The Encounter

— Inside the Station —
Professor William and Reynard ran toward the back corridor before the fog could reach them.

“Damn it! The door’s already closed!” Reynard shouted.

“We need to find another route. Follow me!” the professor replied quickly.

“But where?! That strange fog has already spread everywhere!” Reynard answered in panic.

Of course, his panic was understandable. Almost every path in that sector was slowly being swallowed by the strange fog.

Yet even in the middle of that situation, the professor kept thinking desperately.

Until finally… he found a possibility.

Even if, to him, the idea itself sounded completely insane.

“I have an idea… do you want to hear it?” the professor asked.

“An idea? There’s still a way out of a place like this?”

“There is. But my theory might sound ridiculous.”

“As long as we can survive, I’ll accept any idea, Professor.” Reynard answered without hesitation.

The professor slowly nodded.

“If I remember correctly, there should be an emergency shelter in this sector that might still be able to withstand the fog.”

Reynard immediately turned toward him.

“Withstand it? What do you mean?”

The professor stayed silent for a few seconds before continuing,

“Before we escaped from the investigation room earlier… I caught a strange smell.”

“The air in that room suddenly changed. It smelled like ozone… like cold metal mixed with electrical air.”

Reynard began paying close attention to the professor.

“If my theory is correct… then that fog isn’t just ordinary smoke.”

“It may be functioning like some kind of foreign atmospheric contamination.”

Reynard immediately understood what the professor meant.

“…Which means airtight places might still be able to block it?”

“Exactly.”

The professor slowly nodded.

“And if my theory is wrong…”

The professor’s expression gradually darkened.

“…then what’s happening inside this facility right now may not stop at this facility alone.”

The professor then continued explaining his idea in more detail.

But after hearing it—

“What?! Are you serious about that idea, Professor?” Reynard asked in shock.

“Yes.” The professor nodded quickly. “We’ve been running this whole time because we panicked, and because the fog suddenly appeared from the ventilation system.”

He stared at the fog slowly approaching them.

“But none of us actually tried going through it, did we?”

Reynard fell silent.

The professor continued,

“Besides… we don’t have many choices left.”

“That’s true, but—”

Reynard’s voice was suddenly interrupted by shouting coming from the corridor filled with fog.

“Move! Move, quickly!”

Several people were seen carrying unconscious victims.

“More people are collapsing and struggling to breathe!”

“The doctor in that sector said these are symptoms of hypoxia!”

The atmosphere in the corridor instantly changed.

Many people immediately froze when they heard the word hypoxia.

It made sense.

Hypoxia only occurs when the body begins lacking oxygen.

But what made them panic even more was one thing—

If the neighboring sector was truly experiencing oxygen depletion…

Wouldn’t that mean the same thing could happen in this sector too?

On top of that, many people still hadn’t managed to escape from the area.

Panic inside the facility began spreading even faster.

And amidst all of that… the strange fog continued approaching slowly.

“W-What are we supposed to do now?!” someone asked in a panicked voice.

“We need to find another escape route!” a security officer answered firmly.

“Then you must know the route, right?!” another person shouted at him.

“I-I don’t! How am I supposed to know?! I’ve only been working at this facility for two months!” the security officer answered nervously.

“Tch… useless idiot!” someone from the crowd snapped back.

Professor William and Reynard only exchanged tense looks.

Because without realizing it… the professor’s theory was slowly proving itself correct.

“Professor… don’t tell me this means…” Reynard asked hesitantly.

The professor stayed silent for a few seconds before finally answering quietly,

“Yes…”

He stared at the fog that continued creeping closer.

“Most likely, the oxygen in the air is being replaced by foreign particles from that fog.”

Reynard slowly swallowed.

The professor then continued in a heavier tone,

“…and if that’s true, then this is far more dangerous than we imagined.”

“Then… what should we do now?” Reynard asked again.

The professor fell silent for a moment as he thought.

“At first, I wanted to tell everyone about this theory…”

He looked toward the panicked crowd in the distance before continuing,

“…but perhaps it’s better if we test it ourselves first.”

Reynard immediately understood what the professor meant.

“You’re right…” he answered quietly.

He glanced toward the crowd that had started shouting at one another.

“In a situation like this, if we tell them carelessly…”

Reynard clenched his teeth slightly.

“…and it turns out there’s a huge risk behind it, we might be the ones blamed for it instead.”

The professor remained silent.

