Death Cast

01.18 | Grecia Bella Theatre

The theater's control room is where the technicians in charge of lighting and sound are in charge of overseeing operations. Due to its central location in the theater's backstage area, personnel was able to see the overall condition of the facility through a large panel of clear glass. The booth was contained within a small room that had various pieces of equipment mounted on the walls.

When Jaerim saw the map Noel was holding, he felt strange. Grecia Bella Theatre is a large Broadway theater with approximately 2,000 seats. It has the most comprehensive facility, from the box office to the backstage, making it the best theatre establishment in the world today. However, it was the modern-esque design that made it look out of place.

He wasn't sure if such technology was already available at the time.

"What is there to be concerned about?" Noel wondered aloud.

He folded the directory map and tucked it into one of his pockets. As he gazed at the person in front of him, his eyebrows furrowed.

"The location we are now does not have to adhere to human rules. We can only speculate about the current state of each world based on the timelines we've been exposed to in the past. Maybe, the weird one should be the people who still remained in their historical clothes and the theatre is the only normal one."

Jaerim nodded in agreement. Noel's logic was correct. At one point, he almost forgot that they had been transported to an alternate reality, an elaborate hardware simulation, in which the laws of physics might not hold true at all. Noel motioned for Jaerim to follow him to the control booth.

They had to go through the west side of the theater to get to the control booth from backstage. It is currently dark, as the majority of the light has been directed toward the stage presentation. They could already hear drums beating from backstage and were not surprised to see a large number of people dancing on stage. The two of them walked cautiously near the wall as if to avoid the shadows cast by the stage's flickering light.

The audience, who were wearing sacks over their heads, was deafeningly quiet. The light from the stage created silhouettes that blended seamlessly with the shadows. It left an eerie feeling, the kind that makes your back cold and your hair stand on end. Noel and Jaerim exchanged glances and agreed not to speak as they walked through the side.

Jaerim had heard that one of today's performers would perform a dragon dance. It was a particularly tough dance to perform. Aside from the difficult steps that necessitate strength and agility, the dragon costume is also quite heavy. Jaerim couldn't help but think that their group was fortunate to have chosen an easier dance.

The stage has been flooded with lights as if stars had bloomed on it. The loud noises of the drums caused their hearts to beat in unison, symbolizing power and vitality. Jaerim took a breather and looked around the stage. Due to the distance and difference in elevation, he couldn't see the stage very well, but he could still see a portion of what was going on.

He noticed that there was a lot of gold, color gold, illuminating the center stage. A large dragon-like mascot with the most beautiful gold scales was roaming around majestically. Each movement is timed to the beat, and the large head with large eyes and snout was shaking as if it were alive. The large and long body that followed the head waved in time with the head's movements.

It was a breathtaking sight. The drums and firecrackers on the stage are making a lot of noise, and the dragons are dancing around. It's quite lively.

But there is nothing but silence. The audience is still unsatisfied.

"Jae? Come here!"

Noel had arrived at the west wing's end, which leads to a carpeted corridor. Jaerim quickly followed and led the way to the control booth. The theatre is large and has a large staff, but it is strangely quiet and devoid of any human life. Jaerim would have thought they were in an abandoned building if it hadn't been for the loud noises coming from the stage.

The corridor's walls were white. There were a few decorations, such as posters about the event and images of the theatre's main actors. Everything appeared to be brand new and of the highest quality. They could see that the theatre's owner had put in a lot of effort to renovate the building.

"Were they able to identify the owner of the place while searching for clues yesterday?" Jaerim inquired.

Noel nodded. "They were able to sneak into the administration's office. It seems like the owner is a doctor."

"A doctor?"

"It's what the document says."

They'd made it to the control booth's front door. Noel held the knob and twisted it. The mechanism inside produced a click, which loosened the door's lock. Instead of pushing the door open, Noel turned to face Jaerim. Despite the fear on his face, his eyes are unwavering. Jaerim nodded in approval.

"They say it was locked yesterday. They tried many methods to make it move but it won't budge," Noel said.

The door was pushed inside. They were greeted by a small, enclosed room. There was a large panel of clear glass that constituted the wall facing the stage, and some technical equipment was mounted on the wall behind the panel. They could see the stage very clearly from their vantage point. Jaerim made a motion towards the equipment before shifting his gaze to the performers on the other side of the glass. The climax is in progress, based on how quickly and loudly the drums were played this time.

"There's nothing here," Noel said as he rummaged through the room. "There are not a lot of stuff in here aside from the wirings and equipment parts."

The entirety of the room can be seen in one glance. Jaerim walked forward towards the glass walls of the enclosed room. The silent audience and the lively performance - everything played in front of them with a clear picture.

He said, "You can see everything here."

The control booth was installed so that the technicians or operators will have the best view to adjust the surrounding momentum. It is expected to have the best view of all.

"Let's go back to this place next time. Maybe there are clues that had not appeared yet," Jaerim added.

Noel thought that it is possible so he agreed to the proposal. The two of them left the room after searching the room for the second time. There is nothing weird inside the room, well aside from it being too clean.

"It is indeed too clean," Noel muttered when

Jaerim pointed out the unusual feeling inside the room. It was too clean for a place that should be used often during performances. It's not meant to be dirty but there should at least be traces of human use of the facility.

"We are undergoing a competition. That place, the one that mainly controls the lighting and music, should be occupied by specific people."

Yet, it was empty.

"Didn't they say it was still locked yesterday, right? That is also suspicious. Why would such a control room like this be locked in such an occasion?"

That is also a weird case. Noel remembered that when they were performing the dance yesterday, the music was played beside the the stage where a player was brought. There are also live musicians to accompany the recorded music. The stage has a hidden spot where these things could be placed but it was a questionable set up considering that there is a specific facility to do that work.

"Could it be that they don't know how to use it?" Noel guessed. "The newly renovated theatre house that were riddled with modern facilities... it is normal for the people to not use it since it's a novel thing."

That is a reasonable answer.

The two walked around to see more of the building. They are about to cross towards the right wing when they found a passageway towards somewhere. Noel checked their position on the map and found out that it leads to one of the staff room where the manager stays.

"They haven't marked it yet," Noel said. It means the people haven't reached this place.

"Want to go?" Jaerim asked, though he is already walking towards the passageway.

"Let's check it!" And Noel followed with great enthusiasm.