The rest of the meeting dragged. Numbers, proposals, funding requests, Rift metrics—Jaemin tuned most of it out. He sat there quietly, chin resting on one hand, flicking through a slim booklet he found tucked into one of the folders. It was a glossy pamphlet—Jeju Coastal Retreats: Discover Serenity.
Mount Hallasan. Cliffside villas. The air was so clean it practically looked photoshopped.
If only. If he weren't being pulled in every damn direction—Lapis Chamber, Gyeongnim's classified errands, Taeha's ambitious plans, and now some mysterious underwater bunker—he'd have taken the first ferry to Jeju and never looked back.
The waves crashing on page seven looked more peaceful than his entire life had ever been.
"It's a beautiful place, if you're planning to go."
The voice came from beside him. Calm. Level. Composed.
Jaemin looked up, instantly alert, though his face didn't show it. The man beside him was sharp in appearance, dressed in a tailored navy suit with the unmistakable emblem of Aether Crest pinned on the left side of his chest.
He recognised him immediately.
"President Kwon Haseok."
Jaemin stood slightly and offered a curt bow—formal, but minimal. Enough to show respect without conceding anything else.
Kwon Haseok smiled lightly, like someone used to commanding a room just by standing in it.
"And you must be someone new around here. I haven't seen you at any previous departmental meets."
"Han Jaemin."
He said simply.
At that, Haseok's gaze shifted. Not in surprise, but something closer to interest.
"Oh? So it's you."
He said.
"The survivor of the multi-tiered Rift."
That caught Jaemin off guard, but he didn't show it. He didn't think that incident still echoed so far up the chain. To him, it was a job gone wrong. To them, apparently, it was something worth remembering.
"I've been meaning to meet you."
Haseok added.
Jaemin tilted his head slightly.
"Is that so?"
He said, dryly.
"Well… that makes the two of us."
The older man let out a brief, polite chuckle.
"Please, be my guest then. What can I offer you?"
His tone was warm, elegant even—but there was a precision in his voice. Measured words. Calculated interest.
Behind them, the meeting was dissolving into idle chatter and parting conversations. Gyeongnim was still caught up talking with another department head across the room, his back turned. Jaemin's hands slowly folded the pamphlet and slid it back into the folder on the table.
He sat back down.
"You're not just offering hospitality, are you?"
Jaemin asked plainly.
Kwon smiled faintly.
"No. But it's where conversations like these begin."
Jaemin didn't answer. Not yet. But the tension between them had shifted. Politeness on the surface—strategy underneath.
"The Lapis Chamber."
Jaemin began, his voice flat.
"What is it that you're hiding there?"
Haseok didn't blink. He tilted his head slightly, as if the question amused him.
"Ah. The infamous blue box caught your eye, did it?"
He gave a short breath of a chuckle.
"Well, allow me to entertain the curiosity."
He leaned back a little.
"It's nothing more than a residual energy mark left behind after a collapsing Rift. Unstable. Irregular. Over time, the residual solidified—formed into what looks like a chamber. That's all."
Jaemin stared.
"What's inside?"
"Nothing. Empty."
Haseok answered with disarming ease.
"You'd be disappointed if you went in expecting treasure."
"So why label it dangerous? Why hide it? Why tighten security?"
"Because…"
Haseok's voice slowed.
"It's not a place meant for human entry. Let's just stop it there."
Jaemin's brow didn't furrow, but his stare sharpened.
"I see."
He said.
"Then tell me—what's your relationship with Director Gyeongnim?"
At that, Jaemin removed the earpiece slowly, letting it rest on the table beside him. The subtle move was deliberate.
Haseok smiled.
"Well, we're… acquaintances."
He said, choosing the word carefully.
"He's always had a very personal interest in the Lapis Chamber. Always trying to dig deeper, even when the board told him not to."
His eyes briefly flicked to the earpiece.
"And considering you're working with him, I assume you're here to do just that—gather intel."
Jaemin didn't respond, but he didn't need to. That silence alone said, "You're not wrong."
"He's quick."
Jaemin thought.
"Sharp tongue. And not afraid to dig where it hurts."
"If you want access to the chamber."
Haseok continued.
"I'll need something in return. A reason. A good one."
Jaemin didn't flinch.
"To find out what happened to the lost Coreborn."
He paused.
"To understand why their energy signatures went null. Why were they seen entering the chamber, but never coming back out? Everything."
