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When I was young, I remember getting lost in an aquarium with my younger sibling.

In the dim lighting, I desperately tried to calm her as we wandered through the maze-like paths until we finally found our parents.

I vaguely recall crossing the tank with deep-sea creatures back then.

“…”

It was just as dark as it was back then.

“Please keep an eye on your surroundings. If you see anything, let me know.”

Upon hearing my words, Jang Chae Yeon and Song Ah Rin nodded and began to look around.

After confirming that the two were on high alert, I quickly opened the manual.

[Manual for Office Staff]

[2-20. The Intensive Care Unit has had only two survivors, so the escape method through here has been discarded.]

Ignoring that, I looked at the bottom of the manual.

[2-15. The Intensive Care Unit is the last resort if you fail to rescue a patient in the previous step or mistakenly do not head toward the exit. The entities residing here are extremely dangerous, and even if a Branch Chief-level personnel comes alone, the probability of death is significantly high due to high variability.]

[There are four main entities to be careful of here.]

[1. Nurse]

[2. Jellyfish]

[3. Patient]

[4. Doctor]

I could understand numbers 1, 3, and 4, but what on earth was a jellyfish?

Just as the question arose, Jang Chae Yeon tugged at my sleeve and pointed at the ceiling.

It was like a night sky.

No, to be precise, it was an endless black ceiling.

Countless jellyfish were floating in the air, emitting a dark blue glow.

Soon, my eyes began to display the information.

[Name: Light]

[Age: Created 3 weeks ago]

[Characteristic: Luminescent]

[Talent: Luminescence]

[Background: After completing a long experiment, that person became a starlight, wandering the hospital without having found rest.]

[Weakness: X]

“…”

It was terribly disturbing.

I felt as if I had learned something I shouldn’t have known.

I turned my gaze back to the manual. I roughly understood the specifics about the nurse and the doctor, so I focused on the jellyfish.

[Jellyfish: The jellyfish that adorn the endless sky of the Intensive Care Unit. Staring at them for an extended period will induce severe mental confusion. Unless you possess considerable mental resilience, it is recommended that you avoid looking at them.]

I hastily covered Jang Chae Yeon’s eyes with one hand.

“?”

With her eyes covered, Jang Chae Yeon tilted her head, while I turned the pages of the manual with my other hand.

[2-16. You might think that it’s not as dangerous as you expected while wandering around here. But you must never forget. While the number of risks you face here may be low, each threat in the Intensive Care Unit is massive enough that you might wish for death instead.]

[First, if you have a gun, always be ready to use it. The muzzle should be aimed at your temple. If you calmly pull the trigger, you can almost certainly die.]

[If it’s impossible due to the severing of your arms or some other reason, refer to [T-Suicide Method].]

[If you have thoroughly understood the above, please proceed. A gigantic operating room will be visible. You must enter in order to pass through this place. Do not run. No matter what sound you hear after opening the door, do not look back.]

I tapped both their shoulders and gestured towards the operating room.

Continuing to walk while reading the manual.

[After passing through the operating room, you will find a doctor in a white coat wearing a green surgical mask. He is one of the few who can communicate here and is relatively friendly, so gather as much information as possible. It is best not to tell lies.]

[Do not forget. The survival rate in the Intensive Care Unit is exceptionally low due to high variability. Please be mindful of every possible scenario.]

There was no need to reinforce that point twice.

Soon, the operating room came into view.

The metal door with a shining blue glow looked designed to make anyone not want to enter, but I had no choice.

I opened the door with one hand, and suddenly, silently, the door opened, and a chill swept over us.

“…Do not look back.”

At my words, both of them nodded, and we all slowly started walking into the operating room.

The chill ran deep into my bones. It felt like stepping into a freezer.

As we proceeded, I soon heard sounds coming from behind us.

-Swish… Swish…

It was the sound of something heavy being dragged.

Song Ah Rin, walking beside me, reached out and grabbed my sleeve.

Meanwhile, Jang Chae Yeon walked calmly beside me, her expression unfazed.

From just her face, one might think we were just taking a walk.

-Swish… Swish…

I began to understand why I was told to never run.

The sound was getting closer.

Initially from the direction of the door, and now it was only a few steps behind us.

Song Ah Rin’s fingers, gripping my sleeve, trembled slightly.

