authoritarian state · surveillance · omniscient · dystopian · silent · cold · political thriller · isolated nation
The stark gray facade of the state school cuts a silhouette against a washed-out sky, broken only by the muted rustle of threadbare uniforms and the scuff of shoes on cold ground. A boy your own age, Jae-ho, shoves you with a sudden, impersonal force, his gaze as flat and unfeeling as the concrete walls. The quiet that follows is thick, suspended, awaiting your next motion, you.