Reynard then continued in a heavier voice,

“And who knows what panicked people like them might do to us.”

However, as if fate had other plans…

Without them realizing it, someone from the crowd had been observing Professor William and Reynard from afar this whole time.

After watching them discuss things in the back for a while, that person finally approached them.

“Hey, you two.”

Reynard and the professor immediately turned toward him.

“What exactly are you discussing back there?” the man asked.

He then smiled faintly before continuing,

“Oh, pardon me. Let me introduce myself first.”

“I’m one of the executive researchers from the external research team.”

The man slowly extended his hand.

“My name is Jorj.”

Professor William and Reynard exchanged brief glances before introducing themselves as well.

“I’m Professor William.”

The professor answered in a formal tone.

“Leader of the Strange Object Investigation Team — Unit 5.”

Reynard then introduced himself as well,

“I’m Reynard, the team’s technician.”

Jorj slowly nodded while continuing to observe them both.

“Wait… Unit 5, you said?”

He slightly raised his eyebrow.

“So you’re the members of the team selected by our research group?”

Professor William gave a short nod.

“That’s correct.”

“Oho…”

Jorj smiled faintly.

“What a coincidence.”

He glanced at the increasingly chaotic corridor before continuing,

“I’ve actually heard quite a lot about your reputation.”

“Even before this incident happened, I was planning to meet you here in this sector.”

Jorj chuckled softly.

“But who would’ve thought things would turn into a situation like this.”

Professor William and Reynard only stared at him with uneasy expressions.

Even so, the two of them still tried to keep the conversation natural so they wouldn’t appear suspicious.

Professor William then smiled faintly before replying,

“Hahaha… true enough.”

He slowly adjusted his glasses.

“However, in a situation like this, I don’t think we have much time for casual conversation, Mister Jorj.”

“Oh, yes. You’re right…” Jorj replied casually.

He then glanced toward the panicking crowd at the end of the corridor before looking back at Professor William and Reynard.

“By the way…”

A faint smile appeared on his face again.

“Do you two already have an idea regarding this situation?”

Professor William narrowed his eyes slightly.

Jorj continued casually,

“I saw both of you discussing something rather seriously from afar earlier.”

“So I thought… perhaps you’ve already found a way out of here.”

He then glanced toward the chaotic crowd once more.

“Of course… while also considering the condition of the people here.”

Professor William remained silent for a few seconds after hearing those words.

From the way Jorj spoke, he slowly began understanding what kind of person the man truly was.

But at the same time, an idea suddenly appeared in his mind.

“That’s correct.”

Professor William answered calmly.

“We were discussing the possibility of heading toward the emergency shelter in this sector.”

He intentionally observed Jorj’s expression before continuing,

“Wouldn’t you agree that it’s the most reasonable option right now, Mister Jorj?”

Jorj smiled faintly.

“Not a bad idea.”

He glanced at the increasingly chaotic crowd.

“However, with the situation this crowded…”

His gaze slowly returned toward Professor William and Reynard.

“…are you certain the shelter in this sector can still be reached?”

Reynard immediately realized where the conversation was heading.

Jorj then continued casually,

“If you ask me personally…”

“Wouldn’t it be safer if we headed toward the shelter in the neighboring sector instead?”

Professor William smiled faintly after hearing that answer.

“You’re right.”

He slowly nodded.

“My apologies for not considering that possibility earlier.”

Professor William then gently patted Reynard’s shoulder before continuing,

“I’m already too old to think quickly in situations like this.”

“And him…”

He briefly glanced at Reynard.

“He’s still a young technician with very little field experience.”

Jorj slightly frowned after hearing those words.

But before he could say anything, Professor William had already walked toward the crowd in the corridor.

“Everyone, listen!”

The professor’s voice echoed loudly amidst the panic.

“I’m Professor William, leader of Unit 5 — Strange Object Investigation Team.”

Several people immediately turned toward him.

“We may have found a possible way out of this situation.”

Jorj, who had been about to speak earlier, now remained silent while observing from behind.

The same went for Reynard, who was still trying to understand the professor’s intentions.

“We’re planning to head toward the shelter in the neighboring sector.”

Professor William then pointed toward Jorj.

“Coincidentally, we just discussed this with one of the Executive Researchers from that sector.”

“And according to the information he provided, executive researchers likely possess access authorization for that shelter.”

The atmosphere in the corridor began changing slightly.

Some people finally seemed to see hope.

