Chapter Two: The Red Mark
The night was not night to Zetsu—it was a black void with no end.
He lay on his bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, as if waiting to fall. Every time he tried to close his eyes, the same image returned: a spinning globe, then suddenly stopping… and a red mark fixed in one spot, like an indelible stain.
Black sat across from him, in front of a black screen showing nothing but the reflection of his stern face.
Zetsu broke the silence with a hoarse voice:
— "They said: contact will be made upon arrival at the airport… what does that mean?"
Black didn't look at him, answering in a low voice:
— "It means you have become part of something unforgettable for those who enter it."
— "But I didn't ask for anything!"
— "Asking isn't done with words, but with actions." Then he added after a moment:
— "Clicking 'Agree'… was a signature."
Zetsu felt the words tighten around his neck.
— "I don't understand what I agreed to!"
— "And that is the most dangerous part."
Black stood up:
— "The Dark Net doesn't care about your ignorance, nor does it forgive your curiosity."
⸻
Rules Without Explanation
Black turned off the device completely, then looked at him with sharp eyes.
— "Listen carefully, Zetsu."
— "I'm listening."
— "What you entered isn't a website, or a market, or a game. It is a system."
— "A system of what?"
— "A system of people… working in the shadows, and they hate witnesses."
He took a step closer.
— "The first rule there: don't enter unless you are ready to lose everything."
— "And me? What have I lost?"
He smiled coldly:
— "Safety."
⸻
The Second Message
Zetsu's phone rang suddenly. He hesitated before opening it, as if the message would leap from the screen.
"The first mission is being prepared. Please remain calm."
His hands trembled.
— "Mission? What mission?!"
Black took the phone from him, read the message carefully, then handed it back.
— "Listen to me carefully: do not open any links, do not go anywhere, do not respond to anything."
— "But they sent a message!"
— "Not now."
He stopped at the door, then spoke firmly:
— "And tell no one."
— "Even the police?"
Black was silent for a moment, then said:
— "Especially not the police."
⸻
The Disappearance
The days passed slowly, heavily. No messages. No missions. Nothing.
But the feeling of being watched never left him.
Zetsu would walk down the street feeling eyes following him. Every car slowing down… a threat. Every person staring too long… suspicion.
He tried calling Black. No answer.
He went to his room. It was empty. No devices. No screens. No trace.
Zetsu sat on the floor, a heavy feeling pressing on his chest.
— "You said you would help me…"
He whispered to himself:
— "Why did you disappear?"
At that moment, he felt for the first time that danger was no longer a possibility… but a reality.
⸻
The Game
After a week, he tried to pretend life was normal. He sat with his friends, laughed, joined the conversation.
One of them said excitedly:
— "Have you tried the new game?"
— "What game?"
— "A mission game… very realistic."
He handed him his phone:
— "It's not on the store; it needs a special link."
Zetsu froze as he read the name.
Dark Net.
— "Where did you get it?"
— "A friend sent it to me."
He swallowed hard.
— "What type of game is it?"
— "You complete missions… and earn money."
He told himself it was a coincidence… just a coincidence. Yet he downloaded it.
⸻
The Tone
At five in the morning, the phone rang. A strange, sharp tone, like an alarm.
He opened the app.
"First mission: Place an (X) mark on the specified abandoned house. Time: 30 minutes."
He sat on his bed, heart pounding violently.
— "This isn't a game…"
Yet, he got up.
⸻
The House
The house was like a corpse. Cracked walls, broken windows, a door groaning in the wind.
He placed the mark as instructed. The moment he turned around, a notification appeared:
"Successfully executed."
He returned home muttering:
— "Just a game… just a game."
Yet he didn't believe himself.
⸻
The Box
The next mission came two days later.
"Move the box to the specified location. Opening it is forbidden."
The box was heavier than it looked. Zetsu stood in front of it, long and tense.
— "What could be inside?"
He didn't open it. He delivered it. The reward arrived.
⸻
Curiosity
In the next mission, he met a man. Ordinary features, but soulless eyes.
The man handed him a paper:
— "Place this inside the box. Code: Dark Knight."
Zetsu noticed another box beside him… exactly the same.
In his car, curiosity gnawed at him.
— "If I open it, the mission will fail…"
He told himself:
— "But if I don't open it, I'll never know."
He opened the box. A suffocating stench burst out. Then he saw what made him scream. A corpse.