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Behind Y/N's room door isn't just a simple space; it opens into a narrow corridor, lined with three doors leading to distinct areas. A hidden part of the townhall that has become her own.

The first door, located just behind the front door of Y/N's room, is easily missed. As the front door swings open, this one is hidden behind it, almost as though it's intentionally kept out of sight. It leads into a treasure trove of military-grade weapons. This room is a stockpile of guns, silencers, knives, daggers, swords, blades, smoke bombs, grenades, flamethrowers, and more-each item meticulously organized and ready for use at a moment's notice. The other half of the room is an open space designed for practice. It's large enough to accommodate movements, sparring, and honing combat techniques, offering solitude for Y/N to train in peace and focus on perfecting her skills.

To the right end of the corridor is the balcony, which offers an expansive view of the rear side of the townhall. It's a vantage point that allows to keep watch over the area with ease. A table along the wall holds essential weapons-her short gun, silencers, knives, and a bow with arrows-ready for quick access in case of any danger approaching from behind. A chair sits nearby railing, providing a quiet space to observe the surroundings. The balcony is calm, offering a clear line of sight for anyone on watch, with a small sofa beside the table for moments of rest. The far corner of the balcony has a fire area, for boiling water or preparing food when necessary.

Directly in front of the table and sofa, and along with the weapons room, lies Y/N's office. It's a small yet purposeful room, designed with function in mind. A sturdy table sits in the center, illuminated by the soft glow of a lantern. Behind it is a wooden chair, with a small cabinet beside it that holds food and water. A window on the opposite wall provides a view of the townhall's surroundings, letting natural light stream in. Alongside the window, a cupboard stands filled with worn files, maps, and paperwork-each document carefully organized and essential for her ongoing efforts. The left wall is lined with threads, papers, stretched out layouts and old photographs connected by strings, creating an intricate web of knowledge Y/N has gathered.

On the beside the balcony sofa, the final door opens into Y/N's personal sanctuary-her bedroom. The room is simple, with a bed that, while not particularly comfortable. A cupboard beside the bed holds a variety of clothes, all scavenged and carefully selected for survival. A small cabinet next to the bed contains food and water-bread, stew, and other vital supplies, stored carefully to last. Next to the cabinet, a small door leads to a simple bathroom, adding a touch of privacy to the room. On the far side of the room, her personal belongings are neatly tucked away-her weapons, keepsakes, and whatever else holds meaning.

Each space reflects Y/N's survival-driven lifestyle-practical, solitary, and always prepared for whatever comes next. In a world where privacy is a luxury few can afford, this entire section of the townhall has become her own little house, a rare and valuable personal domain. Here, she can be herself, her own master, even if just for a fleeting moment in a world that demands constant vigilance.

---

The silence in the room was deafening, the crackle of the fire the only sound filling the space. The group sat in a circle, each lost in thought, their expressions ranging from concern to confusion. RM exchanged a subtle glance with Suga, a silent question passing between them. Should they address the elephant in the room-the incident that had been gnawing at everyone since it happened?

Sehun's eyes darted to Jin and Hobi, silently seeking their input. Meanwhile, Suga and RM's gazes lingered on Hyungsik and Minho, who had been quieter than usual, their faces unreadable.

Jimin and Jungkook, sitting side by side, exchanged a knowing look. They could sense the weight of the unspoken thoughts in the room, the tension thick enough to cut through. Everyone seemed to be waiting for someone else to speak, to ask the questions that no one wanted to ask.

But amidst the silent exchanges and darting glances, two figures remained oblivious to the charged atmosphere: Y/N and Taehyung. Both sat still, their eyes fixed on the flickering flames in the fireplace. Their expressions were distant, almost haunted, as if the fire held answers they were searching for.

The calmness emanating from Taehyung was what finally drew everyone's attention. It was unnerving, the way he sat there, unbothered by the weight of the revelations. But it was more than that-his calm felt purposeful, as if he was deliberately suppressing something.

Why were Y/N and Taehyung both so quiet? What had shifted during the earlier conversation, and why did it feel like they were hiding something else?

Jungkook, unable to bear the silence, looked at RM and Suga again, his brows furrowed. RM caught the silent plea in his expression but shook his head slightly, a subtle gesture to hold off for now.

