The sound of grass being trampled underfoot was the only noise in the midst of the heavy rain and the tense silence between the four children, until the quiet was suddenly broken.

“So, so, so, what’s your name, handsome face?” said Bello sweetly as she spun around Alp while he walked. Slowly, Alp began to grow annoyed, veins of irritation appearing on his forehead as he snapped:

“You don’t need my name. Just call me Four. Is that too hard for your tiny brain to understand?”

“But Four is a number. You must have a name. I already told you mine, after all.”

“I didn’t ask for your name, and if you don’t want to call me Four, then call me whatever you like. I don’t care.”

“Alright… Four!” Bello mocked, her voice playful as she continued to walk, glancing around the tall trees of the forest.

“Well, what makes us walk so quietly? No giants or… whatever have come after us again,” said Goriuko as he looked around cautiously.

“There’s nothing to confirm that something won’t come out again, but at least for now, we’re safe. Maybe... or maybe not,” Kurotopi replied, with a mocking expression and a funny hand gesture.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course, because Sir Kurotopi’s amazing powers will save us. Right, Mr. Clown?” Alp responded sarcastically, giving Kurotopi a sharp look. Kurotopi smiled back and said, “No, I’m just saving it for the right moment.”

“Fu** you and your power,” Goriuko spat angrily, glaring as if he were about to hit Kurotopi.

“Your tongue drips honey,” Kurotopi shot back sarcastically.

---

“Here we are, the warehouse we almost lost our lives over,” Alp said, gesturing towards an old building covered by a large tree. The warehouse looked ancient, like no one had set foot inside for centuries, and worse, it appeared as if it was about to collapse.

“Ladies first,” Kurotopi joked, clearing the way for Bello, who smirked and pushed him forward instead. “That rule doesn’t apply to me, especially not now.”

The children began moving toward the warehouse, glancing around as they passed. A car was half-buried in the ground, a truck without wheels or windows stood abandoned, and a sign, too weathered to read, was barely visible under the endless rain.

As soon as Alp placed his hands on the door, intending to push or pull it open, he realized with surprise... it was already unlocked.

“Someone’s been here before us… Be careful and…”

“Stay quiet...” Alp whispered cautiously as he entered, with the others following close behind. The warehouse was leaking, and the stone floor was wet, with water dripping from the ceiling, creating a rhythmic, eerie sound in the still air.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Once inside, they were met with chaos. Broken and scattered tables littered the area, skeletal remains in aprons were strewn everywhere, and the floor was covered in mold, giving off a nauseating stench.

“Ugh, is that smell coming from you, Kurotopi?” Alp asked as he pinched his nose, exhaling in disgust.

Kurotopi sniffed himself and then, while pinching his nose, replied, “No, mine’s worse.”

“I figured,” Goriuko muttered.

Bello, meanwhile, had her nose covered as well. The bigger problem was that the place was almost pitch-black. “Hey, guys, I still have one of those blue-flame oil lamps from the giant’s castle,” Bello said, pulling one out of her bag, which indeed illuminated the area—though it only made the atmosphere even more terrifying.

“Oh, great, you stole an oil lamp from a giant. Now what if he comes looking for it?” Goriuko hissed in a low, angry voice, glaring at her.

“Well, he’s got plenty, so he won’t mind if we take one or two,” Bello replied.

“Don’t tell me you stole two,” Alp whispered, slapping his forehead.

“Nope, six,” Bello answered with a grin.

“Well done, genius. Are you planning to open a market for them? Too bad there’s no good investment here,” Kurotopi quipped, motioning to the dilapidated surroundings. Bello handed out one of the lamps to them, and they continued further into the warehouse.

They soon reached a fork in the path. Kurotopi spoke up, “There are five paths. We’ll split up and meet back here once we’ve found the files. Each person goes to retrieve their assigned file. Mine is 33.”

“35,” Kurotopi said.

“34,” Bello added.

“40,” Goriuko said.

“Huh, your files are oddly close together,” Alp commented before they all parted ways, the last words exchanged being, “Good luck.”

---

Alp ventured down the dark hallway, spotting a sign stuck to the wall. However, it was filthy, and the writing on it was almost completely erased. He wiped it with his black coat and revealed the word “Sound,” though the rest remained unclear.

“Hmmm, that’s really strange… Should I go in?” Alp thought to himself before ultimately deciding to enter. The room was small and old, and in the center was a skeleton, also wearing an apron.

“Were they doctors or scientists? I thought this was a warehouse…” Alp pondered, approaching the skeleton and examining it. Soon, he discovered a locked door, prompting him to search for a key. Instead, he found something far more useful—a sturdy iron rod. “This looks strong… and useful. Who knows what we might encounter here,” Alp thought aloud, gripping the rod in a defensive stance, testing its effectiveness.

Suddenly, the sound of bones shifting filled the room. He spun around immediately toward the source of the noise, but the skeleton was still in place. Everything seemed normal.

“Am I imagining things because of that awful stench?” Alp wondered. He moved closer to the skeleton—it was the only thing with bones in the room. He nudged it, but nothing happened. It was just an ordinary skeleton.

Turning around, Alp scanned the room once more and said, “I’d better find that key before something stupid happens.” He resumed searching but instead stumbled upon something else—a file… numbered 687. Opening it, he read the title: The Karyos.

“Fast, sharp hearing, and able to fight with weapons. They have a unique intelligence, but not as sharp as humans, as confirmed by experiments. Their skin is decaying, and they have four green eyes... and they never make a sound.”

Alp’s voice trailed off as he stared at the description and the picture of them, though some images were missing.

“Oh, damn it. Don’t tell me those monsters are around here… No, no way. But still, I’ll take my precautions... and take this file—” Alp stopped mid-sentence, feeling a bony hand gently resting on his neck. There had been no sound of bones clattering, no footsteps.

He turned around slowly, fearfully, his face drained of color, only to find the skeleton from earlier now standing in front of him, choking him.

.....