"Bound for Tamra? What's with that?"
"An error? But whoa, it's kinda creepy."
The high-speed train passengers murmured as they noticed the change on the onboard display.
But it wasn't serious—just the kind of curiosity you'd expect from people trying to pass time during a long, boring trip.
At least, until they truly understood what kind of incident they were dealing with.
"Hey, should I record? I'll upload it to Inheart and... …Huh?"
"What?"
"…Internet's not working."
Classic.
"Hey, try turning on your phone! Quickly!"
"Uh, excuse me, but mine says I'm out of the coverage area. Does yours work?"
"What? Why isn't anyone able to connect?"
The murmuring around us gradually grew louder.
But Assistant Manager Butterfly in front of me didn't move an inch, and Supervisor Dolphin sitting beside me just muttered quietly. "Ugh, how annoying. Of all times, why did it have to happen when there are so many civilians on board?"
It was the textbook introduction of a Darkness—a pattern any Field Exploration Team employee from our company would immediately recognize.
What the passengers didn't know was that this particular ghost story had been documented decades ago by the government, not our company.
The Paradise Test (tentative name) was a phenomenon that very rarely occurred on high-speed trains departing from Seoul and bound for Iksan. To date, there had been no casualties, and its disaster classification was pending review.
But that was the extent of the documentation.
'Because there were no casualties!'
The Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau only classified ghost stories as Disasters if people had died.
Thus, the official report had been closed with the assumption, 'The phenomenon appears to have ceased after the Iksan-bound high-speed train route was extended to Mokpo.'
But now… it had returned.
Right here, on this train.
"Look outside! Someone, check the view!"
"Oh my god!"
I turned my head toward the train window.
The view that should have shown us the outskirts of Seoul instead revealed…
An endless expanse of blue ocean.
"…!"
The deep red sky met the horizon, creating a surreal and mesmerizing scene.
The train sped forward, spraying mist as it cut through the waves, gliding across the shimmering surface of the sea.
"This train… it's running on the ocean?! H-How the heck?"
"Wow…"
"Wait, is this some kind of CG effect? Like a trial run for LCD window displays?"
The passengers, awestruck by the surreal, almost transcendent landscape, momentarily forgot their confusion and began admiring the view. One passenger tried to take a picture with their phone, only to panic when it failed to save.
The Tamra Express Disaster.
The introduction was exactly as described in the document I had read…
"..."
Damn it.
If only I had focused on the fact that I was boarding a train bound for Mokpo, I might have anticipated this ghost story's activation. 'But they designed this perfectly to slip past my attention.' They had placed another Darkness in front of me as the target to keep me distracted!
– Travel to Mokpo and enter the C-grade Darkness there.
I had been so focused on preparing for that mission that I didn't see the real threat coming from an unexpected direction.
I clasped my hands together, my mind racing.
'Was this a trap set on purpose?'
Or was it a coincidence?
According to the document, this phenomenon had been described as one that 'no one ever expected'.
'But that was written from the Disaster Bureau's perspective.' Other groups—or individuals—might have figured out its activation pattern.
…Especially considering the people accompanying me.
'The setup feels way too intentional.'
"Pardon me, Assistant Manager, wake up."
"...Hah."
Supervisor Dolphin nudged Assistant Manager Butterfly awake. "Another job? Might as well be high-grade so we can file a report and earn more points."
"Exactly!"
Two members of the elite team.
In other words, people capable of making cold, ruthless decisions to ensure mission success without hesitation or remorse.
'…This ghost story couldn't be a worse match for them.'
Because…
This ghost story tested human morality.
"Hmm. The text on the screen changed."
...
I lifted my head, my gaze icy.
A new sentence scrolled across the screen:
To reach Tamra, offer a sacrifice
"…A sacrifice?"
Rattle.
A window at the very front of the train car slid open.
Passengers sitting nearby flinched and recoiled.
"Whoa, what the—!"
"That window's not supposed to open… Wait a second, why isn't the wind blowing in?"
"Why did it open so suddenly…?"
As if… inviting someone to throw a sacrifice through it.
"..."
A few passengers, who had gotten out of their seats to investigate the anomaly more closely, now wore expressions of confusion and growing fear.
"What do they mean by a sacrifice? An offering?"
"This is so weird…"
But nobody wanted to theorize out loud about what kind of sacrifice or offering it could be.
"Couldn't it just have been hacked?"
"Let's go find a conductor or train staff."
Avoidance.
Most people either sat back down while clicking their tongues anxiously or moved to other cars in search of train staff, pretending to remain calm. Because they had already realized that something was seriously wrong, an eerie stillness fell over the train car.
Tap, tap.
Assistant Manager Butterfly lightly tapped the handle of the seat across from her, drawing my and Supervisor Dolphin's attention. "Don't interfere. Just observe what they do first."
"Understood!"
"Yes."
The assistant manager was probably waiting for someone else to act first to see what would happen… And perhaps also ensuring that I wouldn't do anything reckless.
But I had no intention of acting rashly in the first place.
'If this really is that Disaster, it's better to stay put for now.' I quietly observed to see if events would play out 'as expected'.