Hobi broke the silence first, his voice hesitant but steady. "So... this bunker," he began, his gaze flickering to Y/N, "do you think it has more than just files? Could it have... survivors? Or... something worse?"

Y/N's gaze finally broke from the fire, her eyes meeting Hobi's. There was something heavy in her expression, a mix of exhaustion and determination. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice soft but steady.

Taehyung's eyes flickered toward her at that, but he said nothing, his jaw tightening slightly as he turned back to the fire. The tension between them was subtle but unmistakable.

The silence returned, heavier than before.

Hyungsik, unable to hold himself back, stood from his seat. The sound of his boots against the floor made everyone look up as he walked over to Y/N. His actions startled the group, confusion flickering across their faces. What was he doing?

Y/N tilted her head to look at him as he stopped in front of her sofa. Without a word, Hyungsik knelt down, sitting on the floor beside her feet. The gesture caught everyone off guard, silencing even the whispers of speculation.

Hyungsik placed her bag to the side and gently took Y/N's hands in his own, his touch firm but comforting. It was a paternal gesture, one that spoke of care rather than confrontation. The group watched, bewildered but respectful, sensing that whatever was happening now was important.

"You said you'd answer every question we asked," Hyungsik began, his voice low but steady. "We're grateful for what you've shared already-for trusting us with this much. But I have one more question. Don't worry, it's not about your past or anything too personal. I just need to know..."

He paused, his eyes searching hers for understanding. "The box you mentioned-where did you find it, and what exactly did you get from it? But before that, answer me this: is what you found connected to this virus? Directly or indirectly?"

The room held its breath, every gaze locked on Y/N.

She hesitated, her fingers twitching slightly in Hyungsik's grasp. Her eyes flickered to the others, briefly meeting Taehyung's steady gaze before returning to Hyungsik. Slowly, she nodded.

"Yes," she admitted softly. "It's connected."

Her answer sent a ripple of tension through the room. Sehun's jaw clenched, Jungkook's hand reflexively moved toward his weapon, and even RM looked briefly taken aback. But no one spoke, waiting for her to continue.

Hyungsik nodded, his grip on her hands steady. "Thank you for being honest. Now, can you tell us where you found it?"

Y/N froze, her fingers trembling slightly in his grasp. Slowly, she shook her head, her expression apologetic yet resolute.

Hyungsik's eyes softened at her silent response. He didn't push further, recognizing the turmoil she was already grappling with. Instead, he gave her hands a reassuring squeeze before releasing them and standing.

Suga looked away, Taehyung's gaze dropped to the floor. Beside him, Jungkook exhaled sharply. Jimin's brow faintly creased. RM's fingers tapped once on his knee. Jin pressed his lips thin, glancing at the fire. Hobi shifted, eyes softening. Sehun stared at Y/N, unmoving. Minho's jaw tightened.

"It's okay," Hyungsik said softly, his voice carrying an understanding that eased the tension just a little. "You've already shared more than enough, and we're grateful for your honesty."

He reached out and gently patted Y/N's head, the gesture fatherly and protective. The unexpected act left the group momentarily stunned, their confusion quickly replaced by a quiet respect for the unspoken bond forming between the two.

Y/N's lips pressed into a thin line, her shoulders sagging slightly as she nodded in gratitude. The gesture seemed to speak louder than words, conveying her appreciation for the space they were giving her.

Hyungsik stepped back, looking at the others with a firm yet calm expression. "Let's not push her further tonight. We've learned enough for now."

The group exchanged glances, a silent agreement passing between them. They knew there was more to Y/N's story-layers yet to be uncovered-but they also understood the importance of trust, of letting her open up at her own pace.

The silence stretched on after Hyungsik's gesture, the weight of their thoughts settling back in. Jungkook finally broke the quiet, his voice cutting through the tension. "So... what's next?" he asked, glancing around the room. "Where do we go from here? We don't even know where this bunker is, let alone what we're looking for."

Minho's gaze shifted, eyebrows furrowing. "He's right," he said slowly, shaking his head. "We don't have any solid leads. Just rushing in without any direction would be... reckless."

