The Black Child's Game of Despair
After hearing the response to my second chance, I had no choice but to shut my mouth. It wasn't the voice of some merciful being helping me out. It felt more like a spectator tossing a coin just because they found my predicament amusing. My instincts screamed it. The fact that it was giving me three chances didn't feel benevolent at all.
"That's too much. Shouldn't you be grateful instead?"
Arguing with a monster that could read my thoughts was pointless. I dropped the silence and spoke up. There had to be a reason this voice wanted to keep talking to me right now.
"Let's face each other and talk. And loosen these bindings on me a bit."
"Bold, aren't you? Fine."
The moment I blinked, my vision brightened. Looking around, it resembled the inside of a bright classroom. But unlike a real one, the windows showed only an abyssal darkness outside.
I scanned for the voice's owner, and then someone opened the classroom door and walked in.
"Shall I greet you again? Hello?"
A little girl appeared, dressed in black jeogori and skirt that looked like mourning clothes. Her hair and eyes were painted pitch-black. I could feel it just from the vibe. She was way above Kim Eat-Chil in the hierarchy of monsters.
"You wanted to talk, right? What about?"
The monster hopped onto the teacher's desk and grinned. No matter how I looked at her, she appeared like a kid, but casual speech wouldn't come out.
"You said you're interested in me. What does that mean?"
"Exactly what I said."
The monster hopped down from the desk. In that instant, I doubted my eyes. She was right there in front of me, but as she jumped, she vanished completely. Was I watching some magic trick?
Looking around yielded nothing—she'd evaporated.
I walked toward the desk to inspect it.
"See? Pretty neat, huh?"
The voice came suddenly from behind. I turned, and her face was right in mine, close enough to touch.
"Whoa!"
I yelped in shock and fell backward. Seeing my ridiculous flop, the monster burst into giggles.
"You're scared and terrified. But your actions don't show it at all."
She propped her chin on her hand, studying me. It felt like I was stripped bare for examination.
"It's not courage born of ignorance either. You have some idea what I am, don't you?"
"No clue."
"Knowing that much means you know."
I wasn't lying. Why bother with a monster that could read my mind anyway? But her insisting I knew when I said I didn't was absurd.
"I've seen plenty of fearless humans. Plenty of cowards too. But a mix of both? First time."
"There must be tons of people like that besides me."
I'd seen them—those little heroes on the news sometimes. People who muster courage to save others aren't fearless. And even if they don't become heroes, plenty have potential.
As if reading my thoughts—which she was—she smirked.
"Sadly, none of those humans you imagine have visited here yet."
"Sadly?"
"See? Scared, but sharp as a tack."
She feigned surprise, but it looked like acting to me. No sense of catching her off guard. More like she was deliberately leaving openings to test if I'd notice. An unpleasant sensation wrapped around me, like I was a performer dancing on her palm.
"Sometimes you're an idiot, but somehow you don't die. Amazing. Oh, wait—you just did, didn't you?"
"Are you the kidnapper?"
"Yep."
The straightforward answer caught me off guard, so I didn't even get mad. With 66 dead at this school alone, how could she be so casual? What was her goal in all this?
"Hmm... why, indeed?"
She spun once and vanished again. Having seen it twice, I wasn't shocked. Now I got why magicians don't repeat the same trick.
But no matter how long I waited, she didn't reappear.
With the conversation over, I observed the classroom. It looked identical to one from my school. The only difference? It was bright. Even when hallway lights were on, classrooms stayed dim—this was my first lit one.
Bored, I decided to investigate. First, I opened the door she'd entered through. Beyond it: the same thick darkness as the windows.
I closed it obediently and searched inside: under the desk, drawers, back lockers. Nothing.
No finds meant I couldn't grasp my situation. I stood still, sorting my thoughts.
I'd died of shock and ended up here. Per the monster, I had a second chance. But she'd dragged me here before granting it. So what was this?
I pinched my cheek. ...... No pain, no matter how hard. It stretched like mozzarella cheese and snapped back.
Confirmed: this wasn't reality now.
How to wake from a nightmare? Most know: die.
I hesitated, then bit my tongue. No pain. Self-harm was out.
My eyes fell outside. The darkness might kill me—or not. But options were slim.
I opened the door and leaped boldly into it.
"Whoa. Took less than 10 minutes. Fun."
