Gi-hun’s consciousness floated in a haze. Time was a blurred concept; he had no sense of how long he had been lost in the void. Gradually, a faint sensation began to return to him. First, the heaviness of his limbs. Then, the coolness of the surface beneath him. His eyelids felt like lead, but they fluttered open, revealing a ceiling adorned with intricate golden patterns.

His breath caught in his throat. Was this… the afterlife?

The room around him came into focus. It was unlike anything he had ever seen in this game-lavish, opulent, and immaculate. The walls were lined with ornate carvings, the kind he had only seen in history books or old movies. The bed he lay on was draped in silken sheets, soft as clouds.

For a fleeting moment, Gi-hun thought he might be in heaven.(or hell lol)

But the chill of reality soon set in. Heaven wouldn’t have a glass door guarded by a masked figure in red. The guard stood motionless, a silent sentinel with an air of menace.

Gi-hun’s heart raced as he pushed himself up on the bed, his body trembling with weakness. His muscles screamed in protest, a stark reminder of the torment he had endured in the games. His mind whirled with questions: Where am I? Why am I alive?

The guard tilted his head slightly, as if noticing Gi-hun’s movement. Then, without a word, he turned and exited the room through a side door.

Gi-hun’s fear spiked. Alone and vulnerable, he swung his legs off the bed, his bare feet sinking into the plush carpet. He took a shaky step forward, then another. Every muscle in his body protested, but he forced himself to keep going, driven by the primal urge to escape.

He reached the glass doors and pushed against them with all the strength he could muster. They didn’t budge. Frustration and fear bubbled up inside him.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

“Going somewhere, Player 456?”

Gi-hun froze, his breath hitching. Slowly, he turned. Standing just a few feet away was a figure he recognized instantly: the Front Man.

Hwang In-ho, the former Player 001.

In-ho’s expression was cold, his sharp eyes boring into Gi-hun. The air between them felt heavy, thick with unspoken tension. Gi-hun stumbled back.

“You…” Gi-hun’s voice cracked. “Why…?”

In-ho didn’t answer immediately. He stepped forward, his movements deliberate and composed. On the side table next to the bed, he placed a glass of water with a soft clink.

“You look like hell,” In-ho said, his tone flat. “But I suppose that’s to be expected.”

Gi-hun glared at him, his fists clenching despite his weakness. “What do you want from me? Why am I here?”

In-ho tilted his head slightly, studying Gi-hun as if he were a puzzle to be solved. “You always thought of yourself as a hero, didn’t you?” His voice was calm, almost dispassionate. “The one who would save the others. The one who would make it to the end.”

Gi-hun’s stomach churned. He wanted to yell, to demand answers, but his body betrayed him. He staggered and collapsed onto the edge of the bed, his strength spent.

In-ho’s gaze didn’t waver. “And yet, here you are. Defeated. Alone. Looks like being a hero didn’t quite work out for you, did it, Gi-hun?”

The words, cutting deeper than Gi-hun wanted to admit. He looked away, his jaw tightening.

In-ho sighed and gestured toward the glass of water. “Drink. You’ll need your strength if we’re going to talk.”

Gi-hun hesitated, eyeing the water suspiciously. “Why should I trust you?”

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of In-ho’s lips. “Trust has nothing to do with it. You’re alive because I allowed it. That should be enough.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Gi-hun’s mind raced with a thousand questions, but his body was too exhausted to resist. He reached for the glass with trembling hands, the cool water soothing his parched throat.

In-ho watched him, his expression unreadable. “Rest for now,” he said, turning to leave. “We’ll talk when you’re ready. There’s much you need to understand.”

As the door closed behind him, Gi-hun was left alone in the extravagant room, his thoughts spiraling. He didn’t know what game In-ho was playing, but one thing was clear: the nightmare wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

☆☆☆☆☆ I just wanted to ask if the story is good? English is not my native language, but I have been learning it by taking additional lessons for as long as I remember, so I hope that people whose first language is not English can understand the content😭