For a moment, I stared blankly at the camcorder in Baek Saheon's hands.
Just now–
He’d killed someone and stole their camcorder...
"Aaaargh!"
"…!"
I whipped my head around.
Behind the door Baek Saheon had locked, the camcorder’s owner was screaming and pounding on it like a madman. And as if in response, a human figure flickered and began to approach from the other side of the abandoned hospital’s fifth-floor hallway...
From the black silhouette of a neatly dressed Daydream staff, a flustered voice could be heard...
"What's going on over there?"
It had no shadow.
'It's a patient.'
A chill ran down my spine.
I rushed over to the hospital room door where the camcorder's owner was trapped and tried to unlock it. Baek Saheon shouted and grabbed my shoulder in bewilderment.
"What are you doing!?"
Damn it.
I shook off Baek Saheon's hand and finished unlocking the door.
"Ack!"
As the door opened, the camcorder’s original owner, now even more of a wreck, tumbled out. I practically scooped him up, supporting him as I ran back towards the emergency exit again.
Quickly…!
"Are you okay? You look hurt."
The patient's voice grew closer.
"Run."
Baek Saheon ran beside me, gritting his teeth.
Thud.
I hurriedly shut the emergency exit door before the figure down the hall could get any closer.
Then, avoiding the discarded syringes littering the floor, I set down the person I was supporting.
'…Hah.'
Just as the tension finally eased–
"..."
I turned toward Baek Saheon.
Baek Saheon was staring at me stiffly with a mixture of bewilderment and irritation.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Civilian-nim."
"Why are you wasting time on someone who's going to die anyway…!?"
Baek Saheon gritted his teeth, glanced at the camcorder's owner, and spoke impatiently.
"Do you think that person will be of any help right now? All you did was add dead weight! You said you were in a hurry, that you had things to do—so why are you helping a stranger?! It's a waste of time…!"
"Civilian-nim."
I grabbed Baek Saheon. He clutched both camcorders tightly.
"That person almost died just now."
"So what?"
He seemed to gauge my reaction, then clenched his jaw.
"He would've died anyway. I just grabbed the camcorder a little early—you said you needed it. It's not like I'm the one killing him."
"..."
"What, you think there's anyone decent working at this company? Ah, is it because you're an agent that you feel you have to save everyone you see? That's not true, is it? You don't save people when the situation doesn't allow for it."
This was the first time Baek Saheon had spoken like this since Jisan Village.
He reacted as if I had insulted him. When I was the one blindsided by his crazy personality.
'Though I am surprised he seems to be trying to help me this time—in his own way.'
Still, I couldn't understand why he acted so betrayed. His reaction was excessive, almost like a trauma response…
'…Hmm.'
Is it because I'm an agent?
I tried to chose my words carefully, recalling the events at Jisan Village.
It was so nerve-wracking I let out a sigh.
"Civilian-nim."
I spoke as calmly as possible.
"I'm not trying to rescue him because I'm an agent…It's just simple logic."
I looked at the rescued person, still trembling in the corner, fumbling with his peeled skin.
"If we can all live, there’s no need to let someone die, right?"
"..."
Instead of waiting for Baek Saheon's response, I lowered myself to the person I had dragged along.
And I asked quietly.
"Would you prefer to stay somewhere safe?"
"Hic, heup..."
He nodded frantically.
Then he glanced fearfully at Baek Saheon. Baek Saheon stared back with a cold, hardened face, as if assessing a potential threat to his own survival…
But I didn't react to either of them and simply declared:
"Alright. Then let’s move to a safe place."
I helped the rescued person up and ascended one more floor via the emergency stairs.
I didn't call for Baek Saheon.
For a moment, he seemed to stand there blankly, but instead of running away with the camcorder, I heard him follow me.
I entered the 6th floor.
'It's definitely less grim than the 5th floor.'
The hallway of the closed ward was dark, but the strong smell of disinfectant covered the faint fishy odor.
Though it still had the gloomy and bizarre atmosphere of a horror attraction, at least things were a bit more normal.
