SH: I was born into a dysfunctional family formed by an aggressive father and a seductive mother. My father was nothing more than a drug dealer; my mother was a e. Since the day I flourished into this abominable world I had been a lonely ugly critter; neither one of my parents cared about me, specifically because of that one reason. My father was never at home, since he was doing business or running away from the police. My mother would have all sorts of affairs at our small and wretched apartment, charging money for her erse services. I myself worked wherever I could: housemaid, grocery carrier, shoe cleaner; if I got paid, I did it. When my father appeared now and then, besides hitting me and my mother, he would take all the money we had earned during his absence and spent it on his personal drug: games of chance. He was addicted to the feeling of the unknown consequences. One day he went on a rampage, playing everything he had under his name… including my mother and me. My father was playing with a man who I later found out was a master at these kinds of games: he was the prestigious owner of the biggest casino chain in all of Asia. After losing every game he could against the millionaire man, my father sent one of his men to fetch me and my mother. I remember being in a dim lit room filled with cigar smoke and unfamiliar people roaming about. Father waged my mother first, but she refused to be treated as an item. She reminded her husband who brought more money to the house, and so the man retrieved her from the game and instead betted his own son. I was crying like any 8-year-old boy would upon being separated from his parents. Still, neither of them showed remorse on the decision taken; on the contrary, they reminded me why they were happy to be free of me… “We can finally get rid of that little monster”... After my father lost the game the casino owner took me to his mansion, where I would be a slave; doing his every bidding without a pay.  When I reached my new home, I encountered many children and teenagers working through the enormous house. They had gone through similar experiences as me, and they had all ended up in the same place via the same method: they had been won in a game. Boys and girls alike that had been marked since birth by the hideous plague known as poverty, desertion, and… ugliness. I worked for that man for 4 years, seeing as he brought new children against their will. The man had a sort of mental illness: he had all the money in the world to hire his own personal staff, yet he enjoyed seeing innocent kids under his control... Money wasn’t enough to make him feel complete; he needed to feel powerful and all mighty… The man was a demon; when his slaves got to a certain age where they could revel against him, he would sell them to Organ traffickers. I knew I had to get out of there soon if I ever wanted to survive and fulfill my own dreams. One night me and my best friend Sehun, which was 2 years younger than me, decided it was time to make a run for it. We were so young, yet so full of malice; what we had lived was enough training to conquer the world in the most Machiavellic way possible. So, we had trusted one another with our dark desires to take revenge on those who had mangled us, and so we set afoot on our journey. Sadly, after escaping the mansion, hours later our owner’s men went looking for us around the city, taking a hold of us when we least expected. I managed to escape their grasps, but Sehun wasn’t as lucky. I wanted to run back to him, but I knew it would be in vain and we both would end once again in that horrible prison. With a heavy pain in my heart, I ran away, taking one last look at the crying boy that screamed my name over and over again… I knew I would never see him again… Our owner would be more than happy to give him a scolding he would never forget… I ran as fast as I could, still without a definite road to follow, except the moon’s shining light. I eventually came to the city’s edge, far away from civilization. I was still running, and thus missed my footing, falling down the steep precipice that led me to an unknown World. I laid on the ground unconscious after the fall, waiting to open my eyes and find myself in between the fiery pits of Hell, but instead, when the time came to wake up I was located inside a cave. I saw a man nearby and got on my feet, ready to run again. The man looked somewhat old, about 60, yet he was calm at the sight of my actions. He introduced himself as the last Exotic alive. I had never heard such a term, and thus inquired him to explain. After giving me the whole story he asked what I was doing in such a place, so I told him my story as well. The man offered me shelter and provisions in exchange of a favor: learn the ways of the Exotics and continue on their earthly deed; bringing back