I'd plunged into darkness, but landed smack in the bright classroom center. The kid monster loomed over my sprawled form, having reappeared.
"You were playing with me."
"Got your answer?"
"...Answer?"
"You asked why earlier."
Right. Why kidnap humans and dump them here? Some incomprehensible goal? No. Just this monster seeking amusement.
"Hehe. Despaired yet?"
"The three chances too?"
"Can't stop thinking, huh? Yep. First: teaser. Second: hope. Last: despair."
"......"
What to call this feeling? Helplessness. Were all my and the Gallery folks' efforts just futile flailing?
"The guard room... to give hope too?"
"Quick on the uptake."
"No escape from the start?"
"Right."
"Liar."
"......What?"
The kid monster faltered for the first time. Expression unchanged, but it felt genuine. Because it was a lie.
I knew from the Gallery: escapees existed.
"Wow. Impressive? Slipping in a trap question amid all that?"
"I'll take it as praise."
"It is. Makes me like you more."
Not thrilled to amuse a monster craving my despair. But the Q&A confirmed: escape was real. She wanted it hidden. Whatever the reason, it wasn't her intent.
Same for safe spots like the guard room, probably. Hunker down for years, no replacements—she couldn't watch despair then...
"Enough."
Her word, and the bright classroom vanished, darkness swallowing us.
"Wanted to torment you more. Shame. Bye."
Second chance incoming. Wonder how revival worked. Wake in guard room?
But my mind stayed sharp. As endless dark loomed again, vision brightened, gravity hit.
Thud. Feet on floor. Familiar space: Central Entrance stairs, just before playground entry. Left hand gripped key bundle.
Wait, when did this vanish? Hadn't noticed.
This time, I skirted the playground edge to the main gate. Unlocked, as expected. No clue how long, but I shut it. Vowed to memorize the full rulebook on return.
Central Entrance: same as always. CCTV glow from guard room. Through glass: 10:07. Tons happened, but gate to here: mere 7 minutes.
Dying to enter guard room, but resisted. Still tasks left.
Locked annex and classroom doors, then back. No incidents during—no anomalies today.
Gripped guard room knob tensely, turned. Smooth, welcoming air. Back in safe haven.
Sighed from deep in my gut. Brutal ordeal.
Entering the break room, spotted oddity: transparent glass box atop fridge, three candles inside. Two lit, one out.
Friendly life-counter, apparently. As if I'd forget my ordeal. Overkill courtesy.
"Haaah..."
Sat at monitor. Gallery mood: predictably wrecked. To shift it, posted my ordeal.
[Cannot be written.]
Everything—events, info—blocked. No one in Gallery mentioned three lives. Someone must've died and revived, yet... Ghost Train vanished, maybe third time?
Mood soured again. Best cure: sleep. No rule against on-shift naps. No anomalies, keys returned, log swapped. Any issues now? Beyond my control awake or not.
Flopped onto bed carefree. Mental exhaustion pulled me to dreamland fast.
Mind must've been fried. Forgot core reason against sleep: wake refreshed, no drowsiness.
Thus, at 6 AM, crystal clear-headed. Fridge: clear Naengmyeon Gomtang and kkakdugi like my mind. Tray in hand, out to Central Entrance—lit up.
Ate at guard chair. Delicious. Fridge monster: definitely Team Me.
"Enjoying something tasty?"
Voice startled me; looked up—Song Ha-yeon waving. Right, always crashed post-meal, missed her arrivals.
But 6 AM? Early for work.
"Coming in now?"
"Huh? Oh... had to check something early."
Fishy, but prying futile. Changed topic.
"Ha-yeon, do all teachers know?"
"Obviously. Weirder not to."
"Makes sense. But... one has it out for me."
"Huh? Who?"
"Don't know name. Long-haired, cold vibe, first-year teacher."
Song Ha-yeon pondered.
"Hmm... Han Min-ji? She's always frosty. Don't sweat it."
"Good to know."
That monster's name: Han Min-ji. No clue if useful, but filed away.
"Self-studying supervision today. Bored? Come up."
"......Huh?"
"Why so shocked?"
"Can I though?"
"I say yes—what's the issue?"
Never crossed my mind: meeting Song Ha-yeon outside guard room. Vow to avoid upstairs wavered a bit.