Once, a 13-year-old boy named MyungJin was on his way to a long-awaited family reunion with his family. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and he couldn't stop smiling at the thought of seeing his cousins again.
"Mom, are we about to reach there?" MyungJin asked eagerly, almost bouncing in his seat.
"Yes, we'll be there in 20 minutes," MyungJin's mother replied with a gentle smile, glancing at him in the rearview mirror.
"I am so excited about the reunion!" MyungJin beamed.
"So am I," replied Ren, MyungJin's 12-year-old brother, grinning with matching enthusiasm.
They finally arrived at their uncle's house—a warm, two-story home surrounded by a tidy garden. MyungJin ran ahead and knocked on the door with energy brimming from every step. A tall, 16-year-old boy opened the door, his face calm and composed.
"Welcome. Happy reunion day," the boy greeted.
"Happy reunion day, Shin," MyungJin's mother replied warmly.
"Please enter," Shin said politely, stepping aside to let them in.
They stepped into the cozy interior. Without wasting any time, Shin strolled off to his room to resume a video game. Curious, MyungJin and Ren followed him. As they entered, their eyes widened in awe. The room was entirely black, with strips of red LED lights glowing along the edges. The ceiling was decorated with red-colored cotton, giving the illusion of crimson clouds floating above them.
"Which game are you playing?" Ren asked, trying to peek over Shin's shoulder.
"What did you say?" Shin asked, taking off his headphones with a flick.
"I said, what game is this?" Ren repeated, more clearly.
"It's Naraka: Bladepoint," Shin replied and casually put his headphones back on, eyes locked on the screen.
"Ren, others should be arriving soon," MyungJin said, tugging on his brother's sleeve.
Suddenly, Shin won the match with a swift flurry of moves, his character slashing through enemies with lightning speed.
"WHOA, that was so cool!" Ren exclaimed, jumping slightly in excitement.
"Thank you, but you should get ready for the reunion ceremony before it gets dark. We will leave at 9 p.m.," Shin said flatly, showing no pride in his victory.
"You should also get ready," MyungJin added with a smile.
"Four hours are remaining till 9 p.m.—don't worry about me," Shin responded coolly.
The doorbell rang. MyungJin immediately perked up, sensing that more family members had arrived.
"I guess the other cousin has arrived," MyungJin said, rushing to the door.
He swung it open to find his 14-year-old cousin Zhi standing with his family.
"Welcome, Uncle. Welcome, Aunt. Happy reunion day," Shin came to the door and greeted them.
"Happy reunion day to you as well, Shin," Zhi's father said with a chuckle.
"Please enter. My dad was waiting for your arrival," Shin said politely.
"Thank you," Zhi's mother smiled warmly as they entered.
MyungJin, Ren, and Zhi immediately teamed up and went off to play, their laughter echoing through the hallways. A while later, 14-year-old Jim and his 15-year-old brother Zhen arrived with their family. Shin welcomed them just as warmly and then finally decided to get ready for the reunion ceremony himself.
Shortly after that, 12-year-old Haru also arrived with his family. As Shin was chatting with Zhen near the hallway, his father approached him.
"Shin, you will be coming with the other kids," Shin's father said firmly.
"But who will be in command to control them?" Shin asked, his brow slightly furrowed.
"You," his father replied with a serious expression.
"But how will I control them alone?" Shin questioned.
"Zhen will also be with you," his father added.
"Don't worry, Uncle. We'll do it," Zhen responded confidently.
"The driver will be arriving soon. Get the kids ready," Shin's father instructed before walking away.
Shin nodded and began gathering MyungJin, Ren, Zhi, Haru, and Jim. The kids were buzzing with excitement for the ceremony. When the long, sleek black car arrived, Shin led everyone outside. The car was luxurious and could comfortably carry six passengers. They all hopped in and settled into their seats.
As they drove, the mood in the car was filled with chatter and laughter—until disaster struck.
Out of nowhere, a large truck sped toward their vehicle, headlights like burning suns. It slammed into their car, sending it hurtling off the road and crashing into a river below. The water roared around them as the vehicle plunged into the depths. A moment of chaos. Screams. Shattering glass. Then—darkness.
Just before he lost consciousness, Shin's blurred vision caught a mysterious blue light glowing in the river. And then everything went black.
When they opened their eyes again, they were in a hospital. Machines beeped softly. White ceilings above. The scent of antiseptic in the air.
MyungJin slowly opened his eyes, groggy and disoriented. But something strange happened.
A blue-colored screen appeared before him, hovering mid-air.
"What is this...?" MyungJin whispered in confusion.
Just then, Shin walked into the room, relieved to see him awake.
"Glad you woke up before the others," Shin said.
"How are the others?" MyungJin asked, his voice panicked.
"Everyone is fine... except the driver. He didn't make it," Shin said solemnly.
"Where are you going now?" MyungJin asked.
"To check on the others, see if they've woken up like you," Shin replied.
"Can I come with you?" MyungJin asked, trying to sit up.
"Rest here. The kids aren't allowed to walk in the hospital. My dad is arriving soon to pick us up," Shin said calmly.
"What happened to your watch?" MyungJin asked, noticing Shin's wrist.
"It broke during the accident," Shin answered.
"Will you buy a new one or repair this one?"
"This watch was too expensive. Of course, repairing it is the better option," Shin said before walking off.
As Shin left, MyungJin glanced at the blue screen again.
"Looks like he can't see that screen... I guess only I can see it," MyungJin whispered to himself.
He reached out to touch it, but his hand passed through it like mist.
"I guess it uses voice recognition. Help," MyungJin whispered.
Immediately, a list of commands appeared on the screen, like it had been waiting for him.
"Alright… Scan body temperature," he whispered.
In an instant, the scan was completed and showed 37°C.
Just then, Shin returned.
"Come on, MyungJin. We have to leave now. My dad has arrived," Shin said.
"Where are the others?"
"They're already waiting in the car with Zhen," Shin replied.
"Alright, just let me put on my shoes," MyungJin said.
"I'm waiting," Shin responded.
As MyungJin leaned over to tie his shoes, he whispered, "Hide screen." The screen vanished instantly.
"Did you say something?" Shin asked.
"Nothing," MyungJin replied quickly.
"We should leave now," Shin said.
After putting on his shoes, MyungJin jumped off the bed and followed Shin. They soon rejoined the others, who were all gathered around the car. A short while later, Shin's father arrived to take them home.
As MyungJin looked around, he noticed everyone chatting—except Jim. Jim was sitting quietly, murmuring something, as if talking to himself.
"Why is Jim whispering...?" MyungJin thought, eyes narrowing. "Does he also have the screen like me?"
"Are you okay, MyungJin?" Zhi asked, noticing his expression.
"Yes, just scared because of the accident that happened last night," MyungJin replied honestly.
"Everyone here is scared. And our Reunion day also got ruined," Zhi said with a sigh.
"Yeah... that's true," MyungJin nodded.
The car finally pulled into Shin's house driveway.