The world had ended.
At least, that's what Kim Dokja had believed when the sky shattered into a thousand pieces, when the world he knew turned into a nightmare. The Apocalypse had come, and with it, the Scenarios — challenges that shaped the fate of humanity. But none of it had ever felt real to him. Not until the monsters appeared. Not until the world he'd read about for years became his reality.
He still couldn't quite shake the confusion. One moment, he was at work — a regular day — and the next, he was thrust into a world of power struggles, bizarre trials, and gods who watched it all. But through it all, Kim Dokja had one advantage: he knew what was coming.
He knew the plot. He knew the key players. He knew how everything was supposed to unfold. Or at least, he had.
And then, she arrived.
The first time he saw her, it was in the middle of the Second Scenario, a trial where humanity's survival depended on teamwork. He had expected to see familiar faces — Yoo Joonghyuk, the veteran of the scenarios, and other survivors he knew by name. But this girl, she didn't belong.
She stood there in the shadows, her face partially obscured by the light from the crumbling city skyline. She was watching him, eyes glowing faintly with an intensity that made his skin crawl. She knew something he didn't.
Kim Dokja froze.
"I see you," she said, her voice a low murmur barely audible over the wind. "I knew it would be you."
He instinctively reached for his phone, but there was no signal. The screens were down, the network severed — it was all part of the game. The Scenarios had a way of severing everything familiar, making him feel small and helpless in a world that no longer made sense.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice tinged with the bitterness of someone who had spent too many years trusting only his knowledge.
"I'm a reader," she replied, stepping forward. Her steps were measured, almost too calm for the chaos around them. "I read the story too."
Kim Dokja's heart skipped. His mind raced, trying to process the implications. A reader? But he was the only one who knew the truth. He was the only one who had read Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse. He had to be. It was his secret advantage. His only weapon in a world where knowledge was power.
"Impossible," he muttered. "I'm the only one…"
She smiled, a soft, knowing smile that sent a shiver down his spine. "No, Kim Dokja. You're not the only one."
The words hit him like a punch to the gut. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond. His hands clenched into fists, his mind working frantically. What did this mean? Was she another player? A wild card?
"I know what you're thinking," she continued, stepping closer until their faces were just inches apart. "But I didn't come here to fight you."
The air between them crackled with tension, the weight of unsaid words hanging heavily in the space. Kim Dokja didn't trust her, couldn't trust her. After everything he had been through, he had learned the hard way that no one could be trusted in this twisted game. Not even himself.
"You came to change things," he said flatly, as though he had already figured her out.
She nodded, her expression serious now. "I don't think the scenarios are what they seem. I don't think they're just trials. I think they're a prison."
Kim Dokja raised an eyebrow. "A prison? What do you mean?"
She looked away, her gaze drifting towards the sky, where the stars seemed to flicker in and out of existence. "I believe the stories we're trapped in are being controlled by something beyond our understanding. Someone... or something... is writing our fates, shaping everything like a puppet master. And we're just the pawns."
Kim Dokja's pulse quickened. He had always suspected there was more to this world than met the eye — that the Scenarios were more than mere tests of survival. But hearing her say it out loud, hearing someone else speak of the same doubts he had kept buried for so long... it rattled him.
"So what do you want from me?" he asked, his voice low and cautious.
She met his gaze again, and for a moment, he saw something flicker in her eyes — something almost... familiar.
"I want to get out of here," she said quietly. "But I can't do it alone."
For a moment, Kim Dokja was silent. He wasn't sure if he could trust her, but the thought of unraveling the mysteries of this world with someone who knew more than he did was tempting. Dangerous, but tempting.
"And you think we can escape?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "How?"
"You already know the answer," she said cryptically. "The story isn't over, Kim Dokja. It's just beginning."
As she turned to leave, the ground beneath them shook, and the sky above cracked wide open. The Third Scenario had begun, the countdown ticking in the air. But this time, Kim Dokja knew something had changed. This time, it wasn't just about surviving the game. It was about finding the truth — and for the first time in a long while, he didn't feel like he was the only one looking for it.
He followed her into the chaos, the unknown, and for the first time in his life, the plot didn't feel like it was his alone.
End of Chapter 1