Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#108Reader Mode

#108

The Invisible Man’s Mansion… it’s this place?

Seojun stared at the diary in disbelief. He could still hear Tim’s voice in his head, the details hazy, but the feverish tone unmistakable.

A relentless storm. An invisible human swept away. The fury of a powerful sponsor. A research lab, shut down under mysterious circumstances.

Back when Tim first started rambling about haunted mansions and invisible people, Seojun brushed it off. Who’d take that seriously in this day and age? The whole thing felt ridiculous, like one of those old ghost stories meant to scare kids. Seojun had even scoffed at Tim’s excitement, thinking it was all just childish nonsense.

But now? Now, Seojun wasn’t so sure.

What if it wasn’t just rumors? What if there had been something dark and illegal happening in that private research facility? His hands trembled as he flipped through the notebook, desperate to find that passage again.

And then he saw it. The handwriting, jagged and frantic: “…the only way for D to stop suffering is for her to become completely transparent or to die.”

Seojun stared at the notebook, his thoughts in a chaotic whirl. The urban legend about the Invisible Man’s mansion, the kidnapper’s cryptic demand, the disturbing diary entries… Could it all be real? Had they truly succeeded in creating an invisible human? And if they had, was this ‘D’ the result of that experiment? An experiment that somehow escaped?

In a daze, Seojun quickly flipped back to the first page. The notebook was battered, pages torn out, leaving massive gaps in the entries. He skimmed over what was left—fragments of conversations between the two mysterious figures, “S” and “L.” It was like trying to put together a puzzle when half the pieces were missing. But bit by bit, he pieced together something resembling a timeline.

「S, did you see T use her ability today? She moved the chalk without touching it. Incredible, right? I thought she’d given up on life after they dragged her here. And that hand… I used to think the rumors were just gossip, but after overhearing what I have… it’s all true. Can you imagine the pain she must have gone through? Even the injections they force on us here are unbearable… I hate it all so much. So, I guess… I understand why she acts like she’s already dead inside.

Just think about it, S. How much do you think she’s actually said since she got here? Not a whole lot, huh? I’ve never met anyone with a mind as quiet as hers. You know my ability lets me hear such things from people. Their thoughts… most of them hide behind masks, but inside, they’re teeming with filth and lies. You, though… you’re always the same, inside and out. But T… she’s different. Her mind’s been silent since day one. Completely silent. Or maybe… maybe it’s just empty. I thought she’d start thinking something as she got to know us, but… it hasn’t changed. Even now, after everything I’ve learned about her, the silence still creeps me out. More than the prosthetic hand ever could.

Oh, right. I’m thinking of calling her D. What do you think? Let me know. Your opinion’s always better than mine anyway.」

「Call her whatever you want. It’s not like it matters. Her real name stopped meaning anything the moment she came here. But I swear, I’m losing it over that damn mutt. The way he looks at her—the one you call D—it’s beyond creepy. She came in with the same ■■ as ■■, and now he’s acting like he’s found some perfect match for his disgusting tastes. Watching him practically drool over her, like he’s forgotten he’s supposed to be a researcher, makes my skin crawl. D never should’ve offered him a hand when he tripped, like the clumsy idiot he is.」

「Don’t be like that, S… I actually feel bad for her. D looks terrified all the time. I remember how scared I was when I first got here. I used to hope someone would be kind to me. Maybe that’s why I try to be nice to everyone, I guess…」

「Right, ‘kindness.’ Thanks to your generosity, I ended up with my pants around my ankles and an elbow smashed into the storage lock. Truly, I’m sooo grateful. Because of you, I got to feel the outside world for one glorious second… a sweet, fleeting taste of freedom after all these years.」

