Jin stepped off the edge.
Darkness swallowed everything.
No ground. No sky. No sound.
The violent wind from the first fall was gone. The deeper he fell, the quieter the world became, as if the Abyss itself was devouring every sound.
Jin plummeted.
For several seconds, nothing existed. Then—
A faint light appeared below. Small. Distant.
Jin narrowed his eyes. The light grew, slowly at first, then faster. Wider. Brighter.
At first, he thought it was solid ground. But something felt… off.
It wasn't the ground.
It looked like… the sky.
Blue. White clouds. Sunlight. The outside world.
As he approached the light, several dark shapes appeared beneath him—bodies. Students.
The Abyss was ejecting them.
His body accelerated. The light engulfed him.
The world exploded back into sound. Wind roared past his ears. A distant shout:
"Grab them!"
"Careful!"
Bright daylight stabbed his eyes. Students were launched out one after another. Each impact sent dust and grass flying.
One boy slammed into the ground, sliding dangerously close to the edge. Three others lunged forward, grabbing his legs.
"Hold him!"
For a moment, the boy dangled over the void, his entire body hanging midair. Then they pulled him back. Another student clung halfway over the edge, grasping someone else's arm.
"Pull him up!"
With a final effort, they dragged him onto the grass.
Then—Jin burst out of the Abyss. The force hurled him upward, almost sliding him back toward the endless black void.
A hand slammed into the ground. Professor Cole.
The professor appeared behind him, palm crashing into dirt to stop his momentum. His other hand shot out, grabbing Jin's arm. The force dragged both of them several meters across the grass.
Jin rolled to a stop. Dust scattered. Behind them, the massive black hole waited silently.
Professor Cole brushed dirt from his coat.
"You seem to enjoy dangerous situations," he said.
Jin slowly sat up.
"I prefer the word… unlucky."
Cole studied him for a moment before turning away. The tension faded. Some students laughed nervously. Others just stared, stunned. Their first Abyss descent was over.
Later — Near the Bus
Minutes later, students regrouped near the vehicle. Water bottles were passed around. Voices buzzed with excitement as they recounted the experience.
Jin leaned against the bus. Footsteps approached. Mira stopped beside him. Her short dark hair fluttered in the breeze.
"Will you sit in the same seat on the bus?" she asked calmly.
"Yes, if you want."
"You almost died from that monster."
Jin shrugged.
"Death happens."
Her eyebrows lifted.
"That's a depressing philosophy."
Jin didn't answer. Mira watched him for a moment, then asked:
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes."
She nodded.
"The ride back will be long."
On the Bus
The atmosphere had changed completely. Students were animatedly discussing the Abyss and the monsters.
Jin sat near the middle. Mira took the seat beside him and opened her phone.
"Chess.com?" she asked.
Jin opened the app. They exchanged usernames.
Seconds later, Mira froze. Eyes widened.
"…2779 Elo?"
"That's your rating?" she asked.
Jin leaned back casually.
"Yes."
Her own rating was already extremely high.
"…That's almost professional level," she said.
"Are you some kind of chess prodigy?"
Jin looked out the window.
"You're 2460 Elo. That's also very good. You'd probably beat me; I stopped playing a year ago."
She frowned slightly.
"You're wasting a chance to become a professional."
Jin didn't respond. He barely had time to live, let alone a career.
The game began. Pieces moved quickly. Move after move. Position after position. Mira gained slight advantages multiple times, only for Jin to guide the game back to equality. Draw. Again. And again.
Draw.
She frowned. He was clearly leading the match toward a draw. But she couldn't prove it.
Finally, the bus entered the campus.
The game ended. Draw.
Jin closed the app.
"That was fun."
Mira nodded.
"Yes, I agree."
Students began leaving the bus. Jin stood. Before stepping down, he glanced at her.
"You know… when we first met…"
Mira looked up.
"I thought you were autistic."
He jumped off the bus. A faint smile lingered on his lips. Mira was taken aback, wanting to answer—but he was already gone.
She muttered quietly, "…You damn perverted stalker."