The group of hunters gathered at the massive doors leading to the subsequent chamber. Each member bore visible signs of fatigue—wounds, exhaustion, and the creeping erosion of trust among them weighed heavily. Despite their deteriorated condition, the ten remaining individuals agreed with Mi Ra: remaining stagnant would be futile. Advancing was their only course of action.
Mi Ra stood before the group, her expression resolute but solemn. She understood that her words bore the weight of their morale and ultimately, their chances of survival.
Mi Ra (firmly): "I know you're tired. I know we've lost many, and each of us just wants to leave this place. But remember why we're here. We cannot fail those who gave their lives so that we could reach this point. Each one of us carries the hope of returning home. We will stand strong. We will succeed."
Her voice, even as her chest tightened, remained unwavering. The hunters exchanged glances, feeling a flicker of determination rekindle within them from her words. They began gathering their equipment, inspecting weapons and magical artifacts.
Mi Ra cast a quick glance at her watch. 1:26 PM. Her fists tightened involuntarily as memories of those they had lost flickered through her mind. At that moment, Hyun Woo approached her.
Hyun Woo (gently): "Mi Ra, this isn't your fault. We are here of our own will. We all know you're doing everything you can. Thank you."
She looked up at Hyun Woo, meeting his earnest, sincere gaze. Her shoulders loosened slightly, and she nodded, gathering her composure.
Mi Ra (resolutely): "Thank you, Hyun Woo. But we're not finished yet."
When the massive doors swung open, what lay before them was a vast space reminiscent of a grand cathedral. Lofty ceilings glimmered with icy crystals, reflecting the flickering torchlight. The walls bore elaborate patterns that evoked the semblance of religious symbols, and at the center of the chamber stood an imposing pulpit. Rows of benches were meticulously arranged along the aisle, as if awaiting an absent congregation.
Every step the hunters took reverberated in the chilling silence, and the frigid air seemed to seep into their very bones.
Kang Seung Joon (looking around): "What in the world… Why is there a church here? That shouldn't be possible."
Mi Ra: "This isn't a church. Look closer at the symbol behind the pulpit."
Kang Seung Joon frowned and squinted towards the pulpit, but something else caught his eye. Oh Hyo Joo appeared visibly unsettled. He nudged Hyun Woo forward, as though urging him to investigate the symbol more closely.
Oh Hyo Joo (nervously): — "Go ahead, Hyun Woo. Take a look. Your eyes are sharper."
Hyun Woo paused, giving Hyo Joo a puzzled glance. Before he could reply, Kang Seung Joon abruptly stepped forward and shoved Oh Hyo Joo hard enough that he fell to his knees.
Kang Seung Joon (sharply): "If you pull another stunt like that, I'll throw you out myself. If you're that curious, check it out on your own."
Oh Hyo Joo struggled to his feet, his gaze lowered, but suddenly, as though an invisible force took hold, his expression became vacant. Without warning, he unsheathed a dagger and, with a singular fluid motion, slashed Kang Seung Joon's throat. Crimson sprayed across the cold floor as Seung Joon's body crumpled to the ground.
The hunters stood frozen in shock. The healers rushed toward Kang Seung Joon, but Mi Ra instantly recognized the futility of their efforts. In a fit of fury, she struck Oh Hyo Joo across the face, knocking him flat onto the ground.
Mi Ra (shouting): "Have you lost your mind?! What have you done?!"
Oh Hyo Joo, lying prone on the ground, began trembling and sobbing. His eyes seemed to regain clarity, and he stared at his bloodstained hands in utter disbelief.
Oh Hyo Joo (hysterically): "I… I didn't do it! I swear I didn't! It wasn't me!"
The hunters restraining him exchanged bewildered looks, trying to make sense of what had just transpired. Mi Ra pointed at Kang Seung Joon's lifeless body, her face contorted with rage.
Mi Ra: "Look at your hands! They're covered in blood! You killed him, and now you're denying it?!"
