Plague 2023 (Plague 2022 Season 2)

Episode 20

FRAGMENTS OF THE FALLEN

Sae Joon Hyun and Jaeyeon shared a triumphant fist bump, their camaraderie reaffirmed in this unexpected reunion. The joy of meeting old friends in such dire times was palpable, but amidst the celebration, Eunhye's reaction took center stage. She dropped to her knees, overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions. Her face was streaked with tears as she looked up at the familiar faces around her.

"Oh wow... I'm... I'm so glad... I'm so glad you guys are safe," Eunhye’s voice trembled, struggling to control her sobs. The rawness of her relief was evident, but she fought to keep her wails subdued, conscious of the risk of attracting the zombies that roamed outside.

Eugene, seeing Eunhye’s struggle, crouched beside her. His expression was one of deep understanding. “You shouldn’t have to stop your emotions from flowing, no matter how bizarre the world gets, Noona. Cry with all you’ve got.” His words were sincere, a gentle reassurance in the chaos.

With those encouraging words, Eunhye’s control shattered. Her tears flowed freely, and her wails filled the air, a release of the pent-up fear and exhaustion she had been carrying. Eugene, ever the protector, took immediate action. He loaded his gun and began firing with precision at the approaching zombies. Despite the barrier of fire keeping most of them at bay, Eugene was determined to clear the area of any threat, driven by a protective urge for his friend.

The minutes passed as Eunhye’s sobs gradually subsided. Hailey and Su-yeong stepped forward, their support evident as they helped Eunhye to her feet. With Eugene covering their backs, they made their way into the convenience store. Eugene fired one last shot to ensure they were safe from any lingering zombies before following them inside.

Inside the store, the group found a moment of respite. They settled onto the floor, their bodies weary but their spirits lifted by the reunion.

As the group settled onto the floor of the convenience store, the atmosphere shifted from the chaos of the outside world to a rare moment of calm. They each took a moment to catch their breath, the intensity of their earlier actions giving way to a quieter reflection. Yuri, eager to understand more about their separated fates, broke the silence. “Where were you guys?”

Yon, leaning back on his hands, looked up with a thoughtful expression. “The real question is, where were you guys?”

Yuri frowned, confusion evident. “What do you mean?”

Jaeyeon, his face serious as he recounted their ordeal, began to explain. “Seonsangnim, after we managed to survive the burning zombies, we found temporary refuge in a run down house. But then a sudden, thunderous bang shook the place, causing debris to fall all around us. I barely escaped being crushed by a boulder. I searched frantically, hoping to find you and Yohan, but you were nowhere to be seen. I was left with Eugene and Hailey, who had fallen beside me in the chaos. Since then, we’ve been on a relentless search for you, but it’s been like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Hamin, his face etched with concern, added his own experience. “Yeah, it was the same for me. After that fight with the horde at the base, we had to make a quick escape. We stumbled upon a house, and as we entered, I turned around to check if everyone was with us, only to find Eunhye Noona and Sae Hyeong missing. We searched, but they were gone.”

The question that Su-yeong posed brought a hush over the group. “Come to think of it, where are the rest of our team?”

Her question lingered in the air, heavy with the weight of unspoken fears. Sae Joon Hyun, Yuri, and Eunhye exchanged solemn glances, the gravity of their situation settling over them like a shroud.

Sae Joon Hyun took a deep breath, the weight of the ordeal heavy on his shoulders. He began recounting their harrowing experience inside the white building, a place that had once seemed like a refuge but turned out to be a nightmarish trap. His voice was steady but laden with the burden of his memories.

“We were trapped in what we thought was a safe haven—a so-called refugee camp,” Sae Joon Hyun started. “But it was all an elaborate illusion. The white rooms we were locked in were designed to contain us, to make us believe we were safe while we were actually prisoners.”

He detailed their escape from the rooms, each step fraught with peril and confusion. He described how they had encountered the rest of their team, only to find them transformed into monstrous zombie-like beings. The reality of their situation had become clearer with each harrowing discovery. The journey to reach this store and how they had come here was fraught with danger and despair.

A somber silence enveloped the group as the gravity of Sae Joon Hyun’s recounting settled in. The revelation of their ordeal was a stark reminder of the cruelty and manipulation they had faced.

Su-yeong broke the silence with a question that echoed the collective fear. “Even Kaneisyeon?”

Sae Joon Hyun shook his head, his face reflecting his own uncertainty and frustration. “We didn’t see her. And you guys.”

The mention of Yohan caused Hailey’s composure to crack. Her voice choked as she spoke. “So Yohan…”

Yuri, seeing Hailey’s distress, immediately crawled over to her and embraced her tightly. Hailey’s cries were uncontrollable, her sobs racking her body as she struggled to articulate her grief. “After all I did to save him, he was still… he still…” Her words were swallowed by her tears.

Eugene, who had been holding back his own emotions, found them spilling over as he witnessed Hailey’s suffering. “So then Jay and the others too…” He began, his voice trembling.

Tears welled up in Eugene’s eyes as he fought to maintain his composure. Yon, seeing his friend’s distress, wrapped him in a comforting hug. Eugene’s cries mingled with Hailey’s, both of them grappling with the loss and uncertainty that had come with their journey.

Jaeyeon turned to Sae Joon Hyun, his face etched with confusion and sorrow. “How did that even happen, Hyeong?” he asked, his voice strained.

Sae Joon Hyun could only offer a helpless shake of his head. He was as much in the dark as the rest of them. All he knew was that the building had been responsible, and the enigmatic doctor who had activated the sinister mechanism was a source of their anguish. The cause of their suffering remained shrouded in mystery, adding another layer of complexity to their struggle for survival.

As the group continued to grapple with their grief, the store became a temporary sanctuary where they could process their emotions.