A cold, winter breeze brushed through her short, silver locks. The freezing temperatures nipped at her pale skin and her breaths came out shallow and quick. Running out from the abandoned cabin lodge, Yun-Jin continued to sprint across the snowy grounds and make her way towards the flashing red light that blinked just a few feet away.
Almost there. She was almost there.
As she got closer, Yun-Jin could feel her heartbeat begin to thump rapidly against her chest. A deep,sinister laugh could be heard from behind the mound near the doors followed by rushing footsteps. Her brown eyes widened in fear. She wanted to turn back. She wanted to run away, perhaps find the other doors. But if she were to turn around, he was certainly going to kill her.
Noed was still active and she had searched high and low to find it, but her search came down to nothing. She had no idea where the other survivors were, and the exit gates in front of her were point blank to being open. She didn't have much time to think about it. The exit gates were right there. One second left on the door, and if she was quick enough, she was certain she could make it.
She could only hope the others were already at the second exit.
Rushing past the mound, Yun-Jin quickly grabbed the rusted steel handle and flicked down the switch. In an instant, the doors began to shrill and slowly open.
A smile almost made its way to her lips, however, her sense of security left upon hearing a scream come from behind. Looking over her shoulder, Yun-Jin felt her heart plummet to her stomach upon seeing the brunette botanist, known as Claudette, fall to the ground just a few feet away. Yun-Jin could only watch in horror as a familiar man with slicked back silver hair and bright golden hues walked in with a short swing of his bat.
Yun-Jin looked at the exit and then back at the botanist. She wanted to run up to the woman and heal her, but she was terrified at the same time. Should she just leave? Her eyes looked over at the woman who had been assisting her in the trials so far. She had been nothing but kind and helpful to her. No, she could not just up an abandon her. Not like she did back then.
Yun-Jin took a hesitant step forward. She thought about running up to the woman and helping her up, but she couldn't. She couldn't fight off the little devil that told her to just run away. Leave her and escape while you still can. She hated having these thoughts, but could anyone really blame her?
Fortunately, she didn't have to dwell on those thoughts any longer, because as soon as she made eye contact with Claudette, the young botanist silently told with her fearful brown eyes a single word.
Don't.
So Yun-Jin stood by the exit, watching helplessly as the killer let out a loose laugh. He swung his bat away and took out multiple blades, each one suddenly stabbed into Claudette's body. Yun-Jin felt her stomach tie into a knot, the young woman's screams echoing out into the cold, open air, but there was nothing she could do but watch in despair.
Once her screams died into nothingness, Yun-Jin moved her eyes away from Claudette's corpse. Her attention then transferred over to the deranged man that hovered over the botanist with gleam in his sadistic golden eyes. That man...he was one of Yun-Jin's greatest successes, but also one of her greatest regrets. Wearing a long yellow coat and magenta colored pants, the male known by his stage name "The Trickster" stood just a few feet away from her, with an unnerving smile curved on his lips. He looked happy, too happy for someone who just brutally murdered an innocent woman.
Why? Why is that deranged man like this? How did she not see the signs before arriving here?! If it wasn't for him...
Yun-Jin glared in anger and disgust. Although she stared spitefully, the man paid no attention to her unwavering sneer. Instead, the trickster, also known as Ji-Woon Hak, grabbed a flimsy piece of paper out of his coat pocket. Without sparring another glance, he carelessly flicked the photocard at the brunette's corpse.
"Thank you for watching my performance."
His deep, playful voice spoke out. Ji-Woon's bright golden hues then gazed over at Yun-Jin with a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. Although his words were supposed to be aimed at Claudette, his gaze never left Yun-Jin's form, causing a feeling of dread wash over her. All feelings of anger faded into fear as the man slowly began to saunter his way to the exit gates.
Without another thought, Yun-Jin quickly turned around and ran through the exit gates. She didn't stop running, not even when she felt her body pass through the portal that would separate her from the killer. She just kept running and running, not daring to turn around until she was sure she was safe from the deranged idol.
As she ran, the once snow filled scenery morphed into hazy darkness. Fog filled the air and a dark mist began to surround her vision. Yun Jin closed her eyes. She could feel the tears begin to slowly slide down her cheek. Her mind could not forget those piercing golden eyes or that chilly, deep laugh that echoed freely in her mind. And her thoughts could certainly not forget Claudette's sacrifice.
