Chapter 2: Dome 1 Paradisus (Pt 2.)

The classroom was deathly silent, each student holding their breath, their hearts pounding like war drums. The sharp memory of gunfire and the teacher's lifeless body sprawled on the floor remained fresh in their minds. All eyes were locked on the hovering drone, its mechanical lens sweeping over the room like a judgmental deity.

The tension was unbearable until the drone's beam finally retracted, and its lens flashed a green light. Without another sound, it rose higher into the air, retreating toward the darkened sky.

The moment hung heavy in the air before someone finally dared to break the silence.

"Is… is it over?" a voice trembled, the question punctuating the eerie stillness.

Kim Minji, who had been frozen with fear moments ago, suddenly shoved one of her lackeys forward. Her hands trembled, but her voice carried its usual venom.

"Go check, you idiot!" she barked, her tone laced with desperation. "Or else."

The girl Minji had pushed stood motionless, her entire body refusing to obey. Her wide eyes flickered between the corpse of their teacher and Minji's scowling face. Any other day, she might have caved to Minji's threats, but now? Minji could go straight to hell for all she cared.

Just then, Jin Dalle rose from her seat, her legs shaking but her resolve solidifying. She took a hesitant step forward, gathering her courage as she approached the window.

The rest of the class watched in stunned silence, unable to move, as Dalle peered outside. Her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes widened in sheer horror.

"What… what is that?"

The question rippled through the room as curiosity finally overcame fear. One by one, the students crept toward the window, careful to avoid the teacher's lifeless body. They stared outside in disbelief, their faces illuminated by an eerie, bluish glow.

A translucent dome, shimmering faintly with a blue hue, encased the entire school. It pulsed gently, its edges blending seamlessly into the horizon like a surreal cage.

Before anyone could make sense of what they were seeing, the silence was shattered by a deafening blast of sound.

It was a trumpet—no, something far more sinister. The golden note pierced the air, reverberating deep into their bones. Its mournful, commanding tone carried an otherworldly weight, filling the atmosphere with dread.

The note gave way to a chilling, mechanical voice that boomed across the school grounds, echoing in every corner of their cage.

"Commencing Operation REJUVENATION, Initiative 21—status is green. Alert: All humans in Zone 1 (Paradisus), please be advised that only two subjects will be allowed to leave the dome alive. Anyone attempting to escape will be incinerated upon contact. T-minus 1,260 seconds to initiation."

The voice faded, leaving only the sound of their own frantic breathing. A suffocating realization settled over the room: survival would demand a price none of them were ready to pay.

The eerie mechanical voice still echoed in the recesses of everyone's mind, its message a grim reminder of their precarious fate. The sharp crackle of gunfire from outside jolted the students back into action—or inaction—as fear overtook them.

Screams resonated through the air, chilling and raw, as students on the lower floors scrambled to escape. From the classroom window, the horrified witnesses watched the chaos unfold. A desperate group broke into a frenzied dash toward the school gates, hope glimmering faintly in their eyes.

But the drones were relentless.

They appeared from the shadows, swift and merciless, raining precise shots upon the fleeing students. One by one, they fell, their bodies crumpling lifelessly to the ground. The sound of blood splattering and dull thuds mingled with the terrified cries of those who remained.

One girl—a slender figure with braided hair—managed to outrun the others. Her feet pounded against the pavement, her breath ragged but determined. She reached the shimmering dome, her hand stretching out toward salvation. Just as her fingers brushed against the barrier, she stumbled.

The dome didn't yield. Instead, it repelled her with a force that sent her sprawling backward onto the ground. Panic consumed her as she scrambled to her knees, pounding on the unyielding wall.

"Aaaaaaah"

"Let me out! Let me out!" she screamed, her voice hoarse and cracking with desperation. Warm tears streaked her cheeks, her hands raw from her frantic assault on the dome.

A shadow loomed behind her.

The air seemed to still as she turned, her eyes meeting the cold, mechanical lens of a hovering drone. A red beam settled on her forehead, unwavering.

"Please!" she choked out. "Mama—"

A deafening shot silenced her plea. Her body collapsed in a lifeless heap, blood pooling around her as the drone ascended back into the sky, emotionless and efficient.

Inside the school, the atmosphere shifted into sheer pandemonium. Students screamed, cried, and clung to one another. Some huddled in corners, while others darted frantically around, seeking refuge where none existed. The weight of the revelation crushed them: there was no escape.

Kim Minji stood apart from the chaos, brushing her trembling fingers through her hair. Her breathing steadied, and a wicked thought anchored itself in her mind: Two subjects will be allowed to leave the dome alive.

A twisted grin spread across her face as her eyes locked onto Jin Dalle. The fear and uncertainty in Dalle's expression only fed Minji's resolve.

