جيون جونغكوك

When the Dead Awaken

The world was no longer the same...

Since the appearance of the mysterious virus that turned humans into predatory creatures feeding on the living, civilization collapsed within a few weeks. Governments fell, communication networks ceased, hospitals were closed, and cities that were once bustling with life turned into abandoned places covered in ruins and wrecked cars. The streets no longer knew the noise of life; they became home to the living dead, and the sound of gunshots and screams became the last thing the survivors heard before they disappeared.Amidst that collapsing world, there was an old hospital on the outskirts of the city, and in one of its rooms, a young girl had been lying for many months, deep in a coma that the doctors couldn't explain.

Malak.

She didn't know that the world she had left behind her closed eyelids no longer existed.

On a gray morning, her fingers began to move slowly, before she opened her eyes with difficulty. A pale light that sneaked in from a dirty window welcomed her, and the first thing she felt was the dryness of her throat and the heaviness of her body. She tried to get up, but her weak muscles didn't respond easily. The medical devices around her were off, the wires were disconnected, and dust covered the furniture and the floor.She couldn't find any nurse or doctor.

After exhausting attempts, she managed to leave the bed. She wore the white hospital gown, left her feet bare, and started wandering through the corridors looking for someone to help her. The doors were open, some rooms were destroyed, and the walls bore clear traces of chaos.

When she reached the main entrance, she discovered the terrifying truth.

The city was completely destroyed.

Cars were overturned and burned, shop fronts were smashed, electrical poles were down, and the roads were empty except for remnants of the old life. She didn't understand what had happened, and she didn't know how much time had passed since she entered the hospital.

But she didn't get much time to think.I heard strange noises coming from behind one of the wrecked cars. She turned to find a group of zombies heading towards her, their movements stumbling before they sped up as soon as they noticed her.

She backed away in fear, then took off running.

She was running through the narrow alleys in her hospital gown, barefoot, her tangled hair flying behind her. Her body couldn't take the strain after months in a coma, and she was constantly gasping for breath, while looking back to see the creatures continuing to pursue her.

She began to call for help, with a trembling and hoarse voice, but all she could hear were the sounds of her own footsteps and the approaching zombies.Suddenly, the sound of gunfire erupted in the adjacent street.

She paused for a moment, turning toward the source of the sound. She saw a man standing near an old car, holding a firearm and directing shots towards zombies. He was tall, dressed in black, with no expression on his face.

Malak tried to make her way towards him, but the sound of rapid gunfire disoriented her senses. She felt severe dizziness, and her vision became blurry. The sounds mingled in her ears, and she suddenly lost strength.

She took one last step before falling to the ground, losing consciousness.

Jeon Jungkook.A twenty-eight-year-old man, who had been living alone since the beginning of the pandemic outbreak. He did not belong to any survivor group, nor did he have partners or friends to accompany him on his journeys. From the first few months, he learned that relying on others could be a risk not worth his life.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, and strong with sharp masculine features and a defined jawline, and cold black eyes that gave his face a stern expression. His black hair was often a bit messy, and he wore practical dark clothes suitable for movement and combat, along with military boots and a jacket with multiple pockets.He was not very talkative, nor did he tend to show his feelings. He was accustomed to silence and approached every situation with calmness and precise calculations. He did not trust strangers, did not allow anyone to know his whereabouts, and considered maintaining his life a non-negotiable priority.He took a natural cave, secluded between the mountains and forests, as his refuge, far from the city and areas where the infected creatures are spreading. He spent months outfitting and transforming it into a safe dwelling; he set up a simple bedroom inside, a small kitchen, a storage area for food and water, and a space for medications, tools, and weapons. He also established a guard and alert system around the cave entrance, and he would return to it before nightfall.

He spent his days alone, going out to search for supplies and fuel, checking abandoned places, and then returning to his solitude without having to exchange a single word with another human being.That morning, he was in the city looking for some supplies when he heard screams coming from one of the alleys.

He was not accustomed to intervening in other people's problems, but when he approached, he saw a girl running amidst a group of zombies, wearing a white hospital gown and appearing in very poor health.

He fired several shots to keep the creatures away from her, then watched her fall before him.

He approached her cautiously, holstered his weapon before bending down to check her pulse. She was alive, but her body seemed unusually exhausted. He noticed her bare feet, the hospital clothes, and her pale face.

He furrowed his eyebrows slightly.He didn't understand where she came from, or how she managed to stay alive in that condition.

After a few moments of hesitation, he lifted her into his arms and headed towards his car parked at the end of the street.

He didn't know that this simple decision of his would turn his peaceful life upside down.

After a journey of about an hour, Jungkook reached a mountainous area far from the city. He took a narrow path between the trees until he reached the entrance of his hidden cave.

He stopped the car, then carried the girl inside.The place was quiet, inhabited only by the sound of the wind outside. He placed her on his bed, brought out the first aid kit, and began examining her for any injuries or bite marks. When he was certain there were no visible injuries, he placed a bottle of water and some clean blankets beside her.

He paused for a moment, contemplating her pale face.

He hadn't imagined waking up that morning to find himself responsible for another human being, especially a girl whose name he didn't even know.

However, he didn't leave her outside.

For the first time in many months, the cave was no longer a shelter for a man living alone, but a place where another life was breathing.As for Malak, she was still deep in her sleep, unaware that she had awakened in a world that had ended, and that the person who had saved her was not a hero looking to rescue others, but rather a man who had grown accustomed to living alone, and was not yet ready to welcome anyone into his life.