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TWENTY NINE | UNTIL THE
END OF THE LINE

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IT WAS A sunny day.

Entering the park, a slight breeze rustled the leaves making them fall to the solid ground one by one. The sun began to rise, waking the still sleepy young Soo-Jin. She was on her way to school and it was still very early.

The pathway she strolled along was nothing more than dirt littered with random rocks. The ground, moist from the night before, caused her footing to slip, keeping me on her toes. The park was barren except for an elderly couple feeding the ducks and a couple of joggers breathing in the fresh morning air. She always had to pass by this park in order to get to her school.

"Soo-Jin!"

"Sang-Woo!"

Her neighbor caught up to her and they exchanged high-fives. "You're early." he noted under his breath.

"You're early too."

He nodded. "Want to accompany me to the library before we go to class?"

"Sure -- "

"Ya! You boy! You're going to fight, huh? You're just a skinny slow boy!"

The twelve-year-old Soo-Jin crossed her eyebrows together and her eyes widened at the sight of her bestfriend on the concrete curled into a ball to protect himself from the attacks of his bullies.

"Ya!" bellowed Soo-Jin, rushing head first to save Gi-Hun. "Don't you idiots have to be stupid somewhere else, huh? Get away from him!" She raised her hardbound book and hit her bestfriend's bully with it, striking his jaw.

Sang-Woo didn't say anything and instead clipped the other kid with his fist. He and Soo-Jin retaliated by showing the kids that they were not to be messed with. The bully who attacked Gi-Hun yelled in pain, clutching his jaw and together with his friends, scrambled away from her and Sang-Woo.

"Gi-Hun, are you okay?" queried Sang-Woo, helping their friend get up.

"Yes, yes. Thank you."

Soo-Jin, using her pointer finger, tilted her bestfriend's head to the side. She clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Why don't we get some ice on that?"

"Yes."

And so, the three friends found themselves sitting by the open area of their primary school. They still had twenty minutes left before their classes start and Soo-Jin began to treat Gi-Hun's angry bruise. The lean boy winced and yelped from the pain, but settled down soon afterwards.

"Ya," Soo-Jin clicked her tongue. "This shouldn't happen again. From now on, we'll all walk together to school, okay?"

"I think that's a great idea." agreed Gi-Hun, flinching.

She sighed, feeling pity for her friend. The little girl shook her head. "Ya, I want you two to promise me we'll be there for each other, okay? No matter what happens, we will always be there."

Sang-Woo and Gi-Hun nodded.

"No, I want you to two to pinky promise me."

"But, pinky promises are only done by two people." voiced out Sang-Woo.

Soo-Jin shrugged and raised her pinky finger. "Then, let's invent something new! Pinky promises are now for three!"

Gi-Hun and Sang-Woo intertwined their pinky fingers and the young girl wrapped her finger around the middle of the lock. "Promise, we will be there for each other until the end of the line."

"I promise."

"I promise."

SHE GASPED AWAKE.

Bolting upright, Chang Soo-Jin shivered.

A throbbing headache developed beneath her temples and she winced. It was like she dived deep underwater then surfaced again. Moving her jaw, she felt her mouth was dry and her front teeth hurt. The woman examined her surroundings and found herself somewhere completely unfamiliar.

Everything in the room was bathed in black, and gold from the walls to the blankets on her legs. Silk banners hung from the ceiling. Polished stone pedestals held golden and silver statues portraying animals. The only pops of color was the abstract painting on one wall and the golden lion mask sitting at her bedside. There was even a large tinted glass window in front of her, and she could make out a few details about what it showed. It looked familiar. Everything in the room was rich and lavish; Soo-Jin found herself awed, and frustrated how she arrived in this sophisticated bedroom.

She closed her eyes, fighting off the wave of nausea that hit her. Trying, even through the pain, to remember how she could have arrived at this strange place where nothing seemed familiar. Last she remembered she was in the bathroom when a staffer appeared behind her and put her to sleep.