[1F]
Past the 5th floor, the projections of the sanatorium’s first five floors would repeat.
'The noteworthy incidents in the camcorder footage mostly happened on the 4th and 5th floors.'
[Hmm. The hallway is messy, though.]
That's because… the patients had marched in a group.
Exploration Record #3
On the 1st floor, dozens of people dressed as special forces members appeared in the hallway, claiming they were 'dispatched for rescue.'
All 7 civilians who followed the procession died.
Camcorder footage confirmed them to be a group of inpatients holding stationery-style instruments such as recorders and castanets.
Unconfirmed testimony that these entities made remarks as if celebrating or commemorating something.
In this ghost story, the 1st floor is a place where survivors can emerge if they just endure the initial group of clapping patients marching down the hall.
Of course, this was the 6th floor, a projection of the 1st floor, and I had entered knowing exactly where the safe zone was.
"I'll be using this for a moment."
Using the camcorder, I checked the corridor and patient rooms, carefully avoiding the ‘patients’ as I scanned for the right one.
'Hah...'
Having to support someone was nerve-wracking, but it also made things less scary.
And thankfully, I found it before we ran into a patient popping out from nowhere.
"Go in here."
I entered a hospital room in the center.
[Room 111]
Inside that room, strangely, a single hospital bed sat by itself, and an entire wall was lined with desks and faded nameplates.
"Hic,"
"It's okay."
When I tried to put him on the bed, he panicked, but I moved quickly.
"…You're saying this place is safe?"
"Yes."
I gestured to the desks with my eyes and said.
"This place was originally the entrance."
"…!"
It was an error that occurred because the floor layouts didn't match.
Exploration Record #21
On the 7th floor, three patients were confirmed to have thrown themselves out of a massive, non-standard picture window.
Confirmed to be an anomalous phenomenon caused by the absence of a terrace-like space that was originally on the 2nd-floor cafeteria of the sanatorium. The reenactment of the camcorder footage proceeded normally.
An error that occurred when a place resembling an entrance was created on the 6th floor, which originally had no entrance.
An additional location that wasn't in the camcorder footage.
"There wouldn't have been a hospital bed at the original entrance, so the beings in the camcorder won't perceive it."
At that moment.
"Do you know how to get out? Hey, is anyone there?"
A voice came from outside.
"…!"
The three of us got on the bed and huddled together. Baek Saheon seemed to hesitate before gritting his teeth and lowering himself onto the bed.
The footsteps grew closer...
The door opened, revealing a Daydream researcher with a bewildered expression.
'…The camcorder!'
I hastily turned off my camcorder and folded Baek Saheon's as well. But...
"Is someone there?"
…I saw it–a fleeting glimpse on the camcorder's screen.
What had happened in this sanatorium.
"I'm sure I heard a voice..."
Through the camcorder, the patient, who looked like a researcher, had their abdomen opened under their hospital gown.
They were on an IV drip–a bizarre sight with their organs arranged grotesquely and fixed in place with brightly colored thread.
'Hah.'
Those organs must have been 'exchanged' with those of someone already caught...
"Hey, let's find a way out together. Hey?"
The patient drew near. We all held our breath. And...
"Let's find a safe place together!"
The patient passed right by us.
I felt the texture of the old hospital gown brush against my nose, and I froze, not breathing...
...
...
Thud.
The patient left.
The rescued person, who had been covering his own mouth, choked on a cough and collapsed.
'Hoo.'
"See? You can stay here."
I left the rescued person there.
Since it was a spot where even three people could hide, the rescued person seemed somewhat relieved though he still trembled.
I reassured the rescued person, who looked like he wanted me to stay, then waited for the hallway to become quiet again before returning to the emergency stairs.
Baek Saheon was quiet on the way back as well.
This whole process took exactly 12 minutes.
"Civilian-nim. Look."
"..."
I turned back at Baek Saheon.
"Nothing has changed, and I still have the camcorder in my hand."
Baek Saheon lifted his head.
"And you, Civilian-nim, were able to confirm a safe place for yourself."
