The air inside the research facility was so heavy it was almost impossible to breathe.
For an entire week, there had been no sign of Han Kyum anywhere no logs, no records of access, no footage. It was as if he had never existed.
Jaeheon, standing at the head of the meeting room, looked terribly worn-out and spoke with a hoarse voice:
"We are out of time. A full week has passed since the disappearance of Han Kyum and Mrs jana."
The staff looked at each other with their faces full of nervousness. Nota single one of them could meet his gaze.
Ms. Gael, with a lifeless and strained voice, set a tablet on the table:
"We ransacked every restricted area once more. There was nothing. The person who took them must be very familiar with the blind spots."
Jaeheon was nonplussed and reacted by breathing out slowly through his nostrils:
"No way, that's out of the question. Han Kyum is a very careful person. He wouldn't be walking into some unmonitored corridor all by himself."
"We know," answered Ms. Gael. "However, there is a missing portion of the west lab video. A 14-minute segment is gone. That is the only clue we have."
A junior staff member, whose hand was shaking, lifted it to speak.
"Sir... should we take into account the possibility that someone from the inside—"
"No."
Jaeheon's reply was very assertive and he almost physically pushed the idea out of the room.
"My people? No. Not this team."
However, his jaw was clenched because he was pretty sure deep down that it was that.
Ms. Gael looked upon the floor. "We need to extend our search beyond the area we are currently looking at. The disappearance was a neat job. Concealed you can go with hidden paths, old service tunnels… it wasn't haphazard."
"How many places are we away from?" Jaeheon was asking.
"Three."
Her face turned very serious. "All of them are outside of the main facility."
Another employee gulped nervously. "But those buildings were closed down years ago. There is no power. No security. No records."
Jaeheon raised his eyes, full of fighting spirit. Ah, then that's exactly the place he could be,
A heavy silence followed.
At last, Ms. Gael whispered,
"Han Kyum couldn't survive a week alone out there. I bet someone is holding them."
Jaeheon clenched his fists tighter.
"I don't care who it is," he said, his voice breaking with anger andahintoffear which he was trying to hide,
"But we're going to bring han-kyum and mrs Jana back. This very day, or.... tskk"
The employees showed their agreement by nodding their heads.
Jaeheon directly looked at her.
"This is where we are going to look next." The silence was heavy and uncomfortable. A junior researcher softly said,
"Are... are we going to split up?" "Yes," Ms. Gael said. "We will separate into three groups." She then divided the groups on the board:
TEAM 1 — East Building
TEAM 2 — Old warehouse
TEAM 3 — Tunnels/caves
service tunnels Jae heon was quick to decide. "I am going with Team 3." Ms. Gael looked at him with surprise.
"Are you sure? It is the farthest one. I can't assure you that the way is safe." "I don't care," he said, barely able to hide the desperation in his voice.
"If Han Kyum is there... I'm not letting anyone else find him in pieces." There was no reply after that. Ms. Gael stood up straight and spoke to the rest of the group: "Get your flashlights, protective gear, and comms ready. We leave in thirty minutes."
The members of the groups nodded, stiff and serious. Jaeheon was looking at the map, his mouth tightly closed and eyes full of worry which he was trying to hide. "Han Kyum...Ms Jana where the hell are you?"
He didn't know that Han Kyum was alive and that he was being taken somewhere very different.
Minutes later
One after another, the employees exited the conference room. Their feet were light, anxious, and longing to get out of the suffocating atmosphere.
The silence that followed the closing of the last door was so heavy that it seemed like the air had thickened.
Only two people were left: Jae heon, was rigid, angry, and struggling to breathe properly.
Ms. Gael, composed but drained, looking at him as one would a wildfire spreading. After a while, she also decided to speak. "You're not thinking straight."
Being completely silent, Jaeheon did not even for a moment divert his eyes from the wall map in particular, the section marked Underground Service Tunnels.
Ms. Gael persisted, more decisively this time. "Jaeheon. That area is scary. Even as it was only a year ago, no one went in without full protective gear. It's been left without support. Water seeps through some parts. Some are even collapsed. And you want to go there only with a flashlight and your tenacity?"
Still, there was no reply from him. He only tightened his jaw further.
Hence, she came a little nearer. Close enough to speak in a whisper.
"You should really listen to me," she said slowly. "You cannot go down there all by yourself."
At last, Jaeheon shifted. He ran his hand through his hair and said in a low voice, "I'm not alone. Team 3 is with me."
"That's not what I'm talking about," she said.
"I'm talking mentally. Emotionally. You are not thinking of safety you are thinking of Han Kyum. Only Han Kyum.. and mrs Jana"
Jaeheon turned abruptly, his eyes lit like fire.
"And what's wrong with that?" he said sharply. "they are missing. For a week. A whole week, Ms Gael. Do you even realize how many things could have happened to him during that time?"
Her face softened, though she remained very calm and steady. "Yes, I do. More than you think."
