Chapter Text
[THIS STOP IS RAPTURE. RAPTURE STATION.]
You don't stir as the doors slide open. Your nails bite your palms, tracing the red crescents already there.
"Are you sure?"
You lift your head. That sound-
A voice? Voices. People. People. There are people-
You swallow your fear and rush to poke your head out the subway car. Your trembling hand grasps the handrail even as you step onto the platform. Thirty seconds. You only have- no, less than even-
You hear it again.
Voices. Others.
You heard it. You must have.
You whisper an apology but don't glance back. You feel time ticking down with your pounding heart, with your footsteps. You heard it right? You still hear it. Other people-
The car after the next, you see them.
People. People in suits, running off from their car, their argument ended. You don't have the breath to call out, but you try running to the closest one, dragging him to the nearest car as you do.
"H-hurry! It's d-!"
There's a yell, you're shoved off. You make one more desperate lunge, please-
You're pulled backwards.
The doors close. You shut your eyes. Cover your ears.
An announcement. Screams. The train moves.
Like clockwork.
The people, so many of them, move around the carriage, saying things.
"Who is that?"
"A person?"
"Do they know how to-"
"Are you alright?"
You take in a shaky breath. Your eyes meet those a color like dark, gray glass. He stands right behind you, still holding you. He must have pulled you in.
[ATTENTION PASSENGERS. AS OUR TRAIN PASSES THROUGH A CURVED SECTION, THERE MAY BE NOISE AND SHAKING. ]
Your eyes widen. You grab the man's wrist to drag him to a seat-
[PLEASE REMAIN SEATED TO PREVENT ANY ACCIDENTS.]
"S-sit," you croak. Louder, you try to say, "Please, e-everyone should-!"
"Let's all sit down," says the man beside you, loud and clear.
Everyone complies, murmuring. You clutch his arm. You look at him. He looks back at you.
Real, you think. You hope he is real.
Somewhere in the next car, screams reach you again. You must have whimpered. Or your grip tightened. He doesn't pry you off, despite how your hands stain his sleeve.
"It's okay," he says gently, softly as the path straightens, shrill cries blending and fading into the subway's ambience. "It's really scary isn't it? But I can get everyone out of here."
You meet his gaze once more, and you dare to hope.
[THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COOPERATION.]
In the corner of your eye, you see some of the others on the train moving. Approaching the stranger, your savior, who must be their leader. You pry your fingers from his jacket, and curl your arms around yourself.
"T-thank you," you manage. The stains on his jacket. Does he-?
[ATTENTION PASSENGERS.]
Cries of disbelief rise up.
[THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM ABYSS TRANSPORT CORPORATION. THERE IS A LOST ITEM.]
You swallow. You think of strangers screaming. Of cooling blood coating your hands. "You. . .sir, you said. . .?"
"I can ensure we disembark at the right station." He speaks calmly, clearly. Certainty in his voice and eyes.
"Then. . .don't listen to this announcement. Please tell them not to. . ."
[IF YOU FIND THE LOST ITEM, PLEASE GET OFF AT THE NEXT STATION, AND DELIVER THE LOST ITEM TO THE STATION STAFF.]
The announcement echoes.
[THE LOST ITEM IS THE LEFT EYEBALL OF A TYPE-A MALE IN HIS 20S.]
The trembling figure looks at him, exhausted and pleading. Their eyes are red from dried tears. Their hands-
Should we trust them?
Look at them!
They must have been here a while.
How suspicious-
They fold their hands on their lap as applicants murmur. He glances at his sleeve, and a chill runs through him. Looking at them, their fingers. . .the smear on his jacket. . .
He nearly jumps out of his skin at the hand at his shoulder, but it's only Go Youngeun. She draws her hand back.
"Excuse me," she says politely, smiling at the stranger. "Can I borrow my colleague for a moment?"
They only blink. They barely nod, if it's even that and not the rumbling of the rails, before lowering their gaze.
"Miss Go?" he asks a few paces away, voice low.
