I end up pressing "1"
'They wouldn't need to set a trap,' I reason with myself. 'They're anomalies. If they wanted to kill the recruits, they could've done it already.'
The elevator hums softly as it descends. Thirty seconds feel like thirty minutes. When the doors finally slide open, I hesitate — then step out.
The air is heavy, metallic, faintly burnt.
'Is this… some kind of fever dream?'
The lobby looks like a war zone. Broken coffee tables and splintered chairs litter the floor. Roughly thirty recruits crowd the space — two bruised and shaken — and one of the security anomalies lies motionless on the tiles.
'Did they… kill that thing? How? Did I overestimate them?'
I move closer, scanning the scene. Five recruits are hammering lobby chairs against two large glass doors at the far end. The chairs shatter instantly; the doors don't even scratch.
"What happened here?"
I approach the bruised pair. One scoffs and turns away, but the other answers, rubbing his jaw.
"One of those security things told us to leave and that the exit was here," he says. "But the doors were locked shut. Then another one came down — asked most of us to leave, but when it got to me and Abby, it just attacked!"
He gestures wildly, trying to make sense of it.
'Attacked them…' I think, gears turning.
'They were asked to leave the first time. The second time they were seen, they were attacked. There's a pattern.'
"You two should probably avoid those things from now on," I say matter-of-factly. "If my theory's right, everyone gets one free pass. But once you're seen again… it goes hostile."
The bruised recruit blinks, thinking it over. "Yeah, that kinda makes sense. But then— why didn't anyone else get attacked? There's thirty of us here."
"Because you two were the first it recognized," I say, shrugging slightly. "It doesn't need to target all of you — just one repeat."
My eyes drop to the anomaly's still body. Its limbs are long, fingers too clean, its skin stretched like synthetic rubber. I nudge its head lightly with my shoe.
"…Is this thing dead?"
"I doubt it," the recruit mutters. "We just punched it. No blood, nothing."
"Not every anomaly bleeds," I reply. "Don't apply human logic to whatever these things are."
'Made that mistake with Charles,' I think grimly.
"Did you use any items? Tools, weapons?"
"Nah, man. Just straight fists." He lifts his hands, miming a boxer's stance. "It went down fast. Im Louis by the way."
"That's good," I mutter. "Means it can be hurt. That gives us a chance. Names Yuwon."
I look past him toward the glass doors. The five recruits have stopped their futile smashing. All that remains are chair legs and silence.
"And how's that working out for you guys?" I ask dryly.
"Not great. Abby thinks maybe it's a puzzle — like, we have to do something to unlock the doors."
"I doubt it. This is an office building — these doors are for employees. We're not part of this place, so the system won't recognize us as authorized to leave."
A theory born out of instinct… but the more I say it, the more it feels right.
'No anomaly would hand you the exit on a silver platter.'
The recruit stares, then slowly nods. "That… actually makes sense. Wow."
"Don't Be too relieved, It means the real way out probably isn't anywhere near this floor."
A soft chime rings from somewhere near the elevators. Everyone freezes.
The elevator doors slide open behind me — empty.
A second later, the other elevator opens too… also empty.
Then, faintly, the ding repeats — this time from every elevator in the lobby, one after another, a looping rhythm that echoes through the marble room.
'No way that's random.'
The lights flicker. Somewhere above, the building hums with power, as if the entire structure just took a breath.
One of the recruits whispers, "Is… someone coming down?"
"No," I murmur, staring at the indicator lights. All four elevators now show different floor numbers, flickering erratically — 100, 72, 33, 91.
Four different Numbers.
'Those floors might have clues.. either that, or they're traps.'
Sera's calm voice echoes faintly in my memory: "Panic's the first thing that kills people."
I look around at the room — at the scared faces, the sealed doors, the elevators still chiming like a heartbeat.
'This anomaly doesn't just trap people,' I realize. 'It observes them. It learns. And plays with them.'
I straighten up, pocketing my hands, already piecing the puzzle together.
"Alright," I mutter under my breath.
"Listen up," I say loud enough for everyone to hear, my voice carrying across the cold marble. "I know it might sound like a trap, but those four numbers — they're the only clues the anomaly has given us." I cross my arms.
'I don't want to lead these people. But if I don't, they'll keep smashing chairs until something else finds them first.'
"I think we can agree those glass doors aren't meant for us. We'll have to explore the floors it marked — in groups. We cover ground faster, we stay alive longer. Any objections?"
