Do you know what it feels like to die as if your blood has dried up?

It means suffering immensely, burning with agony until death, and is a phrase typically used when one endures prolonged and relentless physical and mental torment.

That’s exactly what we are going through right now.

The feeling of blood drying up.

“…….”

For three days.

Trapped in a ghost story, gripped by the fear of death, waiting for the rest of the group who never comes, unable to sleep or eat properly—this is what the human condition feels like.

Do you know what happens?

If a person doesn’t sleep properly for three whole days, it gradually becomes impossible to think normally.

We take turns getting an hour of sleep in the second-floor food court, but even that has its limits.

Every hour, we repeat the cycle of feeling the threat to our lives, nerves constantly on edge.

‘It’s the perfect recipe for madness.’

……Especially if your companion is a minor who has been caught up in the ghost story for the first time.

“Hik! Wh-where are we right now…?”

“…It’s 56 minutes past. Let’s move.”

The high school student I have to rescue got up, limping.

The mental exhaustion must be far worse for them than for me. He started staggering more from dizziness than from his injured ankle, and instead of crying, he began muttering nonsense into the empty air.

He no longer even had the energy to cry or get angry.

‘Because he can’t even eat properly.’

Of course, the safe food available in this damn mart is extremely limited, and most of it is stuff a high school student wouldn’t normally even touch.

……Like rats or cockroaches.

Things that no one would ever consider as mart products.

‘It’s the kind of lineup that makes you decide to just starve for three days.’

Occasionally, items lost by shoppers after checkout would be found in the food court, and we had to scavenge for edible food among them.

I’ve only seen that happen once in three days.

Have bananas ever been this precious in my life?

‘Which means the only thing we’ve eaten in three days is that one banana….’

It was madness.

Fortunately or unfortunately, we haven’t encountered any other missing people on the second floor, so there are no competitors.

It might be natural. The missing people are….

‘Most of them… are upstairs.’

“…….”

Anyway.

This is the limit.

‘The high schooler I’m looking after has completely run out of both physical and mental strength.’

Even filling up on water from the food court’s water purifier has its limits.

At this rate, in a couple more days, we might actually end up eating rats or bugs.

‘Of course, if things continue like this, something will probably go… ‘wrong’ before we even get to eating cockroaches.’

For now, we’re getting up every hour to go to the bathroom, but if even one of us dozes off or collapses, and the schedule gets disrupted…

That’ll be the end.

‘…We’ll end up encountering the staff.’

Whether it’s a staff member taking orders at the food court or one pretending to clean the restroom.

You are escorted out. Classified as missing.

You become just one line in an exploration record, with only this phrase left behind.

A mix of repulsion and chills runs down my spine.

“…….”

Honestly, managing to survive this precariously for three days with an injured minor has been pure luck.

Of course, I’m not stupid. It’s not like I deliberately created this situation.

‘I never expected not to meet Agent Bronze for three days…!’

Yeah.

My senior agent has vanished.

I’m losing my mind.

“…….”

On the first day, I thought we just missed each other due to bad timing.

‘Maybe we were hiding under the counter for so long that he waited on the second floor and then moved on?’

If he weren’t injured like the high schooler I’m taking care of, he might have been more aggressive in preparing to escape.

So, after much consideration, I decided to keep waiting on the second floor.

‘If he’s going to rest, he’s most likely to return to the second floor.’

Honestly, there wasn’t much choice anyway.

Dragging a high schooler with an injured leg up and down the floors would have been practically suicide.

For now, I chose to wait on the relatively safe second floor, and I believe it was a rational decision.

But he didn’t come.

So from the second day, I started searching other floors.

I couldn’t search for long. Leaving the injured high schooler alone for even a few hours felt like it could be fatal.

Even after the crazy act of pushing myself to go down to the basement floor, nothing changed.

Agent Bronze was nowhere to be found.

At least, not within the range I could reach within an hour.

Three days passed like that.

And then….

‘All the while, the mart never resumed normal operations…….’

One of the reasons for strongly recommending escape before the store closes.

The main culprit that turns this mart into hell, lowering civilian survival rates.

The shortest confirmed period until the mart resumes operations is one day, and the longest is 20 days.

The uncertainty of when operations will resume.

That’s right.

No one knew when Lucky Mart’s new day would begin.

Sometimes, operations resume within a day, but other times, hundreds of hours pass in human perception without even a day going by.

‘This has led to speculation that the gap between reality and time widens so much that Lucky Mart’s time has become stuck in the distant past.’

Regardless of how accurate that speculation is, what matters is the reality we’re facing right now.

The fact that we’ve been trapped here for three days.

…I’m starting to fear what thoughts might be running through the high schooler’s mind.

