A group of armed men blocked the entrance. Familiar faces now stood on the other side of raised rifles. Kang Seok smirked as he stepped forward.
"Welcome home," he said. "Camp's under new management."
Songwoo's jaw tightened. He looked at the camp—at the people inside now living in fear—and then back at the supplies they carried.
This wasn't just betrayal.It was war.
Songwoo's clenched his fists so tight that his nails bit into his palms.
He wanted nothing more than to charge forward, to tear down the traitors that had stolen their home.But reality struck harder than his rage—Kang Seok's men had taken hostages.Minjae, the doctor... all held at gunpoint. Their lives dangled by a thread, and Songwoo knew one reckless move would cut it. But Daehyun can't be found nowhere.
Across the distance, Juhone sneered, her voice cold and filled with venom."Kill him," she demanded, pointing directly at Songwoo."He's dangerous. He'll turn everyone against us."
But Kan Seok only chuckled darkly, waving a lazy hand."No. He's worth more alive."He gave Songwoo a cruel smirk."A monster like you... good at fighting, good at killing zombies. We can use you."
Two men approached Songwoo cautiously, guns raised.
"Lock him up," Kang Seok ordered."And make sure he knows—we hold his little friends. If he steps out of line... they die."
Songwoo didn't resist.Not because he was afraid.Because he had no choice.
If he fought now, the people he swore to protect would die.
As they dragged him toward an old storage shed, Songwoo caught a glimpse of something—a small figure slipping between buildings—quick, silent, and almost invisible.
Yuri.
She had escaped. Not running awy. It seems like she is looking a way to fight against them.His heart thudded with a tiny sliver of hope.
While the camp drowned in betrayal and fear, the young girl he had once protected now ran through the ruins, determined to find help——determined to find a way to save him.
Inside the shed, the door slammed shut behind him. Darkness swallowed him whole.
Songwoo sat in the shadows, head bowed, as footsteps faded away.
And for the first time since the world shattered, a smile tugged faintly at his lips.
While the chaos behind her raged on, Yuri ran with all the strength her small legs could muster.Tears blurred her vision, but she refused to stop.She had to find help.She had to save Songwoo.
As she darted through the ruined city streets, hiding in shadows and slipping through abandoned alleyways, she stumbled across something strange——a faint whimper.
In the broken remains of a collapsed building, something moved.
Curious and cautious, Yuri approached carefully.Under a pile of debris, a tiny creature struggled——a wolf cub, thin, dirty, but alive.
Its gray fur was matted with dust, and its bright, fearful eyes stared at her.
For a moment, Yuri hesitated.Then she knelt down, whispering softly."…It's okay. I won't hurt you."
The cub whimpered again but didn't run.Slowly, gently, she pulled it free and cradled it in her arms.
"Poor thing... you're just like me, huh?"
With her new companion, she found an old broken shelter—a forgotten underground maintenance room.She cleaned the cub's wounds with scraps of cloth, fed it bits of stale food from her pocket.The little wolf nuzzled into her, trembling at first... then slowly calming under her care.
As night fell, a fragile bond was formed.Two survivors, abandoned and alone, now leaning on each other.
Meanwhile, back at the camp...
Kang Seok tightened his grip on the shelter with bloodied hands.
Anyone who dared speak against him...Anyone who dared oppose Juhone's rule...was dragged to the front gates and thrown into the swarm of zombies outside.
Screams echoed in the distance—short, horrible bursts of sound swallowed by the hungry dead.
The camp, once a place of desperate hope, became a graveyard of broken dreams.Jisoo stood at Kang Seok's side, a twisted smile on her face.
Songwoo, locked in darkness, could only grit his teeth as he heard faint gunshots and cries beyond the walls.
He sat silently, feeling helpless——but deep inside, a fire was beginning to burn.Not just for survival—For the people who still believed in him.
Inside the camp…
Kang Seok's rule turned harsher with each passing hour.
Those who refused to kneel before him were locked away in a filthy, dark storage room.There was barely enough air, barely enough light, and barely enough food.Just enough to keep them alive... barely.
The once-proud chief was beaten half to death.Her body, once standing tall for hope, was now bruised and broken, thrown into the darkness with the rest.
And as for Songwoo—
Seok didn't dare kill him.Instead, he tried to tempt him.
"We can rule this place together," Kang Seok had said, smiling like a serpent."You're strong, kid. Stronger than all these weaklings.Why waste it?"
Songwoo sat in silence, eyes empty.He gave no answer. No emotion. No weakness.
Juhone watched with barely contained rage.How she wanted to tear him apart——but Kang Seok refused to let her touch him.
"He's useful," Kang Seok sneered."Unlike you."
Even some of the refugees who were once saved by the chief...betrayed her now, standing proudly at Seok's side for a piece of safety and extra food.
The world had truly fallen apart.
Songwoo sickly worry about his friends. He always ask the guy who bring him food about them.
"Hey.. how's my friends. You guy's didn't harm them? Don't you?"
Huuuh ..You're annoying. What if we hurt them. Can you save, all of them. You are nothing but a brat who tries to play hero. I wonder why boss value you."
He keep his silence.
Two days has passed after the take over the camp incident.
Meanwhile… outside the camp,
Yuri crouched low inside her underground hideout, trying to sketch a plan.
She had counted the number of guards standing out side, watched their routines... can't have a peek inside.—but she was just a kid, and the camp was too heavily armed.
"If only I had power…" she thought desperately.
Suddenly——A low growl rumbled from behind her.
Startled, Yuri whirled 5around, clutching a rusty knife tightly.
But when she turned—
Her breath caught in her throat.
It was the wolf cub she had saved.But it was no longer small.
Standing before her now was a gigantic wolf, easily twice the size of any normal wolf.Its fur shimmered silver under the moonlight, its golden eyes burning fiercely.
It stepped forward, lowering its head respectfully, like a knight before its queen.
Yuri dropped her knife, stunned.
"...Ryu..." she whispered, a name slipping from her lips instinctively.
The wolf growled softly, as if accepting it.
Ryu—A name that would soon be whispered in fear and awe across the ruined city.
Yuri reached out her hand.Ryu pressed his forehead gently against it.
She smiled weakly, tears prickling her eyes.
Now she can fight. She got the help she search for.
"...Let's go.. Help me save them. My friends."