Someone suddenly gasped from the middle of the room.
Every head turned toward the sound almost instantly. A young lady sat frozen on her bench, eyes locked on empty air in front of her. Her hands gripped the edge of the seat and she was shaking.
Nobody moved to help. Nobody really knew what was happening, so nobody knew what to do.
A second gasp came from the left side of the room. Then another. And another.
It spread like a ripple effect.
One by one, people around the room stiffened. Some stared straight ahead with wide eyes. Others leaned back as if something had appeared too close to their faces. A few covered their mouths.
The cheerful murmur that had filled the room only moments ago suddenly went quiet.
Zachariah’s voice came low beside him.
"Jisung... are you seeing this?"
Jisung followed his gaze but saw nothing. Just empty air where Zachariah was staring.
He understood, then.
’It’s probably the message notification,’ Jisung thought slowly, piecing it together from the reactions alone. ’Guess... everyone else already got theirs.’
He met Zachariah’s eyes and gave a small nod. "Yeah. I see it too." He kept his voice equally quiet.
He looked around again. Valerie sat a few seats away, lips pressed into a thin line, eyes fixed forward. The earlier playful energy she had shown was completely gone. Across the room, the atmosphere had shifted completely.
Without warning, the door at the front of the room cracked open.
Every head turned at once as a different woman stepped out. She was nothing like Teresa.
She carried none of the previous guide’s warmth. Her face was expressionless. Her eyes tired and flat, as though she had repeated the same process too many times to still find it interesting.
A clipboard dangled loosely from one hand. She walked forward until she stood in front of the first row and looked over the seated participants without greeting them.
"I’m not going to repeat myself," she said, coldly. "So listen."
She raised the clipboard and began reading without pause, the names rolling out in a rapid, almost rhythmic cadence.
"Participant 31 - Kylie Davis.
Participant 11 - Abdul Karim.
Participant 24 - Kang Minho.
Participant 117 - Diego Hernández.
Participant 49 - Valerie Trevino.
Participant 213 - Yano Mina.
Participant 144 - Prince Zachariah Timothé III.
Participant 2 - Seth Carter.
Participant 58 - Julie Benedict.
Participant 34 - Yu Jisung."
She lowered the clipboard just enough to look up.
"Follow me."
She didn’t wait to see if they understood. She just turned and walked back through the door.
For a second no one moved.
"Guys... Move!" Someone yelled and suddenly everyone jerked back to life.
Then, one by one, the named participants began to stand. Others followed in small clusters. Some exchanged brief glances at each other, while others kept their eyes fixed on the floor.
Jisung was the last to stand.
As he stepped into the aisle he felt the weight of the remaining room behind him. He stopped and looked back.
Dozens of eyes were on him. Some faces were filled with fear. Others offered small, encouraging smiles. A handful had already looked away, as if refusing to acknowledge what was about to happen to the first group.
Jisung drew in a slow breath and let it out in a long, quiet sigh.
’Okay. Let’s do this.’
He turned and walked through the doorway.
The door slammed shut behind him.
The room they stepped into was almost completely dark, lit only by the faint purple glow of runes pulsing along the walls. It painted the edges of faces and shoulders but left everything else in shadow.
The only sounds were the soft shuffle of feet and the uneven rhythm of nervous breathing from dozens of people trying not to make noise and failing.
Jisung strained to see anything ahead of him, but he couldn’t make out much beyond the faint outlines of the other Participants, their skin catching the runes’ dim light just enough to mark where each person stood.
They stood in a single line according to the order their names had been called. Valerie was fifth, Zachariah was seventh, and Jisung was last. The order had seemed random, yet somehow he had ended up with the only two people he already knew. For that, at least, he was grateful.
A familiar voice whispered from ahead.
"Jisung."
He looked sideways. Zachariah was turned slightly, the purple glow catching the tension on his face.
"I’m here," Jisung whispered back.
Zachariah let out a quiet breath. "Valerie?"
"Here," she answered from further up the line, voice low.
Someone behind them made a sharp shushing sound.
Valerie’s reply came immediately, still quiet but edged. "What’s your problem?"
"You’re making noise." the man said.
"Close your damn ears then, asshole." she snapped.
Jisung almost smiled.
Suddenly, a loud voice cut through the dark. "Move forward."
No one argued. They drew in steadying breaths and began walking. As they advanced, the path ahead lit up in sections, the runes brightening just enough to show the way.
At the far end stood a man in simple dark clothing. He smiled warmly and, without speaking, gestured for them to turn left.
