The first thing he saw was a faded, trembling memory— drifting, unreachable, like dust in the wind.
He reached for it, but the path to that touch was winding and cruel.
Like a child separated from his family on a foreign street,
he curled up in a corner of loneliness,
until a familiar voice called his name: "Ta'hin."
The figure of that person was woven deep into the fabric of darkness,
unrecognizable to him.
A shadow of regret crossed his face,
and he began to scream the name frantically: "Ta'hin... Ta'hin... Ta'hin."
"My name is Ta'hin."
Aylin, who was close enough to hear the boy's whisper, shivered—
not only her, but even the heavy silence trembled.
She stepped closer, gently took the boy's hand, and asked,
"That's your name, Ta'hin, right?"
The boy, just pulled from a dream, raised his head to see Aylin's face.
His eyes were black holes of despair and darkness—
yet their gaze was soft.
He nodded slightly, saying nothing.
Aylin saw the sorrow in his gaze and chose not to press further.
He had survived a bitter ordeal,
and no one knew how much pain he'd endured beforehand
to carry such eyes.
She asked Joshua to take the boy to another room to rest.
The floor was drenched in blood and the walls cracked deep.
The basement had three corridors—
one led to the small hall filled with shelves,
another to a larger hall that seemed like an old storage room,
and the last to a parking lot.
That last corridor was blocked by thick roots,
but the other two were intact.
They had divided the large hall into sections—
one for survival gear and weapons,
one for medical and food supplies,
and the last for rest.
Mostly, they used the small hall for resting
since it was closer to the entrance.
After Joshua left with Ta'hin,
only Zach, Aylin, and Karina remained.
Aylin, drained from losing part of her energy, looked tired
but walked toward Karina with a warm smile,
hoping to take her away from that place.
She didn't want the shadows and blood to take root in Karina's mind.
This world seemed like a nightmare to a child like her—
the deeper they sank, the more alive its demons became.
Aylin left with Karina.
Zach stayed behind.
He felt wronged,
though he hadn't spoken of what had happened—
it had seemed strange even to him.
When Joshua left,
Zach had aimed his ice blades toward the boy.
He might have wounded him, but hadn't meant to kill.
Then, everything froze.
Even the beat of his heart fell silent.
The air around him darkened,
a thick stench of decay filled the space.
Only he and the terrified boy existed—separated from the world.
Zach's blades moved without his will.
He had no control.
A spark flared, and the boy's body became riddled with holes.
Zach, startled but composed, stared at this unleashed force.
When the last drop of blood hit the ground,
the blinding darkness shattered,
and the world returned to normal.
The suspicion that a power beyond them was lurking
paralyzed Zach's body.
It was a terror he had never known.
And he feared revealing it to the group
would only endanger them.
So he remained silent and bore the weight of his guilt.
He had felt something—
something hidden behind the veil was plotting… waiting.
In the silence of the shelter,
something slithered within the shadows,
waiting for its chance.