THE DISAPPEARANCE OF EDEN.
(Present Day)

Seong Gi-hun had learned one thing after playing the same game two times, never get too close.

But he didn't listen either times, he had gotten close to the two girls he thought of as daughter. And then those two girls were killed—murdered by the games that were supposed to save them.

Kang Sae-byeok and Seung-Hyun Eden were strong and fierce women. And he cared for both.

Gi-hun sat in the stillness of his apartment, his thoughts circling back to two names that haunted him—Sae-byeok and Eden. They were so different, yet in his heart, they felt the same. Sae-byeok had been fierce, her sharp eyes hardened by a life of struggle, carrying her brother's future on her back. Eden, on the other hand, had a softer strength, a warmth that drew people in, yet she carried the same selfless determination to protect others before herself.

They were like daughters to him, both fighting battles they shouldn't have had to face. Both taken too soon.

And he had failed them both.

Gi-hun glanced up as Daeho stepped out of the bathroom, the faint sound of running water cutting off behind him. His hand lingered over the bandage he had just pressed behind his ear, covering the small cut where the tracker had been removed. He walked over to the couch and sank into it, exhaling sharply as if the weight of the day had finally hit him.

Gi-hun studied him for a moment. Daeho's usually sharp, determined demeanor was replaced with something more subdued—doubt, maybe even guilt.

"What have you found so far?" Gi-hun asked, breaking the silence.

Daeho rubbed his hands together, leaning forward as his elbows rested on his knees. "Nothing," he admitted, his voice tight. "I've been looking everywhere. Hospitals, police reports, clinics, even places off the books. But it's like it never happened. The game... it doesn't exist. No records, not ever the winners are talking, nothing."

Gi-hun sighed and leaned back in his chair. "That's how they work. You know that. No evidence, no loose ends. Just the winners."

Daeho's jaw clenched, and his fingers tightened around each other. "I thought... I thought I'd at least find something. Anything. But it's like Eden just disappeared, like she was never even here." His voice cracked on the last word, and he swallowed hard, shaking his head. "She shouldn't have to go like this. I should've helped and stopped him before he got to her."

Gi-hun leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his tone softening. "It's not your fault, you know. None of it is."

Daeho shook his head violently, his voice rising. "It is my fault! I was supposed to protect her. She trusted me, and I couldn't save her. If I'd just been faster, smarter—if I'd done something—she wouldn't be..." His words trailed off, and he buried his face in his hands, his shoulders trembling.

The sight of Daeho breaking down pulled at something deep inside Gi-hun. He had been there before, in that same place, drowning in guilt and the unbearable weight of loss.

"I know how you feel," Gi-hun said quietly, his voice laced with pain. "In the first game I played, I lost everyone too. There was this girl, Sae-byeok. She reminded me a lot of Eden. Tough, smart, selfless. She had someone waiting for her—a little brother. She didn't make it, and it was because of me. I could've protected her, but I didn't. I failed her, just like I failed everyone else."

Daeho slowly lifted his head, his eyes red and glassy. "How do you live with it?" He paused. "With the guilt?"

Gi-hun let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair. "You don't. Not really. You just keep going because stopping hurts even more. But listen to me when I say this: don't get your hopes up. The game doesn't leave survivors by accident. If she's really gone..." He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"I won't," Daeho said, his voice steadier now. He wiped at his face and sat up straighter. "But I know she's out there. I can feel it. There's a reason why they didn't announce her elimination like the others. I'm not giving up on her."

There was a flicker of something in Gi-hun's expression—admiration, maybe, or hope he didn't want to admit to. "You remind me of her, you know," he said finally. "That stubbornness."

Daeho managed a weak smile. "I guess she rubbed off on me."

Gi-hun sighed, his expression hardening. "You're going to need that, because this isn't over. I went back into the game because I wanted to end it. They took everything from me, and I couldn't just walk away. Not after everything."

"Then let me help you," Daeho said firmly, his gaze locking onto Gi-hun's. "Whatever it takes. If there's a way to stop this, I'm in. And we'll need Eden. I know it. She's out there somewhere. We'll find her."

Gi-hun studied him for a long moment before nodding. "It's not going to be easy. But if you're serious about this, we'll do it together."

$$$

Later that night, Daeho sat at the small dining table with his phone in his hand, scrolling through his contacts. His thumb hovered over a name—Myung-gi. He hadn't spoken to him since the games, but Myung-gi had been close to Eden. If anyone could be of help, it would be him.

He dialed the number, his heart racing as it rang. Once, twice, three times. Then, a mechanical voice cut through the silence. "The number you have dialed is no longer in service."

Daeho cursed under his breath, hanging up and staring at the screen. He tried another number, then another, but each call ended the same way. Myung-gi had disappeared, just like everyone else tied to the game.

Gi-hun watched him from across the room, his expression unreadable. "No luck?"

Daeho shook his head, frustration and worry etched across his face. "Nope, don't know why I even tried, though. Eden had told me he was in hiding before the games even started because people wanted him dead."

Gi-hun nodded slowly. "That's what happens to people who survive. They vanish. Some of them because they're scared, and others because they're still being watched."

Daeho leaned back in his chair, his hands clenching into fists. "We should also try to reach for the others to tell them about the chip.."

Gi-hun didn't say anything, but there was a glimmer of something in his eyes—respect, maybe, or the faintest flicker of hope. For the first time in a long time, he wasn't alone in this fight. And as unlikely as it seemed, he found himself believing, just a little, that they might actually stand a chance.

"Wait,"

Daeho broke the silence, making the older man to turn to him. "Maybe we can try to track the chip. Get us somewhere."

He nodded slowly, "that's not such a bad idea..."

Martina speaks: idk why my Wattpad is glitching and I can't write correctly. But here we are!!!

What do we think of this chapter everyone?

I'll be posting next chapter in a minute...🫣🫣