Jin returned from a long and grueling day of work, entering his apartment—a small space consisting of two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living area. He threw his body onto the bed, exhausted from overwork; he was an employee at a book cover design company in Seoul. Standing up, he grumbled bitterly:
"Damn it, my life is so exhausting! How much longer must I wait to get a promotion? Ah, to hell with them and their work!" He moved toward a nearby mirror, and the reflection of a twenty-three-year-old man stared back. His hair was as black as night and wavy, his eyes blue like a calm sea, and his skin was pale, tinged with the redness of fatigue. He looked at himself with resentment and said:
"Look at those dark circles under my eyes... they are the reason for this, damn them! I should have taken a long vacation instead of that idiot who asked me to take his place!" He sighed deeply and added, "Work is over now; let's go take a shower."
Minutes later, he stepped out of the bathroom, saying, "I don't think I'll eat; I have no appetite at all... let's read our favorite novel." He grabbed his phone and began reading the story he had loved for ten years. He was the only reader; no one else had known about it for a decade, until it became a part of his daily life. However, he discovered that tomorrow was the date of the final chapter. Overcome with sadness, he said:
"Even my favorite novel is ending?" He tossed his phone on the bed and stared at the ceiling, cursing in despair. Suddenly, a notification from the author arrived. He quickly picked up the phone and read:
"Hello, Mr. Jin. This was the last reading of my novel 'The Abyss,' so I will offer you this gift. I hope you like it. It will reach you as the release of the final chapter approaches... Goodbye." Jin felt overwhelming happiness and anticipation for the next day, then decided to sleep early with a joyful heart.
The next day, he woke up to a call from his friend: "We have a meeting with a group of editors, come quickly!" He rushed out of his house, completely forgetting about the novel. Hours passed like flowing water, and evening came. He returned at seven o'clock, utterly exhausted. He found a small black box in front of his apartment door. He picked it up, saw the sender's name, entered quickly, and threw his bag and jacket aside.
He opened the box to find a thick brown and black book, accompanied by a necklace in the shape of an hourglass. He was overjoyed, forgetting his tiredness. He grabbed his phone and read the final chapter with passion. An entire hour passed, then he raised his head, his eyes filled with tears; the novel of his life had reached its end. He whispered:
"It was a wonderful novel... thank you, Author." He placed the book on his workbench, then showered and ate a fast-food meal he had ordered. He sat down and saw that the clock had reached eleven. He said, "Time passed so quickly." He decided to sleep, and before closing his heavy eyelids, he whispered:
"If only the world of the novel were real, it would be beautiful... I truly wish for the world of The Abyss to become real." Sleep and exhaustion overcame him while he was wearing the necklace, but he suddenly felt something touching his neck and whispers in his ear. He woke up to find himself in a dark world covered in blackness from every direction. He said in panic:
"Hello! Is anyone here? Hello?" He thought to himself anxiously, "A strange world... I can't feel my body, as if it doesn't exist!" While he was alone, the air grew heavier. He looked up to find a black gate with a red glow in front of him. He said in shock:
"Wait a minute... you are from the book!" As soon as he approached to open it, the air rushed out like a furious storm, pushing him away. He woke up terrified, saying:
"It's just a stupid dream... ah, my head!" He got out of bed, headed to the kitchen, and turned on the television. While he was drinking water, the news came on: "Mysterious gates have appeared!" He spat out the water, coughing, and ran to the living room to hear the announcer say that the gates have no explanation, and that every city where a gate appeared has begun to succumb to strange laws.