Chapter 4: Sanctuary

"But we don't even know what are the side effects of it! He could die!" A woman cried as she gripped the hem of the man's polo shirt as she proved her point.

"Our son is already dying! What choice do we still have?! The simulations are working! They worked every time I ran a test of it!" He argued.

"But they were just simulations! They're not real! Our son is not a lab rat!" She trembled.

"These simulations proved that it could work! He doesn't have time anymore! Do you have other options? Do you have a cure for him? Nothing! You have nothing! He is my son! At least I'm doing something to save him!" The man shouted in frustration as he unconsciously pushed his wife away from him.

The woman closed her eyes in defeat as her tears slid down her cheeks. Her palms trembling and her body shaking from frustration and sorrow.

"It's a damn virus. And you're going to inject him a virus... Do you understand that fucking concept of yours?" She wept.

"If that's the only way he could survive. Then that's the most practical way to do it. Unless you want him to die without doing nothing."

☣️☣️☣️

Baekhyun

At first, I could feel my chest heaving breathes continually. And second I felt that burning pain in the back of my shoulder that made me aware of my surroundings. My head is constantly bumping from some sort of a hard metallic thing as if I'm inside of a cargo.

My vision started to steady and had a clearer view of the surrounding. I'm inside of a stranger's vehicle and I've been tied on the farthest end of the seat.

I gripped my head, cursing a few strands of groans as I turned to squint my eyes away from the sunlight that's been hitting my face.

And something is off with me.

My weapon. Even in my weak state, I managed to sit up and look for the surrounding and then I found it, it was in the front seat gently seated with some other weapons I couldn't recall that was ours.

I quickly backed away, alerted to the fact that my weapon is missing. I checked myself if I got any scratches or bite marks but luckily I didn't have one.

In no time, I already slipped from the wrist tie that honestly had been tied messily.

"Who are you? Where are my friends?" I asked and positioned defensively. Getting the sight of a broad back in a black leather jacket while driving on the front board. All I can see was his back and his crimson red-dyed hair.

"Try anything reckless and you're dead." He answered coldly instead and just looked straight his sight at the road. The path was like going to a mountainous location because the terrain is bumpy and tall trees scattered around. There's no official way too.

I saw groceries, canned goods, necessities, and kinds of stuff, stacked in a couple of sacks beside me. I also realized that two cars also followed behind the car I'm with.

"I'm asking who are you. And where are my fucking friends." I growled because damn, my friends are no longer with me, and I'm inside of a stranger's car with the thoughts of kidnapping swimming inside my aching head.

The only reason that I didn't get to panic that much and jump out of the car was that this tall male with seemingly large ears was probably the one who saved me from the fire and the walkers.

And I'm alive.

I mean, he saved me, why should he kill me?

I saw a water bottle near the seats so I quickly grabbed it and drank on it, quenching my dried throat.

I got only a wound caused by the glass that pierced through from the back of my shoulder but it'll be fine.

At first, I don't have any idea where this path may lead but then, when I saw a secluded kind of like an under protection building, security came into my mind.

The walls are made of stacked wood lodges. It was high enough for about 10 feet tall.

As I expected it to be, the car stopped and someone opened the huge wooden lodge gate, the car roared once more and entered it. The two other cars followed behind.

I saw small wooden houses, for about four of them, a small pigpen, and in the corner, there was a vegetable plantation. In the middle, was the biggest grand two-floor house among the four, expecting that the house was already been there even before the apocalypse came.

There's also a bunch of people working, collecting water from the well, feeding the chickens and pigs, nursing the vegetables, and people who are building another set of the cabin. The area was a bit small but it can fit about 40 people inside.

After the car was parked, I got down from the back car door and set foot on the soil beneath my boots with a bit of struggle. The other cars parked too, a certain car opened and spat Luhan and Taehyung.

They saw me and immediately ran towards me, engulfing me with a hug.

"I thought we lost you!" Taehyung cried as he hugged me tighter. Luhan just hugged me too but didn't utter a word.

"That's what I thought," I spoke, coughing. I just hissed when the wound in my back pressed against Luhan and Taehyung's arms.

But I'm thankful someone saved me. I'm still alive.

Or should I be thankful?

"These guys saved us from the mere end." Luhan introduced exaggeratedly as he smiled at the guy who drove the car they're in.

My eyes saw a glimpse of the tall man who didn't even try to look towards us as he walked away directly towards the big manor in the middle and shutting the doors closed. And I never had to catch a look at his face.

I turned to look at the guy who's also tall and has a stoic face and prominent jawline.

"Where are we? What's this place." I asked to hope that this man can talk and answer my simple question as possible.

"It's supposed to be a sanctuary." He has spoken briefly, examining us.

"It's pure luck that you survived out there just with yourselves. How did you even do that?" He mumbles. His face hadn't shown any expression.

"Don't underestimate us. And it's none of your business." I raised a brow.

He gave no expressions. He just walked away and called another man whom he ordered to bring us to our place and to start a new day tomorrow.

"I'm Sehun. This is Lay. A friendly reminder, you try to hurt anyone of us and you'll be dead the next second." He stated before walking away.

And the first person I saw didn't even introduce himself. Or even allowed me to introduce myself.

Well, I don't care anyway.

A man ushered us into one of the small cabins. All types of furniture are made of wood, bed spaces and necessities sat neatly on one of the tables. And I knew from the man that Sehun introduced him as Lay that the house was just built last month.

"When did this sanctuary built?" I asked. Inspecting every corner of it.

"Since the beginning I guess. I've been here for quite some time. I used to be a doctor before everything happened." He spoke walking beside me with his straw hat in his hand.

"We kept this system running by contributing works and responsibilities." He added when he knew I wasn't going to respond.

"We still haven't said we're staying. You don't need to explain things. Besides we are heading down north. I believe there's a cure for everything of this." I trudge faster and left him by turning to where our said cabin would be.

I looked towards the glass window outside while Taehyung and Luhan laid in one of the beds. I once noticed the walls again, it was high enough to prevent the walkers to come in. People are few but they managed to run things well.

But it doesn't mean we're staying. These walls don't mean security. Entrusting our lives on walls doesn't make you live longer let alone welcome strangers in your life.

"Don't get too comfortable here. We'll head out first thing tomorrow."

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