My name is Kim Honja. That was my name. A name synonymous with misfortune, supposedly destined to curse me until the end of my days. Of course, when I was born, the authorities refused the name Honja, so my official name is different—randomly assigned. But my parents always called me Kim Honja, and that's how my teachers addressed me. That was my name.
The room was deathly silent. What options did I even have left now? I wished I knew how much time I had, but the window hadn't reappeared for a while.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, the window suddenly reappeared in front of my eyes.
[Time remaining: 2 minutes and 24 seconds.]
Convenient. This world was truly strange, but oddly, it didn't unsettle me as much as it should have. Maybe after death, nothing can really surprise you anymore.
My mind began to drift. A fictional world—maybe this was where I belonged. Maybe here, I could become someone respectable. Maybe people would look up to me. Maybe some might even see me as a role model.
[The system is reacting to your deep desire.]
The voice of the system echoed in my mind.
[A 'Witness' has responded to your call.]
['The Witness burdened by Regrets' is watching you closely.]
What the hell was that?
[You have received an item from 'The Witness burdened by Regrets'.]
A glowing blue window appeared in front of my eyes.
+
[Accept the gift.]
Yes – No
+
A gift? What could it be? I glanced around the silent room. I was completely alone.
It wasn't like anyone was going to come help me anyway.
I pressed my index finger on the window, and immediately a package appeared in midair before me. I untied the red ribbon that kept it closed. A small white notebook with golden edges dropped into my hands.
I took time to examine it carefully, but I couldn't open it. The writing on it looked more like scribbled symbols than anything legible.
['The Witness burdened by Regrets' thinks you should handle the object more delicately.]
I stopped trying to force it open.
I gently ran my fingers over the notebook and felt what seemed like a fingerprint beneath them. On closer inspection, there was indeed a thumbprint on the front cover.
Seemed like a pretty primitive item for someone capable of materializing wrapped gifts out of thin air…
I carefully placed my thumb on the mark.
The item shimmered slightly, then vanished, replaced by a new window.
[You have obtained a 'Passport'.]
[You are now part of the 'Path' of the 8th Reality.]
[The obtained 'Passport' does not exist in the database.]
[Due to a system error, the 'Mythos' in the passport will be erased, and stats reset.]
If I received something but everything got reset, what was the point?
[Reset complete.]
A new window appeared before me.
+
[Information]
Name: Kim Honja
Age: 23
Mythos: [not revealed]
Eidolons: [not manifested]
[Stats]
Endurance: 2
Strength: 4
Agility: 1
Ether: 12
Intelligence: 4
Charisma: 1
Luck: 2
[Passport]
Status: Active
Affiliation: 'Demonic Realm'
Estimated threat level: None
Class unknown (calculating...)
Stellaron: 200,000
+
I carefully examined the long list of stats. Apparently, I was now 23—I had aged 6 years during my reincarnation. That worked in my favor; in this world, it was probably better to be 23 than 17.
I skimmed over terms I didn't recognize, like 'Mythos' and 'Eidolon'. I was sure they mattered, but for now, they meant nothing to me.
Most likely due to this new body, my Strength was 4—not bad. I was starting to appreciate this new form more and more.
I had 12 points in Ether, which seemed to be some sort of mana... at least that's what came to mind.
Ether—a substance discovered and imagined in the 1900s. Physicists described it as something that interacted with all matter and allowed the motion of celestial bodies. Luminiferous Ether was theorized to carry light and led to many discoveries. But the theory that a force connected all things was soon dismissed, replaced by concepts like gravity and photons.
「 Æther stood before ■■■ in the ■■■■■■■ infinity of time ■■■■■■■■ between our two worlds. 」
My head suddenly throbbed as those words echoed again in my mind.
['The Witness burdened by Regrets' warns that such thoughts cannot be invoked without consequence.]
I rubbed my temples. What did they mean, "without consequence"? Was I really not allowed to think freely in this world?
If Ether was truly as the legends described, it would be a powerful resource in the future. I should focus on raising that stat.
My mind lit up with thoughts of the countless spells I might be able to cast.
['The Witness burdened by Regrets' is dismayed at how quickly your noble intentions vanished.]
What?
You can read my thoughts?
['The Witness burdened by Regrets' scratches his face awkwardly.]
Great. Just what I needed. If I don't go insane in the next few hours, it'll be a miracle.
