Jaehyun stumbled back as the massive doors swung open, revealing a world that defied all logic and reason. The air within the tower felt heavier, laden with an otherworldly energy that made his skin crawl. Beyond the threshold, a vast hall stretched endlessly, its floor glimmering like liquid Ruby. Strange symbols pulsated with light beneath their feet, casting an eerie glow that made the shadows dance around the walls.
"Is this... a tower?" Seo Yuna whispered, clutching Kang Minji's arm tightly. Her voice trembled, barely audible over the deep, rhythmic hum reverberating through the structure.
"It is," Jaehyun muttered, his gaze darting around the interior. He craned his neck to take it all in, the vast expanse above stretching endlessly, as if they had stepped into an entirely different dimension. "But it's much bigger than it looks from the outside."
A screeching sound pierced the air.
The massive doors behind them began to groan, moving with a speed that defied their monumental size. In a matter of seconds, they slammed shut with a deafening thud, sealing them inside the immense, alien space.
"What? Why did it close?" Shin Hye-jung's voice cracked with panic, her wide eyes darting to the others.
Tension thickened the air as silence fell. They were trapped. The oppressive walls of the tower seemed to close in, their smooth, unyielding surfaces offering no clue of an escape route.
The tower's vastness wasn't just disorienting—it felt alive, as if it was watching, waiting.
They exchanged uneasy glances. Each tick of time deepened their fear, a silent understanding passing between them.
Fear crept into their minds, coiling tighter with every passing second. Though they tried to remain composed, the sheer unfamiliarity of the situation gnawed at their focus, fraying their resolve.
"F**k, don't tell me I'm going to die young!" Jin Soo shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. His eyes were wide, frantic as he scanned the towering walls around them, as if hoping for a way out that didn't involve meeting his end inside this forsaken place.
Han Kyung-min exhaled slowly, unfazed by Jin Soo's outburst. He took a deliberate step forward, his voice calm, almost eerily so. "Hey, calm down. Don't worry. Let's just move forward," he said, his words cutting through the tension like a blade.
The others fell silent for a moment, the weight of Han Kyung-min's presence grounding the chaos. His steady demeanor, like a cool breeze in the midst of a storm, had a calming effect. It was as if the raw panic in the air had been sucked out, leaving only the quiet hum of the tower around them.
Jin Soo swallowed hard, still visibly shaken, but something in Han Kyung-min's steady voice seemed to steady him. He nodded, though his hands were still trembling. "Right. Moving forward…" he muttered under his breath, as if trying to convince himself more than anyone else.
The interior of the tower was enormous—almost circular—like a coliseum without an end. Tall columns stretched upward, fading into the darkness, an endless spiral of stone that seemed to close in on them.
Jaehyun's thoughts twisted, lost in the staggering size of it all. His mind struggled to focus, as if the weight of the space was pushing down on him. The unease gnawed at him, leaving his senses disoriented.
Jaehyun's mind began to spin, his thoughts scattered. The sheer scale of the place disoriented him, and it felt as though the tower itself was pressing in on him, suffocating him with its size. The walls felt like they were closing in, as though they were no longer walking through a structure but stepping into something far more alive.
A sudden wave of dizziness hit him, and he staggered, feeling the room tilt. His head throbbed, pain spreading across his skull. His legs felt weak, and it took all his effort to keep himself upright.
This can't be real, Jaehyun thought, struggling to focus. His hand shot out, finding the stone wall for support. His fingers were unsteady, and he felt a cold sweat bead on his forehead.
"Everything okay?" Han Kyung-min asked, noticing Jaehyun's unsteady posture.
Jaehyun could barely respond. The pain in his head swirled with the oppressive presence of the tower, and he felt his senses slipping away, as if the walls were closing in on him.
I need to wake up, he thought, but the words felt like they were slipping through his fingers. The tower was alive, its presence vast and unyielding, pressing against his mind with every step. It was as if the walls themselves were watching him, waiting for him to break.
The rest of the group continued to move ahead, unaware of the struggle in Jaehyun's mind. Every step felt like a battle now, his body moving in slow motion, his mind clouded. The tower's presence grew heavier with each step, suffocating him as they moved deeper into its heart.
