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Su-ji's grip on Kim's shoulder tightened as she spoke, her voice trembling with disbelief, "This can't be true."
She pleaded with Kim, desperation evident in her tone, "Tell me this is some kind of fucking sick joke. Please!"
Kim paused, his mind struggling to process the reality of the situation. He had never felt so lost, so scared. He snorted and used his sleeve to wipe away the snot threatening to trickle down his nose.
He looked at Su-ji, his voice broken and filled with fear, "Come on, let's go."
Kim took Su-ji's hand and pulled her forward with more force than he intended. As they took their first steps, a sudden and sharp pain exploded in their minds, causing them to scream in agony.
The pain was like a million needles pricking at their brains, making them feel like they were going to pass out. They both screamed at the top of their lungs, their voices echoing in the empty space.
Kim shouted, "What do you want?"
A distorted voice answered, familiar to the one they heard earlier through the speakers but now different, mad, and cruel. "Where do you think you're going? The games have just begun. I can tell you two are going to be a lot of fun. HAHAHAHA!"
Suddenly, a violent vision overcame them, revealing a skyscraper with graffiti of a Jester's face, an eye on its forehead, and a twisted smile that seemed to promise nothing but pain and terror. The building was covered in graffiti, with one message standing out: "The eyes of God end here."
As quickly as the vision appeared, it vanished, leaving them gasping for breath. When they looked up, they saw the same building from the vision, standing tall and ominous in front of them, it's presence filling them with dread.
Kim's mind raced with questions, trying to piece together the situation they found themselves in. He knew he had to stay strong for Su-ji, but the weight of the unknown was almost too much to bear. As they walked towards the skyscraper, their footsteps echoing off the pavement, Kim couldn't help but feel a sense of impending doom.
Su-ji's grip on his hand tightened as if she could sense his thoughts. Kim squeezed back, offering what little comfort he could. He tried to push away the fear, to focus on the task ahead, but the Jester's face with the eye on his forehead kept flashing in his mind.
As they approached the building, Kim felt an aura of familiarity surrounding the building, as if he had been there before. The graffiti on the walls, the peeling paint, the broken windows - it all seemed to mock them. Kim swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in his throat.
"We have to keep moving," he said, his voice shaking. "We can't stay out here."
Su-ji nodded, her eyes wide with fear. Together, they stepped towards the entrance of the building, unsure of what was waiting for them inside.
They walked through the entrance. The room felt like they were in the mouth of a behemoth monster.
"This has to be some sort of prank. I mean non of this is possible, to begin with, right Kim" Su-ji glanced over to Kim his knuckles tensed shoulders up.
"Yeah. Well, I guess that's the only conclusion we can come to, right? Can't think of any other possibilities at the moment."
"Are you ok?" Su-ji whispered her voice feeling like an echo contaminating the surrounding area.
"You're usually not this quiet," she remarked
"Oh, absolutely! I mean, who wouldn't want to be in the middle of a potential disaster, am I right? It's just so hilarious to think that our safety and well-being are being toyed with for someone else's amusement. I'm sure the chaos and panic that could potentially ensue is just a big joke to someone out there. Oh, let's just have a good laugh about it, shall we? Who needs to take things seriously when we can just assume that everything is a joke? I mean, it's not like our lives are actually at risk or anything, right? Let's just hope it's all a prank, because what could be more amusing than playing with people's lives?" Kim remarked sarcastically with a hint of fear in his voice.
The building was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Su-ji's eyes locked with Kim's, and she could see the mixed emotions in them. Confusion and understanding, all rolled into one. It was like she was looking at a brand new side of him that she had never seen before. She couldn't help but wonder, how much did she really know about him? Was he always this strong, or was he just putting on a brave face for her?
As she pondered these questions, Su-ji realized that she had been so caught up in her feelings that she had completely disregarded Kim's. She felt guilty for not being more considerate of him, and the thought made her feel even more uneasy. But hey, who cares about other people's emotions, right? As long as we're okay, that's all that matters.
Su-ji let out a sarcastic chuckle, "Well, I'm sure it's not like Kim has any feelings or anything, right? I mean, he's just a robot programmed to be strong and emotionless. Why bother considering his feelings when we can just focus on our own guilt?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head, feeling disgusted with herself for being so selfish.
