As the group surged towards the forbidden rooms, a frisson of excitement and apprehension coursed through their veins. "What's going on?" Gyeon Wo asked, scrutinizing the identical symbols etched into each door. "Nothing seems amiss – they all bear the same enigmatic symbols."
Just as they were about to take the next step, the sound of footsteps reverberated through the hallway, and in a twinkling, Emma's power transported each of them back to their room, evading detection by a hair's breadth.
But Anya had caught a glimpse of something unsettling. As she stood before the crimson-zoned rooms, she heard the same eerie whisper she'd heard before: "This is your world, the world you desired." Her heart palpitated, but she kept her discovery locked away, the words resonating deep within her psyche.
As they reconvened, Emma's voice was imbued with a sense of urgency. "We need to unravel the mysteries of this place. We've got to find a way back, and we've got to ensure that time doesn't come to a standstill in that world – the stakes are far too high."
Sangwon's eyes narrowed as he spoke, his voice filled with intrigue. "I've been thinking about this, and I've got a theory. When we were in that other world, time stopped here. And when we were here, time stopped there. It's like the two worlds are connected in some way, and humans are the key to that connection. But here's the thing: when we went to that world, there were already humans there - the ones who were left behind. So why did time still stop in this world? It doesn't make sense to me."
In the mystical realm, where shadows danced and the air was thick with an otherworldly energy, Min-Hyuk's eyes sparkled with a sudden realization. "Hmmm, you're right! I thought this too!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with excitement.
Gyeon Wo's gaze narrowed, his eyes burning with an intense passion as he spoke. "If I'm not mistaken, it's because of Anya. She's the one who first ventured into the heart of darkness, and only she wields the forbidden powers of that realm." His words hung in the air like a challenge, and Anya's eyes widened as she absorbed their meaning.
A soft murmur escaped Anya's lips as she whispered, "Hmmm, it could be the reason." Her voice was barely audible over the pounding of her heart, and her mind was racing with possibilities. A hint of fear crept into her eyes as she gazed at the group, her thoughts still reeling from the cryptic words she'd heard earlier.
The group lapsed into a tense silence, each member lost in thought as they pondered the enigmas of the two worlds. But Anya's hesitant voice broke the silence, "I... I think I know what to do." Everyone looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and concern, and Anya's eyes dropped as she continued. "As Gyeon Wo said earlier, I might be the key to unlocking this darkness, since I'm the only one who bears the mark of both worlds," she said, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and uncertainty.
Sangwon's face darkened with concern, and his voice was soft and gentle. "What are you trying to say, Anya? You're not thinking of doing something that'll put you in harm's way again, are you?" he asked, his eyes locked onto hers.
Anya swallowed hard, her eyes welling up with unshed tears. "After using the key in this world, all of you will go to that world and use the key there. Maybe... just maybe, the door to the original world will open, and everyone will be able to return home," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Wendy's voice trembled with a hint of foreboding. "But what about the ominous ultimatum that world gave us? If we don't comply, do you think it will grant us passage back to our original world, or will we be forever trapped in this twilight realm, bound by the chains of eternal darkness?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern.
Anya's smile was calm and enigmatic, and her voice was laced with conviction. "Leave that to me. I know what to do," she said, her eyes glinting with determination.
Sangwon's visage darkened with concern, and his voice was laced with a hint of desperation. "What do you mean? You won't come with us? What exactly are you going to do? You'll come with us, or we won't go," he said, his eyes locked onto Anya's.
Anya's response was firm and resolute. "Trust me, we will all go back. You just have to do what I'm saying. I'm the key to unlocking this darkness, the linchpin that holds the fabric of time together," she said, her eyes burning with an inner fire.
Gyeon Wo's voice was low and urgent. "We don't have much time until the next game starts, so we should do what she's saying. She has tattoos imbued with the power of both worlds, so she might know what to do," he said, his eyes locked onto Anya's. After much persuasion to Sangwon, everyone did what Anya asked them to do. As they prepared to leave, Sangwon clasped Anya in a tight, fervent embrace, as if trying to hold onto her, to keep her safe from the impending shadows. With a gentle smile, Anya disengaged from his arms and walked into one of the ominous red-zoned rooms, her footsteps echoing through the silence like a death knell.
