Chapter 17: Direction

Chapter 17: Direction

It was a beach.

Under a reddish-purple sky, in front of a jet-black sandy shore, the gray sea swayed—a beach that felt strangely desolate and serene, evoking an eerie sense of solitude. Yet, as if amplifying this ambiance, a foreign presence was arranged on the beach.

"Hmm..."

It was a young girl with fair skin and blonde hair.

She appeared to be around six years old, with a petite frame that made her seem even younger. Her white dress had a touch of formality, reminiscent of a gown worn for a ceremony. Her posture, lying on the beach, resembled that of a deceased person.

What roused her from her slumber was the touch of the waves tickling her toes.

Swoosh...

With the sound of the waves, the girl opened her eyes.

Blinking her eyes drowsily, she gradually sat up and looked around.

Her blue eyes held curiosity, while her pursed lips displayed caution.

And then it happened.

"Hello."

A turquoise-coloured butterfly fluttered towards the girl on the sea breeze.

In the barren landscape, the butterfly shone like a solitary beacon of light.

Curiously, the girl asked, "Who are you?"

Her clear voice rang out like the sound of a bell, and the butterfly responded.

"Just a butterfly you see. I've been waiting for you on this beach."

The tone of the butterfly's voice was mischievous, much like that of a clown.

As the girl reached out her hand, the butterfly gently landed on it, stretching its wings as if stretching after a nap.

In that moment, the girl inquired, "Where is this?"

"Hell."

"Hell?"

"Yeah, Hell where sinners fall."

The girl stared blankly, her head tilted.

The butterfly continued in a low, murmuring voice.

It's hard to describe the tone of that voice...

"You've fallen into Hell."

...Yes.

"Since you were born, for the reason of being born, you've fallen into Hell."

Even with a playful tone, it carried an unmistakable undercurrent of anguish.

"Let's go. I'll send you out of here."

At least that's how it seemed.

***

Early May, right after the midterms, in the office on a weekend.

Han Seorim was the first to arrive.

"Good morning, sunbae."

"You're here."

"Yes, the other two are on their way. What about Ayoon?"

"She's almost here."

At this point, we've developed the concept and planning to some extent.

Today is the day for the first meeting focused on the actual production.

It's unfortunate that it's on a weekend, but given their student status, there wasn't much choice.

Fortunately, workaholic Han Seorim seemed excited.

"Is today the start of the new project?"

"Not exactly the start, more like a presentation. Explaining what we're going to create going forward."

"And you'll be assigning tasks right away."

"Yeah."

"But why isn't it the start?"

"Uh..."

I was at a loss for words.

Han Seorim's gaze turned chilly.

As an awkward silence fell, fortunately, Jo Ayoon arrived.

"Oh, good morning..."

"You're here."

Seeing Jo Ayoon half-open the door and peek her head inside, her awkwardness was evident.

"Good morning. Umm..."

Jo Ayoon's voice trailed off, hesitant.

Is it an issue with how to address me?

"Feel free to come comfortably..."

"Mr...."

"How about boss?"

"Yes, boss..."

Was Jo Ayoon five years younger than me?

Even if a one-year age difference seems significant to a student, it's not really the case for adults, right?

"When you return from the military, You will be like an adult."

Han Seorim said something she shouldn't have.

She quickly turned her head, but Han Seorim was already looking elsewhere.

"Ayoon, would you like something to drink?"

"Uh, then coffee..."

"Wait. I'll bring it shortly after coming out of the restroom.”

Han Seorim disappeared into the restroom.

It was just Jo Ayoon and me in the room.

Awkwardness filled the air as we sat across from each other at the table.

Jo Ayoon was the first to break the silence.

"Um, about the game..."

"Yeah?"

"I tried Hellic."

"Ah."

I took a deep breath for a moment.

Then, after calming my mind, I began to speak.

"Then let's begin the presentation."

Bing!

The screen transitioned.

