𝕎𝔸𝕐 𝔹𝔸ℂ𝕂 ℍ𝕆𝕄𝔼 ||𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋||

Chapter - 31

Ae-sol, breathless and frantic, ran around the penitentiary, desperately searching for her friends. As she turned around the corner, relief washed over her when she spotted Yu-jeong and Young-shin.

"Yu-jeong-"

Before she could muster the words, a gunshot reverberated through the penitentiary, slicing through the air like a blade of sudden terror. Wide-eyed, Ae-sol found herself locking gazes with Yu-jeong, her heart pounding in rhythm with the echoes.

Without a moment's hesitation, the trio rushed towards the source of the gunshot. As they reached around a corridor, the rest of the group, except Yeon-hwa and Jang-soo, had already gathered. Panic etched their faces, a palpable tension hung thick in the damp air.

Jang-soo rushed in, breathless, but Yeon-hwa was conspicuously absent. Tae-man, noticing her absence, asked with a furrowed brow, "Where's Yeon-hwa?"

Ae-sol, fear tightening her throat, managed to stammer out an explanation. "Yeon-hwa was- that- that sick man in the last cell... he was unconscious. Yeon-hwa told me to get someone for help," Ae-sol stammered out, her voice trembling with anxiety. "I- I don't know why the gunshot happened-"

"You left her alone?! No Ae-sol! Have you finally lost it?!" Bo-ra's anger cut through the air, her frustration boiling over.

Ae-sol, anxiety etched on her face like a haunting painting, shook her head, tears blurring her vision. "No, I-I don't know. Yeon-hwa went to help him, and then... then the gunshot. I don't know,"

Jang-soo, without waiting for an explanation, charged towards the basement, the others quickly following suit like anxious shadows. The air, heavy with uncertainty, echoed with the hurried footsteps of the concerned group.

As they descended into the basement's eerie silence, the weight of uncertainty pressed on them. The atmosphere became suffocating, the sickly sweet smell of dampness mingling with a metallic tinge that seemed to linger after the gunshot.

Jang-soo, though worried, led the group further into the prison's depths. The harsh glow of flashlights cut through the darkness, casting long shadows on the damp walls.

Meanwhile, inside the prison corridor, the psycho prisoner had already opened the doors for his prison mates. The prisoners emerged from their cells, their faces a mix of smugness and predatory intent. The psycho prisoner, with a twisted grin on his face, reveled in the chaos he had unleashed. Armed with Yeon-hwa's rifle, he strutted among the prisoners, a self-proclaimed king in this prison kingdom.

"Gosh, How long has it been?" The long-haired prisoner stretched his limbs with a smile. "Hey, scrawny man, nice job."

"Was I cool?" The psycho prisoner grinned at the others, a manic glint in his eyes. The prisoners' faces etched with a smile mirroring his.

"Wah, brother, I salute you," the grey-haired prisoner said, clapping the psycho prisoner on the shoulder.

The buff man from the first cell walked towards them, uninterested. The psycho prisoner grinned at him, "We all got out thanks to your mom. If it wasn't for her photo, we wouldn't have gotten out."

The buff man yanked him by his collar. "What did you do? Where is it?"

The psycho prisoner got out of his grip, his smile growing wide. "I gave it to that weak one."

"You son of a bitch!"

"Enough," The grey-haired prisoner halted the chaotic scene, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "What's done is done. Now, what do we do about her?"

The long-haired prisoner sighed, shooting accusing glances at the psycho prisoner. "Why did you knock her out? How are we going to get any information now?"