In a chaotic and desperate struggle, two individuals, Irina and Kim Dong-seong, find themselves locked in a brutal fight. The confrontation escalates rapidly, involving gunfire, hand-to-hand combat, and the use of a drone as a pivotal element in their survival. The narrative unfolds within a confined and dangerous environment, where every move is a matter of life and death.
The Battle Erupts
Kim Dong-seong’s grip on a firearm is broken as Irina retaliates with fierce determination. Evan, a companion to Irina, tries to pull her back, urging caution. “Didn’t you just surrender?” Irina questions, pushing his arm away. “I wish you’d just understand and die,” she adds, her voice laced with desperation. Evan warns, “Be careful, his eyes are still alive.” Before Evan finishes speaking, Irina kicks off the ground and lunges forward, striking the underside of Kim Dong-seong’s wrist with her palm. The impact sends the gun flying, its bullet ricocheting off a wall with a loud crack. The sound of concrete crumbling accompanies the clatter of the weapon as it hits the floor. Kim Dong-seong, disarmed, retracts his arm, attempting to strike Irina’s chin. However, Irina dodges his jab and lands a solid blow to his chin instead. The force of the impact makes Kim Dong-seong wince, but he quickly recovers, shaking his head and brushing himself off. Irina then attempts to grapple Kim Dong-seong by the neck, but he sidesteps, driving his knee into her side. Both combatants are exhausted, their movements becoming heavy and sluggish, like waterlogged sponges. They are both heading towards the same exit, the shortest path to safety, but their dwindling strength leaves little room for elaborate maneuvers or complex techniques.
A Shifting Tide
Kim Dong-seong pushes Irina against a wall, but she uses his momentum against him, twisting and slamming his shoulders into his back. She tries to pull his forward momentum towards the ground, but her own strength is failing. The last reserves of energy drain from Irina’s body like a deflating balloon, and her back is forced upright again. Seizing the opportunity, Kim Dong-seong kicks Irina’s ankle. Her left leg buckles under the impact, and Irina cries out, collapsing onto the ground. As she tries to push herself up with her remaining strength, Kim Dong-seong grabs her by the neck. Irina’s body is lifted into the air and slammed against a metal plate. She groans, looking up to see Kim Dong-seong’s eyes staring down at her. Meanwhile, Evan, who had been observing the fight, crawls towards the fallen firearm. Wiping blood from his eyes with a torn sleeve, he inches forward. His fingers close around the grip of the gun. The weight feels unfamiliar. His breathing is shallow, his vision blurry. Memories of the ceiling flood back.
The Drone’s Intervention
A shot rings out, grazing Kim Dong-seong’s shoulder and tearing his uniform. Kim Dong-seong, hiding behind a pillar, retrieves a silver handgun that had been dropped by a missing assailant. Two more shots pierce the darkness. Evan dives behind the crumbling wall. The bullets ricochet off the wall’s edge, making new sounds. Evan presses his back against the wall, gauging the distance. He hears the sounds of footsteps. He ducks behind a pillar, his movements precise. Evan positions the gun barrel against the wall’s edge and fires twice. The sounds echo. Kim Dong-seong, gritting his teeth, continues to advance. Evan slides behind the pillar, placing the gun’s muzzle against the edge and firing again. The pillar explodes with sparks where the bullets hit. The slide of the gun retracts and stops. An empty chamber is revealed in the dim light. The sound of footsteps resumes from beyond the pillar. A low-pitched motor, previously overhead, sputters and then re-engages. After a moment, Kim Dong-seong emerges from behind the pillar. The silver gun barrel snakes around the wall’s edge. Two seconds pass. Then, the motor begins to spin erratically, emitting a high-pitched whine that escalates into a deafening shriek. Suddenly, Kim Dong-seong’s gun wavers. He looks disoriented. The drone, hovering erratically, descends and embeds itself in Kim Dong-seong’s feet. Its four rotors explode outwards, sending carbon fiber fragments flying in all directions. A fragment grazes Kim Dong-seong’s hand, and the silver handgun slips from his grasp, disappearing into the darkness. The drone’s final log, sent to the server just before its self-destruction, is from a NORINCO NP34. Smoke curls from the damaged battery pack. Blood begins to drip from Kim Dong-seong’s hand. Then, with a half-second delay, the cells explode. The shrapnel paints the concrete white. Lithium flames erupt like embers, and the exploding cells spew fire. The acrid smell of burning chemicals fills the air. The fire from the drone’s rotors engulfs Kim Dong-seong’s legs and rises to his face. “Ah!” he screams, covering his face and stumbling backward. The sound of falling debris echoes. The empty eyes of Jo Yeong-gi stare blankly. One step, two steps. His vision obscured by shrapnel, Chamho falls on the thick concrete where the missile had landed. He was sure he could return to his position with just a little more effort, but his body collapses backward. With a dull splash, he falls into the water. The dark surface ripples, then is swallowed by the waves. Wreckage from the drone drifts in the water. The last cell flickers and dies, extinguishing the flames. The fire subsides.
Escape and Reflection
Evan, still holding the empty gun, crawls towards Irina. Irina, beneath the pillar, pushes herself up. Their eyes meet, scanning the darkness beyond the water, waiting for another sound. Only the sound of the waves is heard. Evan hugs Irina, holding his breath. With every crash of the waves against the great ocean, the white foam seems to spread like the final moments of Misel and Kim Dong-seong. There is no time to ponder what just happened, nor the strength to escape the dark water. All Evan can feel is that Irina is breathing in his arms, her warmth still alive. “What happened? Did you detonate it?” Evan asks, tilting his head. “No. I never gave the order, only ‘protect me’,” Irina replies. Evan’s gaze lingers on the wreckage for a moment. “I heard the sound of bullets, or maybe the battery sparked and moved one last time. I don’t know why it was at that exact moment…” Irina starts to say something but closes her lips. “Let’s get out of here. We can’t stay here long.” Evan tries to stand up, but a sharp pain shoots through his ribs. “Can you walk?” “We have to. We can’t die here.” As they walk through the concrete tunnel, Irina stops and looks back. Beneath where Kim Dong-seong fell, the scattered remains of the drone sink into the darkness. “Is that our only evidence?” “It’s okay, I sent everything through an encrypted channel. That’s just the shell.” They see the tunnel of the wreckage. Evan supports Irina as they descend into the tunnel, step by step. As the cool morning air of the sea rushes in, the tension finally breaks. In the darkness of the entrance tunnel, Evan unties his shoelaces and kicks off his shoes, his stomach exposed. Evan crosses the threshold first, helping Irina down. Irina collapses weakly in the corner. Evan unties his belt and starts the engine. The old diesel engine sputters a few times before coming to life. “I’m sorry.” “For what?” “For everything. Even before we came here.” “You’re apologizing now?” “I’m sorry for that, too.” Evan throws the empty gun into the sea without hesitation. The sound of the gun sinking into the water spreads across the sea. Leaning against the stern, Irina breathes a long sigh. As the dawn breaks the horizon, the appearance of the sea, which seemed to swallow everything, looks a little different. Seeing Irina smile is a rare sight. Though the sky is still dark, the bow of the boat heads towards the light.
