The Mysterious Woman

After running toward the Cold War bomb shelter at the center of Liberty Park, the two men reached the entrance.

The doorway was about six feet tall and wide, with an iron door that looked incredibly thick and intricately crafted.

As they approached, they found that there was no lock, and no visible seam—the door had an almost indestructible feel to it.

Jason began inspecting the door, knowing that the black card in his hand must be the key to opening it, as the message had instructed him to "bring the card."

After searching for a while, they finally spotted a matching design on the right side of the door. There was no card slot, so Jason simply pressed the black card to the door.

"Identity verification successful. Opening..."

The mechanical voice echoed from within, and the heavy door slid open by itself.

"Let's go in," Hank said, stepping forward.

But just as they were about to enter, Jason, who was always cautious by nature, instinctively glanced over his shoulder. To his surprise, a woman was following them silently.

Hank, noticing Jason's sudden tension, turned around to check. When he saw the stranger behind them, his instincts kicked in, and he nearly moved to defend himself, but Jason stopped him.

The woman had managed to sneak up on them unnoticed, so her skills in stealth were impressive. However, Jason didn't sense any immediate threat. She didn't seem to harbor any ill intentions, and even though Hank was a soldier, there was no need to make a move if she wasn't hostile. If she wanted to attack, it was likely she would have done so before they had a chance to react.

After Jason held Hank back, the woman walked closer to them. The door had automatically closed behind them, leaving the three of them in a tense silence.

Turning on their flashlights, they saw a narrow passageway leading underground.

Jason observed the woman, who was about his height, with striking silver hair that shimmered even in the dim light of the tunnel. Despite the darkness, her sharp features and elegant face couldn't be concealed.

Although she wore a smile, Jason felt an overwhelming sense of danger. In the confined space, her grin seemed casual, but her eyes were fixed on Hank, calculating her next move. She was either fully aware of their presence or was planning her next strategy carefully.

Jason cleared his throat awkwardly and broke the silence, "Uh... I'm Jason, and this is Hank. What's your name?"

The woman chuckled softly.

"Call me Sakura... Don't be afraid."

She stepped closer to Jason, casually brushing his hair back with her fingers.

Jason instinctively tried to step away but found there was nowhere to move. Sakura had positioned herself so that she was in the middle, effectively boxing him in. Even if Hank wanted to act, he would have to go around Jason first.

"How about... the three of us team up and move forward together?" Jason suggested, trying to keep the situation cordial.

Hank didn't move at first. His eyes were locked onto Sakura with a wary expression. It was clear he was waiting for any signs of trouble before taking action. After a moment, Sakura glanced at both men, then snorted dismissively before walking ahead of them.

As they walked, Jason's flashlight revealed a military-style backpack on Sakura's back. She also had a knife strapped to her waist. At first, Jason thought she might be military, but soon discarded the idea.

"By the way, Sakura, are you sure one backpack is enough? Don't you need more supplies?" Jason asked, puzzled by her minimal gear.

Sakura laughed, her voice light but mocking.

"Ha, you really think the world's ending?"

Jason didn't know how to respond. It wasn't like he had any solid proof that the world wasn't ending, after all.

They trudged down the dark passage for what felt like ages until they finally reached the end of the stairway. Jason estimated they had descended about 1,024 steps, each roughly 8 inches, which meant they were about 200 feet underground. Despite the depth, the air remained breathable, suggesting a large ventilation system was in place.

Ahead, there was another heavy iron door identical to the first one. Jason reached for the card, ready to repeat the process, but Hank suddenly called out, "Wait!"

Jason turned to see Hank pulling a handgun from his backpack.

Jason froze, his heart racing. Although he had suspected Hank was military, seeing the real weapon in his hands took him by surprise. In a peaceful world, Jason had never seen a real gun in person, and the idea of being shot here, with no one around to hear him, made him uneasy.

"What's going on, Hank?" Jason asked nervously.

Hank's expression had shifted, his face tense. Even though he was trained, it was clear he wasn't entirely at ease in the unknown.

Jason followed Hank's gaze and turned to see something that made his stomach drop: Sakura was holding a gun as well.

"Am I the only one unarmed?" Jason thought, but quickly rationalized that as long as Hank and Sakura weren't trying to kill him, his unarmed status might actually keep him safe—at least for now. They'd probably prioritize sticking together if something happened, and if worse came to worst, they might sell him out later.

"Ready? I'm going to do it!" Jason said, as he placed the black card on the door.

"Identity verification successful." The mechanical voice came again.

The door opened, revealing not what they expected—no traps, no monsters—but rather an elevator.

Jason scratched his head, pulling out a rope and attaching it to a water bottle, which he threw into the elevator shaft to test for any traps. When nothing happened, he cautiously stepped inside. Hank and Sakura followed after, relieved nothing seemed amiss.

Inside the elevator, there was only one button. Without much choice, Jason pressed it, and the door slowly began to close. The interior was lit, but the outside was entirely dark. The three of them stood silently, watching each other, trying to assess the situation.

"Hey, Hank, Sakura, do you think we could, you know, put the guns away? Since we're stuck together, we might as well try to stick as a team. Who knows, we might need each other later," Jason joked nervously, trying to break the tension.

"Fine," Sakura said, smiling as she slid her gun into its holster.

"Alright... you go first," she added with a teasing grin.

Jason sighed, knowing he had no choice but to comply.

About ten minutes later, the elevator made a soft "ding," signaling their arrival. The doors opened to reveal a vast underground base, much larger than Jason had imagined. Guards patrolled the area, each holding an assault rifle, while many people, just like them, were gathered in a cluster near the entrance, seemingly filling out some kind of paperwork.

Jason stepped out of the elevator first, heading toward the crowd to see what was going on.

"Hey, hey, new guy! Get to the back of the line! Can't you see everyone's waiting?" One of the others shouted, shoving Jason aside as he tried to stand in the front.