"No! Sh*t! Let me out!!"
"What?! You still have the guts to act tough? We're already outside!"
"I know we're outside! That's why let me out of here!"
"Are you seriously trying to become food!?"
"And why do you even care!? Why are you insisting!?"
The sharp and furious retort came from Light, directed at the young man he was arguing with—Rian. Ever since Light had jolted awake from his startled sleep, he had been relentlessly trying to exit the bus they had just taken shelter in.
But escaping proved impossible. Rian—the same guy who had yanked him inside earlier—was now firmly blocking the door. Light couldn't understand what this guy's problem was.
Technically, Rian was younger than him. Given his brash and straightforward personality, shouldn't someone like Rian have just gone along with what Light wanted by now? People like that don't waste time with arguments—they usually just give in to avoid dragging things out.
Yet here they were. No matter how many reasons Light gave him, no matter how much he insisted, Rian stubbornly refused to move. That obstinance was rapidly testing Light's patience.
"Didn't I make myself clear already!?" Light snapped.
"I heard everything," Rian replied, his tone firm but calm, "but that doesn't mean you get to stop me from doing what I want to do."
"Why are you so—"
BLAG!
"Aaahhhhh!!!"
BLAG!
"No!! Mommy!!"
Screams and sudden thuds cut off Rian's next words. The deafening sounds echoed through the bus, instantly drawing both their attention. They glanced around in alarm, the entire vehicle now shaking from the continuing loud crashes.
"B-Brian! They're surrounding us!!" shouted the driver, his voice trembling with fear, which only further escalated the panic among the passengers.
"Tsk. Can't we just run them over?" Rian muttered.
"T-there's too many of them in front!" the driver stammered. "The bus can't accelerate fast enough to knock them away!"
Rian let out a long, frustrated breath.
"W-what should we do now?" someone cried.
BLAG—
"Is there really no other way out?" another passenger asked desperately.
Fear and uncertainty filled the air as the monsters slowly gathered in greater numbers outside. The noises were growing louder, angrier, more determined.
"Arrrgghhkk!!!!"
BLAG!
"Aarkkhhkgg!!!"
BLAG!
It was as if the Lurkins were determined to destroy the bus just to reach everyone inside.
'It's a small mercy the bus has grills on the windows,' thought one female student, casting a tired glance at her fellow passengers—students and professors alike—most of whom seemed on the verge of a breakdown.
All, except the girl sitting quietly beside her.
Unlike the others, this girl appeared unnervingly calm. Instead of panicking, she simply watched the two young men who had been arguing earlier. But now, both boys seemed deep in thought.
'Tsk. If they had just left earlier, we wouldn't be in this mess.' The student sighed under her breath. But before she could continue her mental complaints, her seatmate suddenly stood and started walking toward the two boys.
'What is she doing?' she wondered, watching the girl closely.
Seconds passed. Then came a sentence that shocked everyone within earshot:
"We need a bait."
The simple, chilling suggestion made both Thino and Rian turn to look at the strange girl who now stood before them. She stared at them with an unsettling calmness—and a small smile.
"Sorry to interrupt your conversation," the girl said pleasantly. "I'm Shan, by the way. Grade 12, Section B."
"L-light—" Light answered, caught off-guard.
"Rian," Rian followed, confused but focused.
Shan smiled at their responses. Her intent wasn't just to make small talk—she wanted to see if the two boys were still mentally stable enough to grasp the plan she was about to present.
"Nice to meet you both. But as I said earlier, we need a decoy. I know that sounds harsh, but I believe it's the only way—before these unknown creatures destroy the bus completely."
BLAG—
BLAG—
Shan's calm words were punctuated by another loud barrage of noise from outside. The Lurkin were getting more aggressive by the second.
"And then what? You think once we open the door, the decoy will be able to escape safely?" Rian challenged.
"Hmmn. Of course not," Shan replied without hesitation. "But we can make our own way."
"What do you mean by that?" Light interjected, frowning.
Without answering immediately, Shan reached for a wooden mop—probably left behind by one of the other students—and snapped its end off with a single, fluid motion.
"By killing them," she said lightly. "They're not the only ones who can kill, right?"
A quiet laugh escaped her lips, sending another ripple of unease through the boys.
"…And then? How will the decoy return?" Light pressed further.
"He'll just keep running—like a game of tag. He just needs to make sure they don't catch him until the bus starts moving again. We wait for the signal."
"And I'm the one best suited for that role," Light said with unwavering determination.
Shan merely nodded. She already knew—Light was a soccer athlete. He had the speed and stamina to pull it off.
"Yeah. But we'll need one more. So, they won't all focus on just you," she added thoughtfully.
She turned around to survey the rest of the bus. But given the state of the others—many of them paralyzed by fear—it seemed nearly impossible to find another willing soul.
"Anyone want to volunteer?" she asked.
No response.
Instead, the chaos only grew louder:
"Aahh!! No!! M-Mommy!"
"I'm not food, I'm not food, I'm not food—"
BLAG—
'This is bad. We really need to leave this bus.' thought the unfamiliar girl as she felt the entire vehicle jolt violently beneath her.
The sudden shudder caused more panic to ripple through the other passengers, already on edge. Screams and cries grew louder as the situation outside worsened. Meanwhile, the three people she had been quietly observing earlier were now trying to steady themselves amidst the chaos.
"Why are they taking too long?" she whispered to herself.
