Blood in the Lobby
My name is Kim Taeyang. I take great pride in my name. Anyone who mindlessly teased me by calling me "Gold Sun" just because of my looks always got a taste of my righteous justice.
It was a perfectly ordinary Saturday morning when shit hit the fan—just like any other day. My parents had gone to my grandparents' place, leaving me alone at home to enjoy some well-deserved downtime. I'd turned down their invitation purely because I had plans: a backlog of games to grind through and a date with my girlfriend lined up for the afternoon.
I was deep into my game when a wave of dizziness hit me hard out of nowhere. I just closed my eyes for a second and opened them again, but in that split instant, every light in the house had gone out. The circuit breaker was fine, but we had a blackout? I tried to chalk it up to some freak accident, but the suffocating pressure in my chest and that gnawing bad feeling wouldn't shake.
Figuring I'd at least crack a window for some air, I pulled back the curtains—and froze solid.
"......Huh? Am I dreaming right now?"
Instead of the familiar rundown buildings and cramped alleyways pressed up against each other, there was nothing but endless, vast grassland stretching out beyond the window.
"Where's my phone? Fuck, what's going on?"
Faces of my parents and girlfriend flashed through my mind. The phone was dead. No Wi-Fi signal. Every other electronic gadget in the house was just as useless, like they'd all conspired to shut down at once.
Unable to shake the anxiety, I bolted outside, where a few residents were already gathered at the building entrance, talking in hushed, serious tones. But they had nothing useful to say. They were just as confused and milling about as I was.
That's when she appeared—a stunningly gorgeous girl, panting hard as she stumbled down the stairs.
"Huff... huff! Big trouble... huff huff! Everyone get... huff huff... away quick!"
I never knew even breathing could look that pretty. Overwhelmed by her killer looks, I let out an admiring whistle before I could stop myself.
"Whoa, fuck...... she's goddamn gorgeous."
"Shut it, Gold Sun. Huff... huff...... That's not what's important right now."
What the hell did this bitch just say? Dare to mock the sacred name my parents gave me?
I started marching over to deliver some instant justice, but the big guy from 702 blocked my path.
"Kid, what's going on? Catch your breath first and tell us."
I backed off not because the guy's an ex-Marine kickboxing instructor. Nah, I'm a polite young man who respects his elders. Absolutely not because I got cold feet. Real men of justice don't swing their fists lightly.
While I was hyping myself up like that, the rude little beauty was ranting away. For such a tiny thing, she sure had a set of lungs on her.
"This is weird, right? Why would the scenery change and our phones go dead all of a sudden? Stay inside until we figure this out! It's way safer that way!"
She wasn't wrong. The view outside, communications, power...... everything was fucked. We were cut off for sure. I nodded, glancing around at the others.
But something was off. Most of the residents were brushing off her warning like it was hot air.
What the hell? Why's no one listening?
Dad always said to read the room before making decisions. While I was waffling, the pretty girl grabbed a few people and headed back up the stairs. Should I follow? Right as I was debating, the Galmaegi Director's panicked voice cut through.
"Someone's coming this way! I'll go check it out!"
I followed his pointing finger and spotted several human-like shapes approaching from the distance. Even in this bizarre mess, I had to salute the director's guts for stepping up.
"Nice~ Galmaegi bro's got balls."
"It's Galmaegi, not seagull."
"Huh?"
I turned to see who was correcting me, and there was this familiar face—an older resident who'd shoot the shit with me even though we had an age gap. He never pulled the "back in my day" crap, even let me smoke around him without bitching.
"Seagull, Galmaegi—same difference, right?"
"Nah, they're not. Totally different birds."
Some egghead type?
"You went to college or something, mister? How do you even know that?"
He scowled at my question.
"Kid, anyone knows that without a degree."
While we bantered like idiots, the Galmaegi Director reached the newcomers. Compared to him, they weren't super tall, but holy shit, they were built—massive tanks.
We saw him talking to them. But their reply wasn't words.
The leader raised his hand high—
Riiip—!
