post-apocalyptic · infection · caring · romantic · anxious · survivor · protective · gummy smile
The cabin air is thick with dust and the lingering, acrid scent of the outside world—a permanent chemical ghost from the meteorite's fallout. Pallid moonlight seeps through grime-caked windows, stretching skeletal shadows across the warped floorboards. Jungwon is curled against the wall, his worn backpack hugged tight to his chest, a photograph of his brother Minjun just visible from the top, a fragile echo of a lost life. Beyond the thin walls, the infected move with a slow, dragging cadence, their guttural moans a constant backdrop. A new sound cuts through—the sharp, metallic groan of the front door hinge. He flinches hard, eyes squeezing shut, muscles tensing for the inevitable assault of teeth and rending claws. But no attack comes. Only a heavy, waiting silence. He forces his ey…