「I’m so sorry, I was wrong… I promise it won’t happen again! I’ll listen to whatever you want, whenever you want. You know how difficult that is for me! … Hey, S, is it true? Did D really become invisible once before? They’ve been pumping her full of drugs and pushing her to the edge, but she hasn’t shown any sign of her ability coming back. I… I’m starting to think the researchers are taking it too far with her. They keep telling us they’re trying to ‘enhance’ our abilities, to make us all invisible. But how? What does my mind-reading or your thought photography have to do with that? It doesn’t make sense. Same with T’s telekinesis.¹T/N: Thought photography, also referred to as ‘projected thermography’ or a more modern term ‘clairvoyant snapshot,’ is a paranormal phenomenon where an individual can supposedly imprint an image onto a photograph or other medium using nothing but their mind. In the realm of the supernatural, this ability is often linked to the idea that it can reveal more than just a person’s physical appearance. Instead, the resulting image is said to capture their true essence, spirit, or aura – in other words, their inner self, emotions, or spiritual state, which may not be immediately apparent to the naked eye.

Wait… No, it’s starting to make sense as I’m writing this. Now that I’m thinking about it, that’s why they’re so obsessed with D, isn’t it? She’s the only one who’s ever actually done it. Turned invisible. That’s why they’re putting her through hell, worse than what they put us through. Even T didn’t get it this bad.

I’m scared, S. I’m really scared and sad. I don’t think I can write anymore today.

Oh, and before I forget—tomorrow’s lunch has asparagus. I hope you see this before then. That mutt will probably try to slip some into your burger, just to mess with you. Don’t fall for it. You know how he is. You and that mutt are ■■■■ ■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■」

「It’s been a while since your ability’s been of any real use, L. But today? It worked perfectly. I swapped my burger with that mutt’s, all thanks to T’s telekinesis. Convenient, isn’t it? I imagine that’s what it must feel like to have invisible hands, moving things around, no one the wiser. And the best part? I won’t have to see that mutt’s smug face for the rest of the day. Honestly, I already feel lighter. And just like you said, the researchers have shifted their focus completely onto D. Looks like the sponsor has finally ran out of patience.」

After that, the next several pages were missing—ripped out, leaving only jagged, empty spaces where words should have been. Eventually, an untouched page emerged, a delicate wildflower pressed between its folds. The dried petals clung to the paper, brittle and lifeless, as if time had stolen their vitality long ago.

「T gave me this flower. I’m pretty sure it was meant for D, but one of the leaves got torn. Still… it’s nice, in its own way, I guess. Sometimes, like now, I just want to go back to the outside world. I used to imagine handing someone I cared about a bouquet, maybe confessing my feelings… but now? That feels like it belonged to a different life, someone else’s dream. Why did I ever think buying those earbuds would change anything? They were supposed to let me hear people’s true thoughts, but all they’ve done is trap me in this nightmare. All because I believed some ridiculous home shopping channel pitch. ‘Limited edition,’ they said. Now look at me. Trapped here, in this prison. I just want to escape… why am I even here? Why not a psych ward? Were my parents really that desperate? Did they… sell me? They were probably horrified when I started reading their minds. I understand that, I really do. I’m not a kid anymore, but this? This is too much. I’m still their child, still flesh and blood. How could they do this? It’s cruel. So cruel. Too cruel… too cruel… too cruel…」

The words spiraled, repeating like a mantra.

「…The researchers are no better. Will they ever let us out? Or are we just experiments to them? I wonder… is an invisible human even possible? You saw it too, S, didn’t you? D… when she came out of the lab, bleeding from everywhere—her eyes, nose, mouth, even her ears. She just collapsed, her face pressed into a pool of her own blood. And that mutt… he was there, cheering, filming like it was some kind of show. Clapping, singing, saying if D just tried harder, she’d succeed. S, I used to think you were exaggerating when you said you hated that guy, but… now I get it. I… I think I’m losing my mind. Did you hear T scream? Was it real? Or was that screaming just coming from her mind? S, I can’t tell anymore…」

Seojun clenched his teeth. The notebook—part letter, part diary—was a shared journal, passed back and forth between two people. Despite being written by only two individuals, their entries revealed much more than just their thoughts. If these weren’t the delusions of a madman, then these two were, shockingly, people with actual supernatural abilities.

Though one of them seems to be getting worse.

