Heeeellllllllooooooo my lovelies!!! Please dont pay attention to me, i'm just buzzing with excitment and adrenaline: i havent slept correctly for two weeks now xD and I'm buzzing with energy because of Baldur's Gate 3!
Like seriously, can someone create a better game than this?
on another note, for now i cant spoil anything about this book so i cant start explaining things....yet. a bit of patience while we build the suspense and the setting <3
now...ONWARDS TO GOOD THINGS! ENJOYYYY AND SPAM ME WITH COMMENTS!!
Previously
He yelled and kicked, turning on his stomach to grab the floor, hysteria setting in his mind and zeroing on one thing: getting out of this mess and running away.
It seemed all his efforts were for nothing, the monsters still surrounding him and he was nearly giving up.
That's when...the sky seemed to clear out, lights filtering from the inky darkness. The monsters dropped him on the dusty wooden floor and seemed to...to disintegrate on their own, falling like ashes and disappearing.
It was all too much for Jeongguk, who lost consciousness from his hysterical sobbing.
But he couldn't help....but hear the faint humming of "Twinkle Twinkle" right before he blacked out.
*****
(flashback)
"Do you know that you're the prettiest person I've ever seen?"
Taehyung looked up from the book he was reading in the corner of the park near high school. His blue eyes were wide as he seemed surprised before blushing and looking away cutely with a little smile.
"Gukkiiie! Stoooop!
-What?"
Jeongguk, a teenager Jeongguk with untamed black hair and rebellious helix piercings, grinned and nudged his boyfriend with his elbow gently while laughing.
"You know it's true right? Everyone at school agrees that you're the prettiest person ever!
-Stop it youuuu! It's embarrassing!
-It's the truth, don't try to hide it cz it's useless."
Jeongguk laughed harder seeing his cute boyfriend was pouting, closing his book and glaring like a cute puppy.
"You know it's embarrassing and yet you do it every time! You're mean!
-And you're so sexy when you try to look angry, kitten."
It succeeded in making the cutie blush even more and hide his face behind his hands. Jeongguk wrapped his arm around his thin shoulders and brought him closer, whispering huskily in his ear.
"Can't wait for the day you'll be all mine, and only mine!"
Taehyung giggled nervously and looked up, twiddling his fingers.
"A-Aren't I already y-yours?
-Not all the way kitten. I'll finally call you mine when you walk around school, showing all the beautiful marks I'll leave on your body."
Taehyung looked away, blushing heavily and adding shyly.
"B-But I...I'm n-not r-ready yet..
-I know doll, I know and it's ok. I'll wait patiently."
Jeongguk placed a kiss on the beauty's temple before he added with a smirk.
"Until that day comes, I'll enjoy what I can as long as it doesn't make you uncomfortable.
-Thank you Jeonggukie..."
And he looked happy to see his boyfriend was so considerate and not pushy.
***
Taehyung was shy...so shy and cute...
He had been Jeongguk's boyfriend ever since middle school when the ravenette had asked him out. But they hadn't been too intimate with each other, the shy boy didn't feel ready yet. So they did nothing past holding hands, exchanging the occasional kisses and embraces.
At highschool, he had been popular with his ethereal looks and cute clothes. Jeongguk had been spoiling him with pastel skirts and ruffled cute tops with the most expensive shoes and accessories. The fashion gang always asked the shy cutie about his clothes since they found his attire made him all the more beautiful.
Taehyung was beautiful, so so beautiful with delicate traits and cute moles on his nose and under his eye. And he wasn't aware of how much his beauty seemed out of this world. He wore the lipgloss his boyfriend bought for him and applied a very sheer veil of makeup whenever his boyfriend said he liked it on him. But he wasn't just a beautiful face and he said it many times over.
Taehyung's body was curvy in all the right places and yet thin since he didn't eat much. He had always said he liked oversized clothes better because it will hide his thin frame. Jeongguk loved to wrap his arms around him and feel how small and delicate the other was against his muscular frame. Taehyung was a rare male carrier which made him so desirable to everyone, and yet he always hung out only with Jimin and Hoseok when he wasn't with his boyfriend. The only other people he allowed near him are his two older brothers and his boyfriend's best friend Yoongi.
