episode_0116

Dalgrak!

“Oh my.”

Heo Yoon flinched at the sudden noise.

But the video ended abruptly.

“I think that’s it.”

I moved the mouse and checked the status bar below the video.

The length of the video shown is approximately 11 minutes.

But the time it played was much longer than that.

“How long was the video?”

Choi Se-rim checks the time.

“It’s been more than 20 minutes.”

“21 minutes and 10 seconds. It was 10 minutes longer than scheduled.”

Rico adds the exact time.

Perhaps it is one of the occupational diseases that researchers have, but Rico memorizes numbers one by one, even numbers that seem meaningless.

“Then, is it true that the video has ended now?”

The words that Choi Se-rim quietly spoke.

Everyone couldn’t help but be nervous.

“That’s right, the video just stopped. I was worried that if I press the play button again, the rest of the video will start again.”

“That could definitely be the case.”

“I don’t think this is everything.”

Heo Yoon and Robin also agree.

“Then I’ll check that too.”

I clicked the play button again.

The black screen continued for a while,

Click.

The video starts again.

“Hello. I am Dr. Chen, a senior research fellow at the foundation.”

Dr. Chen, who appeared just as before, overturns the black hourglass on the desk this time.

“What? Just start over?”

“No, this time it’s a little different.”

A faint crackling sound in the background.

Dr. Chen is saying something, but I can’t hear it because the recording is wrong.

Chijik.

Chijijik.

“… … is the purpose of the foundation.”

I paused the video for a moment.

I’ve definitely heard that line before. Is the video really playing again?

“Brother. Check how many seconds of the video are left.”

“Okay. Okay.”

I dragged the mouse and moved it under the video.

Until just now, the remaining time was clearly displayed, but now nothing is displayed.

“I don’t know. I don’t have time.”

“… … .”

“Let’s keep playing it for now.”

Dr. Chen continues the interview.

This time it’s the man filming’s turn to ask a question.

Obviously, the first question was whether the Foundation’s purpose was being properly maintained.

“Okay.”

But the photographer asks a completely different question.

“Then don’t you feel something strange?”

Even though the questions have changed, Dr. Chen gives somewhat set answers.

“The fifth apostle, who is the disaster itself, and.”

and.

The doctor on the screen also noticed something strange.

“Yes?”

“Next question. Do you know which interview this is?”

“Wait a minute. Something is wrong.”

On the screen, Dr. Chen waves his hand to stop filming.

A palm covers the camera lens.

Video ends.

At the same time, everything starts to rewind.

“!@$%#^$&%”

“? What is it? @$da”

“?”}ㅖ?”

Again, back to the beginning of the video.

The video briefly shows Dr. Chen sitting at his desk in his original state, before switching to a black screen.

‘again.’

The screen comes back on.

“Hello. I am Dr. Chen, a senior research fellow at the foundation.”

After finishing his greetings, Dr. Chen sits at his desk and does nothing.

Just staring blankly at the screen.

It doesn’t even turn over the black hourglass.

“… … Ah.”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Instead, an arm appeared from off-screen and flipped the hourglass over.

Judging by the voice, it’s probably the photographer’s.

Black sand falls into the glass.

“… … Ah.”

“Then let’s start the interview.”

“Stop it.”

“First question.”

“Stop it! Stop it. I said stop it!”

The focus wavers for a moment.

A scuffle appears to break out between the two, and outside the camera, which is lying on the floor, screams and a dull noise are recorded.

What price did you pay?

How much of a price will it cost?

I just stared blankly at the screen.

I didn’t think of anything.

“Get out of the way. I have to get out of here. Get out of the way!”

The video continues to record the fight.

thud!

The camera is raised again.

Dr. Chen lies collapsed in front of the desk, bleeding from his forehead.

“What the hell. What is this… … .”

“The video is completely different from before.”

“Is this live? Isn’t this actually happening right now?”

Survivors are shocked but can’t take their eyes off the screen.

But I have no idea what’s going on.

I’m the only one here who knows what Dr. Chen did.

but.

No way. That can’t be true.

There’s no way I could have chosen to do something so horrible.

That can’t be true.

Dr. Chen, sitting back at his desk, continued the interview, bleeding.

“You have to stop it, Robin. You have to stop it at any cost. ”

Video ends.

Everything starts to rewind again.

Even a chair that fell over and a book that fell will return to their place.

Back to the beginning of the video.

Everything came back, but Dr. Chen was the same.

Rather, the condition appears to be more serious.

The once determined eyes were sunken, and the wound on his forehead had widened further and was still bleeding profusely.

