Seorin stepped inside… and began walking up.
***
The stairwell door closed behind Seorin with a soft metallic click that echoed faintly in the narrow concrete space.
For a moment, she just stood there.
The air inside the stairwell felt different from the hallway— cooler… quieter… heavier.
Like the sounds of the hospital had been sealed away the second the door shut.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone in her hand.
The screen was still black and it was still counting.
「For this to work, you must be on top of the building.
Time remaining: 00:08:57」
She swallowed once, then let out a small breath through her nose as if trying to shake off a feeling she didn't want to name.
"…nine minutes, huh."
Her voice sounded oddly loud in the empty stairwell.
No answer came back— only the faint humming of distant electricity and the soft buzz of fluorescent lights somewhere above.
Seorin shifted her weight, then finally started moving.
One step.
Then another.
