He tried to move his leg, but it wouldn't obey. The pain had spread until his whole body felt heavy and numb.
Then came the sound — slow, deliberate footsteps echoing down the corridor.
He forced himself to look up. A figure appeared through the flickering light — tall, wrapped in a black cloak. Its face was nothing but bone. A skull. And in its hands, two short scythes gleamed in the dim light.
Before he could react, an invisible force slammed him against the wall. Air rushed out of his lungs. His body refused to move — frozen stiff, paralyzed.
The figure raised one scythe, its edge hovering inches from his throat.He knew what was coming. He was going to die.
But then—Bang!
A gunshot tore through the silence. Sparks flashed in the darkness. The cloaked figure turned sharply, spinning one scythe to deflect the unseen attack.
More shots followed — sharp, echoing through the hallway. The creature let out a low hiss and leapt away from him, vanishing into the shadows.
Before he could even breathe, someone grabbed his arm. A woman — short hair, dressed in a black combat uniform — slipped under his shoulder and helped him stand.
"Can you walk?" she asked quickly, her voice low but firm.
He tried to answer, but his throat was dry. "What's… happening?"
"No time," she said, dragging him toward the elevator at the end of the hall. "Subject 99 — you're dead. Don't get confused by this place."
"D–Dead?" he stammered. "What are you talking about? I just woke up… in a hospital—"
Two more men in dark gear appeared from a side corridor, covering their escape. The woman slammed the elevator button, and the doors slid open with a metallic groan.
They stepped inside. As the doors closed, the scythe-wielding figure reappeared at the far end of the hallway, staring — but it didn't follow.
For now… they were safe.
Inside the elevator, he finally found his voice. "What did you mean I'm dead? I don't understand any of this."
The woman glanced at him, her eyes sharp but not unkind."You really don't remember who you are?"
He shook his head weakly. "No… nothing."
She sighed. "Then we'll talk later. For now, we're going back to base. It's the only safe place left."
He didn't understand a single thing — but he could tell from her tone that arguing was useless. So he stayed silent, leaning against the cold wall of the elevator as it descended into the unknown.
Thus ends Chapter 2nd.