The voice of the ‘Good Friend’ became somewhat crafty.

Its unique confidence, slyness, and friendliness came to the forefront.

– I will help you. First… it would be good to take me out of your front pocket for a moment!

I did as it said.

Then, the plush doll sitting on my palm raised its hand and pointed at me.

I flinched instantly, remembering how it burned people during the Tuesday Quiz Show.

But this time was different.

Ta-dak!

A small thudding sound echoed as the doll without fingers snapped its hand.

At that moment.

A strange shadow-like thing heavily covered me.

“……!”

I was now faint and sinking…

– Now… they won’t be able to notice you. Come on, let’s go.

The voice of Braun, the ‘Good Friend’, sounded slightly weary and faint.

“This is…”

– I turned off your lighting, Mr. Roe Deer.

– We promised not to worry about people who aren’t illuminated during the show, didn’t we?

Apparently, ‘incineration’ wasn’t the only ability of the host.

‘Was he managing the entire filming location by himself…?’

I felt an eerie chill and looked down at the plush doll, but soon realized that wasn’t my priority.

First, escape!

“Then, I’ll move.”

– Very good!

I turned back to the restroom and stood in front of the closed narrow path.

Then, I crossed the no-entry sign.

“……”

Nothing happened.

“Thank…”

– Let’s set aside the praise and move first!

I was almost moved to tears by how grateful I was.

I sprinted up the steep hiking trail at my maximum speed, almost sprinting away.

Fragments of broken plastic and decorative items flashed beneath my hands and feet amidst the dirt.

– It seems like the place where something was is definitely here.

I pushed my speed even more.

Upward, further upward…

And finally, the end of the path appeared.

Tak.

I stepped forward and stood.

From the top of the hill, I looked down below.

It’s…

– It’s a resort.

A large-scale resort building was spread out next to the dark seaside.

…Did all famous franchise theme parks also operate such massive lodging facilities?

It was so large it was overwhelming just to look at it…

[Flower Golden Resort]

It was already a completely abandoned facility.

The golden-lit resort must have looked like quite a dream place once. But now it was old, paint peeling, and desolate.

I looked at the sign with a yellow flower brightly smiling, which had a crack.

And below that, even the familiar but older machinery.

– There’s a gate at the entrance to the resort too!

“Yes.”

That was expected. The way back to the resort from the theme park was also a kind of exit.

‘Found it…!’

I ran again, forgetting my exhaustion. The shadow that had been covering my body snapped away, and my steps quickened.

– Hmm. But the gate here is off too, can I use it?

“Of course.”

I looked around the old gate mechanism and opened the emergency control panel.

Just like I did at the attraction.

And I activated the emergency power.

Ziiing.

Creaking, sporadic lights came on in the gate machine.

‘Because the mascot had its eyes wide open, I couldn’t do it earlier.’

This level of operation was manageable on my own.

I stood in front of the gate where the lights were coming on most completely.

I took a deep breath.

Until the final confirmation.

“Braun. If I enter that resort with my membership, do you think I have to use those facilities?”

– Haha! Those rundown places? Their business seems to have ended long ago, and it’s already an ownerless property. It’s not a theme park, just land!

Thank you for the sharp and accurate assessment, friend.

I immediately brought my membership to the gate.

Click.

The old gate machine read my membership.

Ding.

The device’s lights flickered.

[◎ Goodbye ◎]

Done.

Feeling a shiver, as I moved my feet…

– Goodness, they followed.

I turned around.

Far away, I saw a blue figure crawling up the narrow path.

‘…Mascot!’

It was the blue dragon!

The mascot in uniform that I saw at the gate was approaching at a terrifying speed… then stopped.

It’s… it’s…

Staggering.

“……”

– Tsk tsk. That mascot thinks it’s the protagonist of a drama. Let’s get out quickly!

I felt uneasy.

‘This is completely a foreshadowing of revenge.’

There’s nothing good about being hated by a being from a creepypasta, right?

I thought and rummaged through my pocket, finding something that was still left.

[Alice’s Picnic Set – Cookie]

It was this flat cookie item that I had never used before.

I lightly threw the paper-wrapped cookie at the mascot.

……

– Mr. Roe Deer, you are excessively kind…

No.

‘Anyway, I gave it to you, Dragon.’

As I confirmed that the mascot received the cookie in its hand, I crossed the gate.

G o o d c h i l d

I escaped from the creepypasta.

Amidst the world swirling around, I heard the faint voice of the ‘Good Friend’.

– Hmm, now I’m getting strength! I feel like I can move…

* * *

I opened my eyes.

I realized I was sitting in the conference room of Research Team 1 on the 17th floor, empty and dark, right in the middle of Seoul.

‘…I survived.’

I succeeded in escaping!

“Ha!!”

Feeling an overwhelming sense of liberation stretching to the tips of my hair, I immediately stood up from my seat.

‘Is no one here?’

A few hours had passed, so it seemed everyone had moved from the conference room. I thought of calling to let them know I had escaped…

Huh?

I looked at my wrist.

[◎ (Cheerful) Fantasyland Membership ◎ ]

The band was still there.

“What is this—”

And then it began to burn.

“……!”

In an instant, the form of the admission ticket disappeared.

But something remained.

Exactly where the admission ticket had been, there was a black inscription engraved on my wrist.

: Socius :

What the heck.