After a moment—
"This is way too strange!"
Sporadic screams began to erupt throughout the train car. "We found a conductor, but they're in a total panic! They're screaming that they have no idea what's happening!"
"There are families with kids in the front car, and they're freaking out because their kids are missing!"
"This isn't normal! We can't contact the engineer either! The control cabin is completely locked!"
As communication spread between train cars, people learned more terrifying details.
– Ah, the chaos of it all! Throughout human history, what cannot be understood has always been a source of fear. And here, it's no exception.
– Are you going to keep observing where this leads, Friend?
'…For a while, yes.'
That was the right move for now.
But I couldn't help feeling anxious, so I clenched my teeth to suppress it. I watched the people standing by the train door, loudly proposing ideas to the rest of the passengers.
"Everyone, we need to come up with some sort of plan!"
"Yeah, this is starting to look like a serious situation—"
Di-ri-ring!
"...Huh?"
Everyone turned their attention to the onboard screen.
A new message had appeared.
First Altar Entrance
"…Altar?"
Fwick—
Outside the window, the once-brilliant blue sea suddenly turned blood-red—
And then everything went dark.
"Ack!"
Through every window, the horizon was replaced by grotesque, fleshy walls covered in membrane-like textures.
"T-This…"
"Oh my god!"
It was as if the train had entered a tunnel or a strange station, sliding forward smoothly through the eerie, dark space.
Remaining distance : 5
"Shouldn't we be doing something right now?"
"Let's find a button or something!"
"A button? There's nothing like that here…"
Remaining distance : 4
"What do we do? What do we do…?"
"Excuse me! You, by the window—help me close this window! Don't just sit there!"
"Ugh, shut up already!"
Thud!
Remaining distance : 3
"W-Wait, are you trying to push someone—huh? W-Whoa!"
Splash!
"Ack! Someone fell out of the window!"
"No! They were trying to push me, but they ended up falling by themselves!"
Remaining distance : 2
"Shouldn't we stop the train? Someone just fell—"
Remaining distance : 1
"Get down on the floor. Stay quiet."
"Y-Yes!"
0
A sacrifice has arrived
Open the sea path
Whoosh.
The light returned.
Outside the window, the endless blue sea once again sparkled under the dazzling sunlight.
But…
Gaaaaaaasp—!
The train car was in chaos.
I looked toward the people gathered near the open window, especially…
A man in his 30s wearing glasses, his face pale as a sheet.
And the now-empty seat directly in front of the window.
"That guy pushed someone out of the window, I'm telling you!"
"N-No! He tried to push me, but he lost their balance and fell on their own!"
"That's right! I saw it from the side. The person who fell was acting strange—aggressive even."
"Still, someone died!"
Next to me, Supervisor Dolphin leaned in and whispered, "Hmm. The screen did mention a 'sacrifice' and 'offering', so I guess the person who fell was… processed as the offering?"
"Pretty obvious, huh?"
Assistant Manager Butterfly tossed the remark as if it were nothing and then casually adjusted the equipment attached to her nails, declaring, "We'll observe the next event before we take any action. Get ready."
"Got it."
"..."
At least, the good news was that the passengers seemed to calm down somewhat, having concluded that the person who fell was at fault.
The few who had been accusing and shouting at the man in glasses gradually backed off, muttering a few parting remarks as they did.
"Are you okay? Don't take it too hard."
"Yes… I'm fine. Everyone's just on edge, that's all."
Supervisor Dolphin was observing this exchange closely.
Meanwhile, Assistant Manager Butterfly and I quietly inspected our equipment, keeping a watchful eye on the situation.
But that was where the good news ended.
Twenty minutes later—
"Again!!"
Second Altar Entrance
The train reentered the tunnel, and the outside view turned crimson and dark once more.
"What the hell is going on?!"
Thanks to their earlier experience, the passengers didn't fall into a panic. Instead, they quickly crouched down and covered their heads.
"It'll pass if we wait long enough."
I overheard the murmuring passengers.
Across from me, Assistant Manager Butterfly was now wearing a strange monocle as she scanned the dimly lit train car.
Her gaze was sharp, searching for something expendable and convenient.
"Assistant Manager."
"What?"
"Shouldn't we observe what happens if no offering is made?"
I chose my words carefully, phrasing them the way the assistant manager would prefer.
"We don't know if reaching 'Tamra' is a good idea or not. It's a situation worth betting on."
"Hmm."
A brief silence.
"Fine."
Phew.
I nodded, exhaling silently.
'We can't draw attention by offering someone as a sacrifice.'
Meanwhile, the countdown on the screen continued to tick down.
Remaining distance : 5
Remaining distance : 4
Remaining distance : 3
Remaining distance : 2
Remaining distance : 1
0
Passed
Whoosh.
The outside world was bathed in light again.
The tunnel ended, revealing the vast ocean once more.
"Ah…!"
The passengers instinctively sighed in relief. "It disappeared!"
The text on the onboard screen flickered and then went dark.
–
What remained was the breathtaking view of the train speeding across the glittering sea, leaving a trail of white spray in its wake.
