Escaping the Mystery Hotel

- Kim Ahri

-Whoosh!

I held my trembling legs with both hands.

I never realized how strong the wind would be on the rooftop.

From the rooftop of the building disguised as a publishing house, I looked down at the city below.

Even though it was close to midnight, the city was still filled with the glow of neon signs, the hustle and bustle of restaurants, lively bars, and the vibrancy of people radiating through the world.

Have I ever seen a world so beautiful?

Yet here I am, on this rooftop, ready to jump.

I thought about finding a better way, but I couldn't come up with anything more certain than suicide.

An event more unimaginable, horrifying, and unfortunate than “my death”—could there be a more definite answer?

It was not easy for a living person to experience death and resurrection, unlike the one who was nailed to the cross and rose again three days later.

Of course, in the faint memories I had recovered, there were no memories of death.

When I came up to the rooftop, I had steeled myself, but once I got up there, my legs began to tremble.

...What if the thought that this world is false was just my delusion?

What if my mind snapped during a top-secret mission, and this was the result?

I gulped as I approached the rooftop’s edge, looking down at the ground below, feeling as if my breath was stuck in my throat.

I shut my eyes tightly and stepped onto the ledge.

One step. Just one more step, and it's over. Don't look down.

Just close your eyes and take that one step…

"Gasp!"

I opened my eyes with a gasp, the dizzying view from the rooftop filled my vision.

This isn’t right!

Surely, there must be a better way than this.

Maybe everything I've been thinking until now has just been a misunderstanding?

Let’s reconsider.

There has to be a more reasonable method than suicide.

After all, it's better to take action after sufficient consideration—

- Piyooooooo!

“...?”

…???

- Thud!

Something pushed me from behind, and suddenly, I was falling through the air!

That damn bird—I swear I'll cook you someday!

"WAHHHHH! YOU STUPID FUCKING BIRDDDDD! AAAAAAAAA!!! AAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Am I dying?

Am I really going to die like this?

I didn't even jump on my own; I’m going to die from a parrot's headbutt?

The ground rushed up to meet me!

No, I was the one rushing towards it at incredible speed.

An overwhelming terror I've never felt before consumed my soul.

In that fleeting moment, all the confused thoughts that had been clouding my mind were swept away.

My entire being was consumed by one desperate wish.

Stop!

World, please stop! Just stop!

And the world stopped.

People who were unwinding with a late-night drink to shake off the day’s fatigue froze in place.

The neon signs that tirelessly lit up the sleepless city halted their flickering.

The air that had been whipping against my skin as I fell, stopped.

Even the arrogant parrot that had been watching me from above, stopped.

Only at that moment, when the entire world halted in response to my wish, did I fully accept the truth deep in my heart.

The fact that this entire world was nothing but an illusion!

The pendant that had been hanging around my neck naturally floated up into my view and opened.

With a click, the pendant revealed a hidden photo inside.

The reason I had returned to this hotel.

A precious memory I must never forget.

In the photo was a girl who resembled me in every way except for her hair color.

Unlike the person I met this morning, this was my mother, looking no older than her mid-teens.

As the world stood still, my mind drifted toward the past as if floating on a current.

***- A memory from long ago

- Creak.

I awoke to the sharp sound of something scraping against a wall.

A clown with more than ten eyes glistening all over its body stared at me.

I immediately gagged.

But it was fine.

There was nothing left in my stomach to vomit anyway.

"Get lost."

- Creak.

The clown scraped at the glass box protecting me with its countless claws.

"Useless. This item is a special item from the Hotel."

I rubbed my sleepy eyes and looked around.

The once beautiful hotel that was praised as more splendid than any other had long since vanished.

The hotel, now resembling an abandoned construction site, was crumbling everywhere, and filled with monsters so terrifying that I couldn't bear to make eye contact with them.

...Miro? Where are you? Where did you go, leaving me alone in this glass box?

Time passes.

Memories sway like the wind and move to the next scene.

I was still in the glass box.

Miro appeared, covered in blood.

"What happened to you? Did another strange monster appear?"

"No, I got a little hurt retrieving this."

Miro held a balloon-like object that I couldn't identify.

"Is that the 'Air Bubble'? Isn't that something the 'other team' had? How did you—wait, no way!"

"I had no choice. This is the only thing that can save you."

With those words, Miro pushed me further into the glass box.

"What are you doing? Why—"

"Ahri, stay still."

"Miro!"