Soo-Jin then lifted her fingers and rubbed her temples to massage away the headache. She was no longer wearing the tracksuit from earlier and instead her clothes were changed into a black dress that ended just below her knees.

That's when she also noticed the white bandage wrapped around her hand.

She stretched out her arm to study her other wounds. They were all bandaged up including the wound in her cheek.

Blinking in confusion, she slowly stood up, her legs wobbling slightly from the dizziness she felt earlier. She steadied herself and limped her way to the door.

It was locked.

She pushed the door open to no avail. "Dammit!" She banged her fist against the polished door. "Let me out!"

Soo-Jin kicked the door, but it won't budge. Surrendering, she half-limped over to the tinted glass, glancing what was below the glass.

Her eyes bugged out of her sockets as she saw Gi-Hun and the pastor emerge from the doors. Their hands tightly holding the weapon that was given to them earlier: a steak knife. They were back in the arena where the first game happened. Only this time, there were no more killer dolls, and instead the Squid Game outline was drawn on the sand.

She furrowed her eyebrows. Why was she even here in this place? Why wasn't she with Gi-Hun? Wasn't she supposed to play the final game? What the hell was she doing here? More so, who brought her here? She swept her gaze back to her bestfriend.

Gi-Hun was alone. Her bestfriend was alone in fighting the bloodthirsty player. She had to save him. She wasn't able to save the others in the previous games, but she had the chance now.

Her bedroom door swung open and in came the red uniformed staffer, holding a tray of food in his hands. She spun around her heel and watched him settle the food on the wide, brown table. He bowed his head. "Enjoy your meal, ma'am."

Ma'am? Why were they calling her that?

"Wait," She called him as he walked away. "Where am I?"

The watcher who had a circle mask didn't answer her so she asked another question instead. "Why am I here? I'm supposed to be down there, right? Why -- "

"Because you are no longer part of the game, 321." declared a square masked watcher. "We were given specific orders to pull you out of the final game."

She knew she was one of the game managers since she finally understopd their hierarchy. The circle masked staffs are the ones responsible for the handling cleaning up and disposing of the dead players. The triangle masked ones are the protectors or enforcers. Hence, the weapons they always bring with them. Then, there was the square masked staffers. Out of the three shapes, she noticed they were the ones who had the most power. They oversaw the soldiers and workers.

"By who?"

"The leader."

"The final game is about to begin, sir. Player 456 is ready to play."

The square masked guard nodded at the words of his staff and pointed at the large tinted window in front of them. "Do you want to watch the final game alone or with the VIPs, ma'am?"

Soo-Jin furrowed her eyebrows. VIPs? Watch the game? We were being watched by other people? What the hell was going on? Were they being used as entertainment? She shook her head. "No, I want you to take me to the game arena."

She had to get Gi-Hun out. She wasn't going to leave without him. She still had so many questions, but she set them all aside for now. Her bestfriend's life was more important than her queries.

"I'm afraid that is a request we cannot -- "

The woman straightened her posture, slightly flinching at the stinging pain in her palm. "You keep calling me ma'am." She recalled, scowling. "I must have some power or authority in here. I demand to be taken to the game arena..." Gritting her teeth, she tilted her head to the side. "You know what, I demand instead to stop this final game."

"The VIPs will not allow that."

She narrowed her eyes. "I don't fucking care who they are! Stop this game now."

The square masked guard nodded to the soldier. "Lock her up."

"No," she objected and using her uninjured hand, she clipped him at the side of his head and immediately pulled out the relvolver from his holster. She fired a warning shot in the air, the sound ringing in her ears. All of the guards flinched and backed away from her.

"You will either stop this game or I will..." Soo-Jin threatened, remembering once again how the black masked leader uncallously shot one of them dead.

A guard's life doesn't matter, but maybe hers does.

She aimed the gun at her temple. "I will shoot myself."

