The lock box clicked open with a slow, creak, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he carefully lifted the lid.
Meanwhile, the old man, standing just across from him, watched with wide, crazed eyes, his excitement inching on madness.
It was as if he had waited a lifetime for this very moment, his breath quickening with each second the lock box inched open.
Inside was… nothing but an old piece of paper. It was yellowed with age, its edges brittle and curled, as though it had been forgotten for centuries.
Luck squinted at the paper, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
It wasn't in any language he knew. It was just a collection of strange symbols—some twisting, others jagged. Lines crisscrossed the surface, spirals leading to indecipherable runes that made his head hurt just looking at them.
His brow furrowed deeper, unease and annoyance settling in his stomach. Was this all that was inside?
"What the fuck is this?" Luck blurted out, "Is this a prank?"
The old man, who had been standing still with a creepy grin, suddenly moved. Without saying a word, he placed the lock box on the counter along the paper between them and walked past Luck.
"Hey, I'm talking to you—" Luck began, but before he could finish, the old man turned and gave him a finger.
"Hahaha! I'm finally free!" he laughed, his voice filled with excitement. "After all these years of being stuck, this place is yours now!"
"You will enjoy this godforsaken motel!" He leaned closer, eyes glinting with madness. "Because I'm you're just as fucking crazy—like your grandfather!"
Luck instinctively took a step back at the intensity of the old man's words. He must have hated his mysterious grandfather to be able to show such a strong expression.
Without waiting for Luck's response, the old man pulled the door open, the hinges creaking loudly in protest. A rush of cold air swept into the room, stirring up dust.
Then he turned and walked out, stepping onto the dirt road. That's when it happened.
The moment his feet touched the ground, the old man began to slowly disintegrate, his body crumbling into fine dust.
"No! We had a deal!" he screamed, panic surging through him as he reached out the disintegrating part of his body, but every touch only accelerated the process. It was futile, like trying to catch smoke with his bare hands.
"You told me to keep waiting for your successor! He's here now! Why are you doing this, you fucker! You lied to me even after your death!" the old man screamed in desperation. "You promised you'd set me free! I've served you for centuries!"
But it was too late.
His body dissolved like mist under the morning sun, leaving nothing but a faint, swirling cloud of ash that danced away in the wind.
'This is fuck up' Luck stood frozen in place, his breath catching in his throat. He had seen a lot of things in his life, things he wished he hadn't, but nothing like this.
He clutched his chest, his blood pressure shot up, and he knew he had to control his emotion or risk a heart attack. If it weren't for body condition, he would have already bolted away like those people in horror movies.
After he had calmed down, he sat on the short stairs outside the motel and stared at the spot where the old man had disappeared.
He realized he was in a messed-up situation. No matter how he tried to make sense of it, what he had experienced was supernatural.
If he were an ordinary person, he would have already panicked. But his mind was different from most; perhaps it was because he was a little broken due to being a genius, allowing him to accept this reality more easily.
'Who the hell is my grandpa? And why did he put me in this mess?' he rubbed the back of his neck, his jaw tightening as he stared at the ground.
But after thinking it over, he realized that shouldn't be his priority.
'I need to get out of this weird place first... but what if I also vanish the moment I step onto the road?'
That was his main concern, especially after recalling the old man's words about inheriting this place.
'No... I can't hesitate. I need to try, or I'll really be trapped here'
Gulping a mouthful of saliva, he walked toward the spot where the old man had vanished.
As he got closer, he noticed the ground was still disturbed. Kneeling down, he reached for the spot where the old man had vanished into thin air.
'N— No way' he broke into cold sweat. There was an invisible wall stopping him. He tried to push through, but it was no use.