Smoke and fire clawed at Dae-jung's eyes. The laboratory shook violently as the Intelligent Artificial Undead closed in, their glowing eyes calculating, unblinking, adapting with terrifying precision. Every instinct screamed at him to run, yet his legs refused to obey. Fear gnawed at his chest like a living thing. I shouldn't be here… I shouldn't be seeing this…
"Dae-jung! Hide!" Kim Min-Hoo's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and urgent. He tossed a small, glowing device into his son's hands—the Mobius strip temporal interface. Their last hope.
Dae-jung caught it, heart hammering. This is it… the only way… He stole a glance at his father. Sweat, soot, and blood streaked his face, but Min-Hoo's eyes blazed with determination. Sparks flew as his plasma katana sliced through the undead, but for every one felled, two more surged forward.
"I… I can't leave him!" Dae-jung whispered, panic choking his words. He's holding them back… for me…
Nanotech particles brushed Min-Hoo, invisible and silent. The rogue virus latched onto him without notice. Pain twisted across his chest, yet he refused to falter. Every glance at Dae-jung conveyed the message: Survive… for me…
"Dae-jung… survive in a different world," Min-Hoo gasped, tears streaking his soot-streaked face. "Go… please… just live."
Dae-jung opened his mouth to protest, but his father's grip on the device was firm. "Go!"
Reality tore apart. The Mobius strip activated, bending space and time. Flames, screams, and the relentless undead blurred into streaks of light and shadow. Dae-jung reached for his father one last time—but the world fractured. He was hurled through the void, weightless, spinning through dimensions unknown.
Min-Hoo fell, pierced by Oh Jin-hoo, his former colleague—and the creator of the nano-virus. "Where's your son?!" Jin-hoo demanded.
"I won't tell you," Min-Hoo whispered, vision fading. His eyes lingered on the Mobius strip, a faint smile forming. If he survives… maybe this was all worth it.
---
Dae-jung opened his eyes in a strange, peaceful world. Sunlight poured over streets untouched by chaos. People moved freely, laughing, alive. Relief surged through him—but grief hit like a hammer. I'm alive… but he's gone…
Then he felt it: a faint, alien hum inside him. The nano-virus. Invisible. Silent. Intrusive. Panic rose again. His body felt numb; his mind fuzzed at the edges. No… not now… I can't…
The virus compelled him toward the first civilian he saw. Han Shu-jin, a member of the Chi Industry, witnessed it. She moved quickly, restraining him with high-energy cuffs. Dae-jung thrashed, trying to resist the invisible force. I have to fight it… I have to survive… I have to protect her…
Outside, the virus spread silently but swiftly. Curious students laughed at the "captured monsters" in containment, oblivious to the infection silently latching onto one of them. Soon, the chaos reached the school.
Park Mi-yeon ran, heart hammering, hiding as pandemonium erupted. Dae-jung, partially controlled, fought to protect her. "Come on! Let's get out of here!" he shouted, handing her a Disintegrator. Together, they ran, dodging attacks and debris. Every step was a gamble. Every heartbeat a reminder of what they had lost—and what they were about to lose.
Meanwhile, Lee Min-jae returned home, only to find his sister transformed. Rage and horror consumed him as he fought back, vowing vengeance. I won't let this happen to anyone else… not ever.
Back at the campus, Dae-jung moved like a ghost, plasma katana slicing through the horde. An undead friend leapt at him, dragging him into a room. "Shoot it!" he yelled. Mi-yeon hesitated, tears welling, then steeled herself and fired, ending the friend's life. Her hands shook. I didn't want this… but I have to survive.
The Disintegrator sputtered and finally died. The horde surged, overwhelming them both.
The screams and chaos blurred around him. He swung, dodged, and ran—but that thought lingered, like a shadow in his chest. Every nerve screamed. Every muscle ached.
Mi-yeon ducked behind a fallen wall, breathing hard. She watched Dae-jung cut through the undead, a mixture of fear and admiration flooding her senses. He's incredible… but can he hold out much longer?
Min-jae's thoughts boiled over with fury as he returned to the fray. Every strike he made was fueled by grief, rage, and the haunting image of his destroyed home. I will not let them take anyone else… I swear…
The virus continued its silent march. Civilians who thought themselves safe were already turning, their faces blank, their eyes glazed with unnatural intelligence. The infection moved with terrifying subtlety, faster than anyone could react.
Dae-jung slashed through another pair of undead, his katana humming, sparks dancing in the sunlight that streamed through broken windows. Yet each strike felt heavier. I can't fail… I must survive… but at what cost?
Mi-yeon fired her last few rounds, covering his back. Her hands shook, her mind raced. Every pull of the trigger reminded her: survival meant sacrifice. Every friend lost, every innocent turned… she carried it all with her.
Then, the horde lunged again, overwhelming them. Dae-jung braced himself, heart hammering in his chest. I will survive. I have to. I can't let them win.
Dae-jung fought with everything left in him, every movement a desperate plea: I will survive. I have to. I can't let them win. But as the darkness closed in, he saw something flicker in the eyes of the undead – a brief, chilling spark of recognition.
Even as he fought, a single, terrifying question echoed in his mind: What if the virus wants me to survive?
The world blurred. Flames, debris, screams—they all collided into a suffocating moment of chaos. Dae-jung swung, dodged, and ran, muscles burning, lungs screaming for air. That single thought lingered, like a shadow in his chest, growing heavier with each heartbeat.
And then… everything went silent..