the secret sect once again and maintaining this place an unknown wonder for only a few chosen people. I didn’t have anything else to do or where to go, and what the man had to offer was a good deal. I accepted the man’s request, and from then onwards lived in Exotica. The man had thought me the history of the Exotics, Dr. SooMan’s efforts and society’s evil doings. He trained me both physically and mentally, but my emotions were always unchanged no matter how much he tried to convince me I was going towards my own destruction. I had already turned 16, and I felt powerful enough to finally fulfill my own goals. I told my teacher what my plans were, and that I would return to Exotica to keep my promise, besides the fact that this place was my home now. My teacher did not approve of my ideas, and exiled me out of this sacred territory, but I had other plans in store for him. I battled against him, using his own teachings, yet I came out victorious, taking the old man’s life in the process. I left for my father’s apartment, only to find my abandoned mother. My father had left her alone some years ago, and she was slowly decaying as her body became used and years weighed over her. She praised me, trying to persuade me she had missed me, but I knew far better than that. I asked where my father was and she said he had left for another suburb where he had found more clients. After draining the info out of her, without mercy or pity I killed her with my bare hands, squeezing with my own fingers, leaving her lifeless over the cold floor. I went after my father and after asking around the new area found him in the middle of one of his games. He was surprised to see me, yet he wasn’t about to let me go so easily. I saw how he slowly slid his hand in his right pants’ pocket, welcoming me with a fake smile. I was far faster than him, thus I launched myself over him with a simple pocket knife; ground beef looked more solid than him. Gun shots were given off in all directions, yet in the end I had come out unharmed… and an official orphan. Everyone who tried to attack me did not walk again, and with said rhythm I finally reached my owner’s mansion. Once inside I would liberate all the children inside, and avenge Sehun. I cautiously penetrated the fortress at night, and in went, directly towards the owner’s bedroom. I entered his chamber, making sure he never woke up from his nightmare. Subsequently I ran to the slaves’ quarter, where they all slept together like barn animals. I opened the door and took a moment to look at them all, seeing familiar faces as well as new ones. Some came running to greet me, others gasped in astonishment, thinking I had died. But it took one person only to bring a sparkle to my eyes; a feeling I had never experienced with someone before. Sehun was alive; my one and only best friend was still part of this world. He was slowly walking towards me, trying to realize I was still alive and I wasn’t one of his usual hallucinations. Kris, being older than Sehun and me, had become the boy’s guardian these years I was missing; YiFan walked alongside him. I can still hear the only words Sehun could utter before grasping me in a tight hug, crushing the little piece of heart I still bore… “Thuho Hyung”… The young man explained what had happened that horrible night we had escaped. After being captured, Sehun went through a harsh punishment, and as a consequence received a severe head trauma that affected his speech.  Now more than ever was I ready to accomplish my plan... I set free all the slaves… but not completely... I made a pact with them: I would set them free from this horror and any other that might come, in exchange for their loyalty. They would become MY employees. They would have to work for me in Exotica, bringing about a new era of retribution. We would all live to make ourselves happy, no matter what the cost. We would reprimand those who had pushed us aside and gave us away. I would give my allies many gifts, and they would become strong far beyond their disturbed imagination. I promised them a sacred land where dreams came true, and that’s when they all came to eat at the palm of my hand. An Exodus formed, every little ugly critter running away from the madhouse, and into their new home. Exotica welcomed them all with its beautiful scenery, and thus a new secret society was born. Throughout the years I took in any suffered child I encountered, offering endless rewards for the work they would perform. I trained them, perfected them, and turned them into the beautiful Exotics that run this game. I made their dreams come true, and as payment they worked under my commands. Few have been the ones who betray me, yet I’ve managed to take care of them quickly, making sure they didn’t suffer as much in the process. Speaking of traitors, Kris is next in line…

