#artist: aeharbour

[chaniiverse]

Moments to save from ep1:

"Sorry for Younghoon, we're all just a little rattled," the man beside you explained, his voice surprisingly calm. "We were by the exit when we heard you scream, thank god we arrived in time. My name's Chanhee, by the way."

As a Chanhee girlie I screeched in delight when I saw his name lmao. I swear to god if he literally DIES I will off myself. Like toodles earth. You won’t see my desperate ass anymore unfortunately (fortunately)

"What about your boyfriend?"

Right…Hyunjae is my boyfriend (not a bad thing it’s just…Chanhee…) BUT HEY HYUNJAE IS CUTE

Chanhee shook his head, his youthful optimism tempered by the grim reality around them. "Maybe. Maybe not. But it's our best bet. We just have to get there and hope for the best."

This is so cute (not exactly the right word for the fic and the situation, eh? But Chanhee is cute 🥰) but god damn I cannot wait to know what happens next 😭🥹

🪧Masterlist

🪧Parts: one I

🪧Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Alternate Universes

🪧Pairing(s): Hyunjae x Reader, Q x Reader

🪧Summary: Seoul is in lockdown after a horrific outbreak. Separated from her family and fiancé, a young woman joins forces with three strangers to reach her family. A desperate fight for escape unfolds as they race against time and the growing chaos to survive.

🪧Word Count: 2,450

🪧Warning : Mention of zombies, and subtle references to the 2020 pandemic

net: @deoboyznet

You leaned against the cool metal wall of the elevator, your head throbbing in time with each ascending floor. The bright lights shine over your pale face, making you push the cap on your head further down. Last night's after-work hangout had been a whirlwind of chattering workers, loud music, and endless soju bombs. Now, the remnants of too much alcohol twister your stomach into knots. You closed your eyes, hoping the ride would end soon, but the soft ding of each floor felt like a hammer against your skull.

Your phone buzzed in your pocket, but you ignored it—no doubt a message from your fiancé, who finally had some time to use his phone privileges. You felt guilty for ignoring Jaehyun when you had so little time to speak to him each day, but there was no way you could bear to look at the glowing screen.

The door opened, and you were about to sigh relief before a tall man stepped inside with a large duffle.

Level 6, which means you had 7 more floors to go.

You shyly recognize that the male beside you is handsome, his broad shoulders and defined jawline accentuated by his fitted t-shirt. He gave you a polite nod of acknowledgment, which you returned with a slight smile before averting your gaze.

As the elevator approached your floor, you took a deep breath, hoping your headache would ease once you were in the quiet of your apartment. The doors opened with a final ding, and you stepped out. To your surprise, the man followed, heading in the same direction.

You walked silently down the hallway together, the soft carpet muffling your footsteps. When you reached your door, you hesitated momentarily, fumbling for your keys. He stopped at the apartment directly across from yours, and you watched from the corner of your eye as the door opened and he slipped inside.

You mused that he must be a friend of Changmin's, unlocking your door. You knew your neighbour in passing, another attractive tall male who coincidentally works in the building across from your office. Jaehyun was more familiar with your neighbour than you were; the two of them once got into a small fight over something as trivial as parking space, but that deterred you from ever building a friendly relationship with Changmin.

You step inside and slide into your slippers, hanging your coat and bag on the rack. Thinking back to all your decisions yesterday, staying over at Naeun's house when you had nothing clean to wear was probably the worst. The throbbing in your head persisted as you moved towards your ensuite bathroom, hoping a quick shower might alleviate the dull ache and eliminate the smoke smell stuck on your hair.

Glancing out the window as you shuffle out of your clothes, you notice a small traffic jam has formed due to a car crash on the main road next to your apartment block. You grimace. Great. Just what you need – another obstacle before getting some much-needed rest. Sighing as you step into the bathroom, you turn on the hot water in the shower, hoping the steam will help clear your head. As the small room fills with warmth, your phone buzzes again persistently on the counter.

This time, the guilt wins the battle. Ignoring the dull ache behind your eyes, you stretch out a soapy arm and grab the phone, the screen momentarily obscured by a sheen of water. A glance at the caller ID reveals it's not Jaehyun but your mother. A flicker of surprise shoots through you – your mom rarely calls you so early on the weekends.

"Eomma," you answer, your voice echoing slightly in the shower. The sound of your own voice, hoarse and scratchy, makes you wince.

