Chapter 8: The Monster in the Dark

The silence stretches, thick and suffocating. The ruins of Busan feel heavier tonight, the air dense with something unseen, something waiting. I grip my spear tighter, my knuckles white, the dampness of my sweat mixing with the dried blood still clinging to my skin.

Jae moves ahead of me, his steps careful but swift. He doesn't have to tell me to stay close. I already know the rules—stick to the shadows, make no unnecessary noise, and never, ever let your guard down.

The streets are empty, abandoned cars rusted to the bone, the skeletal remains of buildings standing like silent sentinels. But there's something wrong. A feeling. A presence lurking just outside of my vision.

"We should keep moving," Jae mutters, barely above a whisper. His voice is tense, his body even more so.

"Where exactly are we going?" I ask, my own voice hushed, barely audible over the distant sound of something scuttling in the rubble.

He doesn't answer right away. Instead, he scans the area, his eyes sharp, calculating. "We need supplies. There's an underground market near Jagalchi. Used to be a place for illegal trades, but if it's still standing, we might find food, medicine. Weapons."

I swallow hard. An underground market means enclosed spaces, tight corridors, and limited escape routes. If we get cornered…

But we don't have a choice.

Into The Underground

The entrance to the market is hidden beneath a collapsed overpass, the rusted remains of signs still displaying Korean characters barely visible beneath the grime. Jae pries open a heavy metal door, revealing a set of crumbling stairs leading downward into complete darkness.

I hesitate. Everything in me screams don't go down there.

But then Jae is already moving, and I force myself to follow.

The deeper we descend, the colder it gets. The air is thick with decay, the scent of rot clinging to my nostrils. My heartbeat pounds in my ears, but I steady my grip on my weapon and press on.

At the bottom of the stairs, the underground market stretches out before us—stalls left in disarray, abandoned goods littering the ground. Some are ripped open, torn apart like someone—or something—ransacked them in desperation.

And then I see it.

Scratch marks.

Deep gouges in the concrete walls, as if something massive had tried to claw its way through.

"Jae…?" My voice is barely a breath.

He sees them too. His posture stiffens, his grip on his blade tightening. "Stay close."

As if I'd even think about doing anything else.

We move carefully, stepping over debris, our eyes scanning every shadow. The silence is deafening, pressing in on us like a weight.

And then—

A low, guttural growl.

My blood runs cold.

The Monster In The Dark

The growl turns into a snarl, echoing through the empty market. My grip on my spear tightens as my breath catches in my throat.

From the shadows, it emerges.

A twisted thing that might have once been a dog, but no longer. Its body is elongated, its limbs stretched too far, its eyes sunken and glowing with a sickly green light. Patches of fur remain, but most of its body is covered in thick, jagged scales. And its mouth… its mouth is too wide, its teeth too many.

"Move." Jae's command is sharp, urgent. But I can't. I'm frozen, staring at the thing in disbelief.

Then it lunges.

Jae pushes me aside just as the creature's claws slash through the air where I stood a second ago. I hit the ground hard, the impact jarring my spine. My spear clatters away, out of reach.

Jae is already up, his blade flashing as he sidesteps the creature's next attack. He moves with deadly precision, his strikes fast, calculated. But the monster is just as fast. Maybe faster.

And it's not alone.

Another growl comes from the corridor behind us. Then another.

"Jae—"

"I know." His voice is clipped, his breathing heavy.

I scramble for my spear, my fingers wrapping around the familiar grip just as the second creature bursts from the shadows.

I don't have time to think. I react.

With everything in me, I thrust my spear forward, catching the beast in its side. It shrieks—a horrible, wet sound—but it doesn't stop. Instead, it whips around, claws raking across my arm.

Pain explodes through me, but I don't let go.

I twist the spear, forcing it deeper, until the creature convulses and collapses.

Blood drips down my arm, warm and slick, but there's no time to process it. Because Jae is still fighting. The first monster is relentless, and even he looks like he's struggling to keep up.

I grip my weapon tighter, ignoring the searing pain in my arm. I lunge forward, aiming for the creature's exposed flank.

The spear pierces flesh.

It howls, thrashing violently—but Jae is already moving, his knife driving deep into its skull.

A final spasm, and then it goes still.

I collapse to my knees, panting, my entire body trembling.

Jae turns to me, his expression unreadable. Then his eyes drop to my arm, where blood is seeping through my torn sleeve.

"You're hurt."

"No shit," I breathe out, wincing as the adrenaline starts to fade.

His lips press into a thin line. Without a word, he kneels beside me, tearing off a strip of his shirt and wrapping it around my wound. His touch is firm but surprisingly gentle.

For a moment, there's only silence between us.

Then he speaks, his voice low. "You didn't hesitate this time."

I meet his gaze, something unspoken passing between us. "Guess I'm learning."

Something shifts in his expression, something I can't quite read. But before I can ask, he stands, offering me his hand.

"Come on," he says. "We need to get out of here before more of them show up."

I take his hand, letting him pull me to my feet. My body aches, my arm throbs, but I push it all aside.

Because we survived.

For now.

And somehow, despite the horror of what just happened, my mind isn't on the monsters.

It's on Jae.