Revenant Resonance Ch 1

Chapter 1

Prologue.

Despite having made zero confessions and being in his 2.5th attempt, Yu Jiha did not give up.

His confidence wasn’t baseless, as it was founded on testimonies from others who had observed both him and that man.

“Hey, I heard he’s always looking out for you? It’s suspicious how someone obsessed with monsters and disinterested in humans is treating you so well.”

“He does seem to take special care of you. Like, remember at the opera house? A monster showed up and he protected you right away.”

“It’s a special relationship. If it weren’t for Jiha, he’d have been quarantined in a lab or even dead by now. I’d carry Jiha around on my back too, if I were him.”

A special relationship.

Yes. He and Jiha had a special relationship, acknowledged by others as well. A bond not tied by the Old Man under the Moon but by a monster’s red thread of fate.

He searched through many ways to confess and came up with a plan. He liked the idea of confessing at a fancy restaurant with a night view of Seoul, but he had to give up, holding back tears. His meager bank account, emptied for his parents with his first paycheck, screamed in protest.

Of course, if he asked to dine at the restaurant, the man would readily make a reservation. But confessing at a restaurant paid for by the other person? Even an inexperienced Jiha knew that didn’t sit right.

Frustrated, Jiha quickly recovered his resolve. If he lacked money, he’d make it up with effort. He bought takeout steak from a pricey, delicious restaurant his card could afford, and picked up a mini delphinium bouquet. The flower’s meaning: “I’ll make you happy.” When he simulated the confession scene in his head, he got goosebumps. It was just so cool.

He finished the setup before the man came home. The plan was perfect. Finally, he heard the sound of parking. Footsteps followed—crossing the yard from the garage, shoes coming off, stepping onto the wooden floor, approaching the kitchen—neat and deliberate steps.

Though he could move silently enough to avoid being detected by monsters, the man always made sure his steps were heard when Jiha was nearby. A considerate gesture to avoid startling him—those intentional footsteps now stirred excitement.

Hearing the footsteps grow louder on the wooden floor, Jiha took a deep breath. The plan was perfect. He would create a tender mood and present the fragrant bouquet that glowed faintly even in the dark… Wait, dark?

“……!”

He’d forgotten to light the candles instead of turning on the lights. In a panic, he grabbed the Dupont lighter he had snuck from the man’s room, but the door was already opening. Flustered, he turned—and to make matters worse, tripped.

“Argh!”

“Careful now.”

Of course, there was no way he’d fall with the man so close. Somehow, the distance had closed, and before Jiha could hit the floor, he landed safely in the man’s arms.

Brushing off Jiha’s clothes and checking for injuries, the man glanced around with an amused expression.

“Is it my birthday today? Is this a surprise?”

“W-Well…”

His eyes landed on the bouquet hidden behind the chair. Jiha’s mistake had been not accounting for the man’s height.

“What’s with the flowers? Who gave them to you?”

“U-Um… No one gave them to me…”

“You bought them yourself? You should’ve said earlier that you liked flowers. Should we plant some in the yard too?”

So much for setting the mood. Jiha was devastated. Ever since he tripped like a fool, his perfect confession plan had fallen apart. At this point, he had no choice but to charge forward.

“I-It’s for you, sir!”

“For me?”

“I bought it for you.”

As the man accepted the bouquet with a smile, Jiha squeezed his eyes shut and said,

“I—I like you.”

“Huh? Thanks. I like you too, Jiha.”

“No! Not like that—romantically! I mean, even though we’re the same gender, I want to date you, to be in a relationship! That kind of like…!”

Silence fell.

When Jiha cautiously opened his eyes and looked at the man’s face, he realized—he was screwed.

1.

The end-of-semester party started and ended with alcohol. Having missed the last train, Jiha barely caught a bus heading to his sister’s apartment in Seoul and dozed off hugging his bag. But when he opened his eyes, he wasn’t at a bus stop or terminal.

He was at Palsang Psychiatric Hospital.

In the middle of a forest shrouded in fog, a decaying building loomed with red lettering on its wall. Jiha thought he might still be dreaming, but the damp, eerie air clinging to his skin was far too vivid for a dream.

People who had been sprawled on the ground nearby began to wake. Though they had boarded the bus in a bustling area, they had awoken in the forest. Confused and disbelieving, some slapped their own cheeks, but the confusion soon turned into chaos.

“Where are we?”

