The creature was right above him.
Kim Do-hyun didn't dare breathe.
The crimson glow from its head pulsed slowly, lighting the broken stone in uneven flashes. Each pulse made the shadows shift—stretching, shrinking—like the world itself was holding its breath with him.
His body refused to move.
Not because he didn't want to.
But because he couldn't.
Fear had locked him in place.
If I move… I'm dead.
The thought came quietly.
Too calmly.
A thin, metallic scrape echoed above him.
Scrraaaape.
The blade resting on the stone shifted slightly.
Do-hyun's throat tightened.
He tried to control his breathing, but it came out uneven—shaky.
Loud.
Too loud.
"…Please…"
He didn't even realize he whispered it.
The creature leaned closer.
Its massive frame blocked out the sky entirely. The air around it felt wrong—heavy, distorted, like it didn't belong in the same space as him.
That smooth, eyeless head tilted slightly.
As if it were studying him.
It knew.
A cold realization settled in his chest.
It knows I'm here.
The blade lifted.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
For a brief moment—
Everything went silent.
Then—
It struck.
Do-hyun didn't think.
His body moved on its own.
He threw himself sideways—
CRASH!
The stone behind him shattered instantly.
Fragments exploded outward, one cutting across his arm.
"Ghk—!"
The pain was sharp, immediate.
Real.
He hit the ground hard, rolling across broken debris before forcing himself up.
His legs shook as he stood.
Run.
This time, he didn't hesitate.
Do-hyun sprinted.
He didn't look back.
Didn't want to see it again.
The ground was uneven, jagged, every step threatening to trip him. His lungs burned almost instantly, his chest tightening as he struggled to breathe.
I'm going to die.
The thought came without panic.
Just a quiet certainty.
Behind him—
Click. Clack. Click.
It was coming.
Fast.
Too fast.
His heart pounded harder.
Louder.
Drowning everything else.
"…Think…"
His voice came out broken.
Running wasn't enough.
He could feel it.
It's getting closer.
His foot slipped slightly on loose stone.
He stumbled—
And his hand slammed into the ground.
For a split second—
Something changed.
Do-hyun froze mid-step.
"…What…?"
A faint ripple spread outward from where his hand touched.
The ground shimmered.
Symbols.
Barely visible.
Faint lines forming patterns he didn't understand.
They flickered for only a moment—
Then disappeared.
Behind him—
The sound changed.
The creature slowed.
Just slightly.
Do-hyun's breath caught.
"…Did it…?"
His mind raced.
That wasn't normal.
The memory hit him instantly.
Earlier.
When he first arrived.
The same kind of reaction.
"…It reacts to me…"
The words felt strange coming out of his mouth.
Unreal.
But right now—
It didn't matter if he understood it.
He just needed to survive.
Do-hyun pushed himself forward again—
And this time, he forced his foot down harder.
A ripple spread again.
The symbols appeared—
Clearer.
Brighter.
The air tightened slightly.
Like something invisible had shifted.
Behind him—
The creature hesitated.
Not much.
But enough.
"…Again…"
His voice was steadier now.
Still afraid.
But focused.
Step.
Ripple.
Step.
Glow.
Each movement triggered the same reaction.
Small.
Weak.
But real.
Behind him—
The creature shrieked.
A harsh, distorted sound filled with irritation.
It didn't like this.
Good.
Do-hyun ran faster.
Pushing through the pain in his legs.
Ignoring the burning in his chest.
But it didn't last.
The symbols began to flicker weaker.
Fading faster.
"…No…"
His breathing broke again.
"I can't…"
His legs felt heavier now.
Slower.
Behind him—
The sound changed.
Closer.
Faster.
It was adapting.
"Damn it—!"
The distance closed in an instant.
A blade tore through the air beside him—
He barely dodged.
CRACK!
The ground exploded again.
Too close.
His balance broke.
He stumbled forward—
And fell.
His hand hit the ground hard.
This time—
There was no control.
No thought.
Just fear.
"MOVE—!"
The reaction was immediate.
The symbols flared violently.
Bright.
Blinding.
For a brief moment—
Everything stopped.
The air compressed around him.
The creature froze.
Completely.
Do-hyun didn't understand what happened.
Didn't try to.
He got up—
And ran.
Faster than before.
Ignoring everything else.
The ruins disappeared behind him.
The broken body of the man.
The blood.
The creature.
All of it fading into the distance.
But his chest tightened.
"…That man…"
He slowed slightly.
Just for a moment.
He had been alive.
Talking.
Warning him.
And now—
Gone.
Just like that.
Do-hyun clenched his jaw.
"…This place…"
His voice was quiet.
Unsteady.
"…doesn't give second chances."
He finally stopped when his body refused to go any further.
Falling to his knees, gasping for air.
The sky above remained the same.
Violet.
Endless.
Unchanging.
"…What is this world…"
No answer came.
Only silence.
And far away—
Another scream.
To Be Continued…