Immediately, the square masked guard raised his hands in surrender and attempted to placate her, making her conclude that she held some power over them indeed. "Ma'am, you need to put that gun down -- "

The woman began to stroll towards the door and all the guards parted like the red sea. What kind of authority does she have here? Leaving the room, she continued to step away from them. She then caught sight of the lavish hallway around her. Extravagant decorations and statues were everywhere. Why the hell was she here?

Studying the area she was in, she sighted a corridor and with a lump still sitting in her throat, she sprinted to it. Soo-Jin had no idea where she was exactly, but she knew she had to get to her bestfriend. She took many lefts and rights and suddenly, she was back in the familiar labyrinth-like hallways with colorful walls.

Seeing a guard, she unhesitantly aimed her revolver at them. "Get me to the game hall."

"I'm -- "

"Now! Goddammit!" She fired another shot at the ceiling, the sound shaking the walls. Soo-Jin was frantic because her bestfriend could be killed. She felt her blood draining from her face as she steadily pointed her firearm. The watcher raised his arms in surrender and turned around to lead her where the game arena was.

Suddenly, alarms started blaring through the speakers, followed by the announcement. "Attention, staff. This is an emergency lockdown. Player 321 has escaped. I repeat, player 321 had escaped." Red lights then flashed across the hallway. A wave of panic rushed throughout her, and the volume of the alarms rushed to be twice as loud as before.

"Fuck! Am I really that dangerous?" She screamed as she pushed the guard forward. "Where the fuck are the finalists, you asshole? Come on!"

The two came across huge doors where two guards aimed their rifles. Without hesitation and face void of any emotion, she shot both of their legs, causing them to cry out in pain and fall on their knees. She then slammed the end of her gun at the nape of the current staffer she held at gunpoint, knocking him out.

Kicking the doors open, she directed her weapon at the guards. The sky was dark and gloomy as if it was preparing for someone's funeral. Thick sheets of icy water pummeled the sand, soaking her too to the bone within seconds. She spotted Gi-Hun on the ground, fighting for his life. The pastor has him pinned down, his knife getting close to pierce her bestfriend's chest. Sighting the other guards, she fired two warning shots.

"Stay back! Fucking stay back!"

They did what they were told and moved away. Her eyes slowly trailed up the body of her bestfriend. Finally, their gazes locked, but his was somewhat shielded by his dark-colored hair. Gi-Hun's eyes glowed with savage fire like he had just exploded. The veins in his neck stood out in livid ridges, and his face was scarlet and swollen.

Aiming her firearm at the pastor's back and pulled the trigger, but she only heard clicks. No bullet escaped the gun, meaning the clip was empty. Infuriated, she tackled their enemy to the ground and pounded him, ignoring the pain that swelled in her hand. Her wound was opening again, but she didn't care.

"Soo-Jin!"

She used the end of her revolver's grip to attack the pastor, striking him repeatedly until his face was all bashed up and bleeding. "What did you do to Sang-Woo?!" She demanded. "What did you do to him?!"

The pastor grumbled, "I killed him. I killed him..."

Her lips trembled. "Why?"

"My God told me to." confessed he. "I drove my knife into his stomach and chest until -- "

"There was no body."

"Maybe the guards took it before you came?"

Roaring, Soo-Jin poured all of her rage, sorrow, and pain into every hit. She had just lost so many people.

"Soo-Jin!"

She paused and lifted her head to Gi-Hun. "Get into that fucking head, Gi-Hun! Now!"

And with that, she continued assaulting her enemy until he gained once again the upper hand by stabbing her upper thigh. She yelped, but she resumed fighting. Her adrenaline coursing through her veins like an energy drink fueling her. She got up, and dodged immediately when 244 slashed at her.

Truly, the only thing keeping her on her feet was the raw, animal survival instinct coursing through her blood that made her hands shake and time slow down.

In a flash step in with her right foot, she pivoted towards the incoming slice, she collapsed the strike and whipped her body around to follow her left foot and delivered a crushing spinning elbow to the side of the pastor's face, smashing the orbit of his eye and shattering his cheek. Player 244 dropped to the floor like a sack of onions, conscious only enough to clutch at his broken face, howling in pain.

