Morning came without sunlight.
Thick clouds smothered the sky above Seoul, turning day into a dim, gray imitation of life. Luo woke before the others, his senses alert in a way they had never been before. He could hear distant footsteps—too far for normal hearing—and the faint groans of the dead echoing through ruined streets.
Something inside him refused to rest.
He looked down at his hands.
They felt… heavy. Not with exhaustion, but with potential.
Behind him, Lily stirred. She shifted closer in her sleep, instinctively seeking warmth. Luo didn't pull away. Instead, he gently adjusted his jacket around her shoulders.
Across the fire, Mia watched.
She had woken earlier but pretended to sleep. Seeing Lily so close to Luo made her chest ache in a way hunger never could. She told herself she had no right to feel this way. Not after everything she had done.
Yet emotions didn't care about logic.
Lily opened her eyes and met Luo's gaze.
"You didn't sleep," she said softly.
"No," Luo replied. "Too much noise."
Lily hesitated, then whispered, "I have something to tell you."
Mia's ears caught the shift in tone immediately.
Lily sat up, her expression serious now. "When we got separated… I didn't just run."
Luo frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I was captured," Lily said. "By people. Not zombies."
Silence fell.
"They called themselves the White Hand," she continued. "They control parts of the city. Food, weapons… people."
Mia's eyes widened. "Human factions?"
Lily nodded. "They test survivors. If you're weak, you're bait. If you're useful…" She swallowed. "They keep you."
Luo's jaw tightened. "They hurt you?"
"No," Lily said quickly. "Not like that. But they injected me with something. Said it would 'help me survive.'"
Luo stood up instantly.
"You were experimented on?" His voice carried an edge Mia had never heard before.
Lily nodded slowly. "I escaped during a zombie breach. I don't know what they gave me—but sometimes, I feel… different."
As if summoned by her words, Lily suddenly winced, pressing a hand to her temple.
"I can feel them," she whispered. "The dead. When they're close."
Mia felt a chill.
Luo reached out, steadying Lily. The moment his hand touched hers, something reacted.
A pulse.
Warm. Resonant.
Lily gasped softly. "You feel it too…"
Luo pulled his hand back, heart pounding.
So it's not just me.
Before they could speak further, a sharp whistle echoed from the street below.
Then a voice.
"Come out slowly! We don't want trouble!"
Luo peeked through a shattered window.
Armed men surrounded the building—organized, disciplined, wearing white armbands.
The White Hand.
"They followed me," Lily whispered.
Mia grabbed a metal pipe. "We can't fight them."
"Yes," Luo said quietly. "We can."
Gunfire erupted as zombies flooded the street from the opposite side. The White Hand didn't panic—they repositioned, using the dead as moving cover.
That was when Luo felt it again.
The world slowed.
He saw angles. Timings. Intent.
A bullet flew toward Lily.
Luo moved before thought.
He caught it.
The metal burned against his skin—but didn't break it.
Everyone froze.
Even the White Hand soldiers stared.
"What… are you?" one of them muttered.
Luo crushed the bullet in his palm.
Fear rippled through the human line.
Zombies closed in.
"Retreat!" the leader shouted.
They pulled back, leaving supplies behind.
Luo collapsed to one knee, breathing hard.
Mia rushed to him. "Luo!"
"I'm fine," he said—but his voice shook. "I just… can't stop it anymore."
Lily knelt beside him, placing her hand over his heart. "You're not alone," she said softly.
Mia looked away.
---
Elsewhere, deep within a fortified subway station, Aria stood before a crude map of Seoul.
Her team surrounded her.
Jin Tae spoke first. "Human factions are spreading. Fighting over resources."
Hana added quietly, "The dead are changing again. Coordinating."
Kade emerged from the shadows. "And someone else is awakening."
Aria closed her eyes.
She felt it clearly now.
Luo's presence burned brighter—unstable, raw, powerful.
"He's close," she said. "But not ready."
She turned, her eyes glowing faintly gold.
"Prepare," Aria ordered. "The world is about to choose its monsters."
---
That night, tension hung heavy between the three survivors.
Lily slept close to Luo again—out of fear, out of habit.
Mia lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
She realized something terrifying.
She wasn't just afraid of losing Luo.
She was afraid of what he was becoming.
And even more afraid… that she still loved
END OF CHAPTER 4