And Taehyung had always said he loves Jeongguk, but wasn't ready to have sex yet. And Jeongguk only cared about his lovely boyfriend's comfort and wellbeing so he didn't care, he'll always wait for him patiently. His first priority had always been Taehyung's happiness and safety.
He would never touch Taehyung without his consent.
He would never hurt him purposely.
He could never, ever, force himself on the delicate boy.
.....
...
..
.
....would he?
Jeongguk came back to his senses all suddenly, sitting up and trashing with hysteric yells. He calmed down once he saw he was all alone in a dusty big room, no sign of monsters around and no sign of blood and gore to send him running off like a madman.
He looked around, heaving loudly as he wiped the sweat off his brow, wincing when he accidently applied pressure on the wound over his left brow, inspecting his surroundings.
He frowned when he recognized the place: a bowling alley that went by the name Pete's Bowl O-Rama, a popular spot for teens and young couples to unwind and have fun bowling. He recognized it by the old fashioned juke box in the corner and the dusty alleys with bowling pins scattered all over. He had taken Taehyung here once for a date and the cutie had had so much fun despite his poor bowling skills. Yeah, he was very positive he was at the same place, even if the dust hid it and it looked half ruined and messy.
But....that doesn't make any sense, he didn't go in the bowling alley when he was running from those....those things...
Jeongguk stood up quickly, ignoring the dizziness that had hit him and dashed toward the open door, the one he had opened to run from the monsters, and stood frozen at the doorway.
There were no wires, no rust, no blood, no gore and certainly no crucified corpse and horrible monsters.
Instead, it looked like a back courtyard with some benches and lone naked trees covered in a thick cover of ashy snow.
Jeongguk didn't understand what's going on.
In a daze, the man continued his way, exiting the bowling alley from the broken front door and absently entering the small building beside it, a club by the name Heaven's Night. He was familiar with the place since he did come here sometimes to get a drink and chat with the locals whenever Taehyung would prefer staying at their room to paint. It wasn't always, but he did enjoy a drink or two once in a while.
Do you?
Jeongguk blinked in confusion, looking around as he had reached the front door of the club, certain that this time the question he heard wasn't from his own thoughts. Is someone here?
A shiver ran down the raven haired man's spine at the thought that maybe the question hadn't been asked out loud....but whispered into his mind directly.
After what he saw in the alley....the monsters and the gore...even though no trace of it was found when he woke up, he was almost too ready to accept any explanation even if it sounded so foreign, so strange and improbable.
Almost being the key word here.
He shook his head and pushed the door, relieved to find it open. Strangely enough, the neon sign of the club's name hanging above the bar was lit, casting a dim glow of pink and bluish hues. Other lights were on too, making the club look like it was ready for business as opposite to what he saw in the town. But he was too exhausted mentally to even question it and went to the bar, facing the entrance and rummaged through the cabinets, happy to see some bottles were still unopened and ready for use. He sat behind the bar, opening a beer and taking a sip, looking around as he reminisced.
There was a stage on the side wall, generally for karaoke nights, while an elevated stage a bit behind the bar was for the DJ or any local band performing for the night. Red sofas and booths were scattered all over, offering comfort while a big dancing floor was marked by a different type of flooring for all party goers who wished to unwind and get wild. A bit secluded was a small stage covered with a red velvet curtain with a metal pole in the midst of it. Jeongguk chuckled, recalling that particular stage was for "strip night", an "event" every saturday night for enthusiasts and a certain type of clientele.
The place wasn't that dusty and to Jeongguk it offered him comfort after the horrors he saw earlier. He had liked this place despite Silent Hill having multiple bars and restaurants because Heaven's Night was secluded and cozy, frequented mostly by people who "knew their drinks" as the CEO called them. He recalled himself having many interesting conversations with the barman about different drinks and wines, trying out cocktails as he laughed around carelessly, hopelessly in love and happy.
Just being here again brings back all those memories and Jeongguk just realized....how lonely he is without his beautiful angel by his side...
He missed him to death....
At this moment, Jeongguk knew why he was here, in this abandoned, ruined, mysteriously scary, unnaturally creepy old town that used to be the haven of his love with his Tae. He was here, despite all the unexplainable monsters lurking around, and against all odds of his angel being alive because he believed. Because deep down, and ever since Taehyung's funerals, he knew unexplainably that his husband was alive. No amount of convincing otherwise would deter him from his belief.
