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Of course, it’s only natural that I know this place is hiding many secrets from the staff since I work at the Management Agency.

And I also know that it’s expected I wouldn’t see those secrets.

“…Huh.”

But maybe that’s not the case.

Letting out a hollow chuckle, I gaze at the stairs revealed beneath the cracked desk.

The old, metal stairs undoubtedly made any onlooker wonder just how long the history of the Management Agency runs.

“This way.”

“Understood.”

With a smile still intact, I follow the Branch Chief, who descends the stairs without any hesitation.

I sneak a peek over her head.

[Name: -]

[Age: -]

[Specialty: -]

[Talent: Indestructible]

[Background: -]

[Weakness: -]

Her information remains a mystery.

“…Did you just look at me again?”

“I apologize. It was unintentional.”

I wondered if I could learn anything at this moment, but it still seems far-off.

She slightly turned her head and glanced at me.

Since her eyes were closed, she didn’t seem angry.

“I understand what you mean, but still, it would be wise to be cautious. Exceptional people usually know everything the moment Kim Jae Heon sees them.”

What does that mean?

As I furrow my brows and ponder her words, we finally reach the bottom of what seemed like an endless staircase.

It was a spot where orange lights were lit.

This place, which resembled a basement, had huge iron doors scattered all around, akin to bunker entrances.

“…What is this place?”

The Branch Chief casually sat down on a chair, smiling at my dumbfounded question.

“It wouldn’t be right for a Branch Chief not to know about the secret places of the Management Agency.”

That doesn’t answer my question.

Maybe she caught the meaning behind my gaze, as she shook her head with an “I can’t help it” look and opened her mouth.

“First of all, this is a shortcut.”

“A shortcut…?”

“Kim Jae Heon, have you ever ridden the Management Agency subway from Seoul Station?”

Are we talking about when I went to the Gangdong Branch?

I nodded in response to her words.

“Then it should be easy to understand. This is another version of the subway.”

Another version?

“That means you can head to other branches through this passage.”

“Exactly.”

She nodded, smiling.

“But it’s not used for that purpose.”

“If that’s the case…”

As I spoke, she looked around at the numerous doors and continued.

“It serves two major purposes. First, when discreet conversations like this are necessary.”

Her eyes fixated on one door.

It was the largest iron door.

Compared to the other doors, it was significantly bigger, and most importantly…

“…There’s no handle?”

It was an iron door without a handle. It was smoothly cut without a hint of how to open it.

Soon, a translucent window appeared in front of my eyes.

[Name: Iron Door]

[Age: X]

[Specialty: X]

[Talent: Selection]

[Background: If the time comes, this door will open for humanity’s last hope.]

[Weakness: When the day comes, this door will open automatically.]

I couldn’t make sense of it.

I frowned slightly, staring at the door, and when I looked over to the side, the Branch Chief was smiling and looking at me.

“Did you figure it out?”

“…A little bit.”

Her joyful expression widened as she crossed her legs, perching on the desk.

“When the time comes, you might understand, or you might not.”

“…”

“I’m sorry. My position sometimes forces me to resort to riddles. I hope you can understand my situation as well.”

“Of course, that’s understandable.”

She must have her own reasons for not saying much. And there must be things that should remain unknown.

Learning from the Team Leader’s attitude.

I know nothing, and even if I do, I pretend not to.

As I slowly nodded at her words, she smiled and pulled a desk over.

The heavy-looking iron desk seemed light as she lifted it with one hand.

“Now, about Kim Chan Ho, the person you saw earlier.”

“Yeah.”

“That person voluntarily resigned from his position.”

“…”

I dove deeper into thought.

“However, there were a few puzzling aspects.”

“The puzzling aspects you mentioned…”

What could be so surprising?

The Branch Chief looked at me and offered a paper with a gentle smile.

“Let’s see, it’s just that he seemed too ordinary.”

She handed me the document.

“Take a look.”

I began reading the paper she handed me.

Name… Kim Chan Ho. Age and department matched what I had seen with my own eyes.

There was absolutely nothing remarkable.

All that was written was the story of someone who had worked at the Management Agency for several years before quitting because it didn’t suit him.

“His interpersonal relationships weren’t bad, nor could they be called good. His performance was always average or slightly above average.”

As I read the paper, the Branch Chief began to explain.

“It’s a bit odd for someone like that to be spotted at an amusement park.”

“It wasn’t just a sighting.”

“Exactly. The fact that they threw weapons at a speed that could be handled by the isolation team is also suspicious.”

“…They have skills.”

At my words, the Branch Chief raised an eyebrow.

“Skills?”

“They possess skills.”

“What kind of skills?”

“Storage.”

“…”

She pondered while resting her chin in her hand and then opened her mouth.

“That doesn’t seem feasible.”

“Why not?”

“The Management Agency isn’t foolish.”

She calmly continued, looking at me.