Jaehyun tried to push through it, but it was like swimming through thick fog. The tower's oppressive weight was everywhere—undeniable, inescapable.
As the group moved forward, the air seemed to grow heavier, suffocating. They had reached a point where a single beam of light sliced through the darkness, casting an eerie glow. The faint light revealed a narrow staircase, steep and uneven, with only three steps visible. There was no handrail—nothing to hold onto. The steps disappeared into the blackness above, as though daring them to climb.
A wave of tension rippled through the group.
"What... what happened?" A scream pierced the silence, sharp and shrill, sending a jolt of terror through Jaehyun. His heart began to hammer in his chest, and his breath quickened. The others were as rattled as he was, their footsteps faltering, but Jaehyun's eyes—his mind—were locked in a desperate search for something, anything, that could explain this mounting dread.
Then the pain came.
It slammed into his skull without warning. A sharp, blinding force, as though his temples had been struck by a jagged shard of glass. No... not now... Jaehyun thought, his body going rigid. His vision swirled, spinning with the violent throb of his head. He tried to reach for something, anything to steady himself, but his arms felt weak, unresponsive.
Why now? His body trembled, fingers digging into his temples, trying in vain to push the pain away.
A chaotic noise filled Jaehyun's ears, a cacophony of distorted cries and fractured whispers that clawed at his sanity. And then, cutting through the maelstrom like a blade:
"You really came back, didn't you?"
The voice was low and taunting, reverberating inside his skull, more felt than heard. His eyes widened, a brilliant red light exploding in his vision as though his very soul had been struck. He fell to his knees, the stone floor beneath him suddenly gone.
The ground shimmered, turning into a surface unnervingly smooth and reflective, like a dead sea of black glass. Above him, an enormous dark moon loomed, casting a dim, cold light that seeped into the infinite horizon. The silence was deafening, broken only by the single ripple that spread outward from where his hands had hit the strange surface.
Jaehyun gasped, his breath caught in his throat as the blood streaming from his ears began to drip into the stillness. The red liquid snaked through the reflective surface like veins, blooming outward before pooling into a dark, foreboding mass.
The moonlight shifted, dimming as the blood began to rise, twisting unnaturally. It bubbled and swirled, taking shape—a grotesque, writhing entity of thick, pulsating crimson. Its surface glistened like fresh wounds, and it reached for him, tendrils slithering closer, hungrily.
Panic surged through him, and he tried to move, to scramble away, but his body was frozen, locked in place by the oppressive weight of the air itself. His mind screamed, What is this? Why is this happening? But no answers came, only the suffocating sensation of dread.
The blood-formed monstrosity lunged, engulfing him in one swift motion. The liquid burned as it encased him, seeping into his skin, his lungs, his very soul. He clawed at the air, gasping desperately, but the suffocating grip of the entity tightened, dragging him deeper into itself.
His thoughts became fragmented, chaotic. Images of faces, memories he couldn't place, and whispers of the same haunting voice echoed in the void:
"You don't belong here. But you keep coming back."
The pressure grew unbearable, and Jaehyun felt himself fading. His lungs burned for air, his body thrashed in vain, and just when he thought he couldn't bear it any longer—
The darkness receded.
The reflective sea shattered like glass, the shards dissolving into mist. He collapsed onto solid ground, his body heaving as he coughed and gasped for air. The blood, the voice, the entity—it was all gone, but the pain in his chest and the pounding in his head lingered like a terrible memory.
Jaehyun's vision flickered as he weakly raised his head, trembling. Around him, the group's voices called faintly, muffled and distorted, but he couldn't respond. His mind reeled, still trapped in the nightmare he had just escaped. The only thing he could think of was the voice's final whisper, faint but clear, as if etched into his very being:
"This is only the beginning."
And then, as quickly as it had started, the agony receded. The throbbing, the crushing pressure, the deafening roar—everything was gone in an instant.
Jaehyun stood, panting, his chest heaving as he tried to collect his scattered thoughts. What just happened? His mind struggled to grasp it, but the sharpness of the pain left him hollow, disoriented. His hands, slick with blood, trembled at his sides. I could have sworn I... I felt like I was dying. I couldn't even scream through it.
