I never intended to come here in the first place.

When my friends suggested going to the abandoned hospital, I said no time and time again, but all I got back were playful laughs and persistent nagging. It was true that I felt a bit of spite after being teased for being a coward, and by the time I thought about backing out, the plans were already set. And so, I was practically dragged along for this late-night outing.

As the streetlights passing by the car window vanished one by one and the lights of the familiar streets grew distant, regret slowly began to sink in. Outside the window was now filled with deep darkness, and inside the car, my friends were sharing ghost stories in excited voices. Someone vividly reenacted a scary story while laughing, and someone else turned on their phone flashlight, saying we should check it out for ourselves tonight. Every time they did, laughter filled the cramped car, but for some reason, I didn't feel at ease at all.

How much longer did we drive? The car slowed down and eventually came to a halt. My friends opened the doors and got out first, and as I followed them outside, the cold night air brushed against my cheeks. The scent of damp earth and nameless grass mingled and lingered at the tip of my nose. There were no signs of people nearby, and only the sound of the wind howling from afar swept across the empty road.

One of my friends pointed ahead and spoke in an excited voice.

"Hey, there it is. It really exists."

The moment I turned my head to follow their gaze, Guest couldn't help but stop in their tracks. The building towering in the darkness was much larger than I had imagined. The faded exterior walls were stained black in places, and the broken windows looked down at us like empty eye sockets. Overgrown weeds were tangled around the entrance, and the silhouette of the building revealed under the faint moonlight was reminiscent of a massive tomb where nothing living remained.

And there, the massive main gate of Haeil Hospital stood before my eyes.