"Shush…" Riwoo whispered, moving forward cautiously, his eyes scanning every corner of the dimly lit corridor.

“Are you sure this will work?” Jaehyun asked, his voice barely audible as he adjusted Taesan’s unconscious body on his back.

“Jaehyun, we don’t have a choice. Let’s just go with it.” Riwoo whispered back, his senses heightened.

Jaehyun nodded reluctantly, following close behind.

The empty corridor stretched before them, exuding an eerie atmosphere. With no other option, they pressed on, desperate to find a way out.

Just an hour ago, Riwoo had mapped out what he believed was an escape route leading outside. Though uncertain, his calculations suggested it would take them to the forest surrounding the ominous place where they had been held captive- if they could make it past this corridor.

“Oh shi—” Jaehyun muttered as his foot collided with a table.

To their misfortune, a glass on the edge toppled, shattering loudly on the cold floor.

“We’re screwed,” Riwoo hissed, clenching his eyes shut in frustration.

Not even a second later, faint footsteps echoed down the corridor, growing steadily louder. Yet, the odd part was how soft they sounded, as if the people approaching were being deliberately quiet.

“What do we do now?” Jaehyun whispered, gently placing Taesan down against a nearby wall.

“Guess we die together,” Riwoo muttered nonchalantly, shrugging.

“Hide! I’m not ready to die- I still have my whole life ahead of me!” Jaehyun pushed Riwoo forward, maneuvering them both behind the same table.

Riwoo sighed. “We’re literally in plain sight, genius.”

“At least we’ll get a few more seconds to live… maybe.”

Their whispering ceased as the footsteps grew louder. They exchanged nervous glances, holding their breath as their time seemed to run out.

“You said you knew the way forward?” a voice echoed, breaking the silence.

“I do! I think…” another voice responded, filled with hesitation.

“Think? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Let me figure it out, okay?”

Curiosity got the better of Jaehyun, and he risked a glance past the table. All he could make out were two faint shadows in the dim moonlight filtering through a small window.

“I think he brought someone with him to kill us all at once,” Jaehyun whispered in Riwoo’s ear.

“What?” Riwoo tried to sneak a look as well, but his movement accidentally pushed the table forward with a loud creak.

“Who’s there?” a familiar female voice called out, much closer this time.

“Is someone here?” The second voice, deeper and more recognizable, followed immediately after.

The footsteps came to an abrupt stop, and so did Riwoo and Jaehyun’s breathing.

“Did those voices… sound familiar to you?” Riwoo whispered, his grip tightening on Taesan’s limp body.

“I… think so,” Jaehyun replied, squinting towards the figures.

“Come out, whoever you are!” The commanding voice made them flinch.

“Leehan?” Jaehyun almost shouted but was swiftly silenced by Riwoo.

Taking another peek, Riwoo’s face lit up as he caught sight of Leehan standing across the table, accompanied by a girl.

“Leehan…” Jaehyun bolted from behind the table, relief flooding his voice. Riwoo followed close behind.

Leehan’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of his friends. “Hyung!” he shouted, rushing forward to embrace them tightly.

The girl, Ma-ri, smiled softly at the reunion but froze when she noticed someone missing. Panic clouded her expression. “Where’s Taesan?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Leehan’s hopeful smile faltered as he turned to Jaehyun and Riwoo, dreading the answer. “Don’t tell me… Did something happen to him?”

Jaehyun and Riwoo exchanged glances before stepping aside, revealing Taesan’s unconscious form propped against the wall.

“What happened to him?” Ma-ri’s voice broke as tears welled in her eyes.

“He’s fine. He just fainted from exhaustion,” Jaehyun said, attempting to reassure them.

“Fine? How can you expect us to believe this when he’s lying unconscious here, right Infront of us?” Leehan snapped, crouching down beside Taesan. Ma-ri followed, her hands trembling.

“It's all my fault. I hate myself for this- if only I…” Ma-ri’s voice cracked as tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Don’t blame yourself,” Riwoo managed to murmur.

ᯓ ᯓ ᯓ

|Spoiler for the upcoming chapter|

“Enough drama, kids…” The distant voice startled them all.