Resurgence : Fate | Enhypen

Chapter 16: Jeremy

Heeseung's POV

As I prepared to leave, I felt Sunoo's desperation in the air. "We could find a place to stay outside," he suggested, his voice trembling. "We have supplies, and we can defend ourselves, and-" He trailed off, his hand reaching out.

I held his shoulders firmly, trying to convey strength in my words. "I'm going to be okay," I reassured him, hoping he could find comfort in my confidence. "They said they'll provide me with protective armor. And I'm sure I'm immune, Sunoo."

His eyes pleaded with me, and I wished I could banish all his worries with a single touch. "Heeseung, I'm telling you, I don't fucking know what to do without you..." he confessed, his voice showing his vulnerability.

But I knew I had to be strong for both of us. "I'll come back. I promise." I insisted gently, pulling him into an embrace, hoping my words could soothe his fears and worries.

As I reluctantly let go and made my way towards the door, each step weighed heavily and echoed throughout my mind. But I had to believe that I would return to him, I had to.

As a man led me through an underground basement, my senses were overwhelmed by the sight of cages filled with zombies. I couldn't comprehend how they had managed to construct this in such a short time since the apocalypse began.

My thoughts were interrupted as we approached a large door, where the woman I had encountered earlier stood, surrounded by men. I noticed the walkie-talkie in her hand, I was getting desperate to get it. With a signal from her, the men opened the door, revealing a horrifying sight—a greenish, bloated zombie, almost translucent in appearance.

"What the hell..." I muttered, unable to look away from the grotesque creature before me.

The woman's voice cut through the eerie silence, her tone strangely casual. "Oh, that's not 'what the hell,' boy," she remarked. "That's who we call Jeremy."

I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine at her unfazed attitude towards such a monstrosity. Memories of Jungwon's descriptions of the zombies he had encountered flooded my mind, particularly his mention of the 'blob' variant.

As I stood there, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was far more to this underground facility—and to Jeremy—than met the eye.

I took a hazmat suit from the woman. She then handed me a syringe and explained my mission. "All you have to do, is get a sample from Jeremy," She said as she put her arm around my shoulder.

"We've been working on finding cures and other useful information," she explained, her voice calm.

I nodded, trying to mask my nerves with a semblance of confidence. "That's all...?" I ventured, hoping to downplay the gravity of the task.

But the woman's smirk told me otherwise. "Are you that confident?" she countered, her gaze piercing through my facade.

I faltered for a moment, my bravado waning in the face of her words. "I mean, it's just a small task-" I trailed off, realizing the futility of my attempt to minimize the danger.

But she cut me off before I could finish my sentence, her tone grave. "Small but dangerous," she emphasized. "The reason I gave you a hazmat suit is because the air around Jeremy is toxic. We've only managed to lure him here and trap him. No one dares to go close to him because he's easily alerted."

As her words sank in, I felt a knot form in my stomach. The reality of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks, and I couldn't ignore the rising nervousness that threatened to swallow me whole.