At the same moment, she noticed the girl who had been sitting beside her earlier—Shan—once again scanning the bus. But just as their eyes met, Shan turned away immediately, avoiding her gaze, treating her as if she were nothing but an air.
Exactly as she had thought earlier: invisible.
And she didn't like that at all.
No longer willing to be ignored, she stood up without hesitation and walked straight toward the three others. As she approached, she caught enough of the discussion to jump in at the perfect moment.
"My bodyguard can accompany him."
She cut in suddenly, catching them off guard.
All three looked at her.
She returned their gaze with a simple sigh.
"I'm not sorry for interrupting. I know you need an extra hand."
"T-that's true, we do—" Rian stammered.
"And my bodyguard can handle it."
"You mean that guy?" Shan asked, pointing at a man still unconscious on the floor—knocked out earlier by Rian's smash of hummer.
"No, not him. Jake!"
"Yes, Miss!" came a cheerful voice from behind her.
Shan hadn't even realized he was already there.
"Be a decoy too. Assist him. Distract those things."
She pointed toward the door. But Jake shook his head firmly.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss Koi. I have to protect you."
"I can protect myself, Jake. Bla bla bla—" Koi replied, brushing off his concern with practiced indifference.
Shan watched their interaction closely, smiling quietly.
'So, her name's Koi… Quite far from her personality, honestly.' she mused.
After several more minutes of back-and-forth between Koi and Jake, it was clear who had won the argument.
"Then what will you do now, Miss Koi?" Jake finally asked, defeated.
Koi looked at him with faint impatience.
"I will also make a path for the two of you."
She stepped toward the front of the bus, eyes sweeping the windows where shadows loomed outside. Her posture subtly shifted—no longer passive, but calculating. Something about her became razor-sharp in that moment. Efficient. Lethal.
Shan watched her silently, noting the change.
'She's been in this kind of danger before... Her movements are too deliberate.'
Light was already loosening his shoulders, a low breath escaping him. His eyes darted around—calculating space, distance, movement. Years on the field gave him instincts honed under pressure, and now, adrenaline sharpened them further.
'Fast and loud. Get their attention, keep them away from the bus.'
Jake, by contrast, looked like a wall in motion. He checked his gear—minimal, but solid—and gave a nod to Koi.
"Ready, Miss."
She nodded back.
Meanwhile, Rian crouched near the emergency kit tucked under a seat, snatching up gauze and makeshift supplies. Not for the fight—for after. His focus wasn't on brute force but logistics. He had no delusions about fighting head-on—but he would support them. Quiet. Efficient.
Shan stood near the emergency door, a broken metal leg from a chair in her grip. She glanced at each of them.
"All right," she said. "Light, Jake—you're the bait. Run loud. Circle wide. Don't stop."
"Got it," Light muttered, steeling himself.
Koi stood just behind Shan, holding the mop handle like a spear.
Jake moved into position beside her, cracking his neck.
Outside, claws scraped along metal. Lurkin growls filled the air, hungry and close.
Then—
SLAM!
The door burst open.
Light was first out, sprinting like a bullet to the right. The sound of his footsteps and sharp whistles caught immediate attention—Lurkin heads snapped his way. He didn't stop. He dove, slid, and zigzagged past debris, drawing four creatures behind him.
"HEY, OVER HERE!" he shouted, throwing a metal can to rattle louder.
From the other side, Jake broke left, stomping hard to maximize noise. His pace was deliberate but powerful—more like a linebacker barreling through chaos. Two more Lurkin peeled off and chased.
Back at the bus, one creature lunged for the door—drawn by the remaining noise.
It barely made it halfway before Koi lunged forward, twisting under its reach and jamming the mop handle upward—right into its jaw.
CRACK.
It collapsed in a heap.
Shan didn't blink. She stepped forward as another Lurkin scrambled toward the entrance. Waiting until the last second, she swung the blunt metal leg low—striking the creature's knee and finishing it with a crushing blow to the skull.
Koi nodded. "Tidy."
"You too," Shan replied, breathless.
Rian stayed back, eyes scanning, counting. One... two… four out. Two down. That left—
A growl from behind.
One had looped around.
Koi turned and tossed a glare at Jake's path. "Now, Jake!"
Jake stopped mid-sprint, yanked a fire extinguisher from under a service hatch, and sprayed it in a wide arc—a sudden burst of white fog clouded the lot. The Lurkin hesitated, confused, snarling.
"GO!" Koi shouted.
Shan darted out, smashing the pipe against the ground to draw the last Lurkin's attention.
Light and Jake reappeared from opposite flanks, diving through the fog and slipping back toward the bus. Rian helped drag one of the fallen seats into place to block the door momentarily.
"Move!" Shan yelled.
Jake rammed into a lingering Lurkin from the side, launching it into a parked motorcycle.
Koi yanked Light in by the collar. Rian shoved the door shut and braced it.
Then—silence.
Heavy breathing.
Winded lungs.
But no screaming.
Just stunned faces inside the bus. The once-terrified students now stared at them as if they'd just watched an action film unfold in real time.
Light dropped into a seat, panting. "I deserve a whole pizza after this."
Shan smirked. "Two."
Koi flicked blood off her hand. "Don't slow down next time."
"You too," Shan replied, without bite.
Jake stood near the door, watching. "They'll come back."
Rian nodded, wiping his brow. "Then we better not be here when they do."
For now, though, the bus was quiet.
The fear lingered—but so did something new.
Resolve.
They weren't just passengers anymore.
They were the fight.
They were the chance.
They were alive.