L seemed to be teetering on the edge of madness. The experiments, which aimed to create an invisible human, were cruel beyond comprehension, using methods that trampled over any concept of human rights.

Goosebumps crept up Seojun’s arms. The journal mentioned three people—S, T, and L—each possessing powers like thought photography, telekinesis, and mind reading. None of these abilities had anything to do with invisibility. And yet, this private lab, obsessed with their crazy quest to create an invisible human, had gathered them all anyway, forcing them into these inhumane experiments.

Would they have come for me, too, if they knew about my ability to see the future?

The thought hit him like a splash of ice water. There was no way to know for certain, but the possibility was enough to keep him on edge. Seojun’s fingers trembled as he turned the next page, a new wariness settling over him.

「Pull yourself together. To answer your question from a few days ago—yeah, you’ve heard the rumors about the one test subject who actually managed to escape, right? The one the researchers used to gossip about like they were talking about some legend. Our so-called ‘predecessor.’ They were practically dreamy-eyed, like they couldn’t believe it themselves.

Apparently, this guy’s powers were like a jackpot—a full set of all our abilities rolled into one. They say he went totally off the rails, nearly tore the head clean off, and then vanished like some kind of ghost. Thanks to him, we’re stuck living in this limbo, with the head separated from the body. At least they can only monitor us through the head, so we’ve got some breathing room.

Oh, and L, I’ve psychically imprinted a photo of the person you said you wanted to confess to. Just curious, was this really your type? Or was he just that kind-hearted? No sarcasm here, I actually want to know.」

A photograph slipped from the notebook, fluttering to the floor with its colors faded—almost black and white. Not quite monochrome, though. Odd splashes of green and red disrupted the otherwise washed-out image, making it even more bizarre. Maybe it was the shock of seeing an actual picture after being trapped here, where all communication was reduced to written words. Seojun’s palms grew clammy as he bent to pick up the photo, his one good eye widening in focused intensity.

From a distance, you could almost call the man’s face in the photo handsome. Sharp jawline, hair gleaming with a healthy shine. But something was off. Every feature seemed slightly misaligned, like they’d been shifted by just a fraction of an inch. The nose tilted upward unnaturally, and had the space between his philtrum and upper lip been just a bit closer, his whole lower face would’ve given a completely different impression.

But it was his eyes that unsettled Seojun the most. One winked, as if playfully, while the other shimmered with something far darker—like a secret cruelty hiding just beneath the surface. The tension in the photo was palpable. Despite the man’s straight-ahead, passport-style pose, the image revealed far more than it had any right to… a disturbing glimpse into the heart of whoever this was.

「Oh, S. Maybe I’ve been looking back at my first love with way too much nostalgia? He’s not as handsome as I remember! Funny how memory tricks you. Then again, everyone here looks impossibly good-looking. Even the stray mutt looks like he belongs on a magazine cover. Honestly, that’s about the only decent thing in this place.」

It seemed like ‘L’ had quickly come to his senses after looking at the photo objectively. His heart cooled, the affection fading as soon as he saw his first love with clearer eyes.

So, he does care about appearances.

Seojun tucked that small detail away in his mind, seemingly trivial but maybe not.

L’s next journal entry stood out this time. Instead of the usual handwritten lines, he’d added a rough sketch beneath the text. His artistic skills weren’t exactly impressive, and maybe aware of that, he wrote more words below the drawing, as if trying to make up for it.

「By the way, S, did you catch the meteor shower last night? It was incredible. As I watched, I remembered how you and T once mentioned there were falling stars on the day you were both born, so I tried to draw it. Apparently, the day I was born was just… sunny. Nothing special.

You know, S… ever since D arrived, it feels like we’ve all grown a bit closer. I’m not saying being here is great or anything, but seeing you, someone who used to be so… well, prickly… teaching T how to write…. it makes me feel a bit emotional, I guess. You always said growing up trapped in this place made you rough and mean, but I don’t think that’s really who you are. I think you’re kind, S. You don’t just look out for yourself. You’re brave, and wise, and… I really want to be as brave as you one day.」