Zheairn came running, frantic, his face deathly pale from the terror he'd just witnessed. His breaths were ragged, the nauseating image still seared into his mind. He tore through the corridor, bursting into the bathroom.
Panting heavily.
His eyes darted around wildly.
Rain, standing at the sink, turned immediately at the sound. He saw Zheairn, gripped by extreme panic. Zheairn rushed toward him, grabbing Rain's arm. Rain shook the water off his hands, reached for a towel to wipe them, and turned back to Zheairn, who was clutching the hem of his shirt.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong?"
Zheairn's voice broke, his breaths heaving. He struggled to calm himself, piecing together words to form a coherent sentence. His body trembled with fear, his eyes wide and bulging slightly.
"I… I… a body… dead!"
...
"Shhh, okay, okay, calm down."
Rain reached out, grabbing Zheairn shoulders and pulling him to face him. He scanned Zheairn's body, checking for any signs of injury or something out of place, then looked back up, locking eyes with him.
"Take it easy. Speak slowly. I'm all ears now."
Zheairn nodded, struggling to steady himself. He tried to stop trembling, taking uneven breaths before gradually calming his breathing. Rain kept his hands on Zheairn's shoulders, offering quiet reassurance. The metal toilet door slid open with a faint creak, and Gaia stepped out, adjusting his shirt. He looked up, spotting Rain and Zheairn at the sink, and hurried over to see what was happening.
"Rain?"
Rain glanced up from Zheairn, turning sharply toward the voice. Gaia's face showed confusion, his brows knitting slightly. He spoke softly, his tone laced with curiosity.
"Whoa, what's going on? How'd this guy end up here?"
Rain shook his head, turning back to Zheairn.
"He came running in like a maniac just now. Looked terrified."
Gaia stepped toward the bathroom door, peering out into the corridor. He leaned forward, craning his neck to look both ways, then walked back inside, turning to Rain and shaking his head. "Nothing out there."
Rain nodded in acknowledgment, turning back to Zheairn. He placed a hand on Zheairn's back, rubbing gently.
"Can you tell us what you saw?"
Zheairn stared at the floor, his panic beginning to ebb. He glanced over his shoulder, then back at Rain, letting out a heavy sigh before speaking in a whisper.
"I… saw a dead body… out in the corridor."
Rain's brows knotted tightly. He responded in a soft tone.
"A dead body?"
Zheairn closed his eyes for a moment, releasing his grip on Rain. He looked to the side.
"Yeah… a boy like us… head cut off…"
Gaia, standing nearby, frowned at Zheairn's words, his expression a mix of doubt and curiosity. He leaned back against the doorframe, crossing his arms loosely.
Rain mulled over what to do next. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and spoke.
"Can you take us to see it?"
Zheairn hesitated, visibly nervous, but nodded. He led Rain and Gaia toward the spot where he'd seen the body. The three left the bathroom, moving through the corridor, with Rain and Gaia trailing silently close behind Zheairn.
Zheairn stopped abruptly, turning to face both Rain and Gaia. His trembling hand rose, pointing shakily to signal that the spot was just around the corner—a few steps away. Rain and Gaia exchanged a glance. Gaia decided to check first. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Gaia rounded the corner, whipping his head to the left. He froze mid-step at the intersection, staring intently for a moment. Without a word, he turned back to Rain.
Rain stepped away from Zheairn, moving slowly toward the spot Zheairn had indicated. He looked—
Nothing.
The corridor stretched out, empty and pristine, just as it always was. No trace of blood, no scraps of flesh, nothing. From where he stood, past the red line, there was no sign of what Zheairn had described. Rain turned to Chern and spoke softly.
"Zheairn, are you sure it was here?"
Zheairn nodded repeatedly, affirming his claim. Rain raised an eyebrow, glancing back at the empty corridor.
"But there's nothing here…"
Zheairn froze at Rain's response. He was certain it had been here. The horrifying image still burned in his mind, looping relentlessly. There was no way it was just his imagination or a hallucination. Determined, he stepped forward, stopping beside Rain. He braced himself for a moment, then slowly turned to look. But the sight before him was just as Rain said—nothing. The corridor was empty, exactly as described. Zheairn was absolutely sure it had been here. His eyes widened, a mix of fear and confusion.
"But… I saw it, I swear…"
He faltered, turning back to face the others.
"It was right here just minutes ago… I'm sure of it!"
Gaia moved closer to the red line. He stopped just before it and crouched down, scanning the floor for any trace that might confirm Zheairn's story. He ran his fingers along the ground and the red line, then lifted his hand to inspect it. Not a speck of blood. He took a deep breath—no trace of the metallic scent of blood lingered in the air. Gaia stood, turning back to the others, shaking his head.
"There's nothing here."
He added
"You're sure?"
Zheairn, still unconvinced, stepped closer to Gaia, his expression clouded with confusion. He looked around, finding nothing—not even the faintest hint of what he'd described, not even a whiff of blood. Bewildered and disoriented, Zheairn began to wonder if maybe he'd imagined it after all.
Rain stepped closer, placing a hand on Zheairn's shoulder.
"Let's head back."
