The growling sounds from outside the room grew closer and closer, putting everyone on high alert, filled with fear about the source of the menacing noise.
Jaeha's eyes met those of the bearded man, both sharing the same thoughts in this tense situation. The bearded man whispered to the crying woman, brushing her shoulder before joining Jaeha.
The woman ceased her crying and moved back from the door. Noah tried to follow Jaeha, but Jaeha signaled for him to take care of the trembling woman and move away from the door.
Jaeha and the bearded man walked towards the door. The bearded man opened the door a little while Jaeha peeked through a small opening. He saw nothing in front, just an empty corridor.
Suddenly, something appeared beside the door, startling Jaeha and making him lose his composure. He shouted to the bearded man to hold the door shut.
"Hold the door! Don't let it open!"
Sweating profusely, Jaeha panicked, trying to find something to secure the door. The bearded man, initially confused, used all his strength to hold the door as something rammed it from outside.
The force was so strong that the door opened just a little bit. The woman in office clothes saw the being outside the door, her eyes widening in shock. Shortly after, she collapsed to the floor, fainting from the shock.
Noah, occupied with the fainted woman, didn't see the being. The other, younger woman in the corner continued trembling and biting her fingernails, seemingly unaware of the situation.
Jaeha searched for something heavy to barricade the door. He pushed multiple lockers to block the door, signaling for the bearded man to quickly help hold the lockers in place.
As Jaeha tried to move another locker, the bearded man asked in a panicked voice, "What is this? What did you see? It hit like a truck!"
Jaeha responded vaguely, "I don't know what it is. I saw a dog's head with blood flowing from its eyes and nose. It was wearing clothes."
"What kind of joke is that? What kind of dog wears clothes!"
The bearded man cursed as he held up the door with the lockers. His muscles were tense, and he was sweating heavily, doing his best to keep the door shut.
The growling sounds became furious, shaking the wall and loosening the door's hinges.
Noah, seeing the situation, looked worried. He wanted to help Jaeha but was silenced before he could speak.
"Don't talk, focus on tending to them!" Jaeha shouted at him as he moved to another locker.
Noah listened and focused on caring for the women. He laid the fainted woman down on her back, elevating her legs slightly to improve blood flow to her brain. He loosened her clothes a little to aid her breathing.
Having been a scout member, Noah had learned this first-aid treatment from his mentor. Such skills were often crucial during events like jamborees or camps, where participants frequently fainted due to dehydration.
Little did he know, these skills would prove invaluable in their current predicament.
As Jaeha and the bearded man held the door together, they felt the strong force from outside. Their teeth gritted, and they strained to keep the door closed, but the hinges were almost broken, and the door was about to collapse.
Looking at each other. Veins popping on their foreheads, they were slowly pushed back by the relentless force outside.
The growling sounds became more sinister. Just as the hinge finally broke, the door was pushed back, revealing a monstrous creature with the head of a dog and the body of a human.
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The dog-like head was covered in blood, its skin melted to reveal bones and tissues. Its clothes were tattered and unrecognizable.
Everyone in the room fell silent. Even Noah, who had seemed unfazed before, now looked dark and trembled. The woman who had been biting her fingernails stared at the monster, her reaction slow before she started screaming, further agitating the monster.
The monster charged towards Jaeha and the bearded man. However, before it could reach them, the sound of metal being dragged across the floor caught its attention. Accompanied by a whistle, the sound distracted the monster, which turned its back to the end of the corridor.
A shadowy figure walked towards them, silent despite its approach. The shadow gradually took form, revealing a man in a leather jacket with patches and intricate stitching, wearing a faded black shirt and tattered pants underneath.
He wielded a long blade, almost half his height. In his left hand, he dragged the blade, while in his right hand, he carried the head of a monster.
The man approached casually, speaking in a nonchalant tone.
"So, here you are. I've been searching for you diligently. I've even brought your friend along, though it's just their head."
Provoked. The monster rushed towards the man. The man threw the monster's head towards it, then lowered his position and charged. In a swift movement, his left hand moved so quickly that the blade's motion couldn't be followed by the eyes.
The monster stopped and stood still for a moment before its head slowly fell to the ground. Sheathing his blade, the man looked at the falling monster as its blood flowed to the floor. He then shifted his gaze towards everyone in the room.
Jaeha met the man's eyes, his red eyes glowing. The man seemed to be walking towards them, increasing Jaeha's and the bearded man's tension.
As the man approached, a genuine smile crossed his face as he surveyed the room. If he had arrived a moment later, who knew what might have happened?
Everyone in the room felt wary of the man. The monster was frightening enough, but now the one who had slain it stood before them, appearing even more intimidating.
The man entered the room and spoke in a friendly tone.
"Is anyone here injured? Thank goodness, it seems I arrived at the right time. Those shepherds usually hunt in packs. It's quite difficult to deal with them when they're in a group."
He extended his right hand to Jaeha as he introduced himself.
"My name is Zero, and I've been waiting for your arrival for quite some time."
Jaeha glanced at Zero's hand, noticing the gloves still stained with monster blood. After a moment of hesitation, he shook hands.
"I am Yoon Jaeha, and this is..." He gestured for the others to introduce themselves.
"I'm Kim Taegeuk," the bearded man said in a low voice, followed by Noah, while the women in the room seemed unable to engage in conversation.
Despite Zero's attempts to ease the tension with friendly conversation, everyone in the room remained wary of him. Zero walked over to the trembling woman. Jaeha wanted to intervene, but Taegeuk held him back, signaling him to let Zero handle it.
Zero crouched down in front of the woman and spoke gently.
"Hello, are you okay? It must have been difficult for you. You did well to hold on. Everything is okay now, don't worry. You will be fine from now on, nobody will hurt you."
He smiled gently at her, patting her head softly.
The woman began to relax, lifting her head to see a man smiling warmly at her while he patted her head.
His eyes were beautiful, glowing red with long lashes. Her eyes filled with tears, she tried to hold back her emotions, but she couldn't.
She hugged the man in front of her and started crying. Zero hugged her back, gently patting her back while reassuring her that everything was okay.
The woman cried even more before slowly calming down. Her breathing became more regular as she fell asleep.
Zero continued to gently pat her back as she slept in his embrace. He then looked at Jaeha and spoke.
"All of you must have been holding back. I understand that you must have a lot of questions in your mind."
He took a deep breath and continued.
"I'll answer all of your questions once we arrive at a safe place. For now, I need your cooperation. I promise I'll guarantee your safety along the way."
With that, Zero asked Jaeha to carry the sleeping woman on his back.
"It's almost dusk. We need to move to a safe place. Once night falls, these ruins will be full of danger."
Zero prepared to guide them to a safe place. Everyone was still wary of him, still not fully trusting. The man who could effortlessly dispatch the monster, couldn't imagine what he might do to them.
They had no choice but to cooperate, or else they would be doomed once night fell.