The silence following the system's disappearance was short-lived.
A new sound rolled through the center of the maze—not a siren or mechanical cue, but something older. A groan of shifting earth. A whisper that sounded too much like breath.
The runes along the newly opened corridors glowed brighter, pulse-like. Green flickers chased themselves along the stone, illuminating fractures in the floor that hadn't been there a moment ago.
Yujin's head tilted, her eyes narrowing as she sniffed the air. "…Smoke?"
"And blood," Jin added quietly.
Jisoo coughed once and made a face. "Yeah. That's not ominous at all."
The scent wasn't heavy, but it was there. Copper sharpness and something darker, meatier. A reminder. A warning.
Then a voice reached them—not loud, not aggressive. But clear.
"Sorry about this."
They all turned.
The far corridor dimmed. The runes didn't fade—they bent, like they were being pressed down by weight alone. And from the shadow at its center, something moved.