Still confused and uncertain, Zheairn didn't know what to make of it all. He nodded faintly, his response barely a whisper.
"Uh… yeah… Zyn and Eliza are at the library…"
The three made their way back to where the others were. Amid Zheairn's lingering confusion, he walked silently, saying nothing, while Rain and Gaia chatted about mundane things along the way. Zheairn barely listened, his mind swirling with chaotic thoughts.
_________________________________________________
Pant, pant.
"Hey!! Hey!!! Hold up!"
A small boy was running close behind another boy, both darting around playfully like other kids often did. Suddenly, the boy in front stopped short, tripping over his own feet right in front of the familiar red line. He pushed himself up from the ground and glanced back at the boy chasing after him.
"I… pant… I'm out of breath. You're way too fast, man. I can barely… pant… keep up."
He stood up, turning to face the panting boy who'd been chasing him.
"Why'd you follow me anyway? I told you your stamina's not great. Why not just hang out in the dorm, play in the playground, or read in the library?"
The gasping boy looked up, catching his breath.
"Well… pant… you said I could come along, didn't you? Plus, I didn't want to just sit around by myself alone."
The first boy put his hands on his hips, speaking through his own exhaustion from the run.
"I told you I was just gonna check things out. You didn't have to tag along."
The smaller boy straightened up and walked closer.
"Are you really gonna do it? Why're you so curious—"
He froze mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he saw something appear behind his friend.
It was a guard, looming behind the boy standing near the red line. The towering figure, clad in black, gripped a weapon tightly, staring down at him. The boy hadn't noticed yet. The smaller boy frantically tried to signal with gestures that something was behind him, but the other didn't catch on. He raised an eyebrow, watching as the smaller boy, now speechless, pointed desperately behind him. Following the gesture, he turned—and flinched. The guard was so close they were practically touching. The figure stood astride the red line, one foot planted on it, gazing down at him. The startled boy stumbled back a step or two. The guard didn't move, didn't speak, didn't react.
"I-I… sorry, sir…"
He retreated to stand beside the smaller boy, both staring at the guard who continued to fix them with an unyielding gaze. The boy was shaken, unsure of what to do.
"Is… is something wrong, sir?"
No response. The boy's question was completely ignored, with no sign that it would be answered. The guard just kept staring, motionless.
The guard shifted sideways, pressing against the wall as if clearing a path—or inviting passage. He remained silent.
The boy, puzzled and uncertain about what was happening, still felt driven to follow through with his plan. He wanted to see what lay beyond the red line. Now, faced with the guard who seemed to be allowing him through, he grew reckless. Slowly, he stepped toward the red line.
"Hey, Sam, let's go back… I don't want to do this…"
The smaller boy, visibly scared, tried to reason with his friend. He didn't want to break the rules and face punishment, especially with a guard watching. The unknown consequences terrified him. But the other boy ignored his friend's warning.
He stepped closer to the red line, heedless of the pleas, until the tip of his shoe touched it. Instantly, his collar flashed red, blinking repeatedly, and emitted a loud warning beep. He glanced back at the guard beside him.
; "You have entered a restricted area. Please return immediately. Repeat—"
Ignoring the alert, he took another step, crossing fully beyond the red line. Now outside the boundary, he looked around, raising his hand to inspect it. The guard, who had been watching, pushed off the wall and walked away silently.
He grinned widely as nothing happened. Even the guard hadn't reacted. The smaller boy, still within the boundary, tried desperately to call him back, but his voice was drowned out by the blaring warning from the system. The boy prepared to take another step forward when—
"Come back, quick…!"
Shunk!
Countless needles shot out from the collar, piercing the boy's neck in a ring of tiny wounds. Blood seeped from the punctures. The needles began to rotate slowly, slicing through flesh and bone like a razor-sharp saw. With a sickening sound, the boy's head detached, blood gushing in a torrent as it fell, hitting the ground with a wet splat and rolling close to the red line.
Sam's eyes remained wide open, frozen with the smile he wore before his neck was severed. The smaller boy who witnessed it was on the verge of losing his mind. Crippling fear surged through him as he saw his friend die before his eyes. His eyes bulged, staring at the horrific scene. Tears streamed down his face, his stomach churned, threatening to make him vomit. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but no sound came—his voice trapped in his throat. He collapsed, his knees buckling, terror coursing through every fiber of his being. He glanced toward the guard who had walked away earlier—gone. The number on Sam's collar read: A5-044-BX.
Panic-stricken, the boy bolted, driven by raw fear, desperate to find help—a guard, an adult, anyone. He tore through two intersections, spotting a patrolling guard. He rushed forward, crashing into the guard and knocking him off balance. The guard paused, looking down at him. The boy struggled to regain control, his voice trembling as he tried to explain.
"H-Help! My friend… dead… I…" His words came out incoherent, fear shredding his nerves.
"Please…! My friend, around that corner…!"
He sobbed, pleading for help. The guard extended a hand, pulling him to his feet. The boy stood trembling, his mind shattered. The guard responded in a cold, flat tone.
"Return to your dorm."
The boy nodded through tears, his body shaking, and ran back toward the dorm.