Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#106Reader Mode

#106

The Wizard’s hands and feet were still untied, and his head wasn’t covered with a sack or anything. So, maybe he could still escape by trying out different codes, right? Seojun hoped he could get out first, call 911, and report the kidnapping. Still, it was always wise to hear someone out, even if they weren’t speaking in Korean.

– Remember I mentioned there were six live footage streams on the monitors? Originally, there were nine. But when I entered the wrong password once, one of the feeds went completely black. I’ve gotten it wrong three times and now I’m down to six screens.

“…….”

Seojun didn’t say anything, but he was extremely thankful the Wizard didn’t have a ‘Fall seven times, get up eight’ kind of spirit.¹T/N: “칠전팔기의 자세” Fall seven times, stand up eight. An idiom meaning “never give up.”

– So, Oz, you could get out of here first, find help, and then come back… Or you could look around for the four-digit code hidden somewhere in this place… The thing is, I really need your help, Oz. What do you think? Do you get now why I want us to have a good relationship?

Seojun thought about it. The Wizard’s suggestion wasn’t entirely unreasonable, but after weighing his options, Seojun figured it might be safer to just escape on his own and call the police or a rescue team. There was no telling what might happen if the wrong password was entered nine times. What if something worse than just losing the screen feeds occurred?

Sure, the Wizard wasn’t exactly the most likable guy, but that didn’t mean Seojun wanted to risk him ending up in a worse situation—or worse, dead.

Seojun grabbed his sketchbook and scribbled down his thoughts, his handwriting still as messy as ever.

[Don’t touch anything you don’t have to. Like you said, it’d be safer for me to go out and bring back help.]

Seojun’s offer was pretty generous, especially considering how much courage it took for him to make it. But the Wizard hesitated before replying.

– Actually, that’s a bit of a problem too. If I could, I’d want to get out of here as soon as possible.

Seojun’s curiosity spiked, and he drew a quick question mark in his sketchbook. The lines were shaky; drawing curves was harder than he thought.

[?]

-I’m not the only one trapped in this room. It looks like the person who put us here—or someone like that—is right next to me.

“What?”

Seojun blurted out, breaking the silence. He was too stunned to keep writing. His surprise must have been obvious, even on the CCTV feed, because the Wizard picked up on it and kept talking.

– Let’s see… He’s got blond hair. If I had to describe it, I’d say it shines like the sun. His skin’s really pale, he’s tall, well-built, and his eyes are… blue.

Blond hair shining like the sun. The description made Seojun think of Florence. After she and Gilbert broke up, Seojun occasionally chatted with her, and she had described Johan in similar terms while watching him run. She’d go on about how Johan’s hair dazzled, glowing like the sun the longer you stared at it.

It’s a familiar way to describe him.

Seojun thought, feeling a twist of unease forming in his chest. He tried to shove the feeling aside. Through the speaker, he heard a rustling noise. The Wizard kept talking, his tone still calm and steady.

– And he’s wearing a T-shirt with the word ‘Wizard’ on it. Yeah, that’s right. Actually, that’s where I got my inspiration—from this T-shirt. Too bad there’s no way to contact the outside world from here.

The Wizard chuckled—a hollow sound that bounced off the walls.

– Honestly, I’m not even sure if his hair really shines like the sun. This room’s pretty dark, and I’m just making out shapes from the light of the monitors. I really want to get out of here fast. Staying in a place like this too long could mess up my eyesight.

Seojun was the only one who seemed bothered by the Wizard’s disturbingly casual attitude. Whether the unconscious kidnapper was wearing a T-shirt that said “Wizard” or underwear that said “Magician,” it didn’t seem to matter in the slightest to their current situation.

“Is this really the time to be talking nonsense? Seriously!” Seojun snapped.

[Aren’t you in danger?]

Despite the frustrated words that escaped his mouth, his hands wrote more politely. Fortunately, the Wizard could only see the bold, bright red scrawl of Seojun’s question on the paper, which gave Seojun a small sense of control. The Wizard continued to calmly describe his situation.

