--More than ten minutes earlier--
In the pitch-black, gloomy basement, the man in the black short-sleeved shirt slightly raised the hand he had used to knock, staring at the metal door that had begun to tremble.
A faint rustling sound came from the silent darkness, as though some enormous shadow were swimming through the depths below.
"Is something the matter?"
A low, hoarse voice came from behind the tightly shut metal door.
His voice passed through the sealed, airtight room, yet it seemed to sound directly beside the man's ear—so close, and so cold.
"My lord, an off-road vehicle has arrived outside. It seems to belong to the military."
The man in the black short-sleeved shirt bent over and spoke slowly. He tried to make his words steady and clear, but the fine trembling caused by his chattering teeth mixed into his speech, making it sound far from complete.
Hiss--
A sharp, faint sound seemed to rise from the night. The people seated in two rows within the room slowly raised their heads and looked at the man in the black short-sleeved shirt standing by the door.
A bone-piercing chill wrapped around his body through the deep darkness, making him tremble uncontrollably.
His sturdy back and solid muscles seemed unable to support his body. He stared at the trembling door as silent cold seeped from the darkness, soaking into his back and ultimately turning into pure fear.
"Where did it come from? The south?"
The hoarse voice behind the door sounded again.
"It seems to be from the north, Saint Ilan District,"
the man in the black short-sleeved shirt said, his mouth trembling as he slowly explained, "The information I have so far is that it came from Saint Ilan District. There are only two people."
"What do you think?"