The room is quiet, red, and spacious.
Silence
The tea is sipped.
Not the large observers' room.
Not the one from the selection.
Another one.
Smaller.
Clearer.
Filled with dolls.
Hundreds of them, sitting side by side.
Brand new and presentable.
sitting on shelves, on chairs, on the floor, everywhere.
All facing a single screen.
In the center of the room…
And
Elizabeth…
Our doll.
The commentator.
Sitting on a chair that was too big for her.
Her legs sway gently in the air.
Her cup in her hand and a single doll in front of her
The gym's cameras are broadcasting the scene.
Kim Young.
The cube in his hand.
The players are frozen around her.
The doll tilts its head slightly.
Her glass eyes shine.
Then she smiled.
– Ooooh…
Her voice is gentle.
Too soft.
– That's something interesting.
She bends down and puts down her cup
Then
CLACK ! .
CLACK! .
claps twice.
The screens zoom in on the cube.
Little.
Noir.
Perfectly smooth.
Almost commonplace.
For someone who doesn't know the game.
But the doll knows the game.
She knows all the games.
She turns towards the doll in front of her.
And murmur.
– Do you know what this is…?
Silence.
The stern is not responding.
Of course.
They don't speak, or rather, they can no longer speak.
But that doesn't bother the commentator.
She loves explaining things.
– In the old Fantasy Game…
She crosses her legs.
– You must remember that, right?
– The cube… Ah Ah~ that cube was very special.
The screen is getting closer.
An old edition, the last one
Thousands of families and…
A man holding a cube.
– Whoever possessed the cube received… luck.
escaped from a trap.
Then came an explosion.
Then to an ambush.
Always just barely.
Miraculously, as always.
The doll applauded softly.
– But you forgot…
His head suddenly spins.
– Luck never appears out of nowhere.
The family is falling apart.
A woman.
A child.
A brother.
Then…
One by one, everyone tips their hat and leaves the game alive.
– In the era of the game…
The doll smiled even more.
– I don't miss it…
– What annoys me the most is your freedom to interfere in what is forbidden to you.
She taps gently on the cracked screen.
– A beautiful piece of engineering.
She almost sighed in admiration.
Then the images change.
Back to the gym.
Back to the present.
Kim Young.
The doll bends down and pours another cup for her guest.
– But today…
She raises a finger
A new screen appears.
– In this version of the game…
Her voice becomes more excited.
– The players replace the family.
She claps her hands.
laughs softly.
– Except that…
Pause.
Her eyes are shining.
– There's a small problem.
The screen displays it.
OWNER: KI-MOON
The doll swings her legs.
– The cube only recognizes one owner.
She bursts into a little laugh.
She looks at the screen.
Kim Young is holding the cube.
Without understanding.
– Oh my poor little thing, you forget…
The doll almost whispers.
– You steal your own chance and that of others to give it to him…
– what love HAJAHAJAHAHAJAJAJAJAJAJAHA.
She laughs and stares at the other doll
– They will all die.
laughed even more heartily.
Laughter pierces the children's laughter.
– And guess what?
She points at the screen.
- because You put your finger in it, you tried to get around me
– and also because theThe owner is not here.
Silence.
The screen goes black.
The fire crackles.
In the cabin.
The wood creaks softly.
I've been sitting for a while.
My body feels heavy.
My muscles are still trembling.
But I can't stay here.
Not now.
I push aside the slightly warmed sheets.
My feet are touching the ground.
Cold.
It's a grimace.
– Damn…
My legs are tense.
I lean against the wall and find a large coat on the table.
One step.
Then another one.
The door is in front of me.
I open it.
The village appears.
Blanc.
Silent.
The snow covers everything.
Wooden houses.
The roofs.
The paths.
A few residents are walking in the street.
When they see me…
They stop.
Their expressions change.
Curious.
Suspicious.
Some are murmuring.
– It's him…
– The new…
– The one found in the storm…
I ignore them and continue walking.
My legs are still trembling.
But I'm walking.
A man walks past me.
The lame man
I'm stopping him.
– HEY!
He jumps.
- Yes… ?
– What are you doing outside?
– The boss.
He hesitates.
– Where is she?
He looks me up and down.
– You should stay in bed.
I sigh.
– Where is she?
He stares at me for a long time and sighs, and finally points towards the outside of the village.
– Over there, look just up.
Perplexed, but I follow his finger to the
At the edge of the village…and goes out of the fence
A vast forest.
- up….
And in the middle of the trees…
Something.
A cabin? A small cabin, suspended very high between the branches.
I frown.
- Seriously ?
I scan the surroundings looking for a way to reach her.
She is perched at the top of a gigantic tree.
Almost invisible in the snow.
– So complicated, how do we get there?
I remain motionless for a moment and notice a rope ladder attached to the trunk.
But I have no choice.
I'm watching my back
The locals gathered at the entrance watched me leave.
– He's crazy…
– He can barely stand up…
– What does he want from the boss…
I place my hand on the trunk.
The ladder sways slightly.
I look up.
The cabin is very high.
I smile weakly.
– Here we go…
I pass the rope between my feet and climb.
Climbing
Quickly .
Very quickly.
The wind blows through the branches.
Snow is falling around me.
I'm still climbing.
And up there…
In the cabin.
A figure moves.
The boss.
She saw me.
And wait for me.