SILENCE | ATEEZ

10 | Warning Sign

Rattling of the chains echoes through the dark alleyway they are walking. Worn out lamps interval five minutes walk from each one light up the tunnel, sending eeriness down their spine as they follow Hongjoong's track. Each step feels heavier as their shoes start to soak in the puddle of mud that is never ending. Wooyoung moves by Hongjoong's right side while Jongho takes his other left side. He doesn't complain, instead fastens his pace when their ears catch little sounds of a slight movement around them. Arin follows them closely from the back, minding her own business as she walks.

Mingi is still holding San's shoulder up as he walks slowly, matching his height with him by lowering down his head. San's arm wraps around his shoulder, which from time to time he tries to lift it off to release some pressure off Mingi. He has his head down all through the journey, feeling a bit embarrassed with the state he is in even though Mingi had told him repeatedly he was fine with helping him.

San doesn't like to appear weak, and he loathes needing help from any human kind but Mingi is just as stubborn as him. He couldn't refuse anymore and surrendered to Mingi's helping hands.

Elenna on the other hand is walking further behind all of them, her eyes lingering around the tunnel as she catches the sight of water dripping down to floor. It is so dark that she could hardly see what's more to the tunnel, but she makes use of the limited light shining above them. A small fear creeps up on her as she suddenly sees a black creature, a small one, crawling up to the nearest lamp that they are currently passing by. Elenna rubs her eyes repeatedly, wanting to make sure what she sees isn't some mere illusion. She doesn't realise her legs have already stopped moving, and the rest of the group is heading far off.

"Hongjoong.." her voice greets everyone's ears, as the rest of them turn around. Mingi squints his eyes as he realises that she is quite far back from the rest of them.

"El! What are you looking at? Come here, fast!" he calls out, still trying to figure out what Elenna is doing. His grip on San is still steady, preventing him from tripping over the mud. "Elenna!"

"I'm fine!" Elenna replies, shouting from her side. Her eyes trace the creature as it crawls upward. It has black scales on its body, with burning red tendrils lingering on top of it, looking similar to the vein in our body. Elenna's heart stops for a while when the creature suddenly stops, before it slowly turns to face her. She doesn't move from her spot, staying rooted as she tries to take a good look at it. The more she looked at it, the more confused she became.

The shape looks like a tarantula, but it has a big shell covering its body. A sudden fear ignites in her as she takes a step back, her eyes slowly realising there's something else on top of the weird creature's body aside from the shell.

A pair of black wings.

"ELENNA DON'T TOUCH IT!"

Hongjoong screams on top of his lungs as he pushes the other from his way, running towards Elenna who is already screaming on the ground as the black creature attacks her face, flapping its black wings to reach her. Her hands move rapidly on top of her face, pushing against the wind as she tries to block the creature away from coming closer. Her screams mix with Hongjoong's own scream as he scrambles towards Elenna, a small handkerchief from his pocket when he arrives at her.

Frantically, he pulls her from the ground before putting the handkerchief on top of her head as he forcefully ducks it down to prevent the creature from getting to them. They run forward as Hongjoong flaps his own hands, still shouting as much as he can.

"Run! Go! RUN! Run until you see a silver door with a warning sign painted on it! GO!"

Without wasting any second, Wooyoung and Jongho quickly run away from their spot, trying to navigate through the dark tunnel as they tumble a few times. Mingi and San try their best to catch up with the other as San slowly loses his grip on Mingi. He looks at San with horror, thinking San is losing his balance but immediately sighs in relief when he sees him running on his own. All of them run forward, praying whatever it is that happens, all of them will survive.