“W-we actually came here to look for someone who lives in the same apartment as us.”

Just then, I heard their faint muttering.

“…You came looking for them?”

“Y-yeah. They DMed saying they were going to Lucky Mart, and then disappeared. So we started saying it felt like a ghost story, and we had to find them….”

Oh, my God.

“But it was stupid. They’re probably already dead… W-what if they got ground up in a blender?”

“…Let’s not think too far ahead.”

I patted the high schooler on the shoulder.

“For now, you’ll be able to get out today.”

“…What?”

I had something to believe in.

I recalled a record I assumed belonged to Agent Bronze.

An unexpected situation occurred, cutting contact with the agent for three days.

Result: Rescue failed. Agent returned alone.

If I reconstruct this….

‘It means contact with the agent was re-established after three days.’

That’s when the agent escaped alone.

Even though the rescue failed, the agent must have tried to save the civilians.

‘He probably tried to hold out until operations resumed.’

So statistically, today had a very high chance of being the time when the doors reopened for operations.

“N-no way….”

“Yeah. Just wait a moment.”

Filled with hope and anticipation, I calmly looked at my watch.

[ 09 : 59 ]

My heart pounded.

Soon, when the time changes….

[ 10 : 00 ]

Exactly.

Silence.

“……?”

I waited a little longer.

But nothing happened.

The jingle didn’t play, the announcements didn’t come on, and the lights didn’t turn back on.

……The entrance doors didn’t open.

“…….”

The mart still didn’t resume operations today….

‘Sh*t.’

I blinked.

A cold, dull shock reverberated through my sleep-deprived head…….

“I-is it over?”

“…….”

“Uh, uh, uh……”

“It’s okay. There’s another way….”

I turned my head.

The high schooler was fumbling with something.

A receipt.

A document from the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau disguised as a receipt. It was probably the paper where the high schooler found the emergency contact number.

‘Why are he….’

Is he trying to find some advice or guidance?

But instead of reading the contents of the receipt, the high schooler pulled something out from it. Then, he tried to put it in his mouth…….

“…!!”

I slapped the high schooler’s hand away.

“Ah!”

I forcibly opened his hand and took what was inside. He resisted, but I ignored it.

“No…!”

…A white, capsule-shaped pill.

‘This.’

I recognize this form.

A euthanasia pill once included by the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau with guidelines for high-grade ghost stories.

If the suffering is too much, take the enclosed capsule.

It guarantees a peaceful end.

The bad premonition proved to be true.

‘Damn it, damn it, damn it!’

The guidelines this kid saw had included it.

“I-I’m sorry.”

The high schooler spoke, his voice trembling with tears.

“I… I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to end up in the blender. I’m too scared, too dizzy. I just want to die peacefully….”

I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

“I’m sorry… Am I being selfish, trying to find peace for myself? If taking just half of it would still kill, then maybe we could share….”

“No.”

I clenched my teeth as I watched the high schooler start rambling incoherently.

Then, I tapped their arm with as calm an expression as I could muster.

“It’s okay. There’s another way to get out.”

“How?! We haven’t slept, eaten, or done anything for three days….”

“We can do it.”

I grabbed him firmly.

“Until now, we’ve been holding out as safely as possible, thinking the doors would reopen soon. If they don’t open soon, there’s another way.”

“R-really?”

“Yeah.”

It was the truth.

…As long as I make one decision.

-Abandon Agent Bronze.

The worry that they might not escape because they’re looking for us, the pressure to confirm each other’s survival, and the hope of receiving help.

For now, let it all go.

Anyway, there’s a record showing Agent Bronze escapes on their own.

…Even if the rescue fails.

‘Trying to save the civilians who followed them… that’s a delusion.’

Get a grip.

I decided to do the best I could within my limits.

‘If it’s just the two of us holding out until operations resume….’

My priorities shifted quickly in my mind.

After worrying about it for the past three days, the next plan was decided quickly.

“We’re going up.”

“What…?”

“Don’t eat this, just keep it lightly in your mouth.”

I immediately handed the high schooler a Nostalgia Candy.

A peculiar item that fixes you at your best physical state.

“Wow…!”

As soon as the candy entered his mouth, the high schooler’s eyes changed.

“My-my leg feels fine!”

“You need to think about melting it very slowly. It only works while you’re eating it.”

“Yes…!”

The high schooler, whose condition improved rapidly, stood up with a bright face. Even his mental state seemed to have returned to its best.

I was prepared for him to ask why I hadn’t given this earlier, but he seemed too excited by the miraculous item that immediately improved his condition to think about that.

“Excuse me, isn’t the third floor the top floor of the mart? Are we going there because there’s a way to escape? Are we escaping?”

“We’re going to ‘prepare’ for escape.”

