Our team now consisted of three people: me, Hyunsuk, and Olivia. Since the warehouse was too vast and seemed to have no boundaries, we decided to change our strategy. We began searching for anything that might serve as a clue to the exit—like stairs, an elevator, or a corridor different from the ones before. But before that, we agreed to explore a bit more to gather additional supplies.
To be honest, this place held plenty of useful items. The problem was, most of them were hidden in uncomfortable locations—especially inside dark rooms that our instincts told us to avoid. But now that there were three of us, our teamwork became much more efficient. In a short time, we managed to collect a variety of items.
In total, we found: 6 tupperware bottles, 18 small batteries, 1 pair of scissors, 18 military rations, 8 snacks, 1 cooking pot, 12 lighters, 2 knives, 1 machete, 4 police vests, 6 flashlights, and 2 tarps.
Somehow, we managed to pack all of it into our bags. Of course, we couldn't carry everything. Some things had to be left behind due to their weight. But we prioritized what mattered most: food, light, and water containers. The bottles we found were particularly helpful to store water and avoid needing to search for it constantly.
As for weapons, I gave the machete to Hyunsuk and one of the knives to Olivia. When I handed her the knife, Olivia let out a relieved sigh. I could understand how she felt. Even though we seemed friendly now, Hyunsuk and I were still strangers to her. She was a woman trapped in an unfamiliar place, with two men she had just met.
Having a small weapon like a knife probably gave her a sense of security. If anything went wrong, at least she could defend herself.
Once we felt we had enough supplies, we resumed our search and finally found a staircase leading to a lower floor. The floor below didn't look much different. Shelves, dim lighting, and a pressing silence still dominated the space.
We continued exploring and soon found several narrow corridors. It wasn't clear where these corridors led, but we decided to go in. As we walked through them, we saw many water pipes hanging above. Some of them were leaking, dripping water and forming small puddles on the floor.
A place like this usually housed rats or insects, but so far, we hadn't seen any signs of life—besides the three of us.
The corridors branched in various directions, but we chose to follow the one with overhead pipes, thinking they might lead somewhere. After passing a few junctions, we arrived at a steel door at the end of one corridor.
Everyone looked excited to see the door. But for some reason, I didn't feel relieved. This door wasn't necessarily the way out.
After ensuring there was no danger, I slowly opened the door. What we found behind it was a long, dark tunnel filled with old ventilation shafts, creaking faintly from wind blowing from who knows where.
"So this isn't the exit either..." Olivia said softly, her voice weary.
"Don't worry, noona. We'll find it," Hyunsuk replied, trying to comfort her.
I simply stared into the tunnel that seemed to stretch endlessly. The uneasy feeling that had been brewing inside me grew stronger. For some reason, ever since we entered this place… something felt wrong.
As if eyes were watching us from within the darkness.
But we had no choice but to keep walking. Stopping wasn't an option.
I took the lead, guiding them through the long tunnel. The light from our flashlights was the only thing showing the way. The place was dark, damp, and the deeper we went, the more our anxiety grew. It's human instinct to fear the dark—fear what cannot be seen.
Because of that, Hyunsuk and Olivia instinctively drew closer, walking right beside me. Olivia even held onto the hem of my shirt, and Hyunsuk occasionally patted my backpack, as if to make sure I was still ahead of him.
They needed something to hold onto. Someone who appeared calm. And even though I didn't feel that strong myself, I knew… if I panicked too, everything could fall apart.
Then, when we reached one of the intersections, my steps suddenly stopped.
There was something there.
Hyunsuk, walking behind me, couldn't stop in time and bumped into me lightly.
"What is it, hyung? Why did you sto—"
His words were cut off. His eyes followed my gaze… and widened.
Olivia, still holding my shirt, immediately started trembling.
Across the junction, within the shadows, something was standing.
A large creature.
Its entire body was cloaked in darkness—so black that no details could be seen. But from within that blackness, two white eyes glowed like an animal's in the night. And beneath those eyes… a row of sharp teeth smiled. Not a friendly smile, but a hungry one.
And that creature… was staring right at us.