They moved down the crumbling stairs quietly, carrying the weakened chief carefully. The stench of blood, smoke, and rot followed them with every step. Songwoo held the front, his senses sharp and heart heavy. Yuri trailed behind him, glancing back to ensure Ryu. The giant wolf was surprisingly silent, eyes scanning everything with protective instinct.
As they reached the lower floor, a faint whisper echoed through the hallway.
"Songwoo!"A familiar voice called out.
Minjae emerged from behind a collapsed wall, bruised but alive. His shirt was stained with dirt and blood, and in his hands, he held a broken pipe like a weapon. Relief washed over him as he saw the group.
"You're safe..." he breathed, his voice cracking.
Songwoo gave a faint smile. "Barely. You did well, Minjae."
Minjae lowered the pipe and looked at the chief's limp form. "Is she...?"
"Alive, but not for long if we don't find help," Yuri said quickly.
"I did what I could," Minjae added, guiding them into a room where several survivors huddled, scared and confused. The doctor Hong rushed forward and began treating the chief immediately.
Ryu growled softly, his ears twitching.
"What's wrong?" Yuri asked.
Before anyone could answer, Kan seok's men rushed to the floor. Ryu came to Yuri to help open the door where Songwoo were locked, so no one there to stop them.
At that moment Ryu began to shrink. Bad timing, it seems that there is a limit to how much he can be invincible.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway, boots pounding against the concrete floor with urgency. Ryu growled low, baring his fangs as a warning. Songwoo turned his head toward the sound—Kan Seok's men were coming.
A group of armed thugs appeared at the end of the corridor. They weren't here to negotiate.
""huh! There! They're escaping!" one of them shouted.
Songwoo stood between the attackers and the others, shielding them with his body.
"Stay behind me," he whispered to Yuri and Minjae.
One of the guards aimed his rifle. "Hand over Songwoo, and we'll let the rest of you go!"
Minjae stepped forward. "You think we're that stupid?"
A tense silence followed.
Before the guard could fire, Ryu leapt into the air and bite him, since he is small it was too weak, but enough to distract them. Songwoo took that chance and struck him sending him crashing into the wall with a sickening thud. The others opened fire, but Songwoo grabbed a fallen iron peace which is a little big to use a sheild, it's the pecies that were used in the door where Songoo prisoned and then he charged in, dodging bullets and striking hard using his sword that found in a room, others hide in the room near them and scattered, . The narrow corridor worked to their advantage—there wasn't much room to aim.
Songwoo move backward, and the enemies forward. when they past a room Minjae tackled one of the enemies from behind. They were at disadvantage.
The fight was brutal. Songwoo moved like a shadow, his anger kept barely in check. These were the people who tortured innocents. Who betrayed the ones that saved them. He didn't hold back.
When the last of them fell, groaning or unconscious, Songwoo stood panting, his shirt torn and streaked with blood—but none of it his own.
He looks like a different person. The Songwoo they know were kind and too soft, but now he......!
"We don't have much time," the doctor said, checking the chief's pulse. "She needs proper care, now."
"We'll head out before more arrive," Songwoo said.
Minjae nodded. "We'll move fast."
Yuri took Ryu in her arms.
Yuri placed her hand gently on the wolf's side. "We're not alone anymore."
They collect other survivors and try to leave the building.
The ground floor was crawling with enemies and zombies—going down wasn't an option.
"We go up," Songwoo said, scanning the dim corridor. "To the roof."
They rushed upstairs, guiding the injured and supporting the unconscious chief. The narrow stairways creaked under hurried footsteps. At each turn, Minjae kept watch for patrols while Yuri followed closely with the others. Songwoo led them without hesitation, every step fueled by the desire to survive.
When they finally reached the roof, a cold gust of wind greeted them. Morning was near. The city stretched below them—broken, twisted, and silent.
"We can't climb down like this," the doctor said, clutching the chief's arm.
Songwoo scanned the roof and spotted a pile of cleaning equipment, including old mop handles and storage bins. Then, near a stairwell exit, he found what he was hoping for—bundles of thick rope.
"Help me tie these together," he said. "We'll make a line to the next building."
They worked fast. Minjae tied knots while Yuri secured the iron pipe on the edge of the rooftop. The wind howled, making their task harder, but they didn't stop. Ryu suddenly growl facing the stairway. Yuri got a bad feeling, she lock the door to the down floor, and block it with an iron pipe.
Once the rope was ready, Songwoo turned to Ryu.
"Can you make the jump?"
The great wolf looked at him and gave a short huff, he force himself to turn big. Also the place chief top of him its hard to carry her when crossing. He step back and then bounding forward. With a powerful leap, he soared across the gap to the next rooftop. The rope stretched behind him as Yuri held on, praying.
Ryu landed hard but steady and bit down on the end of the rope, pulling it toward a solid anchor point on the opposite roof. Minjae was the first to cross—hand over hand, he moved quickly and secured the rope tightly on Ryu's side. And place chief in a safe place.
"Go! One at a time!" he called back.
Yuri crossed next, then the doctor with help. Carefully and quietly, the survivors slipped across the makeshift bridge under the gray light of dawn. Only Songwoo remained.
He looked back at the rooftop door—it rattled. Voices shouted behind it. Kan Seok's men had found the bodies.
No time.
He gripped the rope and began to cross.
The wind roared. The rope swayed.
He didn't stop.
Halfway through, a gunshot rang out—the door had been broken down.
"Move, Songwoo!" Minjae yelled.
Another bullet whizzed past.
Ryu growled loud and threatening.
Songwoo swung the last few feet, dropped onto the opposite rooftop, and rolled into cover just as more bullets zipped by.
They were out.
For now.
Kan's men couldn't do anything. When they try to shoot they already left. By hearing the sound the zombies crawled up. Also they cut the rope before they left. There is nothing they can do but wait for death.
Songwoo looked back one last time.
The camp they thought was hope had become a cage. Now, they would find a new place. Or make one.
One where betrayal had no place.