And he was here, surrounded by darkness, and perhaps by a deeper darkness than he thought, because he won't ever leave without finding Tae and bringing him back to Seoul.
Jeongguk finished treating his throbbing wound, cleaning it with some alcohol and placing a bandaid on it before he placed his still barely touched beer on the counter and exited. He was going to the Lake View Hotel, despite everything trying to steer him away or hold him down.
He was going to find Tae.
Filled with new determination, Jeongguk walked down the foggy creepy street, determined not to get distracted by weird humming or phantom footsteps or even running shadows. He couldn't help the shiver once he passed by Texxon Gas and the bowling alley though: he was sure invisible eyes were on him and he quickly shoved his hands in the pockets of his coat and walked faster, refusing to look around.
It took him nearly two hours, by which he was feeling the exhaustion in his legs as his body protested, to reach a small building looming as it appeared out of the foggy ash. Jeongguk knew this place, a small museum-like wooden home called "Silent Hill Historical society". He stopped a bit, looking at the building's facade of old wood, resembling more a domestic house than a museum as he contemplated what to do: should he search it, or should he go on his way? The Hotel is still very far and it will take him hours to reach it on foot, even more if he wanted to search the hotel's every nook and cranny, does he have the luxury to waste time when Taehyung could be closer if he would focus on his journey?
But then again, he wasn't even sure that Taehyung was in the hotel, it was just a gut feeling.
As if to reinforce his hesitation, the humming of "Twinkle" restarted, seemingly coming from within the small wooden house. Jeongguk blinked, feeling his heartbeat skyrocket, cold sweat breaking on his brow. The last time he heard this humming caused him to come face to face with those monsters and he wasn't sure he'd like to reiterate the experience.
Hesitating, Jeongguk decided he really had no time and turned his back to the small seemingly innocent wooden house, walking in the midst of the street toward a small bridge that would connect Nathan avenue with the highway that leads to Paleville County. His goal was to cross said bridge but not take the highway, turn right toward West Sandford street that would ultimately lead him to Lake View Hotel. Yes it was long but he had no choice: all the ways into Silent Hill had been condemned. There was another turnoff from Paleville County Highway that would have led him directly into what was known as "Resort Silent Hill" but his researches informed him that said turnoff had been condemned so are the others too. The only one that was a little alright was the turnoff he took and led him to South Silent Hill.
But that wouldn't stop him; he was ready to walk hours and days in order to find his beloved Tae. He was already tired despite his athletic constitution and high stamina, his run in with those monsters had exhausted him mentally after all. But he didn't care for his physical exhaustion if it could lead him one step closer to Taehyung. Heck he was ready to cross the entirety of Silent Hill, from west to east if it could help him find his husband and finally reunite with him. He'd do it in a heartbeat.
Well...let's see you do that...
Jeongguk stopped, knowing those words weren't his own, not even his silent thoughts. It felt as if someone spoke them directly in his mind. Someone whispered them in his ears. Someone taunted him with that mocking edge, a challenge, a bet.
Cold sweat ran down his spine and he gulped, knowing he had no mental capacity to face these unexplainable things that seemed to happen around him in this seemingly abandoned and deserted town. He took a deep breath and resumed his walking, even if he felt countless eyes on his back, hidden in the heavy fog.
Almost an hour later, he was heaving and stopped to lean against the small metal barriers surrounding the highway. He was trying to rest a bit and catch his breath before resuming, knowing the bridge was just a few meters away even if this fog made it impossible to see further than a meter ahead at most. Standing up, he walked a bit more leisurely, contemplating if he should stop to drink a bit of water first since his journey was still long ahead.
And came to a halt when he saw the scenery in front of him.
The asphalt was cracked horribly, the fog seemed to part as if it was mocking him, laughing in the face of the bitter surprise that was under his eyes.
The road...ended here.
It was as if it was ripped, as if the town didn't have any exit anymore. The bridge? Nowhere to be seen. The other side of the road? Nowhere to be seen. The fog seemed to envelop the entire city, and when Jeongguk went on his knees to try and see what's down there, he saw nothing but blinding white, no ground, no soil, no nothing!
