The Locked Gate and the Lies Beyond

Yuki's Perspective~

Ash was holding my hand tightly as we lay side by side. I didn't mind. If it weren't for him, I'd be long dead—probably eaten by those monsters or worse. Honestly… I think I've started liking him. Just a little bit.

No, no, no—what am I even thinking?!

I shook my head, mentally slapping myself. In the middle of an apocalypse, I'm having teenage crush thoughts?

If anyone found out, they'd think I'd lost my mind.

And maybe… I have.

Suddenly, the bus jolted and came to a stop.

A tall black gate blocked the road. It looked like it hadn't been opened in years—sealed off completely. Thick iron bars. You couldn't even see through it.

"What do we do now?" the driver muttered. "There's no way we're getting in with this thing blocking the road."

"Maybe someone can climb over and unlock it from the inside?" Jace suggested.

"That's a good idea," the driver nodded. "But I doubt Yuki could climb something that high."

Rude. I was sitting right there.

"Aki, Ryn—come here," Jace called.

I was called too. The four of us—Jace, Ryn, Aki, and I—stood outside, going over the plan.

The wind was cold against my skin. I glanced down—

—and froze.

My school uniform was a complete mess: torn, filthy, and way too revealing.

How had I not noticed this till now?

All three of them quickly looked away when they saw I'd noticed.

I turned bright red and bolted back into the bus.

"Does anyone have spare clothes? Please?!"

"U-uh, you can have these," Bram said, cheeks flushed, avoiding my eyes.

He handed me a jacket and a pair of loose lowers.

"Thank you, Senior!" I smiled. Something was better than nothing.

I slipped them on over my uniform, tightening the jacket around me.

"Can you climb now?" Jace asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Y-yeah. I can try," I nodded.

"Good. Here's the plan," Jace said. "Yuki, Ryn, Aki—you three go in and check if Yuki's family is there. If something feels off, if there's anything shapeshifter-related—run. Scream. We'll break in if we have to. Got it?"

We all nodded.

We climbed the gate one by one—luckily, no one fell. Once we were on the other side, the forest felt heavier somehow. Still, we pressed forward.

Please let my family be safe… I silently prayed.

"How many people are in your family?" Ryn asked as we walked.

"Seventeen. Excluding me."

"Wow! Must be fun in a joint family," Aki grinned.

"Sometimes," I smiled.

"Hey hey—any girls my age?" Ryn asked.

"Nope. Closest is Airi. She's sixteen."

"Sixteen's fine," he said, shameless.

"Don't even try it. My brother Rei once fought fifteen boys just for being rude to me."

"Please don't tell him about what I just said," Ryn panicked.

"I'll think about it," I teased.

15 Minutes Later…

"So this is your house?" Ryn asked.

"Yep," I replied.

"Correction," Aki muttered. "This is a mansion."

"It's not that big," Ryn and I said at the same time.

"You rich brats…" Aki whispered dramatically, fake-crying.

"Alright, get ready," Ryn said, approaching the door. "This is either a jackpot… or a deathtrap."

He knocked. Knock knock.

Then quickly sprayed the shapeshifter-revealing liquid.

Jace's Perspective~

They were taking too long.

I stood by the gate, tense. The bus engine roared, ready to break through at any moment. Everyone onboard was locked and loaded. We weren't going to leave anyone behind.

Then—

"JACE! HELP! SHAPESHIFTERS IN THE FOREST! THE HOUSE WAS EMPTY!!"

"IT'S A MANSION, NOT A HOUSE!!" another voice shouted.

"MOVE! BREAK IT!!" I ordered.

The driver floored it. The gate shattered on impact with a screech of metal. We stormed inside—ready for anything.

Weapons raised. Eyes scanning every shadow.

But…

Nothing.

"YUKI?! RYN?! AKI?!" I shouted.

There—behind a tree, the three of them appeared.

Totally fine.

"Sorry for the scare," Aki said, scratching his head.

And behind them—

A tall man, around 25, followed calmly. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp.

"I'm impressed," he said, stepping forward. "You didn't run. You didn't sacrifice your friends—even when you had the chance."

All four of them bowed slightly, murmuring apologies.

I clenched my fists.

"What the hell is going on?!"