"It's done! We won!" shouted Gi-Hun, raising his arms to show he was victorious.

It was done. They won. Gi-Hun won. They were still alive.

Soo-Jin breathed a sigh of relief, but then became concerned at the stain of crimson blooming at the bottom right side of dress shirt.

She slowly walked over and enveloped her arms around her bestfriend. They were alive.

"You're alive, you're alive..." sobbed Gi-Hun, holding Soo-Jin tightly in his arms. "I-I thought you died... they-they announced your death."

"I-I don't know what happened, Gi-Hun. I don't-don't understand what's going on."

He nodded. "It doesn't matter. What matters is we're alive."

"Yes."

"I'll go check on him."

She let her bestfriend go to check on the pastor. The brunette knew Gi-Hun wanted to make sure he was alright even though he will be executed in a minute. Soo-Jin knelt on the center of the squid outline, touching the white lines. She wished Sang-Woo was with her. She clutched her chest and let her tears fall.

"Sang-Woo," she sniffed. "You should be here."

Somehow and she didn't know why, she felt like he was still alive. She didn't see his corpse. Yes, the pastor admitted he stabbed her beloved, but there was no body present. It was possible that he was taken away by the staff, but there was no guard present during that time. She recalled seeing no black gift-like casket being carried away.

Additionally, she was abducted in the bathroom by a red uniformed watcher. What if he was taken away? What if he was still in the facility?

"Gi-Hun," She stood up, turning around. "We have to look for Sang-Woo -- "

She sighted player 244 behind her bestfriend, his visage red with fury and his blade raised.

He was going to kill her bestfriend.

"Gi-Hun! Behind you!" Trembling, she sprinted. She didn't even realize what she was doing until she was already circling her arms around her bestfriend. What the hell are you doing, Soo-Jin? She thought. Swiftly, she spun him around and shut her eyes, bracing herself for the impact.

That's when she felt the sharp weapon going through the skin of her back and she sucked in a breath, lips falling agape in shock. The woman felt the warm liquid ooze out behind her.

The pain felt like a sharp-toothed creature eating her from the inside. Shock waves of dull nauseating ache deep into her back and a harsh half-stifled yell escaped her lips. Letting out a roar, she grabbed the knife punctured into her and drove it into the pastor's stomach and neck.

"I told you I'll kill you." seethed Soo-Jin as she sank the knife deeper into his flesh.

It was as if it wasn't enough for her, she retracted the blade and thrusted it into his chest so many times she was certain the flesh of the person was killed was already in ribbons. She pushed him away and he crumpled to the wet sand, finally dead.

She killed him. Soo-Jin did it. She finally avenged those who died by his hand.

But, why the fuck does she feel empty?

She didn't feel victorious.

Chang Soo-Jin felt fucking empty.

The achiever fell to the ground and never had a brief span seemed like an eternity. As Soo-Jin felt her consciousness ebb away, as clear and concise as it was mere moments ago, it was coming to an end. Her eyes grow heavy from the strenuous effects of excessive agitation. At once, she was struck with incoherence, an inconsistency to her thoughts. She then decided to give herself away to her pursuer, to exhaustion.

Was she dying? She wasn't sure. She had several wounds, and one of them was bleeding profusely.

"Soo-Jin! Soo-Jin! No, no!" she heard Gi-Hun scream, bringing her to his lap. "Why did you do that?"

She smiled, feeling her all her muscles strain. The question rattled her brain as well, but she found her answer quickly. "Why are... you even asking... that? You're my... bestfriend. I saved you... because you're... my bestfriend." She heaved. "Until the end of the line, remember?"

"Yes, yes! Until the end of the line -- Soo-Jin?" Gi-Hun tapped her cheek. "Soo-Jin! Don't fall asleep! Help! Don't close your eyes, please! Somebody!"

A sense of nausea started to kick in and the woman's slowly went into a black nothing until she was enveloped in it. As her consciousness slipped away and her hand dropped to the sand, she repeated only one thought in her mind.

This isn't the end. This isn't the end.