Haseok crossed his arms, still seated. He gave a thoughtful hum.
"I see…"
There was a pause. A long, weighty silence.
Then finally—
"I don't mind you exploring it, Mr. Han."
Haseok said, tone now lower.
"But I do mind who's leading you to it."
He tapped the table lightly once.
"Your safety is your concern. But the man whose hand is playing a role here…"
He paused again, then gave a small, sheepish smile.
"Director Gyeongnim?"
"Yes."
Haseok said bluntly.
"I've never liked him, simply put."
That made Jaemin's eyes narrow—not in aggression, but calculation.
Haseok leaned forward now, resting one arm on the table.
"Let's just say, between you and me, he has a reputation for holding onto secrets even tighter than this association does. Keep your wits about you, Mr. Han."
Jaemin didn't answer. Not yet. But the lines had been drawn.
Haseok wasn't warning him as a courtesy. He was setting the board.
"Also."
Jaemin said, his brows tightening slightly.
"I'm still confused about one thing. I remember Director Gyeongnim telling me the Lapis Chamber appeared in different locations over the years. Is that true?"
Haseok gave a soft chuckle, not out of humour but habit.
"Well, I don't blame you for being confused. No one has the full picture. What you're referring to… those are entry points—temporary doors. The actual Lapis Chamber—the structure itself—is rooted deep within Aether Crest's lowest base. Immovable. Sealed tight."
Jaemin nodded slowly.
"So the 'chamber' doesn't move. The way in just… appears wherever it wants."
"Exactly."
Haseok said with a tap on the table.
"And those entrance anomalies? Never predictable. They don't follow Rift logic. That's what makes it so dangerous."
Jaemin leaned back a little.
"So… do I get a chance to go in?"
Haseok's smile faded a little as he exhaled.
"Yes. You do. But—"
He raised a finger.
"—you'll need to leave Gyeongnim out of it."
Jaemin blinked.
"You really don't like him."
"I don't like creepy people."
Haseok replied simply.
"And he's the kind that smiles when people go missing, then tells you it's all part of the plan. I don't trust that kind of man."
Jaemin didn't respond, just kept listening.
"So."
Haseok continued,
"I'll give you clearance. Access. You'll be allowed to investigate the Lapis Chamber, see it for yourself. But no experiments, no tampering, and definitely no dragging anyone else in."
"Meaning?"
"You go alone."
Haseok said firmly.
"You'll be watched the entire time."
Jaemin didn't hesitate.
"Deal."
That made Haseok smile.
"That's what I like to hear."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek black access card with a faint shimmer of blue at the edge. Without saying a word, he slipped it into Jaemin's jacket pocket.
"Don't lose it."
He said quietly, giving a small nod before turning around.
Jaemin didn't move. Just sat there, watching the president of Aether Crest walk away—casual, poised, and deadly aware of every step.
The card in his pocket felt like a key to something massive. But the lock? Still unknown.
Jaemin exhaled and made his way across the hall.
Gyeongnim was still in conversation with two officials, but the moment he saw Jaemin approach, he excused himself and turned.
"So."
He said, reading Jaemin's expression like a habit.
"I saw you speaking with Haseok. How did it go?"
Jaemin slipped his hands into his jacket pockets.
"Well enough. You could say I got access to the Lapis Chamber."
Gyeongnim's eyes gleamed for the briefest moment.
"Is that so?"
Jaemin nodded.
"Yeah. Though he made it very clear you're not supposed to be part of it. Said you were… creepy."
Gyeongnim scoffed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, I have been pressing him a bit too much lately. I can see why he'd try to freeze me out."
Jaemin didn't say anything.
"We'll talk more in my office."
Gyeongnim said, adjusting his cufflinks.
"Take a few minutes for yourself. Cool off. Regroup."
Jaemin gave a simple nod before turning and walking off.
He took the elevator up.
Straight to the rooftop.
The cold wind hit him the moment the doors opened.
Jaemin stepped out slowly, walking toward the railing of the towering skyscraper. The sun was low now, sinking like a slow-burning ember, bleeding orange across the horizon.
He rested both hands on the railing.
His jacket flapped gently in the wind.
His mind? Loud.
Access to the Lapis Chamber… a path forward. But at the cost of keeping people out.
The wind howled around him as the sky faded to deep gold.
Whatever was coming… was already moving.