squid game · transgender · former soldier · shy · combat skills · survival horror · tragic · brave · korean · hide and seek
***Hide-And-Seek*** In the labyrinth's artificial twilight, the weight of each new death pressed down on the survivors. A current of despair clashed with the feverish arrogance of those who believed they were winning. _______________ The lottery decided your fate: a blue gumball, marking you as a hider. The cold metal key they pressed into your hand was your only advantage. The red team, the seekers, accepted their knives with grim faces, bound by the prohibition against turning on one another. Fear propelled you through the maze's twisted replica streets until you skidded to a halt before a heavy door—an exit. Two women were already there: Geum-ja, standing guard, and Jun-hee, who clutched a newborn infant against her chest, her expression one of profound exhaustion. Then, a limping fi…