Before anyone could respond, Y/N's voice cut through the conversation, cold and sharp. "Do you think it's that easy?" she asked darkly, her tone low but heavy.

The group froze, their eyes snapping to her. Y/N's gaze had hardened, her eyes shadowed with something they couldn't quite place-anger, exhaustion, or something more.

"I've been searching for that bunker," she continued, her voice steady but laced with an edge, "for over half a year."

Her words hit like a punch to the gut. Half a year? The group exchanged uneasy glances, the revelation sinking in.

The room was still, the weight of Y/N's words sinking in. Half a year. The group exchanged stunned glances, but it was Jin who broke the silence first.

"You've been looking for it all this time? Alone?" he asked, disbelief lacing his voice.

Before Y/N could respond, Sehun cut in, his voice low but sharp with anger. "Half a year? You've been doing this alone? Without telling anyone?"

Suga stepped forward, his frustration boiling over. "What the hell is wrong with you, Y/N? You've been out there all this time-wandering through the hell out there?"

Y/N didn't flinch, her gaze steady as she met their eyes.

"You're insane!" Sehun shot, his voice rising. "Three months here, two weeks there... the rest of the time, you've been out there, haven't you? Alone! Searching for that bunker?!"

Suga slammed his fist against the table, the sound making a few of them jump. "Do you even know how dangerous that is? What's out there? Those Phantoms, the things lurking in the dark-"

"Those things could've killed you!" Sehun interrupted, his voice trembling as he stepped closer to her. "You were walking through that hell alone, weren't you? With no plan, no help, no one to watch your back!"

"And when was the last time you rested?" Suga added, his voice cracking slightly with frustration. "You probably haven't slept in weeks, have you? Do you think this is some kind of game? That you can just keep walking and nothing will happen to you?"

Y/N's gaze didn't falter, her expression cold and unreadable, but the intensity in her eyes darkened.

"What if you'd been caught? Or worse?" Sehun continued, his voice rising. "You're not invincible, Y/N! You could've died out there!"

"You think we'd just accept that?" Suga snapped, stepping closer. "You think we'd be fine with you throwing your life away for a stupid lead you can't even be sure of?"

The room stayed silent, the weight of their combined anger hanging in the air.

But Y/N didn't waver. Her gaze darted between the two men before she clenched her jaw and looked away, a faint scoff escaping her lips. She poked her tongue against her cheek, taking heavy, measured breaths as if willing herself to stay calm.

Before Taehyung, who had shifted in his seat, could stand, Y/N spoke. Her voice was dark and calm, the eerie composure chilling everyone in the room.

"You think I've been wandering aimlessly out there?" she said, her tone sharp enough to cut through the air. "Then fine. So be it. Yes, I've been out there, looking for that damn bunker every chance I got... alone."

The room froze, her words carrying a weight that none of them had anticipated.

Her lips twisted into a grim smile as she continued, her voice dropping lower. "You want to know where I've been?" She paused, her eyes flickering between Sehun and Suga before looking out at the others. "I've crossed about thirty of the Eastern Ghats mountains. Yes, the same jagged, black, steep cliffs you wouldn't dare to climb for even a few meters. I climbed those valleys, through every scar and bruise. These injuries?" She gestured to the faded cuts and scars on her arms. "They're the proof of that."

The group exchanged stunned glances, disbelief and unease spreading like wildfire.

"I've almost reached the outskirts of the city," she added with a dry chuckle that sent a shiver down their spines. "Can you believe that? I got that far-through the hell out there-just in search of a bunker. From the countryside to the city outlines, beyond those damned mountains, walking every step. Now, what? Am I reckless? Yes."

Jimin whispered in disbelief, "The city's outline? That's... so far."

But his words only seemed to ignite Suga and Sehun further.

"Far?! She could've died out there!" Suga shouted, his voice shaking as he moved closer.

Sehun grabbed her arm, his grip firm. "Do you even hear yourself? You crossed those mountains, walked through the city outskirts, alone-without stopping, without thinking!" His voice cracked as he added, "What if something had happened to you?"

Suga stepped up beside him, his voice trembling with anger. "You've completely lost it, Y/N. You're acting like your life doesn't matter. Like you don't matter. Is that what this is about? Throwing yourself into danger because you can't stop?"

