[CONTENTID1]Phoenix[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Six[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

The group passed several towns, looking for a suitable place to stay. Finding one wasn’t as easy as they had thought, and not all houses were abandoned—some people had never left their homes, preferring to hide instead of braving the dangers outside.

It wasn’t until two hours later, when it was late afternoon, that they encountered a suitable small property. It was located at the very edge of a quiet rural town. Beyond it, they discovered agricultural land and a dense forest.

The property was sheltered by walls, providing the small house with privacy and safety. A half-broken wrought-iron gate led into the garden. Seri brought her baseball bat along when they walked in to take a closer look. A queasy feeling manifested in her gut when her companions drew their guns as they approached the house.

“Stay behind us,” Baekhyun instructed with a fierce glance in her direction. He passed her, inspecting the area and paying attention to every little detail. The front door of the building was open. Perhaps a struggle had occurred here since one of the windows was shattered.

She held her baseball bat tightly and followed the soldiers inside. Her heart was racing as she peered into each room. The house had two stories and a basement. Judging by the old-fashioned decoration and the picture frames on the walls, the home had belonged to an older couple whose children had already moved out. The tacky curtains in front of the windows were covered in flower patterns. Dust had settled on the crammed bookshelves in the living room. If it weren’t for the bloodstains near the front door, Seri would have called the house cozy…

Unfortunately, the kitchen was in disarray, the floor covered in glass shards. A gust of wind rushed through a broken window. Somewhere in the house, a door slammed shut. Chanyeol flinched, stopping so abruptly that Seri almost ran into his back.

“We should do something about the broken window if we want to stay here, but at least the house seems safe,” Chanyeol muttered as he gazed around. “It even has more than one bedroom! Where do you want to sleep?”

“The first room down the hallway would be nice,” Seri said. “But only if none of you wants it instead.”

“Take it, I prefer a different one anyway,” Chanyeol shrugged.

“I want the one with the blue walls,” Sehun decided and Baekhyun just shrugged, taking whatever would be left in the end. He didn’t care.

“I’ll be outside in the garden to fix the gate. That’s what’s most important for now. Can you unload the car in the meantime?” Baekhyun asked and they agreed.

While he went searching for tools, Sehun, Chanyeol and Seri carried their weapons and bags inside the house and set everything down. She left her backpack in her new bedroom and used the opportunity to take a closer look at the wardrobe. It contained blankets, sheets and clothes, some of which she might use later.

When they were finished, Seri stood at the front door, watching Baekhyun tinker with the gate. It looked more stable than before, but he had yet to repair the lock. If he was successful, it would surely keep zombies out.

“We’ll be safe here. This town is quiet,” Chanyeol said when he joined her and leaned his back against the doorway. His gaze followed hers and landed on Baekhyun.

“I was very worried about Baekhyun when Sehun and I were stuck in Sokcho.”

“You’re close friends,” Seri stated and observed the tall soldier curiously. He had rolled up the long sleeves of his shirt, revealing the tattoos decorating his muscular arms.

“Baekhyun and I have known each other since the beginning of our training. I could tell you a hundred funny stories about him, but I doubt our dear captain would like that,” he grinned mischievously, and Seri mirrored his expression.

“Too bad, I would have loved to hear about them.”

“You should ask him! He has become more serious over the years, but he used to play pranks on the other students in the academy. One of his favorites was breaking into their showers.”

“Really?! Hard to imagine… but I’m glad he grew out of that.”

“By the way, Seri, I’m glad you treated his injury. He could have died without you. You’re brave, and I’m sure we’ll make a good team. Having a medical professional here with us is a relief,” he continued and gave her a wry smile. “We should help each other out; I’ll teach you a few things about survival if you want. Have you ever used a gun?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“I can show you. It might come in handy one day.”

“Hey, Chanyeol!” Sehun cut in, approaching them from behind. He threw the older soldier an incredulous look. “If anyone should teach her, it’s me! I’ve always been a better shot than you.”

Chanyeol’s features twisted into a grimace, but he didn’t deny what Sehun said, so it had to be true. “Whatever,” he groaned. “I was just trying to help.”

“Why don’t you both teach me? And in return, I’ll show you how to sew up an injury,” Seri offered.

Chanyeol turned pale at an alarming speed. He shuddered and held up his hands in surrender. “No, thank you. I’ll leave it to the real surgeon.”