"Ahri, my beautiful and smart daughter. I'm not as smart as you, but now I understand. We can't survive here any longer, right?"

"..."

"It's strange. There used to be delicious food every mealtime, but today, there is no food. Clowns are popping out from under the bed, and transparent monsters are starting to crawl on the walls."

"...It's because we didn't enter a Cursed Room."

"And we won't be able to enter again. We can’t progress through the Cursed Rooms anymore, right?"

"Mom..."

"It's okay. I always thought something like this might happen one day."

The balloon in Miro's right hand began to inflate, growing large enough to cover the entire box I was in.

"How did you get the Air Bubble? Did you steal it? Don’t tell me... You didn’t kill the 'other team’, right? We promised not to do that."

"I had no choice."

"Please. Let’s leave together instead. We could just make the Air Bubble a bit bigger."

"No. The instructions that came with it said it was for one person only. If two people go inside, something will definitely go wrong."

Ever since I woke up, Miro had always seemed like a child, but that day, she was unusually smart and firm.

"Then you go instead, Mom. I heard you were a very important person outside—"

- Chuu!

Miro’s soft lips briefly touched my forehead as the glass box closed.

"I love you."

As Miro's hand touched the box, my consciousness began to blur.

Tears, which I thought had dried up, started flowing endlessly from my eyes.

With my tears as ink and my soul as the notepad, I etched an unbreakable vow.

I will never forget this moment.

One day, I will return to this place.

And just as you gave up your life to save me today, I vow that next time, I will be the one to save you.

***- Kim Ahri

I had truly awakened.

An overwhelming flood of information burst through the dam of my mind, filling it completely.

The surge of information gave me a headache, and I was forced to clutch my head and lean against the wall for a while.

...As I woke up, I realized something ridiculous.

I've already died several times in this hotel.

The memories of what I experienced in the hotel still hadn’t fully returned.

Because of that, I couldn't imagine “death”, which allowed me to wake up by attempting suicide.

However, if the memories of dying in the hotel had returned, and I had been able to imagine death, what would have happened?

I shuddered and stopped thinking about it.

Upon reflection, it was a very risky method!

Anyway, this is it, right?

The end of this long journey in the Gate Room!

The beautiful Ahri carries the party~!

A hologram window appeared in the air.

Congratulations, Participant Kim Ahri, on completing the final trial 'Perfect Life'!

Since a participant has completed the trial among your party, all members will safely return.

Those who pass can immediately escape the Gate Room.

Would you like to escape the Gate Room immediately?

(Y/N)

"Ahhh~! It's really over! It's finally, finally over!"

With the world at a standstill and no one watching me, I spun around and danced joyfully for a long time!

Just as I was about to press the “Y” on the hologram, a sense of unease washed over me

Why is there a “choice”?

I had resolved or escaped from Cursed Rooms many times before.

But the hotel had never given me a choice like this.

When I escaped, I was automatically ejected, and when I resolved the room, it disappeared immediately.

In fact, the “auto-escape trigger” would sometimes interfere when we were attempting to resolve a room.

So why am I being given a choice this time?

I had already passed, yet I was given the option to “not escape”.

This meant…

…There’s still something left for me to do.

"I want to ask one question."

What question do you have?

"What will happen to the remaining comrades after I leave?"

You already know the answer.

The Gate Room is essentially a more intense version of the Cursed Room.

So many of the principles that apply to the Cursed Room also apply to the Gate Room.

I recalled my memories of when we conducted a series of attempts in the Common Sense Renovating Media Room.

Seungyub would often distance himself from the room early on to secure an escape for the escape team.

That was possible because Seungyub’s escape didn’t hinder the others' progress.

Unlike the complete collapse of the entire room’s world when solved, 'escaping' only meant the individual left the stage while the others continued.

Until when? Until they solve it, escape, or die.

I looked at the notification in front of me again.

Those who pass can immediately escape the Gate Room. Would you like to escape the Gate Room immediately?

(Y/N)

It's not a solution. It's an escape.

Even after I escape, the Gate Room will not disappear, and my comrades will continue.

“…”

A terrifying thought crossed my mind.

What if my comrades continue without waking up?

Unlike the Cursed Room, this world was peaceful and warm, with no threats to their lives.

In this perfect life, what if they kept living for decades, maybe even longer, only to wake up by chance, or after they've already lived out their natural lifespan...?

A sense of dread choked me.

I finally understood why I was given a choice.

There was still something left for me to do here.