Soojin's eyelids fluttered open. Darkness pressed in on every side. Her chest heaved, and her hands trembled as she realized she wasn't alone. The rain had stopped—or maybe it hadn't, and it was just the silence after the chaos that made it feel so eerie.
"...Min Hyun? Jihoon?" Her voice cracked. No response.
A faint groan came from somewhere nearby. Soojin rolled sideways, finally seeing Min Hyun slumped against the passenger seat, drenched, his forehead bleeding slightly. Jihoon was barely conscious in the back, teeth gritted, holding onto the waterproof bag like it was his lifeline.
Her heart raced. "Stay with me! Wake up!" she shouted, shaking Min Hyun gently.
He coughed, wincing. "We... we hit something..." His voice was rough, each word dragging through pain. "S-soojin... are you okay?"
"I'm fine... just... scared," she admitted, clutching the edge of the seat. "What about them? The shadow—who—or what—was it?!"
Min Hyun's jaw tightened. "Not sure... it moved too fast... could've been human... maybe worse..." His words hung in the air, heavier than the storm had ever been.
Soojin swallowed hard. She peeked out the shattered windshield, now smeared with mud and debris. Neon lights flickered in the distance, casting long, trembling shadows across the rain-soaked street. Somewhere, faintly, a siren wailed—but it was too far to be helpful.
Jihoon coughed, clutching the bag tighter. "We can't stay here... someone's looking for us..." His voice was trembling, not from fear alone but exhaustion and pain.
Soojin's mind raced. We have to move. We can't stop. Not now. She glanced at the car—they couldn't drive it. Tires flat, engine dead, the entire frame groaning like it had survived a battle.
"Alright," she said, her voice steadying with resolve. "We're getting out. On foot. Follow me."
Min Hyun groaned but nodded. Jihoon struggled upright, dragging himself beside her. The three of them stumbled into the alley, water soaking their clothes, the night pressing down like a living thing.
Then—light. A narrow alleyway opened ahead, faintly illuminated by a flickering lamp. But at the far end, a figure waited, silhouette hidden in darkness. Their stance was impossibly calm—too calm—and their eyes seemed to glint under the dim light.
Soojin froze. Min Hyun put a hand on her shoulder. "Do not panic... not yet. Just... keep walking, slow and quiet."
The figure shifted. Then another emerged. And another. Shadows multiplied, surrounding the trio like predators closing in.
Soojin's heart pounded. Every instinct screamed run, but where? Their only way out was through the very people who had been chasing them.
Jihoon whispered, voice trembling. "They... they know who we are... or... they want that bag..." His hand tightened around the waterproof bag as if it contained not just papers but their lives.
Soojin's mind screamed a warning—this is bigger than us. But deep inside, a spark of determination ignited. She wouldn't let fear paralyze her. Not now. Not after everything.
Min Hyun leaned close, whispering, "Three steps. Then run. On my signal."
The trio crouched, hearts hammering in sync. The shadows advanced, slow, calculating. And then, in a split-second decision that would change everything...
Min Hyun shouted, "NOW!"
And they sprinted.
Feet splashing through puddles, rain soaking their faces, hearts threatening to burst—they ran like their lives depended on it. Because they did.
From behind, the shadows screamed, the sound echoing like knives through the alley. The chase was on. Each step brought them closer to safety—or closer to the danger that lurked in the darkness.
And just as the alley seemed endless, a metallic glint caught Soojin's eye—an abandoned fire escape ladder leading up to the rooftops.
"Up there!" she yelled, pointing.
Min Hyun and Jihoon followed without hesitation. One by one, they scrambled, adrenaline surging, wet clothes sticking to their skin. They reached the roof, breathing ragged, eyes scanning the streets below.
The shadows stopped at the alley's end, frustrated. They could not see them now.
For a moment—just a heartbeat—they were safe.
But the storm hadn't finished with them. Somewhere in the distance, a new, darker sound rose above the rain. A low, ominous hum... like a warning.
Soojin swallowed, gripping the waterproof bag tightly. This isn't over. Not by a long shot.
Rain slicked rooftops stretched out beneath them, neon lights flickering in puddles. Soojin's chest heaved; every step felt like running on knives. Min Hyun and Jihoon led the way, but the shadows behind them moved faster, calculating, relentless.
Soojin stumbled, pulling herself up. "Wait... how did we even get into this?!" she gasped.
Jihoon glanced at her, drenched hair plastered to his forehead, eyes wild with panic. "I don't know," he admitted, voice tight. "I just... came back to Korea to take over my father's business. Thought everything would be normal. Then Min Hyun... he said he had a bad feeling about you."
Soojin's brows knitted. "A bad feeling about me? What do you mean?"
Jihoon exhaled, glancing over his shoulder. "I heard from a friend... they saw you working at a bakery here. Alone. Out of nowhere. Min Hyun thought it was... weird. He wanted me to check."
Soojin's heart skipped. "So you... came to find me?"
Jihoon nodded. "Yeah. But when we got here... we saw them. People following us, trying to—trying to kill us. We don't know exactly why. Maybe you do... maybe you don't. Maybe Min Hyun knows more than he's telling."
Min Hyun's silence was louder than anything. His gaze cut through the dim light, calculating, distant, like he was holding a secret too heavy to share.
Suddenly, a shadow dropped from a higher rooftop. Min Hyun grabbed Soojin's arm, pulling her back. Another figure swung across a cable, landing directly in their path.
"Run!" Jihoon shouted.
