8
Chapter 8
"...Huh?"
"Now?"
Dr. Kim and the researcher's minds raced. They stared at the containment room through the glass.
- Unlocking the chains. Hold them so they don't fall.
- I've got them. Hurry up and unlock it.
One guard shoved the key into the final chain anchored to the wall. Another guard held the bound test subject's shoulders, as if bracing them, to keep them from collapsing.
The restrained test subject stared at the bookstand with wide, dilated pupils. *Click*, as the chains released and their body tilted toward the guard, their gaze remained fixed.
No one had touched '36 Reasons Why I Must Die'.
If that's the case, then that sound...?
"Wait—"
The researcher grabbed the microphone and shouted urgently, but it was too late. The sound echoed again.
Rustle—
This time, the guards heard it too. They froze mid-motion. Keeping their eyes on the chains and the test subject, they asked in low voices.
- Did you flip a page? I just heard the sound of a page turning.
"No, I didn't! You didn't touch anything over there either, right?"
- Correct. We only touched the chains and the test subject.
"Understood! First, turn on the sunglasses, then close your eyes—"
Fwip-fwip-fwip!
The bookstand shook. For a moment, it looked as if the edges of the pages were fluttering upward. In an instant, they flew past the corner of the back cover.
Finally, the book reached the end. Someone had read it to the very last page.
Splat!
The test subject's face turned crimson. A fountain of blood erupted from a mouth gasping like a goldfish, and a roughly torn-off tongue flopped to the floor. With a blood-soaked face, the test subject laughed.
- Ehe, ehehe. Ugh-ga.
- Holy shit!
The guard supporting the test subject practically threw them against the wall. He quickly whipped out a handkerchief and shoved it into their mouth, pressing down hard with two fingers to prevent them from swallowing it.
- We even administered a sedative!
While blood soaked the handkerchief, the guard who had re-chained the subject asked, with his back turned to the bookstand.
- What are the orders? Prioritize rescue? Or emergency measures?
A containment room stained red in an instant, and a laboratory plunged into horror.
The new employees gasped in shock. Lee Yeon-woo, Park Sang-jun, and Lee Seo-yeon recoiled. They slammed back into the cabinets with a heavy thud. The touch of metal felt cold against their backs.
Conversely, Song Si-woo, Han Chang-seong, and Kang Yeol took a step forward.
"I'll provide first aid. Where is the entrance?"
"I'll call 119 right now. Wait, why is there no signal?"
"Is there anything I can do?"
The researcher didn't even seem to hear them. Staring intensely at the bookstand, he bit his lip, his face pale. A drop of blood formed on his lip. After swallowing the blood, the researcher spoke, the metallic taste of blood lingering on his tongue.
"Proceed with emergency measures."
- Understood. Activating sunglasses. You, stop bleeding.
- ...Yes.
Click!
The guard reached up and pressed the button on the side of the sunglasses. Simultaneously, the laboratory was washed in white. A bright light erupted from the glasses. That wasn't all.
Beeeep!
An electronic sound blared from the speakers attached to the sunglasses.
With this, the guard's sight and hearing were severed. The mask blocked his smell and taste. Left only with his sense of touch, the guard stood in the containment room, motionless as a statue.
Having watched the sequence of events, Dr. Kim tapped the researcher on the shoulder.
"Your reaction wasn't too slow."
"I've only finished the emergency measures. Now we must proceed with the follow-up."
The researcher gave a self-deprecating laugh and busily tapped at the keyboard. Occasionally, he adjusted and pressed buttons on the machinery, seemingly sending a communication somewhere.
Suddenly, a loud voice erupted.
"What are you doing! Someone is dying in there!"
It was Song Si-woo, the former firefighter. He frowned deeply at the bright light and pounded on the glass wall.
Though visibility was poor due to the white lighting, the abandoned test subject seemed to be collapsed on their side, vomiting blood.
Even at this moment, the golden hour was slipping away.
"They can survive if we provide emergency care right now! Where is the entrance!"
The researcher and Dr. Kim ignored the desperate cries with grim expressions. The researcher spoke lowly.
"It's too late. They can't be saved."
"No, they can. They'll survive if we just stop the bleeding and secure the airway. It's not too late."
"It is too late. Once someone is hit by that Anomaly—"
"How can you say it's too late when a life is on the line!"
Bang!
Song Si-woo slammed his elbow against the glass. It didn't budge. The material and thickness weren't something that could be broken by hand. He scanned the laboratory with a frown.
