Only One Knew

[09:13 PM | Seoul Metro Line 2 | Subway Car 4]

[Chain Scenario Active: Protect Han So-yeon]

[Failure Condition: Death of Non-Canon Entity]

[Time Remaining: 20:12]

The Predator's heads twisted unnaturally, one by one, toward Han So-yeon.

It had stopped recognizing Kang Jae-hwan as the threat.

She was the variable.

"Run," Jae-hwan said.

Han So-yeon didn't move. Her knees were still tucked under her arms, eyes wide, locked on the monster that had just turned to face her.

The other survivors were frozen. The man in the suit stepped protectively in front of the girl. "What's happening now?"

"RUN!" Jae-hwan roared.

It worked.

Han So-yeon bolted. The survivors followed her instinctively, pushing toward the rear door. Jae-hwan sprinted ahead of the Predator and slammed the steel pipe against the side wall. The sound echoed like a gong.

"Hey! Over here, freakshow!"

The Predator paused, but only for a breath.

[Target Priority: Han So-yeon > Kang Jae-hwan]

Damn it.

Jae-hwan threw himself at the creature anyway.

He swung the pipe. It caught one of the Predator's eye-lips and tore through it with a hiss. Black blood spattered across the cabin.

[Critical Hit! -32 HP]

[HP: 116/200]

The monster screeched and backhanded him. Jae-hwan's body flew across the train and hit the window with a sickening crunch. The air left his lungs like a balloon popped underfoot.

[HP: 83/120]

Everything spun.

[You are bleeding.]

[Pain Resistance (F): Active.]

He dragged himself upright.

The monster wasn't following him.

It was sprinting after the girl.

[Chain Scenario Progression: 12%... 13%...]

The others had managed to pry open the emergency exit between cars. The metal shrieked and groaned as they forced it wider. One of the survivors pushed Han So-yeon through.

The Predator charged.

Jae-hwan stumbled after it, broken pipe in hand, vision red around the edges.

[Title Effect: First Death Flag Active.]

[You feel the weight of inevitable loss.]

He couldn't stop them all from dying. Not again. Not like the novel.

In Epitaph of the Forgotten World, the first 100 people introduced died within the first ten chapters.

It was a world of death.

But this time, he was going to break that rule.

This time, someone would live.

[Subway Car 5 | 09:14 PM]

Han So-yeon stumbled onto the next car, tripping over a seat. The man in the suit—Mr. Kim, she thought his name was—helped her up.

"Keep moving!" he shouted.

The small child was crying now, loud and ragged. The teenager helped carry her as the other passengers pushed forward.

So-yeon looked back.

And saw it.

The monster had followed.

It crawled through the broken door like a grotesque dog. Its arms bent the wrong way. Its eyes—those eyes—locked on her.

It didn't see anyone else.

Only her.

[System Message: You are the Target of a Chain Scenario.]

She gasped as the window appeared. "W-what... what is this?!"

Kim looked back. "What's wrong?"

"I see something! A message! It says I'm... it says I'm part of some scenario!"

Kim paled. "Like him...?"

[Subway Car 4 | 09:14 PM]

Jae-hwan pulled himself through the broken door, coughing blood. His ribs screamed in protest. The pipe was nearly bent in half.

[HP: 64/120]

[Bleeding slowed.]

He limped forward, forcing himself between the Predator and the next door.

Han So-yeon had reached Car 6.

But now there were more passengers. Another dozen people, unaware.

He had to keep the fight here.

He screamed again.

"HEY! I'M STILL HERE!"

[Taunt successful.]

[Aggro shift: 1.5 seconds.]

That was enough.

The Predator lunged.

Jae-hwan ducked. Rolled. Swung.

[Hit: -18 HP]

[HP: 98/200]

He dodged left. The pipe shattered.

[Weapon destroyed.]

[Title Activated: Glitch Watcher]

[A hidden path has opened.]

Huh?

The train around him flickered.

For a moment, everything stopped. Time paused.

And then a second window opened.

[Welcome to the Interlude Room.]

[A moment outside the story.]

He stood in a white void.

A single desk. A single chair. A single book.

[You may request 1 item from the Author's Table.]

A voice spoke.

"Why do you want to save them?"

It wasn't the system. It wasn't robotic.

It was... human.

Jae-hwan answered without thinking.

"Because no one else will."

The desk glowed.

[You have received: D-Rank Skill - Ghost Step]

[Skill Effect: Dash instantly 3 meters. 3-second cooldown. Evasion +15%.]

[Returning to scenario...]

[Subway Car 5 | 09:15 PM]

Time resumed.

Jae-hwan reappeared mid-motion.

He dashed.

The Predator clawed for So-yeon.

He moved—faster than thought.

Ghost Step.

He appeared beside her, grabbed her arm, and pulled her behind him.

The claw missed by inches.

So-yeon fell. Screamed.

Jae-hwan turned.

Face to face with death again.

[Skill cooldown: 3.0s > 2.9s > 2.8s...]

But he wasn't afraid.

Because now he had a skill.

Now he had a purpose.

And now, the story was no longer in control.

[Chain Scenario Progress: 53%]

They had a chance.

To be continue...