They bolted across the wet rooftop. Tiles cracked underfoot, sending spray of water and shards into the night air. Soojin's heart pounded, not just from fear, but from confusion—why were they really chasing them?
A flash of movement—too fast to react—sent Jihoon sprawling. Min Hyun lunged, pulling him upright. Behind them, dozens of dark figures appeared, cutting off the edges of the rooftop.
Soojin froze. "No... no, this can't be—"
Min Hyun grabbed her hand. "We can't outrun them. We need to fight smart... or survive together."
But before they could move, a rope shot from above, wrapping around Min Hyun and Jihoon. They struggled, but the shadows were too strong, too precise. Soojin tried to pull free, but a hand clamped on her wrist.
"Stop struggling," a voice hissed. "You're coming with us."
Rain streaked her vision as they were lifted—helpless, suspended above the alley. Her heart hammered in her chest, mind racing.
Soojin's voice trembled. "Why... why are they after us? What do they want?"
Min Hyun's jaw tightened. His eyes flicked to hers, conflicted, burdened. "We... don't know everything. But whatever it is... it's bigger than us. And Soojin... it's not safe to find out yet."
As the shadows dragged them down, the city lights blurred, the rain pounding like war drums.
Soojin's grip on the waterproof bag tightened. Her pulse screamed: whatever's in this bag... it could kill them all.
Rain lashed against their faces as Soojin, Min Hyun, and Jihoon tore across the rooftops. Each leap from one slippery tile to the next felt like a gamble with death. Neon lights flickered in puddles below, distorted by the storm, while the sky above rolled dark and menacing.
"Keep moving!" Min Hyun shouted, dragging Jihoon along. His eyes scanned every shadow. "They're right behind us!"
Soojin's lungs burned, muscles screaming, soaked clothes clinging to her body as she vaulted over a gap between buildings. She landed hard, almost slipping, but Min Hyun's hand caught hers just in time.
From behind, the shadows swarmed like predators. One swung from a cable, landing with deadly precision in their path. Another fired a grappling hook, wrapping it around a railing and pulling itself forward with terrifying speed.
Jihoon gasped, clutching the waterproof bag. "We... can't outrun them forever!"
"They'll tire before we do!" Min Hyun yelled—but even he sounded uncertain. Another shadow leapt, knocking him off balance. He barely caught himself on the edge, teeth gritted against the sharp pain.
Soojin felt a rope wrap around her ankle, yanking her down. She stumbled, scraped her knees on wet tiles, but scrambled upright again. Fear roared in her ears, mingling with adrenaline.
They skidded across a narrow ledge, walls on either side cutting off their path. Shadows emerged ahead, blocking the alley, moving with inhuman speed. Min Hyun grabbed Soojin, pulling her into a sprint toward a fire escape ladder.
"Up there!" she yelled, pointing.
One by one, they clambered, soaked hands slipping against wet metal. Jihoon struggled, dragging the waterproof bag, but Min Hyun hauled him up just before a shadow lunged.
Breathing ragged, hearts hammering, they reached the rooftops above. For a moment, the rain's roar seemed to fade—but the shadows didn't relent. Figures appeared on neighboring rooftops, closing in from all sides, swinging ropes, grappling hooks, moving with relentless precision.
Soojin's pulse screamed. "Where... where do we go now?!"
Min Hyun's eyes darted across the skyline. "There—another rooftop! Quick!"
They dashed, splashing through puddles, leaping gaps that would have been fatal in any normal conditions. But the shadows were faster, anticipating each move, cutting off escape routes before they could reach safety.
A flash of movement—a shadow dropped from above, landing directly in Jihoon's path. He stumbled, yelping, and Soojin had to dive forward to avoid him falling into the gap between buildings.
"We can't keep this up!" Jihoon gasped, blood streaking his forehead. "They're everywhere!"
The chase turned into a deadly game of cat and mouse. Tiles cracked, railings splintered, and the trio's energy began to falter. They were soaked, exhausted, terrified—but the shadows pressed closer, relentless, precise, and calculating.
Finally, the rooftop ended abruptly. A narrow ledge dropped into darkness on one side, walls hemmed them in on the other. Panic struck—they had nowhere left to run. Shadows emerged from all sides, silently, like predators closing in.
Soojin's chest heaved. "No... no, this can't be—"
Min Hyun grabbed her arm. "Brace yourself. We're trapped."
Before they could react, the shadows struck—fast, precise, and merciless. Jihoon went down first, a kick to the side sending him sprawling to the wet tiles. Min Hyun tried to fight back, fists swinging, but was overpowered immediately. Two shadows grabbed his arms, dragging him to his knees, while another slammed him into the wall. Pain exploded through his shoulder.
Soojin's breath caught. A heavy hand clamped over her mouth as she struggled, kicking, but the shadows were too strong. Every attempt to reach the waterproof bag was met with punishing force.
Jihoon groaned, sweat and rain mixing with blood. Min Hyun's eyes met Soojin's: Stay quiet. Survive. Don't fight alone.
The shadows tightened the circle, forcing them onto their knees, silencing every sound, punishing every struggle. Soojin gasped through the hand over her mouth, helpless, watching blows land on Min Hyun and Jihoon.
And then the leader stepped closer, voice low and menacing:
"You think running would save you? You think fighting helps? You're ours now. No words. No cries. Not a single move without our permission. Understand?"
Rain streaked their vision. Pain and fear consumed them. The rooftop, once their escape, had become a cage. The shadows loomed—merciless, victorious, completely in control.
"Trapped on rain-soaked rooftops, silenced and beaten—the shadows have claimed them."