Professor William calmly continued,

“Therefore… we would like to guide all of you there.”

Jorj slowly narrowed his eyes after hearing those words.

A faint smile gradually appeared on his face.

“Oooh… that’s a good idea.”

However, one person from the crowd immediately shouted anxiously,

“But don’t we have to pass through the fog first?!”

“Yeah!”

“What if that really is what’s causing people to suffocate?!”

The crowd immediately became noisy again.

But before Professor William could answer, Jorj suddenly stepped forward slightly.

“As for that…”

He smiled casually while glancing at the professor.

“We’ve actually already discussed that together beforehand.”

Reynard immediately looked at Jorj with a tense expression.

Jorj then calmly continued,

“Perhaps Professor William can explain it to all of you in more detail.”

Instantly, the entire crowd’s attention returned toward Professor William and Reynard.

Professor William stayed silent for a moment while staring at Jorj.

Although his expression remained calm, inwardly he began feeling that the man was deliberately pushing him deeper into the center of this situation.

But regardless… he was the one who started this little game first.

Professor William slowly took a breath before finally stepping forward.

“Very well.”

His voice sounded clear amidst the chaos in the corridor.

“Please understand that this is still only a theory based on the current situation.”

“We’re simply trying to help.”

He swept his gaze across the crowd.

“If any of you have another idea, then of course, you are free to make your own decisions.”

Several people began quietly listening.

Professor William then continued,

“Based on our theory… the fog is most likely replacing the oxygen content in the air.”

The crowd immediately erupted into panic again after hearing that.

“The proof…”

The professor vaguely pointed toward the fog in the distance.

“If you get close enough, you’ll notice an ozone-like smell in the surrounding air.”

Reynard, standing behind him, began understanding where the professor’s explanation was heading.

“And if our theory is correct…”

Professor William continued in a more serious tone.

“Then there’s a high possibility that the shelter in the neighboring sector hasn’t been completely filled by the fog yet.”

He then glanced toward Jorj.

“After all, shelters in facilities like this are usually built very close to sector entrances.”

A faint smile appeared on the professor’s face.

“Wouldn’t you agree, Mister Jorj?”

Jorj smiled faintly before finally replying,

“That’s absolutely correct.”

He then looked toward the crowd around them.

“So then, everyone…”

“Would you like to follow our plan… or do you already have another one?”

The crowd was once again filled with uncertain whispers.

But the strange fog continued approaching slowly from afar.

In the end, many of them finally gave up resisting and chose to follow Professor William’s plan.

Not long after, the entire group began moving through the corridors toward the neighboring sector’s shelter access point.

Until several minutes later—

“Hah… hah…”

Professor William began breathing heavily while holding onto the wall.

“It seems… I’m too old to keep running like this…”

Reynard immediately rushed toward him in panic.

“Professor!”

He quickly supported the old man.

“Come on, we’re almost at the sector gate!”

But from behind them, Jorj slowly narrowed his eyes while observing the two.

Reynard, who didn’t notice that at all, immediately turned toward the crowd.

“You all should go ahead with Mister Jorj!”

“We’ll catch up after Professor William rests for a moment!”

He gave an awkward smile before continuing,

“We don’t want to slow everyone down…”

After hearing that, most of the crowd finally chose to continue moving forward together with Jorj.

And slowly… they began leaving Professor William and Reynard behind.

Professor William smiled faintly after the crowd gradually disappeared from view.

“Professor… are you alright?” Reynard asked worriedly while supporting him.

Professor William let out a long breath before slowly straightening his posture again.

“Yes…”

He slowly adjusted his glasses.

“I can still walk.”

Reynard looked slightly confused when he saw the professor turning his body around instead.

“Wait… where are we going?”

Reynard then pointed toward the front corridor.

“Didn’t everyone head toward the neighboring sector’s shelter?”

Professor William remained silent for a few seconds before finally replying,

“We’re heading toward the shelter in this sector, Reynard.”

“What?”

Reynard immediately stared at the professor in confusion.

Professor William continued while slowly walking,

“The shelter in the neighboring sector is most likely already filled with people from that sector.”

“If the entire crowd from earlier enters that place too…”

He slowly shook his head.

“That shelter could easily become a trap instead.”

Reynard slowly began understanding something.

“In that case…”

He hesitated for a few seconds before asking,

“Then why did we send them there earlier?”

Professor William immediately stopped walking for a moment.