“And….”

“The third floor isn’t the top floor.”

“…What?”

“There are doors that lead above the third floor.”

However.

“Th-the receipt said not to go there….”

That was correct.

This mart is a three-story building, with floors ranging from basement level 1 to the third floor above ground.

Let me repeat: Do not trust any emergency exits leading to the fourth floor. The fourth floor is not part of the mart.

The fourth floor of Lucky Mart.

This was also a gimmick that had become almost a meme in <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>.

‘A keyword for disappearance.’

Going up to the fourth floor.

That’s the last line before everyone disappears.

No matter how thrilling or nail-biting the exploration before it was, it didn’t matter. As if enchanted, they disappeared aimlessly and emptily.

That’s why it was even more terrifying.

No one ever wrote about why people disappeared or what was on the fourth floor.

It was an unspoken rule.

Even the cases that described the disappearance process in the most detail were like that.

I recalled.

The challenge of an agent who realized that all rescue targets were dead.

/Recording begins

Agent Choi: So, I’m on the third floor right now, and I’ve found a door leading to the fourth floor.

Agent Choi: I’ll just crack the door open and take a look. I’m not crazy, okay? We can’t just leave the fourth floor like this. Isn’t the number of recorded disappearances from going up there almost three digits?

(The agent leaves personal excuses and a final message.)

Agent Choi: I’m opening the door to the fourth floor now. And… it’s open. Ta-da!

(Sounds of a door opening, entering, and closing in succession.)

Agent Choi: It’s ordinary. Just a slightly old emergency exit. There are stairs…. Really nothing unusual. The exit door is intact too.

(They observed for a few more minutes but found nothing unusual.)

Agent Choi: Alright. I’m going up now.

(The sound of footsteps echoes. Presumably climbing stairs.)

Agent Choi: Let’s see. The exit door still looks fine… Oh. …It’s gone now. I guess I’ll just have to keep going up. Here I go!

(Footsteps continue for 30 seconds.)

Agent Choi: Phew… I’ve arrived. In front of the fourth-floor door.

Agent Choi: It doesn’t look any different. Just a metal door.

Agent Choi: …Alright, I’ll open it now.

(The sound of the metal door opening. At the same time, the Lucky Mart jingle starts playing.)

Agent Choi: Huh?

(The jingle grows louder. It changes variations.)

Agent Choi: W-wait.

(Indescribable wailing. Roaring noise. Strange sounds of air rushing, rain, balloons rubbing, popping, twelve unidentifiable sounds, and ■■■ ■■.)

Agent Choi: (Silence)

Agent Choi: Welcome to Lucky Mart!

No further recordings for 24 hours. The battery died, ending the recording.

The agent’s recorder was later found in the electronics section on the third floor of Lucky Mart.

“…….”

This is the kind of record that makes you vow never to open the emergency door to the fourth floor.

But.

“It’s okay. Once we find the door, I’ll tell you what to do.”

That’s our destination.

“...Alright.”

Whether it was the trust built over the past three days or the mysterious power of the Nostalgia Candy, the high schooler nodded without resistance.

“Let’s move quietly.”

We left the second-floor food court.

Then, we walked up the stopped escalator, moving quietly upward.

We avoided the inspection time for that part of the escalator but took off our shoes to move barefoot, so as not to make any noise that could draw the attention of the staff.

Our conversation ceased for a while.

We moved slowly and silently, each step causing cold sweat to drip.

And finally, the third floor revealed itself….

“Ah….”

It was strange.

Originally, the third floor of Lucky Mart was said to be an event hall.

Each day featured different themes, with various discount stands displayed alternately.

And now, the third floor we saw.

“W-what is this…?”

The display shelves were endlessly repeating.

An infinite mart.

If the floors below the second recreated Lucky Mart’s past appearance unnervingly, the third floor was grotesque with its infinite expansion.

The reported number of event stores on the third floor is 3,611, with an area of 232㎢.

Always confirm your starting point.

If you lose your way, you will never be able to find the escalator leading back to the lower floors.

A vast maze, or like stepping into the design or painting of a madman, the endlessly repeating shelves and special displays were enough to drive anyone insane.

But on the flip side, it also meant it was a good place to avoid or hide from the staff.

In some distant stores, it’s said that no staff appeared for months.

‘It’s also convenient for stealing food or daily necessities in secret.’

…If you give up on escaping, that is.

So there must be countless missing people scattered throughout here….

Maybe even Agent Bronze.

“…….”

“Stick to the wall. Let me know immediately if you find an emergency exit.”

“Y-yes…!”

We stuck to the wall behind the escalator and moved slowly.

Together, we entered the dizzying paths of endless display shelves.

