Chapter 12: 21:46 – A Countdown to First Death [02:14am]

G.O POV

The boy stared back at me.

“What’s wrong kid?” I said. “Can you speak? Tell me, who are you? What are you doing here? Are you alone?”

The boy grinned and then spun around on light feet and ran away from me.

“Hey!” I yelled and got to my feet, finding myself chasing after him.  “Stop! Kid! Where are you going?”

Part of me feared this was a trap. But the boy was ten years old. And this was a bloody game. I couldn’t have his death on my conscious.

“Stop! I’m trying to help you!”

The boy ran round a corner. Left, right, left again. I lost track of how far I ran before the boy stopped. It was a sudden movement and I skidded, grabbing the velvety walls for safety.

“K-kid…” I huffed, regaining my breath. “W-“

Another boy stepped out from the corner. He was black haired, pale skinned and he ignored me completely. Instead he ran over to the brown-haired boy, waving one hand eagerly.

“Byunghee!” he called out and I stared at the two of them. Byunghee? Why did that name sound so…familiar…?

“You’re late!” the black-haired boy chided him.

“Mianhe,” the brown haired boy called Byunghee smiled at him. “Umma kept nagging at me to do chores before I left and I had to do noona’s share as well.”

“Ahh it having two older sisters doesn’t it,” sympathized the black-haired boy. “One is bad enough as it is.”

“You got that right!” Byunghee agreed, bumping shoulders with his friend.

I stared at the scene of two boys in front of me. In the middle of a red velvet maze. In the middle of the bloody carnival games. What in the world was going on?!

“Hey…you two-“ I reached out to tap the shoulder of the black haired boy, but before I could say anything, the brown haired one named Byunghee continued speaking.

“Hey, so what shall we do today… Changsun!”

Joon POV

I was walking aimlessly, taking every left turn I could. There was that rumor that to get out of a maze, simply keep turning left.

Left…left…left…left-

Suddenly there was a golden sparkle. I dashed forwards, feeling like it was a lifeline that I had to grab before it was reeled away. And around the corner was-

Two boys.

One was brown haired and the other black. They were tall and lean but slightly gangly. They looked about fourteen, at that awkward age between being a teenager and still being a kid. It was clear though that the two were best friends from the way they bumped shoulders and whacked each other on the back.

But…what in the world were they doing here?!  In the middle of a maze?

“Hey, you two!” I called out to them but there was no response. They just kept walking with their brotherly banter. “Hey!”

I watched them go with furrowed brows. There was something strange about them. Was it the golden glow around them, or their strange ignorance about their situation? Or was it the strange twist of fear I felt in my stomach.

I had to catch up with them.

I ran forwards, sprinting now and grabbed the black-haired boy on the shoulder.

My hand went right through it. 

Oh. A hologram.

G.O POV

Byunghee and Changsun. Two little boys who were a hologram.

My hand has passed through them when I tried to tap the shoulder of the one called Changsun. Only then did I realize what the golden glow was – the air distorting around the image. The very same lines that echoed the ringmaster’s outlines.

They weren’t real.

So why did the ringmaster put them here. In the maze. Were they a distraction? Will-o-wisps meant to lead us astray. Something told me there was more to them that just that.

This was the roman theatre and those two boys had a story to tell. I stepped forwards and watched them. But all they were doing were playing. On some days it was exploring along the sea-side rock walls with their treasures of washed up bottles and broken shells that the boys transformed into stranded SOS messages and the mermaids tools used to grant underwater wishes. On other days there was play fighting. At the end of their time together, they would return home sweaty and red-faced, but pleased and filled with plans to meet up the next day or the day after.

They were so close and yet somehow so far. So carefree and yet not. 

As I watched them, my heart twinged and an impossible sensation of sorrow filled me.

Joon POV

The two boys sat on imaginary rocks, the appropriate scenery forming out of thin air. It was like watching a play or a movie, the story so unassumingly innocent.

“It’s been a while Byunghee,” the black haired boy commented. His eyes possessed a strange heaviness, as if gravity had him in its clutches. “How have you been?”

“I know Changsun,” Byunghee replied tiredly. He had dark circles under his eyes. “Home’s been tough and lately there’s not enough food to go around.”

Changsun made a murmur of agreement. “My sister joined the enforcers the other day,” he confessed.

“What?!” Byunghee grabbed Changsun’s shoulders. “But you know what they do to them! The rumors! Whoever joins the enforcers never come back!”

“I know,” Changsun growled. “But…but…it was her choice. It’s been tough…ever since the purge-“ he stopped there.

“I get it brother,” Byunghee held up one hand. “You don’t need to tell me. We’re all going through the same thing.”

“Thank you,” Changsun let out a sigh. “Putting it in words is like... admitting this nightmare is happening…”

“I get it. I’m the same,” Byunghee leaned against Changsun’s shoulder. “Promise me one thing brother.”

“Anything.”

“Promise that no matter what, we’ll have each other backs,” Byunghee whispered.

Changsun let out a small laugh and rested his head on top of Byunghee’s. “Pabo,” he said jokingly. “You don’t need to ask. It’s a given.”

I stared as the hologram faded away, nothing but golden dust left behind. What was this show? This act? What was its message?

I stared even after the two forms were long gone. Something about the talk was gripping my heart with cold fingers. I tried to still my trembling hands.

What was wrong with me? Why did that little show affect me so much? I stared at my hand and tried to ignore this feeling of dread.