Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Interlude
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S#. 2 Small Village (Night/Outside)
A man walks alone, anxiously glancing around.
Kim Jaeheon: I can't figure out what's going on. (eyes bulging wide)
The man stares blankly into empty space as if fixated on something invisible, his focus blurring as he begins muttering to himself.
Kim Jaeheon: I can't even see anything.
Kim Jaeheon: What the hell is this situation anyway? Did I get sucked into some other dimension like the Cube?
Muttering to himself, the man suddenly stops upon spotting a village entrance appearing before him.
Kim Jaeheon: A village...? Wasn't this just a road a moment ago? (confused, looking around)
Someone calls his name.
Kim Jaeheon: Who's there!
The man looks around.
Kim Jaeheon: I don't see anything.
The man furrows his brow.
? ? ?: Over there.
A little girl in a black dress appears. The man freezes at the sight of her.
Kim Jaeheon: You...? (face full of shock)
? ? ?: It's been a while. (soft smile)
Kim Jaeheon: Why are you still the same—
? ? ?: After so long, that's the first thing you're curious about? (giggles)
Kim Jaeheon: Then what should I be curious about?
? ? ?: Hmm, like "How've you been?" Something friendly?
Kim Jaeheon: I'm not in the mood for jokes right now. Something's off here. My eyes—
? ? ?: They're not working right, are they?
The man freezes, staring at the girl. The girl smiles.
? ? ?: Can't be helped. But don't worry.
Kim Jaeheon: How do you know about my eyes? When I met you, they were fine. (voice thick with suspicion)
? ? ?: That's not true. (closes eyes and shakes head)
The girl looks up at the stage ceiling.
Her water-blue hair flutters in the wind.
? ? ?: It's like they're saying your eyes are the problem now.
Kim Jaeheon: (falls silent)
? ? ?: You've always been you. And no matter what happens, you're still you.
Kim Jaeheon: You. (expression turns grave)
Thud, thud.
The man turns toward the footsteps, his face twisting in terror.
The man grabs the girl's hand, but she shakes her head and pulls away.
? ? ?: I didn't come here to run away with you. (keeps her gentle smile)
Kim Jaeheon: What are you talking about! You know what's going on? (voice urgent)
? ? ?: Of course.
The girl covers her mouth and laughs maturely. Shock flashes across the man's face.
Kim Jaeheon: You—
The man stares intently above the girl's head.
? ? ?: Now that you've seen it all, I can tell my story?
The girl takes the man's hand and points toward the audience seats.
? ? ?: Don't forget the exit. And hang in there. I'm always watching from close by.
The girl glows black like dust scattering and vanishes. The man looks around.
Kim Jaeheon: Hey! Where'd you go! Hey! (shouts desperately)
Thud, thud.
The man stops and turns around.
Kim Jaeheon: This is insane. (voice full of shock)
The man turns and runs like mad.
S#. 3 Forest (Night/Outside)
Kim Jaeheon: Hah... hah... (breathing raggedly)
The man, running while looking back, trips over a rock.
Kim Jaeheon: Argh! (screams in pain)
The man tumbles down the forest path but looks back and starts running again, gasping for breath.
Thud, thud.
Kim Jaeheon: Damn it, damn it. (muttering nonstop)
The man runs frantically. He soon reaches a dead end—nothing but towering stone walls around him.
Kim Jaeheon: No way. (despair on his face)
From the shadows, someone steps out in front of the man.
Thud, thud.
Kim Jaeheon: There has to be a way, a way. A way...! (clawing at his hair)
The man keeps staring into empty space, then curls up as if consumed by fear.
The "Red Lady" appears before the man.
The man freezes in terror.
Thud. A book falls from the man's inner pocket.
The man's eyes turn to the book.
[[[Kill yourself right now.]]]
The man reads the words and hesitates. He searches his pockets but can't find his gun.
The "Red Lady" draws closer.
The man approaches a nearby cliff and starts slamming his head against it.
Kim Jaeheon: Ah! Please! Die! Please! (smashing his head against the cliff like a madman)
The man keeps bashing his head.
(E)Thud, thud sounds.
Kim Jaeheon: P-Please... let me... die...! (blood streaming from his head)
(E)Something cracks.
The man collapses. His forehead is deeply caved in.
The "Red Lady" stops.
*
"Hah!"
My heart felt like it would burst.
I shot up from my seat in the audience, then immediately dropped back to my knees.
What the hell was that? What just happened?
I quickly touch my forehead.
It felt like a normal forehead.
Thank goodness. It's not broken.
Let me think about what happened.
I was suddenly on some road, then suddenly in a small village, and then...
Throb. My head starts aching.
I remember meeting that girl then.