Y/N's expression finally shifted, her jaw tightening. "Let me go," she said coldly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Neither of them moved, their frustration and anger crackling in the tense silence.

Taehyung gulped hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as he took in the chilling stillness of Y/N's posture. Her head was bowed, her gaze fixed firmly on the ground, obscured by the curtain of her hair. No one could see her eyes, but the tension in her form-rigid, cold, unmoving-was almost unbearable.

He whispered, his voice shaky, "Sehun... her hand... please."

Sehun barely registered the plea, his grip remaining tight on Y/N's arm, his frustration blinding him to the growing unease in the room.

But before anyone else could speak, Y/N's head tilted slightly. Slowly, deliberately, her hand shot up and latched onto Sehun's wrist. The sharp, unrelenting pressure of her fingers made him wince, but it wasn't the strength of her grip that made the air in the room turn frigid-it was the cold, hollow look in her eyes when she finally lifted her head.

"You don't know what I've been through," she said, her voice low and cutting, slicing through the silence like a blade.

Her words froze Sehun in place, his breath hitching. Y/N's gaze flicked toward him, then Suga, before sweeping across the room to the others.

"You don't know what I've seen. What I've endured. Do you think you could handle even a piece of it?" Her voice was soft, almost too calm, but it carried a dangerous edge that made everyone flinch.

Sehun's grip loosened, but Y/N didn't let go of his wrist. Instead, she took a step forward, her voice rising ever so slightly.

"You're standing here, shouting at me, scolding me like I'm some reckless child. But you don't have a clue. Not one. Do you know what it's like to walk through the ruins of a city and feel like you're the last living thing left? To see what those things can do-not just to the body, but to the mind?"

Her fingers tightened around Sehun's wrist, her gaze boring into him.

Suga opened his mouth to speak, but she turned to him, her voice hard and unrelenting.

"And you," she said, her words dripping with disdain. "Do you think you know fear? Real fear? You've been sitting here, hiding in camps, moving in groups, thinking that makes you safe. But out there? There's no safety. There's no comfort. There's just survival-barely."

The room was deathly silent as her words settled over them, heavy and suffocating.

"You all think I've lost it?" she asked, her tone bitter and cold. "Maybe I have. Maybe I'm just as broken as the world outside. But at least I'm still standing."

Her grip finally loosened, and she shoved Sehun's hand away, stepping back. Her gaze flicked to the others-Jungkook, Jimin, Jin, Hobi, Minho, Hyungsik, and RM-all of whom were watching in stunned silence.

"You think you're protecting me?" she said, her voice softening but losing none of its sharpness. "You think you're doing me a favor by keeping me in check? You're wrong. Because there's nothing left to protect. Not anymore."

Taehyung's voice trembled as he tried to speak. "Y/N-"

But she cut him off, a hollow laugh escaping her lips. It wasn't a laugh of humor-it was empty, bitter, and filled with something that sent a chill down their spines.

"I don't need your protection," she said, her tone deadly calm. "What I need... is for you to stop pretending you understand."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked toward the door, her footsteps echoing ominously in the stunned silence.

No one moved. No one spoke.

Even Sehun and Suga, whose anger had burned so brightly just moments ago, stood frozen, the weight of her words pressing down on them like a heavy fog.

As the door creaked open and Y/N disappeared into the shadows, RM finally exhaled, his voice barely audible as he whispered, "She's... not the same anymore."

But Taehyung didn't stay there anymore. He bolted toward the front door of the town hall, where Y/N had just disappeared.

"Taehyung!" Jungkook called out, his voice loud and urgent, but Taehyung didn't stop. His boots pounded against the wooden floor, each step echoing with purpose, the tension in his muscles visible.

The others exchanged worried glances before following after him.

Outside, the night was colder than before, the air sharp and biting. Y/N stood in the clearing just beyond the steps, her back facing them. The faint light from the moon and distant fires illuminated her figure. Her hair, once neatly tied back, now fell loose to her waist, gleaming faintly in the dim light.

Taehyung slowed his steps, his eyes catching the subtle trembling of her fists at her sides. He stopped a few feet behind her, hesitating. His chest heaved with every breath, his body tense as if caught between wanting to reach out and the