Seoul Object Story
Chapter 52: Theme Park (3)

“The Gray Reaper Emergency Response Meeting” came to an abrupt halt with the sudden appearance of an employee.

Following closely behind the employee, we arrived at the containment room of the ‘Theme Park Invitation Doll.’ The doll was weeping bitterly, sewing its severed arms back on with its foot.

Meanwhile, outside the containment room, there was a flurry of activity as researchers gathered from all directions.

I turned to the employee who had brought us here and demanded an explanation.

“Tell me what happened.”

“Yes, director.”

Listening to his explanation, it became clear that it was not as big of a problem as it seemed. The doll had somehow provoked the Gray Reaper and had its arms ripped off as a result. Honestly, it deserved it. The Reaper was merciless towards all Objects, so it was only natural for all Objects to be careful around it.

The more puzzling matter was the disappearance of the Reaper.

“It really disappeared?”

“Yes, the Gray Reaper looked at the invitation it had snatched and then disappeared.”

We had no way to verify this through the CCTV footage, as it had all been discarded due to the risk of the contents of the invitations being recorded. Furthermore, there was also a chance that people could disappear by just looking at the captured footage of the invitation.

“It’s sooo ferocious, isn’t it?” I said that, as I gave Seoah a smirk.

“Director, what countermeasures should we take for the future?” Kim Jungrwi asked in a grave tone.

“First, warn all the researchers: ‘There is a high possibility of being kidnapped even by just looking at the invitation, let alone reading it.’ Also, block access to the containment room and disable the CCTV.”

Given that the invitation had managed to kidnap even an Object, a more extensive response was necessary.

“The Gray Reaper should be fine. Rather, it’s more surprising that it got sucked in just because it saw the invitation. There have been numerous cases where Objects that had kidnapped the Reaper spit it back out, so let’s wait and see.”

Until now, the Reaper had been nearly immune to such abduction-type Objects. So, it was more likely that the Reaper had let itself get kidnapped out of sheer boredom.

Unless… the ‘Theme Park Invitation Doll’was an Object as powerful as the Hungry Ghost.

However, seeing it cry as its arms were torn off, it appeared far from strong.

“To be honest, there is no way that the Gray Reaper will be in danger from getting sucked into an invitation like that. Still, there may be unknown variables, so let’s move the experiment we had planned for it up the schedule.”

The staff rushed to reschedule the admission test for the ‘Theme Park Invitation Doll’.

***

The Reaper went missing!

Ever since I heard the news, I found myself leaving my workplace whenever possible, aimlessly wandering in search of the Reaper.

“Yerin, are you leaving again?”

“Yeah, I need some fresh air. I’ll be back soon.”

Even though I knew that the Reaper wouldn’t just disappear, I still felt anxious.

Sadly, despite searching every nook and cranny of the institute, I couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the Reaper’s shadow. I went everywhere the Reaper might have gone, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.

I plopped down next to the bed in Reaper’s containment room and hugged my knees tight.

Probably because I was tired from moving around too much during work hours, I felt really sleepy.

As I dozed off, I pleaded.

Reaper, please come back quickly.

***

I was trapped in a long, lonely dream.

A dream that had stretched on endlessly for thirty whole years.

I looked on from afar, like a ghostly Object, as the “dream-me” opened her eyes in a daze.

Even though it looked old and worn, Reaper’s containment room was still well-maintained. It still looked the same after all these years.

The dream-me dragged her frail, aching body to her feet, dusting herself off before cleaning the room.

She did it out of habit, a need to keep everything in perfect shape, just in case Reaper ever returned.

She gently wiped the dust off the old TV, the game console, the table, and the bed—tasks she had performed day in and day out for the past three decades. It was the only thing that gave her life purpose now.

Yes, it had been thirty whole years since the Reaper disappeared, leaving her alone in this empty room.

Sometimes the dream-me would look at the table and smile wistfully, it was as if she could still see the naughty Golden Reapers running around on top of it.

In those moments, I felt like I could see it too, a bittersweet mirage of the happier times.

Cough-! Cough-!

But the dream-me’s health was getting worse.

She no longer had the strength to prepare the picnics they used to share. The days of her running around and playing with Reaper were now long past her, she wasn’t in a state to do any of that anymore.

She knew her end was near, yet she clung to the fickle hope that Reaper would return.

“Reaper… you’re invincible, aren’t you?”

“So please, can you come back quickly? I miss you.”

“I know,” she whispered to herself. “You’ll definitely come back to me someday.”

As she lay there quietly, a peaceful smile crossed her face as if Reaper was standing before her once more.

