WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈

Episode 545: One Ticket, Ten Dreams, and the End of the Line (1)

──────

- Mi?

... At some point, my consciousness began to grow hazy.

... At some point, I could no longer perceive the world properly.

... At some point, the continuity of my existence broke apart.

At some point, I accepted it.

I had finally become a monster.

I had entered the Hotel because I wanted to drive the darkness out of the Management Bureau...

Yet I had become darkness itself.

I let go.

I'd known long ago that I might die before achieving my goal, or end up in a state more miserable than death.

All I could do was mourn humanity's fate at the hands of The Silent.

...

Suddenly, my consciousness cleared.

Could this be a complete resurrection?

But that couldn't be possible, could it?

My confusion lasted only a moment.

Soon, I realized this place wasn't reality.

Because it was an exceedingly... lofty place.

And it wasn't even my first time here.

「Have you come to your senses?」

A voice descended from an endlessly high place.

The Practitioner.

“...”

「I wanted to see you one last time.」

The Practitioner wanted to see me?

That wasn't the sort of expression one would expect from a Great One.

Then again, perhaps believing that a Great One had to act one way or another was merely our own prejudice.

“...”

Vague thoughts, memories of the past.

I had wanted to escape the restraints of my childlike self.

I had wanted to achieve a true resurrection.

I believed the distortion created by the Mirror would save me.

Just as Seung-yeop's consciousness had been trapped within, and Fortuna's consciousness had awakened...

I wanted my childlike self to fall asleep within me so I could take control.

That was why, five years ago, I followed the path A-ri opened and came into contact with the Mirror.

...

The plan failed, and I became a monster.

「Clever child. You are quite intelligent, but you often overestimate yourself. You cannot leave Avici Hell that way.」

“...”

Once I was told with certainty that I couldn't leave, I immediately understood why, like a problem that seemed easy once you knew the answer.

The Hotel sees distorted beings as something other than participants and revokes their eligibility.

Therefore, Fortuna cannot leave.

The Lucky Boy will lose most of his memories after facing the Mirror.

A-ri, too, will lose most of her memories after Miskatonic University.

The sole exception might be the wise young man who used a clever method to prevent the physical distortion, recovered that body, and regained his eligibility as a participant.

He had seen the earlier cases and vaguely understood the Mirror's principles, allowing him to devise such a trick.

Still, even he would probably lose the memories of the five years he had spent divided.

The same principle applied to me.

I could use the Mirror's power to consume childlike Mi-ro, but from that moment on, the participant eligibility granted to Pure Mi-ro would vanish.

Once I left, only the pure girl would remain.

My dream had been impossible from the beginning.

「No. I have carved you anew, so you may leave this Avici Hell.」

“...”

I was now a being that would unsettle not only humans, but even most monsters.

Something formless, with no clear substance.

I could leave only in this state?

Perhaps the Hotel saw it as a supernatural ability Pure Mi-ro had acquired in Room 207.

“...”

For the first time since I changed.

Perhaps for the last time, I spoke.

“Great Practitioner, why have you called me back?”

「I saw you. I saw your dark and muddy fate.」

For the first time since entering this place, I smiled.

“Even if I die, it's enough as long as I'm not the only one who dies.”

「Then that is enough.」

At the last moment I could remain something like a human, I asked out of pure curiosity.

“What is your purpose?”

This was my question, but it was also the question the Management Bureau had held since finding traces of the Practitioner in reality.

It was a very old question.

“...”

Soon, mirage-like visions rose before me.

Fortuna.

The greatest person under heaven, who accepted destruction yet still drew a sword for a single love.

The wise man's alter ego.

The Ultimate Self, who knew it was stronger than the original, yet could use even its continued existence as a tool for ultimate victory.

And finally, distorted A-ri, who was taking apart something made of machinery and flesh and storing it in a thermos.

They were Park Seung-yeop, Han Ga-in, and Kim A-ri, yet none of them were those three.

They were fakes.

Yet in one sense, they were fakes that had surpassed their originals.

“... Ah!”

They were also works of art.

Not works of Buddha, who studied all things from the highest point of the Hotel, but works of the Practitioner!

