The bus continues rolling forward, its tires humming against the road. The clock strikes 7:00 AM. Slowly, Pearl stirs awake. Sunlight filters through the windows, dazzling her vision. Squinting against the brightness, she rubs her eyes, struggling to adjust. As her gaze settles outside, she freezes. The landscape before her is nothing short of devastation - like the battlefield. The sky stretches vast and fragmented, patches of darkness intertwined with fading light. Smog shrouds nearly every tilted billboard, their surfaces warped and broken. The sidewalks are cracked apart, deep fissures running like wounds across the terrain. Lifeless trees slump forward, their branches so withered that they droop toward their tangled roots. Buildings stand in eerie formations - some towering impossibly high, others crumbling into ruins. Skyscrapers severed in half, remnants of destruction woven into the cityscape. Through the thick haze, shadows flicker, moving uncertainty between existence and illusion. Despite the daylight, the suffocating fog refuses to dissipate - dense, unyielding, and omnipresent.
The sheer unnaturalness of the scene shatters the remnants of sleep lingering in Pearl's mind. Her eyes widen. Jolting upright, she glances around the bus. The seats, every single one, are occupied. Including the driver's seat. A surge of unease crawls beneath her skin. Her eyes flick toward the right side of the bus - where Danny remains unmoving, her lifeless eyes fixated ahead. Pearl steadies herself, pushing up from her seat, following Danny's line of sight. The moment she looks forward, her breath catches. The rows of empty seats, from the entrance to the driver's seat, are now filled. Feeling her heart hammer against her ribs, she rubs her eyes again, trying to settle her racing pulse. Turning toward Tate, she notices he is still fast asleep. Carefully, she rises, her steps slow yet deliberate, inching toward the front. Her limbs tremble, but she forces herself forward. Extending a tentative hand, she reaches for the shoulder of a girl wearing a gray beanie, seated nearby. She does not turn or move. A chilling sensation prickles her skin. Leaning closer, Pearl peers past the girl's curtain of hair.
Beneath the locks - a doll's face stares blankly ahead, its features carefully painted, dressed in human clothes. Her skin turns pale, her throat dry as she gulps hard. Every other seat, just like this one, is occupied by the same eerie figures. Panic grips her. She spins on her heel, rushing back toward Tate, shaking him urgently.
"Tate! Tate!"
Annoyed at being rudely jolted awake, he frowns, his voice still groggy.
"What is it?"
"Look!"
Blinking away sleep, Tate lazily glances around - only to stiffen just as she did earlier.
"Who are all these people? There were only seven of us yesterday! How is the bus full now?"
"No, it's not that. They're not…"
Before she can finish her sentence, a deafening chime erupts from the screen. Both freeze, their eyes snapping toward the flashing lights around the bus. The other passengers stir, one by one, blinking awake, their muscles aching from sitting too long. Voices rise in irritation.
"What the hell is that noise?"
"Turn it off already! It's too early for this headache!"
The screen illuminates, its bright glare commanding full attention. The voice returns - flat, mechanical, indifferent.
"Good morning, passengers. It's 7:00 AM now. Before arriving at the first stop, we have detected an imposter among you. Will the individual please stand?"
The moment the announcement ends, Danny rises, stepping into the center aisle. She turns slightly, facing the exit. The six remaining passengers freeze, tension thick in the air as their wide eyes follow her movements. The bus doors hiss open. Without hesitation, Danny steps outside, her figure framed by the metallic glow of the cabin. Shock ripples through the remaining group. Every single one stands, yet no one dares intervene. The door seal shut behind her. Her feet meet solid ground - her expression vacant, entirely unaware of what is happening. Then, the virus takes hold. Her skin fractures, deep cracks spreading across her face. Red, swollen blisters erupt all over her body, pulsing grotesquely. With chilling calmness, she retrieves a matchbox, pulling out a single stick. She strikes the flame against the box, watching as a small ember flickers to life at the tip. And without pause, she lets it fall.
The tiny flame lands upon the fabric of her black dress, igniting instantly as if the material had been soaked in gasoline all along. The fire devours her. Inside the bus, faces drain of color, flickering between ashen white and sickly green. Karen and Lina scream in horror. Lyly wraps her arms around Karen, holding her tight. Lina instinctively reaches for Tom, yet he does not respond. Because at the time, his body trembling as he gulps down deep breaths, frantically clinging to his medication, sinking onto the floor to avoid witnessing the horrific scene outside. Beside them, Pearl recoils in terror, her figure trembling. Tate notices immediately.
He quietly raises a hand, shielding her eyes, his voice gentle.
"Don't look!"
But outside, Danny begins to regain awareness, her senses violently returning. Heat blazes across her skin, searing pain crawling up her arms. Her fingers dig into her melting flesh, clawing desperately at her disfigured limbs. Her screams pierce the silence, frantic and guttural, as she slams her fists against the bus doors, begging to be let back in. The flames consume her faster, her body curling in agony. Inside the vehicle, everyone watches, powerless, their panic morphing into pure terror. The bus shudders. Its engine roars. Within seconds, the tires roll forward. The vehicle accelerates, leaving the burning figure behind. Her twisted form collapses onto the ground, entirely engulfed in flames. As the vehicle speeds away, the screen flashes back on, displaying Danny's profile:
Participant: Danny.
Real Name: Sanny.
Age: 37.
Occupation: Intelligence Police Officer.
Crime: Identity Theft.
Status: Dead.
Warning: The fraudulent participant has been eliminated. Additionally, new participants have been prepared. Though they are dolls, they will accompany you throughout the journey. You are free to move about until 9:00 AM."