The sky above was turning a dull gray as the day slowly gave way to night. Yeon-ah and the woman had been moving for what felt like hours, the ruins of the city stretching endlessly in every direction. The air was colder now, and with each passing minute, the oppressive silence seemed to grow heavier, more suffocating.
Yeon-ah's legs ached, her arm throbbed from the earlier battle, and her mind was a jumbled mess of exhaustion and determination. She had survived, but that wasn't enough. She needed to be stronger—strong enough to fight alongside the woman, strong enough to survive in this new, unforgiving world.
The woman walked ahead of her, silent and composed, as always. Her movements were fluid, purposeful, as if she knew exactly where they were going, even though the city looked the same no matter where they turned. Yeon-ah had long since stopped trying to make sense of their path. The woman seemed to have an unerring sense of direction, and Yeon-ah trusted her instincts.
But something was gnawing at the back of Yeon-ah's mind—something that had been bothering her since their last encounter with the Deborers.
"Who were those people?" Yeon-ah finally asked, her voice breaking the heavy silence between them.
The woman glanced over her shoulder but didn't slow her pace. "Deborers. You've seen them before."
Yeon-ah shook her head, quickening her step to keep up. "Not them. I mean the people—the man who attacked us before the Deborers. Why did he come after us?"
For a moment, the woman didn't answer. Her gaze remained fixed ahead, her expression unreadable. When she finally spoke, her voice was calm but distant. "Desperation. Fear. People like him, they're all around, trying to survive in their own way."
Yeon-ah frowned. She had seen the desperation in the man's eyes, the wild look of someone who had lost everything. But there was something else in his attack—something more than just fear.
"It felt... personal," Yeon-ah murmured, half to herself.
The woman stopped suddenly, turning to face her. Her eyes were sharp, as if she were assessing Yeon-ah for something deeper. "What are you trying to say?"
Yeon-ah hesitated, unsure if she was even right, but the feeling wouldn't go away. "It's just... it felt like he knew something. Like we were his target."
The woman's expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of something—perhaps recognition or annoyance—in her eyes. She sighed and started walking again, her voice low. "Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. It doesn't matter. In this world, everyone's a target."
The bluntness of her words hit Yeon-ah harder than she expected. It was true—ever since the world had fallen apart, survival had become a brutal game of hunter and prey. But this felt different. The encounter with the man had left an unsettling feeling in her gut, as if they were being hunted for reasons beyond just survival.
They pressed on through the ruins, the shadows growing longer as night approached. Yeon-ah's thoughts churned, her mind replaying the events of the past few days. She still didn't know what was happening to her—why she felt different, why her body had reacted in ways she couldn't explain during the fights. The sensation of something shifting inside her, like a dormant power waiting to be unleashed, was impossible to ignore.
But she couldn't focus on that now. The woman had been right—they needed to survive, and surviving meant staying focused.
The wind picked up, rustling the debris scattered across the streets. Yeon-ah shivered, pulling her jacket tighter around herself. They had to find shelter soon. The cold wasn't their only enemy; the city was crawling with threats, both human and otherwise. Nightfall would bring even more danger.
Just as Yeon-ah was about to voice her concerns, the woman stopped again. Her body tensed, and her hand moved to the hilt of her sword, her eyes scanning the area with a sharp, calculating gaze.
Yeon-ah's stomach dropped. She had seen that look before.
"What is it?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The woman didn't answer right away, her focus locked on something in the distance. Slowly, she pointed toward a building up ahead—a tall, crumbling structure that loomed over the surrounding ruins.
"We need to get inside," she said, her voice low but urgent. "Now."
Yeon-ah's heart raced as she followed the woman's lead, her legs moving before her mind could fully process what was happening. They hurried toward the building, their footsteps echoing through the empty streets. The hairs on the back of Yeon-ah's neck stood on end, a familiar feeling of being watched creeping over her.
By the time they reached the entrance, the feeling had intensified. Yeon-ah glanced over her shoulder, half-expecting to see something—someone—lurking in the shadows.
But there was nothing.
The woman pushed open the door to the building, the rusty hinges creaking in protest. Inside, it was dark and cold, the remnants of what had once been an office or a store scattered across the floor. Broken chairs, overturned desks, and shattered glass littered the ground, making it difficult to navigate.
They moved deeper into the building, the woman leading the way with practiced ease. Yeon-ah followed closely behind, her senses on high alert. She didn't know what they were running from, but she trusted the woman's instincts. If she said they needed to hide, there was a reason.
They made their way to a room in the back, where the walls were more intact and the windows covered with old, tattered curtains. The woman closed the door behind them and leaned against the wall, her sword still in hand.
"What's out there?" Yeon-ah asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The woman's eyes remained fixed on the door, her expression tense. "I don't know yet. But we're not alone."
Yeon-ah swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. She had felt it too—something had been watching them, following them. And now, they were trapped inside this building, waiting for whatever was out there to make its move.
For what felt like an eternity, they waited in silence, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife. Every creak of the building, every rustle of the wind outside, made Yeon-ah jump. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, ready for whatever might come through that door.
But nothing happened.
After a long, agonizing moment, the woman finally spoke, her voice barely more than a whisper. "We'll stay here tonight. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it in the morning."
Yeon-ah nodded, though the fear still gnawed at her. She sat down on the floor, leaning against the cold, hard wall. Exhaustion was starting to creep in, her muscles aching from the long day of walking and fighting.
But sleep wouldn't come easily tonight. Not with the weight of the unknown pressing down on her.