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STORYLINE: The Forbidden Zone began like a bad memory—gray where the world should be colored, silent where life should echo. Kyle crossed the perimeter and felt the city change under his feet, like stepping from dream into nightmare.
The air pressed down, thick with the smell of metal and rain on hot stone. Neon bled from somewhere far away, too faint to throw shadows. His footsteps landed too loud, the sound bouncing off skeletal buildings and vanishing mid-echo. He had adjusted to the gray. The Zone was a world drained of everything he hated about life—no bright smiles, no warm colors, just ash, rust, and silence. Even the stray dogs were muted, skulking shadows that at least had the decency to look miserable.
Half a block in, Kyle felt a creeping itch between his shoulder blades. The instinct to turn around, to run. He resisted and kept walking. Something shifted in the corner of his vision, a shadow retreating behind a cracked checkpoint booth. His stomach dropped, his pulse skittering. He blinked, and the figure was gone.
But the feeling lingered. A sense of being watched. A low hum started, a sound like a failing transformer, and a single, flickering streetlight ahead began to pulse, its halo dimming and brightening like a slow, metallic breath. He heard a scrape behind him, the whisper of something on the pavement. He spun around. Nothing. The silence deepened, pressing in.
A voice, low and clear, cut through the quiet. “Kyle Baek.”
He hadn’t seen anyone step out. He hadn’t heard so much as a footfall, but the figure was there. It was tall, black-robed, and blurred at the edges, like the night sky had been poured into a human shape. It smelled of old gunpowder and wet earth. The face was sharp and pale, the eyes an impossible amber glow.
Kyle froze, the fine hairs on his neck standing up. “Do I know you?”
“No,” the figure said. “But I know you. I am Hwan. Jeoseung Saja. Collector of souls.”
Kyle’s jaw tightened. “Right, and I’m the guy who sweeps up the city streets on weekends. Cut the mystic crap. I’m here about a friend who got hurt.”
The figure chuckled softly. "Once, I guarded this border as a soldier. Once, I failed to protect a friend, and the Ruler of the Night claimed him. My curse is to remain here, watching more fall to evil.”
Kyle’s skin prickled. “Yeah, well, I’m just here to find the bastard who—”
"I saw him," Hwan cut in.
“Saw who? The tooth fairy? Santa Claus?” Kyle’s voice dropped low, a growl, the acid of old snark bubbling back to the surface.
"Your friend," Hwan said, voice flat. "He was marked the moment he stepped into the Monstrum's domain."
Kyle gave a short, bitter laugh. “The what?”
Hwan's gaze didn't move. "The creatures that own this place. Older than empires. Cruel enough to keep playing with humanity just to see how we break."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "The government calls it a quarantine zone. Cursed. Radioactive. A biohazard wasteland. Lies… just enough truth to keep people afraid. Out there, they see a dead city. In here—"
He gestured toward the alley, where a weather-faded poster clung to a wall: a black serpent swallowing the sun, its image violently crossed out in red paint.
"—in here, it’s their city. Their market. Their hunting ground." Hwan’s eyes flicked back to Kyle, gold catching the dim light. "That symbol? The Monstrum put it there. To mark a place where their laws reign supreme. But the cross? That's mine. It's the mark of a Safe Zone I created. A place where their rules can't reach."
“I made this,” Hwan said, gesturing around the alley, colors soft and surreal unlike the black-and-white decay outside. “So others who come inside might escape. Your friend was the first to make it out. But only part of him returned.”
The words hit like a coffin lid slamming shut. For the first time since Jihoon went down, the acid in Kyle’s stomach wasn’t anger. It was something else—a strange weight tightening behind his ribs, a cold pebble settling into place. He clenched his fists, the knuckles turning white. His breath shortened, a shiver crawling up his spine. His eyes flicked to the ground, unable to meet Hwan’s steady gaze.
Hwan’s golden eyes didn’t waver. “You still have a choice. Do nothing, and watch him fade. Or take the path I failed to walk: drag him back from their terrible claws.”
“So,” Kyle said, voice steadier than he felt, “you got a map of these safe zones? Or you just gonna keep hovering like a ghost in the breeze?”
Hwan’s golden eyes narrowed, a slow smile flickering at the corners of his mouth, as if amused by something only he could see. “Maps are for the living,” he said. “In here, you’ll need something else entirely. ...Without love, you’ll lose the will to live. You’ll rot in this place forever.”
Kyle’s laugh was bitter, venom on his tongue. “Love? Don’t make me sick.”
Hwan didn’t flinch. “And yet you came. You crossed the Zone for Jihoon. Call it revenge if that helps you sleep, but revenge is only love with teeth.”
Kyle’s mouth opened, but nothing came. The silence itself felt like betrayal. He took an involuntary step back, a chill running through his bones as the truth of the statement landed.
Hwan stepped aside. “It’s too late to deny it. You’ve already chosen. Now... be guided.”
The gray mist parted like a stage curtain opening. Color bled in like an open wound. Pinks and golds bloomed where no light belonged, smelling of crushed flowers and something metallic. From it stepped Romance, Saja of Love, radiant, unbearable. His every gesture a grotesque performance of affection.
