EVERYTHING THAT WE LOST - Squid Game - Thanos

Chapter 20 - Someone is alive in the coffin.

Se-Mi's eyes widened in disbelief before pure relief washed over her face.

"Na-ri! Thanos!.." she gasped, her voice cracking as she immediately rushed toward you.

Myung-Gi let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding, lowering his weapon as he stared at you and Thanos.

You were drenched in sweat, your chest heaving, every breath feeling like fire in your lungs. Thanos was just as exhausted, his hair sticking to his forehead, his shirt damp, his hands still gripping the stolen weapon tightly.

It felt like you had been running forever, and for a moment, you could do nothing but stand there, trying to process the fact that Se-Mi and Myung-Gi were actually here—alive.

Se-Mi didn't hesitate. She threw her arms around you, holding you tight. "I thought—" her voice broke, and she squeezed you even harder. "I thought you were gone!"

You barely had the strength to hug her back, but you did, feeling the way her whole body was trembling. "We ran... we barely made it," you panted, pulling back just enough to look at her. "I thought you—" your voice cracked, but you didn't need to finish. She understood.

Myung-Gi exhaled sharply, his hand running through his disheveled hair. "Shit, you two look like hell," he muttered, but his voice was light, almost teasing. It was his way of hiding how shaken he truly was.

Thanos let out a breathless, dry chuckle, still slightly bent over with exhaustion. "Feel like hell too," he admitted, finally standing straight.

Thanos' gaze flickered to the unfamiliar man standing beside Se-Mi and Myung-Gi, his expression hardening with suspicion. His grip on the gun tightened slightly as he took a small step forward, his exhaustion momentarily pushed aside by the need for answers. 

"And who the hell are you?" he asked, his voice edged with caution.

The man—Player 001—met Thanos' stare without hesitation. He was slightly older than the rest of you, his face lined with exhaustion and stress, but his posture remained firm. He held his stolen weapon close, yet his grip wasn't threatening—just prepared.

 "Young-Il," he finally said, his voice steady despite the chaos around you. "I've been here since the beginning, just like you."

Thanos narrowed his eyes slightly, studying him for a moment. "Yeah? Then how come I've never seen you before?"

Young-Il let out a dry, humorless chuckle, shaking his head. "Because I kept my head down. Didn't get involved. Stayed quiet. That's how I survived this long." He glanced at the gun in Thanos' hand. "But clearly, things have changed."

Thanos didn't look entirely convinced, but with time running out and alarms still blaring in the background, he had no choice but to accept it for now.

His eyes darted around, checking for any sign of movement. "We don't have time to stand here. More guards are coming."

Se-Mi nodded quickly, wiping at her tear-streaked face. "We were looking for a way out," she said, her voice urgent. "We just knew we had to move."