Oh Hyo Joo screamed, his fingers clawing at his head.
Oh Hyo Joo: "It wasn't me! It was… something else!"
Before anyone could react, one of the healers abruptly lunged at the hunters restraining Oh Hyo Joo. With his bare hands, devoid of any weapon, he tore through one of the hunters with a horrific strength. The others scrambled to contain him, but the healer managed to kill two more before they could incapacitate him.
The chaos that ensued was as swift as it was horrifying. The hunters, battered, weary, and stunned by the sudden betrayals within their ranks, found themselves grappling with an insidious threat they could neither see nor fully understand. As silence finally descended upon the chamber, only the ragged breathing of the survivors could be heard.
Mi Ra, her expression shadowed by anguish, rose unsteadily to her feet. There was no time for despair; they had to press on, though the cost was already unbearable.
Mi Ra (voice steeled with resolve): "Whatever this force is, it wants to break us. We cannot afford to lose focus now. We move forward, together. Stay vigilant. Protect one another."
The remaining hunters, though shaken, formed up once more. They checked their weapons, exchanged nods, and slowly began to advance. The sense of dread lingered, but beneath it, there was also defiance — an unspoken commitment to face whatever awaited them, no matter the cost.
Mi Ra staggered backward, her pulse pounding violently through her veins. She began to comprehend that they were contending with forces far beyond their control — something dark and malignant lay dormant within these halls.Mi Ra (whispering): "This place... it's cursed."
The remaining hunters converged around Mira, fear palpable in their expressions. Some tightened their grip on their weapons, while others clung to whispered prayers, hoping the nightmare would soon end. Hyun Woo, watching Oh Hyo Joo, noticed that he was murmuring under his breath, his eyes unfocused, as though wrestling with an unseen adversary.
Hyun Woo (determined): "Mi Ra, we need to leave. Right now."
Mi Ra: "No... We need to understand what's happening here. If we leave this place unchecked, it will claim even more lives."
Her voice was steady, but internally, dread twisted her resolve. At that moment, movement flickered behind the pulpit. The emblem adorning the wall began to emit a dark, blood-red glow, casting an ominous pall over the room.
Hyun Woo: "What in the world is this...?"
A strange whisper began to fill the chamber, seeming to emanate from the very walls. It was an alien presence, slithering into their consciousness, implanting thoughts that stoked aggression and confusion. Hunters clutched at their heads, trying to resist the invasive whispers, while others began to scream.
The chamber seemed to contract around them, the cold pressing in with malevolent sentience. Hyun Woo, glimpsing the glow behind the pulpit, noticed a concealed door. His voice pierced the suffocating tension.
Hyun Woo: "Behind the pulpit... there's a door! We can escape!"
As he turned to his companions, dread seized him. One by one, the hunters convulsed, their bodies succumbing to an unknown force. Their eyes glowed an eerie, icy blue, while their limbs became veined with frost, their skin taking on the brittle texture of crystalline ice.
Hyun Woo paused, the grim realization setting in — an external force had seized their minds, rendering them into mindless thralls. With urgency, he grasped Mi Ra's arm, pulling her forcefully toward the hidden door behind the pulpit.
Hyun Woo (resolute): "Run! We can't stay here!"
Mi Ra, still grappling with the chaos, allowed herself to be pulled along. Their hurried footfalls echoed through the vast, haunted hall. But before they reached safety, Hyun Woo sensed a sudden shift behind him—a predatory intent. His instincts screamed in alarm as he glimpsed one of the corrupted hunters lifting an arm, forming an arrow of solid ice.
Hyun Woo (yelling): "Look out!"
He turned just in time to see the arrow loosed straight at Mi Ra. Without hesitation, he lunged, shoving her aside and taking the blow himself. The arrow, colder than the grave, plunged into his chest. He faltered, breath caught in his throat, a hoarse gasp escaping his lips as he crumpled to the ground.
