The bunker air was thick with tension, suffocating in a way that had nothing to do with the lack of fresh air.
MJ sat cross-legged on the cold floor, watching Chuck rummage through the supplies like he owned the place. Jae stood near the exit, arms crossed, body stiff like a statue. He hadn't said a word since they woke up.
Chuck, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease, chewing on a dried piece of meat as if they weren't living in a literal nightmare.
"Are you two always this moody in the morning?" Chuck asked, smirking as he tossed a can of food in the air. "Or is this just a special occasion?"
Jae shot him a glare, but MJ was the one who spoke first. "Maybe we're just not used to having strangers crash our survival party."
Chuck chuckled. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm no stranger. Jae and I? We go way back."
Jae's jaw clenched. "Don't."
MJ narrowed her eyes. "Don't what? Tell me the truth?"
Chuck gave her a slow, knowing smile. "Oh, he hasn't told you, has he?" He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "He's not just a survivor, honey. He's something else. Something different."
Jae moved so fast MJ barely saw it. One second, Chuck was grinning; the next, Jae had him pinned against the wall, his forearm pressed hard against Chuck's throat.
"Shut. Up." Jae's voice was low, dangerous.
MJ jumped to her feet. "Jae, stop!"
Chuck didn't even look scared. If anything, he looked amused. "You gonna show her, big guy? Or are you still pretending to be normal?"
Jae let him go, stepping back, fists clenched.
MJ's heart pounded. "Show me what?"
For a moment, Jae didn't move. Then, his eyes flickered—a deep, glowing red. It lasted only a second, but MJ saw it. She felt it.
Her breath caught. "What are you?"
Jae turned away. "You don't want to know."
Chuck scoffed. "Oh, come on. You've already seen the signs, haven't you? The way he moves, the way he fights? The fact that he never seems scared, even when facing those monsters?"
MJ swallowed hard. She had noticed.
Chuck stretched, looking way too relaxed for someone who had just been attacked. "You really should've figured it out by now, sweetheart. Jae isn't just some survivor. He was made for this world."
Jae glared at him. "Enough."
MJ stared at them both. "I deserve to know the truth."
Jae didn't answer.
Before she could push further, the ground shook.
A loud, inhuman screech echoed outside.
MJ's blood ran cold. "Tell me that's not what I think it is."
Chuck grabbed his knife. "If you're thinking 'mutated nightmare come back for revenge,' then yeah. That's exactly what it is."
Jae was already moving. "We need to leave. Now."
MJ hesitated for only a second before grabbing her spear. "Where?"
Chuck smirked. "Oh, I have a place in mind. But you're not gonna like it."
Jae scowled. "Absolutely not."
"Would you rather stay here and die?" Chuck shot back.
Jae cursed under his breath. "Fine."
The bunker door rattled as something heavy slammed against it.
MJ felt her pulse race.
They were out of time.
And whatever was hunting them wasn't going to wait.
Betrayal Comes in the Dark
The escape was brutal.
They ran through the crumbling city ruins, weaving between abandoned buildings and shattered cars. The monster behind them was relentless, its guttural screeches echoing through the dead streets.
Chuck led the way, his pace effortless, while Jae stayed close to MJ, his hand occasionally brushing hers as if making sure she was still there.
Finally, they reached an underground shelter, hidden beneath the wreckage of an old subway station.
Chuck pried open a rusted metal door and gestured for them to enter. "Welcome to my humble abode."
MJ stepped inside hesitantly. The place was bigger than expected, stocked with supplies—too many for one person to have gathered alone.
Something felt off.
Jae must've felt it too because he didn't move from the entrance. "Where did you get all this?"
Chuck shrugged. "Made a few deals. Took a few risks." His eyes gleamed in the dim light. "You'd be surprised what people are willing to trade when they're desperate."
MJ's stomach twisted.
Then—
A metallic click.
Jae tensed. MJ spun around.
Chuck was holding a gun.
Pointed directly at them.
"Sorry, kids," Chuck said, voice almost apologetic. "But trust only gets you killed in this world."
MJ's heart plummeted.
"You set us up."
Chuck sighed. "Not entirely. I just… didn't tell you everything."
The shadows shifted behind him.
More figures emerged from the darkness—armed men, their eyes hollow, their faces sharp with hunger.
Raiders.
MJ's grip on her spear tightened.
Jae's voice was eerily calm. "You were never planning to help us."
Chuck smirked. "Oh, I am helping. Just… not in the way you expected."
The leader of the raiders, a scarred man with a cruel smile, stepped forward. "Good work, Chuck. You always bring us the best ones."
MJ's blood turned to ice.
They weren't just being robbed.
They were being delivered.