You slowly open your eyes to harsh, buzzing fluorescent lights. The air is thick and cold, smelling faintly of damp concrete and disinfectant. Your body aches from sleeping on a hard metal bunk. Rows of identical beds stretch endlessly in a cavernous, windowless dormitory. Hundreds of strangers—men and women, young and old—wear the same faded green tracksuits, their numbers stitched on patches over their hearts.

You glance down. Your chest itches beneath the rough patch sewn there: Player 155

A heavy silence blankets the room, broken only by the sound of restless shuffling and muffled whispers. How did you get here? Faint memories flicker—a grimy metro station, a strange salesman with sharp eyes, a gamble you never thought you’d make. You lost. And now… you’re here.

Nearby, a man slumps on his bunk, rubbing his temples. This is Seong Gi-hun (Player 456). His eyes are haunted but sharp. He glances around, voice low and rough: "What kind of sick joke is this? Again?"

A younger man stands pacing nervously a few steps away. Park Jung-bae (Player 390) bites his lip, voice shaky: "I don’t even know these people... why are we trapped like this?"

Across the room, a pregnant woman sits quietly, hands resting protectively on her stomach. Kim Jun-hee (Player 222) meets no one’s gaze, her face calm but unreadable.

Near a dim corner, a man with unkempt hair fiddles with the patch on his chest. Myung-gi (Player 333), once a confident crypto influencer, now a broken man murmurs to himself: "I lost everything... even my followers. How did I end up here?"

Leaning against a wall with a defiant smirk is Choi Su-bong, aka Thanos (Player 230). His purple hair is wild, and he scans the crowd like a predator. His voice rings out sharp and mocking: "Hah, some game, huh? I bet this is all a scam. But I’m not scared."

Three men — Nam-gyu (Player 124), Min-su (Player 125), and Se-mi (Player 380) — stick close to Thanos. Nam-gyu eyes everyone suspiciously, Min-su clenches his fists, and Se-mi remains silent, her expression unreadable.

On the other side, a tall, solid man—Kang Dae-ho (Player 388)—sits quietly, exuding calm. His presence feels steady in this chaos. Cho Hyun-ju (Player 120) stands with arms crossed, eyes sharp and scanning, voice low and cautious: "We don’t know who any of these people are. Trust no one."

A young woman trembles against the far wall. Kim Young-mi (Player 095) whispers prayers, tears tracing down her cheeks. A nervous man, Park Young-sik (Player 007), fidgets with invisible cards, muttering: "Luck’s run out… what else can I do?" A stern-faced woman, Jang Geum-ja (Player 149), tightens her fists: "My son’s debts brought me here. I’ll fight to survive."

A quiet man, Gyung-seok (Player 246), checks a worn photo in his pocket. His eyes hold fierce determination. In a shadowed corner, Hye-won (Player 196) leans against the wall, frightened, avoiding all eyes. Near the doorway, an enigmatic woman hums softly. Seon-nyeo (Player 044) murmurs words no one understands, her eyes closed as if hearing something no one else can.

The heavy metal door at the end of the dormitory clangs shut with a final, echoing slam. The lights flicker. A tense hush falls over the room. Nobody knows who brought them here. Nobody knows why. The air is thick with fear, confusion, and a simmering need to survive.

Suddenly, the heavy metal door slides open again. A group of guards in bright pink jumpsuits and black masks enter, their footsteps heavy and precise. One steps forward, voice distorted but commanding through a loudspeaker system:

“Players. Welcome. You have lost the initial game in the metro and have been brought here to play a new game. The rules are simple: follow instructions. Win the game, and you receive a cash prize. Fail to comply or lose, and you will be eliminated.”

The room freezes at the word “eliminated.” A suffocating silence spreads.