With trembling steps, Hesa walked toward the bathtub. As he got closer, the figure submerged in the water became clearer.
"Khan!"
Quickly, Hesa pulled his friend out of the tub and patted his cheeks, trying to wake him up.
The body felt freezing cold, making Hesa even more worried.
"Khan, please hold on," Hesa said, struggling to hold back his tears as he pressed on his friend's chest—performing CPR.
"Khan…"
After a few minutes passed with no response, Hesa turned his face away, unable to hold back his tears any longer.
Arkha suddenly woke up, feeling a tight pressure in his chest that made him cough violently.
Hesa, seeing that, flinched in shock.
"Khan."
"Y-You…"
Arkha slowly sat up and raised a hand toward Hesa—signaling him not to help.
"I'm fine," Arkha said weakly.
"You almost drowned and you're saying you're fine?!" Hesa snapped.
But that reaction made Arkha smile, and he instinctively hugged his senior. He knew Heeseung wouldn't react with genuine annoyance like that.
"Hesa…"
"You thought I was Heeseung, didn't you?" Hesa asked.
"You guessed it. For a moment, I did think you were Heeseung. I mean, he's the one who camped here with us, not you," Arkha replied.
"So you finally realized," Hesa said.
"He admitted it himself," Arkha answered.
Relief washed over him seeing Hesa back. But when he noticed the cloth wrapped around his arm, he suddenly remembered.
"Joan got caught by his twin," Arkha said in panic. He stood up but staggered, still weak from being submerged earlier.
"Just stay here. I'll go," Hesa said.
He smiled, trying to reassure Arkha. Unfortunately, when he turned around, the copy was already there.
"I was looking for you. Turns out you're here."
"What do you want now?!" Hesa demanded.
"Found you. What do you think I was looking for you for?"
Hesa stared at the copy lazily. "You already kidnapped me yesterday. Maybe you forgot."
"Yeah, I even forgot I hit you when I actually wanted to talk."
The copy seemed to remember his mistake. He then pointed his pistol at Arkha. "Come with me and I guarantee he'll be fine."
"No. Just shoot me instead," Hesa said bravely, but Arkha grabbed his hand.
"Go with him," Arkha insisted.
Hesa shot Arkha a protesting look. "Are you crazy? I'm sure he just wants to separate us!"
"I have a strange feeling… and I think it's a good one," Arkha said, convincing him that this might be a chance.
Hesa hesitated, staring at Arkha, but Arkha nodded firmly.
~~~~~
"Why is that ball following me everywhere?"
Unlucky Niki. He had gotten separated from the others, lost in this unknown place, and now a mysterious floating ball kept chasing him.
Thud.
"Damn it!"
His bad luck continued—he tripped over a piece of paper.
"Tch, what paper now?" Niki muttered, picking it up.
— Kill the main character and the Detective helping him, and you can leave this place —
"Main character? Detective?"
Niki threw the paper away, not understanding. He also felt the message was meant to divide them.
He turned around and noticed the strange floating ball was gone. But when he looked forward again, a bigger problem stood in front of him.
"We give you a clue and you throw it away."
"You talk too much!"
Niki immediately punched his copy, knocking him down.
"Come with me or—" Riki glanced behind Niki.
Niki hadn't realized Satya had already been captured by Sunghoon.
"Don't you want to stick with your friend?" Riki mocked.
Seeing Niki remain silent, Sunghoon dragged a knife lightly across Satya's cheek.
"You can run if you want," Sunghoon laughed while dragging Satya away.
"Damn!"
In the end, Niki had no choice but to follow them.
~~~~~
"I'll help you and Hesa now. We'll face them together."
That memory helped Joan slowly regain awareness.
"Jo… Joan…"
Joan opened his eyes and saw Jio tied beside him.
"J-Jio…" He tried to move but couldn't. A metal plate locked his body to the chair.
"Are you okay?"
"Worry about yourself first!"
Joan looked around and saw several electric chairs—two of them occupied by himself and Jio.
"We…"
"Yeah, Jo. We got caught. Now we're tied to electric chairs," Jio said.
Joan struggled against the restraints.
Footsteps echoed.
Sunghoon and Riki entered, dragging Satya and Niki.
"Let me go!" Satya shouted.
"Relax. You'll be released when it's time," Sunghoon said casually.
They tied each twin to their respective electric chairs.
"Four down. Two more to go," Sunghoon said.
