FALLEN HORIZON

Day Seventeen - Present

The sun was beginning its descent, casting long shadows across the desolate landscape. The air was heavy with a mix of tension and the faint, acrid smell of smoke. In the makeshift base, the group had gathered around, flickering light casting an eerie glow on their faces. The mood was somber, and conversations were hushed, punctuated only by the occasional crackle of the light.

Sae Joon Hyun, the de facto leader of the group, was pacing with an agitated stride, his brow furrowed in frustration. His gaze was fixed on Jay, who stood with an uncertain expression. The group's morale had been shaken by recent events, and the arrival of new members was a contentious issue.

"You met Su Yeong on your way to Gyeryong?" Sae Joon Hyun's voice was edged with disbelief, his tone suggesting that he could hardly believe the situation.

"Yes, Hyeong..." Jay replied, his voice tinged with exhaustion. The defeat they had suffered was still fresh, their ranks diminished, and the recent loss of Kaneisyeon had left a mark on them. The unfamiliar faces of Hamin and Su-yeong had appeared, but the group's reaction was far from welcoming.

Sae Joon Hyun's eyes narrowed as he stared at Jay, his disapproval evident. "Jay. Just how many people are we supposed to let in? We are already so many."

"I understand, Hyeong," Jay began, trying to reason with him. "But..."

"Sae Joon Hyun," Eunhye interjected firmly, her voice cutting through the tension. "Let's hear Jay out first, hm?"

Sae Joon Hyun let out an exasperated sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly as he nodded begrudgingly. "Fine. Whatever. Tell me, Jay. Why do you want to keep this woman here?" He gestured toward Su-yeong, who stood nearby, her expression a mix of apprehension and hope.

"Because," Jay began, struggling to find the right words, "she saved us. That's why."

Sae Joon Hyun's eyes widened slightly, and he glanced at Eunhye, who was supporting Jay's stance. "See, Noona? I knew it! This dude is only thinking about it from one side."

"Come on. Aren't we letting Hamin stay here as well?" Eunhye countered, her frustration clear. She was trying to bridge the gap between Sae Joon Hyun's rigid stance and Jay's more lenient approach.

"Says who, Noona? Hamin will be going his way," Sae Joon Hyun snapped, his patience wearing thin.

Eunhye's eyes flashed with indignation. "Are you trying to act like Mina? It's not funny!" She nearly shouted, her voice rising in desperation as she hoped to sway him with her determination.

"What would you know?" Sae Joon Hyun retorted harshly. "You were saved at the airport, the bus, the helicopter, even here. Some of us have been traveling through all of this alone."

Eunhye took a deep breath, her voice steady despite her anger. "Exactly. In that, some others, Hamin and Su-yeong come too, Sae Joon Hyun."

Sae Joon Hyun's face hardened, his resolve firm. "Eunhye. What do you think you are? We are not running a charity service here. We can't have so many people with us."

At Sae Joon Hyun's sudden outburst, Eunhye was waiting for the usual voice of dissent, but this time, the unexpected happened. Mina, who had been silent until now, spoke up in support. "Sae Joon Oppa. Hamin and the girl are really strong. It won't harm us to have a strong ally, right?"

Eunhye was taken aback by Mina's sudden agreement, but she stood her ground, her gaze unwavering. Before Sae Joon Hyun could counter, Hamin spoke up, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Su Yeong...? Is that you?"

Su-yeong's eyes widened in surprise. "H-Hamin? What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here, Su-yeong?" Hamin's question was filled with concern and confusion. The argument between Sae Joon Hyun and Eunhye had momentarily faded as everyone's attention shifted to the reunion.

Hamin stepped forward, trying to provide context. "Uh... Jay, Su-yeong is the friend I was talking about..."

"I can see that," Jay added, glancing between Hamin and Su-yeong.

Hamin's expression softened as he looked at Su-yeong. "Su Yeong, how are you here? No, what happened back then?"

"I accompanied Charyeong here. We met because of a crazy zombie," Su-yeong explained, her voice steady but her eyes betraying a hint of fatigue.

Hamin's face grew thoughtful, and he glanced at Su-yeong once more before turning his attention back to the group. Minyoung, who had been silently observing, decided it was time to step in. With a small, authoritative voice, she broke the silence. "Alright, we're going to let them stay for now. We'll find somewhere safe to drop them off later."

The decision was met with a mix of relief and uncertainty as the group tried to come to terms with the new additions.

***

Meanwhile
Jaeyeon and Team

The scene shifted dramatically as a truck skidded out of control, its tires screeching against the pavement. The vehicle collided with a nearby gas station, sending a cascade of petrol spilling onto the ground. The once quiet night was now filled with chaos and the acrid stench of gasoline. Inside the truck, Yuri and her companions were jolted violently as the vehicle toppled, their backs slamming against the metal bars of the cages.

