Into the Abyss

Anya knows it’s silly, but she can’t help it. Instead of taking the train to work as she always does, she takes the bus instead.

Today is the day, after all.

But it’s already past noon, and nothing has happened. The countdown has ended on Hour 0, and all Anya sees when she opens the app is an oddly annoying message in the same font that looks like it’s messing with your mind.

enjoy your day

“That’s so interesting.” Josh smiles. “Is that what people see if they don’t vote?” Anya and Josh are among the few who are still left in the office during lunch hour. Josh is looking out the window at the skyline view with his homemade lunch in his hand when he continues, “We get something a little more interesting if we vote.”

“I heard,” Anya deadpans, glancing at him. “A survival guide?”

Josh points at her with his fork. “That’s right! How’d you know?”

“Jun.” Anya puts her finished lunch on her table. “This app sure knows how to keep people entertained.” She nods at him. “Did you open it?”

“Not yet,” Josh answers. “There was a countdown on it... But I should be able to open it now." He picks up his phone, but before he opens the app, he looks at her. “Oh, before I forget…” He puts his phone back on the table. “Lucian asked to see you in his office the other day, didn’t he? What did he want?” Anya gives Josh a look. “Oh, c’mon… Is it a new project? I wouldn’t be surprised.”

But before Anya can answer, someone from across the room calls her name. Josh and Anya turn and see Mira with a sharp look in her eyes.

“Do you have a minute?” she asks.

Josh and Anya glance at each other before Anya follows Mira to an empty meeting room in another area.

Anya closes the door just as Mira turns around and says, “Lucian told me that you want to work together.”

Anya smiles. “I don’t see why we should work separately. It sounds like you have something good going.”

Mira gives her a look. Not quite a glare but Anya won’t say it’s friendly either. “What else did he tell you?”

Anya’s gaze hardens. “Why are you so defensive?” She walks toward the long table. “Do you know why I agreed? I need the money. Plain and simple. An opportunity came, and I took it.”

Mira’s gaze doesn’t soften, but she looks off to the side. Then, she sighs and looks back at her, and Anya can see her defences lowered. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but—”

Mira stops when she sees a coworker running down the hall outside. Anya turns just as four more people run by, a sign that something is off. She opens the door, managing to catch Josh trailing behind the group.

“Josh!” Anya says, stopping him. “What’s going on?”

“The highway bridge,” Josh says, his face pale. “It collapsed.” Anya’s heart instantly drops to the pit of her stomach as Mira walks up beside her. “I don’t know the details, but they’re saying Lucian was taking that route for a business trip.”

“And?” Mira asks, stepping forward. “Did anyone get in touch with him?”

Josh shakes his head, the fear taking over his eyes. Suddenly, the world around them goes quiet.

xxx

“Officials are still working to confirm what exactly caused the bridge to suddenly collapse without warning. The situation is rapidly evolving as authorities dispatched teams to continue the search for survivors…”

The reporter’s words start to fall on deaf ears, replaced by overlapping and urgent conversations between the nurses and doctors. Zeke is sitting on a small, hospital bed with a bloody bandage around his head and scratches on his trembling hands. He can still feel it—the tightening of his chest and the pounding of his heart when the world in front of him starts falling apart. He looks at the blood on his hands, the traumatizing memory rushing back.

Zeke’s hands were on the wheel, his thoughts jumping between his client and the words he saw on Hour 0 when he opened the app this morning.

enjoy your day

The more Zeke thought about it, the more annoyed he got. So, he turned on the radio, hoping whatever was on would be enough to distract his thoughts. And it was, but it also made him miss the gentle sway of the suspension.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion penetrated the air.

Zeke’s breath was caught in his throat, his mind still grasping what was happening. The earth shuddered beneath him as he struggled to maintain control of the steering wheel. Just ahead, there was a sea of red. And where the road should be was a jagged void that was devouring everything in its path.

Zeke slammed on the brakes, the tires shrieking against the roar. He wasn’t going to make it. The world was collapsing too fast. But his instinct screamed at him, and he yanked the wheel a hard right. The car slid, hitting the railing, stopping it from plunging into the watery abyss. Zeke shoved the door open and threw himself out as he heard another chunk of the bridge snap and drop away, taking his car with it.

He clawed at the ground, fingers scraping against loose debris as the momentum dragged him toward the abyss. His legs were dangling in the air, and he firmly believed that this was it until everything suddenly stopped. Just short of the drop.

Zeke gasped, his face coated in dust and sweat. He heard a grunt and when he looked to his left, he saw an older man with blood on his face hanging on by a thread. His eyes were huge, unblinking, the raw unfiltered horror in them mimicked Zeke’s. They looked at each other, and Zeke saw his lips quiver. Despite his body trembling with fear, Zeke carefully reached out.

The man slowly reached back, and their fingers barely touched before the thin piece of metal the man was holding onto gave way. Neither was fast enough, and Zeke watched in pure horror as the man joined the loose debris that disappeared into the sprawling body of water.

“How are you feeling?”

The voice of the nurse drags Zeke back to the present. He forces a small smile. “Fine.” As the nurse begins to take his vitals, he asks, “Is there a phone I can use?”

Soon, Zeke is in the hallway, his vision still slightly blurry and his head pounding. Still, he makes his way toward the elevators but stops when he sees a familiar face looking at their phone.

Zeke hasn’t seen him in years, but it’s as if he hasn’t aged.

“Jun?”

Jun stops as if he got caught doing something he isn’t supposed to. But upon realizing who it is, he smiles.

“Zeke?” Jun asks, running up to him. His smile quickly fades upon seeing all the injuries and bandages. “W-What—”

“I’m okay,” Zeke says with a smile. “Just a little accident.”

“A little accident? What happened for you to end up like—” Jun stops himself, and Zeke knows Jun realizes it for himself. “The bridge…?” The small tremor in Jun’s words doesn’t go unnoticed.

Zeke puts a hand on his shoulder. “Kid—"

"It's just a coincidence, right?" Jun interrupts. "Hour 0 had nothing to do with this... Right?"

Zeke isn't sure if Jun's really looking for an answer or if he's trying to convince himself.

“Was that the popular vote?" Zeke asks. "The bridge collapsing?”

The air goes still that it feels like the world is holding its breath.

“I didn’t know it would actually happen,” Jun says, his voice trembling. “We never had a bridge collapse, and—”

“Hey…” Zeke puts his hands on Jun’s shoulders. “Don’t tell me you think this is your fault, kid. You aren’t responsible for what happened on that bridge. It’s as you said. It’s just a coincidence.”

"But..."

As Jun tries to find the words, Zeke takes the opportunity to ask what's been on his mind. "Jun, do you know someone named Ling?"

He hesitates but eventually shakes his head. “Not personally.”

“What do you know about him?”

Jun looks off to the side. “I… I don’t know much. Honestly, I don’t.” Then, it’s like he gives in and looks Zeke in the eyes. “But… he’s kind of scary.”

“What do you mean?”

Jun takes out his phone and opens Hour 0. He’s holding his phone with both hands, hiding his screen from Zeke. “In the group chat, Ling said that those who vote and continue to vote will get benefits and increase their chances of survival…”

Chances of survival? What in the world is that supposed to mean? Zeke has a hard time following, but Jun is talking so fast that Zeke feels like the kid needs to let it all out first.

Jun looks down. “I had no idea what he was talking about, but now that this actually happened, the video—"

"What video?" Zeke asks sternly.

Finally, he shows Zeke his screen.

And when Zeke looks at it, his eyes harden and his blood runs cold.