MJ: I WON’T LET YOU HARM KRIS!..  It can’t be…so everything I was told about the game was a lie…

SH: I’m not done yet… May I continue?

I took in my tears with rage and pity at the same time. My emotions began to arouse me, not knowing what to think. I simply stared at him with abomination, waiting for the man to go on, praying that everything would come together into one single truth.

SH: If you’re asking about Dr. SooMan’s story, then yes, it is real as well… up to one point; the rest is a misleading version we made just to satisfy the player’s curiosity. There is no point in telling everyone the real story if they barely make it alive to the prison doors. Lee SooMan was indeed a prestigious archeologist about 200 years ago, around the 1800s. He had his large group of professional workers who managed to uncover Exotica little by little. They were all fascinated by the new World that lay before them, and so bowed not to share it with others but themselves and their families. Dr. Lee knew very well that if he publicly announced his discovery, the place would be abducted by the government, snatching away his prized possession and turning it into a commercial locale. This new society slowly grew within itself, making sure future generations would take care of the sacred land once the doctor died. And so it all went well, until civilization’s progress was far more interesting than Exotica’s secrets, making its members one by one leave the sect and submerged themselves into the new eras. Still, they vowed to keep the location of its former home a secret, making sure not to harm anyone or anything with their decisions. Lastly, only one man stood loyal to his word, and that was none other than my teacher. He was the one who told me Exotica’s story; you won’t find this information in any History book. The information came in handy, since I used it for myself as well. The ancient civilization that lived in Exotica, the Exotics, lived their lives based on their sacred book called the Exoteucus. My teacher taught me how to read their hieroglyphs writing, and thus I spent countless hours learning these extinct people’s manners. They had a survival challenge, where they tested their warriors capacities, both physically and mentally. If the warrior did not pass the test, he was thrown to prison; and if he proved to be a waste of time and space, he was killed. The Exotics would get rid of anyone who could taint their precious name. This test was called the Shadow Games, and it’s held exactly how we do it now a day; of course, some adjustments here and there, plus the use of modern technology. Still, both the Exotics and I use it with a same purpose: to test, prove, and tempt. The Exotics used it to manage their powerful armies, while I use it to witness the hearts of society.

MJ: …So Dr. Lee doesn’t have anything to do with the game after all… but what traumatizes me is your own story!  Your past… is even worse than you said before! Everything is just so wretched and satanic! Not only those who used you, but you as well!.. There were many paths for you to follow, but you chose the wrong one JunMyun…There’s still hope SuHo! I can help you! Let me-

SH: ENOGUH! Do you believe I want to change? I am happy living this way, and so is the rest of my family. Besides, do you feel capable of changing the heart of a 50 year old man? The hearts of people who have lived half a century in this paradise; do you think you can changed them with simple words, MinJeong? Age is but a number, but experience is acquired through the years…

I was shocked by the sudden confession. Not only was the true story harsh enough, but I kept finding out I’ve been living these past 9 days in a perfectly-sculpted lie… All I felt like doing was crying: not only because of the betrayal, but because of fear of the outcome…

MJ: Fif...Fifty? But, your appearance!? It doesn’t make sense!.. YOU’RE LYING!

SH: …Beauty…It is something we have never possessed and never will. Our hearts have been tainted ever since we were born, feeling all sorts of malevolent emotions towards the world and ourselves; there is no beauty in that. Our physical appearance may be the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen, yet it isn’t real; could you call that beauty? The mayor factor why me and my followers were abandoned by our families was because we were ugly; we were little despicable monsters. Some were born ugly or with dermatological problems, others were turned ungraceful due to physical abuse or the hardening effects of poverty. Whatever the reason was, one way or the other, we all acquired complete hideousness, bringing disgust to those who laid eyes upon us. So beauty is indeed our most un-achieving desire. Back when I had killed my owner, I made sure to bring back with me to Exotica all of the man’s fortune. His multi-millions would be used in better affairs than his extravagant hobbies. I had a new family that needed to be molded into the perfect army. Time would be the children’s teacher, but this money could help them posses their unreachable dream. In an attempt to fill their voids, and my own as well, I paid for everyone’s plastic surgery. Multiple operations throughout the years have left us looking like teenagers. Our faux acquired beauty can’t be outmatched; even time is powerless against our skin. We are indeed very ‘exotic’ in appearance, giving my family the final touches it needed to feel part of their new home…

I remembered BaekHyun’s chain; the picture of a boy and a woman. The boy wasn’t a beautiful creature to be sincere, and so it got me thinking right on the spot. The Exotic’s words came trailing back to my mind, as he exhaled his last breathes…

“…you need to…stop this game… It…it changed me…it changed us all… Vanity won us over… We were tricked… we needed to do it…in order to survi… My mother told me… Beauty doesn’t last forever… right before I…killed her… and she was right… please…please… end it all…”

MJ: JunMyun… please tell me about BaekHyun… tell me about his mother…

SH: Ha! You still think about that feminine subordinate? I’ll tell you about Byun BaekHyun…. He was an ugly kid, just like every one of us. I found him begging on the streets for food; signs of pain and defeat covered his body and complexion. I approached him and the boy explained how his mother had abandoned him recently. I took him in and promised him many things; I sensed he had hidden talents that could be polished. And so I molded him, changing his perspectives along the way, until I had complete dominion over him. Finally, BaekHyun understood what had to be sacrificed in order to obtain eternal beauty. He went out in search of his mother… When he returned, he received his most awaited desire…

MJ: YOU MADE BAEKHYUN KILL HIS OWN MOTHER! YOU MONSTER! THEY LOVED EACHOTHER! LOOK AT HIS CHAIN!

