𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐄 | нwang ᴊunнo

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

☐△◯

AERA CAME FROM a poor family. She always appreciated the smallest gifts, or things given to her. Unfortunately she never met her father, so she was alone with her mother. Despite the the fact that they were not rich, her mother always tried to give her everything she possibly could.

She searched for a way to earn money, trying almost anything that could bring even a small profit. She started with small odd jobs, then selling things she didn't need, and even considered riskier ventures. But each attempt seemed to provide only temporary relief, and the money problem didn't go away. The harder she tried, the more she felt trapped in a vicious cycle that led nowhere.

Finally, when she was starting to lose hope, she received a card. A small one, made of hard paper, with three mysterious symbols on it: a triangle, a square, and a circle. She felt uneasy, but also strangely curious. A wave of uncertainty passed through her, but she picked it up anyway and began to look at it more closely. The symbols were clear, carefully embossed, but they didn't match anything she knew. She had no idea what they meant.

And then, turning the card over, she noticed something she hadn't noticed before – on the back, in the lower right corner, was a number. It was a series of numbers that at first glance looked like an ordinary reference number, but something about it sent a shiver of unease through her. What could it mean? Was it some kind of code that led to a hidden solution? Or was it the key to something bigger that she didn't yet understand? Her heart began to beat faster, her thoughts racing toward possibilities that had seemed out of reach until now.

When she came across a mysterious card with a triangle, square, and circle, she had no idea where it would take her. The number on the back of the card led her to a place that seemed like the only way out of her ruined reality. And although she felt a shiver of anxiety, it was nothing compared to the hopelessness she felt every day.

When she was invited to the meeting, she didn't know what to expect. She didn't know anything, really. Not how much was at stake, or what her role in this game meant. In exchange for signing a contract, she was offered money that would solve all her problems. But it wasn't until she came face to face with the Front Man, the leader of this mysterious operation, that she learned what she really had to do.

The meeting took place in one of the many dark corridors that ran underground, where there was nothing but the hum of air conditioning and the distant sound of footsteps. In this stifling atmosphere, the Front Man made her an offer: she was to become a Guard. A Guard in this game.

"Your role is simple," he said in a voice devoid of any emotion. "You maintain order, you follow orders. And ask no questions. If you persevere, you will receive your reward. If you don't... I don't need to explain what will happen."

There were no further details, no considerations, no doubts. The Front Man spoke of it as if there were no alternative. Before she could ask any questions, she was handed a contract—short, concise, just a few sentences. An agreement to be a Guard. Signed in complete anonymity and without the right to appeal.

She knew nothing about what exactly she would have to do, or what the consequences of her decision would be. No one told her she would become part of something that had no boundaries, no rules, no morals. There was no mention in the contract that her identity would disappear, that she would no longer be a person—just a mask and a uniform that would make her part of this horrific system. No mention of how easily one could lose oneself by following orders that excluded humanity.

But she had no choice. Her debts did not wait. Her life was in the hands of someone who controlled the game. And like everyone else, she made a decision that she felt but did not fully understand.

After signing the contract, she soon became one of the Guards. Her role was simple but ruthless - to watch, to enforce order, to be an impersonal participant in this brutal puzzle. She was assigned a number, her face was masked and forced into a uniform that took away all identity. Day by day, she began to feel more and more like a part of the machine, and her own life before this decision became more and more distant, as if it belonged to someone else.

At this moment, in this game, there was nothing that distinguished her anymore. She was a Guard. And that was the only thing she had.

After passing through dark corridors and austere rooms, she found herself in a room where other Guards were waiting. They were all similar – masks, uniforms, numbers – all of this was to neutralize them, to mask their identity. None of them had the right to express emotions or ask questions. They were just tools in the game. She was new, so she had to go through initial training, which was to prepare her for the role she was to play.

And then she met him – Triangle. He was one of the higher-ranking Guards. His posture, cold gaze and the way he moved made her feel even more lost. He was responsible for assigning her to the appropriate rank.

"Take this," he said, handing her the outfit. His voice was sharp, as if he didn't expect any questions.

She shivered when she saw what she was wearing. The outfit was red, with classic symbols: a clear circle on the mask – a symbol of her position, the lowest rank in the Guard hierarchy. The mask with the circle meant that she was supposed to be the lowest-level one—watching over the players, supervising them, but not deciding anything. She was someone who was supposed to follow orders without the right to object.

"Get changed," Triangle added, not looking at her as if there was nothing special about the situation. "And remember—you have no right to ask questions. You are part of the game. Everything you do is part of the puzzle."

As she put on the costume and mask, she felt her identity disappear with each passing moment. She was no longer a person. She had become a function. She looked in the mirror one last time, but she no longer recognized herself. There was nothing in that mask that distinguished her. In this game, no one had a name—only numbers, symbols, and orders.

In the room where the other Guards stood, she noticed that not all of them looked the same. The ones with square masks had the highest position by far. They were the ones in charge, the ones who gave the orders, the ones who controlled the game. They were like the leaders of this criminal organization – strict, unyielding, in full control of the situation.

After them were the Triangles – also higher in rank, but not as high as the squares. The circles were the lowest rank in the hierarchy, so she, wearing the mask with the circle, knew that her role was the simplest, but also the most dangerous. She was the one who was supposed to follow orders without question, watch over the players, maintain order, but never interfere in decisions. And even if she thought about rebellion for a moment, she knew there was no escape. The system did not allow for any opposition.

She felt the coldness taking over her body with each passing moment. With each subsequent step, she understood less and less what had happened to her life, but one thing was certain: she had stopped being herself. She had become one of the Guards. One of many who were now just a part of the brutal machine.

Even if she wanted to escape, she couldn't. She was already in this game, and this game gave no one an exit.