After the monster's death, silence settled over the streets like a heavy fog. Every door was shut, every window locked. The whole town was still trembling from what had happened at the lab.
Inside the dim house, Rian sat at the small dining table, tears slipping down his face as memories played in his mind.
"Rian! Have dinner before going to school," his grandmother's voice echoed gently.
He could almost see her again — standing by the stove, smiling softly.
"What did you make, Grandma?"
"Sweet mushroom soup. Your favorite."
"I like it a lot! Thank you, Grandma!"
The memory made his chest ache even more. The house around him felt hollow, stripped of warmth.
Yurim sat quietly beside him, unsure what to say. For a long moment, only the sound of the ticking clock filled the silence. Then, gathering courage, she placed her hand gently over his.
"I'm sorry, Rian… for not holding her hand tighter. For being too weak," she whispered.
Rian didn't answer. His eyes stayed fixed on the table.
"I know it's hard," Yurim continued softly, "but you need to be strong now. I don't think your grandmother committed suicide. I saw her whispering strange words on the rooftop… maybe something was controlling her."
Rian's hands clenched. The rooftop memory returned sharply.
"Why don't we check that room she used to go to?" Yurim said, trying to sound calm. "Maybe we can find out what really happened—"
"Stop!" Rian suddenly slammed the table, his voice trembling with anger. "Just stop talking and get lost from here!"
Yurim froze. Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't argue.
After the monster's death, silence settled over the streets like a heavy fog. Every door was shut, every window locked. The whole town was still trembling from what had happened at the lab.
Inside the dim house, Rian sat at the small dining table, tears slipping down his face as memories played in his mind.
"Rian! Have dinner before going to school," his grandmother's voice echoed gently.
He could almost see her again — standing by the stove, smiling softly.
"What did you make, Grandma?"
"Sweet mushroom soup. Your favorite."
"I like it a lot! Thank you, Grandma!"
The memory made his chest ache even more. The house around him felt hollow, stripped of warmth.
Yurim sat quietly beside him, unsure what to say. For a long moment, only the sound of the ticking clock filled the silence. Then, gathering courage, she placed her hand gently over his.
"I'm sorry, Rian… for not holding her hand tighter. For being too weak," she whispered.
Rian didn't answer. His eyes stayed fixed on the table.
"I know it's hard," Yurim continued softly, "but you need to be strong now. I don't think your grandmother committed suicide. I saw her whispering strange words on the rooftop… maybe something was controlling her."
Rian's hands clenched. The rooftop memory returned sharply.
"Why don't we check that room she used to go to?" Yurim said, trying to sound calm. "Maybe we can find out what really happened—"
"Stop!" Rian suddenly slammed the table, his voice trembling with anger. "Just stop talking and get lost from here!"
Yurim froze. Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't argue.
–––
Hours later, Rian woke with a start, gasping from a nightmare — his grandmother's voice fading into darkness, leaving him alone. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, still shaken.
The sunlight poured across the table. Yurim was gone. Guilt hit him at once — he shouldn't have shouted at her.
But that dream wouldn't leave his head. Something about it felt like a warning. Taking a deep breath, he decided to check the secret room his grandmother used to visit.
Meanwhile, at the destroyed lab, investigators were clearing the wreckage. They found a man buried under fallen debris — one of the scientists. He was bruised, weak, but alive. As they pulled him out, he trembled, eyes wide with fear. The others hadn't survived.
Back at the house, Rian reached for the doorknob of that secret room. Just then — knock, knock.
He froze. Someone was at the door.