Vengeance

twelve

Seonghwa and Han took off towards the north control room, hoping to run into a member of their staff or a member of their group. Each knew it was selfish, but they couldn't stop themselves from getting hopeful.

Seonghwa's eyes darted in and out of the dark rooms, his heart pounding in his chest as he passed the control room they'd spent so much time in. The place where they'd exchanged vows. The last time he'd seen Hongjoong alive.

He kept moving.

Hongjoong wouldn't be there. No one was in there. They'd closed it off in case anyone else needed rescuing. They wanted to leave it safe.

It was strange the second time through.

The zombies were hardly even paying them any attention. They stumbled around stupidly, as if they didn't even know they were there.

It didn't make any sense. But there wasn't time to question it.

"A staff member!" Han whispered, grabbing Seonghwa's shirt collar and pointing up ahead. "He's one of ours! And look! He barely has a scratch on him!"

Seonghwa smiled, seeing the man up ahead of them. But he couldn't help but feel his chest tightening.

That was one. If the next person they found wasn't Hongjoong, he'd have to go all the way back to the plane before he'd get another chance to look.

He knew they had made the agreement to be fair, but it didn't mean he liked it. As selfish as it felt, he wasn't sure he could leave this place knowing without Hongjoong.

Han could sense his hesitation and quickly stepped up, pulling out his restraints.

"I've got him. You keep going ahead. I'm sure Hongjoong's up there somewhere," he said quietly and Seonghwa turned, eyes softening.

Han just nodded.

"Go. Find him."

Seonghwa wiped away a tear, not even knowing when it had fallen. He nodded in response, continuing forward as Han took cautious steps to restrain the zombie.

He felt his pulse rise as he got closer and closer to the end of the hallway. Closer to the dressing rooms. Close to the spot where he'd last seen him.

He could still hear his soft voice calling out to him.

The lost look in his empty eyes.

"Hwa? Is that you?"

He would find him. He would find him. He had to find him.

He was so close.

He'd come back for him.

But with his mind distracted, he didn't think to watch his step, and tripped as his foot struck something on the ground.

In a moment of panic, he grabbed onto the wall, trying his best not to make a sound as he nearly crashed into his face. Just before he could fall completely, his hand caught on the rim of a water fountain and he stood frozen, panting as his eyes darted around in concern.

Slowly, he turned back in anger at the source of his clumsiness but quickly, his eyes widened and he had to bring a hand to his mouth to keep from crying out in horror.

It was a body.

Hyunjin's body.

He'd tripped over his arm.

Taking rapid shallow breaths, Seonghwa turned away, shaking.

He had been so focused on saving those who had turned that he'd nearly forgotten about everyone who couldn't come back.