They looked around.
The hallway outside the Science Lab had transformed into something unsettlingly alive. Students sat scattered across the floor in exhausted groups, clustered together like frightened birds seeking warmth before a storm. Some leaned silently against the lockers, clutching weapons to their chests. Others whispered nervously among themselves, eyes darting every time someone moved too quickly.
The heavy steel doors of the lab remained shut.
Locked.
Waiting.
Yoorie and the others sat near the front, close enough to the entrance that they could see the faint green glow leaking from the edges of the sealed doors.
Kyna exhaled slowly as she checked her system panel again.
"We still have one hour and thirty minutes left," she muttered.
The blue numbers reflected in her tired eyes.
The atmosphere felt suffocating.
Every second dragged.
Then suddenly—
DING.
Every student in the hallway flinched.
Blue screens exploded into existence before their faces, illuminating the corridor with eerie ghost-like light.
[INSTRUCTIONS: ALL STUDENTS IN THIS CITY FROM AGE GROUP 17 MUST BE PRESENT IN THE LAB OF MODEL HIGH SCHOOL.]
[ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE PROVIDED UPON ENTRY.]
[PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO ARRIVE IN TIME: DEATH]
For a second—
Silence.
Then panic spread instantly.
"What?!"
"Everyone in the city,all 17 year olds?!"
"How are we supposed to survive this?!"
Murmurs grew louder and louder until the hallway became a storm of fear.
Some students began crying openly.
Others cursed at the floating screens.
A boy near the back slammed his fist into the lockers repeatedly, screaming that the system was insane.
Beside Yoorie, Liyana quietly reached for her hand and squeezed it once.
A silent:
We can do this.
Yoorie smiled faintly.
Bitterly.
Kyna, Minnie, Liyana, and Yoorie sat together on the cold floor, their hands loosely linked together in a circle of fragile comfort.
Across from them, Joel stared at the girls dramatically before nudging Jeesuk with his elbow.
"You know…" he whispered loudly, "normal people hold hands during emotional moments too."
Jeesuk ignored him completely.
Joel gasped in fake betrayal.
"You're so cold."
Even Yoorie laughed quietly at that.
Somehow, even in the middle of the apocalypse, Joel still found ways to make things feel human.
Then—
A new screen appeared before Yoorie alone.
Unlike the others, this panel was darker.
Sharper.
Hidden.
No one else reacted.
[INSTRUCTION UPDATED]
[EVERYTHING YOU DESIRE CAN BE MANIFESTED THROUGH THE WAND.]
Yoorie froze.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Everything I desire…?
What kind of ability was that?
Reality manipulation?
Magic creation?
The wording felt dangerous.
Too dangerous.
A chill crawled up her spine.
If that power truly had no limits—
Then what exactly was she?
Yoorie slowly closed the screen before anyone noticed her expression changing.
"I'm going to the restroom for a minute," she said, standing carefully.
Minnie looked up immediately. "Be careful. There could still be monsters wandering around."
Yoorie adjusted the wand resting at her side.
"It's okay," she replied casually. "I'm level 2 now, remember? I can handle small monsters."
That part, at least, wasn't technically a lie anymore.
Jeesuk's eyes followed her as she walked away down the dim hallway.
Steady footsteps.
No wheelchair.
No hesitation.
For a brief second, his expression softened again before he looked away.
The school restroom was eerily quiet.
The flickering lights buzzed overhead weakly, casting uneven shadows across the cracked mirrors and tiled floor.
Yoorie stepped inside slowly.
Then locked the door behind her.
Her heartbeat quickened.
The ruby embedded in her wand glowed faintly in the darkness.
"Everything I desire…" she whispered.
She glanced downward, spotting a small loose stone near the sink.
Yoorie lifted her wand carefully.
"I want it to float."
Nothing dramatic happened at first.
No explosions.
No giant magic circle.
Then—
The stone trembled.
Slowly—
It rose into the air.
Yoorie's eyes widened.
The pebble floated gently upward, spinning quietly in midair like gravity itself had forgotten how to work.
"It worked…"
Her breath caught.
But what shocked her more—
Was how easy it felt.
Natural.
Like breathing.
Yoorie slowly lowered the stone back down.
Then smiled faintly.
Relief washed through her chest.
So she could control the scale of her power.
She didn't need giant golden explosions.
She could manipulate small things subtly.
Quietly.
Secretly.
That meant she could continue hiding.
For now.
After calming herself, Yoorie returned to the hallway.
But the moment she turned the corner—
She stopped.
The bullies from earlier were standing directly in front of her group again.
The atmosphere had already turned hostile.
"You bunch of losers barely escaped from us through luck," the leader sneered arrogantly. "Don't think you actually won earlier."
Joel rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Seriously? We're doing this again?"
Jeesuk and Joel stepped protectively in front of the girls almost instantly.
"We didn't escape," Joel replied lazily. "We just didn't have time to babysit annoying kids."
Several nearby students snickered quietly.
The bully leader's face darkened.
"Fine then," he spat. "Let's settle it properly."
His system screen flashed open before him.
[Duel Request Initiated]
"One versus one," he declared. "If we win, your group works for us."
The surrounding hallway immediately stirred with interest.
Students shifted closer.
Whispers spread rapidly.
"A duel?"
"They're actually fighting?"
"Who's stronger?"
Jeesuk stepped forward calmly.
His own system panel materialized silently before him.
A long silver sword appeared in his hand from his inventory, gleaming under the crimson lights.
Gasps echoed around the hallway.
Unlike the crude pipes and bats most students carried, Jeesuk's weapon looked refined.
Elegant.
Deadly.
"If you lose," Jeesuk said evenly, "you leave us alone permanently."
The bully scoffed.
"Deal."
The two boys stepped into the center of the hallway as students quickly moved back to form a wide circle around them.
The tension became electric.
Yoorie felt her stomach tighten.
"Jeesuk…" she said quietly, glancing at the countdown timer. "We only have twenty-five minutes left."
Jeesuk looked back at her briefly.
Then nodded once.
A silent reassurance.
Don't worry.