Chapter 17: A New Threat

The tremor beneath their feet grew stronger, shaking the very foundation of the facility. Seo-Jin could feel the vibrations echoing through his bones, but his focus remained on Jae-Min, who lay weak and pale at his side. The shadows had retreated, but the air was still thick with the presence of something much darker and more powerful.

Tae-Hoon rushed over, his weapon still drawn, eyes scanning the room for any sign of further danger. "We need to get out of here, now!" he barked, urgency clear in his voice.

Seo-Jin nodded, carefully lifting Jae-Min into his arms. His friend was lighter than he remembered, his body frail from the time spent under the influence of the dark energy. But Jae-Min's eyes were open now, filled with awareness and something else—fear.

"It's coming," Jae-Min whispered, his voice trembling.

"What's coming?" Seo-Jin asked, his heart racing.

Jae-Min's gaze flickered to the shadows still lingering in the corners of the room. "The one who controls the darkness. He's stronger than anything we've faced before."

Tae-Hoon cursed under his breath, glancing toward the door. "We can't take on something like that in this condition. We need to regroup with the others and come up with a plan."

But Seo-Jin's mind was already spinning. If what Jae-Min said was true, then they were running out of time. Whatever this dark force was, it wouldn't stop until it consumed everything.

He stood up, holding Jae-Min close as Tae-Hoon led the way out of the room. The facility's halls were eerily silent now, the only sound being the faint hum of electricity and the occasional distant rumble of the earth beneath them.

"Do you think the others are okay?" Seo-Jin asked as they navigated the narrow corridors.

"They'll be fine," Tae-Hoon replied confidently. "Hae-Rin and Jin-Soo are resourceful. They would've found a way out by now."

But even as Tae-Hoon said it, Seo-Jin could feel the tension in the air. Something was watching them, following their every move. He could sense it, just out of sight, lurking in the shadows.

Suddenly, a deafening crash echoed through the facility, followed by a low, guttural growl that seemed to come from everywhere at once. The walls shook, dust and debris falling from the ceiling as the ground trembled beneath their feet.

"What the hell was that?" Tae-Hoon muttered, his grip tightening on his weapon.

Before Seo-Jin could respond, the shadows in the hallway ahead began to shift, coalescing into a dark, humanoid figure. Its form was twisted and unnatural, with long, clawed hands and glowing red eyes that burned with malevolence.

"Get ready," Tae-Hoon growled, raising his weapon. But before he could fire, the shadowy figure surged forward, moving with unnatural speed.

Seo-Jin barely had time to react as Tae-Hoon opened fire, the bullets passing harmlessly through the creature's body. The shadow lunged toward them, its claws slashing through the air with deadly precision.

Seo-Jin turned, shielding Jae-Min with his body as Tae-Hoon threw himself in front of the attack. The shadow's claws grazed Tae-Hoon's arm, leaving deep, jagged wounds, but he didn't falter. With a roar, Tae-Hoon swung his weapon like a club, smashing it into the creature's form. The blow disrupted the shadow's shape, causing it to retreat with an inhuman screech.

"We need to move!" Tae-Hoon shouted, blood dripping from his arm. "We can't fight that thing!"

Seo-Jin nodded, adrenaline surging through his veins as they ran down the hallway. The shadowy figure pursued them, its red eyes glowing ominously in the darkness. It moved faster than they could, closing the distance with terrifying speed.

As they rounded a corner, Seo-Jin spotted a stairwell leading down into the lower levels of the facility. "This way!" he shouted, rushing toward it. Tae-Hoon followed, his face pale but determined.

They descended the stairs quickly, the shadow still close behind. The air grew colder the deeper they went, the walls damp and covered in grime. It felt like they were descending into the heart of something ancient and evil.

Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs and burst into a large, open chamber. The room was filled with strange machinery and old equipment, much of it broken and rusted. In the center of the room stood Hae-Rin and Jin-Soo, both looking worse for wear but alive.

"Hae-Rin!" Seo-Jin called out, relief flooding his voice.

Hae-Rin turned, her eyes widening as she saw them. "What happened?" she asked, rushing over. "Is Jae-Min okay?"

"He's weak, but he's alive," Seo-Jin replied, carefully setting Jae-Min down on the ground. "But there's something else here. Something powerful."

As if on cue, the shadowy figure appeared at the entrance to the chamber, its red eyes glowing with murderous intent. Jin-Soo paled at the sight of it, quickly pulling out his tech gear in an attempt to find a way to fight back.

"We can't let that thing get to us," Hae-Rin said, drawing her weapon. "But bullets won't work on it. We need another way."

Seo-Jin glanced down at the artifact, now dim but still faintly glowing. It had worked before, pushing back the darkness, but the price had been steep. He wasn't sure if he could control it again.

As the shadow advanced, Seo-Jin's mind raced. There had to be a way to stop it—something they hadn't thought of yet.

Jin-Soo, furiously typing on his device, suddenly shouted, "I've got it! There's a power source in this facility that's feeding the shadows. If we can cut it off, the creature will lose its strength!"

"Where is it?" Seo-Jin asked urgently.

Jin-Soo pointed toward a large machine in the far corner of the room, covered in wires and cables. "There. But it's heavily guarded by security protocols. It won't be easy to disable."

"We don't have a choice," Hae-Rin said, her eyes locked on the approaching shadow. "Seo-Jin, Tae-Hoon, buy us some time. Jin-Soo and I will take care of the power source."

Without hesitation, Seo-Jin and Tae-Hoon stepped forward, placing themselves between the shadow and the rest of the team. The air around the creature grew colder, its form flickering as it prepared to strike.

"I hope you've got a plan," Tae-Hoon muttered, his eyes narrowing.

Seo-Jin took a deep breath, focusing on the faint glow of the artifact in his hand. "We hold it off until they get the job done."

The shadow lunged toward them, its claws extended. Seo-Jin raised the artifact, and a surge of light erupted from it, colliding with the dark figure. The shadow shrieked, its form distorting, but it didn't stop. It pressed forward, pushing against the light, inching closer with every passing second.

Tae-Hoon swung his weapon again, disrupting the shadow's form, but it quickly reformed, more aggressive than before. "Hurry up, guys!" Tae-Hoon shouted, sweat dripping from his brow.

Behind them, Jin-Soo and Hae-Rin worked frantically, cutting through the cables and wires connected to the power source. Sparks flew as they struggled against the security systems, the clock ticking down with each moment.

The shadow's claws slashed through the air, grazing Seo-Jin's arm. Pain shot through him, but he didn't back down. The artifact glowed brighter, pushing the shadow back once more.

"We're almost there!" Jin-Soo shouted, his voice filled with tension.

But time was running out. The shadow gathered its strength, preparing for a final, devastating attack.

Seo-Jin gritted his teeth, the weight of the artifact pressing down on him as he prepared for the worst.

To be continued...