Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#026Reader Mode

#026

Airi was seething, her words slicing through the air as she pointed an accusing finger at the soldier. Tears carved paths through the dirt on her face.

“Really? So we’re just live bait now?” she spat out. “And what exactly were you banking on with this crazy plan? That your beloved gun would magically make everything right?”

The soldier, with a distant look in his eyes, gestured vaguely around him. “It’s not just me, okay? My whole squad’s here with me. Look, right there… and over there. Just a little help from you guys, and we can pull this off.”

Airi’s rebuke seemed to bounce right off him as he stared off into nothingness. Seojun glanced around half-expecting to see an invisible army, but all he found were dust motes floating in the air. Airi, looking ghostly herself, clutched William’s head to her chest.

“Bobby would’ve found this hilarious,” Christina murmured, lost in her thoughts. Then, realization dawned on her. “Wait, where’s Bobby?”

Johan’s smile was tinged with sadness and resignation. “Bobby’s… he’s not with us anymore.”

Christina looked at Johan, confusion etched on her face. “What do you mean he’s not with us? Explain, Johan.”

“Gas Mask took him,” Johan said simply.

“What?”

Johan’s response was too brief and far too detached.

“On our way to the guardhouse, Gas Mask ambushed us. It was three against one, and the guy had a crossbow. We were lucky to escape with our lives. Bobby wasn’t so fortunate…” Seojun added, his voice a mere whisper.

Color drained from Christina’s face, her lips trembling. They had been dodging a cosmic horror, dealing with a delusional soldier, and now, a killer was in the mix.

Seojun, though he had prophetic insights in this horror scenario, couldn’t read minds. But Christina’s thoughts were easy to guess. She clenched her teeth and let out a scream of pure fury.

“This damned campsite!”

The moment was charged with raw emotion, with Christina at its epicenter, embodying the quintessential female lead. Then Airi, pulling herself together, gently laid William down and limped over.

“Wait, back up a sec, Seojun. Are you saying Gas Mask was the one who shot at you with the crossbow? Damn, so it wasn’t Brass after all.”

Airi’s realization made Christina turn to Seojun, taking in his battered state—swollen lips, bruised cheeks, eyes hollowed from too much horror. He looked pitiful, yet his reluctance to speak said more than words ever could.

Airi’s frustration was clear as day. She massaged her cheeks, releasing a deep, exasperated sigh.

“Seriously? Has Gas Mask got some kind of rockets in his boots? How on earth did he outpace Seojun? Is there a hidden passage or something?”

The phrase hidden passage lingered in the air, charged with possibility. Airi’s hand flew to her mouth, as though she feared her words might have been overheard. Her eyes flickered nervously, scanning their surroundings, half expecting the ground to split open at their feet and swallow them whole. The encroaching shadows seemed to stretch, taking on an ominous air.

Her hand drifted from her mouth to her forehead in a gesture of disbelief, and then, with a defeated slump, she sat down.

“No time for wild guesses. If there’s a secret exit, we need to find it – and fast.”

Her voice was a low, mournful murmur. William, not caring about the dirt and mustiness staining his clothes, crawled over and wrapped Airi in a reassuring hug.

“We’ll get through this, Airi. We’re going to make it.”

“Willy…”

Seojun, his expression twisting with irritation, wondered if they were inadvertently raising a death flag. Just then, Johan, who’d been silently assessing the situation, chimed in with a sudden revelation.

“Ah, that’s right. Gas Mask is actually the campsite manager.”

“What? What does that even mean?”

Airi, pushing William aside, sprang to her feet, her injuries momentarily forgotten in light of this startling development. Christina, equally taken aback, moved closer, her already pale face losing even more color.

“Is that true, Johan? The manager’s the one who attacked Seojun and kidnapped Bobby?”

“Well, considering the phone line was cut at the guardhouse and there wasn’t a dead body found, it’s a pretty solid guess.”

“My God, Bobby’s conspiracy theories are actually true. What next, the moon replacing the sun? This isn’t some TV drama, what the hell is happening?”

Welcome to the world inside a horror movie.

Seojun cast a sympathetic look towards Airi, who was clicking her tongue in frustration. This might not be a drama, but it was a world quite similar to one.

“Hold up, everyone, just hold up…”

But before he could continue, Golden, who had been silent since they subdued the soldier, burst out, swinging his arms agitatedly. He tried to wedge himself between Johan and Seojun.

Seojun scrunched up his nose at the stench of sweat, but Johan just smiled and caught Golden’s flailing arms, restraining him.

“What’s the deal, Golden?”