Hyun Woo stumbled, the biting cold spreading outward from the wound, and darkness began to crowd the edges of his vision.
An icy arrow, launched by one of the corrupted hunters, pierced through Hyun Woo's chest, forcing him to stagger but not collapse. The pervasive cold began seeping through his veins, rendering each movement agonizingly difficult. Despite the overwhelming pain, he remained standing, his teeth gritted in defiance.Hyun Woo (hoarsely): "Mi Ra... run... the door... now..."
Mi Ra, having fallen to the cold ground from the force of the shove, turned her head to see the ice arrow lodged in Hyun Woo's chest. Her eyes widened in horror, freezing her in place. The words she needed to say caught in her throat, as if her voice had been swallowed by despair.
Mi Ra (desperately): "Hyun Woo! No... no, not like this..."
Hyun Woo remained upright, his breath ragged, blood beginning to trail down his lips. Yet, his eyes held no fear—only unwavering determination.
Hyun Woo (hoarsely): "Run... I'll hold them off. Get to the door... and don't look back. That's an order!"
Mi Ra could barely process his command, her body trembling, her legs refusing to cooperate. She took a step back, tears already blurring her vision.
Mi Ra: "No! I can't leave you!"
Hyun Woo (sternly): "Go, Mi Ra! That's an order! You must survive!"
His words, though weak, carried an undeniable authority. Mi Ra slowly rose, turned, and began running towards the door. Yet her heart felt torn apart. She halted midway, her tears falling onto the cold, crystalline floor. Her hands clenched tightly into fists.
Mi Ra (in tears): "Damn it!"
She spun around, rushing back to Hyun Woo. When she reached him, she pulled him close, shielding him with her body, as if trying to protect him from the cruelty of the world.
Mi Ra (whispering through her tears): "You won't die. I won't let you die. I promise, I will protect you."
But Hyun Woo's consciousness was already slipping away. His gaze began to dim, and the freezing cold seeped into every fiber of his being. He slumped slowly against the pulpit, his hands falling limply onto the open book before him.
Hyun Woo (whispering): "Run..."
In his fading moments of consciousness, his eyes fell upon the text inscribed in an ancient language — one he could not recall learning, yet somehow understood. The words glowed softly, as though written not in ink, but with magic itself.
The book bore the inscription: "Requiem: The Ephemerides of a Fractured Paradise." Something within him seemed to click, as though his mind was forced to grasp the meaning of these words.
Hyun Woo (whispering): "Requiem... Ephemerides... of a Fractured Paradise..."
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, his voice fading into a mere whisper, but he persisted.
Hyun Woo: "I... failed... my promise."
His hands slipped from the book, and he began to lose consciousness entirely. Darkness enveloped him, and the last thing he heard was Mi Ra's anguished sob.
Mi Ra, leaning over Hyun Woo, held him tightly, as though her warmth could somehow stave off his fading life. She whispered, almost in prayer, imploring him not to leave her.
Mi Ra (through her tears):"No... no... please... I can't lose you. I just can't!"
Her cry echoed throughout the chamber, yet there was no response. The corrupted hunters, who had been advancing steadily, abruptly halted. Their bodies froze, rigid like statues, the icy glow in their eyes beginning to flicker and fade.
In Hyun Woo's consciousness, there was nothing but an endless void. He felt neither pain, nor cold, nor even his own body. Yet amidst that darkness, a bright inscription appeared, hanging before him like a spectral projection.
Inscription: "User recognized. System activated. Protective protocol initiated."
The words glowed softly with an azure hue, surrounded by swirling, chaotic patterns. Two options appeared before him: "Accept" and "Decline." Despite his hazy comprehension of the unfolding situation, Hyun Woo clung to one single thought—to live, for his sister.
Hyun Woo (mentally): "I... accept."
As his mental will connected with the inscription, an overwhelming radiance enveloped everything around him. This was not just a mere flash—it was pure, unbridled energy, surging through him, as though some unseen force had infused his being with a new, indomitable vitality.