🦑 Squid Game – Part 4

Episode 1: The Calling in the Dark

New York City, a harsh winter.

It's 2:00 AM.

Snow falls silently on the city sidewalks as Elliot Kane sleeps on a wooden bench in an abandoned train station. His face is pale, his eyes filled with memories. He was once a soldier, having fought in wars whose details no one knows, but upon his return, he lost everything: his home, his job, his young daughter, taken from him by the state after he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

At that moment, a man in a smart gray suit, carrying a black leather briefcase, approached him. He sat down beside him without speaking, then took out a small card and placed it in Elliot's hand.

> "Simple game. Huge prize. Just be brave."

Elliot looked at the card.

The front bore a strange symbol—a circle inside a triangle inside a square.

The back: a phone number, no name, no address.

Contact

The next morning, Elliot sat in the corner of a small coffee shop, contemplating the card.

After hesitating, he dialed the number.

An automated voice responded:

> "If you're ready to change your life, head to the following address in Brooklyn. Don't delay."

Elliot arrived at the specified location: an abandoned building surrounded by black cars.

As soon as he entered, he felt a prick in his neck, then fell unconscious.

---

Waking Up

Elliot woke up in a white, windowless room, wearing a green uniform bearing the number 067.

Around him were dozens of people, each with a different number, all looking lost, scared, or angry.

Before he could speak, an automated voice echoed in the room:

> "Welcome to the American version of the game. You are now part of a unique experience.

> You will play a series of games. Whoever wins gets fifty million dollars.

> Whoever loses... is eliminated."

Faces freeze. Some laugh, thinking it's a joke.

Then the doors open, and everyone is asked to head to the first arena.

---

Game One: Red Light, Blue Light

A huge arena, its walls covered with LED screens showing anonymous faces watching.

In the center, drones hover over the players' heads.

An automated voice explains the rules:

> "When we say 'Blue Light,' you must stop immediately.

> Anyone who moves... is eliminated."

The game begins.

The players run, then suddenly stop.

A drone detects a slight movement from one of them.

A gunshot sounds.

The first player falls, blood covering the snow.

Panic spreads. Some try to escape, but the doors are locked.

Elliot freezes, recalls his military training, and advances steadily.

In the final moments, a young man stumbles in front of him, but miraculously survives.

Blood, screams, and terror fill the air.

After the Game

120 players were eliminated in the first round.

The rest are taken back to the dorm room, where they begin their introductions.

Elliot sits next to a young woman, number 303, who is silently crying.

Her name is Kayla Morgan, a college student drowning in student debt, with nothing but a small bag and a photo of her mother.

Elliot approaches her and says quietly,

> "If we're going to survive... we have to be a team."

---

The Final Scene

In a dark room, a man wearing a silver mask sits, watching the game on a large screen.

He laughs quietly, then says,

> "The American version has begun... and it won't be merciful."

The screen closes, and preparations for the second round begin.