The sound of labored breathing, distant cries, and the frantic stares of those left in the classroom fixed on the doors.
“Slowly,”
I said softly, scanning the room.
“Let’s move slowly and see if anything reacts. Keep an eye on both the front and back doors.”
“
Adults, who now looked like high school students, trembled as they staggered back from the doors.
Among those who had awakened in this classroom, half had fled, their fates unknown. The other half remained—
Or rather, they were too paralyzed to move.
In the midst of this chaos, I thought quietly to myself.
‘This is a disaster.’
I shouldn’t have stayed still at the start.
Before the curtains closed, plunging us into total darkness, I should have sprinted out alone, grabbed an emergency flashlight, and settled into a good hiding spot.
‘I missed my chance.’
I had hesitated, panicked by the realization that Braun wasn’t here.
By now, a few people were starting to catch on to the situation.
“This—this is just like that thing!”
“Huh?”
“You don’t know? The kind of monster that can’t move while you’re watching!”
“Wait, you mean you’ve seen this before?”
“Hey, why don’t you get it?? It’s like that monster that follows you when you’re not looking! As long as we’re looking at it, it can’t move!”
The voice of the person speaking was distorted by fear and excitement as they rambled on: asking if everyone had read some weird text file, suggesting we were inside a game, or wondering if this was possession…
Normally, people would have ignored such wild claims, but in their panic, they listened intently.
This was a progression I’d seen countless times before.
And the conclusion reached by a fear-stricken group is always… simplistic and extreme.
“In that case, we should just attack it! Destroy it!”
“What?!”
“If we try to run, it’ll just keep chasing us, no matter what! Didn’t you see what happened to the people who left? They all died! Hurry! Before the lights flicker again!” ℞
“Ah!”
As if hypnotized, people started scouring the empty classroom for anything that could be used as a weapon. Brooms, chairs, mops, box cutters…
‘No.’
This was a shortcut to the most typical bad ending!
“Wait a moment, please…”
Just then, someone covered my mouth.
I nearly threw a punch out of reflex.
Forcing myself to remain calm, I slowly turned my head to see who had silenced me.
Our eyes met. It was a familiar face.
‘…Civil servant!’
It was an agent from the Disaster Management Bureau!
Agent Ryu Jaekwan, whom I’d encountered at the mountain lodge. His hair was now cropped short like a high school student’s, but his features were unmistakably the same.
‘Where had he been sitting all this time?’
No, that wasn’t the issue here.
‘Right. Even civil servants can end up here too!’
This wasn’t one of Daydream Inc.’s ‘secured and contained’ ghost stories.
That meant it wasn’t impossible to encounter someone from another agency in a place like this.
But still, running into the same agent again? Wasn’t he working way too hard?
“If you don’t scream, I’ll let you go.”
I quickly nodded with a serious expression, and the agent released me without further comment.
‘Phew.’
“You really do have a knack for getting caught up in situations like this, don’t you?”
“…Yes.”
Let’s just leave it at that.
“And, some of what that person said earlier is correct.”
“Keep your eyes on that student mannequin at all times. Don’t look away, and make sure you blink alternately. If the lights go out, immediately lower your head. Also…”
The agent leaned in and whispered the proper protocol, clearly well-versed in handling this kind of situation.
“They’re very sensitive to sound.”
That’s right.
These ‘students’ were strongly drawn to people who screamed, cursed, or shouted.
“Under no circumstances should you raise your voice. Ever.”
I nodded slightly.
“But is it really okay to just let them attack that thing…?”
“Right now, your own safety is the priority. Rescuing others caught in this Disaster comes second.”
The agent delivered the line with practiced precision.
“When dealing with a supernatural Disaster, assume everyone involved will die, and act accordingly.”
This was… textbook Disaster Management Bureau protocol.
‘They prioritize identifying, sealing, or destroying the ghost story to prevent further casualties.’
It was a utilitarian judgment, akin to pulling the lever in the trolley dilemma without hesitation—choosing to sacrifice one life to save five.
“I’ll let you know when it’s time to run. For now, just follow the instructions I’ve given you.”
“…Understood.”
Arguing with the agent here would be suicidal.
For now, I kept my mouth shut.
Meanwhile, the others were already armed and approaching the student mannequin.
‘Fuck.’
I deliberately asked another question to guide the agent’s response.
I needed to know more to make my actions seem natural going forward.
“But, um, isn’t this a dream? If that’s the case, wouldn’t we just wake up even if we die here…?”
That was the classic escape method from a nightmare.
At the moment of death in the dream, you wake up and return to reality.
Hearing that, one might think that quickly taking your own life is the best option, but that’s completely wrong. Such a choice should never be made…
‘There’s something you need.’
“…That’s correct, but there are conditions.”
Exactly.
“Conditions?”
“Yes. Do you see that name tag?”
The agent pointed to the ‘student mannequin’.
“You must die while in possession of that mannequin’s name tag to wake up ‘properly’. If you fail to meet this condition…”
If the escape conditions are not fulfilled, the explorer becomes trapped ‘In the Shadow of Darkness’.
“You will suffer… undesirable effects.”
“There are also a few other conditions for dying safely, but I’ll explain them as we go.”
“Together…?”
“Yes.”
Wait a second.
However, the agent, perhaps interpreting my hesitation differently, gave me a look as if to say, Don’t feel bad about it.
It was an awkward attempt to reassure me with a forced smile.
“Don’t worry. There are many agents deployed here besides me. Someone will surely make it through.”
More than one Disaster Management Bureau agent?
‘This really must be an overlap in exploration timing.’
There must have been a relevant entry in the exploration logs.
I tried to sift through past records in my mind, but before I could identify any, the situation shifted.
“D-Die!”
The others finally began attacking the student mannequin.
And, surprisingly—
Crack.
“Ack!”
“B-Blood…!”
The ‘Sekwang Technical High School’ student bled, as though they were an ordinary human.
The sound of bones breaking, blood spilling, and bruises forming echoed around the room.
“Aaah!”
“What do we do? Oh, shit…”
‘…Huu.’
Fear and unease ran down my spine.
However, the agent, calm as if this was routine, gestured discreetly toward the front door.
“For now, we should use this distraction to… hmm?”
That’s when it happened.
Figures appeared on the brightly lit central staircase visible through the open front door.
Three or four figures moved quietly, their footsteps muffled as they ascended.
They shared a common feature.
Each of them wore strange animal masks.
‘Company employees!’
What’s more, I recognized one of the masks.
Bison!
‘Jang Heo-un.’
It was the rookie from the Y-squad, with whom I’d endured the theme park ghost story.
‘Did he get reassigned to a regular squad?’
It had been a while. My recent chaos had kept me too busy to track other people’s transfers, but it seemed he’d survived his first three months unscathed. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
‘At least that’s good news.’
But next to him…
A less welcome sight.
A black goat mask.
It was Baek Saheon.
‘Did they wake up in the same class?’
Both were faithfully following the company’s safety recommendation to ‘wear your mask whenever possible’.
‘I’d like to wear mine too, if I could.’
I wanted to check my items and use them to improve my chances of escape.
Overall, it seemed the best course of action would be to separate naturally from the agent and join that group.
“Um, Mr. Agen—”
“Daydream Inc…!”
Ack—
“Be careful. If you encounter someone in animal masks and business suits in a place like this, never acknowledge them.”
The agent gritted his teeth and cast a disdainful glare toward the group.
“They’re likely dispatched from that disgusting pseudo-corporation. Avoid any involvement with them at all costs.”
“The majority of their employees are unethical psychopaths. You must be cautious.”
Absolutely.
Absolutely!
Don’t let him find out who I am!