The next morning, Jasper awoke with a heavy feeling in his chest. As he stood up and glanced around the room, something immediately felt off. Two of the men who had been on guard last night were missing.
His heart raced as he quickly got dressed and made his way down the corridor. He met up with the others in the common area, and it was clear from their expressions that they had noticed the same thing.
"Where are they?" Taehyun asked, his voice laced with concern.
Jasper shook his head, his eyes scanning the group. "They're gone. I don't know how, but they're not here."
"How could this happen?" Min Joo muttered, her face pale. "We were all so careful last night."
Jasper's mind raced as he retraced his steps in his head. He had heard nothing unusual during his shift, no signs of a struggle, no cries for help. The men had just disappeared, and no one had seen a thing.
"We need to figure out what's going on," Jasper said, his tone firm. "We can't just sit around and wait for this to happen again."
Jun Ho walked over to him, his expression dark. "We need to search the area. We can't let anyone else vanish without a trace."
The group quickly split up, checking every corner of the building, searching for any clues. Jasper couldn't shake the feeling that something sinister was at play. Every corner they turned, every room they checked, seemed to grow darker, the tension rising with each passing minute.
Minutes turned into hours, and the group still had no answers. "Nothing," Jin Woo muttered as he walked back into the main room. "No sign of them. No clues. It's like they vanished into thin air."
"Are we sure they're gone?" Kyung Ho asked, his voice tense. "Could they have left on their own?"
Jasper shook his head, a grim look on his face. "No way. They wouldn't just leave without a trace. Something happened to them."
As the day went on, the realization set in—this wasn't just some simple disappearance. Someone, or something, was picking them off one by one, and they had no idea who or what was behind it.
"We have to be careful," Ji Hye said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We can't trust anyone here anymore."
Jasper nodded, his gaze hardening. "We're not safe, not anymore. And until we find out who's behind all this, we need to stick together. Trust no one."
The tension in the air was palpable. Everyone knew the stakes had just been raised. With two more gone, the group had to find a way to survive and uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances before it was too late.
On the other side, Victor sat in his office, watching the news on his iPad. The broadcast was covering the illegal organ trade case that had been making headlines recently. Despite the ongoing investigation, the police had yet to find any suspicious clues or leads that could point to those responsible.
Victor leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. He scrolled through the news articles, trying to piece together any information that could help him make a connection. The case seemed to be getting more complicated by the day, and the authorities were struggling to make any breakthroughs.
"Where are they hiding?" Victor murmured to himself, frustration building up. He knew that the criminals involved were clever, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to this than met the eye.
Meanwhile, on the school's side, there was no way to contact the students. The school had been trying to reach them for hours, but the phones just kept ringing unanswered. Teachers and staff were growing more anxious by the minute, as they hadn't received any updates from the students since they were sent on the trip. The principal, unable to get through to anyone, gathered a team of staff to investigate, but there was little they could do without any clear direction or knowledge of the students' whereabouts.
"Where could they have gone?" the principal asked, pacing back and forth in his office. "This is getting out of hand. We need to figure this out, now."
The staff began making calls to local authorities, hoping for some kind of breakthrough, but there was still no sign of the students, and the situation was only getting more concerning.
Meanwhile, at home, Jasper's mother, Jenny Kwon, was busy fixing Victor's car. As she worked, her phone pinged with a notification. She paused to check the news, which reported an ongoing illegal organ trade case. However, the authorities had yet to find any significant clues.
Just then, she received a call from the police station. The voice on the other end informed her that her leave was over and that they needed her back at the station after her hospitalization. Jenny hesitated for a moment, not thrilled about returning to work, but then a smile spread across her face.
She muttered to herself, "It's time for me to take matters into my own hands."
Jenny stood up from the car, wiping her hands on a cloth as she prepared to get involved in the investigation herself.
Back at the building, Jasper and the others gathered in the dimly lit common area. Tension hung in the air as everyone knew that something dangerous was lurking. The group, now only a few in number, had begun to grow more paranoid. With two more of their own missing, the fear was growing by the hour.
Jasper paced the floor, his expression grim as he looked at his companions. "We can't keep waiting like this," he said, voice steady but tense. "If we stay here, we're just sitting ducks. We need a plan."
Kyung Ho, Taehyun, and Jin Woo sat across from him, looking just as tired and frustrated. Taehyun cracked his knuckles and muttered, "We've been through worse, but this...this is different. We're being hunted."
Min Joo, who had been unusually quiet, spoke up, her voice shaky but resolute. "We can't let them pick us off one by one. We need to stick together."
Jasper nodded, though his mind raced with doubts. "We need to find out who's behind all of this. And we need to get out of here before it's too late."
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the hallway. Everyone jumped, but there was no immediate sign of danger. They all exchanged uneasy glances. Jasper was the first to stand, signaling to the others to follow him.
They slowly made their way down the darkened hallway, weapons in hand, their footsteps echoing off the walls. As they rounded the corner, they saw a shadow move at the end of the corridor. Before they could react, a figure appeared—a person they hadn't seen in days. It was one of the missing students, but something about the way they walked was off. They seemed... different.