“Skilled individuals don’t get fooled into acting like non-skilled people. We’ve built up our experience, equipment, and know-how over a long period.”

“Isn’t that precisely how they could slip through?”

“If that’s the case, they’d either have to be part of another organization or have already been infested by a containment object…”

She trailed off at the end of her sentence.

“The most plausible yet simplest thoughts would be two.”

She sighed deeply.

“First, we were deceived.”

“And the second?”

“They might have gained their abilities during that time.”

“…”

Gaining abilities in between—that could definitely happen. I originally acquired mine only after the college entrance exams.

“However, it did seem like they were quite skilled in using their power.”

They managed to throw darts exceptionally well.

“People’s skills don’t improve that easily.”

She nodded in agreement.

“Either they know a lot about that person, or they’re fully aware of how to awaken their ability… Even so, awakening someone’s power through another’s strength is no simple task.”

“…”

Either knowing deeply or being well acquainted with that person.

“…Understood for now.”

Given the circumstances, there are a few suspicious things.

The cross the man held and the necklace that could bring someone back to life. Lastly, the destiny we’ve just discovered.

Someone may have told him about that fate, or he himself may have reached a new enlightenment.

In that case, what could provide that enlightenment…

Maybe she thought I was drifting into other thoughts because she continued speaking.

“Anyways, currently, he has spies attached from the Management Agency.”

“Spies?”

At my mumbling, she raised a finger to her lips and looked at me.

“It’s a secret.”

“Understood.”

If she didn’t want to share, what could I do?

“Oh, and…”

She looked at me, smiling apologetically.

“I’m truly sorry.”

I already felt uneasy about this.

“Could you possibly visit the Gangbuk Branch on an assignment?”

“…An assignment?”

The incident during the cube incident flashed through my mind, making me look at her with heightened suspicion.

“It won’t be immediate, but there will come a time when you’ll have to go. The Branch Chief there is someone named Kim Pil Soo…”

She sighed deeply.

“He’s been making quite a racket about wanting to see Jae Heon.”

For the first time, I sensed an emotion other than amusement in her voice.

If it could be expressed, it would be contempt.

“Anyway, please grant me this one favor. I assure you it won’t entangle you in work. I promise that.”

She lowered her head before me, and ultimately, as an ordinary company employee, I had no choice but to accept her request.

With her bowing her head and assuring me, what could I do?

*

“…This is exhausting.”

I hadn’t done anything, yet I felt worn out.

I collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

My thoughts tangled.

Someone—or more specifically, some strange individual or group—is after us.

For now, with the limited information given, I must prepare.

“…”

Piecing together the puzzle in my mind.

After all, there is one person who stands out the most as suspicious…

“…I have to find something, anything…”

Muttering, I drift off to sleep.

Then, feeling an unsettling sensation, I snap my eyes open.

I was sitting in a fluffy chair.

“…What is this?”

Muttering, I look around.

Before my eyes is a pair of red curtains.

And aside from my chair, there’s only one other chair beside me.

I try rising, but my body won’t respond.

-Thud,

Soon, I hear someone sitting down in the chair.

Violet hair reflected the light of the red curtains, glimmering.

“…What’s going on?”

With the same reaction as mine, Song Ah Rin quickly surveys the surroundings.

“What’s this…?”

Struggling to get up, it seems her body also refuses to move.

She hurriedly scans around before looking at me.

“…Ah.”

Both she and I had expressions of realization.

“…Song Ah Rin.”

“Yeah. I think we’re thinking the same thing.”

Tension radiated from her as she eyed the area.

Suddenly, sounds began echoing around us.

<Hello, esteemed audience.>

A voice scraped across metal.

Song Ah Rin shivered, but the voice continued without any concern.

<Originally, I wanted to meet you all a little sooner, but… for some reason, our efforts to hold the second act on the cruise have been completely thwarted by a marine creature beneath the sea.>

So, they ended up losing to the sea monster.

As I contemplated that, the voice continued to pour forth.

<However, through this dream, we wish to present you with an unforgettable story. This is also for the 'completion' of our play.>

Completion?

I struggled to wriggle my body but nothing happened.

<The second act is about to begin.>

As the red curtains opened, my consciousness faded.

<A Midsummer Night's Dream.>

Before my eyes was…

“…What is this?”

Song Ah Rin, dressed in a purple dress, was holding up her hem.

With her back completely exposed due to the dress and her usual messy hair perfectly styled into an updo.

Her neck and back shimmered in the moonlight, and as she gazed around, our eyes met.

Her bare legs, standing awkwardly, were revealed up to her thighs.

The moment our eyes locked, she froze, her ear lobes turning bright red before she muttered to me.

“Turn around.”

“Understood.”

I quickly turned my back as instructed.

The night sky reflected in my eyes.

The moon was hidden in darkness, but the moonlight shone like spotlights everywhere.

Someone whispered to me.

<Look for the Moon.>

My temples pulsed.