"There you are! I've been trying to reach you all afternoon," your mom's voice comes through, laced with a hint of panic that sends a jolt through you. "Have you seen the news?"

Panic claws at your throat, mirroring the tightening sensation in your stomach. News? With a growing dread, you picture flashing headlines about military disputes or other political turmoils.

"No, I haven't," you manage, the steam making your voice even more raspy. "What's going on?"

The sound of your mother taking a deep breath reaches you through the receiver. It's a shaky breath, unlike the usual sigh of exasperation she reserves for your life.

"There's been an outbreak," she says, her voice tight. "An airborne virus. They're calling it 'Zen II'. The government just announced a city-wide lockdown will be initiated tomorrow. You must get into your car and drive to Incheon immediately."

The phone feels slick in your wet hand. Lockdown? A new virus? You thought you'd never have to deal with all of that again, how could the government let it get this far without a word leaking to the press. A million questions bombard your mind, but the hot water stinging your skin reminds you of your immediate situation.

"Okay, Mom. I'll start packing and try to make it home before midnight," you say, forcing your voice to stay calm. "But what about Jaehyun? Are they saying something about the military?"

"There'll be more information on the news. Jaehyun will probably get leave as well, don't worry. I will talk to his mother and call you back. Try to shower quickly, would you."

The line goes dead before you can ask anything further.

You stare at the phone, a cold dread settling in your stomach. Guilt crashes over you like a wave – the after-effects of last night's work gathering suddenly feel trivial compared to the news your mother just delivered. You should have gone home and been preparing for this, not nursing a hangover in the shower. You force yourself to focus. Packing. That's what you need to do. Food, water, essentials – the same drill you went through years ago feels chillingly familiar.

With a sigh that echoes off the wet tiles, you step out of the shower, the chill of the apartment contrasting sharply with the hot water. Wrapping yourself in a towel, you grab your phone and scramble for a dry spot.

It would be nice to check the news for yourself. As you open the news app, an old notification pops up – a message from Jaehyun. Your heart leaps momentarily before sinking again. You were supposed to meet tomorrow for family visitation, there's no way that's still on.

01:43 Hey love, I just got off duty. Did you make it home okay?

In your drunken stupor, you hadn't even let him know you would be staying over at Naeun's. You bite your lip, the weight of your actions pressing down on you. Ignoring Jaehyun's text for now, you toss your towel aside and rush to your closet.

Clothes are thrown onto the bed in a flurry - jeans, t-shirts, a warm hoodie. You rummage through drawers, shoving socks and underwear into your only suitcase.

Suddenly, a loud BANG echoes from outside your window. Your heart jumps into your throat. Adrenaline surges through you, so you race to the window and fling open the blinds. Your breath hitches. The traffic jam you noticed earlier has become a scene of chaos. Cars are abandoned, doors flung open. In the distance, you could hear a loud ambulance siren echo through your double-paned glass window.

Your stomach lurches. It's real. Zen II. The news reports you missed must have been filled with all the details. But there's no time to dwell on that now. You grab your phone, and Jaehyun's message flashes on the screen, mocking you. With trembling fingers, you type a quick reply.

14:27 I'm sure you have heard about the lockdown by now. I'm on my way to my parent's house. Stay safe. I love you.

You hit send without proofreading, shoving the phone back into your bag. A second, another bang erupts from downstairs, closer this time. It's probably coming from the car park below your apartment building.

Panic thrums through your veins. You grab your suitcase bag and sprint towards the door and the brightly lit elevator at the end of the hall.

The elevator descended, each floor seeming to take an eternity. The tension in the air is so unfamiliar to the ride upstairs that it feels like it was yesterday and not an hour ago. The silence is suffocating, broken only by the anxious gasps escaping your lips.

The doors finally slid open, revealing the dimly lit car park. You scanned the rows of parked cars, searching for your familiar blue sedan. There. In the spot somewhere across from the elevator. Relief flooded your system momentarily before a wave of nausea washed over you. Your car wasn't facing forward the way you left it yesterday. It was backed in, haphazardly at that, one bumper dented and scraping against the concrete wall.

Anger flared, hot and sharp, momentarily eclipsing the anxiety gnawing at your gut. Who did this? Some careless driver amid the chaos? It didn't matter. Whoever it was had just thrown a wrench into your escape plan.

You quickly approached your car, the silence broken only by the sound of your suitcase's wheels bumping against the concrete floor. Reaching the dented bumper, you peered through the driver's side window. The airbags had deployed, but the keys, thankfully, were still in the ignition.