A man steps forward — bald, bearded, mid-forties, eyes sunken and sharp. "Yeah, I've got one," he says, his tone gravelly. "What if those floors are traps? What if the anomaly realized its guards weren't strong enough, so it's luring us up there to finish the job?"
Murmurs spread. Fear thickens the air, heavy and tangible.
"I'm sorry," I reply, my tone flat. "But if a couple of what-ifs are enough to make you curl up and wait to die, then maybe you picked the wrong line of work."
It comes out harsher than intended, but the silence it brings is useful.
'They need to hear confidence, not comfort.'
The man loosens his tie and steps closer, his voice rising. "And what do you know, huh? Acting like you've got the answers — like you're some seasoned investigator. You're just as clueless as the rest of us."
My irritation flashes. "I'm not acting like anything," I say quietly. "I'm applying whatever logic i can. logic's the only thing keeping us alive in here right now."
He laughs once, short and bitter. "Logic won't save you from an anomaly."
"Maybe not," I say, stepping forward until we're eye to eye, "but blind fear definitely won't."
The room holds its breath. The elevators continue their endless chime, echoing through the silence like a countdown.
A woman steps between us — brown feather-cut hair, small frame but sharp eyes. It's Abby, one of the two bruised recruits.
"Get off each other's necks, you brutes!" she snaps, voice laced with irritation. "Listen, whoever wants to curl up and die can stay on this floor. But if any of you plan on getting out alive, then this guy's plan is our best shot."
Silence stretches through the room. Eventually, people make up their minds. Out of thirty recruits, twenty decide to stay on the first floor.
I can't make sense of it no matter how many times I think about it.
I sigh, clearing my mind as I step into the elevator accompanied by Louis. The floor on our checklist is floor 91. The other recruits split up into pairs with Abby to check the other three.
We stand in silence. A faint instrumental hum plays in the elevator — a calm tune that feels grotesque in contrast to what we'd just seen.
It takes a few minutes before we reach floor 91.
The second the doors open, the stench of blood and rot hits.
Memories of my fight against Josh's mimic burn into my mind — memories I'd tried to forget.
"Blueghh... what is this smell—?" Louis' voice cuts cleanly through my thoughts. I place a hand on his mouth and put up a finger to my own, signaling him to stay quiet.
It doesn't take long to confirm my suspicion. The smell was coming from corpses.
Some mutilated.
Others just murdered with excessive blunt force.
I fight nausea as we walk by the bodies. Louis, on the other hand, vomits twice.
'Been there. I reacted the same way back in the maze anomaly.'
"You good, Louis?"
"Yeah, just... give me a second, man—"
I glance around the office floor.
'Shit. At least seventeen dead. Was this a trap after all? Our numbers are dropping fast. Too fast.'
Suddenly, footsteps approach — calm, slow, heavy. So heavy they make the first security anomaly's steps sound delicate by comparison.
I pull Louis to the side and hide us both beneath an office desk. He's holding his mouth shut, trembling, eyes wet. I peek around the corner.
Another security anomaly walks through the hall of bodies, hands slick with drying blood. Its movements controlled and deliberate.
'At least it's heading for the staircase. We should be—'
"Blueeghh.."
My blood freezes. Not because Louis had thrown up — but because the sound made the anomaly turn around. It was now slowly approaching our hiding spot.
'Damn it! I'll get a free pass, but if that thing sees Louis, he's done for!'
I glance around. No other distractions or hiding spots nearby.
'Shit... here goes nothing.'
"Stay here and don't make a sound anymore. I'll lure it away."
"Huh? What are y—"
I get up from the desk and turn the corner. The thing approaches swiftly.
"It's past working hours," it says, voice disturbingly calm. "Please make sure to clock out and leave the office at the appropriate exit."
'I have to lure it away from Louis' hiding spot.'
"Ah, yes," I answer evenly. "Could you maybe show me where the elevators are so I can leave?"
The creature tilts its head. Silence stretches. Then it answers, polite as a receptionist.
"I'm sincerely sorry, but we security staff aren't permitted to use the elevators. Therefore, we do not perceive them. Would you like me to show you where the stairs are?"
'Huh...? They can't see elevators? They're blind to them... meaning the elevators are safe zones.'
"Yes, please."
It turns and leads the way. Its footsteps are unnervingly synchronized — each one landing like a metronome. When we reach the door to the staircase, it suddenly turns back.
"To ensure a safe and easy exit," it says, tilting its head with that same false courtesy.
"I'll accompany you."
'Damn it.'