The barricaded gymnasium felt like a fragile sanctuary, but the moans from the hallways reminded us it was only temporary. Cheong-san paced, eyes scanning the exits. Nam On-jo sat nearby, clutching Su-hyeok's arm, while Seok-yoon and Ji-soo checked supplies. I flexed my trembling kagune, feeling its faint pulse beneath my skin. Hunger whispered insistently, but I forced it down. Control… not yet…
"We can't stay here forever," Cheong-san said, voice low but firm. "We need more food, water… anything we can use to survive. The library and science labs on the upper floors might have something."
I swallowed, feeling the pull of my kagune, the raw potential inside me. It was still weak, jerky, and unpredictable, but each flicker of power gave me confidence. Slowly, it was awakening, responding to my will in tiny, uncertain ways.
Nam On-jo looked worried. "The hallways… they're full of infected. We'll have to fight our way through."
Cheong-san nodded. "We'll move together. Everyone stay close. If anyone gets separated, shout immediately."
We stepped into the hallway. Broken glass crunched beneath our shoes. The air smelled of iron and decay. I could hear faint heartbeats—a chorus of fear and hunger—each one a reminder of the stakes. My kagune twitched, responding instinctively to danger.
The first encounter came almost immediately. Two zombies staggered around a corner. My kagune flickered uncertainly, brushing one aside awkwardly. Hunger nudged at me, but I forced it down. Cheong-san struck the other with precise blows. Nam On-jo and Ji-soo helped the younger students duck behind overturned lockers.
Each swing of my kagune left me drained, yet more aware of its growing potential. Slowly, with each encounter, I felt the power in my veins—like the faint whisper of Kaneki's strength I had heard stories of. I couldn't match it yet, but one day, if I survived, trained, and controlled my hunger, I could surpass anyone.
Seok-yoon led the way to the stairwell. "We have to reach the third floor. There's a science lab that should have first-aid kits and water."
The stairwell reeked of fear and blood. A small horde shuffled below. I tested my kagune, sending a thin lash down the stairs. It struck one zombie, jerking it off balance. Another lunged upward at us. I swung again, clumsy but effective, and it fell. My kagune pulsed faintly, as if learning with me. Hunger murmured, faint but insistent. I clenched my teeth. Control… I am still in charge.
On the third floor, the corridor was littered with debris, shattered lockers, and the remnants of students who hadn't survived. The library doors were barricaded, but shaking and pounding from the other side told us the infected were near.
Cheong-san turned to me. "You handle the first few. We'll cover the rest."
I nodded, heart pounding. My kagune flickered and struck with more confidence this time. Each motion was awkward but increasingly effective. Hunger tugged at me, a subtle pressure beneath my ribs, but I resisted. Not yet. I can wait.
The library was a small battlefield. Bookshelves were toppled, glass shattered. The remaining zombies lunged from cover, but my kagune lashed instinctively, striking one after another. Cheong-san, Su-hyeok, and Seok-yoon coordinated perfectly, guiding the others to safety. Nam On-jo helped the younger students, her courage shining despite the fear.
After the fight, I staggered, exhaustion leaving sweat running down my face. My kagune pulsed faintly beneath my skin, stronger than before, still weak but evolving. Each encounter taught me control, each strike honed instinct. Slowly, I was awakening. Slowly, I was learning to survive—not just the infected, but this collapsing world.
We scavenged the library for supplies: bottles of water, first-aid kits, a few energy bars. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep hope alive. Outside, the moans of the infected echoed endlessly, a reminder that Hyosan High was no longer a school—it was a battlefield.
Seok-yoon whispered, "People outside… governments… they're experimenting. Others have powers like yours, but they're unstable. They can't control it. We're lucky you're… different."
I swallowed, feeling the weight of what he said. The world itself was a threat now. Humans with unstable powers, governments experimenting on the infected… and yet, my kagune pulsed, a faint promise of strength. One day, if I survived, I could master it fully. I could become unstoppable.
Cheong-san glanced at me, determination in his eyes. "We'll survive. Together. One fight at a time. One step at a time."
I exhaled, gripping my kagune. Hunger whispered faintly, but control held. Slowly, unpredictably, the power in me pulsed stronger, learning, growing, responding.
Outside, the infected groaned endlessly. But inside, the adventure and struggle for survival had just begun. Hyosan High was a battlefield of death, fear, and chaos—but also hope. Every hallway, every classroom, every shadow was a test. And slowly, one day, I would awaken fully—becoming the strongest, a ghoul capable of facing the infected, the unstable humans, and the collapsing world itself.