"..."
"The situation hasn't gotten any worse. Right?"
"…What if he survives and gives a bad testimony about me."
"It's natural for someone who was attacked to hold a grudge against their attacker. If you don't like that, then you shouldn't have attacked in the first place."
Baek Saheon looked like he had a lot more to say. But I just smiled.
"It'll be fine this time, though."
"…Pardon?"
–People holding camcorders can also become targets of attack.
"I've already explained it to the person we rescued. I told him that holding a camcorder could be dangerous, so I would collect it for the time being."
"...!"
In this extreme situation, he would probably want to unconditionally trust the person who helped him, so there shouldn't be any problems after this is all over.
"And if you hadn't tried to snatch it so abruptly in the first place, none of this would have happened."
“Hey. If I hadn’t claimed it first, he might not have given it to me.”
"Perhaps. But you wouldn’t know that unless you try."
"..."
Disbelief and a strange indescribable emotion showed on Baek Saheon's face.
"Anyway, congratulations."
"For what?"
"It might not have been your intention, but because Saheon-ssi was here, that person will live."
"...!"
"And separately..."
I smiled like an agent.
"Thank you for trying to give me the camcorder."
"..."
"I know that you, Civilian-nim, didn't have to do that."
Baek Saheon didn't answer.
"I'll put it to good use."
And with that, I picked up the camcorder.
[You have wisely resolved the source of conflict and gained an advantage. Excellent, my friend!]
I'd like to savor this compliment for a bit...
"Then I'll be going back to the 5th floor."
"..."
Honestly, I expected Baek Saheon to bolt at this point.
We each had a camcorder and knew a safe zone–surely he would disappear, following his survival instincts...
'But he's not running.'
He only became much quieter.
Baek Saheon silently followed beside me, holding his camcorder...
'…Whatever, I'll just leave him be.'
Thanks to him, it was less scary. But...
Wow, seriously.
'He really… goes for the throat without hesitation.'
It was terrifying.
Lately, I'd only seen him pull a few snatch-and-run troll moves, but seeing him act so ruthlessly against someone else was truly befitting of a Daydream employee.
'He's not Section Chief Viper for nothing.'
I resisted the urge to squeeze my eyes shut.
What was more surprising, though, was how his attitude had subtly changed after listening to me.
'Why is he so quiet?'
I glanced back at Baek Saheon.
He flinched, opened his mouth as if to test the waters, then closed it.
The atmosphere on the 5th floor was genuinely bone-chillingly scary, but watching him made it feel like some kind of comedy sketch, making it less frightening...
"...!"
I snapped my head up.
…From the other end of the hallway, cheerful music resembling nursery rhymes was playing.
-(crackle)Happy birthday to you(static)Happy birthday to youHappy birthday dear(crackle-static)Reborn Sanatorium Inpatients TodayHappy birthday to you
Wait a minute.
'This… this is what happens at the very end.'
Have almost all the events from the camcorder footage been reenacted?
What the hell did those crazy bastards at Daydream do? There's no way, wait...
-(crackle)Happy birthday to you(static)Happy birthday to youHappy birthday dear(crackle-static)Reborn Sanatorium Inpatients TodayHappy birthday to you
The elevator doors opened.
Light poured out from within, and a person walked out, holding something huge. With a trembling hand, I raised the camcorder...
It was a birthday cake.
HAPPY
D-DAY
A gooey, dripping cake with the same words that were written on the 5th-floor emergency exit.
-(crackle)Happy birthday to you(static)Happy birthday to youHappy birthday dear(crackle-static)Reborn Sanatorium Inpatients TodayHappy birthday to you
Of the patients marching on the first floor, only one remained.
Hugging what looked like a giant birthday cake, it smiled as it approached us.
Its entire body was covered in blood, and I could see sticky bloody footprints left on the floor with each step.
Blood and medicine dripped from the celebratory party hat stuck to its matted hair.
-(crackle)Happy birthday to you(static)Happy birthday to youHappy birthday dear(crackle-static)Reborn Sanatorium Inpatients TodayHappy birthday to you
My feet moved.
