Chapter 5: Can’t the camera be stopped?

「Shit, what is this! What the hell is this, damn it!」

「Kyaaaaaah!」

「Get out! Damn it, through the back door!」

「W-what…?」

「Get up and run, idiot!」

Desperate screams, shrieks, the sound of footsteps running over the marble floor, the sharp shattering of glass breaking, groans of pain from slipping in pools of blood, sobs upon seeing half of a classmate’s face, vomiting after being pushed and falling.

「Huuaaa… the door, hng, it won’t open! What do we do…?」

「Guys, move aside! We have to break it!」

In front of the school’s main entrance, students and teachers crowded together like in a chaotic market.

Thunk! Bang!

「But why…?」

Even if they threw a fire extinguisher with all their strength, it bounced back as if it had hit a steel door instead of glass.

「Aaaah, shit, run! That son of a bitch is coming down!」

Creaak, bang!

Everyone, students and teachers, began to scatter in panic, entering any place they could find.

「Hey, open the door! Let me in!」

There are always those who get left behind.

「Open the door, damn it! Aren’t you going to open? You parentless bastards, I’ve already seen your faces! Yeah, let’s see how well you survive. I’m going to grab every one of you and take you to that bastard with the mask!」

That student, who clearly needed to touch up the roots of his dyed hair, hid in the central stairs that led from the first floor to the basement.

The unknown mask came down to the first floor, looked around, and instead of going down to the basement where the student was, walked along the first-floor hallway.

Taking advantage of that, the student quickly went up to the second floor.

Clack.

He tried to open the door to the teachers’ room he saw first, but it was locked.

「Damn it…」

He lowered his voice, as if he had decided not to make any more noise.

When he turned around to look for another place—

「W-who is it…?」

A timid girl’s voice was heard from inside the room.

「Who do you think? Open the door… please.」

The student softened his tone.

Murmurs were heard from inside and, shortly after, the door opened with a click.

「It’s… a person, right?」

「What the hell? What do you have eyes for?」

「N-no… I’m sorry…」

A short-haired girl looked at him cautiously.

「I thought it was a mask… that’s why I didn’t open earlier… I’m sorry…」

「Ah, damn it, whatever.」

The student looked around.

She wasn’t alone.

A teacher who couldn’t walk, an unconscious or dead student, a long-haired girl crying in a corner.

With the arrival of the newcomer, there were five.

Introductions were quick.

The foul-mouthed student was a third-year.

The short-haired girl, a first-year.

The injured teacher was a language teacher.

The boy with glasses, a second-year.

The long-haired girl, a third-year.

「Are there three of those masked ones?」

「Yes. The one I saw had only a left eye. The second-year saw one with the right.」

The third-year saw one that only had a smile.

「Does each mask have its assigned grade?」

「It seems so.」

They talked for a long time, between panic and calm.

About the teachers, about what was happening, whether this was a maze, how to get out, how long they would have to stay, and why the hell this place.

「But quite some time has passed and nothing has happened, right? Could they have left?」

「What if we check?」

「Check? What if you run into it when you open the door?」

The third-year replied.

The second-year hesitated, but insisted.

「But sooner or later we’ll have to go out. We need to go to the cafeteria for food and water.」

「…You’re smart. But the problem is who goes out first. Do you volunteer?」

The boy with glasses sighed.

「Yes, I’ll go—」

「—No. I’ll go.」

The language teacher, after taking painkillers, stood up limping.

「It seems they attack students first, right? Maybe that’s why they don’t come in here.」

「That… might be…」

「Then it’s better if I go.」

The teacher opened the door.

Creak.

「Ah…」

「Shit…」

A white mask with the left eye empty was in front of the door.

The girl closed her eyes.

「Hey. Open them.」

The third-year touched her shoulder.

The teacher was not attacked.

He only trembled in front of the mask.

「It seems they don’t touch teachers.」

「H-ha…」

The teacher let out a nervous laugh.

「T-then I’ll go… stay still…」

Rrrk, click.

He went out carefully.

「Three hours. He’s dead.」

He didn’t come back.

「Even if he’s injured, it doesn’t take three hours…」

「Then the teacher…」

「We have to assume it.」

I knew it too.

He wouldn’t come back.

At least not alive.

The maze is not an easy place.

If there are entities for students, there are also ones for teachers.

The maze is fair, though cruel.

But they couldn’t know that.

An invasive maze is unknown.

And with people dying, it’s impossible to think clearly.