“Johan, Johan Gentil. Wait, no, I wasn’t talking to you.”

Golden’s gaze fixed on Seojun, more a glare than a look. Seojun swallowed hard, feeling uneasy. Accustomed to being targeted by the Gold, Silver, and Bronze trio, even a hint of hostility set him on edge.

However, Golden’s gaze held a curious intensity, a mix of lucidity and the lingering effects of the drug. His usually brash demeanor was absent, replaced by a hesitant uncertainty. Normally, he’d be strutting around, the ringleader of his gang, causing trouble. But now, he was alone, his usual entourage nowhere to be seen.

It struck Seojun as odd.

Why was Golden here, solo? How did he know they needed help? Seojun took an involuntary step back, his mind whirling with questions.

Today’s events were a parade of oddities, but this was another layer of mystery. Seojun, ironically dubbed a prophet, found his own future frustratingly vague. His visions were sporadic, like brief flashes of light in pitch darkness.

He hadn’t seen it coming, for instance, when he’d been punched for telling Golden where to find his lost bike. Seojun’s thoughts were a jumbled mess.

Then, slicing through his mental turmoil like a sharp blade, Golden spoke up.

“Fortune teller, the guy who shot you with the crossbow? Probably Brass.”

The statement hit Seojun like a thunderclap.

Stunned, he barely processed Golden’s words. Brass’s name resonated in his ears, rendering him speechless. Airi, however, didn’t miss a beat.

“I knew it! It had to be Brass!” she declared, her fist punching the air with a mix of anger and triumph.

“Brass?” Johan echoed, his piercing blue eyes locking onto Golden with an unreadable intensity.

He casually placed a hand on Golden’s shoulder, feigning nonchalance, but the grip tightened, unforgiving. Golden grimaced, his features twisting in pain, and he shoved Johan back.

“What are you doing?! Lay off, Johan.”

“Easy there. Just keep your distance. Wouldn’t want Seojun catching your bad habits, right? And maybe watch your breathing around him. You’re practically a walking toxin.”

Johan’s words were serious, despite the absurdity of addiction being contagious. He stood his ground.

“Why are you treating me like some kind of junkie?” Golden retorted, clearly irked, his foot kicking at the ground.

Seojun couldn’t help but be amazed at his lack of self-awareness, but that wasn’t the point right now.

“Johan, back off. Let him speak. You’re saying Brass was behind this?”

Golden, now a few steps back due to Johan’s intervention, looked unusually subdued. His typically proud posture sagged, and his blonde hair, which usually shimmered red in sunlight, now seemed to soak up the darkness of the night, turning a deep, shadowy black.

“It was all Brass’s doing, coming to Hamon Campsite.”

Golden’s lips parted slowly, as if he was about to unravel the mystery…

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

The sun was still high in the sky earlier that day, when the notorious Gold, Silver, and Bronze trio found themselves unceremoniously booted from the Hamon convenience store. They trudged down a forested path, with Richard wiping sweat from his forehead and casting a skeptical look back at Brass.

“Are we even on the right track? Feels like we should’ve just gone through the main entrance.” he questioned.

Brass just flashed a crooked grin at Richard’s grumbling.

“Going through the main gate would’ve left a paper trail. You think we’re here for a picnic at Hamon Campsite? Remember, Christina’s here. And Airi too, damn it! Imagine them, maybe in bikinis, frolicking in the lake, showing off those killer bodies…” His vulgar gestures and a sharp kick to Richard’s leg crudely illustrated his thoughts. Richard threw a disgruntled look behind and muttered something, but his complaint died in his throat as he tucked away a small bag of white powder. Brass swaggered on, oozing arrogance.

“Come on, have a little faith. This side trail hooks up directly with the campsite buildings, bypassing the main gate. I’ve scoped it out before—you get a clear view of the lake from there. And if you pick the right spot, you might even get a peek inside the cabins, if you catch my drift.”

Brass dropped these hints to Golden trailing behind him, his tone dripping with sleaze. Golden though, was more into the buzz from his vices than chasing skirts. But he wasn’t about to bite the hand that fed him his highs.

Instead, he kicked a pile of trash onto the main path in frustration. This is going to be a headache later, he thought, but didn’t bother to clean it up.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

“Hey, you!”

“What? What is it?”

Everyone’s attention snapped to Seojun as he burst out. Golden, in the middle of his story, stopped and blinked, visibly surprised. Seojun just tightened his jaw, his annoyance brewing. True to form, the infamous Gold, Silver, and Bronze trio were nothing but a headache for him.