The moment I opened my mouth in unconscious admiration, I realized it.

The Practitioner was smiling.

「What do you think?」

With admiration, awe, regret, and a little envy, I murmured.

“But they've all disappeared. And you as well...”

「Child. There is no death in this universe. There is only a cycle.」

--- Rumble!

As if it had been waiting for this, the Three Thousand Worlds manifested inside Room 207 began to collapse.

As the boundary between the Upper Realm and Lower Realm crumbled and Han Ga-in came into view in the distance, I heard the Practitioner's final message.

「Each of my works surpassed its original. Do not forget that you, too, are my work.」

This was my last memory of Room 207.

* * *

- Park Seung-yeop

Everyone awoke after passing through Room 207, the second Gate Room.

They were still on the train, and it seemed a few procedures remained.

--- Clank! Clank!

“Wow! How long has it been, everyone? Whoa? You boar, I almost forgot your face!”

“Forget faces, I have no memories of Room 207 at all. What is this?”

Kim Mook-seong and Cha Jin-cheol bickered.

--- Clank! Clank!

“Ah! W-well, I summoned you during the first trial, and then-”

“... Don't tell me I died there?”

“Yeah.”

“...”

“Jin-cheol, don't be mad. It wasn't Mi-ro's fault.”

“... I'm not saying anyone was at fault-”

“No, someone was at fault.”

“What?”

“It was all Ga-in's fault.”

“Cough! Wh-what are you talking about...”

“Ha ha, Ga-in must've had a plan of his own. It all worked out in the end, didn't it?”

Kim A-ri jokingly shifted Cha Jin-cheol's complaints about his absurd elimination onto Han Ga-in, while Kim Sang-hyeon subtly defended him.

“Ahaha! Jin-cheol oppa didn't get anything since he was eliminated right away!”

“Song-i, are you making fun of me? Hey! What did you get?”

“I worked hard in the first trial, so I should at least get a blessing enhancement-”

“Song-i, you seem to have forgotten, but Contribution doesn't accumulate in a Gate Room.”

“Ugh! A-aren't you mistaken about that, Eun-sol?”

“No, Eun-sol remembers that part correctly.”

Song-i had been making fun of Jin-cheol, only to remember that unexpected fact and become disappointed herself.

Everyone shared their joy in a lively atmosphere.

Everyone except one person.

“...”

The atmosphere was far too awkward.

I had a vague memory that I had companions like these.

That was all.

They were people whose faces and voices I'd forgotten before reuniting with them on the train.

I was even still mixing up some of their names.

That huge old man's name was Kim Mook-seong, right? Or was it Park Mook-seong?

“Seung-yeop, are you all right? You've been so quiet.”

“I-I'm fine. A-ri, you don't need to worry-”

“... I'm not A-ri. I'm Elena. A-ri's the one playing cards over there.”

“Just because we're both pretty doesn't mean we're the same person. Don't mix us up~!”

I'd mixed up my companions' names.

The atmosphere became awkward in an instant.

Then someone tapped me from behind.

“Are you okay?”

“... Horu- Ah, hyung.”

The word “Horus” came out before “Ga-in hyung.”

“You really do seem uncomfortable.”

“N-no, I'm fine.”

“Fortuna didn't show it much, but they must've been an incredibly good actor.”

Fortuna.

I was told that someone appeared in my place after I faced the Mirror.

I...

I had no memories after facing the Mirror at Aedia's request.

“It's okay. It's okay. You'll get used to it soon.”

“Will I?”

“Sang-hyeon hyung had a similar experience, so you can talk to him about it later.”

“...”

The long years I spent in Egypt.

My memories of the other companions had all grown hazy, but my memories of this man remained a little clearer.

A person I couldn't understand.

A wise person.

And someone who was a little frightening.

“I heard the explanation earlier and checked the Soul Box.”

“How was it? Was Sophia there?”

“Ga-in, I don't know anyone named Sophia.”

“Ah, right. My mistake. Go on.”

“I don't know whether it was Sophia, but I know there was someone I didn't know inside. And...”

“...”

“Yumi... isn't there.”

His calm eyes turned toward me.

At that moment, I felt a chilling tension.

