Chapter 52: The Trap is Set
The broadcasting room door slowly began to open.
The faint creeeak... of its hinges made everyone inside instinctively hold their breath.
Jun's hand remained firmly wrapped around the doorknob, while Lena braced herself against the heavy sofa, keeping it pulled back with all her strength.
The moment the door opened completely, an icy gust of air rushed inside.
It carried with it the nauseating stench of blood, dampness, and decaying flesh.
For a brief moment...
It felt as though Death itself was standing just beyond the doorway, waiting for them.
Mr. Samit took a deep breath.
Tightening his grip around the golf club, he cautiously stepped out of the broadcasting room.
His eyes swept constantly from left to right...
Then straight ahead...
The slightest mistake could cost every one of them their lives.
At that very moment, the first powerful line of the song echoed through every loudspeaker in the school.
"Hey fighter, step in—ignite your flame..."
Within seconds, the powerful melody engulfed the entire building.
Empty corridors...
Abandoned classrooms...
The stairwells...
Even the distant assembly hall...
Every corner of the school resonated with the same song.
Mr. Samit carefully peeked down the corridor.
The next instant, surprise flashed across his face.
Every zombie wandering aimlessly through the hallway suddenly turned its head toward the loudspeakers.
For several seconds, they stood perfectly still, as though trying to recognise the unfamiliar sound.
Then, without warning...
They charged frantically toward the classrooms where the music was blasting at full volume.
Some slammed into classroom doors...
Others crashed into one another...
While the rest snarled wildly as they desperately chased the source of the sound.
The plan had worked.
Mr. Samit immediately turned around and gestured toward Ms. Selena.
"The way is clear!"
The moment she saw his signal, Ms. Selena quietly stepped out of the broadcasting room, followed by Mary and Jackson.
The four of them crouched low and began moving silently along the wall.
As they advanced, the next lyrics echoed through the speakers.
"Even when shadows try to take the sky..."
It almost felt as though those words had been written especially for them.
Darkness surrounded them.
Death lurked nearby.
Hope seemed almost impossible.
Then the next line filled their hearts with renewed strength.
"We stand together—never say goodbye!"
For a brief moment, Ms. Selena glanced at her companions.
Jackson remained completely alert.
Mary was frightened, yet her steps never faltered.
Even Mr. Samit, despite his playful personality, moved forward with complete focus and responsibility.
A single thought crossed Ms. Selena's mind.
"As long as we're together... we won't lose."
Without wasting another second, she signalled everyone to split up.
Mr. Samit followed her toward the right side of the corridor.
Meanwhile, Jackson and Mary headed toward the classrooms on the left.
Their footsteps were almost silent.
Like shadows, they slipped from one classroom door to the next...
Locking each one from the outside.
Click.
The first classroom was sealed.
The zombies inside never even noticed.
Click.
The second door was locked.
The music continued growing louder.
"So be kind, be strong, let your heart awake..."
Its powerful rhythm echoed throughout the entire school.
The zombies had become completely consumed by the sound.
They snarled and threw themselves toward the loudspeakers...
While, behind them, the survivors quietly trapped them inside the classrooms one by one.
One...
Two...
Three...
Four...
Within only a few minutes, nearly every classroom had been locked from the outside.
Now...
Only one final classroom remained.
Mr. Samit looked toward the last door.
Then glanced behind him.
The corridor was almost completely empty.
A victorious grin spread across his face as he rested the golf club across his shoulder.
"Well..."
he murmured proudly to himself.
"That turned out much easier than I expected."
Standing farther down the corridor, Ms. Selena immediately gestured for him to lock the final classroom.
But...
Perhaps success had awakened the mischievous side of Mr. Samit.
Smiling to himself, he clasped both hands behind his head...
And slowly began swaying to the rhythm of the music.
The chorus thundered through the school's loudspeakers.
"Whoa-oh! Whoa-oh! We're the voices that won't disappear..."
Unable to resist, Mr. Samit started humming along with the song.
From the other end of the corridor, Mary whispered anxiously,
"Sir... hurry!"
Jackson also motioned urgently for him to lock the final door.
But Mr. Samit seemed to have forgotten everything else for those few precious moments.
He had absolutely no idea...
That one tiny mistake...
Would push all of them to the very edge of death within the next few seconds.