[CONTENTID1]Phoenix[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Sixteen[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

The smell of gasoline permeated the air. Never had Seri been so relieved to find a gas station that still had fuel to offer—both cars had been about to run out of gas. Being stranded with an empty tank wasn’t on Seri’s list of things she wanted to experience in life. Especially not with undead monsters looming at every corner.

She curled her lips in distaste, her eyes darting over the remains of a zombie. It had attacked them when they had arrived, so the soldiers had stopped it before it could cause any harm. Not much was left of its head after Chanyeol had rammed a shovel against it. They were getting creative with their weapons since they wanted to save bullets. Those weren’t easy to find.

Seri and Yeji searched the small shop that was connected to the gas station, hoping to find something useful. Most of the shelves and displays were empty—no wonder, it was March now. The pandemic had begun in October and since then, many survivors must have come here to look for supplies. This would explain the chaos the women were confronted with. At least they were able to grab new toothbrushes for everyone, some shampoo, and soap as well, but the food was long gone. Not even a chocolate bar or chewing gum was left.

“What a disappointment,” Yeji sighed. She observed their surroundings until she noticed a make-up display. “No, wait. I take it back.” She grinned and chose a new lipstick and lipgloss for her small collection.

Seri had learned a few things about Yeji within the week they had been traveling together. Her favorite hobby was collecting lipsticks in all kinds of random colors. Every day, her lips were painted in a different hue—today it was a dramatic dark violet. Just like the different colors Yeji liked to wear on her lips, her personality was equally vibrant. Though she could be naïve at times, her positive outlook on things had a good influence on the group as a whole. Nobody had regretted letting her tag along so far. She and Jongin got along particularly well, so he had offered to give her self-defense lessons since she was a beginner when it came to fighting. Instead of confronting the zombies, she usually preferred to avoid them altogether. Of course, this approach wouldn’t always work…

“This one is golden. I can’t believe I found a golden lipstick at a gas station!” Yeji grinned and put the lipstick in her bag.

“It’ll suit you,” Seri chuckled as she followed her new friend outside. The four soldiers were waiting for them, already having refueled the cars. They had also filled additional canisters with fuel.

“You’re fast,” Yeji remarked and stopped next to Jongin. “Can we move on? Or does anyone still need a bathroom break?”

“Nah, we’re good,” Chanyeol said. “We talked about our next destination while you were busy. If we drive further south, we’ll reach Ulsan within the day. It would be great to settle down in a quiet area on the outskirts of town. If I have to spend another night in the car, my back will kill me.”

“This week was a nightmare,” Seri agreed.

Sehun laughed. “Says the one who got the entire backseat to herself.”

“Not true, I shared with Baekhyun!”

“Your future husband wouldn’t have it any other way,” Chanyeol smirked and got ready to deliver a dirty joke that would surely make Seri blush like a tomato—he was shameless—so she acted fast and stopped him.

“No, it’s because I had to keep an eye on him! His injury is still healing, and you know how reckless he is,” she huffed, making sure Baekhyun could hear her.

Both of them received a stare from the captain who wasn’t amused about Seri’s jab. “Why are you talking as if I wasn’t right beside you?” he asked.

“So you got the hint.”

“What hint?” he replied, but only managed to stay serious for a few seconds. Then his lips began to twitch and he grinned. “My injury is healing just fine, you don’t need to be concerned all the time, angel. I know my capabilities and how to take care of myself.”

“Not really,” Jongin whispered to Yeji who hid her grin behind her hand.

“That’s enough,” Baekhyun said and turned back to their vehicles. “Let’s go, we’re wasting time.”

The remainder of the day was spent looking for a suitable new home that would accommodate their group and offer enough space for all six of them. They drove towards Ulsan, following the coastline. In the course of the drive, the weather began to change. Rain clouds obscured the blue sky and not long after, it began to pour mercilessly. The squeaky noise of the windshield wipers became irritating after a while, and it was hard to see anything outside.

An hour passed until the sky cleared up. The air was fresh and smelled of rain—Seri opened her window to enjoy it. The closer they got to Ulsan, the more crowded the highway became. Abandoned cars were lined up, some severely damaged. Their former owners had tried to escape the chaos in the city but presumably failed. When the tall buildings of Ulsan appeared on the horizon, the group opted to leave the highway and not get any closer since bigger towns were typically swarmed with hordes of zombies. Instead, they took a street that would lead them into a less populated area. Chanyeol had spread a map on his lap and gave Baekhyun directions. Jongin followed their jeep with his sedan.

They turned away from the ocean and drove towards the mountains where they soon encountered their destination; a city nestled into a valley. Deserted and gloomy buildings appeared before them. Nothing could be seen behind their dusty and dark windows. The houses were scarred by decay and loneliness. Empty and forlorn, they waited in vain for the return of their inhabitants. The view was hauntingly beautiful.

It captured Seri’s gaze as the car drove past shopping malls, apartment buildings, and the town hall that had lost its former glory. The level of destruction it had suffered was frightening—people must have fought for their lives behind its walls. However, its torn-down double doors were an indicator that the battle had ended in defeat. Tall grass covered the flowerbeds in front of the town hall. Rubbish was scattered on the ground where dumpsters had been knocked over—maybe by an animal or the undead looking for something edible.

Zombies lurked inside shops, at certain street corners and intersections. The noises of the car engines lured them in—and it wasn’t long before the two cars had to speed up in order to lose them. The soldiers shot the fastest zombies in order to get rid of them. The cars rounded the block and followed a street up the mountain where only a few houses could be found. Finally, the zombies lost sight of them and scattered in random directions, their growls echoing through the valley. It was a sound that made Seri shiver.

“Hey, doesn’t this one look good?” Chanyeol said and pointed to a house at the end of the street. It was nothing special, had a white façade with some wooden elements and two stories. The garden was overgrown with weeds, some of the plants having withered away during winter. Thus, the house looked as forlorn as the rest of the town. The wall and fence surrounding it seemed sturdy enough to keep unwanted visitors away, but its gate needed to be repaired. The windows were dark, some of them so dusty it was impossible to make out the interior of the building.

“It appears safe to live in and easy to defend compared to other buildings we’ve seen. We should take a closer look,” Baekhyun decided and halted the car in front of it. Jongin parked his sedan behind him and left the car with Sehun and Yeji.

“Is this our new home?” Yeji asked excitedly when she reached Seri, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol.

“Do you want it to be?” Seri replied and winked.

“Sure! It looks cozy, and it’s far away from the city center so we wouldn’t have to worry much about zombies. Also, I’ve always wanted to live in a place with such a great view! You can see the entire valley from up here.”

Jongin chuckled at her enthusiasm and playfully ruffled her hair. “That means we have to stay.”

The smile he was rewarded with was blinding. His cheeks reddened. Jongin was unaware of his friends’ unabashed stares and the smirks they sported.

“It’s only been a week since he met her and he’s already a simp,” Sehun whispered to Chanyeol. Seri stood right next to them and heard every word, holding back a grin. Jongin had a soft spot for the young woman—very suspicious. Did he have a crush?

“Baekhyun’s still a bigger simp though,” Chanyeol whispered back to Sehun, only to be instantly stabbed by the captain’s sour glare.

“Park Chanyeol,” he growled. “It sounds like you’re eager to clean our new home.”

The soldier awkwardly cleared his throat and put on an innocent smile. “Um, well… I’d rather leave it to Sehun.”

“Hah, why me?!”

“You’re an amazing cleaner.”

Seri chuckled at their bickering and patted Sehun’s shoulder as she passed him. “We should go inside. You can discuss this later!” she reminded them. The doctor went to the trunk and fetch