Breaking Point
The rotting hand punched through the ceiling, fingers twitching violently. Blackened veins pulsed beneath its decaying skin, and the jagged nails scraped against the metal as it clawed for an opening.
Joon let out a sharp scream, burying his face into Ji-Hyun's jacket.
Soo-Young yanked her daughter back, heart hammering.
BANG. BANG. BANG!!!.
More fists pounded against the ceiling. The sound of cracking metal filled the cabin.
Park raised his rifle. "We need to move—NOW."
Before anyone could react—
A corpse fell through the ceiling.
It landed with a sickening crunch, its head snapping back at an unnatural angle. Its jaw dislocated on impact, leaving it hanging uselessly to the side, exposing black gums and rotting teeth.
Then—it moved.
Its arms twitched, its fingers digging into the floor, as if trying to force its broken body to crawl forward.
Ji-Hyun gasped in horror.
Soo-Young grabbed her knife and lunged.
******
Nowhere To Hide
Soo-Young's blade sank into the zombie's skull, right between its milky, unfocused eyes.
For a moment, it twitched violently, its body jerking like a puppet with a tangled strings. Then—it stilled.
And fell down with a loud thud.
The lifeless corpse collapsed onto the floor, its black blood pooling beneath it.
Ji-Hyun's breathing was ragged, her hands gripping Joon so tightly the boy whimpered in fear.
Above them, the pounding intensified.
Dozens of hands were now clawing at the ceiling, pressing against the metal with sickening urgency.
"We need to move—now!" Park barked.
Soo-Young didn't hesitate. She grabbed Ji-Hyun's wrist and ran.
---
The Hunted
The group raced through the narrow train corridor, their footsteps echoing loudly.
Soo-Young shoved open the door to the next carriage, peering inside.
The cabin was empty—but the air reeked of blood.
Dr. Lee wiped sweat from his brow. "We can't keep running blindly. If we don't have a plan—"
BANG.
The ceiling of the previous car collapsed entirely.
Corpses rained from above.
The undead crawled out of the wreckage, their bodies twisted and broken, but still moving—still hungry.
Ji-Hyun screamed.
Soo-Young slammed the door shut, twisting the lock. "GO!"
They sprinted through the carriage, but ahead of them, another problem arose—
A lone man staggered in the aisle, clutching his throat. His veins were turning black, his eyes flickering between clarity and hunger.
He was turning.
Dr. Lee sucked in a breath. "He's infected—"
The man let out a choked wheeze, then—
His veins ruptured.
Dark liquid spilled from his mouth, dribbling down his chin. His head snapped up—
And he lunged at them with speed.
---
Blood And Betrayal
The infected man moved too fast.
Soo-Young barely had time to react before he crashed into Park, sending them both tumbling to the floor.
Park grunted, struggling against the inhuman strength of the infected man.
"Get—off—me!"
The infected snapped its jaws, inches from Park's throat.
Soo-Young didn't hesitate—
She grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall and swung it down with all her strength.
CRACK.
The infected's skull caved inward.
It twitched once—then collapsed.
Panting, Park shoved the body off and scrambled to his feet. "Shit—"
Before they could recover, a scream echoed from behind them.
Soo-Young whipped around—
And saw the train attendant on the floor, clutching her bleeding arm.
One of the infected had grabbed her in the chaos, its teeth sinking deep into her flesh.
The girl's eyes widened in terror.
"No—no, no, no!"
Dr. Lee rushed forward, but it was too late.
The infection was an instant one.
Black veins burst across her skin, spreading like cracks in shattered glass.
Her pupils dilated, then turned glassy and vacant.
Her breathing hitched—then stopped entirely.
For a single, horrible second, she was completely still.
Then—
Her mouth twisted into an unnatural grin.
She turned.
And speed quickly toward them..
---
Soo-Young's heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in sharp bursts.
The moment the attendant turned, her arms stretched out, fingers stiffening and jerking, looking less human with each second.
"NO!" Ji-Hyun screamed, pulling her mother back.
Soo-Young's instincts kicked in. She grabbed Ji-Hyun's arm and yanked her away just as the now-zombified woman lunged toward them. The girl's mouth was wide open, full of jagged, decaying teeth.
The stench of rot hit Soo-Young's senses like a physical blow, the sight of the attendant—once so familiar, now a horrific monster—almost breaking her resolve.
But there was no time for hesitation.
With a roar, Soo-Young shoved the nearest metal luggage cart into the path of the creature, blocking its advance. The attendant slammed into it, the sickening crunch of bone echoing through the car. Her neck twisted at an impossible angle, but she kept coming.
Park fired his rifle, the shot ringing through the cabin.
The bullet hit the attendant square in the head.
But she didn't die.
The body twitched again, and her fingers clawed at the air, desperate for more victims.
"We need to get out of here!" Park shouted, panic creeping into his voice.
Soo-Young could see it in his eyes—this wasn't just the chaos of an out-of-control situation anymore. They were trapped. They had nowhere to run, and they were losing ground with every passing moment.
Soo-Young gritted her teeth. "We're not dying here. Not today."
---
Hell On The Tracks
They stumbled back into the next car, hearts racing. The train had slowed to a crawl, and through the windows, Soo-Young could see the plume of smoke rising in the distance, signaling the destruction in Seoul.
The city was falling apart. And now, the train had become its own death trap.
The survivors huddled together, staring down the hallway that led into the next carriage, where more screams echoed—more zombies.
Soo-Young's military training surged to the forefront. She snapped into action.
"Dr. Lee, do you have any antidote?" she demanded, turning sharply to the man, who looked barely able to focus.
The doctor shook his head. "I—I was working on it. But the virus—it's mutating too quickly. Whatever I had was only ever going to delay the infection." His voice trembled with regret. "I'm sorry. This is far worse than I imagined."
Soo-Young cursed under her breath, her mind racing.
"What about the government?" she asked urgently. "The military, the authorities—they can't just let this happen. We need to contact them."
Park grimaced. "The government's already compromised, Captain. What you're dealing with here isn't a mistake. This was planned."
Soo-Young's eyes flickered to the man's face, sensing a deeper truth behind his words.
Before she could ask more, a screech tore through the air—the unmistakable sound of metal scraping on metal.
Sussy, the train lurched swiftly.
They staggered, barely holding their footing. The overhead lights flickered, casting the cabin in eerie flashes.
"Get to the front of the train," Park ordered, his voice cutting through the chaos. "The emergency brakes are in the front—we need to stop the train before we reach the next station."
Dr. Lee, his face pale, nodded.
"And the zombies?" Ji-Hyun asked, fear thick in her voice.
Soo-Young squeezed her daughter's hand tightly.
"We fight."