The cry of alarm echoed throughout the hallway, breaking the tense silence. Kim Yoon-sung shot backward, falling from the ceiling vent just as several men in dark uniforms burst into the room.
"It's there!" one of them shouted, pointing an energy weapon.
Yoon-sung wasted no time. He generated a powerful plasma blast in his hands and launched it at the group of agents, creating a blinding explosion that forced them back. He took advantage of the confusion to run down the hallway, vaguely remembering the route he had taken to enter.
The voices of his pursuers echoed behind him, getting closer. He could hear the hum of energy weapons charging. He knew he couldn't take them all on at once. His only chance was to escape.
He ran as fast as he could, turning corners and jumping over obstacles. The industrial complex was a labyrinth of dark hallways and rooms filled with abandoned machinery. Yoon-sung used his awareness of his surroundings to try to lose his pursuers.
At one point, he reached a dead end. He turned quickly, preparing to fight, but saw that the officers hadn't arrived yet. He had a few seconds to find another way out.
He looked up and saw a thick pipe running along the wall. Without hesitation, he jumped and grabbed it, beginning to climb nimbly. Just as he reached a second-floor window, the officers appeared at the end of the alley.
"There it is!" one of them shouted, pointing his gun.
Yoon-sung kicked through the window and launched himself inside, landing on a pile of empty sacks. He quickly got up and continued running through the building.
The chase continued for several more minutes. Yoon-sung used his plasma powers to create diversions, firing small bursts of energy in random directions to confuse his pursuers. On one occasion, he even managed to knock over a shelf full of metal objects to block their path.
Finally, he reached a section of the building that seemed less guarded. He found a door leading outside and forced it open with a plasma blast. He ran out into the cool night air, relieved to have escaped, at least for now.
He stopped to catch his breath, leaning against a wall. He felt a stabbing pain in his side, probably from the fall. He knew he couldn't stay there much longer. Project Styx agents would be looking for him.
Despite the pain and exhaustion, Yoon-sung felt satisfied. He'd seen what they were doing inside that facility. They were creating and modifying Troubles. And the mention of "level seven" kept echoing in his mind. He had to figure out what it meant. He had to find someone who could help him understand all this. For the first time in a long time, Yoon-sung seriously considered seeking out others like him.