I closed my eyes as well, and for a moment, I thought I heard the pitter-patter of tiny footsteps.

Step-! Step-! Step-!

It was the sound of Reaper’s small footsteps.

The dream-me said, her breath slipping away.

And just like that, the dream ended, with the dream-me on her deathbed.

***

“Reaper!”

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in Reaper’s containment room.

It had only been less than ten minutes since I had dozed off, yet my whole body was drenched in sweat.

Did I doze off for a moment?

The dream I just had felt too vivid and long to just be a dream. It felt as if I really had lived without Reaper for thirty long years.

Seoul was a truly terrible place without the Reaper.

Kim Jungrwi sunbae was the first to die in my dream. It was because of the Objects that had come out of the sinkhole.

Park Seoah Unnie was the next to die. It was when the government declared that they would give up Seoul, as they could no longer control the Objects that had appeared there.

On the day Park Seoah unnie died, something within Lee Sehee unnie changed. She became obsessed with something, it was as if she had become a completely different person. She even relocated the institute to the safer New Seoul.

Even though Seoul had been officially abandoned, I remained in the building that used to be the Sehee Research Institute.

I held onto the belief that the Reaper would return.

In the first place, there was nowhere safe left on the Korean Peninsula.

In a world without Reaper, I lived only waiting for its return.

The Reaper had vanished, and the world had descended into ruin.

Wait… could it be that the world was ruined because Reaper disappeared?

Thankfully, it was all just a dream.

***

I opened my eyes and found myself in a lavishly decorated room.

The soft bed gently hugged my back, while the warm lighting illuminated the surroundings with warm light, creating a cozy atmosphere.

When I got out of bed, a mannequin dressed like a room attendant greeted me.

“Welcome, dear guest. Welcome to Smile Theme Park!”

Its face was round with its eyes and mouth stitched shut.

It was a mannequin donned in a well-tailored suit and a tall cylindrical hat.

“Please take this before you embark on your fun adventure in the Smile Theme Park!” the mannequin said jovially, as it handed over a piece of paper.

Drawn on the paper were nine round faces.

“Here at the Smile Theme Park, we’ve got an exciting stamp event underway! It’s easy peasy—just collect all 9 stamps after enjoying all 9 of the thrilling rides we have to offer!”

Hmm, nine?

Not ten?

The killing condition I saw was to [ Collect 10 theme park stamps ].

Well, I’m sure I’ll find out the reason for such a difference eventually.

“And of course! Since this is a special event, you better believe there’s a sweet reward waiting juuuust for you. Collect all 9 stamps, and you can take our very own shuttle bus back home for absolutely free! So, roll up ‘em sleeves and start collecting those stamps!”

Clap~! Clap~! Clap~!

The mannequin clapped with exaggerated movements.

“And also! Just a heads-up, there’s no need to rush through the rides. The Smile Theme Park is open 24/7! 365 days a year! So, kick back, relax, and enjoy the park at your own pace!”

The mannequin continued its speech, pointing around the room.

“Don’t forget, you can also unwind and have a grand relaxing time in your room. Check out the manual provided for any further details. And hey, if you need anything at all, just ring this bell!”

With another exaggerated bow, the mannequin exited the room.

Seeing what had popped up so far, it was a pretty cool Object.

The only con was that there were no humans in sight.

It would’ve been way more fun with a bunch of humans around, like in a regular theme park…

***

A day had passed since the Gray Reaper left for the theme park.

The bus, summoned by the Sehee Research Institute’s emergency request, now arrived at the institute’s premises.

It was no ordinary bus. Reinforced and with iron bars on all sides, it was designed to transport death row inmates who had committed heinous crimes.

In other words, the death row inmate who would be used for the ‘Theme Park Invitation Doll’ experiment had arrived.

Although many death row prisoners were merely used as scapegoats, the criminals on this bus were different. They were specifically trained to navigate through trap-filled environments, solve puzzles, and overcome obstacles made by trap-type Objects.

These inmates were trained explicitly for Objects and as the bait they were promised acquittal if they could successfully escape from the Object.

However, despite the rigorous training, the acquittal rate for these death row inmates was only about 1%.

Still, it was better than other death row inmates who became food for man-eating Objects, since their mortality rate was, well, 100%.

With their hands cuffed with multiple layers of handcuffs and their arms bound to their backs, the death row inmates stepped on the grounds of Sehee Research Institute. Their ankles were also shackled, making it impossible for them to run.

Most of the inmates wore grim expressions, but a woman at the very front of the line walked with confidence. She was tall, towering at about 190cm, and her body was adorned with tattoos.

Looking down at the police officer, she asked with a fierce smile,

“Where we headed now, officer?”