Yet he sits at his desk.

The interview has begun.

“… … .”

Without saying anything,

“… … .”

Just stare at the screen.

It is an unknown fear for me.

It is one of those unknown fears that cannot be understood and should not be understood.

eternity.

In that tape, eternity speaks of endless repetition.

What is even more terrifying is that there is absolutely no interference from the outside.

We can only watch.

“Ahh… … . Ahh… … .”

Video 4th episode.

Dr. Chen was quickly deteriorating.

Now the camera shows only the scenery of Dr. Chen’s study, as if shooting a silent film.

For a long time.

The high-pitched, shrill sound continued.

Black hourglass.

A floating paper boat.

A pile of books.

Dr. Chen’s arm, clad in a white lab coat, is now covered in blood.

Click.

The video has ended.

As I was moving the mouse to check the status bar, something grabbed my wrist tightly.

It was Heo Yun’s hand.

“Enough now.”

She is looking at me.

But at the same time, he’s not looking at me.

As if something inside him had suddenly snapped, Heo Yun muttered in a daze.

“Stop it. Please.”

It wasn’t just Dr. Chen in the video who was getting ruined.

***

There was a time when I wanted to give up everything.

In a place where taking just one step meant risking one’s life, the concepts of daily life and happiness seemed so distant.

Heo Yun, who was dragged down from the scaffold he had created himself, followed the strange man who had saved him.

The name is Chen.

He said he was living here with other survivors.

It’s the first time I’ve felt warmth since I came into the apartment.

People who are trying to make a new start by somehow creating a safe zone.

Hope that there is an escape.

Chen was leading everything.

As the leader of survivors with innumerable knowledge.

From then on, Heo Yun was able to change.

With hope again,

I’ve adapted to my new routine.

And he followed Chen, calling him teacher.

To survive here and save others, I had to learn more.

***

Heo Yun is on the verge of collapse.

I felt like I had been holding on tight ever since I first found Chen’s body in the hardware store, but now I couldn’t even do that.

Now I just have a heavy heart.

I don’t even want to explain what price Chen paid.

But it has to be done.

For Heo Yoon. He opened his mouth in a heavy voice.

“The story that was in the video. I’m sure you heard it too.”

At this very moment, no one spoke.

There is not even a sound of breathing.

In complete silence, it seemed like there was only Heo Yun and me.

“The message left by Dr. Chen. We must stop the ‘Fifth Apostle’, who is the disaster itself. And the danger of the existence of Seven. And to enter the Foundation facility today and bring weapons. ”

“That’s all? Does that matter now? How could you come back like that!”

Heo Yun cries loudly.

“Just disappeared. When I saw him again, he was hanging and dead. And, the video? He’s suffering here forever. What the heck! How could this be!”

“If we had just heard this information, no one would have been safe.”

“What?”

“It was that dangerous information. Mr. Chen changed it to something safe. He could tell everyone.”

“Then the price is… … .”

I quietly closed my laptop.

I unplugged the USB cable and picked up the camcorder.

“Chen chose to be trapped here forever. It may seem absurd, but there are more beings than you think who can do something like that. It is highly likely that Dr. Chen made some kind of contract with one of them.”

“… … .”

Heo Yun looked at the camcorder silently.

“Then. What kind of person is the one who made that contract?”

It’s a meaningless question.

I don’t know, and she shouldn’t know.

I could only nod my head in agreement.

“From now on, we need to infiltrate the Foundation facility and get the weapons. Receiving that message is why Dr. Chen sacrificed himself.”

“… … .”

“There will be no more opportunities after today.”

The time was already late afternoon.

Of course, even after today passes, another April 11, 2011 will happen again.

Because that’s the nature of this floor.

But it won’t last long.

Perhaps, after today passes, the past will be confirmed.

“Move as fast as possible,”

“I’m sorry, Dabin. I’m really sorry.”

After leaving those words, Heo Yun quietly went to the corner of the room and crouched down.

He hugs his knees as if protecting himself and buries his head between his arms.

It was too harsh for her to have to move immediately and risk her life.

I know that.

Why do I keep having to say this?

‘Then. What kind of being is the one who made that contract?’

At the end of the video, it was only briefly visible.

A fleeting moment that would have been missed if it weren’t for the librarian’s insight.

Perhaps it is not a visual signal captured directly on video, but rather a subtle sensation picked up by the intuition.

The camera fell.

The moment the screen turned black, I caught it.

Lim Soo-bin.

It was my brother’s presence.

[Episode – Snapshot]

END.