I took the chain out, opening it and showing him from afar the little pictures that were inside, where a smiling young boy was accompanied by his frail mother. It was hard to believe that story ever happened.

SH: You’re right; they did love each other. The thing was I never told BaekHyun the truth about his mother. After taking him to Exotica I investigated his family, and his mother was the only one that had taken care of him. She suffered from a mental disease, and so she decided to let the pre-teen BaekHyun live by himself before she caused him any harm under her psychological problem. But he died thinking she hated him because of his ugliness; what he didn’t know was his mother had Bipolarity. With so much poverty, she couldn’t afford any treatment.

MJ: WHY?! WHY DIDN’T YOU HELP HER?? Why didn’t you give them another option?...

SH: Because life didn’t give me one, so I don’t have the obligation to give it to others…

I had heard JunMyun’s story, and now BaekHyun’s… I don’t think my heart could withstand another tragic finale. So many years…. So much suffering… For what? Why does SuHo kill? Could it be bloodshed filled his empty heart? Does this power make him feel important? Recognized?...Loved?

MJ: …WHY SUHO!!! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! WHAT’S YOUR PURPOSE?!

SH: My purpose? I thought it was already clear! I aim to kill all of those who made me and my comrades suffer, without taking a care in age, , or location. Haven’t you and your allies talked about your families? Have you not noticed the fact that you all lack a grandfather? That all of them died, got killed, or simply disappeared? Ha! And you call yourselves a family, without even knowing simple matters like those! It was I who murdered them. They had been involved in my owner’s filthy business, either it be in the casino or the organ transfers; they all worked with him one way or the other. But it wasn’t the fact that they worked for him; no.  It was the fact that they all saw us; your grandfathers saw us children working under their boss’ dominion, and never did anything to help us. These people were young; they had children of their own with our same ages! None of them thought something similar, or worst, could happen to one of their kind…They were the only contact we had with the exterior world, beyond the mansion’s walls, yet no one ever confronted our owner, asking for an explanation. They never accused the millionaire man with the authorities; instead, those men just kept doing business with him. Why would they lose a business partner over the freedom of a hideous kid? Money was their language, beauty their vanity, ranks their currency; no one could interfere with that. I saw how society was still corrupted; not only were the poor ill minded, but so were the rich. There was no escaping the gruesome reality that roamed us all, and that one day we would have to live upon… Resist it the rest of your life, or simply accept it as your new way of living, if you do, you will be happy… And that’s what I did! I joined society and adopted their behavior, but I did it MY way. I’ve acquired immense happiness through the years; people have been sacrificed to attain said emotion, but that doesn’t concern me… I live for me and me alone! Going back to your ancestors, you must be asking yourselves, why us and not our parents? There’s a very coherent explanation for that as well. After forming my new family in Exotica, we went out to hunt those who had ignored and misused us. We went after the cold-hearted families that had given away their own child. Once those were eliminated, we concentrated ourselves on those men that had better things to do than help a child in need; these men were your grandparents. Yours and all of the prisoners as well. There were a lot of them, but one by one we extinguished them from the face of the Earth. Everyone of you must have been born, at least, without one grandfather. You never had the “privilege” of meeting him, but guess what?... He was a douche! Your grandmothers and parents must tell you how great a man your grandfather was, but it’s because they themselves are unknown to those deeds he committed. Once they were all out of the way, we had finished our life goal of killing our bad doers. Now we had to aim for a new goal, something that would still go along the lines of our vengeance... We thought about going after your parents: the sons and daughters of those ill minded men. Years had already gone by since we, the New Exotics, had begun our quest; by the time we decided to attack your parents, they were already grown men and women. They all had their lives traced out; some of you were already born. Your parents’ time to suffer had already passed because their adulthood defended them from the insecurities and fears they once had in their youthful years… Insecurities and fear we had to bear alone… So we decided to attack the next best thing, the latest generation: the grandchildren. But simply killing young people wasn’t any fun or challenging; we needed something extraordinary to make this process more exciting. That’s when it all came together: The Shadow Games. We would test society once again, to prove if it had changed in the past few years, or if it was still the corrupted mass of senseless emotions. I was more than happy to test out our new strategy; having lived my short life at the hands of a game of chance, a survival game was the perfect tool to make others feel the pain and agony one goes through when the unknown is your only option and consequence. And how nice it is to see young blood trying to escape the clutches of sorrow; whatever the cost, the players always try to save themselves, forgetting their comrades at some point. So I confirmed society was still the same, and what was worst, this disgusting cycle would continue on forever, repeating itself without a moment to stop and amend their ways… People would eternally be deranged, and society will never be the Utopia that they themselves hope for. That’s why we wanted to use the grandchildren, because they were still young and they had no future outlined for themselves yet. You people are still trying to find yourselves, discovering who you really are and what you want to become. We wanted to cut your hopes and dreams short. But something that infuriated me about you all, besides the fact of being my enemies’ descendants, was the fact that you all bore natural beauty... A beauty inherited from past decades, and a beauty that would go on if it isn’t stopped. You didn’t know what suffering was until you entered this game; you were more than ready to start your life with both looks and no worries, but we made sure to crush your little perfect world. Why is it that we were born with so much bad luck, and you all get perfection? What makes us different? Were all made out of the same matter, then why are some blessed and others cursed? Whatever reason the gods have, I’m not interested in hearing it; all I want is action!

