Lookism: Unchained Fate

After walking for a while, they finally arrived in front of a wooden gate surrounded by a fence. The gate looked old, with carvings of strange symbols they didn't recognize. 

"We've finally arrived at the Garden of Paradise." Yohan's mother, walking with the help of a cane, had a peculiar smile on her face. Her expression was difficult to read, as if she understood something that no one else did. 

"P-Pastor, look at that," Yohan whispered. 

"Hm? Those people?" 

"They seem to be members of this sect." Yohan pointed at a group of people working in the garden. However, their movements were too uniform, too mechanical, as if they were merely performing a task without truly living. 

The people Yohan pointed at greeted Joon-hyuk and his friends with 'friendly' smiles. Yet, there was something unsettling behind their eyes, as if the light in them had long since faded. 

"They're giving us a greeting." 

"They seem like sincere people," Zin said, though there was a hint of doubt in his voice. 

"The followers of the Paradise teachings are all very happy people," the man leading them said with a smile that was almost like a carved statue—too wide, too rigid. 

Zin tried to return the smile. "Hello, good afternoon." 

Behind them, Mijin felt something unsettling. Her eyes scanned the surroundings—the air here was heavier, quieter than it should have been. She moved closer to Joon-hyuk and whispered, "Joon-hyuk, do you feel something strange around here?" 

Joon-hyuk nodded slightly. "Yeah, something's off. These people are way too friendly to outsiders they don't even know. That's… unnatural." 

Mijin tried to think logically. "Maybe we're just being too cautious? They could just be kind people who enjoy welcoming guests." 

"Yeah, maybe." Joon-hyuk sighed, then added in a low voice, "But it's better to stay alert. We don't know what's ahead." 

They continued walking along the dusty dirt road. The sun, once warm, felt harsher, yet for some reason, the air remained cold. 

As the journey dragged on, Zin grew impatient. "Uncle, is it much farther?" 

The man leading them only gave a faint smile. "We're almost there." 

Along the way, something caught Mijin's eye, making her light up. "Ah! A puppy! So cute~" Her voice was full of excitement, but just as she was about to approach, the puppy suddenly trembled. Its ears flattened, and its tail tucked between its legs as if it were terrified. 

Zin, seeing Mijin interested, also crouched down and reached out his hand. "Hey, do you want something to eat?" 

Before he could get closer, the man leading them suddenly stood in front of Zin, his expression shifting drastically. His eyes widened, his breathing grew heavy, and his voice erupted with fury. 

"HOW DARE YOU!!! YOU HAVE NO RESPECT AT ALL!!!" 

Zin flinched back. "What? No respect? Is this your dog or something?" 

"Z-Zin!!" Joon-hyuk and Mijin shouted in panic because they saw something behind Zin—a massive dog with jet-black fur and glowing red eyes. Its jaws hung open, saliva dripping onto the ground. 

Zin turned around, and his entire body froze. His breath caught, his brain screamed at him to move, but it was as if something was holding him in place. 

"WATCH OUT!" A pastor pushed Zin aside just as the dog lunged. The air was filled with growls, and dust swirled around them. 

"KYAAH!!! A-A dog?!" Yohan and Mijin gasped, while Yohan's mother remained silent, her expression unreadable. 

Zin, who had narrowly escaped, could only pant heavily. "U-Uncle! Thank you so much!!" 

The pastor nodded. "Quickly, get behind me! H-Hurry! Those dogs… there are so many of them!!!" 

"Plop!" A sound echoed as something was thrown onto the ground. 

The man leading them raised his hands and began praying in a barely audible whisper. "With your grace and mercy, I beg of you. In the name of the holy spirit… Amen." 

The meat he had thrown was instantly swarmed by a pack of dogs that emerged from the shadows, their teeth tearing into the flesh viciously.

Zin and the others stared at the scene with clenched jaws. There was something terribly wrong with this place.

The uncle turned back to them, a slow smile appearing on his face. "Please mind your behavior. If not… you will receive punishment."

That smile, though seemingly friendly, carried something else beneath it—like the eyes of a hawk watching its prey. For some reason, the air around them felt even colder than before.

"Z-Zin, are you okay?" Joon-hyuk and the others asked with concern.

"Hehehe, how embarrassing." Hearing their concern, Zin could only smile.

"…That meat, do you always have it prepared?" the pastor asked.

