30

Chapter 30

Sunoo ran.

He didn’t think—he just moved.

The door burst open as he shoved past it, feet pounding against the cold, sterile floor. The dim hallway stretched ahead, the flickering lights casting warped shadows against the walls. His breath came in sharp gasps, heart hammering as he sprinted forward, past empty rooms and abandoned corridors.

He had to get out.

Had to run.

Behind him—footsteps. Slow. Measured.

Riki wasn’t running.

He didn’t have to.

Because he knew.

Sunoo would never really escape.

The thought sent a fresh wave of panic through him. He veered left, nearly slipping as he stumbled through a doorway, slamming it shut behind him. His hands trembled as he fumbled with the lock, twisting it into place just as a shadow passed beneath the door.

Silence.

Sunoo pressed his back against the wall, biting down on his lip to keep from making a sound. His pulse pounded in his skull, loud enough that he swore Riki could hear it.

Then—

Tap.

A soft knock.

Sunoo squeezed his eyes shut.

Tap. Tap.

A slow, deliberate rhythm.

A laugh, low and taunting. "You really think a locked door is going to stop me?"

Sunoo’s breath hitched.

He had to move.

Spinning around, he scanned the darkened room—desks, overturned chairs, cabinets lining the walls. His gaze locked onto a window.

An escape.

Hope sparked in his chest as he rushed forward, gripping the frame. It groaned in protest as he shoved it open, icy air biting at his skin. The drop outside was steep, but not impossible. If he could just—

BANG.

The door shook violently.

Sunoo’s breath caught.

Another bang.

A crack splintered through the wood.

He jumped.

The wind roared past him, the impact jarring as he hit the ground and rolled. Pain shot up his side, but he pushed through it, scrambling to his feet and sprinting into the darkness.

The building loomed behind him, a monolith of shadow and decay. The distant streetlights barely pierced the fog rolling in from the city, but Sunoo didn’t care. He ran, legs burning, lungs screaming.

He was free.

He was—

"You always were fast."

Sunoo froze.

The voice was right behind him.

Too close.

Slowly, he turned.

Riki stood beneath a flickering streetlamp, his face half-hidden in shadow. The bloodstained restraints still dangled from his wrists, swaying gently in the night breeze. His eyes—dark, endless—shone with something unreadable.

Something terrifying.

Sunoo stumbled back. "No. No, you—" He shook his head. "You can’t be here. I locked the door. I—"

Riki tilted his head. "And yet," he murmured, taking a slow step forward, "here I am."

Sunoo turned and ran.

It didn’t matter where.

He just had to get away.

Buildings blurred past him, the city a distorted nightmare of neon and shadows. He didn’t stop, didn’t dare look back, even as he felt Riki’s presence like a weight pressing against his spine.

He needed people. Lights. Something.

A bus station flickered into view. The roads were empty, but it didn’t matter. He staggered toward it, collapsing onto the cold metal bench, sucking in desperate gulps of air.

Safe.

Finally—

"You really thought it would be that easy?"

Sunoo’s blood turned to ice.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze.

Riki sat beside him.

Calm. Relaxed.

Like he had always been there.

Sunoo scrambled to his feet. "No. No, you’re not real. You can’t be real."

Riki smiled, tilting his head. "And yet."

Sunoo’s vision blurred. His heartbeat roared in his ears, drowning out everything else. He took a shaky step back, his body screaming for him to run—

But it wouldn’t matter.

Because Riki would always be there.

Watching.

Waiting.

Following.

Sunoo squeezed his eyes shut. Wake up. Wake up.

He opened them.

Riki was still there.

A whisper brushed against his ear. "This isn’t the end you pretty doctor."

Sunoo ran again.

But no matter how far he went—

How fast.

How desperately.

Riki followed.

And he always would.

THE  END

_______________

Aw man it ended.... ah well it was nice writting it! Thank you for resding it and giving it attention! :)