TIMESKIP 2 WEEKS...

“NingNing-ah, you good?”

Winter called out as she saw the youngest girl clicking and hacking her way through one of the computers.

“Yup! Nothing weird so far.”

“That’s good, where’s Giselle?”

“She went out to get something, she’s coming back soon though.”

The two girls gave each other a thumbs up, and Winter continued on her way down the hallway.

“Winter, you good?”

The called girl glanced up to see her best friend walking towards her.

“Yeah I’m okay, just checking around again.”

Giselle nodded, quickly ruffling the shorter girl’s hair before passing by her. Winter grumbled as she fixed her hair, wishing that Giselle wasn’t so tall. She continued to walk down the corridor to another open door, jogging the last few steps.

“Hey, Minjeong-ah.”

Winter startled as the girl inside called out to her, her back towards Winter as she worked on the computer.

“How’d you know I came in? And How’d you know it was me?”

Karina chuckled, her eyes sparing a glance at the younger girl as she sat down next to her.

“I heard you running. Giselle already came to check up on me and I know NingNing’s working on the computers today as well.”

The group of four girls decided to take the risk, doing what Mark and Seulgi did in the past to hopefully stop the Black Mamba, or at least find a cure for the comatosed teenagers. 

But this time, things would be different.

They were in the city, in a building many people went to. People were nearby if they needed help or if there was an emergency, witnesses just in case something bad did happen. They split into two groups, rotating on who would use the computer, the other watching out for the user…

Winter gazed at Karina’s side profile, unable to tear her eyes away from the girl’s serious expression, her lips adorably pursed from concentrating on her task.

“Take a picture, it lasts longer.”

Winter flustered up, “I-I would if we were in a different situation.”

Karina laughed as Winter looked away, back to the computer screen where Karina was searching up different documents, seeming to be close to what they were looking for.

Then a certain document popped up after half an hour of surfing, intriguing them both.

“BM01112330…” 

Winter muttered the document’s name as Karina continued to read.

“‘The Black Mamba, not to be confused with the reptile of the same name, is a virtual parasite. Unable to mutate or multiply, it finds its most likable slash livable hosts in those ages thirteen to nineteen. After they are ‘done’ using the host, they move out, the host is then left in a coma while the BM finds another body. When the BM leaves a host, it leaves a portion of itself inside the host’s body, if that host is a living being.’”

“So… the Black Mamba was man-made?”

Karina shook her head, skimming through the document, “I don’t know for sure… Seems like it…”

The older girl then pointed to another text, “it says here that they don’t know for sure what caused this or how it can be stopped but… ‘From experiments and evidence, we can only hope that soon enough, the Black Mamba will be left as nothing.’”

“So after the ‘last’ host… The snake will have no body, like that snake game but in reverse.”

Karina nodded, continuing to read, “‘the Black Mamba seems to have something similar to tunnel-vision, and will only attack one person at a time, and can not change directions mid-flight. It can not survive if it is in open air, it must be encased in an inanimate object, or a human body.’”

Winter pointed to the bottom of the screen, “look, there’s more.”

The older girl scrolled down, “‘the Black Mamba originated from’-”

Static quickly filled the screen, a loud, angry hissing unlike anything they’ve heard echoing in the room.

Winter knew this was the Black Mamba striking an attack, she knew that it was angry.

Angry at Karina.

The lights flickered on and off, and with only Karina’s safety in mind, Winter went in front of the older girl, hugging her tightly on the chair, her own back facing the computer screen.

She then gasped, an excruciating pain flowing through her back into every one of her veins, her figure seeming to spaz out as if she was electrocuted. 

Everything stopped. 

The power cut throughout the whole building, no lights, no alarms, no nothing.

There was no sound except for the girls’ heavy breathing in the pitch back room.

Karina snapped out of her shock as she felt the younger girl’s head fall into the crook of her neck, glancing down to see Winter on top of her, her hold on the older girl weakening, her breathing labored and weak.

“Winter?”

“...”

“M-Minjeong-ah?”

“...”

“WINTER!" 

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Sorry all Winter stans 🤠 I promise not all hope is lost though -Minah