"The station announcement said-"
"I'm type AB," he cuts in. A lie, but a necessary one. Rather than cause infighting through a single-person escape ticket, they should all just leave together. It's the only way he'd escape from this too.
"Oh. Well-"
"I fit the description perfectly!"
Ah-
The applicant raises his hand. "I match every single detail!"
[THIS STOP IS ANGER. ANGER STATION.]
It happens quickly. Baek Saheon approaches. Strikes. Leaves with his bloodied phone and mocking words.
Baek Saheon stands at the station, eyes wide as he glimpes, through the train windows, the bottled eye in Kim Soleum's hand. The station attendant slithers close.
The Viper screams as the station blurs away.
Still in the seat, the stranger flinches.
There is silence in the car, more from shock than solemnity for another lost in the train.
". . .I heard you earlier," says another applicant. "You said not to listen to that announcement. Did you know it was a trap?"
Their eyes flicker up. "I don't. . .if it's a trap, I don't know. But I heard it before. . .people fought then-"
They shake their head. "If we can all leave together, that's better right?"
For someone else to say it. . .it's a litle relieving-
"Hey." One of the people that protested to departing at Rapture looks at him. Stands behind him, glaring at the silent, seated figure. "You said this was like a ghost story right? Isn't this like something from a ghost story? A bloody stranger stumbles onto the car to trick everyone then-!"
He raises his hand, and the applicant falls quiet. He gestures at them. "They didn't force entry. I pulled them in. Earlier, at Rapture-"
He turns to them. Their desperate expression comes clear, despite their fatigue. "Back there, you were trying to save someone, weren't you?"
A slow nod.Their hands curl tighter, nails digging into the backs of their hands.
Trying keep us on the train forever? he hears. The other car is empty and bloody-
Keep calm. Keep control of the situation. They need to be someone reasonable to agree with. "You said you heard that kind of lost property announcement before?"
"Yes. . .yes, three or. . .four? Times? I just. . .I woke up on the train. There used to be more people on my car. . .but they would leave the platform. . .or fight over lost items. . .when there were just a few of us left. . .it asked for the kidney of an old woman. . .she. . .she was still. . . they. . ."
They uncurl their hands. Lift the stained palms upwards.
"There were three of them. One was a doctor. . .I couldn't stop them but. . .I thought, if I could stop the bleeding. . ."
They sniff. Their hands move as if to cover their face, but they force the limbs down. They fold their hands again. "I must have fainted. . .the body was gone when I woke up. . ."
They look like they want to cry. They look like they're out of tears. If he had woken up here without help, without any items, alone in such a strange situation. . .
"It must have been terrifying all alone."
Nobody voices another objection to their presence. Go Youngeun even moves to kneel before them and clasp their hands in her own. "Don't worry, Mr. Kim can guide us out!"
He feels a little uncomfortable as everyone turns to him and the pressure piles up, but the goal's the same isn't it? And with the ready support of two, herd mentality should kick in more easily when he needs it to.
The smile that finds its way to his lips isn't so forced. He takes his seat beside them again, just a little envious of how easily they can show their fright.
"I'm Kim Soleum," he says amicably.
They tense.
"You shouldn't- p-please don't make me say it. . .they asked for a name as a lost item once. And the ones who got off. . ."
Their gaze grows distant.
He swallows. Ah. "I see."
You feel like a nuisance, clinging to Kim Soleum, but if you don't, you feel like someone may toss you off onto the platform as soon as it suits them. He's kind enough, or tolerant enough, to speak to you politely when Go Youngeun leaves to check up on the stranger whose eye was hurt.
"By any chance, did you apply for a company called Daydream?"
His voice is soft and low, unlike the screams. You think you'd find it nice, even outside this place.
"No. . .I don't remember how I got here at all. . ."
"You weren't riding the commute, or going home, or anything like that? Were you reading ghost stories-?"
". . .I like reading them." You laugh softly. "But I didn't think I'd ever go into one. I never wanted to either. I hate horror movies and jumpscares. . . .I liked listening to summaries though. And explanations. And videos like, how to survive this or that. . .it felt like it come in useful one day. . .so much for that. . ."