The man stood up, dazed and looked around, helpless. What was he supposed to do now? How was he supposed to get to the Hotel if the road was suddenly....had suddenly vanished! There's a lake yes but he couldn't just swim over to the other side without hoping to drown or die from hypothermia! The only way to go to the resort was by boat or through this road. He didn't have knowledge about any other way through the rest of the town. Maybe there is one but...but did he have the time to search now?? No he does not!!!!
Jeongguk contemplated his next move, trying to not panic and to think rationally. Alright, there's no road, so what are his options? He needed to cross the lake in order to reach the hotel. Where could he find a boat? He racked his memory to try and remember if there's any shop selling camping tools in hopes of finding a floating boat or canoe. Alright, next, since he didn't seem to recall ever seeing such a shop in South Silent Hill. Is there any house that could perhaps have their own boat if they live ashore the lake? The answer is no once again since this side of the town wasn't that luxurious, he'd find such houses in Resort Silent Hill or Central Silent Hill, not here. Ok, moving on. Is there a dock nearby?
The man blinked, recalling a detail he read on the map Hoseok gave him. He sat down and rummaged in his backpack, finding it and rolled it open.
The Port District.
It was very far, almost all the way East, way past the Saratoga Mountains and on the other side of the Pleasant River. There he could find a boat but the journey was very long and would take more than a week on foot! Not to mention, he feared he'd find the road blocked again on the exit of this part of town like he found it here.
And...the monsters who had appeared before risk appearing again.
Jeongguk shook his head to clear his thoughts. He came this far and he won't ever stop now ! He said he was ready to search every nook and cranny of Silent Hill and he'd do it. He'll go to the Port District and he'd find a boat that will take him to the Hotel, no problem.
Putting back the map in his backpack and standing up, Jeongguk prepared himself for his long journey, knowing time is of the essence. Food and water can become a problem since he didn't have enough for longer than a week, but he'll manage. He had a clear path in front of his eyes and he'll follow it to the letter if he wanted to find Taehyung fast.
A sound caught his attention. He looked up toward the left, trying to scrutinize the fog. Who's there?....Or what was there?
Footsteps?
He stood on his guards, hearing those footsteps getting closer. They were irregular though and he wasn't having a good feeling about this.
And he was right: emerging right in front of him from the fog, a creature lunged at him to attack. Had he not jumped to the side and rolled on the ground, he'd probably be dead because the thing sprayed some kind of acid to attack and it made the cracked asphalt sizzle. Jeongguk watched in horror as he took a good look at this new monster.
This one looked humanoid with long beautiful legs wearing ballerina shoes and ribbons criss crossed all the way to its feminine looking thighs. But that's when the beauty ended and the horror began: the creature was faceless with an abnormally long head, split in two vertically with each "head" flailing around. The thing looked to be a mangled batch of flesh, pink in color while its arms looked fused around its torso, hands disappearing in the sides as it staggered around, looking like it was struggling against its own fleshly restraints. Surprisingly it walked gracefully on tip toes like a ballerina and yet it looked very grotesque, staggering, hunched and struggling to free its fused arms from its own flesh and spraying acid from where the "heads" split into two. It didn't have teeth. It didn't look as dangerous as the other monsters with chains and wires and bandaged eyes. It looked....it looked like it was a victim itself and yet it looked horrible, dangerous in its own grotesque way.
The thing seemed to know where Jeongguk is without having eyes and it staggered on itself, as if preparing to pounce. Jeongguk quickly scrambled to his feet and jumped out of the creature's way in time as a spray of acid aimed at where he had been seconds ago. The raven haired man cursed out loud, not knowing what to do except get out of this thing's way.
Oh but was it simple? No of course since more of the same creature was coming, all staggering toward him and all targeting him.
"FUCK!"
Jeongguk decided to run away, knowing he didn't have enough ammo to kill all those things. He ducked away from an acid spray, collided with one of those monsters to send it against two others, jumped over one of them, hunched on the ground. Grabbing a metal pipe, he hit one of them on its back as hard as he could, watching as the creature fell to the ground on its face, wiggling its backside...a surprisingly beautiful and attractive backside.
"The fuck's all this???"