"Get back!" Jasper shouted, holding up his hand to stop the others. But it was too late. The figure lunged at them, causing the group to scatter in fear.
"Stay close!" Kyung Ho shouted, grabbing Min Joo and pulling her behind him. Taehyun was ready to fight, but the figure's eyes were glazed, empty—no sign of the person they once knew.
Jasper's heart raced. "It's them... they're controlling them!" he shouted.
They backed into the main room, barricading themselves inside. The silence was deafening. Jasper looked around at his friends, feeling the weight of the situation more than ever.
"We need a plan. And fast," he said, determination in his voice. "If they can control them, we need to figure out how to break it. We're running out of time."
The others nodded grimly, the fight for survival just getting harder.
It turned out that the person approaching them was the driver who had brought them here. The driver seemed calm and nonchalant, telling them to relax. It was a strange encounter as he simply wanted to talk with Jasper outside. There was no clear purpose, but it felt suspicious.
"Are you all planning to leave?" the driver asked casually. "I can prepare the bus for you."
Jasper responded calmly, "We're just staying put for now."
The driver nodded. "If you need help, just let me know, and I'll come pick you up." Jasper nodded in agreement, "Alright, sir."
As the mini-bus drove off, Jasper's gaze followed it, his eyes lingering on someone familiar inside the bus, though he tried not to show too much concern.
After a moment, he turned back and entered the building, speaking to the others, "The driver said if we want to leave, we can just let him know. He mentioned that their place isn't far from here."
Min Joo and the others immediately shouted at Jasper, demanding to know why he hadn't said anything earlier, that they should have asked the driver for help and left right away.
Jasper remained calm and answered, "Did you notice how strange his behavior was? Do you really want to be tricked and led to their main hideout, only to be killed?"
The tension in the room grew. It was clear that not everyone agreed with his judgment, but Jasper's instincts told him to be cautious.
The others stared at Jasper, some skeptical of his reasoning. Min Joo, who was particularly eager to leave, frowned and crossed her arms. "Are you suggesting we just stay here and wait for more danger?" she snapped. "We're stuck in this hellhole as it is. How can we be sure that driver won't actually help us?"
Jasper sighed and looked around at the group, trying to maintain his composure. "We can't afford to make reckless decisions now. We don't know who we're dealing with, and it's better to be safe than sorry." His voice was firm, but there was an underlying tension in his tone. "That driver may seem innocent, but how can we trust someone we just met? He could be part of the trap."
Kyung Ho, leaning against the wall, chimed in, "Jasper's right. We've seen how things can go wrong so fast. We need to think carefully about who we trust. If he really wanted to help, why wait for us to ask for a ride? Why offer it out of the blue?"
Min Joo was still restless, clearly frustrated. "So we just sit here and wait? That's all we do now? What if more people show up and things get worse? We're running out of options!"
Jasper looked at her with an intensity that made her pause. "I understand your frustration, but we can't let panic take control. If we want to get out of here, we need a plan, not impulsive decisions. Right now, our best bet is to gather as much information as we can and wait for the right moment."
The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of Jasper's words hanging in the air. The group exchanged uncertain glances, each person processing the situation differently.
Finally, Ji Hye, who had been quiet up until now, spoke up softly. "Jasper's right. We have to be careful. I don't trust that driver either, and it doesn't make sense for him to offer help out of nowhere."
The others nodded reluctantly, realizing that they couldn't afford to act on impulse. "So, we stay here and wait?" Min Joo asked, her voice tinged with resignation.
"For now," Jasper replied. "But we keep our eyes and ears open. We can't let our guard down, not even for a second."
The group reluctantly agreed, though the uncertainty of their situation still loomed over them. They knew that staying in the building, with the constant fear of danger, was just as risky as trusting the mysterious driver. But for the time being, it was their only choice.
As they settled in, the uneasy tension lingered. Every movement, every sound in the building seemed amplified, as if they were all waiting for something to happen. Jasper's instincts told him that they had to be careful, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time.
That afternoon, they ate instant noodles while Jasper stood in front of the building. As the day started to darken, he noticed two buses stopping in the distance. He quickly ran to his friends, who were gathered together. "That's them, we have to leave," he said urgently.
Everyone quickly headed to a hiding spot and set up a trap. Jasper motioned to Ji Hye, and they headed towards a trash bin to hide behind. Soo Young pulled Jun Ho aside to hide as well. To distract him from his fear, Soo Young asked, "What's your name?" Jun Ho replied, "My name's Jinho, but my classmates always call me Jun Ho."
Soon, Taehyun and Kyung Ho walked by, and Jun Ho called out to them. They all quickly found another hiding spot together.
A few people entered, searching with knives, axes, and other sharp objects. Hwan was caught by one of the attackers and stabbed in the stomach after trying to resist. But Hwan managed to escape by quickly hitting the man with a small trash bin on the head, then running past the side of the building.
