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Chapter 25:

There was an eerie silence that followed the events leading to the death of the soldier and a young girl.

No one knew what to say, or how to act toward the grieving mother. The building was silent except for her cries that pierced our ears. However, my mind wasn't on the grieving mother. I knew it was selfish at a time like this. But I was thinking about myself. About how I once again almost died. I knew that I should try harder to protect myself. But I also knew that we all should work together so we can all make it out alive.

I was currently sitting on the ground in the empty hallway that led to the basement. My back was against the wall as my knees were tucked to my chest with my head between my knees.

While all of the other residents rushed to help barricade the wall once more, I made an escape. Fear had taken over my mind and I ran. But now, sitting across from the door that would take me down to the basement, I began to think about Seo Yi-Kyeong. From the moment that I met her, I looked up to the firefighter. She was so brave and knew how to protect others. I wished that I could be like her.

Sighing to myself, I then decide to go search for Eun-hyuk. I knew that it would be awkward to talk to him after the kiss we shared, but I also didn't want to be alone.

I get up and go in search of Eun-hyuk. I find him just as he walks out of the men's room. He still has blood on his glasses, so I reach up and wipe the blood away using the sleeve of my sweater. He just looks down at me, his face emotionless as we stand in silence. Already, even after being in his presence for only a few moments, I could feel my heart calming down. It's as if my heart knows that it is safe with Eun-hyuk.

Eun-hyuk looks like he is about to say something when his eyes leave my own. He keeps a blank look on his face but keeps his eyes on something behind me. Confused, I turn around to see what he's looking at. However, I'm shocked to see Yi-Kyeong herself limping down the hallway.  She's covered in dirt and blood and wearing only a pair of shorts and a sports bra.

"Oh my god. You're alive!" I exclaim. I rush to Yi-kyeong's side before slipping off my sweater and forcing her to wear it.

"What happened to you? I thought that the spider thing got you. Eun-hyuk, help me get her somewhere to sit." I say, but Yi-kyeong pulls out of my grasp before turning to face Eun-hyuk. 

She doesn't say a word as she walks up to him and punches him in the stomach. I watch in shock as Eun-hyuk only flinches in pain, but does nothing to avoid the punch. 

"You knew there was a monster down there," Yi-kyeong says before turning and walking away.

I watch as she stops at a bin of clothing donations and pulls out some clothes before continuing on her way down the hallway. The wife of the deli owner meets her at the end of the hall before the two women disappear from our sight.

I look to Eun-hyuk now, whose face now showed guilt. I processed the words that were said just before. 'You knew there was a monster down there,'  She had said.

"Is it true? Did you know?" I ask, looking at Eun-hyuk, trying to see if he would lie to me.

"Yes." He says as he looks me in the eyes. He seems to be waiting for a reaction. Like he expected me to lash out and be upset with him. 

"I was planning on going down by myself in the beginning. But then Yi-kyeong offered to go and I thought that was a better idea since she has more experience with dangerous jobs." He continues to say.

"I figured that if she just followed the main path, she would be safe. That it wasn't worth it to worry her about a monster that wouldn't find her. But then you decided to go as well." He says.

I then remember how Eun-hyuk had tried to stop me from going with Yi-kyeong to the basement. I knew that something had been bothering him at the time. Now I knew, he was worried about the monster attacking me.

"I wanted to warn you. To not let you go down there. But it needed to be done. We needed the electricity to be turned back on." He tells me. I could see the guilt built up behind his eyes. I knew he only wanted what was best.

"It's okay. It's fine. All that matters is that Yi-kyeong is back now and that we're all safe for now." I say truthfully. I knew that being upset would be of no use. 

There's now a new silence that fills the air. Not an enjoyable one, seeing as we were still living in some sort of apocalypse. But there was a small level of comfort in the silence. I didn't want to believe that it was fully from me being with Eun-hyuk, as I knew that I shouldn't become attached to him. But this comfort was something that both my heart and mind craved. 

Eun-hyuk clears his throat then. Almost as if he was preparing to say something. But right as he's about to speak, a loud blaring noise ring out through the building.