The bodyguards dragged Ji-ho toward the descending staircase. Each step felt like a burden, a punishment — as if the weight of fear itself had settled on his shoulders. The air grew heavier the deeper they went. The basement was soaked in dampness, and a musty stench clung to the walls — a scent that spoke of forgotten people and restless cries.
A heavy iron door creaked open, revealing pure darkness inside.Without a word, they shoved him inside, bound his hands tightly, and slammed the door shut.
The room was engulfed in pitch-black shadows, but the air carried the silent breaths of those who had long been waiting — for help, for hope, for anything.
He could barely see, but he could feel. Others were there — maybe six or seven — men and women alike. All tied up… exhausted… broken.A boy tied up near him looked over. His eyes, swollen and bruised, softened in quiet sympathy as they landed on Ji-ho's battered face."You too... they caught you too?" the boy whispered softly, barely audible.
The darkness thickened like a fog, but pain has a way of making faces glow. In this room of shadows, everyone's suffering was radiant.
Everything was swallowed by silence. The walls, the air — even their breaths. Then, from the quiet beside him, the same boy asked again, this time slower, with a dry throat and trembling tone:
"Are… are you okay?"His voice cracked, broken by fear and fatigue."Did Mr. Han bring you here too?"
Ji-ho swallowed hard and replied, his voice low but resolute,"Yes... it was him.""I refused to do what he asked… so they brought me down here and locked me up."
Ji-ho looked around — barely able to see, but fully able to feel. The room was quiet in a way that felt unnatural. As if even the air was mourning.
He turned toward the others and asked, almost in disbelief,"Why has Mr. Han locked all of you down here?"
Before anyone else could speak, a voice came from the far corner.It was another boy — older maybe, with a voice weighed down by time, sorrow, and hopelessness."We were offered hotel jobs," he said in a flat tone."We thought life was finally about to change. We dreamed of earning money… building a better future."His throat tightened, but he kept going, as if every word was bleeding out pain from within."But when we arrived… Mr. Han kidnapped us."
The silence that followed was louder than any scream.
"They brought us here and started forcing us to serve their 'clients'—just for one night. Most of those clients come from the underworld. Mr. Han 'rents' us out to them—for money. And what he makes us do… it's nothing less than selling our bodies."
"When we first arrived, there were more people—many more. But they tempted some with money… and those who agreed were taken away. The ones who refused? They were locked up here, in this darkness."
Ji-ho's mind began to reel with the horrifying realization. His head spun as every word hit him like a violent shockwave.
Suddenly, he remembered what the head chef had told him earlier:"A lot of staff had suddenly disappeared… or so they said they were 'fired'…"
His face turned pale as the horrifying truth sank in—They hadn't been fired. They had been brought here. All of them.
Panic surged through his chest. His breathing grew rapid and shallow. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.
"No… no!" he shouted desperately."I can't stay here! I have to get out! Is there anyone? Please, get me out of here!""I won't do any of this! I won't work for you or anyone else! Do you understand? No!"
His screams echoed off the cold concrete walls and came back to him—empty and hollow. No one answered. No one came.
Then, the boy nearby spoke in a voice heavy with pain and resignation:"No matter how much you scream… no one is coming for you here.""Never."
Tears streamed down Ji-ho's face. His heart felt crushed under the weight of hopelessness."I should never have come here…" he whispered brokenly."So far away from home… will I ever see my parents or my sister again?"
Breathing became difficult, thoughts spiraled into despair. He rested his head against the cold wall and closed his eyes tightly.
His mind stopped working.Everything faded into darkness.
In the room, everyone shared the same pain — silent, broken, like lifeless statues. It was as if no one had the courage to speak. Deep down, they all knew what awaited them, yet despite their desperation, they couldn't offer each other any real help.
Time passed in heavy silence.
Suddenly, the silence was broken.
The door slammed open with a loud bang. Bright, harsh light spilled into the darkness, scattering the shadows.
Several bodyguards entered at once — tall, muscular, and utterly silent.
One by one, they began untying the ropes binding everyone. Their hands were as strong as iron, their faces completely expressionless.
The captives screamed and cried, struggling desperately to hold back their fate.
"No! Let us go! Don't take us away!"Ji-ho yelled at the top of his lungs,"Stop! Where are you taking them?! Leave them alone! Don't take them!"
He pushed with all his might, trying to free his hands, but the ropes were so tight that he couldn't even move a finger.
Within moments, all of them were dragged away.
The door slammed shut again.
Now, only Ji-ho remained in the room. Alone. Broken.
He had no idea what was going to happen to him next. All he could see was darkness… darkness deeper than anything he had ever known.
Every inch of his body ached. Every breath stabbed like knives. But what hurt the most was the silence.
He sank down against the cold wall, defeated.
The night passed.
The darkness melted slowly into silence, but there was still no sign of light in Ji-ho's room.
Meanwhile, in a small corner of the room the head chef sat restlessly. His eyes showed no sign of sleep — only a single, nagging worry:"Why hasn't Ji-ho returned yet?"