in his room checking up on his condition before he shifts his fixated gazes on each one of them to recognize the faces based on his own team— no other than Minho on his side, and the other two turned out to be Changbin with sharpening his dagger and Jisung munching on the red apple urged him to burst a small chuckle.

“It's not like I was already dead.” 

That one sentence came out of the older man's mouth caused Minho to rolling his eyes mockingly and crossed his arms together pressed against his chest, not forgetting they were all dressed in a similar cargo pants to symbolize their high ranks aside from residing behind the walls.

The logo sewed on the shoulder part of their uniform signified their quality of power in being known as a squad of scavengers.

“Yeah, if only we just leave you on that ring.”

Chan has recalled those moments before he passed out from overwork and totally engrossed with self defense during the entire harsh training to battle with his potential rival inside of the battle ring, “Mingi. Where is he?” he asked, putting on his black wifebeater as soon as he felt his two feet landed on the cold ground once again being watched the awaiting members in the same room.

“He's just fine, why are you so worrying about your own rival? Damn this guy.” Changbin spoken up to ridicule the idea of questiong the name they have longed staying enemies, endlessly picking up on each other for no reason but to entertain themselves and their uncontrollable mixed emotion. Jisung only cracked into a dorky laughter with a full mouth of smashed apple pieces, “I still can remember his ironman boxer when our brother Christopher pulled down his garment out of accidentally. Man that was the most epic moment!”

Chan snorted with a soft laughter, shaking his head to the thought of his friends remained the same with their foolishness in spite of the widespread disaster outside the walls secured the humanity, and all that chaos they had to come on facing at such an early age. They were capable to maintain their joyous half.

“Oh and everyone are waiting for you downstairs, let's grab dinner. I heard there will be an announcement.” Jisung added after he has swallowed the contents of the equally chewed fruit to finish it off at last. His round bubbly eyes became the reason why everyone in the camp majorly liking him regardless of their status. Changbin nodded along, “I'm sure there will be a good news! Or.. we have to go hunting?” Guessed Changbin with a tapping on the chin earned a warning smack from Minho on the head.

“Stop being nonsense and let's head down. Leave Chan some space to get ready.” said Minho, stepping out of the room without a single look on the dirty blonde haired male as the winced and pouted Changbin trailing behind Minho then followed by a laughing Jisung.

Chan smirked, “These kids.”

He continued on divert his attention to perceive the empty pages of his diary book as he sat down on the provided chair, holding up a plain simple black inked pen to begin writting the first verse of introduction to his 18th page.

Dear Diary,
I would like to present this page for my sister, Junghwa.
You came in to my dream this time and I was absolutely
grateful to be able seeing you again but when the bad
memories came hitting me, I was out of words. I was
speechless. As if the Lord showed me where did I go
wrong, my biggest mistake in life, and it was not being
quicker at protecting you like what I've promised grandma.
Please rest peacefully up there.

And closed the book back on with the pen attached to the leather brown cover before he stood up, settling the chair back inside the table then he grabbed his military cargo jacket with respect to the term and conditions inside of the quarters. The only and the largest, spacious accomandation made for the military personnel and the other defensive teams went separatedly from the town people.

 

As everyone named in the list has made their own appearances to fill the room of the cafeteria wherein the best trained soldiers ready to feast on dinner time. The cooks served them different menu every week to maintain the proteins of their warriors when they had to go work on the next day with Chan carried the tray to line up for the service has joined one table surrounded by his close companies, including Minho, Changbin and Jisung from his room.

There were also Hyunjin, Felix, Seungmin, and Jeongin seated on the opposite of the four. They devoured on whatever has been displayed right in front of them without a double check as a sign they were eagerly hungry. Chan shared a laughter in amusement when Jisung and Jeongin opened up gossiping with their childish remarks has plastered the smiles on everyone around them again.

He chewed on the oily fried drumstick chicken with chopsticks to handle the weight to avoid staining his own hands since he was never a messy person. He then coincidentally turned his head to realize another pair of eyes darted on him but it was not a fierce gaze, rather he considered those stares as an apology from his opponent, Song Mingi— the Captain of ATEEZ, unbeatable squad after Stray Kids. Though the two groups held similar purpose: To eliminate every single walkers on earth from harming on the innocent but once they got engaged with battles on the ring, they fought for reputation.

Chan nodded and offered his glass of Soju as an indirect cheers with Mingi from a good distance. They drank on one shot and he emitted a satisfying groan as he gently slammed the glass back down on the table to surprise his messy-eater friends.

 

Hours passed by, a feminine voice approached from the speaker alerted the soldiers to pay concentration on what could be declared and they stopped filling up their stomach in brief, 

“Mhm! Hear me out, this is Sergeant Yoo speaking, I hope you had a good meal and enjoyed our service for tonight. Surprise, surprise? General Ok Taecyeon is already on the way to the meeting hall to arrange a special mission. Please make sure to be there within 25 seconds!”

In a snap, the men in cargo pants detached themselves from the seats and bench immediately to recycle the trays at the provided space for the workers to collect the dirty dishes on behalf as they hurried up to exit the cafeteria together. Chan was not stopping his friends to take the front walk, so he could watch after them without missing anyone else behind from his team. Jisung and Jeongin invited Felix to participate in their silly actions during the crowded walks along the hallway, had to suppress their laughter in mumbling to one another had Chan to shook his head in disbelief.

“Keep quiet, boys.” He attempted to sound strict to trigger their awareness and straightened up right away.

“How's life controlling your kids?” Mingi suddenly voiced up his joking intention as he kept tracks next to Chan, clearly visible to distinguish between their height difference with that closeness. He shrugged it off as he curled a smile, “Tiring but they are still precious to you.”

Mingi nodded in agreeing, “Right. Some of my members are much older but they act like children still.”

“Truth. I mean we have to enjoy those little times too. Not blaming them since we lost our childhood way too soon.”