The Breach at Aeogae Station
Aeogae Station, Exit 3. The air was thick with the stench of burning flesh and scorched metal. "Quick! Put it out!" a scream tore through the chaos. Flames were erupting beyond the barricade, a hungry, crimson tide swallowing the exit and devouring the makeshift defenses. The air was so superheated that the soldiers couldn't even get close enough to fight the fire.
"The fire's too big! We can't get near it!"
"Where's the suppression gear!?"
The soldiers and police officers shrieked, but they had no time to extinguish the flames. The Infected didn't care about the fire. They threw themselves into the inferno with reckless abandon, as if they didn't even realize their own bodies were being incinerated. Or perhaps they truly didn't. They smashed through the burning barricade, advancing without a hint of hesitation. Even as their flesh charred and their bones were laid bare, they only moved faster.
"What are those lunatics!?"
"Don't they realize they're burning alive!?"
One of the Infected charged forward, its forearm completely melted away by the flames. Its muscles had cooked into a brown, oily sludge, yet it kept running, shedding burning chunks of its own flesh with every step. Another, half its face melted into a raw, red ruin with its eyeball burst, hurled itself toward the crowd. A gunshot rang out, but it didn't stop. It burst through the flames and vaulted over the barricade.
"AAAAAAAGH!!!"
A soldier desperately jammed his muzzle into the creature's mouth and pulled the trigger. Bang! The bullet tore through the back of its skull, but it was only for a second; dozens more surged through the gap behind it.
"Fall back! Fall back!"
"The exit defense line is breaking!"
As the Infected poured through the fire, embers flew from their bodies, and red ash scattered like snow. Their skin bubbled and boiled, and every time they opened their mouths, smoke and charred blood spilled out. These burning monsters became weapons themselves, their very presence setting the soldiers ablaze. "GAAAAAAH!" One man rolled on the ground, screaming as his uniform caught fire. The Infected didn't care; they reached out with scorched, blackened claws and clamped onto his throat. In an instant, his face was a mask of blood as their teeth tore his flesh to ribbons.
"Hold the line! Keep it together! Hold it!"
"Can we even stop this!?"
"Keep firing! Don't break!"
Bullets rained down, shattering skulls, but even as their heads exploded, the Infected kept charging. My fingertips felt frozen, numb. But if I didn't move, it would be the end.
"Put it out! Stop them somehow!"
I gripped my axe and leaped into the flames. I knew it was madness. But if I stopped, I was dead. Beyond the barricade, the Infected were swarming, a sea of melting skin, grotesquely twisted muscles, and bared teeth. I tightened my hold on the axe and swung.
Thwack! The first creature's head split open like a rotten fruit. A spray of blood and burning viscera erupted, and it collapsed to the floor. But more came. Bodies that kept running even as they burned.
"Put it out, I told you to put it out!"
I scrambled backward, screaming, and swung the axe again. The second one lunged, its back arched, but my axe caught it, nearly severing its neck. It fell, but even as it lay there, it dragged its mangled throat, trying to crawl toward me. These lunatics... they won't die.
Gasping for air, I swung again. As the third one opened its jaws toward my neck, I brought the axe down with everything I had. Thwack! This time, the skull shattered completely. The neck snapped, and a dark, viscous mixture of brain matter and blood splattered everywhere. But that wasn't the end. Dozens more were pouring through the flames like a waterfall.
I gritted my teeth and looked around. The soldiers still hadn't extinguished the fire. The flames were growing, and the barricade would collapse any second. The Infected didn't miss the opening. One burning wretch flew at me. I twisted my body by instinct to avoid the brunt of the impact, but its flaming hand grazed my arm, sending a dull, searing pain through my nerves.
"Ngh...!"
I bit my lip and gripped the axe again. I hacked at its head—once, twice, three times—with frantic desperation. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! The skull crumbled, and burning flesh flew. But it still wasn't over.
Just then, a soldier ran up with a fire extinguisher. He tried desperately to suppress the flames, but the Infected swarmed him before he could finish. I gritted my teeth, raising my axe to strike—but then—
Clunk.
My body collapsed. ...Why? The axe slipped from my limp fingers. My breath hitched. Ah... ...Blood. I'm hungry.
Amidst this horrific battle, an overwhelming, boiling urge rose from the pit of my stomach. A thirst for blood. A hunger for flesh. It filled my head, drowning out everything else. For a split second, the soldiers in front of me looked like food. I saw their veins pulsing, their flesh, the way blood flowed every time they moved.
...No. This can't be happening.
But then, an Infected lunged at my throat. Thwack! I managed to strike its jaw away, but the force sent me reeling, my back slamming hard against the wall. Blood pooled in my mouth, and a red droplet fell from my chin. ...But the moment I swallowed that blood—the urge subsided. My head cleared instantly. My breathing steadied, and the sounds of the battlefield returned to focus.
But at the same time—Whoosh! A sharp, whistling sound cut through the air. Thwack! The head of the Infected in front of me shattered into pieces. An arrow. It had pulverized the creature's skull, and the body slumped to the ground. Someone leaped forward.
"This way!"
Park Geonho, you damn bastard. You only show up when things are truly dangerous.
The fire extinguisher hissed, filling the air with white gas. The Infected stumbled, confused and writhing. It was only for a second, but it was an opening. Boom! Huge steel plates and construction materials were thrown, forcing the Infected back from the barricade. It was Mr. Park Yeongsik and his construction crew. With their massive strength, they reinforced the barricade. "Hold it! Push them back!" The muscular workers shoved with all their might, and the defense line was forcibly rebuilt.
Through my blurred vision, I saw someone with a bow running toward me.
"Lee Sieun!"
It was Jang Yeeun. She gripped her bow, her face a mask of confusion and worry. "Hey, are you okay!?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but—that moment. Suddenly, the primal urge boiled up inside me again, even stronger than before. ...Blood. More. I want more.
Jang Yeeun didn't look like a person anymore. I saw her cheek, her neck, her shoulder—the warm blood flowing beneath the skin.
"..."
Without a shred of emotion, I opened my mouth by instinct. It felt as if I were disappearing. Every human feeling was being wiped from my brain, leaving only a ravenous hunger. Eat her. That's the only thing that will satisfy me. Eat. You have to eat. You have to eat to live.
And then—Crunch!
I bit into her shoulder.
"...!"
The sensation of flesh tearing between my teeth. Hot, thick blood flooded my mouth. Sweet. Hot. Alive. I am eating her.
But then, Jang Yeeun bit her lip hard. She didn't scream. She didn't say a word. She just pulled me into a tight embrace.
"...!"
Her arms wrapped around my back, and she used the coat she had brought to cover my face. So no one would see this scene. So no one would notice.
...Why? Why aren't you screaming? Why aren't you pushing me away?
My jaw trembled as I opened my blood-stained mouth. And then—my consciousness returned.
"...!"
Only then did I realize what I had done. My mouth was full of warm blood, and dark red droplets were falling from my chin. I had... I had bitten her.
My vision swayed. My hands shook, and my breathing grew ragged. Seeing me like this, Jang Yeeun smiled faintly, her face twisted in pain. She bit her bloodied lip. "...Are you back with me?"
I couldn't say a word. Jang Yeeun left the wound as it was and pulled me into an even tighter hug. She began to slowly support my body, moving me toward the rear. Blood was flowing from her shoulder. It soaked into my clothes, and the scent hit my nose once again. I gritted my teeth and bit my lip until it bled. But it was already too late. In the pit of my stomach, her blood—her flesh—was being swallowed. The warm sensation spread through my body, and then, my vision faded into darkness.