Kyle froze, face twisting with raw horror. "No. No, no, no. Not this. Anyone but this."
Romance spread his arms wide, a slow, sickening smile on his face, beckoning him in for a hug, his billion-dollar idol grin glittering like a weapon.
Kyle screamed—and ran.
The air pressed down, thick with the smell of metal and rain on hot stone. Neon bled from somewhere far away, too faint to throw shadows. His footsteps landed too loud, the sound bouncing off skeletal buildings and vanishing mid-echo. He had adjusted to the gray. The Zone was a world drained of everything he hated about life—no bright smiles, no warm colors, just ash, rust, and silence. Even the stray dogs were muted, skulking shadows that at least had the decency to look miserable.
Half a block in, Kyle felt a creeping itch between his shoulder blades. The instinct to turn around, to run. He resisted and kept walking. Something shifted in the corner of his vision, a shadow retreating behind a cracked checkpoint booth. His stomach dropped, his pulse skittering. He blinked, and the figure was gone.
But the feeling lingered. A sense of being watched. A low hum started, a sound like a failing transformer, and a single, flickering streetlight ahead began to pulse, its halo dimming and brightening like a slow, metallic breath. He heard a scrape behind him, the whisper of something on the pavement. He spun around. Nothing. The silence deepened, pressing in.
A voice, low and clear, cut through the quiet. “Kyle Baek.”
He hadn’t seen anyone step out. He hadn’t heard so much as a footfall, but the figure was there. It was tall, black-robed, and blurred at the edges, like the night sky had been poured into a human shape. It smelled of old gunpowder and wet earth. The face was sharp and pale, the eyes an impossible amber glow.
Kyle froze, the fine hairs on his neck standing up. “Do I know you?”
“No,” the figure said. “But I know you. I am Hwan. Jeoseung Saja. Collector of souls.”
Kyle’s jaw tightened. “Right, and I’m the guy who sweeps up the city streets on weekends. Cut the mystic crap. I’m here about a friend who got hurt.”
The figure chuckled softly. "Once, I guarded this border as a soldier. Once, I failed to protect a friend, and the Ruler of the Night claimed him. My curse is to remain here, watching more fall to evil.”
Kyle’s skin prickled. “Yeah, well, I’m just here to find the bastard who—”
"I saw him," Hwan cut in.
“Saw who? The tooth fairy? Santa Claus?” Kyle’s voice dropped low, a growl, the acid of old snark bubbling back to the surface.
"Your friend," Hwan said, voice flat. "He was marked the moment he stepped into the Monstrum's domain."
Kyle gave a short, bitter laugh. “The what?”
Hwan's gaze didn't move. "The creatures that own this place. Older than empires. Cruel enough to keep playing with humanity just to see how we break."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "The government calls it a quarantine zone. Cursed. Radioactive. A biohazard wasteland. Lies… just enough truth to keep people afraid. Out there, they see a dead city. In here—"
He gestured toward the alley, where a weather-faded poster clung to a wall: a black serpent swallowing the sun, its image violently crossed out in red paint.
"—in here, it’s their city. Their market. Their hunting ground." Hwan’s eyes flicked back to Kyle, gold catching the dim light. "That symbol? The Monstrum put it there. To mark a place where their laws reign supreme. But the cross? That's mine. It's the mark of a Safe Zone I created. A place where their rules can't reach."
“I made this,” Hwan said, gesturing around the alley, colors soft and surreal unlike the black-and-white decay outside. “So others who come inside might escape. Your friend was the first to make it out. But only part of him returned.”
The words hit like a coffin lid slamming shut. For the first time since Jihoon went down, the acid in Kyle’s stomach wasn’t anger. It was something else—a strange weight tightening behind his ribs, a cold pebble settling into place. He clenched his fists, the knuckles turning white. His breath shortened, a shiver crawling up his spine. His eyes flicked to the ground, unable to meet Hwan’s steady gaze.
Hwan’s golden eyes didn’t waver. “You still have a choice. Do nothing, and watch him fade. Or take the path I failed to walk: drag him back from their terrible claws.”
“So,” Kyle said, voice steadier than he felt, “you got a map of these safe zones? Or you just gonna keep hovering like a ghost in the breeze?”
Hwan’s golden eyes narrowed, a slow smile flickering at the corners of his mouth, as if amused by something only he could see. “Maps are for the living,” he said. “In here, you’ll need something else entirely. ...Without love, you’ll lose the will to live. You’ll rot in this place forever.”
Kyle’s laugh was bitter, venom on his tongue. “Love? Don’t make me sick.”
Hwan didn’t flinch. “And yet you came. You crossed the Zone for Jihoon. Call it revenge if that helps you sleep, but revenge is only love with teeth.”
Kyle’s mouth opened, but nothing came. The silence itself felt like betrayal. He took an involuntary step back, a chill running through his bones as the truth of the statement landed.
Hwan stepped aside. “It’s too late to deny it. You’ve already chosen. Now... be guided.”