Jeongguk didn't linger to watch the creature's butt even if it intrigued him and quickly set to hit all those things close to him. One of the things collided with him and sent him rolling on the ground, barely escaping the acid aimed at his face from another thing. He deduced those monsters were working all together, somewhat able to communicate between themselves even if they had been all eerily silent. So he knew he can't ever win if he decided to fight. He set on incapacitating enough of them so he could run without them chasing him, he had no idea how fast they could be after all.
But then he stopped when he saw the silhouette standing on the other side of the crumbled road, suddenly able to see the other side of the road now.
Taehyung, wearing his same beautiful frail clothes he had been wearing the last time he saw him.
Jeongguk froze, eyes wide and mouth open in astonishment and longing. Taehyung was smiling, his favorite shawl on his frail shoulders, unbothered by all those monsters attacking his husband. The beautiful angel smiled wider when he caught Jeongguk's eyes and raised a hand, becoming him to come close.
Jeongguk was shaking, a tear escaping his eye and trailing on his cheek.
But then, a stinging sensation caught him in the arm.
"ARGH!!!"
He quickly shed his coat when he realized a spray of acid had caught his sleeve and angrily swung his pipe at the monster, knocking it down. Another one was jumping at him and he evaded, taking some rocks to throw at its heads and yelling out loud. He quickly dodged another acid spray, realizing the monsters were getting closer and their number was rising. So he quickly grabbed his coat and looked toward where he had seen Taehyung.
There, he was still standing there and still smiling.
Jeongguk bit his lips, chest painful when he realized he had to run away now or be killed. He had to stick to his plan if he wanted to see Tae, even if the angel was mere meters away from him. It was heart-wrenching but he had no choice.
So he yelled as loud as he could.
"TAEEEE!!!!!! TAE I'M COMING TO GET YOU! I'M COMING YOU HEAR ME????? I'LL FIND YOU AND WE CAN GO HOME!!!!"
Taehyung didn't move, but he smiled wider, tilting his head to the side as if he was playing. Jeongguk yelled out, seeing his way out was getting thinner as the monsters got closer.
"I LOVE YOU!!!! I LOVE YOU TAE! WE'RE GOING HOME!!!!"
With one last look, Jeongguk jumped out of a monster's way and ran as fast as he could. He ran quickly before his own heart would win and order him to jump toward his husband or to stay so he can admire him a second longer.
He ran and ran and dodged monsters getting in his way, focusing on getting out of this situation. But he came to a halt, eyes widening in horror as he saw some monsters were grouped on the other side of the road leading to town.
The way was shut.
The "ballerina" monsters as he called them were closing in behind him while more flocked from the town, some of the "chain" monsters joining the fray with their gurgles and the sound of their dangling heavy chains on asphalt. Jeongguk looked around in a frenzy, trying to see if there's a way out of this mess.
His eyes set on the wooden house.
Silent Hill Historical Society.
He got his gun out and fired at the closest monster so he could run to the shelter he found. He banged against the door, seeing it was locked. So he aimed his gun to shoot the lock but a rusty chain caught his wrists and he was jerked back with a loud yell. Pain flooded his senses and he found himself frozen for a moment, stunned as he tried to catch his breath. He was on the ground and in pain.
And in range for the coming spray of acid from one of the ballerina monsters.
It took five seconds. Jeongguk jerked his hands up so the chain monster who was holding him down was jerked forward and got the acid spray on itself. He quickly stood up and fired at the monster, readying to spray him again before he got rid of the chains around his wrists, firing twice more at two other chain monsters. He then dashed to the door, firing at the lock and got the door open with a BAM!
He quickly closed the door and blocked it with a nearby table, and looked around to locate the back exit, since every museum had one.
But luck seemed to forsake him.
Because at this right moment, a loud alarm was heard, and it froze him.
"No...No no this can't be happening again..."
The walls morphed from wood to rusty steel, the floor became wired iron, the door disappeared into the wall leaving traces of rusty decay that appeared as the entire world changed under the red ashy sky.
And a loud sound came from behind him, the sound of something heavy being dragged on the cement floor, prompting him to turn around slowly, horror freezing his body and his heart.