“And suddenly he’s quiet,” Sehun grinned.

“Nobody asked for your opinion, Sehun.”

Seri observed them amusedly. “I hate to interrupt, but we should bar the window in the kitchen before nightfall. Otherwise, we’ll freeze tonight.”

“Yeah, good idea,” Chanyeol agreed.

The first night they spent in their new home, Seri was fidgety. She stared at the ceiling for hours without finding the rest she needed. Her body was tired, but her mind was on fire, reliving the terrifying hostage situation. Although danger had passed, she swore she still felt the blade on her neck and continuously touched it to reassure herself it wasn’t there.  

Her fears and worries mounted with every strange sound she heard from outside. The growls from zombies were accompanied by occasional gunshots. Their new home wasn’t as safe as they liked to think and they were certainly not alone here. Seri rolled on her back and laid her wrist on her forehead.

Like many times before when she was alone, her thoughts ventured down a dark path. The painful memories she fought to suppress returned and brought nothing but anguish. Chest constricting, her face twisted as tears threatened to fall. She wished she could turn back time somehow, and at least speak to her parents one last time. Seri had been unable to say goodbye properly. She had returned to her family’s home in the hopes of finding them safe and sound, but they had been infected—and she couldn’t save them.

She had studied medicine for years with the sole aim to help people, but when it really mattered, she was unable to save her loved ones. Had she failed her family? She should have been there for her parents during the outbreak, but she had been stuck in the hospital and it had taken her a long time to fight herself through the city. The traumatizing sight of infected citizens mindlessly attacking people was forever sealed in her memory.

Plagued with regrets and self-doubt, Seri sat up and curled her hands into fists. She should sleep, she knew she had to, but she couldn’t find any rest. So she got up, threw her blanket over her shoulders and padded to the door, peering into the dark hallway. Her three companions were asleep, apparently.

She wondered whether they were haunted by similar thoughts—did they have regrets too? The loss of their comrades and friends must have left marks on them. In Baekhyun’s case, it had been the entire military base that had fallen prey to the virus. How did he cope with this? Did he keep it to himself? She had never seen him shed a tear, and he had never mentioned any details about it either. Although deep down, he surely grieved his loss.

Seri stopped in front of Baekhyun’s door and hesitated. Her eyes moved to the door handle. Why had she come here? The answer was clear. She needed comfort, and he was the only one who could provide it. A sigh left . She lingered in the same spot. Was it selfish to bother him in the middle of the night? When had she started to depend on him so much?

Seri silently cracked the door open and gazed into the dark room where she found his silhouette on the bed in the corner.

“Baekhyun?” she whispered and closed the door behind her with a soft click. She couldn’t tell whether he was asleep at first, but she got her answer when he turned his body towards her.

“Seri?” he mumbled sleepily. “What’s going on?” Now he sounded more awake and alarmed.

“Nothing, it’s nothing. I couldn’t sleep, so…”

“So you thought I could help,” he stated, prompting her to blush. When he worded it like this, she felt embarrassed about her decision to disturb him in the middle of the night. She was an adult, not a child, and she shouldn’t bother him with her issues. However, Baekhyun didn't mind her nightly visit.

“Come here," he whispered.

She heard rustling when he made space for her on the bed, and her embarrassment was forgotten. The mattress dipped as she laid down next to him, spreading the cover over herself. It was another cold fall night, but the bed was warm and smelled of him. He scooted over and put his hand on hers underneath the cover. The gesture made her heart swell. She sighed softly, already feeling better. Coming to him had been a good decision. Baekhyun apparently didn’t mind sharing his bed with her.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“Not this time, but I don’t feel well at the moment.” She rolled on her side and watched him in the darkness. It was hard to make out his features although he lay close to her.

“It’s because of what happened today, hm? You were quiet during dinner too.”

“It’s unsettling how readily some people would sacrifice someone’s life just to get their hands on a few supplies,” Seri’s voice shook, so she took a deep breath before she continued. “All I want is to find a safe place to live. That’s it. I don’t want to die or be infected. I just want a calm life, is that too much to ask for?”

His thumb drew patterns on the back of her cool hand, gradually warming it up. Baekhyun was silent for a while, considering her words.

“No, it’s not. Perhaps we’ll find a way to live safely. It’s not impossible. Establishi