I even remember what she said to me.
But I saw something above that girl. What was it?
I can't remember.
It's like someone plucked that fragment of memory right out.
...
No. No matter how hard I think, it's gone.
I tried recalling it over and over, then gave up realizing it was pointless.
Think about something else.
"Red Lady."
Even that memory is fuzzy.
To be precise, I remember the "Red Lady." The problem is I have no idea what she looked like.
But one thing I'm sure of.
She terrified me.
Pure, primal fear.
Nothing left but instinctive terror toward something I couldn't even see.
Am I the only one awake?
I look around.
All the audience members have their eyes closed.
On stage, the actors who greeted us earlier stood like broken dolls.
I look at Song Arin.
She's still staring blankly with no reaction.
"Hey. Wake up!"
I grab Song Arin's shoulders and shake her.
She doesn't budge.
Someone places a hand on my shoulder.
...
A chill runs through me as I turn around.
A person with their neck twisted 90 degrees is looking at me and speaking.
"Siiiir, wiiiithin the thiiiiaaaater, ruuunning awaaaay, leaaaving, is stiiiictly prohibiiiited."
...
Right now, I have no Critical, just one gun.
Of course, the gun won't work.
I have no choice but to play along for now.
I nod, and the person turns back and leaves.
But I have other ways to communicate.
I sneak out my phone.
If I call Yoo Daon or Jang Chaeyeon for help now, maybe...
[Out of service.]
The signal bar shows an X over the antenna—no connection.
...
Sigh.
I felt bile rise to my throat and subside.
Can I get out?
I worried briefly about leaving Song Arin behind, but that could wait until I found the exit.
I quietly stand from my seat.
The one who stopped me earlier approaches like a ghost.
"Siiiir, wiiiithin the thiiiiaaaater, ruuunning awaaaay... is prohibiiiited."
...
"Understood."
Nothing I can do.
Looks like I'll just have to sit here quietly until this "intermission" ends.
That means I have to trust my eyes again.
First, I check the people standing like dolls on stage.
[Name: Troupe Actor]
[Age: 22]
[Trait: None]
[Talent: None]
[Background: Once dreaming of becoming a great musical actor, he auditioned for the new musical Red Lady. But what awaited him at the end was not stardom, but enslavement to the troupe.]
[Weakness: Just an ordinary person. Kill him, and he dies.]
...
I look at the one whose head was twisted 90 degrees earlier.
[Name: Troupe Guard]
[Age: 22]
[Trait: None]
[Talent: None]
[Background: He only applied to Red Lady for a part-time gig. No one knew it would end with him becoming neither human, monster, nor anything— just a guard.]
[Weakness: Just an ordinary person. Kill him, and he dies.]
They're all just people.
Ordinary folks once.
I don't know what this "musical" is, but priority one is surviving it, and then stopping the show.
So how do I do that?
"Aaah!"
With a sharp scream, Song Arin opens her eyes.
"W-What? What happened? Why? How? What...?"
She soon clutches her head and starts muttering to herself.
...
"Kyaaah!"
I tap her shoulder, and she screams loudly.
"Ah, what! Ah...! Ah..."
Soon, she sees me and starts calming down bit by bit.
...
"Did you see it?"
...
"You too?"
Our eyes meet.
"The Red Lady. Remember it?"
...
Song Arin's expression turns serious.
...
"No."
She shakes her head.
"I don't remember a thing. How is that possible?"
"Same here."
"How... did you get out?"
...
"Suicide. Bashed my head against a stone wall. You?"
...
"Me too. Suicide. Jumped off a cliff."
Our gazes lock, then shift to the stage as a bell tolls through the theater.
[Intermission time. Audience members, please stand from your seats.]
"Hah!"
"No!"
"Save me!"
"Stop!"
Screams finally erupt from the previously silent audience.
People seem to have snapped out of it, trembling in fear.
Some were crying, others muttering nonsense in panic.
It was like a mass hypnosis had lifted.
[From now on, audience members who have exhausted all chances will join our Lady.]
An announcement plays.
"Join the Lady? What does that—"
Boom!
Before Song Arin finishes, the person next to her "explodes."
The audience member vanishes in a spray of blood.
Blood splatters on Song Arin's clothes, hardening her expression.
Boom!
"Kyaaah!"
"Stop!"
"Save me! Please! I'll do anything!"
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
People explode.
Screaming ones, those still with eyes closed— all bursting apart.
Blood spatters on my clothes too.
After several blasts, about 20% of the theater's occupants were gone.
A mechanical voice flows from the speakers.
[The musical resumes in 15 minutes. Suicide will not be an escape this time. I repeat. Suicide will not be an escape this time.]
The stench of blood pierced my nose.