In the dark, unlit general mart after hours, with only emergency lights on, corners repeated endlessly among the shelves.

[Special Sale on Camping Gear]

[Winter Season Outlet Event]

[Housewarming Gift Event Prices]

[Sell Your Flesh at Lucky Mart]

[Spring Kitchenware Grand Sale]

Eventually, bizarre phrases began to appear. Every time I saw one of those stands or signs, I turned around and walked back.

For dozens of minutes, I was crossing from booth to booth, checking the location of the escalator.

A faint sound was heard.

A dull sound coming from somewhere beyond the display shelves.

“ – …….”

I quickened my steps.

But the sound gradually became clearer, and eventually….

“ – Huh? Is someone there…?”

“Huh?”

The high schooler suddenly lifted his head.

“ – Who are you? Can I help you?”

A voice speaking from afar.

“Over there, it’s a person….”

“Shh.”

I crouched down with the high schooler.

Then I warned him in a very quiet voice.

“It might not be a person.”

“…!”

“And… even if it is a person, could someone who’s been here this long still be sane?”

“…!!”

There’s no way they’re sane.

The chances are absurdly slim.

Especially if they’re pretending to be friendly like that.

‘It’s dangerous.’

It was scarier if it was a person.

“ – Hey there. You’re a person, right? I’ll help you.”

We ran along the wall.

The friendly voice offering help kept following us.

“ – My voice might draw the staff here. I know a way out. Let me help you.”

Sweat formed on the high schooler’s neck. I kept moving, measuring the distance between us and the voice.

“ – Come on. You don’t want the staff to see you, right?”

‘Sh*t.’

Should I try to subdue them briefly? No, if I do that, and the staff really comes… Yeah, if it’s a person, leaving them to be caught by the staff is the right call.

I had to keep moving… Wait.

‘That.’

As I lifted my head suddenly, something appeared on the wall we had been circling.

A metal door.

An emergency exit glowing with a green light. And….

A sign.

[ 3F ↗ 4F ]

“Th-that…!”

It appeared.

‘The emergency exit to the fourth floor.’

I immediately ran and grabbed the metal door handle.

Then, I hastily gave instructions to the high schooler.

The most important thing.

“Never go up the stairs.”

“What?”

“Once we open the door and go inside, just stay where you are. Got it? Don’t move no matter what.”

The high schooler nodded with frightened eyes.

Good.

This was my hypothesis.

Agent Choi: It’s ordinary. Just a slightly old emergency exit. There are stairs…. Really nothing unusual. The exit door is intact too.

‘…But when the staff went up the stairs, the door suddenly disappeared.’

Then, if we think in reverse.

“ – If you don’t go up the stairs, the door on the third floor won’t disappear.”

Because you haven’t left the third floor yet.

And if this idea is correct, there’s no safer space than this.

‘There’s no record of staff attempting to go up to the fourth floor.’

Because it’s not part of the mart.

Ultimately, the emergency exit to the fourth floor becomes a safe zone where only people can open and pass through.

Then everything becomes easier.

‘I can even eat the food I brought in my bag there.’

Because once you go through this door, it’s no longer part of the mart.

At the stair landing, I could check the outside by opening the door at 10 o’clock every day to see if operations resume.

‘Betting on this is the safest option.’

Unless there’s an unlimited supply of Nostalgia Candy, this is the best way to escape with an injured high schooler.

The countless disappearance stories about the fourth floor lingered in my mind and scared me, but I had to do it.

I gritted my teeth and opened the metal door.

Creak.

The exact same creaking sound as described earlier, and the old staircase area revealed itself.

“Let’s go in, carefully.”

“Y-yes…!”

I entered together with the high schooler.

To prevent unforeseen circumstances, I wedged a piece of paper torn from my notebook into the emergency door to keep it from fully closing.

It was subtle enough that it wouldn’t look open from the outside.

‘Phew.’

This would also allow us to lose that crazy bastard who had been following us.

And just as I was catching my breath.

“A-agent Grape…!”

And pointed upward.

“Over there…!”

Up the stairs.

With a chilling feeling, I lifted my head.

Someone was standing on the stairs leading to the fourth floor.

A pale woman with sunken eyes and short hair.

“…A-a person!”

Go Yeongeun.

My fellow colleague, a former medical student.

“…….”

‘...What?’

My mind couldn’t comprehend what was going on.

But in the next moment, I noticed her outfit.

The metal badge on her collar.

It was an identification badge for agents of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.

‘Ah.’

A phrase from my memory flashed through my mind.

“ – However, the two agents who previously entered this paranormal disaster are currently in a state of short-term disappearance.”

The two agents mentioned by Agent Bronze.

“…!”

One of them was my fellow colleague who had newly joined the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.