Seojin, a middle-class boy with big dreams of becoming an MMA fighter, is forced to give up everything when his family falls into financial crisis. One day, after standing up to a violent man in public, Seojin and his best friend Hamin are approached by a mysterious man in a black car. He offers them a strange black card and a deal that promises money, power, and respect—if they join something called *The 19 Show*.

That night, they arrive at an abandoned metro station and black out after being gassed. When they wake up, they find themselves trapped in a mysterious white room with other strangers—each one a "candidate" like them. The rules are unknown, the games are dangerous, and only the strongest, smartest, or most ruthless will survive.

Now, Seojin must decide who to trust, how far he’ll go, and what he’s willing to risk—for his family, his dreams… and his life.

--

That night, Hamin and I met outside the old Gangsu Metro. It looked even scarier in person—fenced off, broken lights, completely dead.


Both of us wore black hoodies and jeans. We had nothing but the cards in our pockets.


We hopped the broken fence, stepping into complete silence. Everything smelled like dust and rusted metal. The deeper we went, the colder it got.


Track 6 was exactly where the email said.


And waiting for us… were five men in strange uniforms. Their suits looked like something between military gear and a hazmat suit. Hard to tell in the dark, but they all wore the same glowing emblem on their chest.


They scanned them with a small device. A green light blinked.


Before we could react, two of them stepped forward and sprayed something in our faces. A sharp, icy gas filled my lungs. My vision blurred instantly.


"Wha—?" I tried to shout, but everything spun.


I saw Hamin falling beside me. My knees buckled.


But just before I blacked out, I thought one thing:


Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Gate to the Unknown