In the kitchen, Mei tossed the broken shard of glass into the vase.
The glass melted away in seconds, leaving behind a clear liquid that gleamed like water.
"Well… if it's glass, then the effect should be transparency." Mei muttered to herself.
"If it can turn a person transparent, that's basically hiding. But if the clothes don't vanish too, or worse, if it's uncontrollable transparency—then that's a disaster."
Her gaze shifted to a small cage by the counter. She reached in and pulled out a barely breathing chameleon. Without hesitation, she dropped it into the vase. The creature thrashed weakly for a heartbeat before dissolving, merging into the colorless fluid.
Mei poured the strange liquid into a bottle, then turned to head downstairs.
...
"Drink it."
Han blinked in surprise. "This… what is this?"
The bottle held a liquid that looked like plain water, but thicker, faintly viscous.
"Drink, and you'll find out," Mei said flatly.
Han drew in a sharp breath, lifted the bottle, and downed it in a single gulp. It was tasteless, but slimy, like swallowing raw mucus. A second later, his hands vanished before his eyes.
"My hands… they disappeared?" Han gasped, clutching at his face. "No—they're still here. I can feel them!"
Chino squinted. "His head… it's gone too?"
Han had completely vanished, leaving only his clothes hanging eerily in midair. Moments later, even the fabric shimmered and faded, until nothing at all remained.
Mei calmly pulled out her phone and typed notes.
"Glass and chameleon mixture results in a colorless, transparent effect. Subject and clothing both become invisible."
She reached forward, touching the space where Han stood.
"Mm. You're still here, just transparent. How do you feel?"
Han's voice came out strained.
"It's dazzling, irritating. Even with my eyes shut, the light burns."
Mei tugged the window curtain shut.
"Aaaah!!" Han screamed.
"Light—pain—my eyes are burning!"
She opened the curtain again, observing coolly.
"So exposure to light causes extreme pain. Can you try canceling the transparency?"
"Cancel… transparency?" Han echoed blankly.
"How?"
"Imagine a color."
Han closed his eyes. In an instant, his form reappeared—clothes and all—but tinted entirely green.
"Now try harder," Mei instructed. "Picture your skin tone, hair color, clothing color."
Han concentrated. A blink later, his body returned to normal, every shade restored.
Mei nodded.
"Through color imagination, you can regulate your appearance. Now—erase it all. Imagine no color."
Han's figure wavered, then vanished again into perfect transparency.
Mei narrowed her eyes. "Anything else unusual?"
Han hesitated. "No… just… strange. I don't feel like myself."
Chino stiffened, then whispered, "That feeling—I had it too…"
"You feel like the person before you must never be disobeyed? As if a voice inside commands you to submit, and if you resist—you'll die?"
Han's eyes widened and he nodded rapidly.
"Yes. Exactly that."
"Beyond that," he added, "it feels like I've been… elevated. Spirit and flesh, both lifted somehow. But am I still me?"
Mei, listening intently, jotted more notes.
"No matter the ingredients, the Potion forces the drinker into unconditional obedience. If they refuse, death follows."
Her voice sank into a murmur.
"But… how?"
If it was truly as they claimed, then betrayal was no longer a concern.
She titled her new document: "Number 003: The Hollow."
...
The next day.
The two men remained at Mei's café for the entire day, during which Mei subjected them to a series of tests, carefully collecting data.
"Lord Aurora, may I ask—can I control my transformation like 003?" Chino asked.
Mei paused in thought.
"If I can locate the corresponding materials, then your evolution certainly won't stop here."
"Alright, that's enough for now," she added. "I want to bury myself in research. You all can leave. Give me your contact numbers. Unless there's an emergency, don't contact me."
Raven fluttered down to perch on Mei's shoulder.
"Do I need to leave as well?"
"You go with Chino."
"Yes, my Master."
...
When the three had gone, Mei whispered to herself,
"I should avoid direct contact with 002 and 003 as much as possible."
She resolved to find a secluded, secure place large enough to serve as a proper base. Once established, she could meet and conduct her research there.
Checking her account balance, Mei let out a groan.
"Ugh… I'm about to go bankrupt."
She frowned, drumming her nails against the counter.
"Is there a way to make money quickly and safely?"
Then her eyes lit up.
"Ah… yes!
Whoever consumes the Potion will obey me. All I need is a wealthy subject to drink it."
A sly smile tugged at her lips.
"This time, let's attempt a more… special combination."
...
Outside the café, the two men and the crow exchanged glances.
"My Master didn't give you a mission. Do you know what that means?" Raven asked.
"What do you mean?" the men answered in unison.
Raven's body rippled and shifted into the form of a black-haired young girl.
"Don't forget—my Master spoke of materials and evolution."
"If we can find the corresponding materials, she'll allow us to keep evolving, granting us stronger abilities."
"My Master's hidden message is clear: we should hunt for these materials ourselves, instead of waiting idly."
The two men looked at each other, then nodded.
"That makes sense…"
"But we don't even know what materials she needs," Han pointed out.
The Raven girl shook her head, sighing with disdain.
"With reasoning like that, it's no wonder my Master finds you both hopelessly entangled.
If she already knew the precise materials, would she still need us to search for them?"
"She doesn't know—that's exactly why it falls to us."
The two men straightened.
"That makes sense!" they echoed.
"Then act, you fools!" the Raven girl commanded.
...
Back inside the café, Mei poured herself a cup of coffee and took a long sip.
"Ah… not bad."
She leaned back, turning her gaze toward the scattered vials and notes littering her workspace.
"I hope those three don't cause any trouble. If the truth leaks out, I could face serious consequences. I don't want to be interrogated."
Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the table.
"If it comes to that, I'll need a fallback plan."
"The Hollow Potion currently has the fewest side effects. The Imitator Potion hasn't been tested on humans yet—too risky."
She sipped her coffee again, eyes narrowed in focus.
"I need to refine these mixtures further. Maybe even develop entirely new ones. Each experiment brings me closer to perfecting the process."
Setting the cup down, Mei's lips curved faintly.
"If I can create a Potion completely free of adverse effects… I'll secure not just my work, but my future."