Plague 2024 [Plague 2022 Season 3]

Episode 2

Sae Joon Hyun glanced at her, his expression resolute. “Noona, they’re zombies. Something this organization created. They’d be on the most important floor.”

“The top floor,” Eunhye murmured, nodding in agreement. “This building has fifteen floors.”

Hamin, running alongside them, pointed down the hallway. “There’s an elevator at the end.”

With a final burst of speed, they dashed toward the elevator, their fate hanging in the balance.

ECHOES OF TERROR: THE ASCENT INTO NIGHTMARE

The elevator doors slid shut with a low hum, and Hamin wasted no time, slamming his fist onto the button labeled “15.” The tension in the small space was palpable as the elevator lurched into motion, ascending towards the topmost floor of the building. Yuri, utterly exhausted, slumped down onto her knees against the opposite wall of the elevator. She was panting, her legs trembling from the adrenaline rush of their escape.

“Ugh... I’m so tired... my legs are jammed,” she muttered, barely catching her breath.

Sae Joon Hyun, leaning back against the wall beside her, scanned the small elevator car with quick, assessing eyes. His gaze landed on a small black dome embedded in the corner of the ceiling—a security camera. He grimaced.

“There’s a camera in here. They know we’re heading to the fifteenth floor,” he stated, his voice low but firm. “Only four doctors came to our room, which means eight more are still roaming around this place. And then there are those two CEOs…” He trailed off, his mind racing with possibilities.

Jaeyeon, who stood at the back of the elevator, nodded grimly. “We need to be ready. They could all be waiting for us as soon as these doors open,” he said. His eyes met Sae Joon Hyun’s briefly before flicking back to the door, bracing himself for whatever lay ahead.

Su-yeong, standing near Hamin, added, “Don’t forget about the zombies. If there’s anything we learned from last time, it’s that this floor could be crawling with them.” Her voice held a note of warning as she stared at the doors ahead, her jaw set in determination.

The elevator hummed softly as it ascended, the number on the digital display slowly ticking upwards. Hamin shifted, moving to stand directly in front of the doors. Su-yeong took position on his right, and Yon stepped up to his left, creating a shield between the group and whatever might await them. Their tense silence was filled only with the sounds of their breathing and the soft creaks of their movements.

As the elevator jolted to a stop, the air became thick with anticipation. The number "15" blinked on the display, and the doors began to slide open with a low hiss. The moment the gap widened, the rancid stench hit them—a foul, decaying odor that only meant one thing.

A handful of zombies immediately snapped their heads toward the sound, their dead, glassy eyes locking onto the opening elevator. Their heads rotated at unnatural angles, their movements eerily fast and predatory. They began crawling toward the group with unnatural speed, their limbs flailing as they dragged themselves across the floor, some walking, others slithering grotesquely.

“Here we go!” Hamin shouted, throwing himself forward without hesitation. Su-yeong and Yon followed suit, forming a living wall between the advancing hoard and their friends behind them. They moved in perfect sync, their bodies pushing forward in unison, blocking the zombies from breaking through.

Yuri bit down on her lip, her heart hammering in her chest. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but she knew better. Instead, she clenched her fists and pressed her hands over her mouth, stifling the scream that threatened to escape. A single scream could mean the difference between surviving or attracting more zombies.