Rise Of The Fallen || KTH FF

Chapter 23: Pursuit

The city was still miles away, but the sense of urgency was overwhelming. You could almost feel the hunters closing in on you, the threat of zombies never far behind. Every crack of a twig or gust of wind set your nerves on edge.

You, Taehyung, and Lisa kept moving through the forest, the tall trees casting shadows over the rugged terrain. The moonlight was your only guide, and it gave just enough light to make sure you weren't walking into a trap. As you pressed forward, you couldn't help but glance at Taehyung, who was leading the way with a quiet determination. You couldn't shake the feeling that he was carrying more than just the burden of the device.

There was a heaviness in his steps tonight.

"How far is this contact of yours?" Lisa broke the silence, her voice a hushed whisper as she trudged beside you.

Taehyung didn't turn back as he answered. "We'll be there by morning if we keep this pace."

You sighed, your legs burning from the strain of constant movement, but there was no room to complain. This was life or death, and no one could afford to be weak right now.

As the three of you continued in silence, a thought clawed its way to the surface of your mind: Why you? Why was this person, whoever they were, after you? What did you have that made you such a target?

Your thoughts spiraled as you tried to make sense of it all. Maybe it was connected to the past—your family. Something was lurking in the corners of your memory, but every time you reached for it, it slipped away like a shadow in the night.

Suddenly, Taehyung stopped, raising his hand for you and Lisa to halt.

"What is it?" you whispered, fear tightening in your chest.

He glanced around, his eyes narrowing. "Something's not right."

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up. You could feel it too—a disturbance in the air, like the forest itself was holding its breath.

Lisa scanned the area, her hand hovering near her weapon. "I don't see anything."

But then you heard it. A low, rumbling growl that sent a shiver down your spine. It was faint, distant, but unmistakable.

Zombies.

They were close. Too close.

Taehyung's eyes locked with yours. "We need to move. Now."

Before you could react, a shadow darted out from the trees, tackling you to the ground. The impact knocked the air from your lungs, and you struggled beneath the weight of the attacker.

"Y/N!" Taehyung shouted, rushing toward you.

The creature on top of you snarled, its breath hot against your face. You barely managed to bring your arms up in defense as its teeth snapped dangerously close to your skin. The stench of rotting flesh filled your nose, and panic set in.

You couldn't die here.

With a burst of adrenaline, you shoved the zombie back, just enough to roll out from under it. But before it could recover, Taehyung was there, his blade flashing in the moonlight as he drove it through the creature's skull.

The zombie slumped to the ground, lifeless.

Panting, you scrambled to your feet, your heart racing. "Thanks."

"Stay close," Taehyung muttered, his eyes scanning the area for more threats. "There could be more."

Lisa had her weapon drawn, her eyes wide as she looked around. "That thing came out of nowhere. How did we not hear it?"

Taehyung frowned. "They're getting smarter. Moving quieter."

You swallowed hard, trying to steady your breathing. It was bad enough that the zombies were relentless, but if they were getting more cunning... it was only going to get worse.

"Come on," Taehyung urged. "We need to keep moving."

The three of you broke into a run, the forest blurring around you as you pushed forward. Every step felt like a race against time, the weight of the device in your bag pressing down like a ticking clock. You didn't know how long you could keep running, but you knew one thing for sure:

Whoever was after you wasn't far behind.

And they wouldn't stop until they got what they wanted.