Although Pete had asked how, he never clarified what he meant, leaving Red slightly confused. Instead, he gestured toward Ray.
"Come with me," he said.
Ray hesitated for a second, then followed.
They stepped into an empty room nearby, and Pete quickly shut the door behind them, locking it with a soft click. Even then, he kept his distance, his eyes fixed on Ray like he was looking at something he didn't fully understand.
"Aren't you supposed to still be locked up in your ward?" Pete finally said. "Last I checked, you were one of the patients we had to isolate."
His gaze sharpened.
"Or did you come out here to infect the few people that actually managed to survive those things out there?"
Ray frowned slightly.
"Relax," he said. "I'm not infected anymore."
Pete blinked.
"…You're joking."
"I'm serious."
A brief silence followed.
Pete didn't look convinced.
"Then prove it," he said.
Ray nodded. "Take my blood. Run whatever test you can."
Pete stared at him for a moment, clearly weighing the situation. Then, slowly, he nodded.
"…Fine."
He moved toward a nearby cabinet, pulling out what little medical equipment was left intact.
"But before that," Pete added, his tone lowering slightly, "there's something you should know."
Ray looked at him.
Pete glanced toward the door, as if making sure no one was listening.
"Don't trust them too much."
Ray's eyes narrowed.
"…What do you mean?"
Pete exhaled quietly.
"The ones out there… they're not as harmless as they look. That red-haired guy—he calls himself Red, right?"
Ray nodded.
"There's something off about him," Pete continued. "About all of them, actually. I've been watching since I got here. They act like they're helping… but they're controlling everything."
Ray didn't interrupt.
"They decide who gets food. Who stays. Who leaves," Pete said. "And anyone who questions them… suddenly keeps quiet."
A pause.
"Or disappears."
The room fell silent.
Ray's expression darkened slightly.
"…You're saying they're dangerous."
"I'm saying," Pete replied, meeting his eyes, "in a world like this, the real threat isn't always the monsters outside."
He straightened slightly, picking up the syringe.
"Sometimes… it's the ones pretending to save you."
Ray nodded in acknowledgment, and the conversation ended there.
Pete carefully drew a sample of his blood before inserting it into a rapid diagnostic kit. The two waited silently for a few minutes as the result slowly developed.
Then—
Negative.
Pete stared at the kit for a moment longer, almost as if expecting it to change.
"Told you," Ray said with a faint smile.
Pete looked up at him, disbelief still written all over his face. "How is this even possible?"
Ray gave a small shrug. "Honestly? I'm just as surprised as you are."
Before Pete could say anything else, the door suddenly opened.
One of the men who had been standing beside the red-haired guy earlier peeked inside.
"It's time," he said briefly before shutting the door again.
Ray frowned. "What's that about?"
Pete sighed lightly as he began putting the medical tools away. "Every hour, a few volunteers go out to clear the ghouls on different floors."
"They've been doing that this whole time?" Ray asked.
Pete nodded. "So far, they've managed to reclaim about three floors. It's not much, but staying trapped here forever isn't an option either. Supplies are already running low."
He glanced toward the door.
"If we don't push those things back little by little, we'll eventually starve to death in here."
The two of them exited the room together.
The moment Ray stepped back into the hallway, his eyes immediately landed on the red-haired man.
Red.
Or at least, that was what he called himself.
And strangely enough—
He was talking to Thea.
Not only that, she was actually laughing.
A soft giggle escaped her lips as Red said something else, his charming smile never leaving his face.
Ray slowed slightly.
Something about the scene irritated him more than it should have.
And for some reason—
Red's smile widened the moment he noticed Ray staring.
Pete noticed the look on Ray's face and immediately decided to step in first.
"Ahem."
He cleared his throat loudly as he walked forward.
Red didn't move from where he stood. Meanwhile, Thea lifted her head and noticed Ray standing there.
"Oh, Ray." She waved him over with a smile.
Pete stopped directly in front of Red while Ray remained a few steps behind him.
"If you're here to help people, then help," Pete said coldly. "Don't go around stealing someone else's girlfriend while you're at it."
"My bad," Red replied casually, though the smirk on his face never disappeared. "But Thea never mentioned having a boyfriend."
His eyes shifted toward Ray.
"Aren't you two just friends?" he asked. "If that's the case, then I should still have a chance, right?"
As he spoke, he casually placed a hand around Thea's waist.
But almost immediately—
Thea grabbed his wrist and flung it away.
"No way," she said firmly.
Before Red could react, she walked over to Ray and wrapped an arm around his waist instead.
"Ray is more than just a friend," she continued. "He's my savior. I owe him everything… even my life."
For the first time, Red looked genuinely surprised.
"…Wow," he muttered. "That's unexpected."
Then he looked back at Ray with renewed interest.
"Now I'm curious," he said with a grin. "What exactly did you do to make her this attached to you?"
For a brief moment, Ray could've sworn Red's eyes flashed crimson.
Just for a second.
Then it vanished.
Ray frowned slightly.
Did I imagine that?
Before he could think further, he replied calmly, "Why would I tell you? That doesn't concern you."
This time, Red was the one caught off guard.
The smile on his face faltered slightly as he stared at Ray in silence.
Meanwhile, Ray simply turned away alongside Pete and Thea, leaving him standing there.
Red watched their backs quietly.
His expression slowly darkened.
What just happened?
He frowned inwardly.
Why didn't it work on him?
It had worked before.
Always.
So why was Ray unaffected?
Did I already exhaust the effect?
Or… does it only work for a limited time?