A Voice in the Dark
Han Yu-na was a rookie actress who had recently begun to make a name for herself. With a few short web dramas, minor roles in commercials, and viral short-form videos, she was becoming a recognizable face to those in the know. Although she wasn't a household name yet, she was a promising prospect with a bright future.
Her shoots had been going smoothly, and everything was falling into place. But today, a string of bad luck struck all at once. The shoot ran much later than expected, and to make matters worse, her manager's car suddenly broke down.
Normally, she would have hailed a cab using an app, but because the filming location was so remote, no taxis were available nearby. Waiting any longer in the pitch-black surroundings filled her with a creeping sense of dread. Ultimately, Han Yu-na had no choice but to flag down a passing taxi on the street.
Then, while scrolling through shorts, she had stumbled into a live stream. A shamanic reading. The warning from the man hosting the stream. The taxi suddenly pulling over. The driver's face smiling in the rearview mirror. After that, her memory went completely blank.
"Ugh..."
When she first opened her eyes, she had no idea where she was. Her head throbbed as if it were about to split open. The back of her neck burned, and her mouth was bone-dry.
"Where... am I?"
As she inhaled, the damp smell of dust rushed into her lungs. The ceiling was low, and the room was shrouded in darkness. A faint sliver of light leaked in from a corner, but it wasn't enough to make out her surroundings. The walls felt rough, and the floor was freezing cold.
Swallowing a groan, Han Yu-na tried to sit up.
"Huh?"
In that instant, she froze. Her hands wouldn't move. Her heart plummeted. Slowly, she looked down. Her wrists were bound behind her back. A thick rope was tied tightly, digging into her flesh. Her ankles were the same. She tried to twist her torso, but her body refused to cooperate.
"Ah..."
A soft gasp escaped her lips. Only then did the fragmented memories rush back. The taxi stopping. The driver turning around from the front seat to speak.
"You're pretty quick on the uptake, Ms. Han Yu-na."
The moment those words echoed in her mind, the blood in her veins ran cold.
Han Yu-na gasped for air. She turned her head, frantically scanning her surroundings. Her bag was nowhere to be seen. No phone. No coat, no wallet—nothing that belonged to her remained. She had really been kidnapped. As the reality of the situation sank in, her heart began to hammer frantically against her ribs. She twisted her bound wrists, but the rope didn't budge. Her ankles were locked tight, too. The more she struggled, the more the rope chafed against her skin.
"Haa... Haa..."
Her breathing grew shallow. Her throat tightened. Just then, she heard faint voices from outside the door. It wasn't just one person. It was the low, muffled murmurs of several men. She couldn't make out what they were saying, which only made it more terrifying. Just knowing someone was right outside the door suffocated her. Han Yu-na froze in place. Footsteps outside drew closer, then faded away. Only then did she manage to take a shaky breath. But the relief was short-lived. She didn't know where she was. She didn't know how many men were out there. She didn't even know if anyone would hear her if she screamed for help. In that moment, the sheer gravity of her peril became agonizingly clear.
Park Jihun furrowed his brow as he stared at the Discord window. Only the disconnected call icon remained on the screen. The chat was already in absolute chaos.
What the, is this for real?
Shouldn't we call the police?
Hyung, what are you doing? Do something, quick!
This looks seriously bad...
Park Jihun swept his eyes over the chat.
"Quiet."
The chat instantly slowed to a crawl. Staring at the disconnected window, he tapped his fingers on the desk. The visions he had just seen flashed rapidly through his mind. A sloped road. A closed shutter. A dark, unlit building. A locked door. Though the images were hazy, the path to disaster was crystal clear.
"I'm pausing the readings for a moment."
The chat erupted into a frenzy again, but he ignored it. He immediately picked up his phone and dialed 112.
After a brief ring, a calm voice answered.
"Yes, this is the emergency police hotline."
Park Jihun didn't hesitate.
"A woman has been kidnapped."
A brief silence fell over the line.
"Do you know her exact location?"
"I don't know for sure. I confirmed the taxi's license plate starts with 38-Ba-19, and the victim's name is Han Yu-na. She was heading to Seongbuk-dong, but the taxi veered off in the opposite direction."
"Are you currently at the scene, caller?"
"No. I heard it over a call during my live stream."
The operator paused. A hint of skepticism lingered in the silence. Jihun spoke with absolute authority.
"The car doors were locked, and the call was abruptly cut off. There might already be another report filed. Check it."
The rapid clacking of a keyboard echoed through the receiver. A moment later, the operator's tone shifted.
"One moment... Yes, we have a report matching that description on file."
Jihun's eyes narrowed.
"You need to move fast."
Keeping the Discord window open, he stared intently at the monitor.
"It's a sloped road. Near a building with a shutter."
