We entered the bank slowly
The glass doors closed behind us, as if isolating the entire world outside
People moved quietly—
employees, customers,
a completely normal life
But inside me, nothing was normal at all
Every step toward the lobby made my chest heavier,
as if the air grew thicker the closer we got to the lower corridor
I looked at Miyuko
She was watching me with a steady gaze,
as if she knew something awaited us downstairs
When we approached the long corridor,
I froze for a moment—not because of what I saw,
but because of a memory
A fleeting detail came back from the depths of my mind
I remembered the façade,
the smoke,
the distant sound
I remembered the moment when I saw the basement engulfed in darkness,
as if my mind pulled that image from the previous vision
and replayed it right in front of me
I swallowed hard
Something inside me knew this place before I entered it
Miyuko spoke in a low voice:
"Ginsei… did you remember something?"
I nodded slowly
"Yes. From the previous vision…
the corridor,
the dim lights,
the metal stairs—
they are all here"
We continued walking
until we stopped in front of the receptionist
"The lower corridor is not open to visitors
Please return to the lobby"
Miyuko paused for a short moment,
then showed her medical ID with a faint smile:
"Excuse me, I was called to check on an employee downstairs
He reportedly had a sudden attack
It's urgent"
The employee's eyes narrowed with doubt,
but he finally stepped aside
"Alright… you may pass, but be quick"
She opened the side door, and we went through quickly
As it closed behind us,
a heavy silence filled the long corridor
Metal floor
Lights flickering slowly, as if breathing
Everything here
matched the vision exactly—
even the darkness,
even the smell of the place
We stopped in front of the large iron door
Cold
Heavy
As if something behind it didn't want to be opened
I reached for the handle,
but suddenly, everything inside me stopped
I heard a sound
Not movement. Not footsteps
A steady sound touching the air like a pulse:
Tick… tick… tick…
A continuous rhythm, as if something was counting time with terrifying patience
I froze in place, my ears open to the whole world
I looked at Miyuko
Her eyes widened slowly—she understood before I could speak
She whispered, almost inaudible:
"Ginsei… this sound… it's like…"
Then she swallowed the words,
as if speaking them would turn doubt into reality
I stood in front of the door,
feeling my breath slower than the sound
Tick… tick… tick…
Miyuko said, her voice trembling but firm:
"If what I hear is real,
we are facing something bigger than we expected"
I raised my head toward the door,
feeling that this place—
the basement,
this door in particular—
"If what you saw, Ginsei, is true,
then something big is inside"
The air around me felt heavy
Breathing became difficult
And I felt as if someone was watching the place—
not close, not far,
behind the bank's security cameras
I didn't know how I sensed it,
but my gut told me: It's the man in the black coat
Still, my curiosity about what was behind that door did not fade
The heavy door creaked metally as I opened it slowly
At first, there was nothing but darkness
Thick darkness
And inside, the continuous rhythm persisted:
Tick… tick… tick…
The corridor light entered a little,
revealing the edges of the room:
wires, equipment,
something like a large metal box in the middle,
surrounded by small parts I didn't understand
I held my breath
Miyuko put her hand on her chest,
a short gasp escaping despite her attempt to suppress it
"Ginsei… this place isn't a storage room
This… is a preparation area"
The light reached further,
revealing the object's outline
Uncomfortable
Unnatural
Not an office machine
Not an ordinary device
A device designed for one purpose only
I stepped inside, my heart trembling,
the air hot,
the sound closer, louder, clearer
Tick… tick… tick…
Miyuko whispered, her voice genuinely afraid this time:
"I think I know what this is… but I don't want to believe it"
I stood beside her
Our eyes widened
Same moment
Same shock
Same idea hitting our minds together
What we saw now was not a cooling device,
nor a control panel,
nor anything natural
The room hid something
far bigger than we imagined
We stood there, looking,
and the sound
did not stop
Tick… tick… tick…