Their conversation was interrupted by an unexpected sound.
Jaerim stood up right away, while Noel looked for the source of the noise. It was through the door that they entered. They exchanged glances as they prepared to leave the room. Jaerim slid the documents back into the compartment and squeezed the love letter into his pocket.
It is a clue. They couldn't just leave it behind.
He slowly opened the door while keeping watch. They took a peek through the narrow opening and discovered nothing out of the ordinary. He swung the door open completely and discovered that the narrow corridor was empty. They realized they'd been in the room for too long and made the decision to leave and come back later on.
The noise from the stage was long gone. It appeared that the performance had already concluded. Before stepping out onto the carpet, Noel looked to his left and right. He is facing the west wing's direction. The white lights appear dull and cold, casting distorted shadows in the corners. The quiet corridor had grown eerie now that no one was making a sound, giving their hearts a little fright.
"Where do you think it came from?" asked Jaerim, who spoke in a low voice.
The two of them are standing at the corner of the passageway. "I'm not sure," Noel said, shrugging his shoulders.
They were able to hear the noise clearly. It sounds like a scuttle, like a small animal attempting to flee. How could such steps be heard in a room with carpeted flooring? Of course, that would be a different case if you were in the old room, as the floorboards in that area are mostly made of wood.
"Do you think we should go back and look at it again?" Noel asked.
"Well-"
"What are you planning to check out-"
The third voice roused the two people's fear immediately. It made the two of them jolt, and together with their hearts beating loudly they could hear it in their heads. Cold sweat trickled down their brows as they tried to calm themselves.
Don't show any fear - they must not show anything weird.
They recognize that voice. It is that voice that has haunted them since the day they arrived in this world.
"-again?"
He could feel it; they could feel the penetrating glare of the person watching them. Ice-coldness crept up from their tailbones to the base of their necks, as if an icy finger were holding them back and making it difficult to breathe. It's as if they're up against a massive dragon, its claws outstretched and ready to rip their heads off with no regard for the lives of those in its path.
It is forcing them to submit. It's an attempt to compel them to submit.
Jaerim reasoned, it couldn't have come from a normal person.'
Only the ultimate bosses could wield such terrifying power.
Jaerim clenched his fist and turned around slowly, a mild smile on his face. His lips remained pale, but his cheeks took on a vibrant tint. The patch has been removed when he has to wash his face, so the maple-leaf scar that is still inflamed is very conspicuous in this state.
"Hello, sir," he said to the jester, his voice steady.
Noel followed suit, but he said nothing. He remained by Jaerim's side, his head bowed. The jester, who had changed his make-up yet again, regarded the two people with suspicion. He had his cheeks and lips painted with red rogue, which made him look superstitious and a fair bit like a villain. However, the color of his clothes and the jester's hat remains black and grey.
Elias approached the two people with both of his hands on his back. As a result of the ground insulation, his footsteps could not be heard by either of them, which is likely why they failed to notice he was approaching. The distance between the two groups wasn't that great, so it only took three or four steps for them to come face to face.
The jester scrutinized the two individuals more closely, his attention drawn primarily to Jaerim. The leaf mark on his cheeks is much brighter than the rogue mark on the jester's cheeks. This made Jaerim stand out, as the wound didn't appear to be unsightly, but rather beautiful and appealing. It creates a one-of-a-kind charm.
He asked, after the long inspection, "What about checking something again?"
Jaerim didn't dare to look away, instead focusing his attention on the jester and maintaining constant eye contact with him throughout the chat. He had just noticed that the jester had a pair of bluish irises. The bluish pupils of the eyes reminded Jaerim of someone else, besides the Grim Reaper, who had a striking similarity. A sudden thought struck him. But he didn't show it on his face. Even after being subjected to this type of interrogation, his expression remained calm.
"Sir, we forgot something from the restroom," Jaerim replied.
The clown furrowed his brow. "The restroom?"
"Yes, sir. Probably."
"Probably?"
"Actually, he had forgotten something but couldn't recall where he had put it. We had a feeling it was in the restroom."
The jester's gaze shifted to the person standing next to Jaerim. Not expecting to be held responsible, Noel only managed to flinch when the jester turned his gaze on him. He wiped the sweat that was dripping from the back of his neck with the back of his hand as he tried to calm himself.
"What is the thing you forgot?" The jester asked.
Noel was unable to remember because he had not forgotten anything in the first place! He wiped his sweaty brow again, this time touching the maple-leaf mark, as he tried to recall the object he was supposed to forget. He couldn't ask Jaerim for assistance directly because the jester wouldn't believe it.
They couldn't figure it out. They thought the jester was just a figure to put pressure on them, a restriction that would at the very least impede their progress. That's why they agreed to all of the rules the jester threw at them. What they did not expect was for the jester to induce such intense terror in them.
This is a checkpoint that cannot be easily passed.
They have the impression that one wrong answer will result in their death if they choose incorrectly. They are familiar with the sensation because they have been very close to it. They couldn't afford to be careless.
