The Executioner of Horror Films

Part one.

*On behalf of Mark*

The transition, as usual, was unpleasant. Just now I enjoyed the silence of a freshly purchased sanatorium, and the next moment I stood in the middle of a noisy train station in South Korea. It was a sensory overload - a bright light, a cacophony of ads in a language I didn't understand, and a huge mass of people seemed to put pressure on me. This was enough to make any sane person want to return to a quiet corner, but, fortunately, sanity was a commodity that I didn't really care about at that moment.

The spatial change here was... chaotic. The system urgently pinged, something about the event of biological contamination, which, if I understood correctly, was a code for "zombies are going to have a buffet". My mission was clear, I needed to intervene, and the goal was a moving train, in particular, KTX express. The system also added a note at the end, which said that the train did not matter, and my job was to protect the man and the child, which, in my opinion, was too specific.

I watched what was happening around me, scanning the crowd, my acute feelings caught barely perceptible signs of anxiety - the way people nervously touched their faces, the faint smell of blood in the air. It was a mess waiting for its time, and I was going to take seats in the front row. I've already seen several infected people walking, almost stumbling, to the exit, and a couple of them were already biting other passengers. They looked disgusting, but there was nothing I hadn't seen before.

I walked along the terminal, my presence contrasted sharply with the frantic energy around me, and headed for the platform where the train was preparing for departure. It was KTX express, an elegant high-speed train that clearly stands out against the background of a chaotic station. The system led me to a man and a little girl. They were sitting alone, and the man tried his best to distract his daughter from the general panic. They were sitting near the entrance to one of the cars.

The girl was clutching a cartoon backpack, in her wide-open eyes there was a mixture of confusion and fear. The man, although he tried to give his face a brave expression, was pale, his hands were slightly shaking. These were exactly the people I was instructed to "protect". I hate protecting people, but that's how it is, so it's time to get to work.

The landing process was a disaster, people were pushing, desperately trying to get on the train. I saw several infected people stumble into the cars, their moans were a warning of the coming chaos. It promised to be more fun than I originally expected. I got on the train right behind the man and his daughter, my presence was probably mostly unnoticeable because of the general panic. The train moved, and it was just in time. From the outside, the station began to turn into a slaughterhouse.

As soon as the train moved, it was like you were thrown into the pipe of chaos. People crowded in a heap, whispering, sticking to their phones, probably reading about the mess they left behind. A couple of passengers have already begun to show the first symptoms, but it seems that no one has noticed it yet.

I sat down in an empty seat opposite the man and his daughter, watching them. The man looked at me cautiously, his daughter was too busy, staring out the window.

So, I started in a careless voice, but a little louder than I should. That's what they call an express trip to chaos, right?

The man shuddered, his eyes widened from a mixture of fear and confusion. Who? ... Who are you?

Call me Mark," I said with a grin.

And consider me your ... fellow traveler. Everything seems to be getting interesting.

At that moment, a chilling scream was heard from the front of the train.

The infected began to declare their presence. The express in chaos has officially begun. I got up, ready to act. It seems that it will be easy to get points here.

*From the face of Sok Wu*

The station was a whirlwind of noise and movement, a chaotic mess that reflected the turmoil in my own life. I was late as usual, my thoughts were still half focused on endless calls and emails from work. I barely had enough time for my daughter Suan, and this trip to Busan seemed to be another item on the endless list of things to do.

I should have been there on her birthday party, I should have spent more time with her, but that was my life, a series of wrong decisions that I called work.

Suan stood quietly next to me, her little hand squeezed the backpack, there was a mixture of excitement and fear in her eyes. She was going to visit her mother, and that was all that mattered to her, even though we had to go for several hours. I tried to smile, assure her that everything was fine, but I felt an alarm knot formed in my chest.

The news was full of reports of strange incidents, and a strange tension hung in the air of the radio station. People were running, pushing and screaming as if something terrible had happened.

The KTX express train was our salvation, at least for the next few hours. The platform was packed, people were pushing to get on board, some of them looked pale and excited, but I just thought they were tired. It was a mess, but I got used to it. People always try to get ahead, but it was just a train ride, nothing more. I didn't understand the general panic, but I learned to ignore it.

We got on the train, and I found a seat by the window, trying to ignore the feeling of awkwardness that intensified with every second. Suan was sitting next to me, looking out the window, her imagination probably took her to a happier place. I looked at the passengers around us. The car was packed, people did not break away from their phones, some whispered anxiously. Again there was that strange tension, the feeling that something was very wrong, the feeling of an approaching storm.

Then I saw him, the man who just got on the train behind us. He stood across the aisle, a mystery in the midst of chaos. He looked inappropriate, his clothes were dark and unperturbed, his eyes watched everything with a strange, detached intensity. He was smiling, and his gaze made me feel that he was looking at something that no one else could see. He was probably just another businessman returning home, but I couldn't get rid of the feeling that something was wrong. I couldn't figure out what exactly, but it made me feel uncomfortable.

He was watching us, or maybe just looking in our direction, it's hard to say. There was something strange about him; he moved with a strange grace, like a predator chasing his victim. I tried to ignore him, but his presence was nervous. He seemed too calm in the midst of general anxiety. Then he spoke, his voice was quiet, but clear enough to be heard through the muttering of other passengers.

So," he said, meeting my eyes. That's what they call an express trip to chaos, right?

I was amazed to meet his eyes. Usually I was very good at people, but this guy... I couldn't figure out who he was. He seemed ... different.

Who are you? I asked, my voice sounded a little sharper than I intended.

He grinned, flashing his white teeth in the dim light of the car. Call me Mark. And consider me your ... fellow traveler. Everything seems to be getting interesting.

Before I could answer, a heartbreaking scream came from the front of the train, followed by the furious screams of other passengers. News about "strange incidents" that I ignored now exploded before my eyes. The train began to shake from the movement of people rushing to the back of the cars. I had a terrible feeling.

I stood up, grabbing Xuan by the hand, ready to protect her from everything that was coming. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew we had to get to a safe place. The world I knew had to change forever. I didn't understand what Mark was talking about, but these words echoed in my head, an express trip into chaos. He seemed to know that it would happen.