[No title provided]
Right before the video ended, I remembered the hint about checking the diary on the desk, so we headed straight there. In every escape room I'd done before, the spaces were so cramped that you'd bump into desks or furniture after just one step, but this place was definitely different. Just the sensation of moving around made the immersion feel so much more real. The vintage wooden chairs and bookshelves blended perfectly with the decor too. Yoo Seol-ah, who gets immersed quickly, was already sparkling with excitement in her eyes.
"They said we'd meet in the next room, right?"
"Yeah. Let's check the diary first. We probably need to find a battery too."
We opened the small diary to the first page and saw neat handwriting.
While wandering around looking for materials to make the potion, I met a man.
I know the world's view of mages isn't kind. But this man was a little different.
The man offered me a thermos of warm tea from his bag.
...I don't get cold easily, but for some reason, that day I wanted to drink tea.
We placed the diary in the middle and read it slowly. I gave a quick impression.
"Pretty sweet, huh?"
"Yeah. Unlike someone, it's swi— Hey, don't read it alone!..."
I snatched the diary back from Yoo Seol-ah, who was scolding me for no reason, and started hunting for clues. Amid the ongoing entries, I found a short note: most precious things are kept in the second drawer.
"We should open the drawer first."
"It has a lock. Four digits."
With only the diary as our clue, numbers probably meant a date. The first puzzle is always super easy—no need to overthink it, considering escape room design. If it were full of real IQ tests, barely anyone would escape in time.
"...Ah, here it is. The password is her birthday."
Yoo Seol-ah had quietly taken the diary from my hands and was flipping through it quickly until she stopped on one page.
"...Today I ate cake again. So much time has passed that I can't even count it, but I still remember being happy as a kid on the day I got to eat cake."
"That day? What's the date?"
"March 20th. Maybe 0320?"
I leaned down and dialed the numbers one by one. Sure enough, the first lock clicked open easily. Inside the drawer: a wooden staff, a pointed hat, a small battery, and a memo.
I figured the staff and hat were more decorative than puzzle tools, but Yoo Seol-ah was thrilled and naturally plopped the hat on her head. She grabbed the staff and swung it around—whoosh, whoosh—until she saw me smiling and made an embarrassed face.
"...Hey, immersion is key for this stuff, you know?"
"True. Keep it on. It suits you."
We were supposed to be playing as human descendants or whatever, so I had no idea what she was immersing into, but she was cute, so whatever. Plus, she really was a Grand Mage, and her Astasia outfit didn't scream 'mage' anyway, so this look felt refreshingly on-point.
"I'll pop the battery in. Seo-yeon probably already did theirs over there..."
Yoo Seol-ah inserted the battery into the walkie-talkie and turned it on. After a burst of static, a familiar voice came through.
- Huh, I can hear you. You guys are fast.
"...Weren't you first?"
- ...I do time attacks sometimes, so solving quick is basic.
We naturally glanced at each other.
...No wonder she's cleared over a hundred.
- Anyway, we should meet up soon.
"Why? Isn't there plenty of time?"
- It's not the escape—Harin wants to group up quick.
"...Ah."
Unless it's pure comedy, escape rooms usually keep the lights dim. I'd wondered why only Seo-yeon's voice stood out; Harin was probably glued to her side.
"We're in the mage room. Where are you?"
- Human room. With the walkie-talkie, we probably need to share clues.
I trusted Seo-yeon completely on escape rooms, so I checked the drawer memo right away.
"'That person's name is...'—it's torn. 'The name felt good. To never forget, I changed the spell to leave the room to that person's name.' Any name stuff over there?"
After some rustling, Seo-yeon's voice returned quickly.
- Hans. Tell us the mage's name too.
"Bianca. Heard it earlier."
I remembered clearly since the opening video was the mage's monologue.
Soon, Seo-yeon's voice sounded brighter.
- Ah, getting the vibe. Figure it out and come over.
"...Huh? You won't tell us?"
- No fun if I spoil it all. Not that complicated—think.
She cut off completely; no more voice.
Yoo Seol-ah looked flustered.
"...Is this self-hard mode...?"
"If Seo-yeon spoon-fed us, we'd finish in under an hour."
"True. But... don't you see a door?"
I scanned around at her words. I'd dulled my senses on purpose since entering to feel like a normal person. Visually, no obvious exit.
