The hospital was too quiet. Jun stood near the entrance, gripping the strap of his small bag as the automatic doors closed behind him with a soft hiss. The corridor ahead stretched long and empty, lit only by flickering white lights that buzzed faintly overhead.
"Mom?" he called, his voice small in the silence.
No answer came back—only a thin echo that made the place feel even colder. Jun swallowed, unease creeping into his chest. They had told him they would be working late, but it was never like this. There were always nurses, footsteps, voices—something. But tonight, there was nothing.
He stepped forward cautiously, his shoes making soft sounds against the polished floor. Each step seemed louder than it should have been. "Dad?" he tried again, but the silence remained. A small knot tightened in his chest as he looked around. Maybe they're in the lab, he thought. His parents were research doctors—important ones—and they had always warned him not to wander into restricted areas. But they had also never disappeared like this. "I'll just find them and leave," he muttered under his breath, trying to steady himself.
The deeper he went into the hospital, the colder it felt. At the end of the hallway, a door stood slightly open, a pale white light spilling out into the corridor. Jun paused, staring at it. Something about it felt wrong, but he couldn't explain why. "They could be in there," he whispered, more to convince himself than anything else. After a brief hesitation, he pushed the door open.
Inside was a laboratory. Metal tables lined the room, and glass containers filled with strange liquids reflected the harsh overhead lights. Machines hummed quietly, as if they were alive. Jun stepped in slowly, his eyes scanning the room. "Mom…?" he called again, but there was no response. His gaze moved across the room until it landed on a small cage placed on a steel table in the center.
Curiosity pulled him closer.
Inside the cage was a tiny snake.
It was unlike anything he had ever seen. Its body was pale, almost glowing faintly under the light, and its red eyes were fixed on him—bright, unblinking, and unsettling. Jun froze for a moment, then frowned slightly. "They kept you here?" he murmured. The snake didn't move, but its gaze followed him, making a chill run down his spine. It felt as if it understood him.
He shook his head, pushing the thought away. "No… you shouldn't be locked up like this." He glanced around the room again. Still no one. Just silence. Slowly, he reached toward the cage. "Don't worry… I'll get you out." His fingers trembled slightly as he touched the lock.
Click.
The sound echoed through the lab, louder than it should have been. Jun held his breath as the cage door creaked open.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the snake moved.
It slithered out slowly and climbed onto his hand. Jun stiffened, his heart pounding. "It's okay," he whispered softly. "I won't hurt you." The snake paused, its red eyes locking onto his. There was something strange in that gaze—something aware, something watching him in a way that didn't feel natural.
Suddenly, a sharp sting shot through his wrist.
"Ah—!" Jun gasped.
The snake had bitten him. He tried to pull back, but stopped as a strange warmth spread through his arm. A glowing red mark began to form on his skin—not blood, but a symbol. It burned faintly, pulsing once before slowly dimming, settling into his wrist as if it had always been there. "What… is this…?" Jun whispered, his breathing uneven.
The snake released him and lingered for a brief moment, watching him. Then it slipped away into the shadows and disappeared.
Jun stared at his wrist. The mark remained—faint, but real. A strange uneasiness settled in his chest. "Why me…?" he murmured. Something didn't feel right.
Then a sudden crash echoed from outside.
Jun flinched. "What was that?!" Another sound followed—footsteps, voices, shouting. His heart began to race. "Mom?" he called, panic rising as he rushed out of the lab.
The hallway was no longer silent. There was tension in the air now, something sharp and wrong. Jun turned the corner—and froze.
"…Mom?"
At the far end of the hallway stood his parents.
Relief flooded him instantly. "Mom! Dad—" he called out, taking a step forward. They looked up at him at the same time, and for a brief second, everything felt normal again.
"Jun? What are you doing here?" his mother asked, stepping forward. "You shouldn't be—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Jun frowned. "…Mom?"
That's when he saw it.
Someone else was standing there.
A man, partially hidden in the shadows behind them. He wasn't wearing a lab coat. He didn't look like hospital staff. He was just standing there, watching.
Jun slowed down, unease creeping back into his chest. "Who is that…?" he whispered.
His father's expression hardened instantly. "Jun," he said firmly, "stay where you are."
But Jun didn't listen. He took another step forward. "I was looking for you—"
"Don't come closer," his mother said quickly, her voice tight with fear.
That's when Jun knew.
Something was wrong.
The man stepped forward slowly, calm and unhurried, as if nothing around him mattered. Jun's father immediately moved in front of his mother. "Let's talk," he said, trying to remain calm. "There's no need for this."
The man didn't respond.
He just kept walking.
Everything that followed felt unreal—too fast and too slow at the same time. A sudden movement. Jun couldn't fully understand what he saw, only that his father tried to stop him.
"Jun, run!" his mother shouted.
Jun froze. "…No…"
"GO!" his father yelled.
Jun shook his head. "I'm not leaving you!" he said, stepping forward.
That one step was a mistake.
His father's focus broke for just a second.
But it was enough.
The man moved quickly, and Jun saw his father stagger backward before collapsing to the floor.
"Dad…?" Jun's voice felt distant.
His mother rushed to him, trying to hold him up. "Get up—please—get up!" she cried, her voice trembling. Then she turned, trying to stop the man, pushing him back with what strength she had left. "Jun, RUN!" she screamed.
Jun couldn't move. His body refused to respond. "…Stop…" he whispered weakly. "…please…"
His mother struggled, fought—but slowly, her strength faded.
Then she stopped moving.
Silence fell over the hallway.
Heavy. Unbearable.
Jun stood there, staring. "…Mom…?" he called softly. No answer. "…Dad…?" Nothing.
The man turned.
Their eyes met.
Cold. Empty.
Jun's entire body trembled. His wrist burned faintly, the red mark flickering under his skin. Tears blurred his vision as the reality finally began to sink in.
"…Why…?" he whispered.
There was no answer.
For a moment, it felt like the man might come closer.
Fear took over.
Jun stepped back.
Then turned—
And ran