The corridor used to be just a passageway.Now, it was a place where people watched each other without daring to meet their eyes.
Hansol walked alongside Raditia and Kazuhiro, his pace slightly quicker. He could feel the stares from behind—not sharp, not obvious, but enough to send a chill down his neck.
"Since when did they start moving around in groups?" Hansol whispered.
Raditia didn't turn. "Since they realized being alone is dangerous."
"Or since they realized being together is stronger," Kazuhiro added.
Hansol stopped abruptly. "That's supposed to be a good thing, right?"
Kazuhiro turned to him. "Depends on who decides the direction."
They continued walking. On the corridor wall, there were old scratch marks—no one knew who had made them. The words were faint, almost erased, but still readable:
SAFETY IS TOGETHER.
Hansol swallowed. "I don't remember that being there before."
"Me neither," Raditia said, rubbing his face.
At the end of the corridor, several people stood chatting. Their conversation stopped when they saw the three approaching. Smiles appeared—friendly, but too fast.
"Where are you coming from?" one of them asked.
"Just walking around," Raditia replied shortly.
"Oh." The person nodded. "Be careful. The lower area isn't recommended to pass through alone now."
"Since when?" Hansol asked.
"Since last night," he answered lightly.
No further explanation.
As they walked away, Hansol whispered, "We never agreed on that."
Raditia replied quietly, "But they already did."
Kazuhiro stared at the corridor floor. In his mind, one conclusion formed clearly:
The most dangerous changes are the ones that happen unnoticed.