「Then let’s go to the broadcasting room.」

「Y-yes.」

The second-year boy and the third-year girl went there.

Nothing happened.

While he kept watch, she handled the equipment.

She seemed experienced.

Beeep—

The sound began to come out through the speakers.

「What you are hearing now is a recording that I left playing in front of the microphone in the broadcasting room. As soon as this transmission begins, I will immediately return to the teachers’ room on the second floor…」

As soon as they heard that the first sentence was being transmitted without problems, the two students ran out and returned to the teachers’ room.

「…It has been confirmed that there are masks assigned to each grade. The third-year one has the shape of a mouth. These masks do not seem to attack teachers first or enter the teachers’ room…」

In the middle of the recording, information about the disappearance of the language teacher was also reported and information about his whereabouts was requested.

「…We want to join forces to go to the cafeteria to get food. Those who are still alive, please gather in the teachers’ room…」

I know the ending of this movie.

All those kids in that school die.

Knowing it and seeing that final record of them still alive.

“Ugh…”

I hope they don’t kill me for dirtying the seat.

Then they should let you go to the bathroom in the middle of the screening.

I looked away from the seat beside me, now damp and heavy.

「Hey! After one day, the store filled up again! We don’t have to worry about food anymore!」

「Teacher, if you see someone wearing a skirt, run away or hide immediately. Do you remember? There are no female students in skirts left among us.」

「It seems those masks have fixed routes, but sometimes they change depending on the environment or our reactions.」

The Seonghwa students, united, began learning the rules of the labyrinth over time.

「No! Let me go!」

「W-we have to leave, unnie. If we don’t go now, you too…」

In the process, they began to decrease one by one.

As time passed, the light in the eyes of the survivors faded.

「Damn it, if you’re going to abandon people like that, at least survive properly. Useless bastards until the end.」

The school rooftop became a crematorium and a cemetery.

「G-guys… our Seonghyeon… do you know him? Kim Seonghyeon from class 2-3… he’s my son… where is he?」

「Yerim! My Yerim! Lee Yerim from class 3-1… I’m your father! Where are you, daughter!」

Ah…

Now that I think about it, it was about a month after the school turned into a labyrinth.

Public interest was beginning to fade, when an incident occurred some parents secretly entered taking advantage of the reduced surveillance.

「How did you get in? What are they saying outside? Did you come alone? And the others? And the explorers? And the rescuers?」

「Can’t you see? No one is coming. They abandoned us. After all, they never send people into invasive labyrinths.」

Unlike contact ones, invasive labyrinths are strictly restricted.

Even experienced explorers are blocked.

Entering means dying in 99% of cases.

Allowing it would be a disaster.

To enter officially, one must pass psychological evaluations, sign complex documents, and receive approval.

Normally, by the time that happens, the labyrinth has already been resolved.

By annihilation.

That is why neither explorers nor civilians should enter.

「S-seonghyeon… my son…」

But parents cannot avoid it.

That impulse to do the impossible.

「Ma’am, where is—? What is that?! Come here right now!」

「My child… where were you? Mom is here now… let’s go. I’ll make your favorite food…」

「Ma’am! That’s not Kim Seonghyeon! Come to your senses! He doesn’t even have a head!」

「He’s dead! That’s the labyrinth trying to kill you!」

New entities appeared for the parents.

And more people died.

「I hear rain.」

But humans adapt.

「Yes. Then let’s place umbrellas in each classroom. What day is it today?」

Repetitive days.

Looking for food, looking for clues, sleeping.

「Wednesday.」

「Then we can’t run on the stairs at lunchtime.」

Over time, they stopped dying from unexpected attacks.

「Hello.」

But the rooftop kept filling with plaques.

「What else do we have to do to get out? Do we all have to die…?」

「Stop talking nonsense and eat. It’s a lack of carbohydrates.」

「If I close my mouth, I can’t eat…」

Time kept passing.

The camera showed the calendar.

December 31, marked.

「They said we could get out that day! That we would all get out! Aaaah!」

That day, many broke down.

「Please… let’s hold on a little longer… okay?」

「What if we don’t get out either? That scares me more. How much longer do we have to rot here?」

Their final destination was the rooftop.

Time continued.

One day, the third-year student opened his locker.

And froze.

[Congratulations on your graduation, Yoon Haejun!]

Inside there was a card, a notice, a gown, a cap, and flowers.

It was February 5.

The graduation day of Seonghwa High School.