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Aiko
The building was eerily quiet as Aiko descended the stairs, her gun drawn. Each step echoed in the emptiness, her senses on high alert.
"Heeseung? Jay?" she called, her voice trembling slightly. She clicked on her flashlight, the narrow beam cutting through the darkened corridors.
Her breath hitched as she turned a corner, coming face-to-face with a lone neomorph. She raised her gun and fired, the shot echoing through the halls.
"Damn it," she muttered, pressing forward.
The silence was unnerving. She wasn't sure if it was better or worse than the relentless pounding of the neomorphs from earlier.
"Heeseung! Jay!" she called again, her voice more desperate now.
No response.
Her heart sank with every empty hallway, every unanswered call. Fear clawed at her chest, but she forced herself to keep moving.
Turning another corner, she froze. In the distance, she saw movement—two figures running toward her. Relief flooded her chest as she recognized them.
"Heeseung!" she yelled, sprinting toward them.
His eyes widened as he saw her. "Aiko? What the hell are you doing here?"
"I came to find you!" she shouted back, but her words faltered as she noticed the horde of neomorphs chasing after them.
"Run!" Jay bellowed, firing a shot over his shoulder.
Heeseung grabbed Aiko's hand as they sprinted back the way she'd come. The sound of screeching and pounding footsteps grew louder behind them.
"What were you thinking coming back in here?" Heeseung shouted, his grip on her hand tight.
"I wasn't just going to leave you!" she yelled back, firing at a neomorph that got too close.
"This is insane!" Jay called, barely dodging a swipe from one of the creatures. "We're not going to make it at this rate!"
"We have to!" Heeseung snapped, pulling Aiko closer as they rounded another corner.
They spotted a door up ahead, slightly ajar. Heeseung kicked it open, shoving Aiko and Jay inside before slamming it shut.
"Help me!" he shouted, and the three of them pushed a heavy shelf in front of the door.
The pounding started almost immediately, the creatures clawing and snarling on the other side. The three of them stood panting, their faces drenched in sweat.
Aiko leaned against the wall, her hands trembling. "You're welcome, by the way," she said, shooting Heeseung a pointed look.
He turned to her, his expression equal parts relief and frustration. "You shouldn't have come back."