-I’m fine. This guy was already out cold when I woke up. Looks like he hit his head pretty hard somewhere. There’s a nasty bump and some blood on his forehead, the back of his head’s swollen, and he shows signs of vomiting. Could be a concussion…

The Wizard clicked his tongue, as if he was talking about a minor inconvenience rather than someone potentially suffering from a serious head injury.

-I even tried slapping his cheeks a few times, but he wouldn’t wake up. Honestly, if the door had been open, maybe it would’ve been better for him to just die right now. Don’t you think?

Seojun almost nodded out of reflex but caught himself. If someone had gone to all this trouble to keep another person captive, there had to be a reason for it. Yet here they were, with the kidnapper possibly about to die without revealing anything—no motive, no hint—just collapsing under his own circumstances. It was mind-boggling. How could someone who had the nerve to kidnap two people be so close to losing it all without leaving any clues behind?

– The reason we need to work together is obvious, Oz.

The Wizard’s firm tone, still grating on Seojun’s nerves, oddly managed to calm some of his rising anxiety.

– This doesn’t look like his first time kidnapping someone. The seventh video feed on one of the monitors shows a small room. It’s filled with people who look like scarecrows, just stacked on top of each other. I can’t see it clearly, but they’re probably corpses, right?

Seojun’s stomach churned. Why did he have to say that? This wasn’t just the work of some small-time killer satisfied with only two victims. But something about this didn’t add up, something that felt off. Seojun knew he had to tread carefully. He chose his words carefully, thinking of a way to ask without provoking the Wizard, and slowly picked up a colored pencil.

[Are there any other buttons besides the ones that control the monitors?]

If the place where the Wizard was trapped was a control center, there could be all sorts of devices or mechanisms they could operate remotely. Seojun’s heart pounded, caught between fear and a sliver of hope. His gaze locked onto the red dot on the screen, as if it might reveal some hidden escape route. There was a brief silence, then the Wizard spoke again, slower this time.

– Hmm… I’m not really good with machines, so I’m not totally sure… but I don’t see any buttons specifically labeled for that.

“……”

Seojun’s hope flickered, then dimmed. How much could he trust the Wizard’s words? Doubts began creeping into his mind like weeds, threatening to take over. Everything seemed suspicious when he thought about it.

There was the mysterious figure the Wizard claimed was the real captor, the descriptions of the CCTV footage, the question of whether there were other buttons that could help them escape, and even the unsettling possibility that the Wizard himself might be the captor.

The root of all Seojun’s doubts was clear: he couldn’t see the Wizard. This one-sided visibility, where only his own appearance and actions were exposed, was slowly chipping away at his trust. The Wizard could see everything Seojun did, every move he made, while Seojun was left in the dark, both literally and figuratively.

But what choice do I have?

Maybe the Wizard was just another victim, like Seojun—trapped in a situation that was completely out of his control. And maybe it was just sheer luck—or some twisted irony—that the kidnapper had knocked himself out. It wasn’t impossible to imagine someone clumsy or foolish enough to accidentally injure himself, smashing both the front and back of his head in some bizarre, self-inflicted accident. The Wizard’s hesitation about the buttons in the control room could also make sense if he genuinely didn’t know his way around machines. After all, anyone would be cautious after repeatedly entering the wrong code and facing immediate consequences.

In the end, everything hinged on whether Seojun could trust the Wizard. Even if the Wizard was the kidnapper, playing some twisted game with him, what choice did Seojun really have? He felt as lost as a blank sheet of paper, unsure which direction to turn.

An irrational tension gripped his heart, squeezing tighter with every second that ticked by. His mind kept telling him to be cautious of the Wizard’s strange behavior, but the more he listened to that eerie voice, the more his instincts seemed to pull him in a single direction. Was it just because, when you only have one lifeline, it’s easier to grab onto it, no matter how fragile, for some sense of security? He rubbed his fingers together, trying to warm them up. They had gone cold with fear and uncertainty.