How did things come to this? What did she do in her past life to be sent to this hell? And worst of all, why the hell is he here too? Was this god's punishment to her? Is this her karma for leaving the building without another thought? Was it so wrong for her to think of her own survival in that very instant?
She had no idea why she was sent here...but she did know one thing. She wasn't here alone.
~ * ~
Upon appearing from within the swirls of black mist, Yun-Jin walked by the towering pine trees and made her way into the dim lit opening ahead. Emerging from the forest, the first thing Yun-Jin's eyes landed on was a large, open campsite. The place was set up in sections with one side having rows of cabins lined up side by side, and the other side opened with wooden tables and a single large campfire pit surrounded by log benches.
Walking further into the camp, Yun-Jin looked around at the many survivors that either sat alone or talked amongst themselves in different groups. Some of them would ignore her, while others simply glanced up and gave a nod of acknowledgement, and a few watched her carefully, as though she herself was a killer in disguise. Pursing her lips, Yun-Jin glanced around awkwardly, her eyes searching for any signs of a friendly face.
Since arriving, the silver haired woman didn't really get to know many of the other survivors. Most seemed to prefer being alone while others looked like they couldn't be bothered. Of course it wasn't as though everyone was heartless to newcomers. When she first arrived, Yun-Jin was greeted by a few of the survivors that had been there the longest, specifically: Dwight and Claudette. The two approached her gently and explained everything to her.
It was unbelievable at first, but once she survived her first trial followed by the next two, the nightmare finally settled in. She was stuck in this hellish cycle with a bunch of strangers that met a similar fate as herself. At this point, she could only rely on herself and her friends to survive.
Well, if she had friends.
The only person who had been talking to her so far was Claudette, and she was dead. Well, for now that is. Yun-Jin didn't quite understand the whole 'revival' concept, but she knew Claudette wasn't actually 'dead' dead. However, she didn't know how long it took for her to come back. For all she knew, it would be a while before the brunette botanist returned.
Looking around, Yun-Jin's eyes landed on a small group of survivors sitting by the fire pit. She recognized one of the survivors as someone who had briefly introduced herself while being shown around the campsite. Feng Min? Yeah, that was her name. She seemed nice enough, and the group around her seemed to be a good start.
Deciding to broaden her connections with the other survivors, Yun-Jin made her way to the group.
As she got closer, she could hear some of them talking, others joking, followed by some snickers of laughter. Yun-Jin wasn't usually a nervous person, but among the group of survivors who had known each other for what she assumed to be quite some time, she couldn't help but feel a bit out of her element.
Standing by the group, Yun-Jin cleared her throat, catching all of their attention.
"May I sit with you all?" she asked.
The group looked at her, some surprised while others welcomed her with a small smile. The first to respond was the young woman with short black hair pulled back into a tight bun, and a blue uniform shirt and shorts.
"Knock yourself out."
Yun-Jin gave a tight lipped smile, "Thank you."
Pulling down her skirt, the silver haired woman took a seat by a man with dirty blonde hair pushed back into a combover with faded grey eyes wearing a dark blue coat and pants. He briefly looked up at her. A small, welcoming smile tugged at his lips, but it didn't quite meet his eyes. She could understand as much, but nonetheless she was grateful for his brief sense of welcome before he turned back to reading the book in his hands.
"So, you're the new survivor, huh?" A woman with tan skin, short brown hair with long layered bangs and multiple piercings on her ears, spoke out. She wore a light brown leather jacket, dark blue jeans, and had a salmon colored scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. She sent her a grim smile, "Can't exactly say welcome since no one really wants to be here, but I hope you've been adjusting well. I'm Zarina Kassir."
The black haired woman from before waved her hand, "We briefly met, but you probably forgot since it gets kinda crazy when you first arrive, but I'm Feng Min"
"No, no. I remember. It's nice to meet you- all of you." Yun-Jin emphasized, receiving small smiles from the group.
"I'm Adam Francis, it's nice to meet you as well." Said a black man with dark brown eyes and midnight black hair styled into a high top fade. He wore a white collared shirt, a dark grey tie tucked inside a grey vest and a long, worn down lab coat. The man gave a low chuckle, "Would've been better anywhere but here, but it's still nice to meet you."
Yun-Jin nodded, her eyes then moved to the man at her side that closed his book with a short chuckle.