As others began pairing up for survival, Dalle scanned the room, desperate to find Dalmi. Before she could call out, a sharp blow to her side sent her sprawling onto the floor.

Minji loomed above her, her eyes cold and calculating.

"Hold her," she commanded, her lackeys hesitating.

"I said, hold her!" Minji's voice turned venomous, snapping them into action. Two students reluctantly grabbed Dalle's arms, pinning her down.

"What are you doing?" Dalle croaked, her voice strained with panic.

Minji crouched, a glinting pen in her hand. She brushed the tip against Dalle's cheek, letting it trail down to her neck. Her demented grin widened.

"Are you stupid?" Minji hissed. "Didn't you hear what that thing said?"

Dalle's breath quickened as the pen pressed against her throat.

"I guess we'll find out who gets to leave first."

Dalle stared into the void of Minji's cold, unfeeling eyes and felt a wave of despair wash over her. There was no mistaking the malice glinting within them. The icy certainty that Minji, the school's infamous tormentor, was going to end her life sank into her chest like a dagger. Her breath hitched as she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the sharp pain of the pen plunging into her neck. Her thoughts swirled—why did Minji despise her enough to go this far? She didn't want to die. Not like this. Not by her hands.

Seconds passed, each one stretching into eternity. But the expected blow never came. Instead, a burst of manic laughter filled the room, sending a fresh chill down Dalle's spine. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes to see Minji's face twisted into a deranged grin. "Did you really think I was going to kill you?" Minji sneered, her tone dripping with mockery.

She turned her back on Dalle, sauntering toward the corner of the room where a trembling student sat clutching their head. The air grew thick with tension as Minji grabbed the student by the hair, her movements sharp and unrelenting. The girl screamed, clawing at Minji's iron grip, but her resistance was futile. Minji dragged her across the floor, tossing her like a rag doll at Dalle's feet.

"Well," Minji began, casually stroking her chin as if pondering a grand philosophical question. "If anyone were to ask who the strongest is in this school, what would they say?" She crouched to meet the girl's tear-streaked face, her grin widening as if she already knew the answer. "They'd say it's me. And they'd be right."

Minji glanced at the pen in her hand, her expression contorting into a sarcastic pout. "This?" She scoffed, tossing it aside like a worthless trinket. Reaching into her pocket, she retrieved a folded knife, snapping it open with a flick of her wrist. The blade gleamed ominously under the harsh fluorescent lights.

"Here's the deal," Minji declared, holding the knife out to the girl she'd just thrown down. "I'm offering you a chance to stand beside me. Prove you're worthy."

The girl's hands trembled violently as she reached for the knife. Dalle's stomach dropped as the realization hit her like a freight train. "Dalmi…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her best friend avoided her gaze, tears streaming down her cheeks as her hands gripped the blade tightly.

"Go on," Minji purred, her tone laced with sadistic amusement.

"KILL HER!"

Dalmi took a shaky step forward, her face contorted with anguish. Dalle's eyes widened in horror, her heart shattering into a thousand pieces. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her best friend. Her Dalmi.

Before Dalmi could make a move, a blaring trumpet echoed through the building, followed by an announcement: "Dome 1 Paradisus, Operation Rejuvenation Initiated. Armament en route."

Seizing the moment of distraction, Dalle twisted free, elbowing one of Minji's lackeys and shoving the other aside. Without a second thought, she bolted from the classroom, her breath ragged and tears streaming down her face.

Dalmi dropped the knife, collapsing to her knees as the weight of her actions—or lack thereof—overwhelmed her. Minji clicked her tongue in irritation. "Tch! Pathetic," she muttered, delivering a sharp kick to Dalmi's face before storming after Dalle.

Dalle ran blindly, her legs burning and her heart pounding like a war drum. She reached the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it with trembling hands. Her back pressed against the cool surface of the door as she struggled to catch her breath. When she turned, her eyes met someone else's.

Standing near the fogged window was a girl with cascading silver hair that shimmered like moonlight. Her pale skin seemed to glow faintly in the dim light, and a small Elastoplast was plastered on her cheek, giving her an oddly casual air despite the tension in the room. Large headphones sat snugly over her ears, blasting music so loud that faint traces of bass leaked out, filling the otherwise silent space. A cigarette dangled lazily from her fingers, smoke curling around her as she leaned against the windowsill.

She didn't look at Dalle immediately, her gaze fixed on the outside world as if completely detached from the chaos that had unfolded just moments before. When she finally turned her head, her gray eyes locked onto Dalle with an unreadable expression. Her brow raised—half amused, half indifferent—before she took a slow drag of her cigarette, exhaling a plume of smoke into the stagnant air.