Chapter 12: Somewhere Out There Part 1

  A rhythmic echo of footsteps and heavy breathing filled the dimly lit hallway. Mira and Kai sprinted through the second floor of the facility, weaving past rubble and cracked flooring. The flickering lights did little to help their visibility, casting eerie shadows that danced across the broken walls.

  Mira’s mind raced as she ran, occasionally glancing back at her younger brother. The scene before them confirmed their suspicions—this was where the chase between Kwon and the monster had taken place.

  “Why is it so far?” Kai groaned between deep breaths. He wasn’t really expecting an answer; he was just exhausted.

  Mira kept her pace steady, occasionally slowing down for Kai to catch up. The memory of the black sludge writhing in the corner of the previous room was burned into her mind. The way the green liquid from the monster slithered on its own was not only terrifying but also repulsively unnatural.

  At last, they reached Room B12.

  Mira and Kai stood at the entrance, breathing heavily as they scanned the dimly lit space. But Kwon was nowhere to be found.

  A small trail of dried blood led toward the elevator, its dark stain stark against the cold floor. Mira swallowed the lump in her throat, guilt gnawing at her. She had left Kwon behind during her expedition.

  Edward, analyzing through Kai’s right arm, observed the faint traces of blood leading to a pile of rubble where Kwon had last rested. But he was gone. The only evidence left was a small splatter of dried blood and a peculiar, melted patch of flooring.

  “Where is Kwon?” Kai asked, his voice laced with desperate hope.

  “I don’t know. He was supposed to be here,” Edward murmured, his voice vibrating through Kai’s arm as he processed the information.

  The lack of fresh blood was a good sign—it meant Kwon had stopped bleeding. But his disappearance, coupled with the fact that the wall blocking the stairwell had mysteriously retracted, left Edward uneasy. Someone—or something—was tampering with the facility’s security.

  Mira’s sharp eyes caught something.

  “The floor—it’s melted and hardened over. The trail leads downstairs,” she pointed out.

  Edward examined it closely. He speculated that the mysterious wriggling liquid from earlier had something to do with this. If so, Kwon was likely still being pursued.

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  “Hey, check this out,” Mira called, her voice hushed.

  They all gathered near the stairwell, their gazes falling on a pile of brown fur stained with blood at the base of the stairs.

  Mira hesitated, then glanced at the security camera in the room. “Can you check the cameras?” she asked in a whisper. Though the camera appeared inactive, an unsettling feeling crept over her—as if someone was watching.

  “I can connect if you get me closer, but I can’t access the other floors unless I link directly to a room’s system or the main network,” Edward admitted.

  Mira lingered on the camera before turning toward the stairs.

  They descended cautiously, silence engulfing them as darkness crept closer. The distant hum of the ventilation system filled the empty space, and the cold night air sent shivers down their spines.

  Kai frequently glanced back, though there was nothing but pitch-black stairs and walls behind them. He knew it was just paranoia, but he needed to be sure they were truly alone.

  Mira reached into her backpack and pulled out a flashlight, clicking it on with a soft tap.

  Kai instinctively reached for his own, but his backpack was long gone. Before he could react, Edward shifted, slithering up to the top of Kai’s head and morphing into a makeshift headlamp. A beam of light illuminated the stairs ahead.

  “Be careful,” Edward warned.

  “Okay,” Kai whispered in response.

  For nearly an hour, they descended the stairs, passing by random rusted doors between the first and second floors. They ignored them, their focus solely on following the melted steps and scattered fur.

  When they finally reached the first floor, they came to an abrupt halt.

  A thick steel wall loomed in front of them, blocking their path.

  Edward let out a low grumble. “Something isn’t right.”

  The facility’s security was activated twice. That wasn’t a coincidence. Someone was deliberately controlling it.

  There were only two choices—go back up or keep pushing forward.

  Edward formulated a plan. While Mira examined their surroundings, he instructed Kai to touch the steel wall. As soon as Kai’s hand made contact, Edward transferred himself onto the metal surface, searching for an entry point.

  A moment later, he sighed. “This will do.”

  The wall groaned, mechanisms whirring as it slid upward, revealing the dark corridor beyond. Edward quickly reattached himself to Kai’s arm.

  For the first time in a while, Edward felt a flicker of hope. If he could manipulate the facility’s systems like this, he might be able to escape this forsaken place once and for all.

  Mira scanned the area and spotted more traces leading down the stairs.

  Edward turned to her. “We should leave. Now.”

  “No,” Mira said firmly. “We have to find Kwon.”

  Edward hesitated. “Someone dangerous is still here.”

  “I know,” she admitted, clenching her fists. “But I can’t leave him behind.”

  Edward wanted to argue—rationally, it made no sense to stay. The dog was likely dead. The children could be injured or worse. He had seen the horrors lurking within this facility, and there were likely more. Any logical person would leave.

  But when he saw the tears welling in Kai’s eyes, he stopped.

  Kai didn’t want to leave Kwon. He loved him.

  Edward scanned Mira’s determined face through his lens. Frustration burned inside him, then anger, and finally, reluctant acceptance.

  “You know what to expect, right?” Edward asked.

  “Yeah,” Mira said, determination hardening her expression.

  “Fine. We’ll do it your way. But you have to follow my every word. Understood?”

  “Understood,” Mira said, a smile breaking through her tense expression.

  Kai wiped his tears and nodded, smiling softly. He wasn’t leaving Kwon behind. Not without trying.

  Steadying themselves, they prepared to plunge deeper into the facility.