He scanned the room, blinking as his vision cleared, and through the haze, he saw two figures moving ahead, their faces frantic.
"Wake up! Hey, wake up!" they called to him, their voices cutting through the fog in his mind.
Their words were sharp, pulling him back to reality, but Jaehyun couldn't shake the overwhelming sense that something wasn't right. That whatever had just happened to him—whatever he had just experienced—was only the beginning.
Jaehyun felt the weight of his consciousness slipping again, as though the very air was pulling him into a deep, unrelenting void. His limbs felt as though they were no longer his own, and his mind, that had been fogged by the pain, was now fading into a hollow silence.
But then, with a sharp slap across the face, his eyes flew open.
"Ow!" Jaehyun gasped, the sting in his cheek jolting him back to reality. He blinked rapidly, still disoriented, only to meet Kang Minji's concerned but slightly guilty expression.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Minji quickly apologized, but the smirk tugging at her lips couldn't hide her amusement. "But there was no other way to wake you up. You've been out of it for way too long."
Jaehyun groaned, his head still ringing from the pain. "You could've just… you know… shook me awake. Did you really have to slap me?"
Minji shrugged, her usual playful grin returning. "You're welcome. Besides, it worked, didn't it?"
Jaehyun scowled, though it was more from the disorientation than any real anger. "Just... don't do that again."
Behind them, Han Kyung-min and Seo Yuna were watching with raised eyebrows, the latter trying and failing to suppress a laugh.
Kyung-min, ever the calm one, crossed his arms. "I was going to suggest something more… gentle, like tapping on his shoulder or something. But this works too, I guess."
Seo Yuna snickered, eyes twinkling with mischief. "You should be thankful, Jaehyun. You're lucky Minji's the one who woke you up and not someone else. Who knows what might've happened if it were Kyung-min?" She raised an eyebrow playfully at Kyung-min, who only gave her a dry look in response.
Jaehyun rubbed his face, still trying to shake the fog from his mind. "I'll be sure to prepare for a slap next time."
Minji's grin widened. "Good. Now that you're awake, can we get moving? I don't think this place is going to wait around for us to recover."
Jaehyun nodded slowly, pushing himself up, though his head still throbbed slightly. "Let's go, then. And maybe next time, just a gentle tap on the shoulder, okay?"
Minji winked. "Deal"
Jaehyun ran a hand through his disheveled hair, trying to clear the fog in his mind. "Where's everyone else? Are they—?"
Minji's expression turned serious as she shook her head. "I don't know. When I woke up, it was just the four of us here. The others... didn't seem to be around."
Jaehyun's heart sank as a sinking feeling gripped his chest. He looked around, his gaze scanning the space, but there was no sign of the others. The silence around him was oppressive, heavy.
"Well, great," he muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples. "What now? Are we just supposed to... keep going?"
Minji nodded firmly, her eyes glinting with resolve. "There's no turning back now, is there? We've come this far, might as well climb these stairs." She motioned to the narrow staircase that stood before them, a solitary beam of light shining faintly at the top.
Jaehyun took a deep breath, pushing the unsettling thoughts from his mind. "Right. Let's just... let's just get this over with."
He stood up shakily, still feeling the lingering dizziness from the earlier pain, but it was fading. The sound of his own footsteps, tentative at first, echoed in the vast, eerie space. He glanced around, feeling that familiar weight in his chest, like something—or someone—was watching them.
"So..." Jaehyun spoke up again, his voice slightly hoarse. "Did any of you feel like... like your ears were about to break? Or maybe blood coming out of them?" He winced as he spoke, still trying to make sense of the sensation he had felt earlier.
Minji, already halfway up the stairs, glanced back with a raised eyebrow. "Blood? What kind of question is that?"
Jaehyun winced. "I'm just saying, it felt like my head was about to crack open or something. And I'm not the only one, right?"
Minji's expression softened. "We all just went out cold"
The other two nodded in agreement.
" Huh.... They didn't feel anything."
"Is..is there something wrong " theey all asked simultaneuosly.
Jaehyun shivered, rubbing his head again. "It's Nothing ''
"Yeah..." Minji agreed, a hint of unease creeping into her tone. "But we've still got a mission, right? Let's keep going."