“A psychiatric hospital? Who builds one in a place like this?”

“There’s no signal!”

“Hey! Why did you bring us here?!”

An angry man grabbed the bus driver by the collar, but the driver was just as bewildered.

“I—I don’t know. This isn’t even on my route… I—I must’ve blacked out…”

Amid the panic, Jiha took in his surroundings and gasped. The bus they had arrived in was gone. All that remained were the screaming passengers and the gloomy fog enveloping the forest.

The midnight woods were eerily silent—no bugs, no animals, no birds. In the midst of that dead silence, the decrepit psychiatric hospital loomed ominously.

Unable to process or understand the situation, fear crept in. People ran in panic, all in the same direction—toward the fog opposite the hospital. No one dared to enter the building for help. Their instincts screamed: Don’t go in there.

But that didn’t help either.

“AAAAARGH!”

Senior Park Junyeol, who had been on the bus with Jiha, screamed and stumbled back out of the fog, collapsing beside Jiha. He wasn’t alone. Everyone who had tried to flee into the mist was flung back like chewed-up food.

“S-Senior, are you okay?”

The people who had entered the fog were trembling violently. Their pupils had rolled back, and their skin had grown so thin their bones and organs seemed visible. As if something in the fog had stripped them of their human identity.

Jiha collapsed in terror, gasping for breath. Exposed to outside air, color returned to their skin and sanity to their eyes. But it was as if their memories had been sliced out—they couldn’t recall what they had seen inside the mist.

By then, no one questioned how or why they had been transported to a forest and a psychiatric hospital. This was real. Jiha gritted his teeth hard.

“W-What do we do? We can’t get out of here!”

A young student in uniform asked in a trembling voice. No one could answer. And then—

BZZT. BWAAANG. ♬

In the darkness, every phone suddenly received a notification at the same time. In the forest with no reception, each of the eight people’s phones vibrated.

“W-What is it?!”

“Ack!”

“It’s a text!”

“Do we… read it?”

“Let’s stay calm. Everyone, please calm down.”

A man, possibly of Korean-Chinese descent from his subtle Yanbian accent, stepped up.

“We don’t have any other options. Let’s read the message and share the contents.”

Hands trembling, Jiha opened the new message. The screen lit up with a notification.

[Survival Guidelines for Victims of Paranormal Locations]

1. This manual is automatically issued by the Bureau of Monster Offering Management in response to paranormal incidents. We are a government agency loyal to the nation and dedicated to protecting its citizens. We will do our best to ensure your survival and rescue. Therefore, please follow the guidelines accordingly.
2. If you are reading this, it means you have become a victim of a paranormal phenomenon. “Paranormal locations” are areas where apparitions, yokai, urban legends, and other such entities appear. We refer to these collectively as “monsters” and the places as “paranormal zones.”

No matter how unbelievable the sights before you may seem, they are real. Escaping reality will only shorten your remaining time.

1. Nearby, you will find a location-specific manual. Most monsters cannot distinguish between humans and others, so follow the manual closely to avoid being identified as human.

The manual is invisible to monsters and may be read at any time, but avoid obvious reading in front of them. Ignoring them may provoke extreme hostility.

1. Your objective is survival, not extermination. Even if you possess spiritual abilities, prioritize survival.

Escape methods vary by location. You may already know this, but escape through the surrounding fog is impossible. If you remain outside the central area for too long, monsters will begin to hunt you as an intruder.

If you escape safely, await rescue in a secure area. The Bureau will dispatch agents to retrieve you.

1. Do not consume any food or drink found inside the zone. Though the environment may resemble reality, it is not real. All substances are foreign and dangerous.

5-1. If you must eat, know that you’re likely consuming rotten animal meat. Foreign minerals or small metals may be present, so chew carefully. Monsters here only hunt humans. Rarely, consumed food may transform into acid or metal in your throat—but it won’t kill you immediately.

5-2. If consumed, you may mutate into a monster. Do not worry—the Bureau will swiftly dispose of you. At the very least, your remains will be treated to resemble a human corpse for burial.

5-3. If you no longer feel hunger, you may consume freely.

1. In a worst-case scenario, take the enclosed pill. It has passed human trials. Dying by tearing or consumption is far more painful.

If you have a written will, we will deliver it to your family after review. Depending on its contents, delivery may not be possible, so write carefully.

A single text made it clear what had always lurked beneath the illusion of an ordinary life.