Rise Of The Fallen || KTH FF

Chapter 22: Truth

The cold night air hit you like a wall as the three of you bolted from the crumbling building. Your legs felt like they were on fire, lungs burning as you pushed yourself to keep up with Taehyung. Behind you, the growls of the zombies and the distant shouts of the guards echoed through the night. They were still chasing you, but at least you had a lead.

For now.

"We need to find shelter," Lisa panted, her eyes darting to the thick forest up ahead. "We can't outrun them for long."

Taehyung glanced back at her, his jaw clenched, then at you. "You okay?" His voice was laced with concern, despite the urgency in his steps.

"I'm fine," you lied, though your entire body ached from the fall and the frantic sprint. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, and you could feel the bruises setting in.

The three of you veered into the forest, the trees quickly swallowing you whole, hiding you in their dense shadows. The branches scratched at your skin as you ran, but you hardly noticed—your mind was too focused on the danger chasing you. Eventually, Taehyung slowed to a stop, motioning for you and Lisa to follow suit. You ducked behind a thick bush, catching your breath.

The silence that followed was suffocating. The only sound was the harsh rasp of your breathing and the distant rustle of leaves. Taehyung peeked through the branches, scanning for any sign of movement. After a moment, he nodded.

"We're clear for now," he muttered, leaning back against the tree.

You collapsed beside him, resting your head against the rough bark, your chest heaving. Lisa crouched nearby, keeping watch. For a few minutes, none of you spoke, the weight of everything that had just happened sinking in.

Then, Lisa broke the silence. "That voice..." She glanced at you, her expression unreadable. "It knew your name. Who the hell was that?"

You swallowed hard, a cold dread seeping into your stomach. The voice had been familiar. Too familiar. But it couldn't be... could it?

"I don't know," you said, though even as the words left your mouth, doubt gnawed at the edges of your mind.

Taehyung's gaze lingered on you, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Y/N... we need to know if there's something you're not telling us. That voice wasn't just taunting us—it was targeting you."

You shifted uncomfortably, your mind racing. There was no way you could explain what was happening without sounding insane. How could you tell them about the nagging feeling in your gut that the person behind all of this was somehow connected to your past? To your family? Even though you had no proof, it gnawed at you, an unshakable sense of dread.

"I... I don't know," you repeated, weaker this time. "I wish I could tell you more, but I'm as confused as you are."

Lisa shot you a skeptical look, but Taehyung didn't press. Instead, he pulled out the small device you'd retrieved from the control room, turning it over in his hands. "What's important right now is this," he said. "We risked everything to get this. We need to figure out what it is and how it fits into all of this."

Lisa nodded, leaning in closer to examine the device. "Looks like some kind of data storage. Maybe a security key or a decryption tool? Either way, we need to access whatever's inside it."

"But how?" you asked, peering at the device. It looked unassuming, almost like an old USB drive, but something about it felt heavier. Important.

"We have to find someone who can break into it," Taehyung said. "Someone with the right tech. We're not going to be able to crack this on our own."

Lisa frowned. "And who exactly do you have in mind? We can't exactly stroll into town and ask for a hacker."

Taehyung glanced between the two of you, then took a deep breath. "I know someone. Someone who owes me a favor."

Lisa raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "You know a lot of people, don't you?"

"I've had a long life," he replied cryptically, avoiding her gaze. "But this person—he's reliable. And if we get to him before the people hunting us do, he'll help."

You weren't sure if you trusted this mysterious hacker, but it wasn't like you had any other options. The tension in the group was palpable, like a rubber band stretched to its limit, ready to snap. You didn't know how much longer you could keep running.

"Okay," you said finally. "What's the plan?"

"We head to the city," Taehyung said, his voice steady despite the chaos swirling around you. "It'll be risky, but it's our best shot. If anyone can unlock this device, it's him."

Lisa exhaled sharply, clearly uneasy about the idea, but nodded. "Alright. But we're moving fast. If those guards or zombies catch up to us..."

"They won't," Taehyung cut in, his voice resolute. "We'll be in and out before they know we were even there."

The three of you huddled together for a moment longer, catching your breath and gathering your strength. The plan was risky—no doubt about it. But right now, the city felt like your only option. Whatever information was hidden inside that device might be the key to unraveling this entire nightmare.

And you couldn't shake the feeling that whoever was on the other side of that intercom, whoever had been targeting you specifically, had ties to your past. You just had to figure out who they were before it was too late.