The team members' attention was fixed on the screen.

"...The beach? What's that? Ant-human?"

"...It's a girl."

"The artwork is truly dreadful."

The expletives hurt.

Injecting my impressions, I continued speaking.

"This is the protagonist of our new game. A Caucasian girl. She's six years old. And she'll embark on an adventure with that butterfly."

"Fantasy? Like meeting fairies and that kind of genre?"

Han Seorim asked.

I wanted to say something bitter, but I answered.

"What fantasy? It's a hellish adventure."

"?"

The team members were puzzled.

The criteria for sins reaching hell are different from human laws.

That was my conclusion after investigating countless hells.

From that perspective, a young girl falling onto the outskirts of hell wasn't anything particularly unusual.

There was no concept of protecting children in hell.

They only received fair punishment.

The girl in the white dress should have suffered in the hell that was assigned to her.

If the butterfly hadn't been there, she would have.

"You don't belong here. So follow me, and I'll get you out."

The teal butterfly radiating ethereal light lifted the girl who had awakened on the beach.

What I witnessed is the long and arduous process of escape.

"This is the Hell of Pleasure. The exit is over there. Let's go that way."

I walked alongside the girl and the butterfly.

I faced threats blocking the girl's path, witnessed her overcoming those threats.

Amidst that, I felt something distinct.

The girl was indifferent.

No, she was ignorant.

Chasing after the butterfly like an oblivious newborn or someone who had forgotten everything, the butterfly taught the girl the most natural facts, one by one.

The scene that stirred my heart was the light of the girl and the butterfly, like a firefly shining alone in the dark night sky.

Thus, that light became a journey.

"The genre is action-adventure."

It was the tale of an adventure surpassing adversity.

"And it's drama."

It was a story about the relationship between the girl and the butterfly.

"There will be four chapters. We'll create maps with four distinct concepts. Naturally, the mechanics will differ depending on the maps."

The girl journeyed through four hells.

Each of those four hells would be represented by a different chapter.

Through those four chapters, a unified narrative would be built.

"The focus will align with the story."

Unlike during Hellic, this was different.

The coup d'état in the realm, Hell of Self Harm.

Unlike Hellic, which took only background settings and focused on "action," this time, the "protagonist's story" in the background had to be the driving force of the game.

By revealing the bond between the girl and the butterfly, their stories and secrets, we would maximize immersion in the game.

Adventure games that are complete stories already exist in the industry.

Yet-to-be-released titles like "Resident Evil" and "God of War."

We will benchmark those games.

For that reason, enhancing the density of the story through video processing is an absolute necessity.

"We need to insert cinematics at the game's branching points to reveal the story directly. And we also need to include other dialogues."

"Do we have to create separate cinematic videos?"

A good question.

But it was wrong.

"No, we'll record in-game footage with changed angles. I'd love to use motion capture if possible, but our budget falls short."

The limitations of indie development.

We don't have the resources to rent such expensive equipment, nor do we have the resources to hire models for motion capture.

It was better to use pixel art and write a script, but then we wouldn't be able to capture the essence of Hell, a core element of the game.

"Anyway, this is the basic background concept. It should be surreal and dreadful."

The expressions of the team members grew serious.

Each person must be imagining something in their minds.

Let's wrap it up here today.

Dumping too much information from the beginning would only lead to confusion during organization.

I said, "The target production period is two years. If the quality isn't there, then improve. We're aiming for the best, not just our best but best of all."

We're aiming for an Indie Game of the Year.

I won't hastily produce a lacklustre result due to time constraints.

"So, every tiny detail matters. Let's leave the specifics for the next meeting, and let's wrap up for today."

I picked up the remote control.

Bing!

I flipped the slide.

"The game's title is this."

From the moment I witnessed the conclusion of the girl and the butterfly's tale a long time ago, the name had been decided.

[Hellic 2: Hell Of Alice]

This was the story of Alice, who fell into the strange land called Hell.