The new corridor opened into a wider space.
Ten identical stalls stood in a neat row. In front of each stall waited a person dressed in clean medical-style apparel. The group was directed forward without explanation. One by one, each participant stepped into a stall.
Jisung entered his.
The moment the panel sealed behind him, a soft mechanical light swept across his face. A calm, genderless voice spoke.
"Identity confirmed.
Participant #34 - Yu Jisung.
District 23. South Korea. Age... 22."
A light came from below him, scanned from his feet to his head and disappeared.
"Vital resonance synchronising...
Awakened signature detected.
Vitals stable."
A pause.
"Proceed."
The front of the stall slid open.
Jisung flinched at the sudden movement, then stepped out.
The space beyond was a plain waiting room, quiet and lit more evenly than the corridor. Exactly ten chairs lined the walls. A few of the earlier participants were already seated, some staring at the floor, others at their hands.
As he scanned the room, his eyes caught on a familiar face.
’...Huh? Where do I know this face from?’
He froze for a half a second until his brain caught onto a memory.
’Aha! Participant 24.’
The same young man who had caused chaos back at the Awakening Trial Registration Centre. He was alive. He had made it this far.
Jisung felt a small, unexpected flicker of relief. He almost smiled. The other participant noticed the look and immediately turned away.
Jisung chose an empty chair and sat. A short while later Zachariah and Valerie joined him. They took the seats closest to his. For a moment none of them spoke.
Finally Zachariah leaned in slightly.
"A-Any idea... what they’ll ask?"
"...No," Jisung answered after a brief silence. He looked over to Valerie.
She shook her head once. "How about you Zach?"
He hesitated for a moment, then looked down at his hands. "...No."
That was all. The silence that followed said more than any longer conversation could have.
One by one, names were called from a door at the far end of the room. Each time someone stood, the remaining participants watched them leave. The room grew emptier and the quiet grew heavier. When the ninth person was called, only Jisung remained.
He sat with his arms folded, legs crossed, trying to keep his breathing even. Nervous energy sat low in his stomach, but he forced himself to stay still. ’Hopeful’, he told himself.
’Just stay hopeful.’
About ten minutes later, a voice called out.
"Next!"
The voice belonged to a young woman.
Jisung stood quickly, straightened his clothes, and walked toward the door. As his hand touched the handle, a message rang directly in his ear.
Ding!
[You Are Being Noticed. Take Caution]
A cold line of unease slid down his spine. He didn’t fully understand what it meant but he encouraged himself. He was no stranger to strange experiences after all. He exhaled slowly.
’I know what to do.’
He pushed the door open. It gave a small creak.
The lady looked up at the young man who walked in. He had dark black hair and a soft smile on his face as he walked in. He was handsome, she had to admit. She adjusted her glasses and looked up at him.
"You may sit."
Jisung bowed slightly and walked to the single chair in the centre of the room.
The space was modest in size. In front of him stood a transparent barrier. Beyond it, three figures sat at a long table. A small microphone rested before each of them. Papers and thin devices lay scattered across the surface, none of which held his attention.
Their side of the room was brightly lit. His side remained dimmer. The contrast made the space feel less like a conversation and more like an evaluation.
There was a door to his left. He thought to himself, ’Maybe that’s where I go if I pass.’
The woman cleared her throat, adjusted her glasses once more, and looked at him directly. Her voice filled the room without effort.
"Let’s go over the rules."
Jisung sat upright, attentive.
"There is only one," she said. "You must answer honestly."
He hesitated for half a second, then nodded.
She nodded to her colleagues, then turned her full attention back to him.
"Diary Session is commencing." She glanced toward her colleagues, then back to him.
"Who are you?"
A message hovered at the edge of his vision. It was the same one from before.
[DIARY SESSION - #UNCLASSIFIED]
[PARTICIPANT 34 YU JISUNG
MISSION: Tell a truth and not a lie.
Throughout your Diary Session, you will answer seven questions. Each question grants three opportunities to answer truthfully. Every false answer consumes one opportunity. Exhaust all three opportunities for a single question and the corresponding penalty will be enforced.
TIME LIMIT: Until Diary Session concludes.
DIFFICULTY: C
PENALTY: —
REWARD: 2,000 Coins]
Jisung looked away from it and met the woman’s eyes. He drew a slow breath and offered a small, polite smile.
He already knew he was going to lie.
’’’
Author’s Note: If you’re enjoying the novel, don’t forget to add it to your library and show some support. It really helps!
’’’