The air was heavy with tension as Anya stood before the unknown, the shadows closing in around her like a shroud. "I'm here," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know what you want, and I knew you wouldn't kill me because I'm the key to your time flow in both this world and that world as well... right?" The words hung in the air like a challenge, and the silence that followed was deafening, as if the very fate of the world was being held in the balance. "Hahaha, it seems you've unraveled the enigma. Your intellect is quite impressive, I must admit. You claimed to be the answer yourself. So, tell me, do you comprehend what you must surrender to return to your original world and maintain the delicate balance of time in both realms, so that time doesn't stop?" the voice echoed with a hint of malevolence.Anya's eyes narrowed slightly as she replied, "I am aware of the desire that drives you. And, indeed, my innermost longing is the catalyst to restore the fabric of time in both worlds. At first, I was perplexed by the whispers in my mind, but now I understand their sinister purpose."
The voice chuckled with a dark and evil tone, "Ah, yes! I can sense the curiosity burning within you." The voice's smile grew wider, and its tone turned even more sinister. "Tell me, what is the deepest longing of your heart to live in your original world? You are aware, are you not?"
Anya's eyes flashed with determination as she replied, "To possess a tranquil and happy life with the one I love with all my heart. That has always been my most ardent desire."
The voice's gaze seemed to pierce through Anya's soul, and its tone turned icy cold. "Ah, how poignant. But are you prepared to relinquish that which drives you? You will still experience emotions, but the flame of longing will be extinguished. You will be free from the burdens of yearning, but will you be able to accept that dark fate?" the voice asked, its words hanging in the air like a malevolent curse.
Anya's words were steeped in a morbid resignation, her eyes blazing with an otherworldly fervor. "Your concern is as meaningless as the whispers of the wind. I am unfazed, for I am accustomed to the bitter taste of sacrifice; it is a cruel companion that has haunted me for as long as I can recall. In a life shrouded in darkness and beset by unrelenting torment, I have always yearned for a fleeting respite - a tranquil, blissful existence with the one my heart is bound to. Yet, it seems the cosmos have ordained otherwise, and that desire shall be extinguished like a candle in the storm."
The voice that echoed in response was like a cold, dark wind from the depths of the abyss. "Shall we proceed with the ritual? But first, let me unveil a dreadful truth that the other world has seen fit to conceal from you. When the time of return arrives, all shall be shrouded in a veil of forgetfulness. The memories of this forsaken realm will be erased from every mind, save one. You alone shall retain the cursed knowledge of this accursed domain."
Anya's thoughts swirled in a macabre dance as she digested the revelation. "Sangwon will forget me... How...merciful. I would not have him bear the burden of these memories, nor the danger that comes with them," she thought, her mind cloaked in a morbid serenity. Her gaze snapped back to the present, and she spoke in a low, measured tone, "Oh, really?"
The voice echoed, "You did not ask why you shall be the sole keeper of these memories. Do you know why? Because you transgressed the laws of the cosmos by meddling in that world, Anya."
Anya's words were steeped in a morbid longing, her eyes blazing with an otherworldly passion. "Oh, really? You know, desire is the one flame that burns brightest in the darkness of our souls. We become willing to do anything, to sacrifice everything, just to satiate that all-consuming hunger. And I'm relinquishing my most profound desire in life. Isn't that a cruel twist of fate?"
The voice that echoed in response was like a cold wind from the depths of the abyss, sending shivers down Anya's spine. "Ah, but you see, you forged a pact with that world, and now you're fulfilling your part of the bargain here in this forsaken realm. Do you know why? It's because we're the ones who summoned you from your original world, drawing you into this dark and twisted realm."
Anya's heart quailed as the voice continued, its words dripping with an otherworldly malice. "From now on, you'll no longer be driven by desire. You'll experience emotions, but that burning, all-consuming passion will be extinguished, leaving you hollow and empty."
Anya's thoughts turned to Sangwon, and her heart ached with a deep, hollow pain. "Sangwon... I think I've fallen even more deeply in love with you," she whispered to herself, tears streaming down her face like crimson rain. The air seemed to vibrate with an eerie energy, and a faint whisper echoed through her mind - the whispers of that world, claiming her greatest and most cherished desire.
The sound of "tinggggggggg" seemed to reverberate through the air, like the striking of a mournful bell, and Anya felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. It was as if the dark magic of that world had reached out and snuffed out the flame of her desire, leaving her with nothing but a hollow, echoing void in her soul.