Jace's Perspective
The bus trembled on the rough road, its tired engine groaning like the rest of us. We had parked just beside the highway for a quick discussion, its front facing an endless stretch of broken asphalt and scattered trees. A low mist curled across the road like a warning.
"My home is the best place for all of us to go," Yuki said suddenly, breaking the silence. Her voice was soft but certain. "They all need rest. Senior Ash needs urgent medical attention. There's a doctor in my family—I think he'll be able to help."
I turned toward her. "But... it's inside the jungle, isn't it?"
She nodded.
Ash was lying on the back row seat, breathing heavily, his chest rising in uneven waves like he was drowning without water. His one remaining eye was barely open, lips dry, skin paler than snow. Every breath looked like it might be his last.
"We'll go," I said. "Let's just refill the tank first."
The driver nodded and steered toward the next gas station.
Inside the bus, Yuki and Bram handed out water bottles and small food packets. No one had spoken much since we escaped the chaos. Just the sound of chewing, sipping, and the occasional cough filled the silence.
Some Time Later
Yuki sat beside Ash. He was resting his head on her shoulder, trembling. She stroked his back gently. Ash was crying—but quietly, like someone who had run out of tears but still couldn't stop.
Ryn was with Kai, who had finally fallen asleep against the window. His face was peaceful, but even asleep, his fists remained clenched.
Theo sat alone, staring out at the forest passing by. His eyes were distant, hollow. I knew what he was doing. He was memorizing the path. Planning exits. Thinking of the worst.
Someone had to.
The old man was gone.
Now it was me.
We had driven for hours now. Yuki stood beside the driver, occasionally pointing directions. We'd stopped several times to refill the tank—each time, tense, weapons drawn, eyes darting.
Strangely, every time we approached a particular gas station, Ash would whisper to the driver, "Not this one… keep going."
No one questioned it. Not anymore.
Better safe than sorry.
Yuki's Perspective
I never wanted anyone to know where I came from. But right now, none of that mattered. These people were breaking apart—emotionally, physically—and if we didn't find shelter soon, we'd shatter.
The place I'm taking them to… it's not just home. It's prepared.
Before the apocalypse, my family called me. They told me everything they knew—about the virus, the monsters, the shapeshifters. They begged me to come back.
I didn't.
I thought it was a hoax. A conspiracy.
I told them to stay away from the school.
Then the signals stopped.
And I never got to say sorry.
Bram's Perspective
I glance at Theo. Then at Kai. The pain in their eyes is unbearable.
It was my job to get their families on the bus.
And I failed.
No one blamed me. Not even Ash.
But that makes it worse.
I carry the guilt alone. It's a silence that eats you from inside—makes you hollow. I keep imagining their families calling out for help, reaching for my hand, and finding nothing.
Aki's Perspective
The worst part of this apocalypse isn't the monsters.
It's watching people lose everything and still smile.
Theo. Kai. Tessa. All of them had families. Support. Gone.
And Ash? He lost his parents, his right eye—yet he never stopped smiling at me.
That smile breaks me.
And Jace… he never talks about his parents. But he's still raising his little sister like a man.
I hope, if I survive this, I'll be like him.
Jun's Perspective
Tessa hasn't looked at me since we got back on the bus.
And honestly… I'm glad.
Because the truth is—when the Old Man was fighting, when others were trying to protect us—I was hiding in the bus.
Like a coward.
Tessa doesn't know yet.
But she will.
And when she does, she'll hate me.
She should.
I almost cried when the Old Man died, but I held it back. Someone had to be strong for her. Even if I don't deserve to be.
Ash's Perspective
Please…
Just let me die.
I've lost count of how many times I've died—twenty? More?
Every death is different. Every death is worse.
Sometimes it's at a gas station. Sometimes the shapeshifter gets on the bus, rips us apart. Sometimes I see my friends screaming, and I can't even move to help.
Every time I die, I wake up again.
The pain doesn't go away.
I'm stuck.
In this loop. This nightmare.
Even now, I'm alive… but barely. My right eye is gone. My body's breaking.
Please, God.
Have mercy.
Let it end.