Somewhere Dark

While walking, Kian heard footsteps from behind. He turned and saw Isen, the guy wearing a suit, and two of the four boys wearing school uniforms following right behind him.

"The others?"

"They're not coming"

"Why?"

"Well...they keep on saying they won't listen to that strange voice and they said, they'll just call the police instead." She explained.

Kian scoffed finding it ridiculous.

Isn't this whole situation uncanny? How could they not see how bizzare it was?

Still, he could understand them for about three percent. After all, he don't wanna believe it either, but his survival instincts are telling him to just go through with this.

They're brought here alive when they're supposed to be dead by now. He couldn't tell if they're saved by them or not.

He thought that maybe, they just had to figure out why they're here. Still, he's uncertain about what's going on just like everyone else. However, he'll try his best to figure it out.

Hey.." Isen tugged the hem of his sleeves. "Do you know the way?"

[ Participants, please head on the second floor in 14 minutes. ]

The voice who no one knows where it came from, spoke just in time, even stating where they go to.

"Where's the elevator?" Isen, feeling hopeful, asked out loud.

No one replied.

It's not as helpful as she thought.

"Let's just look for it." The guy wearing a suit shrugged.

Walking side by side, the group who decided to look for the elevator struggled for some time. When they finally found the elevator, they celebrated for a few moments before noticing that the doors were shut tight.

It seems like the elevator was broken. The group had no choice but to turn back and find the stairs.

[ Please head on the second floor. Time remaining: 3 minutes ]

The robotic voice sounded almost impatient.

"Let's hurry." the boy in the school uniform spoke up. For some reason, he felt nervous.

The guy wearing a suit chuckled. "Are you okay? You're shaking."

The school boy glared at the man, though he don't particularly look scary to the other.

"Guys! Let's go." Isen found the stairs and waved.

[ 1 minutes remaining ]

"Shit."

"Quick!!"

The school boy from earlier suddenly dashed upstairs leaving the others behind. Isen followed him and the older guy in suit quickly followed the two.

[ 24 seconds remaining ]

"Ack, wait." The other school boy tripped and fell, Isen who was supposed to be ahead, returned to help him up.

[ 19...18...17 ]

The school boy, and the man reached the top of the stairs first, leaving the three behind. Kian arrived shortly after. He glanced behind while trying to catch his breath. Then he saw Isen crouching down, while helping the other school boy to get up.

[ 3...2..1 ]

Kian held up his hand and motioned for Isen and the other boy to hurry up. They don't have any idea about what would happen if they arrived late. Which is why, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling tugging at his mind.

[ The doors are closing. ]

"Slam!"

Isen ran as fast as she could, slipping inside just in time. The door closed with a crisp sound.

"Guack–"

The other boy who rushed just right behind her, nearly made it through, but the door slammed shut at him, sandwiching him mid-step.

His blood splashed like a spray, drenching Isen's back, who was the closest to the door. The remaining flesh remained stuck on the door, and the deformed body parts twitched unnaturally like a broken machine.

It was a gruesome sight.

"Blaarghh–" The boy wearing a school uniform, who got in just in time, threw up.

"H-he's dead." Isen uttered, her eyes glued at the door, shook uncontrollably.

Kian approached her, covering her eyes. "Don't look."

What's happening? How can this door close on its own right after that mechanical voice said so? It doesn't even seem like an automatic door.

"Guys, look." The man in the suit said seriously, pointing inside.

Everyone turned their gazes inside.

They finally noticed how dark it was inside the second floor. It was so dark to the point almost nothing could be seen inside. Only the faint outline of the space was visible, but it's still hard to tell what's inside.

"It's dark." Kian whispered.

[ Please head inside, Participants ]

Isen jolted from the uncanny voice. On the other hand, Kian tilted his head slightly, his eyes staring into the space.

He started walking inside the shadows.

"Hey, don't follow what that voice says. Didn't you see how that guy just died?"

"L-let's go after him." The boy suggested.

"Let's not. What if we become like that too?" He pointed at the door.

Eugh. The boy threw up again.

Isen turned away from them, her body still quivering because of the unsettling sight.

"I'm going too." She said in a weak voice, before turning away. The boy stood up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, before hurriedly chasing after her.

"Tsk, whatever. I'm staying here."

---

It was oppressively dark inside the floor, when he continued walking, his feet struck something cold and strange. The sensation felt scary so he accelerated his steps.

Some time passed and his eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, but he felt uneasy when he sensed someone approaching from behind. His face remained neutral, but he actually felt scared, he walked even faster than before.

"Wait!"

Kian heard the familiar voice. He spun around and saw two silhouettes immerging from the shadows.

"Isen?"

Confused by why they decided to follow him, he inquired, "Why are you guys here?"

"Oh, uh, to follow you." Isen replied awkwardly. Meanwhile, the boy beside her nodded enthusiastically, his head bobbing up and down like a Maneki-Neko.

"Why?"

"You're too calm. It felt like we'll be safe with you."

He didn't like being used, but something about the girl reminded him of Archelle. Kian chuckled, trying to mask the unease creeping up on him. Pulling the two closer, he said. "Alright, just stick close to me." What they didn't know was that he himself was still trembling since. 

The boy they were with had just died. Who wouldn't feel saddened and scared by that?

He feared he would die too.

Even though he already experienced death, the thought of dying terrified him. He even felt like throwing up earlier, but he pushed through it and made up his mind to just go inside.

Walking makes his mind calmer so he instictively walked until he was here. It turns out, they thought he just looked calm, making him appear reliable to them

To be honest, Kian had already realized how none of these things makes sense. He wanted to believe everything was all just a dream, but it doesn't seem like it.

Ugh, at this point he'd rather wake up in a hospital to see his sister watching over him than be in here. He should've just died there, why does he need to go through all these troubles?

This was all bullshit.

How can he be revived?

The more he analyzea the situation, the more questions are brought up.

These situations feel too unrealistic, like a dream. Yet, everything is too vivid to be a dream.

Maybe this is reality?

Ugh, all of this was making his head throb.

Now, Kian regretted letting Archelle and Harvey have their conversation near the road.

Did he somehow turn dumb at that time? How can he propose something as stupid as that?

[ Identity of the participants, confirmed. ]

[ Teleporting the participants... ]

Feeling regretful, he walked and walked and walked. But his head began to spin. Then a few seconds passed when suddenly, everything lightened up, as if the darkness had been swept away.