But a flicker of movement in the back seat caught your eye. You froze, breath catching in your throat. A low, guttural moan rose from within the vehicle.

Panic rocketed through you, momentarily eclipsing the nausea. A figure, its silhouette vaguely humanoid but grotesquely contorted, lunged from the backseat of your car. Claws, long and dripping with something viscous, scraped uselessly against the glass, missing you by a hair's breadth. You lurch backwards, the suitcase wheels screeching as they scrape across the concrete. Your foot gets caught on an uneven edge, sending you sprawling onto the grimy floor.

Pain flared in your ankle, but it was quickly overshadowed by a new terror. A strangled scream ripped from your throat as you scrambled to your feet, heart hammering a frantic rhythm against your ribs.

Your eyes darted around the dimly lit car park, searching for an escape route.

Just then, headlights cut through the gloom, bearing down on you with terrifying speed. With a screech of tyres, the car slammed to a halt mere inches from where you stood, the force of it momentarily knocking the wind out of your lungs.

Squinting through the sudden brightness, you recognized the car – it was Changmin's jeep, one you usually see on your way to university. The passenger's door swung open, and the man you recognized from the elevator wordlessly grabbed your suitcase and pushed you into the car's back seat.

"Wait, what are-" you ask before he tries to shut the door in your face.

"Just get in," he barked, his voice gruff, "We don't have much time."

Before you could question his urgency, you noticed the man sitting beside you. This man, younger and with a mop of unruly hair, held out a hand to help you settle in with your suitcase. Ignoring the throbbing pain in your ankle, you grabbed his hand and slid into the middle seat. The taller male quickly pulled your suitcase in after you, slamming the door shut and getting into his own seat just as another guttural moan echoed from behind your car.

Through the rearview mirror, you caught a glimpse of the horrifying figure clawing uselessly at the empty space where you once stood. A wave of nausea hit you again, but you forced it down. Now wasn't the time to be sick.

"Sorry for Younghoon, we're all just a little rattled," the man beside you explained, his voice surprisingly calm. "We were by the exit when we heard you scream, thank god we arrived in time. My name's Chanhee, by the way."

"Hi," you breathe out, frazzled and introduce yourself.

The engine roared to life, tyres screeching against the concrete as Changmin peeled out of the car park. The familiar street outside your apartment building now had an unsettling air – abandoned cars haphazardly blocking lanes, overturned trash cans, and the occasional flicker of flames in the distance painted a picture of a city in descent.

"Where are we going?" you asked, clutching your suitcase tightly.

Changmin glanced at you briefly through the rearview mirror, his jaw clenched tight. "The nearest express bus station. It's a gamble, but it's our best chance to get out of the city before the lockdown clamps down hard."

"Shouldn't we stop by a convenience store? Just in case?" Chanhee chimed in from the passenger seat.

"There is no time, Seoul is the only city that is currently afflicted" Changmin replied, "The lockdown will seal the city soon, and who knows what will happen then. We need to get outside the city limits. Do you have somewhere to stay?"

You realize the last question was directed towards you, "Yes. Yes, my parents are waiting for me in Incheon."

You watched Changmin take in your words as silence settled for a moment.

"What about your boyfriend?"

"My fiance," you reply, "He's stationed in Yangju."

"That's not too far, but I doubt they are letting the soldiers go anywhere with a zombie outbreak."

The word "zombie" echoed in your mind. It felt strange, almost unreal. Throughout your life, it had been confined to the pages of comic books and the flickering screens of horror movies. It sounded absurd.

"Those things," you collect your thoughts, "They were human?"

You watch Changmin through the rearview mirror as his eyebrows furrow and unfurrow at your question.

"That's what they're saying."

The express bus station loomed closer, a beacon of hope amidst the chaos. But even as relief flickered in your heart, you knew the real challenge was just beginning. Reaching the station was one thing; securing passage on a bus out of the city was entirely another.

"Do you think they'll be letting people on the buses?" you asked, voicing the worry gnawing at your gut. Images of desperate crowds and overflowing buses flashed through your mind.

Chanhee shook his head, his youthful optimism tempered by the grim reality around them. "Maybe. Maybe not. But it's our best bet. We just have to get there and hope for the best."

His words offered little comfort, but they were all you had. Gripping your aching ankle tighter, a silent prayer escaped your lips as Changmin slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt.

You had arrived.