Sweat trickled down the side of my face.
My vision was blurry, the edges of the office bending and stretching out of shape.
I forced myself to take slow, steady breaths, trying to calm the shaking in my chest. But it was easier said than done. My hand clutched at my shirt, pressing against the spot where the blade had pierced me.
The pain still lingered in my mind.
“Haa… Haa…”
My breath continued to remain heavy as I leaned back against the chair.
I struggled to keep myself composed. The pain, along with the image of my own death, clung stubbornly to my mind, threatening to consume me at any moment.
’….I’ve looped back into the starting spot just like the information said.’
Thankfully, I had seen and experienced my fair share of things.
After a minute, I finally managed to steady myself, my gaze settling on the desk right where a certain lamp had appeared.
“I guess the system thought it through.”
I closed my eyes and recalled everything that had happened.
’Just like I thought. The killer’s inside the factory, stalking me, waiting for the right moment. I still don’t know the exact rules or conditions of this mission, but from what I’ve gathered, he can’t kill me right away. There’s also blood scattered around, and I’ve seen multiple sets of footsteps. What does that even mean?’
I opened my eyes and felt my heartbeat quicken.
This place…
I wasn’t the only person present.
“Are they part of the scenario, or are they people that entered the gate?”
This was a looping gate, where time moved at a much slower pace compared to the outside. I wasn’t certain of the exact ratio, but I knew enough to be sure of that. The first squad hadn’t even entered yet. Which meant… if there really were people from the outside here, they would’ve entered long before me, and been trapped inside for an unthinkably long time.
Repeating the loop over and over again without any success.
Just the thought sent shivers down my spine.
Would someone even be able to remain sane after dying for so long without any hope of leaving?
“…I won’t be like them, right?”
I swallowed quietly before slowly bringing myself to my feet.
And right as I did—
To Tok—!
I heard an all too familiar knocking sound.
My body froze for a split second as I turned my head in the direction of the door.
It was just like last time. This was where it all began.
I hesitated before walking towards the door. The pain of death still lingered in my mind as my chest throbbed.
But at the same time, I didn’t really have much of a choice.
While time flowed more slowly here, it still flowed.
I needed to get out of this place before the deadline with the conductor.
“No… even before that. I need to get out before the Guild notices I’m gone.”
Things would get extremely messy if they started searching for me. They’d probably even brand me a scammer.
Just thinking about the mess that would occur made my heart speed up.
I really needed to find a way out of this place.
Creaaak—!
I pulled the door open and stepped out, holding the lamp before me. Footsteps sprawled across the floor ahead, and the sharp scent of rust hit my nostrils. The darkness seemed to recoil from the lamp’s dim blue glow, stretching weakly around the edges of the room.
Looking around, my gaze fell on the steps I had previously followed.
This time, I turned in a different direction.
’Since that one is a dead end, let’s try a new path.’
*Step*
The echo of my steps rang again through the abandoned factory. Shadows from the towering machinery loomed on all sides, twisting into strange, sickly forms. I forced myself to ignore them, keeping my focus on the footsteps ahead.
I moved through the silence, following the footsteps ahead, forcing myself to ignore the constant, unsettling sense of being watched.
And then—
’Different steps.’
I noticed a new pair of steps. One different in size from the normal ones.
They were fresh, and they moved ahead.
I paused for a moment, then slowly pulled a mask from my bag and stared at it.
The mask looked normal. It was just an empty white mask. But the moment I pressed it onto my face, it seemed to take on a life of its own, clinging to me as if it were alive.
Long strips of red fabric hung from the top of the mask, each tipped with a small, jingling bell, and my vision began to narrow.
“Haa… Haa…”
Taking soft and steady breaths, I brought the lamp up and stepped forward.
One couldn’t be too careful.
***
“Haa… Haa…”
Heavy breaths echoed.
A figure lunged through the darkness, his pale face catching the faint light coming from the shattered windows, eyes darting wildly. His hands swept over the rusted machinery, searching desperately for something to steady himself
’I need to leave. I need to leave. I need to leave.’
A certain madness consumed his mind as he looked all over the place.
How long had he been stuck in the loop?
Morland had forgotten. All he knew was that it had been a very long time.
He had been part of the scouting team, tasked with entering the gate to uncover what lay beyond. But unlike most scouts, he was different. He belonged to the BUA and had received specialized training for exactly this kind of mission.
He, alongside his team.
They were all trained professionals who were supposed to be able to escape any gate.
And yet—
“H-help…” His voice cracked, immediately swallowed by the oppressive silence.
He couldn’t escape.
He… along with his team, had been trapped inside the gate with no escape. Some had already succumbed to madness, wandering aimlessly through the endless corridors, waiting for death to find them.
Morland was the last one who had still managed to keep his sanity.
But even he was on the verge of losing his mind.
“H… help.”
He was desperate.
“Haa…!”
He stumbled into yet another corridor, narrower than the last. The acrid scent of rust and decay burned in his nostrils. His lungs screamed for air, his legs trembled, and each step felt heavier than the one before.
And then—
A faint blue light glimmered ahead, piercing the darkness.
Morland froze on the spot, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the dim blue light in the distance.
This…
This was the first time he had ever seen the blue light as it slowly started to approach his direction. His heart sank, muscles locking as dread clawed through his chest. The light drew closer, pulsing faintly, until it stopped, hanging in the air.
The world grew eerily still as the light slowly lowered to reveal a Jester. Its polished mask reflected the cold glow of the lamp, the bells at its tips jingling softly, each sound twisting through the silence that had swallowed the space.
In that moment, the two eyes met.
The world stood still.
And then—!
Thump!
Morland’s mind blanked as he passed out on the spot.