I moved slowly through the corridors, my eyes locked on the strange symbols carved into the walls. Each step was deliberate, measured. Around me, chaos erupted as everyone else scrambled toward the exit, but I wasn't in any hurry. Something about these markings pulled at me—I had to understand them, even though I couldn't explain why.
While others rushed past me in a panic, I stopped in front of another room. More symbols, more drawings, but these were different. Subtle variations that caught my attention. I stepped inside, drawn by curiosity. My eyes swept across every wall, studying each word, each sketch like pieces of a puzzle. Time became meaningless as I wandered from room to room, examining everything with methodical precision. Hours slipped away without me noticing.
Eventually, I reached the central area where everyone had gathered. As I entered the room, 999 pairs of eyes turned toward me. The silence was deafening. They studied me with expressions ranging from confusion to curiosity to outright contempt. I stood there, motionless, keeping my face blank and unreadable.
*Their gazes feel like weights,* I thought coldly. *They all look healthy.*
A man approached me—one-armed, rough-looking, with scars marking his weathered face. His eyes were sharp and calculating as he stopped in front of me.
"Hey, kid. What are you doing here? Did you get lost, or are you a resident of this place? If you are, maybe you can tell us about it."
I didn't answer right away. Just stared at him, completely unfazed by his direct approach. My silence seemed to irritate him.
"Kid," he growled, "this place isn't safe. We don't know anything about it, and I doubt you do either. You're probably just as lost as the rest of us."
I tilted my head slightly, still saying nothing. My gaze drifted over the group, taking in their varied expressions—anger, curiosity, confusion. None of them were as detached as me. The weight of their stares didn't bother me at all.
*They all look strong,* I noted, observing their physical prowess. *But it's not about size or power—it's about survival. I've always been too attached to my own survival, and right now, I don't like my odds.*
My mind raced while my expression stayed neutral. I glanced at the man's badge, which read "No. 1 Member," and finally spoke.
"What will you give me if I tell you about this place?"
The one-armed man frowned, clearly thrown off. "What? Kid, now's not the time for negotiations. We're all stuck in the dark here. All our lives are at stake, and you're asking for a trade?"
I turned to face him fully, meeting his gaze with what I knew were my dead, emotionless eyes. He actually stepped back for a split second.
"Why should I care about your lives?" I asked flatly.
His face twisted into a scowl. "You think you can negotiate with us now? We're all in this together!"
I didn't flinch. "No. You don't have anything to offer," I said calmly. "But I do." My gaze shifted to his badge. "That badge. It's what I want."
His expression soured even more. "You're out of your mind, kid. We don't even have our belongings. Why would I give you my badge?"
The corner of my mouth might have curved slightly—though my eyes remained cold. "Who said I wanted it for free? We can exchange our badges."
He stared at me, processing my words, his eyes narrowing. "You think I'll just hand over my badge to you like that?"
I didn't reply, just looked at the badge with an expression that made him visibly uncomfortable.
Before he could respond, a smooth, intelligent voice cut through our conversation.
"Boy, how old are you?"
I looked toward the speaker—a tall, handsome young man with a serious but not hostile expression.
"Eight years old. I'll be nine in a month," I answered with the same calm I always maintained.
The one-armed man interjected again, his irritation growing. "Kid, you haven't even gone through the ceremony of the keys yet. How can we listen to you?"
I blinked, genuinely curious now. "What is the ceremony of the key?"
The young man smiled apologetically. "The ceremony of the keys is where one person owns a key at the age of 9."
I processed this information silently, my expression still blank. "And what do we gain from acquiring these keys? What are keys?"
The young man's smile widened slightly. "Keys are like little creatures from myths. By owning a key, they will grant you a unique ability. From there you start your journey to the 'world of sin.' If you manage to stay alive in the world of sin, then you can enter the 'world of keys' where you gain your next keys. Just so you know, one living being can only have three keys in their entire life."
Before he could continue, the one-armed man interrupted impatiently. "We don't have time for explanations, kid. We need answers now. If what you say is true, prove it. Show us."
I turned my emotionless gaze on him and took a step back. "I will prove it," I said simply. "First, I'll remove my device."
The crowd fell silent as I placed my hand on the device around my neck, my fingers brushing against it with slow deliberation. Murmurs rose from the crowd as people wondered if this was some kind of trick.
"Stop talking," I commanded in a quiet but firm tone. My voice cut through the chatter, and the crowd fell silent.
Then came the soft sound of a "click" echoing through the room.
My device fell to the ground with a metallic thud. I felt the air around me shift, and I could see the spark of hope light up the faces around me. They stared, wide-eyed, as the realization hit them all at once. I had done what they thought was impossible—I had freed myself.
The No. 1 member hesitated, then handed over his badge, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Undo my restrictions."
Without a word, I reached out and gripped the badge firmly. As my fingers closed around it, a wave of relief washed over me. The tension I hadn't even realized I was carrying melted away.
I nodded and turned away, but then the air in the room grew thick. A distant sound reverberated through the space—footsteps, slow and deliberate. The ground trembled under the weight of something approaching.
My eyes widened slightly as I turned toward the source. The presence that had arrived was... otherworldly. The pressure in the room became unbearable with each echoing step. My body went rigid, the air turning suffocating, as if the very atmosphere was being crushed under the weight of this entity's presence. Before I could even turn my head to look, I found myself kneeling. It wasn't just me—every single person in that area was kneeling.
Every person in the room was frozen in place, feeling the same overwhelming pressure. It wasn't fear exactly, but a quiet, crushing certainty. This was no ordinary being. This was something... else.
And I, ever the calm observer, was the first to feel it fully.