I finished reading my stat page in silence and stopped at one particular line:
Affiliation: 'Demonic Realm'
What the hell did that mean? I spoke into the surrounding space.
"Was this your doing?"
['The Witness burdened by Regrets' nods firmly.]
'Demonic Realm'—that name didn't sound reassuring, but if it was the only ally I had for now, it would have to do. When I was done, the window closed on its own, as if it somehow knew I didn't need it anymore. Convenient.
If this being was truly benevolent, they might be very helpful. The reward for completing the first 'Path' was a passport, and this person had given me one right from our first interaction. They clearly had power over the system—or at least enough to aid me. With them on my side, I might be able to escape dangerous situations easily.
A smile crept onto my face.
I once again addressed the void.
"Thanks for the 'Passport'."
['The Witness burdened by Regrets' wants you to know thanks are unnecessary.]
I bit my fingers.
The one time I try to be nice, and I get brushed off. Damn name.
I began wandering through the performance hall. Now I needed to find an exit. I walked around several times, but no door was open.
Damn it—if I couldn't find a way out… My thoughts were racing.
[Time remaining: 40 seconds.]
As if to mock me, the window popped up again. I swatted it away angrily.
How was I supposed to get out?
How?
How?
How?
How?
How?
['The Witness burdened by Regrets' invites you to exit through the door.]
What?
Is this guy messing with me? Does he think I'm stupid? He just wants to see me die.
['The Witness burdened by Regrets' is disappointed that you doubt his guidance.]
Through the door...
I walked to the first door. The window above it still glowed blue.
[Remaining spots: 0]
I slowly reached for the handle and turned it slightly, without stepping forward.
The door creaked open.
It was unlocked! I could get out!
My eyes dropped to the mess of flesh and blood on the other side. I jumped back in shock, falling to my knees as the door slowly shut again.
No way. I wasn't going through that door. I'd rather wait for the countdown to end right here.
[Time remaining: 17 seconds.]
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
Wait a second. Why was I suddenly afraid? I had come back from the dead—was I going to die like this?
[The system is reacting to your deep desire.]
['The Witness burdened by Regrets' awaits your decision with anticipation.]
If this world was really absurd...
[Time remaining: 12 seconds.]
I stood and gripped the door handle.
[Time remaining: 8 seconds.]
What was the most absurd thing I could do in this situation? The answer was simple.
I stepped through the door. My feet sank into the blood and flesh. A strong smell of iron filled my nostrils.
The door closed behind me.
Fwiiit!
A deafening whistle rang out, and my heart skipped a beat. Images of how those poor people had died flashed through my mind.
For a moment, I saw a red glint shoot into my field of vision at blinding speed. It stopped just inches from my stomach. My heart skipped again.
[System error.]
[The individual already possesses a 'Passport'.]
The spike vanished into thin air just as it had appeared.
I exhaled and clutched my chest, feeling every inch to make sure I was whole. I had made it.
The pressure faded. I walked down the long hallway leading to the theater lobby. The place was deserted, and a deafening silence hung in the air.
I exited through the double glass doors. Outside, a powerful wind howled between the buildings. No cars were moving. The only sounds were distant echoes.
Then the system's voice chimed in.
[Congratulations!]
[Thread: "Escape the Wanderloch Hall" completed successfully!]
[Calculating rewards...]
[Passport obtained.]
[System error.]
[The individual already possesses a passport.]
[Reward converted into stellaron.]
[You receive 20,000 stellaron as a reward.]
[Timeline initialization…]
The screen flickered briefly, and another window opened.
+
{Completed}
[Thread]: Escape the Wanderloch Hall.
Description: Escape before time runs out.
Time limit: 10 minutes.
Reward: 20,000 stellaron.
+
That's when a voice echoed in the silent sky over Seoul.
"Hello! Can everyone hear me?"
A moment of silence followed.
"Oh, right—you can't respond. Hahaha."
A shadow fell over the windows of the buildings. I looked up.
And jumped.
The moon was so close it filled half the sky. Just looking at it made me dizzy. Something was definitely wrong with this world. Moreover, the moon was red, glowing blood-red.
To my horror, the moon moved, darting across the sky at incredible speed.
Turning my head to the right, I saw another moon—same size, floating in the sky. In the distance across the street, a crescent moon. It almost looked like the three formed a smile.
And that's when I realized, horrified:
That thing I had mistaken for a moon… wasn't a celestial body.
It was an eye.