ULAS 104

Chapter 104

[This place only likes people who obey.]

“What does that… mean?”

[Is it okay to leave that man alone?]

—Oh no.

So focused on Red, I’d completely forgotten that I was supposed to be keeping watch. I hurriedly leaned my head out through the gap in the door—and froze in shock.

Hong Dageum was nowhere to be seen.

‘What the—?’

All I could see was a long corridor. On both sides were tightly shut doors. I could only guess that the rooms beyond them were similar in size and layout to the one I was in.

‘Where did Dageum-oppa go?’

It wasn’t like him to abandon me and run away. And even if he had, there was no way he could’ve disappeared in such a short time.

He must have checked that no one was around before stepping out himself.

‘What should I do?’

Should I go out and look for Hong Dageum? Or should I stay put?

What if he needed help?

“……”

After hesitating for a moment, I slowly closed the door.

[You’re not going to rescue him?]
[It might be dangerous.]

Red sidled closer and whispered, but I didn’t answer.

‘If he were in danger or needed help, he would’ve screamed.’

To keep me out of danger, he would’ve shared the situation—warned me about a trap, or told me not to come out. Instead, I slowly moved toward the window.

‘If I rush out without a plan, I’ll probably just get in the way.’

Hadn’t Hong Dageum advised me to always take three seconds to look around before moving?

I didn’t sense any presence. Either Hong Dageum moved of his own will, or something non-human was involved.

In horror novels full of ghosts, the latter seemed far more likely.

‘If Millie were here, it’d be different.’

But I was alone now. I had to be even more careful.

What could I do? At least I knew the door wasn’t locked—if I wanted, I could leave at any time.

‘And I’ve got this too…’

Careful not to let Red notice, I rubbed the pink four-leaf clover mark on my left pinky finger.
It was the ability given to me by the hide-and-seek ghost.

On top of that, thanks to my contract with Millie, most ghosts wouldn’t be able to threaten my life easily.

‘I need to find a place to hide.’

I glanced at the wardrobe—then shifted my gaze to Red.

[Why?]

The child looked up at me with innocent eyes.

“Was it your doing that we were sent here?”

[What are you talking about?!]

“You said you wanted to find your mom.”

Red flinched.

“But then why aren’t you panicking or urging me on after we arrived in a strange place? And you said this to me at the end, didn’t you?”

I stepped closer to Red.

“‘This time, you won’t die.’”

I bent down to meet Red’s gaze. Red was a ghost too—and if my contract with Millie applied, I wouldn’t be attacked right away.

Besides, there had to be a reason Red kept asking me for help.

“I’ll ask again. If you want my cooperation, tell me honestly. …Was it you who collapsed the building and sent us here?”

[Yes.]
[‘Atonement Apartments.’]
[It’s where Mom and I lived.]

Red lived here when they were alive?
In a place like this?

I looked around the room again. A studio-style room with only a small bathroom attached.

“This isn’t a normal place, is it? You said earlier—it likes people who obey. Who does? Whose orders do we have to follow?”

[You’ll find out soon.]
[I don’t know much about this place either. But I think my mom is still here, so I asked you for help.]

“Is your mother trapped here too?”

Red closed their mouth. Maybe they truly didn’t know.

‘But wouldn’t it be easier for a ghost to search for someone?’

What if Red wasn’t asking me to find their mom—but to save her?

After a brief moment of thought, I spoke again.

“I’ll help you.”

[Really?!]

“But there’s a condition.”

There was a limit to how long I could keep ignoring Red’s requests. If I refused, who knew what might happen—like in my dreams. And more than that, Red didn’t seem like they’d let me go easily even if I refused.

And right now, Red was the only one here. There was no one else I could rely on.

Let’s use each other.

That’s what I decided.

“If we find your mom, can you safely return us to where we were?”

[Yes!]

“Are there other dangerous ghosts here?”

[No!]

“Then… dangerous people?”

Red hesitated. Then slowly nodded.

[Yes.]
[A lot of them.]

“Then I want to find the kids who were with me first. Even if I want to help you, I can’t manage this alone.”

[I’ll help you move!]
[I can keep watch to see if anyone’s around!]

“Thank you. But my priority is confirming the safety of my friend and my younger sibling. If you want to ask me for help, you have to help me too.”

[Hmm.]

The mist around Red wavered. Of the green and yellow hues swirling together, the yellow slowly began to spread wider.

“Was that too much to ask?”

[No.]

The yellow mist abruptly stopped. It slowly receded, blending back into the green.

I sighed in relief—just as Red smiled.

[I just thought it might take a little time.]
[The person who left earlier followed them on their own.]
[Someone who lives here.]

“…They followed them willingly?”

Something felt wrong.

We’d only exchanged a few words, but Hong Dageum wasn’t the type to leave me alone like this. If he thought it was safe, he would’ve taken me with him.

[Yes. He was threatened.]
[Bad people were hiding behind the door, but he noticed too late.]
[There were three of them—and they were armed.]

A chill ran down my spine.
Hong Dageum must’ve judged there was no one around before stepping out.

[He probably thought that if he ran or resisted, you might get hurt.]
[They didn’t know you were inside.]
[If you’d gone out, you would’ve been in danger too.]

If I’d rushed out in worry for Hong Dageum, I might’ve drawn their attention just as it was drifting away.

The thought made my skin crawl.

‘It’s good I didn’t rush out.’

[Stay in the room for now. Other people will start moving soon.]
[Hiding in the wardrobe isn’t a bad idea, but you might get found.]

Red glanced around as if there were no good hiding places here. I cautiously held out my hand toward them.

So they could see the pink four-leaf clover mark.

“I might not get found. I just need to hide my body, right?”

[Ah. A gift from another ghost.]

Red stared at my hand. Just from that, they seemed to grasp what kind of ability it was.

[Yes. As long as you’re not discovered.]
[There’s a prayer meeting soon, so everyone will gather outside.]
[That’s when movement will be relatively free.]

“A prayer meeting?”

With a sinking feeling, I asked again.

“This isn’t some kind of cult, is it?”

A suspicious apartment layout—and now a prayer meeting?

[Yes.]

Red answered plainly.

[The Atonement Group.]
[A place where people atone to restore goodness.]
[Atonement Apartments are where believers and captured people live.]

Oh. My. God.

They say humans are scarier than ghosts—this was exactly that situation.

“Then were you captured too?”

[I don’t know. I just… grew up here.]

Then maybe Red’s mother had been captured. And Red was born here.

I wanted to ask more, but the yellow mist around Red started trembling anxiously, so I stopped. Even recalling memories from life seemed to shake their emotions.

“When does the prayer meeting start?”

[Soon.]
[Twice a day—before breakfast and before dinner.]

Outside the window, the sun was beginning to set.

[For the prayer meeting before dinner, the believers will come to take people.]

“So I can’t get dragged there.”

Nodding, I slowly opened the wardrobe. Inside were only layers of old blankets piled up.

Climbing in carefully and settling myself, I spoke to Red.

“You’ll tell me if someone comes, right?”

[Yes. They’re starting the roundup from the first floor.]
[You’re on the fifth floor.]

No wonder—it’d be impossible to jump down from that height. Clicking my tongue inwardly, I strained my ears toward the noises outside.

I couldn’t hear voices. Just multiple footsteps moving around—quiet, but unmistakable.

How much time passed?