MJ: STOP IT!! NO MORE!!!....I… I Don’t want to hear anything else!.. Who do you think you are to be taking everyone’s lives so easily? So many promises and treasons… Who are you to test humanity? What right do you have to confuse and blind your men and the prisoners?... With what authority do you profess revenge?! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!!

I was reaching a point of no return; a moment when my emotions would block my senses and anything could be possible: I could faint, go berserk or simply become stoic. My hands trembled… they simply vibrated on their own; I don’t know what caused them to. My blood pressure was high: I could feel it in my fast respiration. My eyes were not in control of the tears; they just fell down. JongIn was still protecting me; I’ll I wanted was for him to hug me, but he was putting up with his own emotions as well…everyone was. My friends had all been living under a lie for many years; this blow wasn’t any easier on them than in was on me…on the contrary, it was worst. I was sinisterly watching JunMyun unravel his demonic plans; he was calm, as if he were talking about watering a garden. He stretched both arms to the sides, elevating them till his hands where at head level. He directed his vision towards the stone ceiling, giving off a sanctuary image.

SH: I’m the Master. No one dominates me. No one is above me. I have the power and will to do what I find pleasing and necessary for my own happiness. Those who oppose me perish…

MJ: I always believed you were an angel…and I wasn’t far away from the truth… Instead of wearing a white uniform, IT SHOULD BE BLACK! You’re Heaven’s fallen angel! Lucifer has taken you to its lair! SUHOOOO!!! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME! YOU CAN STILL ESCAPE HELL’S CLUTCHES! WE CAN HEL—

The Master had pulled from under his long sleeves multiple small knives. With the speed of light he threw some towards us, without giving us time to react. I felt one of the projectiles fly right next to my right cheek, cutting some of my long hairs. His fast pace once again took my breath away. JunMyun had interrupted me, and I think he was announcing the start of something. JongIn quickly moved forth, showing he was ready for whatever the enemy had to offer, but we weren’t expecting a little surprise.

SH: I’m the light amongst the darkness; the one everyone follows for survival…I’beginning to get a little irritated by your empty words, MinJeong. It is best we begin our confrontation now; I’ll explain the rules. The battle will be one-on-one: the player versus me. Your crew will be bystanders, just like the rest of the prisoners. You can use whatever weapons you desire, or simply none. To win this round, and the game itself, you must defeat me… you must kill me! With my blood, you may open the exit that lies beyond this door; it’s the same ritual as EXO Tower. The only difference is I’m not BaekHyun. Once you win everyone will be freed and you must find your way back to civilization on your own. But let’s leave those unnecessary details out; there is no probability of victory for you…

…