"What do you mean?"
Jihun continued, "The area is dark, away from the main road. It's an abandoned building. Likely an industrial area or a closed commercial district. Oh, and I saw a sign that read Hwajeong Auto Body Shop."
By this point, the operator was no longer treating this as a prank.
"We are dispatching units immediately. If you witness or remember anything else, please let us know right away."
Even as the call continued, Jihun's eyes never left the Discord window. The disconnected screen. The stream that was still live. The chat, holding its collective breath. Faint radio chatter bled through the receiver. Minutes stretched out like hours. Jihun never once stood up from his seat. He simply kept relaying everything he saw in his mind to the police.
Han Yu-na stared at the door, holding her breath. The outside seemed to have fallen quiet again, but that was an illusion. It wasn't truly quiet; rather, the silence was so absolute that every tiny noise was amplified. The buzzing of a flickering, old fluorescent light somewhere. The slow, rhythmic drip of water in the distance. A footstep brushing past the door. Yu-na bit her lip. Her bound wrists throbbed with pain.
"Haa..."
A shaky breath escaped her. She couldn't be scared. She couldn't make a sound. She knew this in her head, but her body refused to listen.
Just then, a man's voice drifted in from outside the door.
"Do you think she's awake?"
Yu-na's body stiffened. Another voice replied,
"It's still quiet in there."
"They usually get quieter when they're scared."
Laughter mingled with the voices. Yu-na became too terrified to even breathe. Her heart hammered so violently she feared they might hear it through the door.
*Thud.*
The sound of someone setting something heavy down on the floor echoed. Then, footsteps approached. One step. Another step. The presence stopped right in front of the door. Instinctively, Yu-na tried to shrink back. But her bound limbs wouldn't let her budge. The doorknob began to turn slowly. *Screeech.* The rusty metal groaned. Yu-na gasped, unable to even cover her mouth. Her head spun.
Two men walked into the room. One of them looked familiar. He was a man who had attended several of her fan signing events.
"You..."
The man smirked crookedly.
"I guess you finally remember me."
Yu-na blinked, a shiver running down her spine. This man was not sane.
"Help me! Somebody help!"
At her scream, the men approached her with menacing expressions.
"Shut up."
"Don't you dare scream."
Just as they closed in on her, an unexpected shout erupted from the distance.
"Police!"
The sudden roar shattered the silence.
"What the fuck?!"
"How did they find this place?"
"Block the door, quick!"
As the two men rushed to block the door, a violent crash echoed from outside. Urgent, chaotic footsteps thundered down the hallway.
"Open the door!"
"Hands in the air! Don't move!"
*Crash!*
The door shook violently. Han Yu-na stared, unable to even blink, like someone who had forgotten how to breathe. Once more. *Crash!* The door burst open. Blinding beams of flashlights swept across the room all at once. Yu-na squeezed her eyes shut against the glare.
"She's in here!"
It was a stranger's voice, but in that moment, no sound could have been sweeter.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Hearing those words, Yu-na finally realized she had been clenching her teeth so hard they ached. The breath she had been holding in her throat finally burst out.
"He-help..."
She couldn't finish the sentence. The last of her strength evaporated. An officer rushed over and immediately began untying the ropes around her wrists. The moment the bindings loosened, her raw skin throbbed. The pain itself felt surreal, almost dreamlike.
"Call paramedics! Take slow breaths. You're safe now."
You're safe now. At those words, Han Yu-na finally let her head drop. Her shoulders trembled violently as she fought back a wave of tears. Outside the door, shouts and footsteps still tangled in chaos.
"He's running that way!"
"Cut off his escape!"
"Cuff this bastard first!"
Listening to the commotion in a daze, a sudden realization struck her. The voice behind the black screen, the one who had warned her until the very end.
Han Yu-na managed to squeeze out a word through her raspy throat.
"That person..."
The detective beside her looked down.
"Who do you mean?"
Yu-na licked her dry lips, still struggling to catch her breath.
"Perpetual Job Seeker..."
The detective's brow furrowed slightly.
"Is he someone you know? A friend?"
Yu-na slowly shook her head.
"No..."
A shallow breath escaped her.
"He's... someone who does shamanic readings on an internet stream."
The detective stared at her.
"A stream?"
Yu-na added with trembling lips, "It was thanks to what he told me that I was able to hold on until the end."
The detective didn't reply. Just then, a paramedic approached.
"We need to transport the patient."
The detective nodded briefly. Supported by the paramedics, Han Yu-na was carefully carried out of the room. The detective silently watched her go. She hadn't looked like she was joking. The distinct tremor of someone who had just stared death in the face still lingered in her body. A moment later, the detective turned to his junior officer.
"Pull up that stream."