"…Ah."
The tension eased, and one by one, people lifted their heads, relief spreading across their faces.
"It's still the ocean out there."
"Seems like it's over, right? Everything's fine now, isn't it?"
"This feels like some kind of event or something. Wait—did anyone sign up for an escape room experience or something like that?"
Tap, tap.
Supervisor Dolphin whispered softly, "This might be easier than expected, huh? Maybe we can clear this without even sacrificing anyone ourselves. It's kind of a predictable condition."
"Let's observe a bit longer. This is my order as assistant manager."
"Yes-yes."
Another ten minutes passed.
Slightly more relaxed, some of the passengers began moving around the train car, searching for the missing children, calming down the train staff, and trying to communicate with the engineer.
Just when it seemed like everyone had adapted to the situation, regaining some composure and rationality—
Suddenly, without warning.
Thud.
The train tilted forward abruptly.
"…!!"
"W-What? What's going on?"
Passengers tumbled out of their seats, rolling across the floor. I clung tightly to the handrail and managed to hold my ground for one moment longer.
Swallowing my fear, I forced myself to look outside.
Specifically, I strained to see the surface beneath us—wherever the train met the ocean below.
The white spray that had been rising as the train sliced through the shimmering waves…
Was gone.
THUD!
The train broke through the surface of the water and began to sink.
"Aaaahhh!"
"Nooo!!"
The windows shattered, and seawater rushed in.
The conscious passengers screamed, desperately trying to swim out or cling to each other.
The unconscious ones floated limply on the rising water. It was chaos—enough to drive someone insane.
– Isn't this the perfect moment to call for help, Friend?!
...
Not yet…
– Hmm!
Submerged in the cold, suffocating darkness of the sea, I followed Assistant Manager Jin Nasol's precise hand signals directing us to escape through the windows.
But as I got closer to the exit, I felt something strange—my consciousness was fading much faster than my lungs could handle.
A dizziness like I was suffocating overwhelmed me…
...
'Huuuhp—'
My mind…
Went blank.
"..."
"..."
"…Huh??"
I opened my eyes to the sound of the cheerful train jingle.
Di-ri-ri-ring!
We were back inside the train car bound for Mokpo, the doors just having closed at Seoul Station.
Next to me sat Supervisor Dolphin, and across from me was Assistant Manager Butterfly.
The electronic display panel showed:
Bound for Mokpo
Around us, I heard the dazed voices of other passengers.
"Hey, I just had the weirdest dream…"
"You too? Me too. Something about a Tamra-bound train?"
"Huuuh? H-Hold on. Me too?"
"What?"
Bound for Mokpo
"…H-Heeeey! Over there, over there!"
"Huh? Huuuuuh?!"
Bound for Tamra
Departing
The train roared to life and began moving again.
Like the first time.
Exactly the same.
"Aaaaaahhhh!!"
Crying, screaming, and panicked voices erupted throughout the cabin.
"Wait! WAIT! What's happening?! What the hell? Just what…!!"
"Let me out! Please let me out!"
"Mom… what's going on?"
What indeed.
'…It's exactly what it looks like.'
I pressed my lips together in silence.
※ URGENT NOTICE
Recent recurrence of the anomalous phenomenon known as 'The Paradise Test (Tentative)' has revealed fatal, unpredictable anomalies.
It has been confirmed that when the train crashes into the water, passengers are transported back to the exact moment of initial departure.
Survivors claim they were trapped in an endlessly looping time sequence aboard the Tamra-bound train.
Right.
Everything here resets.
'…And everyone remembers.'
All passengers retained the memory of what they experienced, without exception.
So.
This marked the start of the second cycle.
– A time loop! A classic sci-fi trope. But what makes this particular case interesting is how profoundly trapped the participants are.
– With collective memory stacking up for everyone involved, even the bravest among them would hesitate to act.
The looming specter of eternal consequences creates a remarkable barrier to action, wouldn't you say?
Exactly.
'That's why I need to be extremely careful.'
I had to stay calm.
I also couldn't afford to get swept up in the panic.
One thing mattered most to me now.
'I can convince people logically.'
Everyone had experienced something undeniably supernatural.
They wouldn't dismiss me as some lunatic spouting nonsense anymore—they'd listen.
Now, it was time to act cautiously and deliberately.
'This isn't… too bad.'
I could survive this.
I would survive this.
Yes, I had to believe that.
I steadied myself and thought about what I needed to do first.
'Find the person with the Silver Heart.'
Aside from me, there was one other key figure responsible for this nightmare becoming a perfect hell. That person was somewhere on this train.
I needed to identify and control them.
'Let's find them and neutralize the problem.'
I remembered that they had been briefly mentioned in the short story adaptation of this event.
I tried to recall the specific car and seat number where they had been sitting.
It was definitely in the first car, seat number…
...
'Wait.'
Calm down. Think carefully.
Their name—what was their exact name?
...
"..."
"Uh, hey? Supervisor?"
I couldn't remember.
'Ah.'
It had been weeks since my Memorial Popsocket broke.
The gaps in my memory were finally starting to show.