Noel tried to reassure his heart. What things could be forgotten in a restroom? And in their case, what object could be found in the restroom so they could use it as evidence?
They brought nothing but their naked bodies with them when they arrived in this world. That's how it's supposed to be with death. All material things, including flesh, will be left to the human world. Only their naked souls could move.
Even their clothing has been altered to match the crowd.
It had only been a minute, but it felt like hours had passed. Noel swallowed to moisten his throat before he answered, "I don't remember, sir."
"You don't remember the thing you forgot?" The jester sneered.
He shifted his gaze to the narrow passage beside them, where he discovered an old door around the corner. He seemed to know what this place was because the jester gave him a chilly smile. The cold atmosphere had become much colder as his blue eyes returned, watching the two people like a frost king ready to bring the ice age.
But he remained silent. His eyes conveyed the message that he was aware that they were lying, but he said nothing. It put more pressure on the two people who were clever enough to realize the meaning of that glance. Jaerim took a small step forward, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants.
"You misunderstand, sir. It's that we forgot the way to the restroom. This place is so big, and there are many rooms and corners. It took us some time to find the restroom and now we forget where it is," Jaerim said as he tried to redeem the situation.
"We are trying to locate that restroom, sir," Noel added.
Their faces showed no emotion, but the jester could see the desperation in their eyes. He paused briefly before turning around. The two people stood there watching as the jester walked away slowly. Light burst forth from their eyes, thinking that the jester must have believed their lies. But this light was immediately put off when the jester stopped.
He said, "What are you doing? Follow me."
They immediately followed the jester.
Jaerim asked, "Where are we going, sir?"
The jester turned his head to look at Jaerim with an obvious grimace, "Did you not say you forgot the way to the rest room? C'mon, follow me. Let's check all the restrooms so you can find your missing object."
That's it. They were found out.
A large theater like this would have a couple of restrooms to accommodate over two thousand people. The restrooms would be built in areas that are both easy to access and easy to find. The first restroom was only a few steps away.
Elias came to a halt and observed the two people walking slowly. He is a jester with the word 'impatient' written on his forehead, so he wasted no time barking at the two people to hurry up. Jaerim reacted swiftly and entered the restroom. Noel did not want to be left behind, so he immediately followed Jaerim.
The two gazed at the restroom with shocked expressions, even though they said they had been there before. They had used the restroom during their two-day stay, but the one in the staff room was quite basic and a little shabby. The one for the guests could be called very fancy.
The walls were tiled in white and spotless. A lavatory was placed in one corner, with a wide mirror reflecting the cubicles in front. Random fern plants were placed in corners, somehow emitting a refreshing scent into the cold room. The two were hesitant to enter, afraid of dirtying the clean floor.
The jester impatiently watched the two and said, "What are you dawdling here? Go, search for whatever it is that you have forgotten!"
Elias remained at the door, as if guarding the area, allowing the two to search for whatever they had forgotten. He already knows they're lying, but he's still here to torment them. He acted as if he was waiting for a good show.
‘Good show my ass, it's good because you're not the one acting on it!’ That was what Jaerim wanted to say but kept in his mind in fear of stimulating the already angered clown.
Noel looked around him for objects to look for, but the environment was spotlessly clean. Aside from the plants, he couldn't see anything else, not even a speck of dust. The theatre had been open for three days, but the restroom remained untouched. Noel approached Jaerim with caution, his gaze fixed on the door.
He muttered, "What are our options? There isn't anything here."
They looked around in unison. There is nothing but peculiar cleanliness.
Jaerim rummaged through his pockets and persuaded Noel, "Examine your pockets. Perhaps you brought something with you."
"What?" Noel retrieved the directory map. "Is this okay?"
Jaerim shook his head. "It's too big and bright. It's difficult to overlook something so obvious."
From his pocket, Jaerim retrieved the newspaper clippings and the love letter they'd gotten from the room. It's impossible to give these things to them since it would only show that they're out and about looking for clues. He thought there was nothing left when he touched a piece of paper.
"What is this?"
Jaerim recalled this scrap of paper. This is the one he discovered hidden beneath his pillowcase. When Noel saw the paper slip, his pupils constricted and his eyes widened. He read the words that remained in his head.
「Deux ex Machina」
"Are you guys still not done?" The jester's voice can be heard close by.
When the piece of paper slipped in between his fingers, Jaerim immediately hid the other documents in his pockets. The footsteps were getting closer and closer, and Jaerim had no choice but to crouch down and reach for it. He took the paper in his hand and noticed that it was a little warm in his palms.
"What's wrong with it-"
The words "DEUX EX MACHINA" are still clearly printed on the paper, but there is a new feature on the left corner. He discovered a number [3] written in red ink. This section of the paper is warm to the touch. When he realized how strange it was to see the new figure appear out of nowhere, the number three changed and became two, as if performing a countdown.
Countdown for what?
"Did you find it?" The sly voice of the clown echoed through the walls of the restroom.
It sounded creepy, like a murderer stalking its prey.