𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐄 | нwang ᴊunнo

10

☐△◯

WE CLIMBED in silence up the ladder, which had clearly weathered many a storm, and was now our only way out of this cursed cave. Every movement we made caused the metal to creak, echoing deep within. When we reached the top, I felt a moment of relief. Before I could take in my surroundings, however, my attention was drawn to a large, rustic grate that blocked the only way forward. It looked like something that would last for generations—solid, covered in rust, and clearly neglected.

Jun-ho had one hand on the ladder and he tried to open the entry with the other one, and I ws right behind him, holding my breath. I noticed that the metal surface of the grate was heavily rusted and damaged, but that wasn't what worried me. What worried me was the lack of any visible way to open it. Jun-ho reached out, touching the grate. His fingers ran over the cold surface.

He paused for a moment, as if sensing something, and quietly muttered to himself, "It's locked..."
His voice was calm, but I could tell it wasn't a good sign.

I looked at him, raising my eyebrows. "No, no... genius, tell me, how do we get outside if it's locked?"

Jun-ho didn't say anything, but his face already showed that he wasn't going to give up. Instead, he took a step down and stared at the grate on the side for a moment, as if searching for some hidden clue. Then he pulled out his gun.

Surprise was reflected in my eyes. "What are you doing...?" I started, but I didn't have time to finish.

Without a word, Jun-ho grabbed the gun with one hand and, aiming straight at the metal grate, fired. The sound of the shot filled the space, bouncing off the walls of the cave. I felt the entire earth tremble in time with the sound.

As the smoke from the barrel slowly disappeared, the grate suddenly creaked and began to open, as if it had been freed from some powerful lock. The lock that had seemed unbreakable moments before now slid to the side without resistance. Jun-ho lowered the gun as if it were an everyday occurrence, then looked at me, still calm, as if nothing had happened.

"Sometimes you have to use more... persuasive arguments," he said, returning the gun to its holster, his usual, slightly ironic smile appearing on his face.

I stood silently for a moment, looking at him, not knowing what to say. I felt a mixture of admiration and slight surprise. Jun-ho never failed to come up with solutions to difficult situations. But I still couldn't help but comment briefly:

"Great, genius. Maybe next time you could just try to open it with a knife or something?"

Jun-ho laughed quietly, not taking his eyes off the open doorway. "I'm not going to wait for a knife when we're dealing with a problem right here and now."

Before I could answer, he had already gone through the grate. I gripped the ladder tighter, feeling the adrenaline start to pump through me again. No matter what was waiting for us outside, I knew that with Jun-ho by my side, we wouldn't be bored. I decided to follow him without thinking too much. After all, who would get hung up on details when life literally depended on every step?

With a slight sigh, I took a step up, stepping behind him. Now, after everything we'd been through, I wasn't afraid of anything anymore... at least not for a while.

We exited the hidden ones, which are placed through corridors in the deep unknown place. When we left the last, limited space, we found ourselves in the room where the room is located.

Look around, trying to take in the entire width. The concept that was found was completely different from everything that appeared. It would be possible, immediately luxurious, as if we could soon take advantage of the possibility of using the sphere. The air smelled of old wood and freshness, as if someone regularly took care of this room, despite the fact that it was available forgotten for years.