"We're about to get started. Everyone, move back!" An agent shouted, waving his hand and pushing several people back.
At the same time, a female agent moved towards a man dressed in orange. He had a short frame with thinning hair, while his body was strapped with all sorts of weird devices and cameras.
"Are you ready?"
She asked, her voice soft.
"The moment you feel anything, report the situation to us. Tug the rope or press the emergency button. We'll quickly pull you out."
"...Yes."
The inmate nervously stared at the crack on the floor of the house.
He was one of the scouts provided by the Bureau to investigate the sudden emergence of the crack.
The Bureau had tried investigating the crack with cameras and mini drones, but as if the corpses had a mind of their own, they moved and quickly snatched the devices before breaking them.
The only thing that they didn't reject was living beings. They came to this conclusion after testing the situation with several animals.
Being able to bring them all back, they decided to send a human this time.
"We've equipped you with cameras and tracking devices. We'll be able to know your location at all times. When you manage to come back, your sentence will be reduced by several years."
"I…. Understand."
The inmate slowly nodded his head before turning his attention towards the corpses. They were all piled up together, their numbers reaching over a hundred.
His entire body shivered at the sight.
However, thinking about his reduced sentence... He mustered up the courage and moved towards the crack.
Eventually, under the agent's eyes, the inmate stepped forward and jumped into the crack.
"Hau—!"
Immediately after entering the crack, he was met with several dozen mummified corpses crowded the narrow space, their withered limbs twisted unnaturally, and their skin clinging to bone like dried parchment. They surrounded him from all sides, pressing against every part of his body.
Feeling their touch, the inmate shuddered. This sense only heightened when he saw the corpses staring at him with blank expressions.
But as if that wasn't bad enough…
"…..!"
The corpses moved, their thin and sickly hands reaching out for him as they pulled him down.
"Wait, wait, wait!!!"
The inmate immediately started to shout, tugging the rope connected to him. The previous courage he had built up vanished without a single trace as panic took over his mind.
"Wait! I've changed my mind! Help!"
He also pressed the emergency button, asking for the Bureau to lift him up.
But…
Nothing.
Lifting his head up, all he saw were the cold and indifferent stares of the agents as they stared at him from above.
"Help! Hel... p."
…Ah.
The inmate realized it then.
Those from the Bureau... they never planned on rescuing him in the first place. At least, not now.
Eventually...
Under the cold stares of the agents, his body was swallowed up.
*
By the time the inmate regained consciousness, he found himself inside the same room as before.
"Huh?"
However, something about the room felt different. Not only that… but everyone appeared to be missing. The wallpaper of the room was peeling, while the bed was wrinkled, with a brownish stain on the bedsheets, as the window creaked eerily.
"Hello?"
The inmate's voice echoed loudly in the room as he called out.
A still silence followed after his words.
'It's cold…'
It was also in that moment that the inmate felt a cool sensation wash over him as he started to shiver all over.
"Hello?"
He once again spoke, the echo of his voice louder than before.
"Anybody here?"
The echo was all he heard.
Looking around, he stood up, his steps adding to the creaking around the place as he covered his arms with his hands.
'It's really cold…'
The inmate looked around, his gaze eventually settling on the door. A pitch black darkness appeared behind the door. One that felt as though the abyss itself was greeting him. He swallowed nervously.
"I…Is nobody really here?"
The floor creaked once more as he stepped forward, moving towards the door. It was dark, but he quickly retrieved the flashlight in his hand and flashed ahead.
Yet again…
The area behind the door appeared dark.
The inmate held his breath, staring towards the darkness with unease. He looked around again, hoping he'd receive some sort of answer. However, yet again, he was met with silence. The agents... They were really gone.
I blinked my eyes. It worked? I looked at him again. Why did I not believe his words at all? It almost looked like he was making fun of me.
"Ah, right."
As if reading my thoughts, Rowan scratched the side of his neck.
"This is normal for me. I usually get nightmares before each expedition. Don't mind this too much."
"...Oh."
But even so...
"Usually, I don't sleep until the second day because each time I close my eyes, I feel like the nightmares come. However, today was a little different. I... didn't feel anything at all when I closed my eyes."
"That sounds like progress."
"It is, which is why I'm here."
Rowan looked at me, his eyes sparkling as his back straightened and his posture looked polite.
He seemed to have had a complete attitude shift.
"Please help me again! I'd like it if—"
Bang!
Cutting Rowan mid-sentence, the door to the room burst open, and Kyle came in.
Hastily turning my head to look at him, I was surprised to see him stare at me with a pale face, his breathing ragged. Almost as if he had run at full speed to get to where I was.
"What did you do?"
That was the first thing he said to me as he barely caught his breath.
I was taken aback.
"What...?"
What was he...
"What did you do?!"
Kyle asked again, his voice rising as he raised his hand to display a certain paper.
In it, I saw three bold words appear.
[Twisted Exploration Squad]
My face froze the moment I looked at the words. And as if that wasn't bad enough... I slowly settled my gaze over my name.
Ah.
Craning my neck up again, I looked at Kyle.
"What did I do?"
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