The group met up and agreed to run towards the main road, continuing to flee. As they were running, someone approached them on the road, carrying a tree-cutting tool. It was their teacher, who had been sent by the school along with a few others.
The teacher's axe and cutting tool were covered in blood and bits of flesh. Hwan's stomach was injured, though not deeply, but he was bleeding heavily. Jasper saw this and immediately told Taehyun, Kyung Ho, Ji Hye, Jun Ho, and Soo Young to keep running. He quickly took off his shirt and tied it around Hwan's wound to slow the bleeding.
Jasper supported Hwan as they ran slowly, waiting for the others to catch up before they all ran together more quickly.
The group—Jasper, Ji Hye, Jun Ho, Kyung Ho, Taehyun, Soo Young, and Hwan—ran toward the city center, crossing the middle of the road while looking for help. They were running on a large road with no buildings around, and the attacker was still chasing them.
Suddenly, a large black bus passed the attackers and sped toward them. It stopped in front of them. It was Jasper's mother, and Victor was opening the door, shouting for them to get in. Everyone quickly piled into the bus.
As the bus drove toward the city, Jasper asked, "Why are you and Dad here? This could put your lives in danger."
Victor explained, "Before you went on your study tour, your father had a tracking chip installed in your car. Yesterday, when suddenly we couldn't reach your location or it disappeared from the system, your dad thought someone might have destroyed it."
Jasper added, "Right at that moment, my car also ran out of fuel without warning."
The group sighed in frustration. Jun Ho, trying to lighten the mood, said, "See? I always say the right thing."
Kyung Ho and Taehyun still felt a sense of loss, and both asked, "What about Min Joo and Jin Woo?"
Ji Hye, Hwan, and Soo Young looked at them blankly, still processing everything that had happened.
After a moment, Jasper's mother spoke up, "We should keep going to Busan."
Everyone looked relieved, grateful for the safety they now had.
Victor then spoke in English, "The seven of you will be alright. Don't blame yourselves for what happened to your friends. Many of them were killed. I'll report everything to the police."
Victor made a call to the police, even taking a photo of Hwan's stomach injury to send to them.
Soon, Jasper sat on the steps of the bus entrance, taking in the cool night air that calmed his mind.
Victor approached his wife and suggested, "What if we take turns driving the bus?" His wife went to assist Hwan, helping him settle.
Ji Hye approached Jasper and handed him her jacket. "Here, wear this. You don't have a shirt on, so this will help keep you warm."
Jasper accepted the jacket and put it on, though his gratitude was muted. "Thanks," he said casually, then asked, "Where did you get this jacket?"
Ji Hye gave a small, subtle smile but didn't answer right away. She simply sat beside him, keeping watch as they continued their journey through the night.
Jasper wore the jacket, feeling its warmth wrap around him as he leaned against the bus's cold metal frame. The exhaustion from everything they'd gone through started to weigh on him, but he couldn't afford to rest yet. His mind was still racing with everything that had happened.
Ji Hye, still sitting next to him, glanced at him with a quiet concern. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.
Jasper didn't immediately respond. He was lost in thought, replaying the events of the day—his friends who were lost, Hwan's injury, and the shadowy figures chasing them. "I don't know," he finally muttered, his voice low. "I don't know what's real anymore."
Ji Hye nodded, understanding the weight of his words. "I get it. But we're safe now. We need to stick together. We'll figure this out."
Jasper looked over at her, his expression softening for a moment. "Thanks for being here. I didn't... I didn't expect all this. I didn't expect any of this," he admitted.
She gave a small smile, though it was tinged with sadness. "None of us did. But we're in this together now."
There was a brief silence between them, the sound of the bus's engine humming steadily in the background. They could hear the rest of the group talking quietly further inside the bus. Jasper's father, Victor, had been making calls, keeping his cool despite the chaos surrounding them.
Suddenly, the bus lurched slightly as it made a turn. The familiar motion of it seemed to settle everyone for a brief moment. But then, just as quickly, the unsettling feeling returned.
Outside, the streets were empty, darkened by the night, with only the occasional flicker of streetlights. It was eerily quiet, as if the city itself was holding its breath.
Jasper looked out the window, lost in thought again, his eyes scanning the shadows. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed, even now. The events had been too surreal, too dangerous.
Ji Hye noticed his unease and put a hand gently on his shoulder. "Hey, we'll make it through this," she said with quiet certainty. "I know it doesn't feel like it now, but we will."
Jasper managed a small, appreciative smile, but deep down, he couldn't shake the nagging fear in his chest. "I hope you're right."
The bus continued its journey into the night, carrying them away from the dangers they had left behind and toward an uncertain future. They didn't know where they were headed exactly, but one thing was certain—there was no going back.
As the hours passed, the city outside became a distant memory, and the landscape blurred in the dark. The bus kept moving forward, the rhythmic hum of the tires on the road the only sound.
Jasper and the others had no idea what awaited them at the end of this road, but for now, they were safe—at least for the moment.