Everyone stared at Hyunsuk with strange and wary expressions. Even I—usually the one who tried to stay calm—couldn't hide the surprise on my face after actually finding the box he mentioned... tucked tightly beneath the rusted wreck of a car.
Was this kid really a physics...?
The atmosphere around us remained tense. A cold wind slipped through the cracks of towering buildings, like the rib bones of a dead city. Burnt-out, abandoned cars littered the cracked streets, some wrapped in roots and wild vegetation. The sunless sky hung heavy above, casting a pale light that could hardly be called day or night.
Olivia was the first to break the silence.
"Uh, Hyunsuk… how did you know there was a box under this car?" she asked softly, as if afraid her voice might trigger something lurking among the ruins.
We all looked at Hyunsuk. Our gazes weren't just curious—they were cautious. In a place like this, anything could be a threat… even your own teammate.
Hyunsuk looked uneasy. He scratched his head awkwardly before answering.
"Well... honestly, I don't really know why. When we were talking about supplies, I just… looked around. Then suddenly, it was like this... information? An image? I don't know... just popped into my head. One of them showed the box under that car."
He tried to explain earnestly, but his words only raised more questions than answers.
I stared at him in silence, trying to read his body language. There was no sign of lying. But this wasn't something that could be explained with normal human logic.
"Have you ever felt anything like this before?" I asked seriously.
"No. This is the first time."
"And the information… it just appeared on its own?"
"Yeah… it just popped up as I was trying to investigate."
I took a deep breath, trying to process it all. This world clearly isn't normal. The fact that monsters could appear at any moment was already proof of that. Now, strange powers like this? Yeah… the only explanation—absurd as it might be—is that the black room we passed through did something to us.
I myself had felt a change while I was in there—like something had awakened inside me. But how could I know what kind of power I had awakened?
I tried following Hyunsuk's approach, thinking about 'scanning the surroundings'. But nothing happened. No image appeared in my mind. No mysterious whisper. Only the silence creeping from the crumbling buildings around us.
Maybe each person has a different activation method... or perhaps our powers are entirely different.
Seeing Hyunsuk overwhelmed by Olivia and the others' barrage of questions, I stepped forward and stood beside him.
"That's enough. Don't interrogate him like that," I said. "It looks like this world has something to do with powers… maybe magic, or something similar. And it's very likely that the black room triggered these abilities inside us. I don't know if all of us have awakened something, but one thing's for sure… it seems each person's ability is different."
Everyone fell silent, contemplating my words. The wind blew again, carrying faint whispers through the ruins. In a place like this, even shadows felt threatening.
Reactions varied.
Olivia and Joshua looked excited, like children discovering they might be wizards. They immediately started imagining the wonders they might perform.
Robert, on the other hand, remained calm. His expression was serious, eyes focused far into the narrow alley between two dark buildings. Maybe he was thinking ahead—about conflict, potential danger, or the risks of having magic in this world.
And me? I was just trying to stay rational… and stay alive. In a place like this, euphoria can get you killed faster than any monster.
"Hyunsuk, try using your power again," I said. "See if you can detect anything nearby. Try to measure how far it reaches and what its limits are."
"Alright, Hyung."
Hyunsuk crouched down, touching the cracked, dirty ground with one hand. He closed his eyes. Everyone held their breath. Even the wind seemed to pause.
A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and stood up.
"There are no more supply boxes nearby. But I can feel… the range. My power works in a radius of about 15 meters, but it can't pass through obstacles like walls or vehicles."
"Does using it tire you out?"
"Well… I feel a bit drained. But not physically. It's more like… mental exhaustion. Like I'm running out of focus."
I nodded, noting everything in my mind. It seems this power consumes mental energy—or maybe something like spiritual stamina. If that's the case… what about physical-type abilities? Do they drain the body? Or… both?
I explained all of this to the others in a low voice, staying alert to our surroundings. We were still in an unfamiliar, exposed area. One wrong move could be the beginning of the end.
The discussion continued. Joshua asked how to identify one's ability, while Olivia casually suggested trying to summon powers with a chant—which made all of us stare at her in confusion.
"Hey, don't look at me like that. Haven't you guys watched Harry Potter? I was just... making a guess," she said awkwardly.
After a while, we resumed our journey. The streets began to narrow, the buildings on either side crowding closer as if trying to trap us within the dead city's maze.
I told Hyunsuk not to use his ability recklessly.
"I don't want you to be defenseless if something attacks. Use it only when absolutely necessary."
After walking a few blocks past the scattered wrecks and collapsing buildings, we arrived at a crossroads. One path led to a denser area, where tall buildings blocked most of the light. The other looked more open, though still bleak and no safer.
Before I could decide which way to go, Olivia spoke up.
"Let's take the left path. The right one only loops back into the dense city area, and it looks way more dangerous. The left leads to a few intersections and probably an exit."
"…"
I went silent. Everyone looked at her.
It seemed like the second member of our group had just discovered their ability.