The train screeched violently, throwing Min Jae sideways. His chest heaved, heart hammering—not from speed, but from the chaos that had already begun. Screams pierced the air as passengers realized what was happening.
Min Jae's crush froze a few steps away, wide-eyed. He grabbed her hand instinctively. "We need to move!" he yelled, panic rising.
"Through here!" The nerdy guy shoved past Min Jae and the girl toward the sliding door at the end of the car, which led to the next compartment. But the path was blocked.
Two monstrous figures loomed near the center of the car. The women who had transformed were grotesque now—scaly flesh, elongated limbs, hair standing on end in uneven tufts. Their eyes glowed faintly as they hissed and screeched, moving toward passengers indiscriminately.
Min Jae's stomach dropped. Every step forward meant a chance of being sliced, impaled, or struck by their needle-like appendages.
The nerdy guy gestured wildly. "We can't go forward! We'll get killed! We have to… improvise!"
"Improvise how?" Min Jae shouted, keeping the girl close. Her grip was tight, trembling.
The first woman lunged at a passenger on the floor, her claws scraping against the metal, sending sparks flying. The second swung a scaly arm at another group, hissing like a live wire.
Min Jae yanked the girl back instinctively as a sharp talon grazed his shoulder. Pain flared, but he ignored it. "We have to get out somehow!"
The nerdy guy's eyes darted to the ceiling. "Emergency hatch! On the roof!" He grabbed the handle and yanked. It gave with a hiss, revealing the outside, windy world beyond the train.
"Now!" he shouted.
Min Jae didn't hesitate. He shoved his crush forward, climbing onto the roof as quickly as he could. The monsters screeched, swiping at them from below, but the angle made it hard to reach.
He scrambled up, pulling the girl with him. Her face was pale, lips quivering, but she didn't resist. The nerdy guy followed, muttering curses under his breath as he hauled himself through the hatch.
The train car groaned violently as the monsters turned toward the roof. Their claws scraped against the metal doors, trying to reach them. Sparks flew, echoing like gunfire.
Min Jae crouched behind the nerd, holding the girl close. Wind whipped past them, and the city stretched out broken and chaotic beneath. Distant screams rose from other cars. Some passengers were already fleeing onto rooftops; some were frozen in terror. In fact it was not only the train, screams could be heard in the distance, from the city as well.
"This… this is insane," Min Jae whispered, gripping the girl's hand tighter.
"Welcome to reality," the nerd muttered, scanning the horizon.
Min Jae's eyes darted back at the car. The women's upper bodies were now pressing against the roof edge, elongated limbs scrabbling at the metal. They hissed, trying to pull themselves upward.
"Move!" the nerd yelled. "We need to reach the next car!"
Min Jae didn't argue. He planted his feet on the train roof, heart hammering, adrenaline screaming. Step by step, they ran across the curved metal, wind tearing at their clothes. The screeches below were constant, a terrifying reminder that the monsters were right there, only a few feet away.
The girl stumbled, and Min Jae grabbed her instantly, steadying her. "I've got you. Don't look down. Just keep moving."
Her grip tightened on his arm. For a moment, fear was replaced with something else, trust. Min Jae didn't have time to dwell on it, though; the monsters were relentless.
Halfway across the roof, one woman managed to grab the edge, claws scrabbling. Min Jae ducked instinctively as metal sparks flew. He scrambled forward, pulling the girl behind him.
Finally, the last hatch to the next car loomed ahead. The nerd reached it first, yanking the handle with both hands. The door creaked open just as the monsters' upper bodies slithered toward them.
"Go! Go!" he shouted.
Min Jae shoved the girl through first, then followed, landing hard on the roof of the next car. Wind tore at their hair and clothes, the city below dizzying and unfamiliar. Behind them, the monsters' screeches rang out as they thrashed against the hatch, unable to follow immediately.
For a few fleeting seconds, there was silence, just the wind and Min Jae's ragged breathing.
"We… we made it," the nerd said, trying to sound calm. "But… this is just the start. They'll find a way, trust me."
Min Jae looked at his crush. She was pale but alive, her hand still in his. He nodded once. Words weren't needed.
The train car behind them groaned. The monsters below slammed against the metal with full force, nails and claws scratching sparks into the roof. Min Jae swallowed hard.
"Hey." Min Jae began. Exhaling hard. "My name is Min Jae nice to meet you."
The nerd smirked, "Mine is Joon-ho, nice to meet you too." He said gesturing a handshake which Min Jae accepted a bit overwillingly.
"My name is Soo-min." The girl spoke. The two boys looked at her, they noded and the trio shook hands.
All this time Min Jae was not worried about the monsters anymore, *I knew it, it was fate for us to be together. She even has a 'Min' in her name too!*
"Well, we aren't in the clear yet. We have to find somewhere really safe. Because those women will keep chasing us. We have to continue." Joon-ho suggested.
Min Jae and Soo-min nodded.
"Let's go!"