all that bloodshed, crimson cover (we'll still dream anyways)

ready for combat

Slowly untangling her hands from Aesol's and softly patting Yoojung's back, Dan staggers up from where half the class is huddled together. Almost every voice in her mind is screaming at her not to speak, not to try being a hero, but the occasional scream that sounds through the town forces her to blurt the words out.

"I... I want to help find the others."

Lieutenant Lee and Wonbin ahjussi pause from their hushed conversation about their next course of action, looking up at Dan. She can see their conflicted expressions - fear, pride, anxiety - but the dominant one is undoubtedly reluctance. She knows what they're thinking: what if you get injured too?

Lieutenant Lee steps forward, one arm outreached and voice final, "No. You have to stay here and wait with Sergeant Kim."

"Sir!" "Lieutenant..." Both Wonbin ahjussi and Dan protest at the same time, but are immediately shut down by the firm shake of Lieutenant Lee's head.

"That's final. You don't even have bullets; how will you defend yourselves?"

"So give us bullets." Their heads snap to the source of the voice.

Ilha, who has had his hands firmly gripping his rifle, looks up from where he was glaring a hole into the ground, glowing at the Lieutenant. "We have been learning how to shoot and we already, actually did today. So give us bullets and let us go find our friends."

Opening his mouth to dismiss Ilha, Lieutenant Lee is interrupted by both Soyoon and Yoojung standing up from where they were crouched over.

Determination and fear both swimming in her figure, Soyoon busies herself with unbuckling the magazine of her rifle, "If you make us sit here and listen to the screams of our classmates, not knowing if it'll be the last time we'll ever hear them, that's more torturous."

The always-rational Yoojung nods, defying the adults in a rare moment, "We'll stay together and be alert. Please let us help."

It's five-against-one and even the trembling Joonhee, Inhye and Aesol start to get up and prepare their rifles, hands still tightly gripping onto each other.

With a glance at his own comrade who is now looking at him in silent reassurance that the kids will do well , Lieutenant Lee knows he has to give in.

"Okay. You'll be given three bullets each. Try not to shoot as it'll attract the attention of the spheres. You have to stick with Sergeant Kim and no one is allowed to leave on their own." He pauses, eyelids fluttering as he swallows hardly to prepare himself for his next instruction, "If anything happens, run. Run and don't look back."

--

The town is quiet, uncharacteristic of the lawless state it was in just minutes ago. Apart from the shuffling of feet of the students and the quiet, suppressed panting, the air is still, as if waiting for something or someone to break the silence.

And then, a thundering gunshot rips through the air, startling the students and Wonbin ahjussi as they whip their heads around to locate the source of the sound.

Aiming her rifle at her right, Dan mouths to Wonbin ahjussi , "The car park." He nods and gestures for them to follow him as he leads them into the underground car park.

Every step they take is high-strung with tension, the students darting their eyes back and forth, in heart-pounding fear that a creature would leap out of nowhere again and try to lunge for them. Their surroundings darken as they enter the entrance of the car park, stepping over dead bodies of other students and civilians. They pray that the gunshot was not one of finality, but of fight; that it came from their classmates who managed to protect themselves; that it will lead them to something good.