the strange man pulled out a game of "Dakji" and some money from his brown bag. His smile was strange, and his words even stranger: "If you play with me and win, you can have the money. But if you lose... I'll slap your face."

I stared at him in surprise, but the monotony of my day pushed me to agree. He pointed to me and said, "Choose one: the blue or the red." I looked between them and chose the red.

The game began. I lost on the first round, and he slapped my face. I was stunned, but I continued. I lost again, and the slap was harder. With every loss, my anger grew, and the slaps became more painful. I couldn't control myself and yelled at myself: "You have to win! You have to win!"

Then came the long-awaited moment. With a decisive move, I flipped the card and won. Finally! The man exclaimed, "Wow!" and handed me the money.

I looked at him with anger and said, "You fool, how dare you slap my face?" I raised my hand to return the slap, but he easily stopped me and pulled out a golden card with symbols and numbers on it.

He handed me the card and said calmly, "Call this number, and you'll find a job that will earn you money and comfort."

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I stood there, staring at the card, a mixture of anger and curiosity filling me.

I kept thinking about the man’s words all day, unable to get his voice out of my head. By nightfall, curiosity had consumed me, and I could no longer wait. I made my way to a public phone booth, hesitating as I picked up the receiver.

I dialed the number written on the card, and after a few moments, someone answered. A low, mysterious voice came through, almost as if rising from the depths of shadow. The voice gave me an address, then hung up abruptly, offering no explanation.

I found myself standing on the sidewalk of a desolate street, dimly lit by flickering streetlights. The silence was heavy, pressing against my ears. Suddenly, a black car appeared out of nowhere and stopped beside me.

The front door opened, and a stern voice commanded, "Get in." I hesitated, but climbed in nonetheless. Before I could even settle into my seat, they blindfolded me, plunging my world into complete darkness.

As the car sped off, I heard another voice, sharper and colder, leaning in close. It said, "If you don’t do as you’re told... you will be tortured until you beg for death."

I sat in silence, consumed by fear, as the roar of the engine carried me toward the unknown.

I had no idea how much time had passed, but I suddenly woke up to the sharp sound of a whistle piercing my ears like an arrow. Slowly, I opened my eyes to find myself in a small, desolate room with pale white walls, devoid of any signs of life.

Before I could make sense of my surroundings, a mechanical, stern woman’s voice echoed through the room: “All workers are required to wear the clothes and masks provided in the room and wait in the outer hallway. Stand in line with others bearing matching symbols.”

I looked around and saw neatly placed clothes and masks beside me. I picked up my mask and noticed a white circle symbol on it. A pristine, pure circle, like a quiet seal concealing an unknown storm.

Realizing I had no other choice, I put on the clothes and mask, my mind racing with questions about my fate and the other symbols that might await me in that long, shadowy hallway.