"That one won't be involved yet," Jungwon replied.
"Oh, okay."
Sunghoon pulled a lever, activating the chairs.
"Arghhh!"
Through the pain, Joan glanced at Niki beside him, already unconscious.
"No! I have to hold on. I said I'd fight them."
His eyes landed on the pistol in Jungwon's pocket.
Creak.
Joan forced his body to move, loosening the restraint slightly. Without hesitation, he kept pushing.
Jungwon noticed and immediately shut off the power, rushing toward Joan to tighten the metal plate.
Crash!
Too late. Joan had freed himself. Swiftly, he grabbed Jungwon's pistol and kicked him down.
"Let my friends go!"
Jungwon raised his hands when Joan aimed the gun at him.
"Relax. We can negotiate."
"I'm not negotiating with a demon," Joan shot back.
"Your friends aren't that strong. Are you sure they're still alive?" Sunghoon taunted.
Joan turned and shot the metal restraints one by one.
Bang!
"JOAN!"
Jio's shout made Joan spin around just in time to avoid Sunghoon's knife.
"You guys!" Jio charged at Sunghoon and Jungwon while Satya and Joan freed Niki.
"I'll carry him. You help Jio," Satya said.
Joan nodded and rushed back. Soon, the two enemies lay unconscious on the floor.
"J-Jio…" Joan looked at Jio in relief.
"Jo…" Jio smiled weakly, but pain surged in his stomach again.
"Ah—" He clutched his wound.
"Your stomach was shot earlier," Joan said.
"Y-Yeah… I think they treated it, but it reopened."
"Come here. I'll help you."
Joan supported Jio as they walked toward Satya, who was carrying Niki.
"The last place I was with Arkha—we need to go back and save him," Joan said.
"Do you remember where?" Satya asked.
"I don't know the direction. I passed out when my twin brought me here. But I remember what the room looks like."
"That's enough. We'll check every room," Jio said.
~~~~~~
They walked together through the building.
Hesa arrived in a fairly large room. He saw his compass watch placed on top of a short pillar.
"Welcome, my twin," Heeseung greeted.
"Stop calling me your twin. I don't have one," Hesa replied.
"Suit yourself."
He glanced at the watch. "Aren't you going to take it?"
Hesa froze.
"It's not a trap." Heeseung casually picked up the watch and handed it to him.
"Why are you doing this?" Hesa asked.
"No reason. Maybe I've repented and want to end this terror."
"After everything, now you suddenly repent?" Hesa questioned.
"I've started accepting this reincarnation."
He gestured for Hesa to follow.
In front of a room, Hesa saw Setta lying unconscious.
"Go to him so he wakes up."
Though hesitant, Hesa approached.
"Setta, wake up. I found you," Hesa said, patting his cheek.
Setta slowly stirred.
"H-Hesa!" He hugged Hesa, crying.
"I was so scared. I'm glad I can see you again."
Heeseung pretended to wipe away tears, clearly uninterested in the drama.
"I want to tell you something since I've repented."
"What is it?"
"I know Kyungmin."
"What? Kyungmin? I don't know anyone by that name."
"I'm serious. Even if he helps you, it doesn't mean he's good."
"…."
"He's working with someone. Be careful."
Hesa looked at him suspiciously but remembered he had to support Setta.
"Slowly," Hesa guided him.
"I-I'm sorry for being a burden," Setta said.
"Don't say that."
After a few steps, Hesa noticed Heeseung wasn't following.
~~~~~~
Arkha was still waiting anxiously.
" Hesa is taking so long."
Footsteps approached.
"Khan."
Joan and the others entered.
"Are you okay? What did he do to you? Why are you soaking wet?" Joan asked.
"I-It's nothing," Arkha reassured.
"What happened to Niki?"
"Electric chair," Jio answered.
"I'm awake. Put me down," Niki said.
Satya carefully set him down.
More footsteps approached—Hesa appeared.
"You guys…" Hesa said, relieved.
"He didn't hurt you?" Arkha asked.
"No. We're all together again. Let's find the exit."
They walked through the dim building for about thirty minutes before sitting down to rest.
It was dark, barely lit.
After thinking for a while, Niki spoke.
"Maybe someone really has to be sacrificed." He showed the paper his copy had kept.
Joan raised his hand and smiled. "I know who it means."
Hesa and Arkha immediately grew anxious, afraid Joan would say that the "main character" and "Detective" mentioned in the note were them.