The morning bell was supposed to signal another ordinary school day.
It never rang again.
At Hanlim High School, what begins as a routine Monday collapses into chaos when a strange outbreak spreads through the campus within hours. Classrooms become cages. Hallways turn into killing grounds. Teachers vanish. Friends become monsters.
Trapped inside the school grounds, Kawai Ruka, a sharp-witted and stubborn student, is forced into leadership she never asked for. Beside her is Pharita Chaikong, calm, observant, and quietly brave. the one person who keeps Ruka grounded as fear threatens to tear her apart. As the infection worsens, survival is no longer just about staying alive, but about who you're willing to protect when the world ends.
As they search for a way out, they cross paths with other survivors. Together, they uncover horrifying truths: the outbreak wasn't random. The school was never safe. And the bell that never rang may have been silenced on purpose.
As zombies flood the campus and escape routes disappear one by one, bonds form under pressure, fragile romances bloom in the middle of bloodshed, trust is tested, and choices must be made that will haunt them forever. Some will sacrifice everything. Some will betray. Some will fall.
And not everyone will make it out alive.
Because when the bell stops ringing-
the real lesson begins.
It doesn't matter how she ended up in this four-walled room. What matters is she gets out.
*****
After a night out in New York City, Liliana Rossi wakes up in a windowless room with no recollection of how she got there. And she's not alone. The dark and tattooed Mateo Aguilar is also held captive. As the two struggle to survive and hatch an escape plan, they also struggle with growing attraction toward each other, facing Lili with the biggest question yet: is Mateo the reason she's here, or the one who's going to save her?
✨ Wattys 2018 Shortlist & Featured Story ✨
Content warning: this story references themes that readers might find triggering, including drug use and sexual assault.
[[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]
Cover designed by Stefanie Saw