Luna had learned one unbreakable rule in this world:
If something felt too quiet, it meant danger had already arrived.
The clinic no longer felt like hers.
Not with Kai standing near the broken window, arms crossed, eyes sharp as he scanned the darkness beyond the glass. Not with the strange tension lingering between them, thin as a thread pulled too tight—ready to snap at any moment.
Three days.
Three days since he appeared out of nowhere.
Three days of uneasy co-existence.
He didn't talk much. Didn't ask questions she couldn't answer. And somehow, without ever saying it aloud, he'd made it clear he wasn't here to claim her shelter.
He simply stayed.
Watched.
Protected… maybe.
Luna sat on the cracked clinic floor, sorting through what little remained of her supplies. Two cans of beans. One packet of crackers. Half a bottle of water.
Not enough.
She exhaled softly.
Kai's gaze flicked to her. "You're running out."
She nodded.
He stared toward the ceiling as if weighing something in his mind, then finally spoke. "There's a supply hub about two kilometers east. Dangerous area. But stocked."
Her head lifted immediately.
He glanced at her. "Don't get excited. It's crawling with zombies. And worse—players."
She understood.
Still… food meant survival.
So they left together.
Outside, the city felt more hostile than ever. The sky remained permanently gray, as if hope itself had been burned out of it. Buildings stood hollow and broken. Abandoned cars sat frozen mid-crash, skeletons still slumped in the driver's seats.
Luna walked carefully, senses sharpened.
Kai moved like a shadow.
Silent. Efficient. Deadly.
She saw it when three zombies staggered out of an alley.
He didn't hesitate.
He grabbed the first by the skull and twisted.
Crack.
The second lunged—he drove his knife upward beneath its jaw.
The third barely had time to react before he slammed it into the wall and crushed its head with brutal strength.
No wasted movement.
No mercy.
When he turned back to her, his expression was calm.
As if he hadn't just killed three creatures in seconds.
She swallowed.
This was the kind of man who survived.
The kind who became legend.
The supply hub turned out to be an old shopping center. The main entrance was barricaded, but a side door had been forced open. Inside, shelves had been looted—but not emptied.
They split up.
Luna's hands trembled with relief as she gathered dry noodles, bottled drinks, protein bars. Hope flickered inside her chest.
Then—
Warning: High-level player nearby.
Threat Level: Unknown.
Her body froze.
Footsteps echoed from the far end of the aisle.
Not dragging.
Not stumbling.
Confident.
Human.
Slowly, she looked up.
A girl stood between the shelves.
Long dark hair. Clean clothes. Soft smile.
Too clean.
Too calm.
Too familiar.
The world tilted.
No.
Her chest tightened painfully.
The girl tilted her head, studying her with gentle curiosity. "Wow," she said softly. "You're alive."
That voice.
Luna's vision blurred.
Ishara.
Her murderer.
Her former best friend.
Her lover's jealous ex.
The girl who had smiled while pushing her down the stairs.
The girl who had whispered, "If I can't have him, no one will."
The girl who had watched her die.
Ishara stepped closer. "You look different," she said lightly. "Stronger. Prettier, even."
Luna's hands trembled.
The system flickered.
Player Detected
Name: Ishara
Level: 47
Rank: Hunter
Status: Active Player
A player.
She wasn't supposed to be here.
She wasn't supposed to get another life.
"How…" Ishara murmured, eyes bright with fascination. "How did you survive this long at such a low level?"
She glanced at Luna's wrist.
"Level 3?" she giggled. "That's adorable."
Rage surged.
Pain surged.
Memories surged.
The betrayal.
The fall.
The crack of bone.
The darkness.
Luna backed away instinctively.
Ishara frowned. "Aren't you happy to see me?"
A voice cut through the aisle like steel.
"Step away from her."
Kai emerged behind Luna, his expression colder than she had ever seen.
Ishara turned slowly, eyes lighting with interest. "Oh? And who are you supposed to be?"
Kai didn't answer. His gaze never left her.
A system window flashed before his eyes.
Player Detected
Name: Ishara
Level: 47
Threat Level: High
Recommendation: Avoid confrontation
He ignored it.
Ishara's gaze flicked between them. Then she smiled wider.
"Ohhh," she said. "I see."
She took another slow step forward. "You found yourself a protector, Luna."
Her voice dripped sweetness.
"You always did like hiding behind people."
Something inside Luna snapped.
Not fear.
Not grief.
Something colder. Sharper.
The system chimed.
Emotional Catalyst Detected
Hidden Skill Awakening…
Skill Unlocked: Heart Sense (Rare Passive)
Allows detection of hostility, betrayal, and emotional intent
The air around Ishara suddenly felt suffocating.
Not confusion.
Not surprise.
Not guilt.
Only malice.
She had known Luna might be here.
She had been searching.
Kai noticed Luna's sudden stillness. "Luna?" he murmured.
She lifted her gaze—not to Ishara.
To him.
For the first time, fear wasn't there.
Warning was.
Kai understood immediately.
Ishara chuckled softly. "Relax. I'm not here to fight today."
She backed away slowly, hands raised in mock innocence.
"Consider this a reunion," she said lightly. "A reminder."
Her eyes locked onto Luna's.
"This world rewards the strong."
She turned toward the exit.
"And I'm not done with you yet."
Then she vanished into the ruined city.
Silence followed.
Heavy. Dangerous.
Kai stared at the doorway long after she was gone before finally turning back to Luna.
"That girl…" he said quietly. "She knows you."
Luna swallowed. Slowly, painfully, she nodded.
He studied her face.
And for the first time, true anger burned in his eyes.
Not at Luna.
At Ishara.
Outside, thunder rolled across the ruined sky.
And somewhere deep within the system, something shifted.
Because the game had changed.
The past had arrived.
And this time…
Luna would not be the one who fell.