CHAPTER I
Crossing The Thin BorderThe strong stench of antiseptic awoke him from his eternal slumber--- at least what was thought to be an eternal slumber. The boy's eyes fluttered open and closed in surprise, taken aback by the bright lights rather than the expected darkness. Finding himself face-first against a creaking bench, he rose up from his lying position and ran his fingers through his sandy blonde hair, wincing a little at the aching feeling along his neck. He could have sworn he had been at another place at an inconvenient time in an inconvenient situation, but instead he faced crowds of pale faces and the sounds of rushed footsteps. The teenager only blinked in blatant confusion.
"Kang Dongho?" an unfamiliar face called out to him.
"Yes?" he answered back, feeling no presence but a force pressing against his wrist. Taken aback by the burning feeling, he opened his mouth to protest but it quickly stopped before he could get the chance. He lifted his head to see nothing around him but the usual crowds. He peered down to find a foreign symbol inscribed into his inner wrist, poking at it with his finger.
The station was quickly-paced and completely cleaned up to the very last nook and cranny, the trains moving along the tracks at impossible speeds and arriving at odd times. Some of the crowds packed themselves inside, only to be replaced by a new batch of anxious people. Everything was white, with the populations inside it standing out in their surroundings. Each face was pale white, their eye bags drooping in exhaustion. Each and every one of them looked ill. The environment and the people inside it, the place would remind one of a hospital, which made Dongho cringe in distaste.
He always had hated hospitals.
Last time he's ever been to one was a decade ago--- when he carelessly broke his leg during soccer practice, and he was sure he cried more inside that wretched building than he did while he was sprawled on the grass. Ever since, he swore to himself that he'd do his best to avoid coming back ever again.
So why was he here?
He rubbed at his temples, trying to remember what had happened before he came here. To attempt recalling what he had done earlier only made his mind blurrier than it had been before, sending confusion into his head. Where was his family? His mother? His father? This was no hospital, that he knew already, but what had brought him up to here? He must have gotten into an accident of some sort--- or maybe he got in between some sort of murderous rampage and got wounded.
The mystery is, there were no such wounds covering any part of his body. His clothes remained clean and he showed no signs that he had been hurt prior to his arrival.
Dongho stood up to his feet and approached a girl straying not too far from his age, her knees buckling and ready to tip her over. He gently touched her shoulder, only to startle her and stare back at him with fear.
"Don't be scared. I only want to ask you a question," he insisted, smiling softly when given a tentative nod in return. "Do you know where we are?"
No answer.
"Excuse me, miss?"
Still no clear answer, just a word quietly whispering through her lips.
"Miss, I can't hear you. Can you please speak up a bit?"
It was that moment when the girl stopped shaking and turned to face him with a burning glare, breathing heavily through her nostrils. "You must be stupid! You---- stupid! D-Don't you realize you've--- you! It's--- IT'S THE END!" The last sentence resonated throughout the building but it only turned the others weary and nervous. The girl just crossed her arms with solemn eyes, taking quick steps away from the boy.
I think it's best not to ask anyone else, Dongho thought to himself, watching her retreat.
There was nothing else to explore beyond the walls due the trains being the only way out, and it was almost impossible to venture forth with this large amount of people waiting with him. And that's when he noticed them--- the creatures standing alongside each other while guarding the tunnels the trains went through. Every person seemed to keep a fair distance from these unknown beings, frightened by their unfriendly appearance. As he dared to step closer, growls and incomprehensible grunts were audible in his ears. Just when he grew nearer to the tunnels, he was immediately pulled back by a pair of hands.
"Idiot. You're practically giving up your ending, you know."
Swerving to face whoever stopped him, he came in contact with someone of similar height just as pale and tired-looking as everyone else, but their shaggy blonde hair still maintained its brightness and shine. Giving him a burning glare through his blue eyes, the person said nothing, their lips parted but with no words escaping through. It was hard to tell whether they were male or female, making Dongho's eyebrows narrow questionably.
But before he could ask, they merely turned their back on him and left.
Ending...?