The uncle merely glanced at him in silence and didn't answer. But just by looking at his expression, the pastor already knew the answer.

When they finally arrived at the 'camp,' a group of people immediately came to welcome them.

The people quickly separated them into two groups: children and adults. The children were sent to the learning section, while the adults were guided to participate in worship. Of course, what they called 'ordinary worship' was only according to their own perspective.

They also confiscated phones and other electronic devices, claiming it was to help them focus on worship. Zin and Mijin still considered this to be normal, unlike Yohan, who already knew the truth behind this sect.

Before the pastor left, he gave Yohan a meaningful look, as if saying, "Yohan, don't worry. We discussed this before coming here. If we can't contact people outside, they will come looking for me. I will find their weakness. I'm entrusting Zin, Mijin, and Joon-hyuk to you."

.......

Joon-hyuk, Yohan, Zin, and Mijin were escorted to the place where they would be staying. A middle-aged man leading the way stopped in front of a large, dark blue shipping container. He turned to them with a blank expression.

"Since you're students, you'll be staying in this container. Remember, follow the rules. Do not break them." His eyes sharpened before he added in a quiet yet threatening voice, "Or else…"

No one asked what would happen if they didn't. They could already guess.

After the man left, they hesitantly opened the container door. Inside, seven other people were already lounging around. As soon as they saw the newcomers, a few of them spoke up.

"Middle schoolers?"

"At least they're not elementary kids."

"High schoolers would've been better."

Zin instinctively clenched his fists and got into a fighting stance. "W-what the hell is this?!" he said warily.

However, contrary to their expectations, the others simply smiled.

Click!

"Welcome!"

"Come on in!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Some of them even started clapping.

"So, you guys are middle schoolers, huh?" one of them asked in a friendly tone.

"Y-yeah," Zin replied, still confused.

"What grade?"

"T-third year."

Their friendliness felt unnatural. Yohan remained cautious, but when one of the older students patted his shoulder with a smile, he decided to take Zin outside for a moment, leaving Joon-hyuk and Mijin inside.

Mijin looked uneasy. She didn't know why, but something about this place felt off. Joon-hyuk, noticing her discomfort, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and said, "Relax. Let's observe the situation first."

Mijin took a deep breath and nodded. She was starting to feel a little calmer—until she suddenly noticed three elementary school kids huddled in the corner of the container, seemingly busy with something.

Curious, Mijin approached them. "What are you guys doing?" she asked gently.

One of the kids, a boy around seven years old, raised his hand. "We're giving out punishments. Do you want to try too?"

Mijin forced a smile. "Punishment?"

The boy opened his hand, revealing an insect that had already lost several of its legs. In his other hand, he held the legs he had just ripped off.

"KYAA!!" Mijin screamed and stumbled backward, rushing toward Joon-hyuk and hiding behind him. "Y-you guys!! Stop that!! That's not something you should do!!!"

The two children, who had previously seemed innocent, suddenly wore eerie smiles. Their eyes gleamed with an unnatural madness.

"Why?" Their voices sounded odd, as if they were repeating something that had been drilled into their heads. "We are the chosen ones."

"We are part of the 666 who will enter paradise. Hehehe…"

Joon-hyuk frowned. Something was seriously wrong with these kids.

The uneasy feeling worsened when he sensed someone behind him. Slowly, he turned around—only to find the three high schoolers who had greeted them earlier now standing with the same unsettling smiles.

"Mijin can give punishments too," one of them said, their tone gentle yet filled with pressure.

"You're one of the chosen 666, aren't you?" another added. One of them picked up another insect and held it out to Mijin. "Here, there are plenty. Try it."

"N-no way!" Mijin refused firmly, her face turning pale.

The friendly expression on the high school girl's face instantly turned cold. Without warning, she reached out toward Mijin's face, trying to force her.

But before her hand could make contact—

GRAB!

Joon-hyuk seized her wrist in a tight grip.

"Stop it," he said coldly.

The high school girl tried to pull her hand back, but Joon-hyuk's grip was too strong. For the first time, the creepy smiles on their faces faltered slightly. There was something in Joon-hyuk's gaze that made them shudder.

A heavy silence filled the container.

Mijin clung to Joon-hyuk's sleeve, trembling, while the elementary school kids continued to stare at them with eerily blank eyes.

Joon-hyuk knew.

This was no place of worship.

This was hell, disguised as heaven for those who had been brainwashed.