The city was in chaos.
Yeon-ah's legs burned as she and Ji-hoon raced through the streets, dodging panicked pedestrians and fallen debris. The tremor had left the city shaken, both literally and figuratively. Buildings, once tall and proud, now stood at precarious angles, some with gaping holes where the ground had shifted beneath them. Smoke billowed from fires that had broken out in the distance, adding to the sense of impending doom.
"We need to get home!" Ji-hoon shouted over the cacophony of sirens and cries. He was gripping Yeon-ah's wrist tightly, pulling her through the throng of people. Panic was spreading like wildfire, and the streets were packed with frightened citizens fleeing for safety.
But Yeon-ah could barely focus on her brother's words. Her mind was still spinning from the sudden earthquake, from the strange, unexplained seismic activity that had now taken hold of their city. Her heart pounded in her chest, her thoughts racing as she tried to understand what was happening.
"This isn't normal," she muttered to herself. The tremor had been too sudden, too violent. And it wasn't just here—she knew this was happening all over the world.
As they passed an electronics store, a series of televisions in the window caught her eye. The screens flickered with breaking news reports, images of devastation flashing by in rapid succession. Cities across the globe were being hit by similar tremors, and no one seemed to know why. Scientists were at a loss.
Yeon-ah stopped, her feet freezing in place as the images washed over her. The world was falling apart.
"Yeon-ah!" Ji-hoon tugged at her arm, snapping her back to reality. "Come on!"
She nodded, shaking off the fear that gripped her, and followed him once more. But no matter how fast they ran, the feeling of dread clung to her, tightening with every step.
They turned a corner, nearing their apartment building, when another tremor struck.
The ground heaved violently beneath them, throwing Yeon-ah off balance. She stumbled forward, barely managing to catch herself before she hit the pavement. Ji-hoon grabbed her arm, pulling her upright.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his face pale and eyes wide with fear.
Before she could answer, the building in front of them let out a terrifying groan. The foundations cracked, and in a slow, horrifying motion, it began to collapse. Yeon-ah's breath caught in her throat as she watched the structure buckle under its own weight, concrete and steel twisting as it crumbled to the ground.
"Move!" Ji-hoon screamed, dragging her away as the debris came crashing down. Dust and rubble filled the air, choking the streets with a cloud of destruction.
Yeon-ah coughed, her lungs burning as she tried to breathe. Everything was happening so fast, too fast. Her legs felt weak, her mind reeling from the chaos around her. But Ji-hoon was there, always pulling her forward, always keeping her grounded.
They stumbled into a side alley, away from the worst of the destruction. Yeon-ah leaned against a wall, gasping for breath. Her body trembled from the adrenaline coursing through her veins, and her heart hammered in her chest.
"What the hell is happening?" she managed to choke out between ragged breaths.
Ji-hoon shook his head, his face set in grim determination. "I don't know, but we need to keep moving. This city isn't safe anymore."
Yeon-ah nodded, wiping the dust from her face. She felt like she was in a nightmare, one she couldn't wake from. But this was real. Too real.
They had barely taken a step when they heard it.
A low, rumbling sound, unlike anything Yeon-ah had ever heard before. It wasn't the groaning of collapsing buildings or the distant wail of sirens. It was something deeper, more menacing. It echoed through the air, sending a chill down her spine.
"What is that?" she whispered.
Ji-hoon stiffened beside her, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. The sound grew louder, closer, reverberating off the walls of the alleyway.
And then they saw it.
A shadow moved at the end of the street, massive and unnatural. It slithered out from behind the wreckage of a nearby building, its form obscured by the dust and smoke, but there was no mistaking its presence. It was... alive.
"We need to go," Ji-hoon said, his voice tight with fear. "Now."
But Yeon-ah couldn't move. Her feet were rooted to the ground, her eyes locked on the creature. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. A twisted, hulking mass of muscle and bone, its skin slick and dark, like oil. It moved with a terrifying grace, its limbs too long and too many.
Suddenly, it let out a guttural roar, a sound so deep and primal that it shook the very air around them. The creature turned, its glowing eyes locking onto them.
Yeon-ah's heart stopped.
"Run!" Ji-hoon grabbed her hand, pulling her with all his strength.
They sprinted down the alley, their footsteps echoing in the narrow space. Behind them, the creature gave chase, its heavy footsteps pounding against the cracked pavement. The ground shook with every step it took, the air vibrating with the sheer force of its presence.
Yeon-ah's lungs burned, her legs screaming in protest, but she couldn't stop. She couldn't look back.
"Faster!" Ji-hoon urged, his voice strained.
The alley twisted and turned, leading them through the labyrinth of the crumbling city. Every corner they turned, every step they took, the creature was right behind them, its monstrous form looming closer and closer.
They burst out of the alley into an open street, only to be met with another wave of panic. People were fleeing in every direction, screaming as more of the creatures appeared, crawling out from the depths of the ruined city.
"There's more of them!" Yeon-ah gasped, her voice trembling with fear.
"We have to get out of here!" Ji-hoon shouted, his grip on her hand tightening as they pushed through the crowd. But no matter where they went, there seemed to be no escape.
The city was being overrun.