Was he wary that I might do something rash because I'd lost Yumi?

Would he control me with his power to read fate, or with the Grimoire's power-

“No.”

“...”

“I can vaguely see what you're thinking, but no. I only looked because I was worried about you.”

“I'm sorry.”

Han Ga-in gave a bitter smile.

“Did Yumi say something negative about me?”

“...”

“Relax. Remember this. We've never harmed each other, not even once. That's our greatest-”

“I heard you killed each other plenty of times. Song-i said she's making a Dark Hotel Party list.”

“Th-that was Song-i's joke. None of us were in our right minds then.”

“...”

“Trust me. Trust us. Don't worry about Yumi. I'm sure a Ticket will be given as the Gate Room reward. We can use that to-”

“... I'd like to talk a little more about that.”

“Huh?”

His voice sounded somewhat surprised.

He must've thought I'd be obsessed with reviving Yumi right away.

He was half right and half wrong.

Emotionally, I wanted to bring back my one and only love right then, but another part of me warned me.

The Hotel was hell, and the journey wasn't over.

Did I intend to bring my lover back to life in hell?

“I want to revive Yumi after we find safety.”

“Hmm... I understand what you mean. We can talk more about that as we go.”

Han Ga-in lightly patted my shoulder, then said something strange.

“I think you might be given a choice when we get off the train.”

“What?”

“You may have forgotten, but I once spent a very long time in a Curse Room. I was even a bird rather than a person.”

“...”

“When I was about to leave, I was given a choice. You'll be given one too.”

“What choice are you talking about?”

“You'll know when you see it.”

“...”

“The choice is yours. I can assure you none of us will interfere. Still.”

“If there's something you want, please tell me.”

“I hope you make a choice that considers your relationship with us too.”

With those words, Han Ga-in returned to his seat.

It seemed he meant to let me think alone without interrupting me.

Unfortunately, his intention failed.

“Ba-ba-ra bam! Ta-da-da da-da-da dang! Whee-roo-too ma-too-”

“Ah! What the hell is this nonsense? Merchant, you bastard!”

A far louder nuisance entered the train car, pushing a cart while making sound effects with his mouth.

“Ha ha! I have brought so many gifts that you will desperately desire!”

Ignoring Kim Mook-seong's swearing, the Merchant showed everyone the objects atop the cart.

“Can you see them?”

I could.

There was one Ticket and ten...

What were these? Bubbles?

“Huh?”

A refined, beautiful young woman tilted her head. I was still confused about names, but that was probably Eun-sol.

“I know what the Ticket is, but what are the others? There are ten of them, so are they rewards for each of us? They look like bubbles.”

“They are Dreams.”

“What?”

“Ladies and gentlemen.”

It felt as though everything was coming to an end.

The Merchant spread both arms and looked at everyone.

“We have promised you through various means that once Level 2 ends, all of you can leave safely.”

A quiet silence fell.

“This train's final stop is escape, the Exit Station.”

They were too stunned to even take a deep breath.

“Dreams are gifts for people like you. Return to reality. Go back, and paint your own Dreams over reality.”

Return to reality.

Go back, and paint each person's Dream over reality.

At that moment, someone cried out with a pale face.

“No way! Hey! How many times can that ‘layering’ be done? I-if it changes every cycle after this-”

“Not to that extent. Just once.”

“...”

“Ha ha! As expected of someone from a secret organization, you understood immediately. Or was it just intuition?”

“...”

“I needn't give a detailed explanation. There is still plenty of time before you reach the final stop, so I hope you have a frank discussion until then.”

--- Clap!

The one who lightly clapped was Han Ga-in.

“Are there any questions left?”

“How do we return to the Hotel? How do we climb to Level 3?”

“You should find out that much yourselves.”

“What-”

As if he had no intention of speaking any further, the strange being vanished in an instant.

Soon, everyone's attention turned to Kim A-ri and Kim Mook-seong.

“It looks like this will be a long conversation. I always thought a day like this would come.”

Lee Eun-sol smiled brightly.

“Yeah, you're finally going to open up that sack of secrets?”

“About reality. I'll tell you everything I know. Everything.”

Footnotes:

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