Yuri, disoriented but determined, scrambled to free herself. She managed to roll away from the cages, her heart racing as she assessed the situation. Jaeyeon, thrown against the truck's doors, was thrown out when the doors burst open. He landed hard on the concrete, wincing in pain as he hit his forehead.

Hailey, with adrenaline pumping through her veins, worked quickly to untie Yohan's restraints. As Yohan's hands were freed, he hastily untied his feet and sprang into action, helping the others.

Yuri rushed over to Jaeyeon, her hands trembling as she worked to untie him. "Jaeyeon-ssi!! Are you okay?" Her voice was filled with concern, her fingers brushing against his wound that he was pressing against with his left hand.

Jaeyeon, however, was brusque, slapping her hand away. "I'm fine. Nothing happened." His words were barely out of his mouth when the truck erupted into flames. A massive explosion rocked the area, sending debris and fire in all directions. The group was hurled further away, their bodies crashing against the pavement, fresh wounds joining their existing injuries.

The man responsible for the chaos, now enraged, crawled from the wreckage, his face twisted with anger. He fumbled with a mini remote, pressing a button with trembling hands. A loud click echoed through the night, followed by a series of metallic clangs. The zombies that had been trapped inside the truck were now unleashed, pouring out in a frenzied horde.

With no weapons and no plan, Yuri and the others sprinted away, their only option being to escape the relentless onslaught of zombies. The fire from the gasoline added to the terror, as flames leapt from the truck, chasing them as they ran.

***

At the same time
The Meat Shop

Elsewhere, in a small meat shop, Jeha peered anxiously through the glass doors covered in pamphlets he had taped up. The zombies outside moved in aimless patterns, their vacant eyes darting around unpredictably.

"I can't go out..." Jeha muttered to himself, his voice a whisper of despair. Kaneisyeon's cries grew louder, piercing the oppressive silence. Despite his best efforts to soothe her, the baby's wails only intensified, driven by her missing mother.

The noise attracted the attention of the zombies, who began to converge on the meat shop. Their relentless banging on the doors amplified Kaneisyeon's cries, creating a nightmarish crescendo of sound. The zombies' strength was evident as they battered the doors with increasing force, their relentless assault eventually breaching the defenses.

Jeha, clutching the baby tightly, braced himself as the zombies advanced. The small shop, once a place of normalcy, was now a death trap, with the undead closing in on both him and the helpless child.

***

Underground Base
Eunhye and team

Back at the underground base, the atmosphere was tense and fraught with danger. Eunhye and the others stood ready, weapons at the ready-guns, shafts, sticks-anything they could find. The door had been breached, allowing the zombies to crawl in. The group was surrounded, with no way to prevent the invasion.

The noise of the jeep's engine would only attract more zombies, so the group opted for a stealthy retreat through the back door. Yohan stumbled over a stone but managed to right himself without making a sound. The others shared a brief moment of relief before Hailey's voice cut through the silence, her scream echoing with a mix of fear and despair. "YOHAN!"

The zombies, drawn by the noise, accelerated their advance. Minji, taking command, shouted urgently, "TOWARDS THE BACK DOOR!" Minji's command was clear and urgent. The group sprang into action, their movements a frantic dance of survival. Minji, Yon, Ji-Hoon, Jay, Sae Joon Hyun, and In-Ha took position, their weapons ready. They targeted the zombies with precision, aiming for the creatures' heads and vital points to slow their advance. Each shot, each strike, was calculated to keep the zombies at bay while they made their escape.

Eunhye, moving swiftly, reached the back door. She flung it open, only to be met with a horde of zombies staring back at her, their vacant eyes fixated on the source of the noise. The sight was horrifying, an impenetrable wall of decaying flesh and empty stares.

Desperation painted Eunhye's features as she glanced back at the others. The group had to act fast. Charyeong, tears streaming down her face, grabbed stones from the surrounding area and hurled them towards the zombies outside. The noise created a brief distraction, with some zombies shifting their focus towards the sound of the thrown stones. But it wasn't enough; many remained fixated on the group, their hunger unquenched.

Su-yeong and Hamin, fighting their way through the swarm, punched and kicked at the zombies, pushing them back with sheer force. Despite their efforts, the zombies were relentless, getting back up and advancing with renewed aggression.

Yon, taking a different approach, used a spray bottle filled with water to create a temporary barrier. The water deterred some of the zombies, but the effect was short-lived. The creatures were more concerned with the noise than the substance, continuing their relentless pursuit.

Ji-Hoon, who had been firing his weapon with deadly accuracy, paused to reload. The group had managed to dispatch several zombies, but the sheer number was overwhelming. In-Ha, who had initially insisted on finding a cure instead of outright killing the zombies, now found himself questioning the practicality of that decision.

Mina, her face pale with fear, muttered to herself, "What do we do now..."

The question hung in the air, unanswered, as the group continued to fight. The tension was palpable, every second stretching into what felt like an eternity. The back door provided no solace, and the group was trapped between the advancing zombies and the horrors lurking behind them.