Myeong's world had gone dark, robbed of sight, and left with only the sounds around him. Rustling sounds intermittently pierced the silence, and whispers formed a small, huddled heap of murmurs. His memories were hazy, and a sense of impending danger loomed over him. He abruptly opened his eyes, fixating on four pairs of eyes in the dimly lit room. It was then that he realized he was not alone and that the danger he sensed was not a mere figment of his imagination.
Myeong's voice was barely a whisper as he spoke, the sound choked with confusion and fear. "Where...where am I?" he managed to utter, his words trembling slightly. He was dumbfounded, trying to piece together his surroundings and situation as his mind raced with questions.
"Marvellous, our new friend!" The mistress smirked, her eyes made Myeong feel uneasy, she held a presence about herself that Myeong could not discern. "Now, now, release him from your grip, can't you see you're making him feel uneasy?"
Two men approached Myeong, one on each side, it was at this moment that Myeong realized what kind of situation he was in, rope bound him to a wooden seat at the center of the room. The men wore the same plain black mask and moved almost in unison. Myeong instinctively flinched when they raised their hands, his eyes widening. However, he was overthinking it, they untied the rope, separating him from the chair, after eerily walking away to the edge of the room, not once removing eye contact with Myeong.
Mistress walked over, her long fingers brushing Myeong's chin after wrapping her fingers around his chin. She stared at him, but Myeong didn't meet eye contact so she lifted his chin up.
"My, my, my," Mistress spoke, her gaze unwavering and piercing as she stared down Myeong. He met her gaze briefly before averting his eyes, unsettled by her presence. Despite her youthful appearance, there was something in her demeanor that hinted that it was the complete opposite, and Myeong couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt about her apparent youthfulness.
It was within that same second that the lights went out.
Myeong paused for a moment, thinking he must be imagining things, but then he heard it. It was an inhuman shriek, forced and agitated, echoing through the air. His heart began to race. The sound seemed to come from deep within the darkness, and it chilled him to the bone, sending shivers down his spine. Myeong knew then that he had to act fast if he wanted to escape this place.
Myeong rose from his seat slowly, his heart pounding with a ferocity he had never felt before. He moved cautiously, his footsteps barely audible in the silence of the room. But then, without warning, his body froze. A cold hand had landed on his shoulder, gripping him tightly.
He felt a shiver run down his spine, and his fear grew even stronger when he heard the whispered words, "Where do you think you're going?" The voice was soft but those words were enough to strike cold, hard fear into Myeong. He turned around to see glowing red eyes staring into his soul.
Myeong was too stunned to speak, he tried opening his mouth but no words formed, it was pointless, and he was ready to embrace his death. However, the eyes that were fixated on him so intensely looked in the other direction.
"Go turn on the generator, I'll deal with him," the voice ordered as footsteps faded away in an unknown direction. Myeong was left alone once again, the silence hanging heavily in the air. He listened intently, his ears straining for any sign of danger, but all he could hear was the beating of his own heart.
Suddenly, the same voice broke the stillness. "Don't worry, we're only here to help you," she said, but Myeong could detect a hint of malice in the tone. It was like a sixth sense, telling him that this woman was trouble. He braced himself for what might come next, determined to stay vigilant and not let his guard down.
Myeong tried to muster all his courage and confidence, determined to face his captors with a brave front, she was the only one left in the room, this was his chance! He raised his hands, intending to clench them into fists, but his body wouldn't cooperate. He felt the crushing weight of her presence bearing down on him, and his resolve crumbled. In the end, he came off as much more cowardly than he'd hoped.
"Help?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I, um, I don't need any help... So, can I leave?" He tried to sound assertive, but his words came out more like a plea. The silence that followed was deafening, and Myeong couldn't help but wonder what his fate would be.
A chuckle was heard in the corner of the room. "Another person?" Myeong thought to himself. "Haha, so eager! However, I do find it a little rude since we just got acquainted-"
"Mistress, stop playing with the boy, it is set up" the other voice spoke.
"Don't interrupt me, my dear" Mistress spoke softly, though her tone didn't match her voice, it felt like a cold threat.
"You're too serious," the voice replied dismissively. "We can take him to the location now,". It was at that moment that the lights turned back on. Myeong turned to face the stranger, his mind filled with curiosity, as he fixated his eyes on her, he realized that she had been in the same place the entire time, yet he had never noticed her until now, she was just merely hiding within the shadows of the room.
Even with the lights on, he could barely see much, her face was mostly covered up with a strange mask, revealing only her long brown hair. Myeong then quickly looked away, but he could feel her gaze still staring him down. "Let's go already" she spoke.