Something tore with a sickening sound, and the director's body split clean in two vertically, spraying blood everywhere.
......What the fuck just happened?
A chilling silence blanketed everything in an instant. I couldn't process it either, just staring blankly at the unreal scene. Was my brain short-circuiting from the shock?
The tank that halved the director lunged forward, coiling like a shot-put thrower about to heave.
What the—?
Whoosh—!
A sharp whistle pierced my eardrums. Thud—!
The black axe he'd hurled buried itself right in the head of the guy standing next to me. That's how I knew. Hot blood splattered across my face. Then, like a felled log, the man toppled slowly.
"Kyaaack!"
"Uwaaak!"
"Run, fuck!"
"Help!"
Only then did time snap back into motion. Screams shredded the lobby air. Panic spread like a virus, turning people into flailing messes sinking in quicksand. Way off in the distance, the hulking figures charged toward us like maniacs.
"......!"
My brain finally rebooted. I whipped around in horror, bolting for the stairs—but the narrow fire door was already a madhouse. Too many people jamming in at once; no one could get through. They clawed to go first, shoulders crushed against the frame, trapped like rats.
In this desperate chaos, the sight struck me as pathetically comical. But no time for laughs.
This way, we're all dead. I snatched a folding metal chair from beside the management office.
That's when I locked eyes with 702's dad. He had the same idea, gripping another chair tight.
"One at a time! We'll all die like this!"
His desperate shout did nothing to calm the frenzy. And then—they were right on us.
Muscles ready to burst, skin black as night. Black guys? Bulging red eyes, fangs jutting past their lips, flat noses on snarling faces—monsters.
"They're not human!"
"Kuaaaang—!"
Their roars drained the color from everyone's faces. In full panic, people tore at each other's shoulders to escape first, smashed noses, trampled the fallen. Blood sprayed everywhere before the monsters even swung.
"Fuck......!"
The front one swung his axe. Clang—!
I blocked on instinct with the chair, but the heavy impact crumpled it like paper.
Insane strength......!
Still clutching the mangled chair, I flew backward.
"Urk!"
My elbow screamed, a dull thud slamming into my back. I scrambled up, but a massive shadow already blocked the sunlight overhead. Looking up, I met the monster's ugly mug. No hesitation—it brought the axe down on my head.
I'm dead!
In that instant, my life flashed before me.
Never got to repay my parents...... haven't even kissed my girlfriend yet...... fuck, that first kiss!
With light-speed reflexes—or pure survival instinct—I threw myself flat. Boom—!
The huge blade sank into the floor right beside my ribs.
"Kraaang!"
Missed? The thing flew into a rage and kicked my side. Thump—!
"Gack, urgh......"
My guts twisted; I curled like a shrimp. Bitter saliva drooled from my mouth.
But no mercy—it raised the axe again. This time, too late to dodge.
"Agh!"
Bang—!
Instead of ripping flesh, metal clashed with a deafening boom.
"You okay, kid!"
Twisting my head, I saw 702's dad smashing the monster's skull with his crumpled chair. He yanked me up by the hand.
Stunned by the puny prey fighting back, the monsters froze for a beat. Even taking a full chair to the head from a ripped guy like him, the thing looked fine.
"Kuluk......?"
It wore a look like, Did this weakling just hit me back?
But we couldn't waste the opening.
"Run!"
I swallowed a scream and sprinted for the fire door, side stabbing like a knife—broken ribs? Burst organs?—but no time to be picky. We dove through while they stood dumbstruck and slammed the door shut, locking it tight.
Instantly—Boom—!Crack, bang—!
The monsters tore at the fire door with their axes. Their strength was unreal; a few hits turned the thick steel into scrap.
No breather—we raced up the stairs.
"Head to your apartments! Everyone to their own place!"
His urgent yell sparked a doubt. Fire door's toast—what chance does a flimsy front door have? Then what?
As we ran, I shot back.
"How long we hiding? Till they bust in? Or starve to death?"
"......"
He had no answer. That heavy silence hit me with regret for opening my mouth.