And just my luck, my hands are covered, so I can’t even use my psychometry…

The faint scent of blood hit Seojun’s nose—it was coming from his dry, cracked lips. He licked the small cut, tasting that sharp metallic tang. Somehow, the taste of blood spreading on his tongue snapped his thoughts into focus, just a bit.

Seojun knew he had a tendency to think the worst. He could be a real pro at it, honestly. But he also had a strong will to survive. Plus, he’d been in dangerous situations before and managed to wiggle his way out. That kind of experience sparked a tiny bit of cautious optimism, even in someone like him. He tucked his sketchbook under his arm and leaned against the podium, gaze drifting up to the CCTV camera. Talking was a way to exchange information, and while he couldn’t be sure how much of it would be true or false, it was better than sitting in silence, trapped with his own dark thoughts.

– Have you given it some good thought?

The Wizard asked, his voice calm, almost casual—like he had all the time in the world. The tension in Seojun’s shoulders eased up just a bit. The Wizard was weirdly calm for someone in captivity. His companion had an unusually peculiar personality.

Seojun scribbled a quick note and held it up for the Wizard to see:

[Please take care of me until we get out.]

– Likewise.

A soft laugh floated through the room, blending with the uneven buzz of static.

“Hmm.”

Seojun’s hand, lost in thought, went to rub his chin but ended up awkwardly brushing against the sack hanging around his neck instead. He’d been pacing the room, taking in every detail, when his gaze landed again on the chalkboard. The words written across it still bothered him. It had been nagging at him ever since he first saw it, so he decided to tell the Wizard.

– Prove your innocence? Hmm, that’s definitely intriguing, especially since it was the first thing you saw when you woke up. Hard to figure out what a madman might want, but if we’re talking in general terms… maybe think about whether you’ve done anything wrong, Oz.

Anything wrong?

Seojun snorted at the Wizard’s careless remark. Even though he knew the Wizard couldn’t hear him, the words spilled out before he could stop them, bouncing off the cold, hard walls.

“Wrongdoing? Please. I’ve lived my life with nothing to be ashamed of, even when looking up at the heavens!”

It was a shameless thing to say, especially considering everything—like letting friends like Christina walk straight into danger, or threatening Bobby, or sneaking away in the middle of the night because he couldn’t face the reckless things he’d said. Seojun knew his life wasn’t exactly honorable by any standard.

Still, it’s not like he’d committed any serious crimes—aside from the self-defense murder, and he definitely wasn’t the type to beat himself up over the judgment of some psycho who kidnapped people for fun. If anyone had the right to judge him or throw stones, it would be Christina or Johan, not some faceless maniac with a twisted sense of justice.

Innocence? The nerve of someone who kidnaps and locks people up to demand that I prove my innocence!

The more he dwelled on it, the sharper his gaze became. He had been trying to become a better person lately, but fate—or maybe his own messed-up nature—seemed to be working against him. Anger, heavy and dark like a weight in his stomach, settled deeper with every breath. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. With a frustrated grunt, he kicked the podium lightly. To his surprise, a notebook slid out from a hidden compartment and hit the floor. Right then, the Wizard’s voice crackled over the speaker.

– Ah, Oz. I’ve found something. Looks like that whole ‘prove your innocence’ thing wasn’t aimed at you after all.

Seojun bent down, fumbling with his bound hands for a moment before he managed to grab the notebook. It wasn’t like the others on the shelves. This one was in good shape—plain cover, unmarked, with a lot of pages inside.

– The kidnapper must not have been much of a speaker. Needed a script to get his point across. Hahaha! I’ll read it to you. There are just a few lines.

The Wizard’s laugh grated on Seojun’s nerves, but he ignored it, too focused to react. Almost in a trance, he opened the notebook. He wanted to start from the beginning, but with his hands bound, he clumsily flipped it open near the back.

His gaze landed on a line that sent a chill down his spine:

「…So, it’s simple for D to be free from suffering. Either become completely transparent or die. There’s no other way.」

And then, as if to match the fear tightening in his chest, the Wizard read aloud:

– Prove that you did not murder her.