The gray mist parted like a stage curtain opening. Color bled in like an open wound. Pinks and golds bloomed where no light belonged, smelling of crushed flowers and something metallic. From it stepped Romance, Saja of Love, radiant, unbearable. His every gesture a grotesque performance of affection.
Kyle froze, face twisting with raw horror. "No. No, no, no. Not this. Anyone but this."
Romance spread his arms wide, a slow, sickening smile on his face, beckoning him in for a hug, his billion-dollar idol grin glittering like a weapon.
Kyle screamed—and ran.
Kpop Demon Hunters was a fun movie, I just had to take a stab at doing one of the Saja Boys. Over at Midnight Order, you can get your fix of Saja with the Dope+Mercy Hanbok, trousers and gift Gat hat. The Hanbok you get in white, Saja, or black, and the fatpack has cool detailed textures. The Gat hat is unrigged and mod, with sheer and solid options so you get whatever works best for you. The pants also have a texture options. There Fatpack is where you get the Abby style leather. The boots that work with the pants can be found at the main store. ...From HISS is the corrupted Patterns tattoos. This set is really nicely made, with many options like opacity, fade, and tint. And even cooler, each of the Saja Boys have thier own face patterns too! Nice sweet detail. Also from HISS is the Jinu makeup set with eye makeup and lip tints. ...From RavenBell is the well timed Starlit Earrings. This are super cool! They swing and are animated! And look very Saja Romance too. So of course I had to use them. If they hud you switch the colors, turn on and off animations. Plus several different styles of earrings too. Brilliant. ...Over at Androgyny Event, the Saja madness goes on. The Usagi Society Jin hair with the heart Bangs, was just too Saja Romance. lol I had to use that too. I love the all the color options. ...And to add a little more glamour to Romance, I used the Diamond Glitz Shine on thee EvoX head by !Body Expression. ... Subject 13 has another set of fun claws, prefect fashion for the Saja! These are tintable. ...And the only blip in my Saja Romance parade is the Baby Collar by Minuit. (I hope Romance isn't mad at me for that, lol) I wanted to emphasize the Heart on the collar for Romance, and deemphasize the lettering Baby so I made it darker. The collar itself very well made and lots of color option too! ...Thanks for Akira and Lin for help on the setting. They let me break apart settings by ZEROICHI and K&S and recombine to create the look of the Forbidden Zone - Safe Areas.
I hope you are enjoying the continuing story... Escape from Club Apophis. The Character of Kyle is inspired by the first person I met in SL, a griefer. He was quite a character.
On him, Saja Romance:
Coat: Dope+Mercy Saja Hanbok, LegacyM, Saja [mesh](Midnight Order)(350L)
Pants: Dope+Mercy Saja Trousers, LegacyM, Black[mesh](Midnight Order)(250L)
Pants: Dope+Mercy Saja Trousers, LegacyM, Black[mesh](Midnight Order)(250L)
Hat: Dope+Mercy Saja Gat, Sheer [mesh](Midnight Order)(Gift)
Earrings: RavenBell Starlit Earrings, Moonlit [mesh](Midnight Order)(350L)
Makeup: HISS JINU MAKE EYE [BOM](Midnight Order)(200L)
Tattoos: HISS PATTERNS FACE ROMANCE - 100[BOM](Midnight Order)(250L)
Hair: Usagi Society Jin Hair, Male [mesh](Androgyny Event)(350L)
Claws: Subject 13 Plague Claws x Solstice Set, LegacyM [mesh](Androgyny Event)(275L)
Makeup: HISS JINU MAKE EYE [BOM](Midnight Order)(200L)
Tattoos: HISS PATTERNS FACE ROMANCE - 100[BOM](Midnight Order)(250L)
Hair: Usagi Society Jin Hair, Male [mesh](Androgyny Event)(350L)
Claws: Subject 13 Plague Claws x Solstice Set, LegacyM [mesh](Androgyny Event)(275L)
Collar: {minuit} Baby Choker [Rigged M] [mesh](Androgyny Event)(499L)
Shine: !Body Expression Diamond Glitz, Legacy, EvoX [applier](Androgyny Event)(200L)
Skin: MUDSKIN Hajimu, C, Brow, WINTER (gacha)(The Arcade)(75L)
Boots: L&B Swear Havoc Ops Boots, LegacyM, Black [mesh](499L)
Eyes: {Rue} Eyes/Grimalkin: Saffron
Location:
Set 1: ZEROICHI SHINOBI STREET [mesh]
Set 2: K&S Back alley. Backdrop [mesh]
Set 3: K&S No way out. Backdrop [mesh]
Skin: MUDSKIN Hajimu, C, Brow, WINTER (gacha)(The Arcade)(75L)
Boots: L&B Swear Havoc Ops Boots, LegacyM, Black [mesh](499L)
Eyes: {Rue} Eyes/Grimalkin: Saffron
Head: LeLUTKA CAMDEN 4.0 [mesh](3990L)
Body: TheShops [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)
Pose: Del May DM Treasure (slight pose edit)Location:
Set 1: ZEROICHI SHINOBI STREET [mesh]
Set 2: K&S Back alley. Backdrop [mesh]
Set 3: K&S No way out. Backdrop [mesh]
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