"…!"
My body moved towards the birthday cake.
'Damn it.'
No.
This is the ending from the camcorder footage.
Exploration Record #4
The 5th-floor elevator doors open and a figure holding a birthday cake gets off.
It marches down the hallway with celebratory music.
After all survivors follow it and exit through the emergency exit, [REDACTED][REDACTED][REDACTED][REDACTED][REDACTED][REDACTED][REDACTED][REDACTED]
※Access is prohibited for the supervising researchers and Field Investigation Team members. Please access this exploration record after receiving permission from the Guard Team.
'Should I bring out my contamination?'
Wait, wait… I don't know how things will go if I do that...
Fear froze my thoughts. My body moved on its own, and the bizarre celebratory song ringing in my ears grew louder. The smiling figure holding the birthday cake drew closer.
My feet headed toward the emergency exit.
'Fuck.'
I was so scared my hands trembled and my brain refused to work. I briefly missed being 13066, then almost bit my tongue at that thought.
'Another response, another...'
I desperately scanned my surroundings through the camcorder and… found it.
'Ah.'
There was an object lying on the hallway floor.
The object the rescued person had been holding along with the camcorder.
A Guard Team pager.
It must have ended up in the middle of the hallway after Baek Saheon kicked him earlier.
A device that hadn’t helped with his rescue, no matter how much it was pressed.
But as I walked closer and saw it, I realized–
'That person, he was pressing it wrong…!'
This pager was meant to be mounted on a wall.
Installed throughout the annex’s ground floors for security and safety.
-If anything happens, page us immediately.
The camcorder's original owner was probably only familiar with the portable Guard Team pagers.
And in his panicked state caused by the ghost story, trying to force an unfamiliar device to work, he failed to notice one thing.
'The safety pin.'
He hadn't noticed he needed to remove a part to send the page...
'Wait a minute.'
In this chaos, people must have been hitting pagers all over the place. If the ending was already approaching, it meant the commotion in other areas has been suppressed.
'If that's the case...'
What are the chances the Guard Team would respond to a survivor's call?
I glanced sideways at the gruesome patient holding the birthday cake, breaking out in a cold sweat.
'The Guard Team will probably suppress that thing and immediately move on.'
Because it was a madhouse.
Then I could continue my exploration toward my destination on the 5th floor...
"..."
-(crackle)Happy birthday to you(static)Happy birthday to youHappy birthday dear(crackle-static)Reborn Sanatorium Inpatients TodayHappy birthday to you
As I walked, I barely managed to correct my movements.
And the moment I reached the pager–
I managed to press its safety pin with my foot and kick it loose with my next step.
'Success...'
But my next step brushed past the button.
'Damn it!'
I gritted my teeth and tried to get it with my foot again, but my movements were no longer precise. My feet kept moving forward...
'In that case.'
As my foot stretched back, I kicked the pager.
Toward the person behind me.
"...!"
I looked at Baek Saheon.
The moment our eyes met, he lifted his foot and...
Pressed the pager.
...
...
[Request in progress.]
[Call location confirmed: Annex, 5th Floor. Danger code issued: Annex under occupation.]
[As this is an internal call during a suppression, no separate fee will be charged, and the call will proceed automatically.]
Hurry!
[Guard Team assigned]
At that moment.
Thud.
The pager tore apart, and a black silhouette leaked out from within.
"...!"
The silhouette swelled up as if it were bursting out, taking form...
-(crackle)Happy birthday(fzzzt)Happy birthday dear(craaaackle)Reborn Sanatorium Inpatients Today, happy birthday
A figure dressed head to toe in black uniform.
An unfamiliar Guard Team member stood in the hospital hallway, casting a long shadow.
But there was one, single clue that I recognized instantly…
That uniform.
It was the same type as the one 130666 had worn.
'Ha.'
I gasped for breath as I looked at the employee from the Guard Team's Special Division who had answered the page.
TL notes: (?)
changelog
stuff to check
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