CODE : SURVIVAL (BTS X READER)

A sharp chill ran down Y/n's spine as she stirred awake. The air felt different-cold, sterile, and unnervingly silent.

Her eyelids fluttered open, and the first thing she noticed was the sky. It stretched endlessly above her, a dull, washed-out shade of gray, devoid of warmth or movement. No sun. No clouds. Just an eerie expanse that made her stomach churn.

Panic gnawed at her senses as she sat up, the rough texture of cracked pavement beneath her fingertips. She wasn't in her bed. She wasn't in her apartment. She wasn't anywhere familiar.

A city loomed around her, abandoned and lifeless. Skyscrapers stood like empty husks, their windows shattered or coated in layers of dust. Cars sat frozen in the streets, doors flung open, as if their occupants had fled in a hurry-but there was no sign of life. No people. No birds. Not even the whisper of wind.

Her heart pounded against her ribs as she stumbled to her feet. A distant echo reverberated through the hollow city, but when she turned to locate the source, there was nothing. Only endless silence pressing against her ears. The longer she stood there, the more the unease burrowed into her bones.

Where am I?

Memories of last night flickered in her mind. The fanfiction. The game. The tragic ending that had left her unsettled.

No. This wasn't possible. It was just a story.

Her breath hitched as she turned in circles, searching for anything-anyone. She clutched her arms, the cold seeping through her skin as if the air itself was unnatural. Was this some kind of dream? Or-

A sudden noise made her freeze.

Voices.

She turned sharply, and her blood ran cold.

A few meters away, standing just as disoriented as she was, were seven familiar figures.

BTS.

Her mind struggled to process the sight before her. They looked exactly as she had seen in pictures and performances-but there was no camera, no stage, no audience. Just them. Their confusion mirrored her own, their wary gazes scanning their surroundings, searching for answers.

Jungkook ran a hand through his messy hair, his jaw clenched. "Where are we?"

Namjoon's brows furrowed deeply. "I don't know."

Yoongi crouched near the pavement, pressing his palm against the cracks. "This place... it feels real."

Hoseok exhaled sharply, pacing in a tight circle. "This doesn't make sense. We were just-" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "I don't remember."

Jimin, usually composed, rubbed his arms, his discomfort evident. "This isn't normal."

"Is this some kind of prank?" Taehyung muttered, his deep voice laced with suspicion.

Seokjin sighed, pressing his fingers against his temples. "If it is, it's not funny."

Y/n swallowed hard, her mind racing. They don't realize it. They don't know where they are.

But she did.

This was the game. The very same game she had read about.

A soft chime echoed in the air. She flinched, and her gaze snapped downward. A message window had appeared before her, floating just inches away from her face.

[Welcome, Player.]

Her stomach dropped.

[You have been granted three lives. If you lose all three, you die permanently.]

The words blurred as dread settled deep in her bones.

[Stage One will begin shortly.]

She turned to BTS, but their expressions remained unchanged. The message wasn't visible to them.

[Objective: Survive for 30 minutes.]

Her hands curled into fists. This is real. The game has started. And they have no idea.

Her breathing quickened as another realization hit her. If this was the same story she had read, then the first stage was-

A low, guttural growl echoed through the empty streets.

A chill crawled up her spine as her head snapped toward the sound. From the alleyways, from the shadows of the broken buildings, figures began to emerge.

Not human. Not normal. Their movements were jagged, unnatural, their eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. Their twisted limbs and slack jaws sent pure terror searing through her veins.

She had read this before. She knew what came next.

"Run."

The word barely left her lips before the first creature lunged.

---

The moment Y/n spoke, the creatures bolted forward with terrifying speed. Their broken, distorted bodies jerked unnaturally, yet they moved with inhuman precision, closing the distance between them at an alarming rate.

"MOVE!" she screamed, spinning on her heel.

BTS, momentarily frozen in shock, snapped into motion. Jungkook grabbed Jimin's wrist, dragging him into a sprint. Namjoon shoved Hoseok forward, while Yoongi and Taehyung took off in different directions, their survival instincts kicking in. Seokjin hesitated for a split second before chasing after them.

Y/n's heartbeat roared in her ears. She couldn't let them scatter. If they split up, they would die.

"Stick together!" she shouted, dodging between abandoned cars as the creatures shrieked behind them.

A monstrous hand swiped at her, missing her by mere inches. She gasped, stumbling over her footing before pushing herself forward. She had to think-fast.

The city was a maze of deserted buildings and debris, but she remembered the layout from the story. The first level was designed to disorient the players, forcing them into blind panic. If they ran without direction, they'd be trapped.

There's a safe zone. There has to be.

Her gaze darted across the street signs, trying to recall the landmarks from the fanfiction. And then-

The subway station!

"Follow me!" she yelled, veering right.

The others hesitated for a fraction of a second before trusting her lead. Namjoon was the first to follow, then Jungkook, dragging Jimin with him. Yoongi, Taehyung, Hoseok, and Seokjin scrambled behind them.

The creatures shrieked in rage, their distorted forms climbing over cars, scaling buildings like deranged spiders. The sight sent a fresh wave of panic through Y/n's body.

The subway entrance loomed ahead. A broken escalator led down into darkness, the shattered glass doors hanging loosely off their frames. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than the open streets.

"In here!" she panted, leaping over the remains of a fallen sign.

One by one, the others followed, nearly tumbling down the steps in their haste. Y/n was the last to enter, her chest heaving as she spun around-

Just in time to see the creatures halt abruptly at the entrance.

They hissed and screeched, but none dared to cross the threshold.

Y/n exhaled sharply. They made it.

For now.

----