After seeing Reynard’s expression, he quickly realized how his earlier actions might have sounded.

“No, it’s not like that.”

The professor’s voice sounded quicker than usual.

“You saw it yourself, didn’t you?”

“That Jorj…”

The professor’s gaze gradually became serious.

“He was trying to take advantage of the situation after learning about our theory.”

Reynard silently listened.

Professor William then continued in a quieter tone,

“And his reaction was far too calm for someone trapped in a situation like this…”

“That makes sense…”

Reynard slowly lowered his gaze.

“It’s just… I don’t think I’m used to situations like this yet.”

He slowly clenched his fists.

“No matter what… they’re still human beings.”

Professor William stared at him for several seconds before finally smiling faintly.

“That’s alright.”

“You have every right to think that way, Reynard.”

He slowly resumed walking through the corridor.

“In the end, humans are fragile creatures.”

“But because of that… the instinct to survive will always appear, no matter the situation.”

Reynard silently listened.

Not long after, the two of them continued heading toward the shelter in their sector.

But in the middle of the journey—

Reynard suddenly stopped.

“Professor, wait a second!”

Without explaining further, he immediately ran toward a partially opened security room.

Professor William frowned in confusion before finally noticing something inside the room.

A radiation-protection suit equipped with an emergency oxygen filter.

A few seconds later, Reynard returned while carrying the equipment.

“Wear this.”

He immediately handed it to the professor without hesitation.

“There’s no need.”

Professor William immediately shook his head.

“You need it more than I do.”

“You’re older than me, Professor.”

Reynard answered quickly.

“If something happens later, at least you’ll still be able to think more calmly than I can.”

Professor William tried refusing once more.

But Reynard continued insisting until the old man could only sigh in defeat and finally put the equipment on.

And at that moment…

Professor William began realizing something.

Reynard was far more sincere than he had ever imagined.

Not long afterward, the two finally arrived in front of the shelter.

The massive steel gate was still open.

Professor William let out a sigh of relief.

“Let’s go inside.”

He stepped into the shelter first.

But a few steps later—

Professor William suddenly realized something.

Reynard’s hand was no longer supporting him from behind.

BRAAAK—

The shelter door suddenly began closing automatically.

Professor William immediately turned around in panic.

“Reynard?!”

Beyond the slowly closing steel door, Reynard was still standing outside.

“Hey! Why are you still out there?!”

Reynard only gave a faint smile even as his breathing became heavier.

“Sorry…”

He lowered his gaze for a moment.

“But I can’t get rid of this guilt after seeing all those people earlier…”

Professor William’s eyes widened instantly.

“Wait—!”

BRAAAAAK—

The massive steel door finally shut completely…

Footsteps echoed through the corridor.

In the distance, Reynard appeared, his face pale and his expression filled with exhaustion.

He kept running from end to end through the narrow hallway, until he finally stopped as something came into view ahead of him…

“What the hell is this fog?! How much longer do I have to keep running like this, damn it!”

“Everyone left behind is  collapsing… What the hell is going on?!”

Reynard charged into the fog again.

In an instant, his body began to react. Shortness of breath set in, while his heart felt as if it was being crushed from within…

With ragged breathing, he murmured softly,

“I should’ve listened to the Professor…”

BRUK—

Reynard’s body finally collapsed onto the cold corridor floor of the research facility.

And shortly after, his consciousness slowly faded away…

Static noise soon began to echo.

A worn-out monitor in the dark room powered on, displaying a replay of the memory data from the incident.

[LOG #0 — Private Research Facility Incident]
[ SIGNAL DETECTED ]

-.. --- / -. --- -

.-. ..- ... -

.... . / -- .- -.

.. -. ... .. -.. .

.... . / ..-. --- --.

[ SIGNAL STOPPED ]

[ End of Log Transmission ]

…

…

“Is that really everything?” someone asked.

“Yes, sir. This is the complete set of recordings recovered by our team after thoroughly exploring the facility,” replied a man with a serious expression and a firm, upright posture.

The Director fell silent for a moment.

“Very well. Unit 2 — Special Accident Investigation Team, you are dismissed,” he said calmly.

A brief pause followed.

“However, regarding the joint Special Disaster Prevention Task Force…” the Director continued, his tone growing heavier, “from this moment onward, as the Director of this facility, I will personally assume full responsibility for the rescue and search operation.”

He looked at the report once more before adding:

“This incident is no longer something that can be handled as a standard investigation.”