From a corner appeared a big silhouette of what looked to be a muscular man, pale skin marbled by blue veins all over his naked sculpted torso, marred only by the traces of white scars all over his body. He was wearing what looked to be a long ashy tunic over his waist, open on the sides to reveal trousers tucked into heavy black boots. He looked normal....
...if it wasn't for the fact that his head and neck were hidden, or perhaps inexistant, under a heavy iron helmet in the shape of a pyramid of rusty metal. He was dragging a very long and heavy looking thick sword, the handle coppery red while the blade was bloody, dripping red all over its path and making this loud horrible sound of metal dragging on cement. It sounded like the announcement of Doom, it felt like it was indeed announcing Doom and Death to all those in the premises.
The man -or could someone call this a man?- stood a bit afar from Jeongguk as if he was assessing him. The ravenette was frozen solid to the ground, breath hitching in terror as he felt it in his bones; this guy was dangerous...this guy was nothing like those monsters that he had encountered so far.
He was way more lethal.
The CEO couldn't help himself, trembling as the monster got closer. He could see clearly now that his tunic and trousers were stained with ash, blood and rust. He could see his strong arms with muscles flexing as he gripped his sword harder, preparing to swing it and bring it down on Jeongguk. He could hear the sound of...was it breathing? Or mumbles? Or just the sounds of the sudden thousand mechanical machines and contraptions that seemed to appear beneath them, seen from the wires on the ground, looking like a factory straight out of Hell with the mist and the fire. Jeongguk didn't wait to understand or to ask for explanations. He moved backward just as the monster brought his sword down, splitting the wired ground right where Jeongguk had been standing a second ago. The man yelled in terror and that was his cue to run, leaving this monster behind. He was confronted by a little thought: it seems the monster was encumbered by the heavy weight of his helmet and sword so there's a chance he could lose him if he ran fast.
Yeah, it wasn't that simple. Because, one: the layout of the space seemed to change in impossible ways, abnormal for a small house. And two: the monster seemed to walk leisurely but was catching up fast, the sound of his heavy footsteps echoing around and overpowering all the other sounds.
Jeongguk felt like sobbing, crying out loud as he tried to navigate around in this place that was completely strange to him, the sheer abnormality of the situation freezing his limbs and making him stumble around and making mistakes, letting the monster close in on him quicker. The ravenette ran in what seemed to be a never ending corridor, forcing his shaking limbs to proceed while the sounds of wheezing machines and heavy footsteps with the dragging sword was pounding in his ears.
He saw a light at the end of this corridor and he doubled his efforts, reaching out to catch this salvation.
But then he felt all air leave his lungs when he suddenly collided with a wired barrier, blocking his way to the exit.
"No, nonononononono!!!!! NOOOO!!!! NOOOOO PLEASE NOOOOO!!!"
Hysteria seemed to be the only thing occupying his mind and he pounded on the barrier, pulling and pushing and trying to get it undone so he could flee with his life. He was crying and yelling in anguish, hands shaking and punching the wires. He even pushed against it with his entire weight and it seemed to no avail.
The sound of a swinging blade woke him up from his hysteria as the sword came right above his head by mere millimeters, splitting the wires and the steel as if it was just jelly. Jeongguk screamed in terror as he saw the monster preparing to swing the blade once more and this time he doubted he could dodge seeing the close distance between them. So Jeongguk took out his gun and fired at the monster's arm, seeing the bullet sink in the flesh. But no blood oozed out and the monster was just startled for a second before it stood in stance and lifted the sword. Jeongguk sank to the ground, letting the monster split the barrier completely, sparks flying from the intensity of the friction between sword and steel. The ravenette rolled on the ground to avoid getting stamped on and stood right behind the monster, firing at its back and avoiding the helmet since he feared it would just ricochet the bullet right back at himself. The monster was a bit thrown forward from the impact but turned around quickly, reaching his arm to grasp the raven haired man. Jeongguk recoiled, jumping back with a scream as the monster's hand almost caught his shirt.
But then he saw it, an opening big enough for him to go through and to get away from the thing dead bent on killing him.
