THE LOST GAMES

PAGE 1

The sea was calm.

Director Kang Min-Jae stood on the harbor dock with his hands in his pockets, staring toward the horizon.

Behind him, crew members loaded equipment onto a medium-sized ship.

Cameras.

Lights.

Food supplies.

Batteries.

Everything needed for the documentary.

Kang smiled.

"This is it."

His assistant, Hana Kim, walked up beside him.

"You really think this documentary will work?"

Kang grinned.

"It won't just work."

"It'll be the biggest thing I've ever made."

PAGE 2

Crew members moved back and forth across the dock.

Joon Park nearly dropped a camera case.

"Why is this thing so heavy?"

"Because it's a camera," Hana replied.

Joon sighed dramatically.

"I miss office jobs."

"You never had an office job."

"Exactly. I miss it."

Several crew members laughed.

The atmosphere was light.

Nobody seemed nervous.

Nobody seemed worried.

To them, this was just another project.

PAGE 3

A large banner hung near the dock.

THE LOST ISLAND DOCUMENTARY

The title made Joon laugh.

"Lost Island? Could we not think of a more dramatic name?"

Kang folded his arms.

"People love mysteries."

"People also love staying alive."

"Very funny."

The crew continued loading supplies.

None of them noticed an old fisherman watching from a nearby wooden bench.

PAGE 4

The fisherman slowly approached.

His weathered face was lined with age.

His eyes remained fixed on Kang.

"You are the director?"

Kang nodded.

"That's me."

The old man glanced toward the sea.

"You are going there?"

He pointed toward the distant fog.

Kang smiled.

"That's the plan."

The old man remained silent for several seconds.

Then he shook his head.

PAGE 5

"You should not go."

The nearby crew members exchanged amused looks.

Kang laughed politely.

"Why not?"

The old man looked uncomfortable.

"That island is wrong."

Joon whispered to Hana.

"That's not suspicious at all."

Hana elbowed him.

The fisherman continued.

"For years people avoided that place."

"Boats disappear."

"People disappear."

Kang crossed his arms.

"And yet nobody knows why?"

The fisherman slowly nodded.

PAGE 6

The wind suddenly grew stronger.

The old man looked directly at Kang.

"The island doesn't kill people."

The crew became quiet.

For a moment, nobody joked.

Nobody laughed.

Kang raised an eyebrow.

"Then what does it do?"

The fisherman answered softly.

"It makes them play."

Silence.

Then Joon burst out laughing.

Several crew members joined him.

The tension instantly disappeared.

Kang smiled.

"Good story."

PAGE 7

Within the hour, the ship left the harbor.

The village slowly disappeared behind them.

Crew members took photos.

Others filmed the journey.

Joon sat on a crate eating snacks.

"This documentary better make me famous."

Hana rolled her eyes.

"You say that every project."

The sun slowly began sinking lower in the sky.

Ahead of them, a wall of fog stretched across the ocean.

Beyond it waited the island.

PAGE 8

As the ship entered the fog, the world became quiet.

The sea disappeared beneath a blanket of white.

Even the crew stopped talking.

Then—

the island emerged.

Dark cliffs.

Dense forests.

Silent beaches.

Nobody spoke.

For a brief moment, Kang thought he saw a figure standing near the shoreline.

Watching them.

Not moving.

Just watching.

He blinked.

The figure was gone.

The ship continued forward.

And somewhere deep within the island...

something had already noticed their arrival.

END OF CHAPTER 1