The first sensation was a throbbing pain behind his eyes. As if his skull was going to split. Kim-Do moaned, his eyelids heavy, and tried to turn around.
Something was cloching.
The smell was unknown to him - a mixture of old wood and cheap laundry detergent. The mattress is too firm. The rough sheets.
He opened his eyes.
It was not the cracked ceiling of his studio that appeared, but a bare, white ceiling with a single light bulb off. He turned his head slowly, and his heart sank.
The room was Spartan. A wobbly office. A half-open closet showing school uniforms. And on the wall, a shelf loaded with trophies - golden silhouettes in combat poses.
"Where...?" he whispered, his own voice sounding foreign.
He got up, staggering, and headed for the mirror. The reflection froze him.
It wasn't his face.
Black jet hair. Cold brown eyes. Angulous traits. A thin scar on the left cheekbone.
"It's a joke..." he gasped, touching his cheek.
VZZT.
A vibration in his head. A blue window appeared before his eyes:
"'
[SYSTEM OF QUESTS: ACTIVATION]
HOTEL SANCING... Kim-do detected.
[INITIAL QUEST: SURVIVAL AND DISIMULATION]
Objective: To get through the day without arousing suspicions
Reward: Original Host Memory Fragments
• Failure: Immediate exposure
"'
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Patron! Kim-Do! The confrontation with Park Jin-Ho is in ten minutes!"
The voice was rough, impatient. Confrontation? His stomach knotted.
"I'm coming!" he shouted, his voice strangled.
He took a deep breath, staring at his reflection. "For now... I'm Kim-Do."
The door opened on Choi Yu-Ra, massive and loyal. "Finally! Let's not show weakness."
As he followed her, her eyes met that of Kang Seong, leaning against a locker. His eyes, behind his glasses, seemed to pierce his facade, analyzing every micro-expression.
The first challenge had passed. But as they approached the sports fields where a noisy crowd had gathered, a new blue window flashed:
"'
[URGENCY QUEST: PROOF OF FORCE]
Challenge: Getting Park Jin-Ho to the ground in less than 3 minutes
Reward: +5% synchronicity with host
• Failure: Permanent loss of credibility
"'
Kim-Do felt his knees bend. Park Jin-Ho stood in the center of the circle, a cruel-smiling colossus, who pointed his finger at him.
"So, Kim-Do? We slowed down? Are you scared?"