Acting on instinct, he fired at the monster's hand, seeing it recoil as if in pain. He used his chance and kicked the monster other hand still grasping the sword, hearing the loud clatter. Quickly he used the thing's torso as his leverage to jump, heavy boots connecting with the split wires and widening the opening in the barrier big enough for him to get past it. Rolling on the ground, he ignored the stings on his legs and quickly stood up, running toward the yellowish light. He heard the loud swinging of the blade, turning around enough to see the monster destroying what remained of the barrier and walking quickly toward him, powerful footsteps shaking the entire air around. Jeongguk was heaving, desperate instinct of survival kicking him into overdrive, adrenaline prompting him to run faster and to just escape.
Reaching the light he saw it was coming from a room and he accelerated, throwing himself inside and kicking the heavy steel door behind him to close on his temporary shelter. Groaning, he succeeded in slamming the door shut right when the monster was lifting its blade once again to hit him, a loud "CLANK" signaling the sword colliding with the steel door. He saw a pipe, using it to block the door and turned around to see where he was now in order to pick an exit.
What was his horror when he saw he was in what looked to be a storage room, wide enough to fit three people at most, with no other exit than the one he had just blocked?
Jeongguk panted, frantically trying to locate a window, an evacuation system, anything! He knew he wasn't safe here, just stuck until the monster, this pyramid head, would blow the door open with his sword.
"Shit!!! Fuck what the hell am I supposed to do now...."
The sound of the pounding on the door intensified and he screamed in terror when he saw the indent widening, the tip of the sword already seen. He scrambled till his back hit the wall facing the door, gun firmly in his hand and ready to fire despite his terror and his wheezing breaths.
"Come on....Come at me you son of a bitch I'll get you! COME ON!"
The sword went through the door, almost touching Jeongguk's chest who stuck his arms flat on the wall and screamed in horror, seeing the sword getting back before it came back again, this time slashing diagonally into the door and trying to reach the terrified man. Jeongguk went to the corner, trying to avoid the sword's next strike when he realized that this time, the monster was slashing from the opening he made with his arm extended inside the room. Meaning....the sword will get him this time.
Quickly he ducked and rolled to the other side of the room, the sword following him like it was almost guessing his next movements. Finding himself standing almost in the middle of the room, Jeongguk saw the monster's arm was getting inside the room easier since the opening was wider. Quickly, he ducked below the sword and threw himself to the side, seeing the blade had made a wide slash in the door right reaching to the ground where it made a loud noise when it collided with it, sparks flying from the heat of the friction. He realized the door was almost useless, the monster would need to slash a bit more and then he could widen the opening enough to get inside the room.
That would be the end of him.
Jeongguk fired at the monster's arm, startling it enough to drop its sword inside the room. He fired again and again, screaming loud as if he was encouraging himself and seeing the monster reaching for the pipe to get the door open. He fired at his hand, blowing some of his fingers away. That's when the monster retracted his arm and seemed to just stand outside the room.
Jeongguk was panting at this time, energy diminishing fast and blood pounding at his ears while he stood on shaking legs, on the edge of crumbling on himself. But then he heard the loud footsteps as if the monster was going away. The walls seemed to shed ashes, the rust and iron seemed to peel and disappear in the air while the slashes on the door were slowly dissolving, steel morphing into wood, the mist from the machines evaporating, the red ashy sky turning back to the foggy grey. Jeongguk was holding his breath, eyes set on the sword on the ground that seemed to dissolve and disappear.
The world turned back to how it was.
Standing there and shaking, bathing in cold sweat, Jeongguk waited before he carefully opened the now wooden door. He stepped inside a dusty old corridor, the painting of the walls faded and cracked, wooden floor dusty and corroded in many places. He gulped, using his flashlight to inspect the surroundings, seeing he wasn't far from the lobby, old paintings staring back at him while silence welcomed him.
It was over.
When realization dawned upon him, Jeongguk tilted and crumbled on his knees, sobbing his trauma out as he hid his head beneath his arms, coiling in foetal position to seek his own comfort against this world.
He was scared. He was scared and terrified and he didn't think he could take anymore of this terror.
His encounter with this monster, this pyramid head, was nothing like the other monsters. This one overwhelmed him with sheer horror and the close brush with death. This one was set out to kill him, not just scare him. This one... was so dangerous and on a whole complete other level compared to the other monsters.
This one felt so real...
Jeongguk cried until his head was pounding and his consciousness was fading.
His last thought was Taehyung, how close he had been to finally reunite with him.
"Tae...."
***