"Then why are you stopping me?" His voice broke — just a little, but she heard it clearly. "Why does it seem like you're telling me to sit here and wait while they—"
Ms. Gael cut him off abruptly, "I am telling you not to die."
The whole room became still.
Jaeheon looked at her with a few quick blinks, confused. However, she stood her ground.
"See your own self," she brought him to account. "You have not slept. You hardly eat. Your hands tremble. You are so desperate to find him that you will go to the most dangerous place without giving it a second thought."
Jaeheon was about to say something but she intervened by raising a hand.
"And, on top of everything, you behave as if you are the only one who cares," she added.
His anger being gone, thoroughly, he now made a hard swallow.
"…I never said that," he uttered.
"You didn't have to," she responded softly. "its obvious that the way you move, the way you react, the way you ignore everyone else… you think that you are the only one who is hurting."
Jaeheon shifted his gaze, breathing unsteadily.
"He is my f-friend, and the best chemistrian, who makes medicine for all living life..also Ms jana the one who teached me how to master chemistry." he murmured, voice breaking. "My responsibility. I promised them that I would take care of them and support them. And now he's.. he's just gone."
Ms. Gael's gaze grew warmer. For the moment, she was not the strict chemistry manager she was simply a person who understands grief.
"Jaeheon… they are not gone. Being missing is not being gone."
"It's the same, I swear," he whispered.
She breathed out slowly and then came to stand beside him and by the map.
"You want to work your way through the tunnels," she said. "I am not stopping the operation. But, you know, I won't."
Jaeheon relaxed his shoulders a bit.
"However," she was still talking with authority, "you must give me the promise that you will not be running ahead. You will not be acting alone. You will be with the team."
"No," he said shortly.
"Jae heon."
He put his hand down on the table, his irritation spilling over. "If we find even the tiniest trace of him, I'm going."
"And what if it's a trap?" she asked. "What if someone tricked him into going there? What if that isn't the place..? What if you disappear too? Then what?"
His face got darker not angry, but scared.
Genuinely scared.
A fear he had been trying to hide for days.
"… I can't just stand here," he said, quite softly. "I just can't. Every minute that I waste is a minute that something might be happening to him."
Ms. Gael came nearer very close, unusually close.
"Jaeheon," she said, "I know that you care for him. care for them."
His breathing stuck, but she neither mocked nor judged him.
"It's very clear," she added. "The way you are so ready to tear up the whole city just to find him. You don't have to say it."
Jaeheon dropped his eyes.
After a long and heavy moment, he whispered,
"I just… don't want to find them if it's too late."
Ms. Gael spoke in a softer tone, "Then don't be rushing blindly. Think and Survive. The reason being that if he is alive, we will need you alive as well."
He did not respond.
However, something in him changed.
A little more calm.
A little less destructive.
She came to the door and stopped.
"In 3 hours," she informed. "Team 3 will be at the lower entrance. Make sure your gear is in good condition. And if you faint while we are down there, I will be the one taking you back."
Jaeheon was close to smiling only just.
"Do it," he said under his breath.
With a breathy laugh she shook her head, "Idiot."
After that, she left the room.
Jaeheon let out a shaky breath as he looked at the map again.
His voice was a barely audible whisper:
"Han Kyum… wait for me."
___
Meanwhile
Han-kyum was sitting at the metal table, looking at the half-done mixture in front of him. His fingers were firm, but his thoughts were not.
Jin was moving around the room in silence, getting the things ready, checking the labels, and doing any small work that might help lessen the pressure that was suffocating them.
"Another day… and still no way out," Jin said softly, thus acknowledging the presence of the silence.
Han-kyum exhaled the air which he had been holding tightly. "It's still only a week," he replied, even though it felt like much more. "We must complete it. There is no other way."
Jin agreed with him, pretending to be full of hope although he was also feeling doubtful. He came to Han-kyum's side, and looked at the substance on the table.
"Think we're close to a breakthrough?"
"I really have no idea," Han-kyum said. "Each time I'm convinced we've figured it out, something changes. If we make one wrong step, the whole thing is going to fail."
Jin spoke in a gentler tone. "You've been at it non-stop. I'm sure if it were anyone else they'd have given up a long time ago."
Han-kyum disagreed. "Giving up? That's not an option. Not with what's out there. Not with the people who—" He interrupted himself, and looked down.
Jin looked at him, and could see that behind his serene face there was tiredness.
"You miss them, right?" Jin queried.
Han-kyum did not respond straight away. When he did, it was more of a whisper.
"…Yeah."
For a while, the two were silent not a silent that was cold, but one that was heavy.
Jin leaned toward Han-kyum with his hands on his knees. "If I'm not mistaken, you owe me a drink when we get out of here. You promised me."
Han-kyum looked surprised and then he let out only the tiniest of laughs. "Yeah. I do remember."
"If it's not that, then I have no idea how I'm still alive now," Jin said half jokingly, but at the same time, the slight quiver in his voice betrayed his fear.
Han-kyum looked towards the closed door of the laboratory. The lock that was securing the door lit up in red, indicating that they were not permitted to go beyond it.