"He's always like that to everyone. It's not just you," another voice piped up, a bit squeaky and odd to hear. Another boy stepped up towards him and tipped his beanie in mock respect, a mop gripped tightly in his hands. Despite his similar gloomy appearance, he flashed the other a grin before bowing his head, throwing his hand out. "I'm Jonghyun. But you can call me JR. You must be new around these parts."
"Dongho," he replied, taking his hand and squeezing it once. "...what do you mean, new...?"
"Oh," The boy just smiled knowingly, pressing his fingers against his mouth to shut himself up. "Well, aren't you in for an amazing surprise. I can't give spoilers at this point. You gotta find out first."
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing, nothing. Just enjoy the view while you're here, alright? Beats having to clean after you guys."
Asking again obviously won't get an proper answer. "So you said that person earlier--- he's really a guy?"
JR burst out in laughter, shaking his head. "Yeah. He's pretty serious about it too. Looked like he was about to cry when I was teasing him a while ago. I'm giving you a tip in advance here, man. Next time you see him, don't mess with him when it comes to his masculinity."
He hummed a quiet melody while pretending to mop the already spotless floors, giving a nervous glance to the monstrous guards eyeing him suspiciously. "I---I can't stop to chat, you know. Work to do. Things to complete. People to convince. I'll--- see you on the other side, I guess." With that sentence, the worker pursed his lips together and glided down the floor with a soapy trail left behind.
Good job, Dongho. You're really making a lot of progress here.
Continuing to walk along the platform, Dongho causelessly wandered in the station, bumping and apologizing to countless people on the way. His suspicions grew bigger as he observed many of their faces. They all looked unwell and nervous, some of them scared, with one even on the verge of having a panic attack. But no one stopped to help them. No one went over to assist them.
As he made his way around the crowds, there was one word that all had in common when speaking: death.
He froze in his tracks.
No way----
A laugh bubbled up from his throat.
There's no way.
Laughter spilled through him, his body shaking in sudden realization. Oh my God, what if all of them really are dead...? His eyes hurriedly scanned among the slow-moving people and down at himself, finally noticing just how paler he had gotten from what he could remember. His voice paused itself at the sight. What if...? He clasped his hands together to keep them from shaking, feeling a shiver slip through his spine at even the thought.
A mirror. He needed to find a mirror.
Bursting through whoever got in his way, he looked for something--- anything to see himself. There was no way he was like them, like the rest of them. He couldn't be dead. He was too young to be dead.
Then again... so were a lot of people he had seen here.
He could only imagine just what they’ve all went through--- all those ways to die--- sickness, murders, accidents, suicide--- and he may be one of them.
On the brink of panicking himself, he began to breathe unevenly and took quick feverish steps. He felt a hand stop him again, seeing the blonde boy at the corner of his eye. Minki. His ears failed to register whatever the other was saying, too immersed in trying to find what he was looking for. Another hand gripped tightly around his forearm, stopping him from going any further. The boy blinked, only seeing blurs.
"Hey, calm down, stupid--- You don't want to cause a scene here--- They'll---"
A gasp following a loud crash halted the blonde's sentence. Screams and chaos filled the large space the moment one of the walls broke open. Still holding tightly onto Dongho's wrists, Minki angrily turned towards the source of the noise and readied himself, his teeth gritted tightly together. He pushed the other behind him, even with their minuscule difference in height, whipping out a small dagger to protect them both. The other boy just stood there wide-eyed, squinting to see what all the fuss was about.
"Stay back! It's a dangerous threat!" Minki yelled out, tightening his hold on the dagger's shaft.
A DANGEROUS THREAT? AH--- CHOI MINKI, YOU MUST BE VERY VERY FOOLISH!
A large monitor emerged from the ceiling, showing nothing but a gritty-filmed figure, their identity unable to be seen in the shadows. But their wide grin could be seen clearly, gleaming with excitement and eagerness. The smoke that had been surrounding the broken-down wall disappeared into nothingness, replaced with a horrifyingly large black inky creature emerging from the rubble.
THIS IS SIMPLY THE TEST TO SEE WHO GETS TO GO IN FIRST!
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