They both looked at each other and laughed.
"look I'm sorry about that it was just an intense moment," Kim said
"No. I'm sorry. I feel like I've been acting like a bitch. I've been so caught up in my feelings that I just relayed them to you." Su-ji responded
"Wow, I don't even know what to say, "Kim said
Su-ji smoothly remarked "Of course let me just be the bigger man here"
Kim's jaw dropped. "Oh, so now you got jokes. Okay, calm say less."
Kim held Su-ji up by the back and legs holding and swaying her around
"Ahhhh. Put me down" Su-ji quietly screamed with laughter heard in her voice. Kim did as she said not before remarking with a slick demeanor "I hope you learned your lesson"
Su-ji responded "Yeah, That boys are easy to manipulate when their masculinity is tested. Thanks for the ride."
"Wow I see how it is" he responded
They were both vulnerable. Neither one better than the other. At this moment both of them couldn't help but contemplate how they were able to find happiness in this now rotten world.
Su-ji hesitates for a moment before taking a deep breath. The moment was so pure she couldn't ruin it now. Not here out of all places after all she didn't know how he was going to react. Su-ji took her hand and pressed it on her stomach she didn't know what to feel anxious, worried, or perhaps a blend of both. No, it didn't matter now what mattered most is getting out of this hell hole.
They both shared a light-hearted moment, a brief respite from the chaos and fear that had consumed them. But their laughter was short-lived, as reality came crashing back in with a vengeance. The weight of their situation hit them like a ton of bricks, and they both felt a sinking feeling in their stomachs. What had started as a moment of relief quickly turned into a nightmare, and they were about to face the consequences of their vulnerability. As the gravity of their situation set in, their carefree laughter faded into a distant memory.
Bang! All the doors and windows shut followed by a distinct hissing sound.
"What's happening...Kim!?" Su-ji exclaimed
"I...wait." Kim's eyes caught something peculiar, the temperature monitor had increased. When they had originally walked into the room the monitor was degrees 10 degrees, below room temperature but now is 25 degrees room temperature much warmer. Kim looked at the air filter model of the room and it said it was a Vert76 model a filter that is capable of storing cool air and warm air while simultaneously filtering and collecting it. From this, combined with the lingering stench of rotten eggs he could deduce that they had engineered the Vert76 filter to exchange cool air for hydrogen sulfide which is a gas at room temperature explaining the increase in temperature.
"Kim, what do we do?" Su-ji yelled
"Cover your mouth!" Kim responded
They both did just that, though Kim knew that it would only be a matter of time until the Hydrogen sulfate kicks in. Kim scanned the room.
"Of course. The fireplace" He muttered to himself
The fireplace had coal which contained activated carbon enough to filter the hydrogen sulfide around them. Then the reality dawned on him behind Su-ji a bunsen burner attached to wires to what seemed to connect to the air system they had planned to explode the place.
"Su-ji look out!" Kim yelled from the top of his lungs rushing towards her. Su-ji's eyelids drew closer to touching about to pass out. Kim's arm covering his mouth grabbed onto Su-ji's arm and rushed back to the fireplace just in time.
Bang! A giant explosion consumed the environment. The flame from the Bunsen burner had merged with the hydrogen sulfide to create an enormous explosion.
Su-ji screamed in agony, "My arm hurts" The red scabby flesh spreading across her arm was as painful as a tiger bite, only a million times worse. They collapsed on the floor, gasping for air, wondering if this was how it was all going to end. They had always imagined a more dignified and heroic exit from this world, but here they were, writhing in pain, coughing blood, and oozing pus.
They clung onto each other, hoping to find some comfort in their final moments. It was a sad sight, two young souls being snuffed out by some unknown and cruel force. As their breaths grew shallower and their vision faded, they realized that they had been foolish to take their lives for granted. They had so much to live for, so many dreams to chase, and now it was all slipping away.
In their last few moments, their minds were flooded with memories of happier times, of laughter, and love. They closed their eyes, almost touching each other, their bodies hindered movement in unison. It was a tragic end to a promising story, but as the saying goes, life is not about the destination, it's about the journey. And theirs had just begun.