"Emergency hammer or fire axe... damn, of course they wouldn't have those here. Then, maybe some kind of sharp metal—"
"I've got it. Move aside."
Kang Yeol stepped forward. He was already holding a pair of scissors in a reverse grip, having snatched them from a pen holder filled with ballpoints, knives, and awls.
Kang Yeol lightly extended his hand to gauge the distance. Just as he pulled back his arm to swing with full force—
"No! You can't! Stop!"
The researcher shrieked, springing from his seat. While Kang Yeol hesitated, the researcher threw himself forward, clinging to Kang Yeol's arm.
Kang Yeol's upper body swayed slightly, but he didn't lose his grip on the scissors.
"Let go. We have to save that person. And I... just won't look at the book, right?"
"The fact that the containment is being breached is the problem! Besides, none of you are wearing protective gear!"
A shadow of hesitation crossed Kang Yeol's face.
The researcher's point was valid. While saving a life was important, entering without knowing the exact nature of the dangers inside—
"Sir, why don't you take a seat for a moment?"
"What are you—! Now is not the time to stop me!"
"Yes, yes. Let's just separate you two first."
It was Han Chang-seong. With the skill of someone restraining a drunkard, he expertly pulled the researcher away, pinning him down with both hands. He gave a small nod.
"What are you waiting for? Break the glass, now."
"This is why rookies are...! I said stop!"
Two conflicting orders.
Kang Yeol hesitated. Then, after a moment of doubt, he made his decision. He tightened his grip on the scissors.
Just as his vein-popped hand was about to swing, another intervention occurred. Lee Yeon-woo grabbed his wrist to stop the blow.
"Wait. Please listen to me for a second."
Lee Yeon-woo tried to think as calmly as possible. Perhaps it was because he had gone through the Human Qualification Exam. Even in this urgent situation, his mind remained chilled. His vision didn't tunnel.
Because of that, he noticed it.
That Dr. Kim was observing the new employees with an analytical eye.
'He's evaluating us in this unexpected situation.'
If so, what should he do? What action would earn a high evaluation? The answer was simple.
'I should act like a company employee.'
Just like the researcher who was stopping Kang Yeol.
Of course, he also had a strong desire to avoid being in the same room as an Anomaly that kills people.
After clearing his throat, Lee Yeon-woo spoke rapidly.
"Think about it. These people are the experts. There must be a reason they're acting this way. There's probably a reason why they've divided the rooms like this, too."
"But..."
The determination that had clouded Kang Yeol's face vanished instantly. He spoke with a trembling voice.
"We still have to save that person."
"You can't. That person didn't just bite their tongue. They were murdered by the Anomaly. First aid won't work."
Just as those who fail the Human Qualification Exam become beasts, anyone who reads '36 Reasons Why I Must Die' to the end must die.
Based on the subject's name, the researcher's words, and his own experience, that was the only conclusion.
Convinced by Lee Yeon-woo's logical persuasion, Kang Yeol relaxed his posture. His grip on the scissors loosened.
It was just as Lee Yeon-woo let go and stepped back.
"This is driving me crazy! I'm telling you they can be saved!"
Song Si-woo cut in and snatched the scissors. Holding them in a reverse grip, he used them like a hammer to strike the corner of the glass.
The sharp sound of steel hitting glass echoed, followed by the crackling noise of the reinforced glass shattering into pieces.
In an instant, the window clouded over. It fractured into countless cracks and tiny, sand-like shards.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
"No!"
The researcher shrieked. He could only shriek, unable to break free from Han Chang-seong's brutal grip.
Crash!
The window collapsed with a light push. It fell to the floor and shattered completely. Ignoring the glass shards cutting into him, Song Si-woo sprinted straight toward the test subject.
"Stop the bleeding, prevent the tongue root from retracting, and secure the airway so they don't choke on blood or the tongue..."
He ran, mentally reviewing emergency procedures. In a flash, he closed the distance and reached the wall of the containment room. He inevitably passed the tall bookstand and the Anomaly resting upon it.
It happened the moment he passed by.
He came to a dead halt. Stopping mid-stride, he shifted only his eyes to glance at the book.
Was it because he couldn't understand what an Anomaly was? Or was he trying to identify the cause of death? Or perhaps the magical sight of the book flipping itself had caught his eye.
The title on the front cover of the book that had devoured another test subject burned into his vision like a brand.
'37 Reasons Why I Must Die.'
Rustle—
A page turned. He couldn't even blink. His neck and eyelids remained frozen. The sentence centered in his vision flowed into his mind. The book had read the man.