Jaehyun nodded, pushing forward, though the dread in his chest was impossible to ignore. With each step, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was waiting for them at the top of those stairs.
Jaehyun felt the weight of his consciousness slipping again, the oppressive pull of the void nearly dragging him back. His limbs felt like they belonged to someone else, and his mind, clouded with pain, was beginning to fade into a hollow silence.
But then, a sharp slap across his cheek snapped him back to reality.
"Ow!" Jaehyun gasped, the sting jolting him awake. His eyes shot open, still disoriented, only to meet Kang Minji's concerned yet guilty expression.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Minji quickly apologized, but her smirk, though restrained, couldn't hide the amusement in her eyes. "But there was no other way to wake you up. You've been out of it for way too long."
Jaehyun groaned, pressing a hand to his still-throbbing head. "You could've just... shaken me awake. Did you really have to slap me?"
Minji shrugged, her playful grin reappearing. "You're welcome. Besides, it worked, didn't it?"
Jaehyun scowled, though it was more from the dizziness than any real annoyance. "Just... don't do that again."
Behind them, Han Kyung-min and Seo Yuna watched with raised eyebrows, the latter barely stifling a laugh.
Kyung-min, ever the calm one, crossed his arms. "I was going to suggest something more... gentle, like tapping on his shoulder or something. But this works too, I guess."
Seo Yuna chuckled. "You should be thankful, Jaehyun. You're lucky Minji's the one who woke you up, not someone else. Who knows what might've happened if it were Kyung-min?" She shot him a teasing look, but he only gave her a dry, unimpressed stare in return.
Jaehyun rubbed his face, still trying to clear the fog from his mind. "I'll be sure to prepare for a slap next time."
Minji's grin widened. "Good. Now that you're awake, can we get moving? I don't think this place is going to wait around for us to recover."
Jaehyun nodded slowly, pushing himself up. The dizziness was still there, but it was less overwhelming. "Let's go, then. And maybe next time, just a gentle tap on the shoulder, okay?"
Minji winked. "Deal."
Jaehyun ran a hand through his disheveled hair, trying to shake off the lingering disorientation. "Where's everyone else? Are they—?"
Minji's expression darkened, her voice softening. "I don't know. When I woke up, it was just the four of us here. The others... didn't seem to be around."
Jaehyun's chest tightened. His eyes scanned the space around them, but there was no sign of the others. The silence was heavy, unsettling.
"Well, great," he muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples. "What now? Are we just supposed to... keep going?"
Minji nodded firmly, her gaze resolute. "There's no turning back now, is there? We've come this far, might as well climb these stairs." She gestured to the narrow staircase, a solitary beam of light shining faintly at the top.
Jaehyun took a deep breath, pushing the unsettling thoughts aside. "Right. Let's just... let's just get this over with."
He shakily pushed himself to his feet, the dizziness lingering but becoming more manageable. The sound of his footsteps echoed in the vast, eerie space. With each step, the oppressive feeling of being watched grew stronger.
"So..." Jaehyun's voice was rough, a bit hoarse. "Did any of you feel like... like your ears were about to break? Or maybe blood coming out of them?" He winced, remembering the overwhelming sensation from earlier.
Minji, already halfway up the stairs, glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Blood? What kind of question is that?"
Jaehyun winced, rubbing his temples. "I'm just saying, it felt like my head was going to crack open. I'm not the only one, right?"
Minji's face softened with understanding. "We all just... went out cold," she said, her voice quieter now.
Kyung-min and Yuna nodded in agreement.
"Uh... they didn't feel anything," Kyung-min muttered, a touch of concern creeping into his tone.
Jaehyun shivered, rubbing his head again. "It's nothing. Just... it felt wrong."
Minji's expression turned serious. "Yeah, but we've still got a mission, right? Let's keep going."
Jaehyun nodded, trying to ignore the nagging feeling of dread settling in his chest. "Yeah, we'll figure it out."
With a final glance back, they began their ascent, the stairs creaking beneath their feet, and the weight of the silence pressing down on them with each step they took. The sense that something—or someone—was waiting at the top only grew stronger.
.