"This... is the door we came in."
The only blatant door-like thing was the emergency exit, styled to fit but obvious.
Yoo Seol-ah tilted her head, puzzled, then said to me like it didn't make sense.
"And Hans... but Korean locks aren't usually Hangul, right?"
"Hans as English four letters might work, but no lock visible anyway."
Locks are mostly English letters and numbers. Hangul's possible but unlikely, especially since Seo-yeon said not complicated.
I checked the memo again, a hypothesis forming.
"Ah, I think I got it."
"Really? What?"
The spell to leave is Hans. So maybe not dialing it, but literally chanting the spell?
"Say 'Hans' loud. It's a spell."
It'd feel natural for Yoo Seol-ah, who chanted daily in Astasia. She could cast simple spells silently, but bigger ones needed longer chants—though she treated it like an embarrassing middle-school phase.
"...H-Hans?"
Her timid try got no reaction. But I was half-convinced.
"Louder."
"...Okay. Hans!"
She hesitated but shouted like casting real magic. A rumbling started from the bookshelf.
...Way cooler than expected.
"What? Voice recognition?!"
"Seems like it."
"Whoa... I never imagined."
The bookshelf's center slid open diagonally, revealing a passage glowing blue.
I'd thought voice recognition at first, but it wasn't impossible—voice-activated devices exist. Felt like simulated teleport magic.
Stepping out, Lee Seo-yeon—who arrived first—and a clingy tagalong greeted us.
"Ooh, quick solve. Hat suits you, Seol-ah."
"...Escape rooms have voice recognition now...?"
"Yeah. Premium rooms add all sorts of gimmicks."
After genuine awe, Yoo Seol-ah eyed Park Harin, who was latched onto Seo-yeon's arm, with a weird look. Seo-yeon gave an awkward smile.
"Escape rooms have lots of jump scares...?"
The loud clunk explained it. This seemed like the main lab now... With all four together, Harin slowly released Seo-yeon's arm, feeling safer.
"...Seo-yeon solved it so well."
"Practice. Can you do some now?"
"...Yeah. Probably."
She answered but still looked uneasy. Seo-yeon, prepared, unfolded a note.
Started research on the eternal life spell. To apply even to ordinary humans.
Probably for her beloved human? Seo-yeon read it fully: countless trials for the elixir, needing specific ingredients, pressure, temperature, etc.
First puzzle here: ingredients. We gathered herb-like roots, metals, liquid vials by the desk and decoded the formulas spread out.
Seo-yeon paced the tempo, yielding answers to others.
After racking brains together, we sorted ingredients for two jars.
"Harin, wanna add them?"
"...I'll watch."
"I'll do this one, Seol-ah the other?"
Seo-yeon suggested. Yoo Seol-ah, fully immersed, nodded—but froze just before approaching the jars with ingredients. She came back to me.
"...You do it."
"Why? You can."
"...Just do it."
Maybe the one adding feels more protagonist-y. I was having fun, but watching her enjoy was fun too. She didn't explain, just handed them over.
...She wanted to, so why back out now?
But we pressed on. I took the ingredients to the jars. She quietly took spot by Harin.
"On three. One, two, three!"
Dumping them in triggered a pop sound, misty fog enveloping the third jar.
"Eek!..."
A thin yelp followed. Seo-yeon casually headed to the third jar like routine. I checked: a vial of purple liquid now at the empty bottom.
Really made you feel like casting magic. Turning to show the others, I saw Harin half-buried in Yoo Seol-ah's arms.
Calming down, separating slowly, but still startled.
"...When she gets scared, she hugs whoever's next to her—habit."
I nodded, then recalled Yoo Seol-ah yielding the role.
Hugs whoever's next to her.
...If she added, I'd be by Harin? Predicted the loud noise from prior gimmicks...?
Yoo Seol-ah, you're insanely meticulous.
She read my odd expression and snatched the vial, hunting the next puzzle frantically.
"...Next is, right—pressure? What's pressure?"
Overly animated voice. With Seo-yeon back by Harin, I quietly slid next to Yoo Seol-ah.
"...You really think of everything. A Grand Mage's different."
"Wh-what're you suddenly on about? Solve the next one...!"
Even smacking my arm confirmed my guess. Hiding jealousy but always showing it—that's Yoo Seol-ah's cute charm.