Jang Chae Yeon continued to walk with a composed expression.

-Swish… Swish…

“Haah… Haah…”

The dragging thing was now breathing behind us.

The most terrifying part was the fact that the absence of pain in my head suggested this was an absolute reality.

How much longer did we walk? I could finally see the exit at the end.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

The sound behind us continued.

Song Ah Rin was gripping my sleeve tightly, her fingers turning snow white.

As I slowly moved forward to open the door,

-Drop.

Something warm fell between Song Ah Rin and me.

“Hii—”

Before Song Ah Rin could scream, I firmly grabbed her wrist, and she immediately covered her mouth with her other hand as she sensed my reaction.

We opened the door and stepped outside.

In the still dark lighting, Song Ah Rin collapsed as if she had just crumpled.

“…Hah… Hah…”

“Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay?”

“I see. What about you, Chae Yeon?”

“I’m fine.”

“Really?”

“Not scared at all.”

Jang Chae Yeon said, looking at Song Ah Rin.

“Such a foolish white-haired girl…!”

With a tone mixed with slight laughter, Song Ah Rin glared at Jang Chae Yeon.

Even after getting this far, finding the will to fight showed she still had some energy left.

What exactly was chasing us?

I didn’t know what it was, but I didn’t want to meet it again.

Next, there was supposed to be a person in a white coat and green surgical mask.

I looked around, and it wasn’t hard to find someone dressed like that.

After all, excluding the three of us, there was only one other person.

He was a man in a white coat wearing a green mask.

Interestingly, unlike those we had seen so far, he seemed entirely human in appearance.

“…Oh.”

He looked at us, slightly widening his eyes before walking towards me.

“It’s been a while since someone has come to the Intensive Care Unit. The last time, it was a single male visitor.”

I had an idea of whom he might be referring to.

“…We’re also here to find someone.”

“Oh? If you’ve come all this way, that shows your utmost dedication.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask who it is? A name would do, but a description is even better.”

I hesitated briefly.

Since we had come this far, I would find Yu Da On one way or another.

Taking a deep breath, I responded.

“Her name is Yu Da On. Her appearance is long black hair…”

“Long hair?”

“…She has a pretty smile.”

I stuttered, unsure how else to describe Yu Da On.

“Hmm. Long black hair, pretty smile… her name is Yu Da On…”

Before I realized it, the man retrieved a chart from his pocket and began flipping through the papers.

“I see. Yu Da On.”

“Is that so?”

He smiled gently and closed the chart.

“Seeing it marked with a star means she must be quite an important patient… but since you three are here, I suppose I must inform you.”

“Thank you.”

I bowed my head and thanked him as calmly as I could, and he waved his hand dismissively while chuckling.

“It’s nothing. But the path ahead… might be a bit long and treacherous.”

“I understand.”

“Well then, I cannot stop you. Please, look behind me.”

The man turned and pointed behind him.

An expanse of absolute darkness lay beyond.

“Pass through here and go to the room at the very end. There’s only one room at the end, so finding it won’t be difficult.”

“…Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s all part of the treatment.”

He smiled softly before walking past us towards the operating room.

I opened the manual.

[If you learned the way from him, please head in the direction he indicated. You must not take any other paths. You’ll never know what he might do if angered.]

[There’s no matching description for the path to the patient room. From here on, it’s up to your discretion, skills, and adaptability.]

“Well, that’s what they say.”

“We’ll go regardless.”

“…Right.”

The two nodded in agreement.

Alright.

I stepped into the darkness.

-Whoosh!

The sound of a candle blowing out echoed as the things behind us vanished.

What appeared before me was a pitch-black patient room door.

-Slam,

The door swung open, and a figure stepped out.

“…Ugh…”

It wasn’t a person.

Where a head should have been, jellyfish danced and swayed, and the figure moved like a mindless puppet in sync with their motion.

-Dreel!

The manual unfolded.

[Manual for Office Staff]

[Patient: One of the dangerous entities within the ‘hospital’ that possesses both intelligence and monstrous strength. If caught, they have the power to tear apart that body part, so please be careful.]

It looked dangerous, but if we were to confront one—

-Dreeeek!

The corridor began to unfold.

Soon, an endless corridor spread out before us.

All the doors were painted black.