THE END GAME - SQUID GAME

Chapter 7

The lifeboat bobbed violently on the waves, the ocean's fury unrelenting. Minseo gripped the sides, her knuckles white as the cold spray of seawater drenched her face. Jun-ho sat across from her, his rifle clutched tightly in his hands, his expression unreadable.

They drifted in silence, the massive cargo ship shrinking into the darkness behind them. The shouts of the guards faded with distance, swallowed by the roar of the sea.

"We'll freeze out here before we make it anywhere," Jun-ho said, breaking the silence.

Minseo scanned the horizon. The stars above offered little illumination, and the water stretched endlessly in every direction.

"We're not going anywhere," she said, pulling the stolen document from her bag. She unfolded it carefully, shielding it from the spray.

Jun-ho leaned closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied the coordinates.

"This is for the island?" he asked.

Minseo nodded. "It's close. If we keep drifting west, we'll hit it by dawn."

Jun-ho frowned. "And if the currents take us off course?"

"Then we die," she said flatly, tucking the paper back into her bag.

Jun-ho sighed, leaning back against the lifeboat's edge. "You've got a way with optimism, don't you?"

Minseo didn't respond. Her eyes were fixed on the horizon, her mind racing with memories of the games—the screams, the blood, the faces of those who didn't make it.

This wasn't just about survival. It was about finishing what they started.

As the hours dragged on, the night began to lighten, the horizon tinged with the faintest glow of dawn. The stormy waves calmed, the sea turning into a glassy expanse that reflected the growing light.

"There," Jun-ho said, pointing.

Minseo followed his gaze. In the distance, a shadowy outline broke the monotony of the ocean—a jagged shape rising from the water.

The island.

Minseo's grip on the edge of the boat tightened. "We're close," she murmured.

Jun-ho studied her, his expression wary. "You're sure about this? Once we're there, there's no turning back."

"There was no turning back the moment I stepped into the games," she said, her voice steely. "And neither for you."

Jun-ho didn't argue. He adjusted his grip on the rifle, his jaw set. "Then let's finish this."

The island loomed larger as they approached, its jagged cliffs and dense forests casting long shadows over the water. The air was thick with the smell of salt and earth, the cries of distant seabirds echoing across the waves.

Minseo steered the lifeboat toward a narrow inlet, where the cliffs dipped low enough to climb. The boat scraped against the rocky shore, and she leapt out, her boots sinking into the wet sand.

Jun-ho followed, his rifle at the ready.

"Looks abandoned," he said, scanning their surroundings.

"It's not," Minseo replied, her eyes fixed on the dense jungle ahead. "They're here. I can feel it."

Jun-ho gave her a skeptical look but didn't argue.

They climbed the rocky incline, their movements slow and deliberate. The jungle swallowed them quickly, the towering trees and thick undergrowth creating a maze of shadows.

Minseo led the way, her knife in hand. Every snap of a twig, every rustle of leaves, set her on edge.

"We need to find a vantage point," Jun-ho said quietly. "If this is where they run the games, there has to be infrastructure—a base of operations, cameras, something."

Minseo nodded. "Then we keep moving."

As they pushed deeper into the jungle, signs of human activity began to appear—cleared paths, discarded tools, the faint hum of generators in the distance.

"We're close," Jun-ho said, his voice low.

Minseo stopped, crouching behind a fallen log. Ahead, through the trees, a clearing opened up. A tall metal fence surrounded a compound, its perimeter dotted with cameras and armed guards.

In the center of the compound stood a large concrete building, its windows darkened.

"That's it," Jun-ho whispered.

Minseo's eyes narrowed. "Looks like they're expecting company."

She pointed to a row of vehicles parked near the entrance—luxury cars and black SUVs, their sleek designs a sharp contrast to the rugged surroundings.

"VIPs," Jun-ho muttered. "They're here for the games."

Minseo's jaw tightened. Her mind flashed to the masked figures she had seen before—their laughter, their cruelty.

"They won't leave this island alive," she said, her voice cold and unwavering.

Jun-ho glanced at her. "You're not thinking of storming that place, are you?"

"We don't have a choice," she replied. "If we wait, they'll start the games again. More people will die."

Jun-ho hesitated. "We'll need a plan. If we go in blind, we'll just get ourselves killed."

Minseo looked at him, her expression hard. "Then we make one. But I'm not leaving this island until it burns."