There's an odd look in his eyes. He dips his head. His voice is lower too. "Do you know about Darkness Exploration Records?"
You frown, and try to match his volume. "I heard of it, but I never got around to it. . .I only really finished the Gideon Keys of Calgary and some recommended SCP and Backrooms articles. . ."
A cold dread seeps into your heart. "Is this-?"
His hand curls around your arm. Later, he mouths, then-
"In case," he whispers. "Since we didn't come here at the same time, just in case we don't or can't exit the same way, you need to listen to the lost item announcement. You don't have to hurt anyone. You just have to-"
"It's hidden somewhere. Whatever it is. I know."
He stares. The question is clear.
Why didn't you leave?
You swallow a laugh at your own foolishness. You'd seen those with the item walk away. They didn't scream when they left your line of sight. It's so stupid. Really. But-
"Even if I found the item," you murmur. "I didn't want to get off the train by myself."
There was only ever one lost thing, unless someone else had it. People couldn't share. But what if the train wasn't the end? If you got lost in the subway passages-
You feel stupid, stupid tears pricking your eyes. "I don't know what's out there. I didn't- I don't want to stay in this train but-!"
"Better the fear you knew, right?"
His smile looks real. His calm face breaks, just a little. Not in doubt, but in understanding.
"We'll get out of here. I promise."
Somehow, you manage a smile too.
[THIS STOP IS TAEPYONG. TAEPYONG STATION.]
He rises and everyone follows. The stranger, perhaps a fellow transmigrator, is at his side as he offers assistance to the blinded applicant.
He resolutely heads to the doors, leading the others-
A sea of blood and gristle greets his eyes. Everything's painted in a dark, rotten red, as though mopped in guts instead of water. Even the signs look worn with rust of more dried gore.
"This is the right way, right?" someone asks.
It is! His unease and stress this very second proves it! Taepyong, peace, carefreeness- what other feeling could possibly be more lacking, and therefore all the more fitting a destination to disembark? This station is right! He knows in his head that it's correct, but his heart-!
How is he supposed to convince everyone to disembark when he doesn't want to leave himself?!
Blessed, wonderful Go Youngeun takes the lead.
"I think getting off here's the right choice!"
Calling him calm, calling him sure, saying he's good, she marches onto the platform. She directs them all to follow, her own voice clear and strong.
The stranded stranger walks after her. "It makes sense. . .the other stations must have looked clean and maintained to be traps. . . so this place. . ."
That wasn't quite the logic, but if it helps!
The stranger look at him. "You promised so. . .I trust you."
"I also trust you," grins the injured man on his shoulder. "Don't hesitate because of me. Let's go!"
. . .sure. If everyone believed that's why he hesitated, that would only help, wouldn't it?
So move. Focus on walking. Focus on not falling. Don't think about the blood. . .!
They all walk onto the station. They all trudge towards the stairs, himself at the lead, despite his pace being slowed.
"Just focus on going up," he says, more to himself than the others, but the man beside him nods.
The applicant even pauses before the steps. "Thank you, Mr. Kim. . .I think I can walk on my own now. You just take the lead!"
He does not scream. Not externally, anyway.
He takes the first step up the stairs. Then the next, and the next. Everyone's footsteps reminds him he's not alone.
He glances up. Through the dark, his eyes catch gold, worn as it is on rusted metal.
EXIT, reads the sign overhead.
They're on the right path. Nothing's jumping out to scare them. No ominous sounds either.
Just go up, one foot after the other-
"Kim Soleum, right?"
The stranger smiles at him, matching his steps at his side. "Thank you."
He nods, as the lights get brighter, his breathing easier.
"Just in case," they say, "let's meet. . ."
The world flashes white.
"Wow! Congratulations, New Recruits!"
He blinks. He's back in the orientation room.
The host cheerfully continues his program.
Kim Soleum cranes his head.
In his seat as they count off survivors and eliminate the freeloaders, on stage when he's commended for taking the lead, in the hallway as the room empties too, he doesn't see the nameless stranger from the subway.