𝕎𝔸𝕐 𝔹𝔸ℂ𝕂 ℍ𝕆𝕄𝔼 ||𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋||

Chapter - 33

The stillness in the air lingered, heavy with a mixture of relief and tension, as Yeon-hwa moved out of the closet with ghostly silence. Slowly, she moved towards the discarded rifle on the ground, careful not to make a sound.

The weight of the rifle in her hands felt both comforting and ominous. She checked her pockets, finding the additional ammo she always kept in store. With a practiced hand, she loaded the empty gun, determination etched on her face.

Stepping into the corridor felt like crossing a threshold into uncertainty. The dim light cast long eerie shadows, dancing along the prison walls like phantoms. Yeon-hwa's senses were on high alert, attuned to the subtlest of sounds. The corridor stretched ahead, a desolate path fraught with uncertainty.

The lifeless body of the long-haired prisoner lay sprawled, an unsettling tableau of violence. Yeon-hwa paused, her gaze lingering on the lifeless form of the long-haired prisoner— his eyes gouged out, an image etched into her mind like a macabre painting.

His face, frozen in a grotesque mask of death, triggered a cascade of emotions within her. There was no joy in his demise, only a solemn acknowledgment of the twisted reality they inhabited. His death was a closure of sorts, a poetic justice served in the cruel justice of their existence.

"Fucking Asshole."

Yeon-hwa muttered, her voice a venomous exhale that seemed to reverberate through the desolate corridor. The stillness clung to the air as she moved forward, her eyes never leaving the lifeless body. With a last, almost pitying look at the lifeless figure, she turned away.

With careful steps, she moved forward, the rifle clutched in her hands as both a shield and a weapon. Her senses heightened, attuned to the faintest sounds that might betray her presence. The corridor stretched before her like a labyrinth of shadows, each step echoing the delicate balance between the hunted and the hunter.

Descending the stairs, the echoes of her steps resonated in the silence of the prison. The rhythmic creaking of the worn stairs beneath her boots resonated with her heartbeats, a prelude to the unknown challenges that lay below.

As she descended, the distant sounds of chaos reached her ears. Gunshots reverberated through the cold corridors, each shot a sharp reminder of the dangers that lurked. Her pace quickened, a silent urgency propelling her forward.

The corridor opened into a scene of pandemonium. Bo-ra and Ae-sol were sprinting away while Young-shin and Hee-rak, were on the ground, the spheres almost closing in on them. Yeon-hwa's eyes narrowed, her focus laser-sharp as she took in the chaos.

"Stay down!" She yelled, her voice cutting through the cacophony. The urgency in her command spurred the two into action.

The rifle in her hands roared to life, each shot a thunderous proclamation of defiance. The spheres, fast and unyielding, crumpled under the assault. The metallic tang of spent cartridges and the acrid scent of gunpowder permeated the air.

The echoes of gunfire dissipated, leaving the ground in an eerie calm. Yeon-hwa, standing amidst the remnants of the spheres she had just eliminated, felt a sense of relief settle over her. Tae-man and Yu-jeong arrived at the scene, followed by Jang-soo and So-yoon from the other side, their faces mirroring a mix of shock, relief, and gratitude. The tense atmosphere gave way to a momentary respite.

Jang-soo, his emotions a tumultuous sea, broke through the collective relief. His unspoken feelings, carefully hidden beneath the surface for so long, surged forth like a tidal wave. In a moment of emotional reflex, he rushed towards her, arms wrapping around her in an embrace that defied the usual boundaries. His heart dictated the action before his mind could process the implications.