Taesoo Kang leaned against a tree, gasping for air as he wiped the blood from his brow. The night had turned eerily silent after the chaos of their escape. His friends huddled together nearby, their faces pale, their clothes torn, and their breaths shallow.
They had barely escaped the horde, thanks to the stranger who now stood at a distance, his silhouette framed by the flickering glow of a makeshift fire.
"You should all rest," the man said, his voice calm but cold. "You're safe here… for now."
Taesoo stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he took in their surroundings. The mountaintop hideout was unlike anything he'd expected. Steel-reinforced walls, crates of supplies, and even surveillance equipment—it was more like a military outpost than a survivor's camp.
"This place…" Taesoo began, his voice steady despite the exhaustion. "It's not something a group of survivors could put together. This is military-grade. Or maybe… something even bigger."
The stranger turned, a faint smile curling on his lips. But it wasn't comforting—it was the kind of smile that sent a chill down Taesoo's spine. "You're quite smart for a kid," he said, his tone almost mocking.
"That doesn't answer my question," Taesoo replied, his voice firm.
The stranger's smile widened, taking on a maddening edge. "Let's say, hypothetically, I refuse to answer. What are you going to do about it?"
Taesoo held his ground, refusing to be intimidated. "Who are you? Why did you help us?"
The man's gaze swept over the group, his eyes cold and calculating. "I've seen enough of your kind to know the answer already," he said. "You're the type of person who'd risk your entire group for a random stranger. The kind who'd argue to keep a criminal alive because of your shitty sense of justice. Am I wrong?"
Taesoo clenched his fists, his silence betraying the truth.
"I thought so," the man continued, his voice laced with disdain. "Maybe you'll survive this, or maybe you're just another naïve fool who'll get everyone around him killed. Either way, let me give you a piece of advice: when you stare at the void, the void stares back."
Taesoo's jaw tightened as the man's words hung in the air. His friends exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of the moment pressing down on them.
The stranger stood, brushing dirt off his clothes. "Well, this has been fun," he said, turning toward the edge of the camp.
"Where are you going?" Taesoo's friend, Ji-eun, called out, running after him.
The man paused, glancing over his shoulder. "To a nuclear power plant."
Ji-eun's eyes widened in disbelief. "But… that's insane! There are zombies everywhere!"
He smirked. "I know."
Before she could respond, Taesoo stepped in, gently grabbing her arm. "Let him go," he said firmly.
"But—" Ji-eun protested, her voice trembling.
"He's suspicious," Taesoo said, his voice low. "We don't know who he is or what he wants. We can't trust him."
The stranger didn't wait for them to decide. With a wave of his hand, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving the group to grapple with his cryptic words and their uneasy refuge.
For Taesoo, one thing was clear: this man was dangerous, and his presence had brought more questions than answers