"I see we're introducing ourselves." He spoke, his faded grey orbs looking over at her with another tight but warm smile. "Felix Richter."
Yun-Jin would be lying if she said she wasn't stunned at how quick they were to welcome her. Feeling a sense of belonging, she smiled gratefully at the group before her. "I'm Yun-Jin Lee. I hope you all take care of me." It was without words that the others thought the same exact thing.
"So, you just had your third trial, yeah?" Feng asked, to which Yun-Jin nodded. The dark haired woman gapped at her, "Wow that's amazing. No offense, but I'm surprised you escaped three times in a row. For a rookie, it's kind of hard to do."
"It's mostly because I've had others help me." Yun-Jin admitted, "The botanist woman, Claudette? She's been in all of my trials so far, and has been a great help to me." Yun-Jin suddenly grimaced, remembering the woman's screams as though they were right in her ear. A pang of guilt struck her heart. "She even sacrificed herself for me. She said she was going to 'ninety-nine' a door and if it blinks to run to it. It was her second hook and I hadn't been hooked at all that trial. I could've- I could've done something but I didn't."
The group looked over her with sympathetic eyes, each one of them remembering a time when a teammate would sacrifice themselves so they could escape.
"It doesn't get any easier, but she'll come back. The more you learn, the easier the trials will be, and the better you get, the less sacrifices will be made. Just remember she'll come back." Zarina attempted to comfort, but Yun-Jin just couldn't shake off the guilt. It was like that time all over again.
Lost in her own thoughts, the others gave her time to think and began to talk amongst themselves once more. As they spoke, Yun-Jin was cut short of her thoughts upon hearing a familiar soft spoken voice. Looking up, she watched as a pretty blonde woman held onto one of the hands of one of her fellow survivors. She recognized the confused looking woman as the one that had died just before the exit gates had opened. It was Claudette.
"Claudette!" She jumped, her eyes brimmed with tears of joy. However, that soon washed away when the botanist looked at her in confusion.
"Hello, do I know you?"
The blonde holding Claudette's hand shook her head.
"Sorry, doll. She doesn't have her memories quite yet, but give her some time and she'll remember everything." The woman explained before guiding Claudette away from the campfire and over to the rows of cabins.
As the duo walked away, Yun-Jin gazed over at their disappearing forms in disbelief. Her eyes then trailed over to the group of survivors, but they went on chatting as though what happened was just another everyday occurrence.
Sitting back down on the log, Yun-Jin stared off at the distance with a fearful expression written across her features. "How could she forget what happened?" She uttered.
The others in the group looked back at her.
"It happens when we die in the trials." Feng answered, her face twisting into anger. "Apparently the entity feeds on us so when we die and get sent back to the trials, we have no recollection of any of this." She then motioned her hand to the entire campsite. "That way we have a more 'fighting spirit' to escape." The woman then snorted, "Well, we sure did learn the hard way."
"What do you mean by 'feeds'?"
"The entity feeds on our strong emotions, especially hope." Adam cut in. The tall man then rubbed his hands together, his dark brown eyes moved away from the fire pit to meet Yun-Jin fearful gaze. "That's why we have short term memory loss. That way if we go back into the trials and escape, we are left in anguish upon thinking that we ever had a chance of leaving."
"This place is worse than any hell. Even the devil himself wouldn't want to be here." Zarina muttered, but her words were heard from the rest of the group. The others stayed silent, all having the same thought in mind.
"What did I do to deserve this?"
Zarina looked at her with a pitiful smile, "Don't beat yourself up. We're all in this together."
Yun-Jin furrowed her brows, her eyes glaring into the fire with angry tears glossing over her brown orbs, "It's not fair! There has to be a way out of here!" She shouted, her eyes moving from one survivor to the next, hoping one of them would give her a hopeful look, but her heart dropped upon seeing them all avoid her gaze.
Feng was the first to respond, a sarcastic, airy laugh leaving her lips. "Ha, yeah. If there was a way, we would've left by now."
Yun-Jin pursed her lips. Crossing one leg over the other, she rested her chin on her hand and gazed out at the line of cabins with furrowed brows. She wondered why she was sent here. Her thoughts spiraling into a single thought, there had to be a way out of here.
