Everything suddenly went to hell.
...Or rather, it started on the day everything went to hell.
How did it go?
Choi Jinhyeok vaguely remembered working on a project with the development team when he was suddenly called by HR.
He walked into the HR office like he was entering the dentist's chair — perhaps, half-expecting the miracle of a promotion or something along those lines.
Instead, he got this kind of news.
"You're being let go."
"I don't understand. I'm being let go? Can I know the reason?"
"It's personal. Your performance has been up to standard."
"Then..."
"As you know, the company has decided to restructure. Your position has been eliminated," said HR manager, as though she was delivering the morning weather forecast.
His brain refused to process the words at first.
...Restructure?
That sounded like a fancy way of saying "we don't want you here anymore, and we've been polite about it."
After a while, he opened his mouth and asked,
"So… this is permanent?"
"Yes."
A simple yes. That was all he received.
Worse yet, the HR Manager herself was glancing at her screen as if he were already a file to be archived.
He tried to protest, argue or perhaps attempt to negotiate... but all he could manage was a hollow laugh.
What would be the point?
The decision had already been made and all he could do was swallow this heavy blow.
Everything felt surreal.
He had been a cog in that corporate machine for two years, dreaming of recognition, promotions, maybe even a fancy title one day. And now, in a single moment, it all evaporated.
It felt like the world had ended.
Unfortunately, the worst blow was still coming.
Because…
"I don't think this is going to work."
Those were the words his longtime girlfriend, Su Mei, said one ordinary afternoon, as if delivering a finishing blow.
A bit startled, Choi Jinhyeok managed to say,
"Why?"
"Is there supposed to be a reason? I just don't think this will work anymore."
"Does it really work that way? Is it because of my job?"
"No."
"Did I do anything to offend you?"
"No."
Jinhyeok ran a hand through his hair, feeling irritated.
"Then… what exactly does that mean?"
Su Mei looked away. "It just… doesn't feel right anymore."
"Doesn't feel right? After all this time?"
She said nothing.
He sank into the nearest chair, letting out a long, humorless laugh.
"Of course. Of course it would end like this. First, I lose my job, and now… my girlfriend decides I'm suddenly not right for her."
The apartmeny suddenly felt too large and loud with all the things they didn't say.
Maybe that was the case.
"I… I guess. there's nothing left to argue about."
Su Mei's eyes flicked to him, almost guilty, but not quite. "I think… it's better this way. For both of us."
"Better for both of us."
He could almost taste the bitter irony. His hands shook slightly as he reached for his phone, scrolling through messages he hadn't yet deleted, reminders of plans and jokes now meaningless.
Jinhyeok wanted to say something profound that would make her regret it, or at least make him feel better. But all that came out was a flat,
"Yeah… sure. If that's what you think is best."
She nodded, and then, almost quietly, she left.
The door clicked shut behind her, leaving him in a silence that was heavier than the corporate termination letter.
And in that silence, Jinhyeok realized, with a grim sort of clarity, that this was just the beginning.
Years passed, and it didn't get better.
Every morning, he woke up to the same gray ceiling, the same empty apartment, the same gnawing sense that life had left him behind. Jobs came and went: temporary contracts, freelance gigs that barely paid rent but nothing lasted. Recognition, promotions, the little milestones he had dreamed of as a cog in some corporate machine… all of it remained just out of reach.
Friends moved on. Some married, some climbed the ladder, some left the city entirely. Invitations to dinners or gatherings dwindled until the only consistent presence was silence.
Even Su Mei's departure had long since faded from memory as a person and become a ghost of what could have been.
Days blurred into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. He moved from one job to another, each one slightly more tolerable.
In the quiet moments he would think back to the realization that perhaps everything that had ever mattered could vanish in a single moment, leaving him with nothing but the stark awareness of how fragile it all really was.
What was the point of living?
He asked himself that question every morning.
The city blazed beyond his window, full of life and motion, but he felt invisible like a ghost trapped in someone else's story.
Some days, he barely left the apartment. Others, he wandered the streets, aimless, watching people rush past him, laughing, arguing, living — things he once thought he would have too. Even so, the emptiness inside him did not disappear or eventually fade away.
Always present, always there.
Was the problem him… or the universe itself?
Ding! Ding!
Suddenly, a familiar ringtone pierced the silence. Jinhyeok's smartphone vibrated insistently beside him.
Someone was calling?
"Who could that be?"
Curiosity prickled at him. Maybe it was one of his old friends checking in or someone he hadn't heard from in years.
He swiped to answer, and the moment he picked up, an unfamiliar voice filled his ears.
[Do you wish for a New World?]
"…What?"
Jinhyeok was a bit baffled. The words sounded absurd, even to him.
[Do you wish for a New World?]
"A… new world?"
[Yes. An ideal world where all your dreams can come true. Are you willing to accept this offer?]
"All my dreams can come true… hold on… what is this? A prank?"
He frowned with displeasure and remembered all the times someone would give him a call and spout some bullshit like this.
Has his number been leaked somehow?
Just when he was about to dismissingly end the call, the voice turned cold and spoke again.
[Choi Jinhyeok, are you satisfied with your current way of life?]
"W-what…!"
His eyes widened but the voice didn't pause, continuingly speaking in an obvious mocking manner:
[27 years old, male, nationality: Korean, currently unemployed. You were abruptly fired from your first job at a gaming development company and have been hopping from one meaningless gig to another ever since. You even got dumped by your girlfriend, who has been receiving a pounding from a more blessed another man if you know what I mean. Or could it be that you didn't know why? Oh, you poor thing. What a pathetic existence indeed. I could almost cry.]
"…Wait… what?"
[Do you understand now? Your life has been nothing but a series of failures and missed chances. All your effort, all your hope… wasted. For what? Don't you think it is unfair?]
Jinhyeok's stomach churned. His apartment suddenly felt too small as if the walls themselves were judging him.
"Who… are you?"
[That is irrelevant. What matters is the choice before you. Accept this offer, and your life can begin again. Refuse, and remain trapped in this… pitiful existence.]
He laughed bitterly, though it sounded hollow even to him.
"Begin again… right. And what, I just wake up in some fantasy land with everything fixed? Yeah, sure. That definitely sounds legit."
[Feel free to believe me according to your distinction. However, at least give it a thought before refusing this offer. This is the last time you will receive something of this magnitude.]
"..."
Choi Jinhyeok went silent. He actually considered it.
From a logical standpoint, it made sense to dismiss this mysterious stranger as a scammer. Yet… this voice mentioned things that nobody else could possibly know, details even he hadn't fully realized.
His girlfriend had been cheating on him.
Now that he thought about it, it explained why she had suddenly grown distant, cold, and less intimate. The signs had been there all along, but he had been blind to them. Or maybe he had simply ignored them. Five years, after all.
But what did this stranger mean by "a more blessed person than you"?
Surely, his ex hadn't left him because of…
Never mind.
Shaking his head, Jinhyeok pushed the thought aside. He focused on the one question that actually mattered.
"What do I need to do?"
[It's simple, really.]
The voice paused, then added, with a subtle, teasing wit:
[All you need to do is climb the Dark Spire.]