The elevator doors opened.
Not to another hallway.
Not to another gray room.
To outside.
Forest.
Trees stretched tall and thick. Moss covered their trunks. Vines hung between branches. The ground was soft. Dark. Wet.
Mud.
The air smelled different. Heavy. Earthy. Like rain had just stopped.
Ha Joon stepped out first. His rubber shoes sank slightly into the mud. Cold moisture seeped through.
Eun Byol followed. She stopped at the threshold. Stared.
The sky above was dark gray. Clouds thick and low. But they were shifting. Moving. Patches of lighter gray appeared between them.
Morning. Maybe.
Chi-Long walked ahead. Ten paces. Twenty.
She stopped.
Turned.
Looked at them.
"Run."
---
Ha Joon's body moved.
He didn't think.
Just ran.
Eun Byol hesitated for half a second.
Then followed.
---
Chi-Long turned and ran into the forest.
Fast.
Her red tracksuit disappeared between the trees.
Ha Joon pushed forward. His feet hit the mud. Each step made a wet sucking sound. The ground pulled at his shoes.
He kept going.
Eun Byol ran beside him. Her breathing was already hard.
The forest closed in around them.
Trees thick on all sides. Roots jutted from the ground. Branches hung low. Vines draped across the path.
Ha Joon ducked under one.
Jumped over a root.
Kept running.
---
The mud was everywhere.
Dark. Slick. Uneven.
His shoes slipped. He caught himself. Kept moving.
The forest smelled like decay. Wet leaves. Rotting bark. Something alive underneath.
Birds called somewhere above. Distant. Sharp.
The canopy blocked most of the sky. Only thin beams of gray light filtered through.
Ha Joon's lungs burned.
Not badly.
Not yet.
Just enough to feel.
---
Ahead, Chi-Long's red tracksuit flashed between the trees.
She wasn't slowing.
She wasn't looking back.
Just running.
Ha Joon pushed harder.
His feet hit a patch of deep mud. He sank to his ankles. Pulled free. Kept going.
Eun Byol was still beside him.
Her face was pale. Her jaw set.
She didn't speak.
Just ran.
---
The clouds above shifted.
A crack appeared between them.
Thin. Narrow.
Sunlight broke through.
Weak. Pale.
It hit the forest floor in scattered patches. Golden-gray. It made the wet leaves shine.
Ha Joon ran through one beam.
Then into shadow.
Then another beam.
The light moved as the clouds shifted.
Alive.
---
His breathing deepened.
Steady. Controlled.
*This is nothing new.*
The thought came calm.
He'd run before.
In dungeons.
Carrying bags. Equipment. Supplies.
Following hunters who didn't know his name.
Dodging goblins. Monsters. Traps.
Running when they said run.
Stopping when they said stop.
This was the same.
Just different scenery.
---
He glanced at Eun Byol.
She was keeping up.
Her breathing was harder than his. Sharper.
But she wasn't slowing.
Her eyes were forward. Focused.
*Of course she can keep up.*
K-pop training.
Hours of practice. Choreography. Performances.
Endless schedules.
No sleep. No rest.
Just movement.
This was nothing she hadn't survived before.
---
Chi-Long's pace increased.
Ha Joon felt it.
The gap widening.
He pushed harder.
His legs burned.
His chest tightened.
The mud grabbed at his feet. He pulled free. Again. Again.
Eun Byol's breathing turned ragged.
But she didn't stop.
---
The forest thickened.
Trees closer together now. Trunks massive. Roots like walls.
Ha Joon weaved between them.
Jumped over a fallen log.
Splashed through a puddle.
The water sprayed up. Cold. Muddy.
He kept running.
---
More sunlight broke through.
The clouds were opening.
Slowly.
The beams widened. Brightened.
The forest turned gold in places. Green in others.
The wet bark gleamed.
The leaves dripped.
Everything smelled alive.
---
Ha Joon's lungs burned hotter now.
His legs felt heavy.
Not exhausted.
Not yet.
But working.
He kept his eyes on Chi-Long.
She was still ahead.
Still moving.
Still not tired.
*How long can we keep this up?*
The thought surfaced.
He pushed it down.
Focused on his breathing.
In. Out. In. Out.
Rhythm.
---
Eun Byol stumbled.
Her foot caught on a root.
She caught herself. Barely.
Kept running.
Her face was red. Sweat dripped down her temples.
But she didn't stop.
Ha Joon didn't help.
Didn't slow.
Just kept pace.
---
The mud changed.
Softer in some places. Firmer in others.
Ha Joon adjusted his steps. Found the firmer ground where he could.
Pushed through the soft when he couldn't.
The forest was waking up around them.
Birds called louder now. More of them.
Insects buzzed.
Leaves rustled overhead.
The sunlight grew stronger.
Warmer.
The gray morning turned brighter.
---
Chi-Long's pace increased again.
Ha Joon's heart pounded.
He pushed harder.
His breath came faster now.
Deeper.
His legs screamed.
But he didn't stop.
*She's not stopping.*
*She's not even slowing.*
*How?*
He looked at her back.
Red tracksuit. Black ponytail.
Perfect form.
No hesitation.
No strain.
*Is she even tired?*
*Can she even get tired?*
---
Eun Byol gasped beside him.
Her breathing was sharp. Painful.
But she kept running.
Ha Joon's vision narrowed.
Focused on Chi-Long.
On the trees.
On his feet hitting the mud.
Nothing else.
Just movement.
Just forward.
---
The sunlight flooded the forest now.
Full beams cutting through the canopy.
The wet ground steamed slightly.
The air grew warmer.
Ha Joon's tracksuit stuck to his skin.
Sweat dripped into his eyes.
He blinked it away.
Kept running.
His chest burned.
Not surface heat.
Deep. Internal.
Like something smoldering inside his ribs.
Each breath scraped his throat.
The black tracksuit clung to him. Wet. Heavy. The fabric stuck to his shoulders, his back, his arms.
Sweat ran down his neck.
Hot. Slick.
It pooled at his collar. Dripped down his spine.
His hair was soaked. Plastered to his forehead.
He wiped it away with his forearm.
It fell back immediately.
---
Beside him, Eun Byol's brown hair had darkened.
Wet with sweat.
It stuck to her face. Her neck.
The sunlight caught it. Made it look almost black.
Her cheeks were flushed red. Her mouth hung open. Gasping.
But her legs kept moving.
Mechanical.
Automatic.
---
The forest stretched endless.
No end in sight.
Just trees.
Mud.
Light.
And Chi-Long ahead.
Always ahead.
Always moving.
Ha Joon's legs felt like stone.
Heavy. Slow.
His lungs screamed.
His heart hammered against his ribs.
*How long?*
The question surfaced.
No answer.
*How long have we been running?*
He didn't know.
Minutes? Hours?
Time felt wrong.
Stretched.
Warped.
*Will this stop?*
He looked at Chi-Long.
Red tracksuit. Black ponytail.
Still perfect.
Still fast.
Still untouched.
*When will this end?*