The red letters pulsed against the wall, dimming, then glowing brighter in slow, deliberate beats. Not flickering like a flame—this was controlled. Measured.
Like something was waiting.
Jin didn't move at first, his body still as he took in the sight. The weight of the silence pressed down on them, thicker than before. No one spoke, but he could feel the tension in the air, winding tighter with every second.
Something was here.
And it wasn't human.
His mind flickered back to Echo's ability. He had felt nothing up here. No footsteps. No movement. No breath.
So whatever was doing this wasn't normal.
Jin exhaled slowly, his hands flexing at his sides. Then, he took a step forward.
"Why should we leave?"
The words echoed through the room, cutting into the heavy quiet.
The pulsing stopped.
For a moment, nothing changed. The red marks stayed still, no longer shifting, no longer glowing—just waiting.
Then, slowly—the message on the wall began to fade.