"We're going to finish this," he spoke with determination. "And when… if we ever make it out, someone will have to let us out. They can't keep us here forever."
"Are you really that certain?" Jin asked, nervously swallowing his saliva.
Han-kyum didn't provide any answer. His silence was his answer.
A few seconds later, the fluorescent lamps above their heads flickered a sign of the unstable underground system. Both of them tensed up and followed with their eyes the shadows that were moving on the ceiling.
Jin's breath was shaky as he let it out.
"This place… is becoming my cage, it's starting to feel like one," he said.
Han-kyum gave a weak affirmation with his head.
"It's been a cage all along, we just pretended not to know," he said.
"I guess your write" jins nods "shall we continue creating the part 4?"
"yea come on"
Han-kyum furrowed his brow as he examined the thermometer. "This part... is so difficult," he uttered in a low, focused voice, almost to himself.
Jin took a closer look at the vials. "Difficult? We've done the first three parts flawlessly. Why would it be different here?"
Han-kyum continued to stare at the answer. "Everything has to be perfect the time, the ratios, and the temperature. If there is even a tiny mistake... then all that we have done will be destroyed." This is the final sequence.
Jin swallowed. "So we just have to be even more careful, isn't it? We cannot make mistakes."
Han-kyum let out a slow, deliberate breath. "This step requires absolute precision. Every drop, every stirring, every second... everything counts. If you make a mistake, Jin, all of this will fall down. Being careful is not enough."
Jin concurred and promised to exercise caution and take Han-kyum's lead. "I... I'll be careful. I'll follow your lead."
Han-kyum gave a small acknowledging smile. "All we can do is one step at a time. Focus, patience, and precision... that's how we finish this."
They got going. Han-kyum measured each reagent very carefully and also checked the notes at every interval. Jin did exactly the same and was looking on very attentively, he adjusted the stirrer and was looking at the solution transforming. The place was very quiet and the people were very nervous. The only sounds were those of the ventilation and the metallic odor of the chemicals being inhaled.
Time went on. They were sweating on the forehead. Every color change, every tiny change in temperature, was totally focused on by them.
"This drop... hold it," Han-kyum said, his eyes were very sharp. "Don't let it fall too fast."
Jin's hands were shaking a little but he did as he was told. "I understand. Not one mistake."
Han-kyum looked at him and said seriously, "We are not only doing a chemical reaction here. Each step that we take... it is the difference between succeeding and failing. We must not be distracted."
Jin nodded, swallowing his words. "I... I get it. The main thing is to be step orientated. Nothing else."
For what felt like a very long time, they worked in near silence. Han-kyum continuously adjusted the temperature, monitored the pH, and meticulously regulated the rate at which the various ingredients entered the mixture. Jin took great care to document every detail and cross-referenced it with the notes.
"This sequence... it's so unpredictable," Han-kyum remarked in a tense tone. "We've tested the theory, but the reaction can change in a matter of seconds. We have to be one step ahead, we have to feel it, and then we have to react immediately."
Jin's eyes widened. "Anticipate... react... every second counts."
Han-kyum looked at Jin with a bit of gentleness just enough for him to feel the calm side of the pressure. "That's right. It's the reason we are so far. The point is that we adapt, we respond and we remain alert. Nothing more. Nothing less."
The mixture was very faintly shimmering under the fluorescent lights and every bubble and color change was a reflection of their anxiety and their focus. Jin gave a small sigh. "I've never been on a project like this before. It feels… like the whole world is on my shoulders."
Han-kyum agreed but he didn't look away. "It is meant to be like that. Now our skill, focus, and patience… these are the only things that really count. One step at a time. That's the only way we'll make it."
The minutes felt like they were hours. Each movement was done with purpose. Each inspection was done with care. They didn't say much; even their breathing seemed to be of the same steadiness, and it was controlled too.
"This… this drop," Han-kyum said, indicating the solution, "are you watching it? It will let us know if the stabilizing of the reaction is going on… or if we are forced to make another immediate adjustment."
Jin got closer and his eyes were not moving away from the drop. "I see it… I will adjust if it's necessary."
The tension was like a heavy veil that entered the room. Sweat was dripping down their temples and their hands are slightly shaking but still they remain steady. They are at the very heart of the last sequence, the most important and the riskiest part. Neither of them can exactly predict how long it will take, how many they will need to adjust, or if it will hold in the end but step by step, completely focused and totally dependent on each other, they go forward.
With a small hint of a smile, Han-kyum finally let out the breath he had been holding. "Now we're deep in it. No going back. Every step… every moment…"
Jin tightened her grip on the notes and gave a determined nod. "So we do it… together, then."
"Together," Han-kyum reiterated in a determined tone. "Every step, every mixing, every moment... we keep our guard up. That's all we can do."
Both of them returned to the mixture. Their hearts were racing, their hands were steady, and their minds were entirely absorbed in the intricate chemical dance they were witnessing. Their patience, skill, and concentration would be put to the test in the hours to come as Part 4 was still ongoing.