Yang Jeongin ⁻ ⁽25⁾

The day passed like any other, nothing out of the ordinary, until the earth began to tremble beneath your feet. Thousands of natural disasters around the world began appearing on the news. Little by little, the entire planet lost power. Some called it "the end of the world," though this was a misnomer. The world didn't end; it only lost life—half the population. Many suffered health collapses and died; others experienced shocks that drove them mad. Food became scarce. Industries ceased production. It was as if the planet were being reborn.

Only the strongest survived, and you were one of them.

You made the lake shore your home, with a makeshift shelter. Stealing food, water, and clothing became your hobby. And every night, you went to sleep hoping to live another day.

You lay down on the grass, seeking rest. It had been a difficult day. You'd argued with someone over a piece of bread. A shooting star streaked across the night sky before your eyes. You wished everything were different, that everything would get better.

It was like the sign from destiny you'd been waiting for. The stars aligned. You'd never seen anything so beautiful. For a moment, you remembered the ancient legend your parents used to tell you. When the stars align, two people meet and their destinies intertwine.

You hadn't finished admiring the sky when the sound of a gunshot startled you. In the distance, illuminated by the moonlight, a young man was aiming a gun among the trees a few meters away. His hands were trembling. As you approached to check if everything was alright, he panicked and pointed the gun at you.

—"I won't give you my food, go away."

Her voice faltered. She wanted to protect the bread bag slung over her shoulder at all costs.

Dialogues must always contain a long dash (—) at the beginning of a dialogue, and quotation marks (") at the beginning and end of the dialogue, resulting in: —"Example." For actions, asterisks () are always used at the beginning and end of each action.