Echoes in the forest | Minsung

Into the Abyss

The sky was a pale shade of blue as dawn approached, casting a soft, muted light through the windows of Han's apartment. The night had been long, and everyone was exhausted, but the gravity of what they were dealing with kept them on edge, unwilling to succumb to sleep. Han and Lee Know sat on the floor in the living room, their backs against the couch, sipping hot coffee from mismatched mugs. The warmth of the drink offered a small comfort, though the conversation between them was anything but light.

"I can't believe we're really doing this," Han said, his voice low, still carrying the weight of all that had happened.

Lee Know nodded, his expression pensive as he cradled his coffee mug in his hands. "Yeah... it's surreal, isn't it? But we can't back out now. We're in too deep."

They exchanged a glance, the unspoken understanding that they had to see this through, no matter what. Han felt a wave of gratitude for Lee Know's steady presence beside him, the calm in the midst of the storm that was now their reality.

The sound of the front door creaking open made both of them look up, their tense expressions relaxing slightly as Felix walked in, his eyes bleary with sleep but his backpack slung over his shoulder. He was still in his pajamas, hair tousled, a sight that would have been amusing if the circumstances were different.

"Alright, who do I have to hack to get some sleep around here?" Felix grumbled, dropping his bag onto the floor and giving them a tired but pointed look.

"Sorry, man," Chan called from the kitchen, where the faint smell of something cooking was beginning to fill the apartment. "We wouldn't have called you if it wasn't important."

Felix sighed dramatically, but there was a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just remind me to charge double for after-hours services next time."

"Double?" Lee Know raised an eyebrow, grinning. "You're lucky if you get paid at all."

Felix rolled his eyes, but his expression softened as he noticed the strain on everyone's faces. "Alright, where's the computer? Let's see what kind of mess you've gotten yourselves into this time."

Han gestured to the laptop on the coffee table, and Felix plopped down in front of it, quickly pulling out a series of wires and small devices from his bag. As he began connecting them, his focus sharpened, the tiredness falling away as he slipped into work mode.

While Felix worked, Chan continued cooking in the kitchen, the comforting sound of sizzling filling the quiet room. The smell of food grew stronger, making Han's stomach rumble despite the knots of anxiety that had settled there.

Changbin wandered into the room, drawn by the scent of whatever Chan was cooking. He yawned widely, rubbing his eyes as he plopped down on the couch. "Morning already? Feels like we just started."

"Morning?" Seungmin mumbled as he followed Changbin in, clutching a half-empty mug of coffee like it was a lifeline. He blinked slowly, trying to wake up. "More like a continuation of a nightmare."

"More like a never-ending series of unfortunate events," Lee Know chimed in, earning a tired chuckle from the others.

"Hey, if you're going to crack jokes, at least share some of that coffee," Changbin grumbled, reaching out for Seungmin's mug.

Seungmin held it out of reach, smirking. "Get your own."

"Quit whining," Chan said from the kitchen, his voice slightly muffled as he flipped something in a frying pan. "Breakfast is almost ready."

"I didn't know we were being spoiled today," Seungmin commented, taking a deep sip of his coffee.

Chan flashed a smile over his shoulder. "Well, I figured we could all use something to lift our spirits."