As she stared out at the cabins, one of the doors swung open. Emerging from the medical cabin, Dwight stepped out onto the porch with a bashful expression. His face was tinted red and he was rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous smile placed on his lips.
Yun-Jin raised a brow, observing as the anxious man took a few steps back, allowing you to enter the scene.
Wearing a white button up shirt, black tie, and a matching black coat and pants that hugged your [body type] frame, you suddenly appeared in Yun-Jin's line of sight looking perfect and poise. [Hair length] [hair color] hair that complimented your [skin tone] face. Dull [eye color] eyes that looked as blank as the night sky. You stood in front of Dwight with a vacant expression written on your flawless face.
Yun-Jin had to admit, you were attractive. Extremely attractive. However, there was something about you that didn't sit right with her. You always looked empty. Perhaps even lost. Not a thought seemed to go through your mind as others would speak to you, or when you were wandering around the campsite. You were just there.
"What about them?" She asked, catching everyone's attention. Their eyes then followed hers that trailed across the camp over to you.
Upon seeing who she was referring to, Feng Min couldn't help but utter out, "The servant of evil?" To which got her a nudge to her rib and a hushed 'Min!' from Zarina.
"Ow! What? That's literally what they are. It's not like they care if we talk shit about them. That thing has no feelings." The others sighed.
"What about them?" Adam changed the topic, his eyes looking back over to Yun-Jin.
"Do they know how to leave this place?"
Zarina hummed, "Most likely, but it's not like that matters. They wouldn't tell us."
Yun-Jin sat up, a bit more curious as she looked at the others, but her gaze always faltered back to you. "Why not?"
"Because they are the entity's servant." Feng responded, "When we became more self aware, we tried everything to pry information out of them, but they wouldn't budge. We pleaded, cried, we even tried to threaten to harm them, but they still wouldn't budge."
"Have you tried rationalizing with them?"
At this, Adam scoffed. "Rationalize? How can you rationalize with something that doesn't feel?"
"I mean, have you tried?" Yun-Jin looked over at the group. "You say they serve the entity, but that's it, right? Has it tried to seek out your despair?"
The others gazed among themselves. They each looked at one another, each one of their thoughts attempting to recollect a time when you would be devious or cunning, but they could only draw blanks.
Adam shook his head. "No, but they're not actively looking out for us either."
"But maybe they can."
Feng pursed her lips, thinking over Yun-Jin's words. Her dark brown orbs gazed over at you, watching as you interacted with Dwight. Although you had never helped the survivors outright, you never seemed to show detest for them as well. You just gave them materials, healed them, and kept them alive. Now that she thought about you, you weren't on a single "side". You were just there.
"You might be onto something."
Adam looked at her in bewilderment, "Min, you can't be serious."
"Yun-Jin's right. They move like an NPC."
Felix gave Feng a quizzical expression, "A what?"
Feng rolled her eyes, "In video game terms, a non playable character. Someone there to be in the background to assist the player with items or short information, but that's it."
"So what? Do we give it feelings? How does that work?" Zarina asked to which Feng shook her head.
"No, we teach it to be more human. If we teach them empathy, love, hope, maybe they can help us. It'll be like rewiring their code to do more than just serve the entity. We could turn it to our side and we will have something over the killers, and possibly even escape."
"That's ridiculous, it'll never work!" Adam exclaimed, but Yun-Jin shook her head in protest.
"You guys don't know that."
Zarina crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes watching as you continued to converse with Dwight. She never thought of you in any other way other than being there to serve the entity and keep the other survivors in check. She never once thought of the possibility that there was more to you than what you let on. Perhaps, well, just maybe you could be their ticket out of the realm.
"I say we give it a shot." She spoke, her eyes gazing at the others with a flicker of light gleaming in her dark brown eyes. "I mean, what do we have to lose? We die? Death would at least be a forever release from this place."
Adam looked at Zarina and the others, exasperatedly. He wasn't exactly sure how this would work out, but if the others were confident, then just maybe it was okay to have a little sense of hope. With a sigh, he reluctantly nodded. "Okay, but we just can't come to this out of nowhere. They'll get suspicious. After all, they are still loyal to the entity."
"So we try this with people who know them the most." Zarina explained, but Felix looked confused.
"And who would that be?"
Yun-Jin smiled, her eyes moving over to the anxious leader who stood before you with a red face and a nervous smile.
"The people who've been here the longest."