That scream, which tore through the silence of the circus, was enough to awaken even the dead. It wasn't a scream of pain, but a scream of astonishment, a scream of bitter realization. It was followed by murmurs, then the sounds grew, as if a beehive had suddenly awakened. I didn't need to see to know. The real game had begun.
"The left eye of an adult male with blood type A." The words echoed in my ears, a reverberation of the announcement that suddenly appeared in the air, hanging like a visible ghost. It wasn't just an announcement, but a challenge, a test of human limits. I looked around. The faces that moments ago were rigid, like circus dolls, began to change. Fear, confusion, then a faint glimmer of hope, or perhaps madness, began to shine in their eyes.
"Is... is this real?" a young girl whispered, her eyes widening, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She wore a faded pink dress, and her blonde hair was scattered around her pale face. She looked fragile, like a delicate flower about to wither. "An eye... a human eye?"
"It must be a joke!" a large man shouted, his muscles tensing under his tight shirt. He held a rusty iron rod in his hand, as if preparing for battle. "Who dares to do this?"
But the silence that followed his words was more eloquent than any answer. It wasn't a joke. No one was laughing. This was the new reality, a reality that imposed itself on us mercilessly.
I felt my hand tremble. It wasn't fear, but anticipation. I had seen this before, in the novels I had read. This is the moment when true human nature is revealed. The moment when victims turn into executioners, and innocents into monsters.
"We have to find it!" an middle-aged woman shouted, her voice sharp as a blade. She wore a luxurious coat, but it was torn and stained with dust. "If we find it, we can get out!"
People began to move, pushing and shoving, searching every corner of the circus. The atmosphere was charged, as if a storm was about to break. Everyone looked at each other with suspicion, as if the enemy was not the monsters that might appear, but the person standing next to them.
"My blood type is A!" a thin young man shouted, his hair hanging over his eyes. He wore elegant clothes, but they were dirty and torn. "I'm in my twenties! I'm the one!"
Eyes gathered on him, eyes carrying a mixture of hope and despair. Is this the solution? Is this salvation?
But I knew the truth. I had read the novel. It wasn't that simple. It wasn't just a random eye. There was a trick, a trap, another test.
"Wait!" a sharp voice shouted, a voice that cut through the noise like a sword. Everyone turned. The voice came from a dark corner, where a mysterious figure stood. She wore a long black coat, and a wide-brimmed hat that hid most of her face. But I saw her eyes, her gleaming eyes in the dark, like the eyes of a predatory cat.
It was "Layla," or so I knew her from the novel. A mysterious, unpredictable character, carrying a mixture of beauty and madness. She was known as the "Shadow Sorceress," and it was said that she could see what others could not.
"Don't rush, you fools!" Layla said, her voice carrying a sarcastic tone. "Do you think it's that easy? Do you think this circus will give you salvation on a silver platter?"
People stopped, looking at her with suspicion. Her words carried weight, a weight of knowledge they didn't possess.
"The eye is not just an eye." Layla continued, taking a step forward, revealing a faint smile on her lips. "It's a test. A test of loyalty, a test of intelligence, a test of madness. The real eye is not just a piece of flesh. It carries a secret, a secret that only those with insight can see."
"What do you mean?" the large man asked, his fist still clenched on the iron rod.
"You'll see." Layla said, her eyes gleaming with a strange light. "You'll see when the time comes. But remember, in this circus, nothing is as it seems. And everyone, even those closest to you, might be a mask hiding a monster."
Layla retreated into the shadows again, leaving behind a wave of confusion and doubt. Her words were enough to plant the seeds of doubt in everyone's hearts. No one trusted each other anymore. Everyone became a potential enemy.
And amidst this confusion, "Baek Sa-hyun" appeared. He advanced slowly, his steps confident, his eyes gleaming with a strange light. He wore an elegant suit, but it was torn and stained with blood. It wasn't his blood, but the blood of others. He was known as the "Poisonous Snake," not for his physical venom, but for his psychological venom. He was a psychopath, enjoying manipulating others, and seeing them suffer.
"I... I'm the right person!" Baek Sa-hyun said, his voice carrying a dramatic tone, as if giving a speech. "I meet all the conditions! My blood type is A, and I'm in my twenties!"
Eyes gathered on him again, but this time they carried a mixture of fear and anticipation. Is this salvation? Or is it just another trap?
"No need for all this worry." Baek Sa-hyun said, a malicious smile spreading across his lips. "If one eye is enough to escape and survive, why hesitate?"
In an instant, before anyone could understand what was happening, Baek Sa-hyun pounced on the thin young man who claimed to have blood type A. His movement was swift, deadly. One blow, strong, precise, using the corner of his smartphone. A horrific tearing sound filled the air. A muffled scream, then silence.
The young man fell to the ground, his left eye torn, blood splattering on the cold floor. There was no time to cry, no time for regret. This was reality.
"The doors are opening now." An automated voice announced, the Dokkaebi's voice, the voice of fate. "The train is leaving the station of wrath."
Baek Sa-hyun jumped over the corpse, and exited the train, his eyes gleaming with insane triumph. "You fools!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the corridors of the circus. "If one eye is enough to escape and survive, why hesitate?"
Everyone's reaction was delayed. Shock, astonishment, then anger. "What have you done?" the large man shouted, his fist trembling.
"They said we could get off!" Baek Sa-hyun replied, his smile widening. "It's hard to expect that from people who throw the responsibility of their lives onto others."
His words were enough to ignite the fuse of anger in everyone's hearts. But the doors had already closed. The train began to move, pulling away from the station, leaving behind corpses, blood, and despair.
I looked at Baek Sa-hyun through the window. He was waving his hand, his smile still on his face. He thought he had won. He thought he had found salvation.
But I knew the truth. I saw what he didn't see. I saw the real eye. It wasn't the eye Baek Sa-hyun took. It was the eye I found.
And while everyone was focused on Baek Sa-hyun, I stealthily placed my hand on the luggage box in the back. I had definitely seen it before. And as I searched deeper, I grabbed something that was strangely hidden in a blind spot, as if it had mysteriously disappeared. I pulled my hand out to check the item. Inside a strange portable contact lens case, there was a single eye. And on the label. [Blood Type: A / Gender: Female / Age: 27 / R].
This was... a notification about the lost item. In the first place, lost items wouldn't be my belongings, but what others had lost. In fact, this announcement was like a treasure hunt game, where you had to take the real lost item that perfectly matched the description from among several items in the luggage bag.
It's true that there were rare cases where people managed to escape by simply handing over what they owned. Now, Baek Sa-hyun would be one of them. But what if he knew he didn't have to give up his left eye?
The doors had already closed. So, the moment the train was about to depart, I turned towards the platform, and then my gaze met Baek Sa-hyun's for a moment. I clearly raised the contact lens case containing the eye towards the door. I had hidden the label, so only one thing would be clearly visible: just the eyeball.
—...!!
Behind the door, Baek Sa-hyun's expression changed when he realized what was in my hand. But it was too late. [The train is leaving the station of wrath.]
I looked at the young man Baek Sa-hyun attacked. I understood now after seeing his left eye injured - Baek Sa-hyun was trying to get rid of the real lost item (which should have been handed over) instead of his own eye. Perhaps he did this because he thought there was only one lost item that would be recognized. I don't deserve to blame him for trying to escape himself, everyone here is trying to save themselves. But... this was crossing the line.
I turned back towards the door. Behind me, I heard the sound of strong, continuous knocking on the glass doors. Then, from the distant platform, the echo of a strange scream from someone suffering in terrible pain reached me.
[Lost item successfully delivered to the station attendant.]
End of Chapter Three.