The silence of the grey room was a physical thing. It pressed on Leo's eardrums, amplifying the sound of his own ragged breathing and his wildly beating heart. He was safe, but he was caged. The heavy iron door had no handle on the inside. There were no windows. It was a perfect vault, and he was the scared treasure locked within.
He walked to the door and pressed his ear against it. Nothing. No sound from the Compliance Agent. Had he left? Or was he just waiting, patient as only an eternal, bureaucratic entity can be? His warning echoed in Leo's mind: Doors don't stay locked forever.
How much time did he have? Hours? Days? He checked his smartphone. No new orders. No new messages, except for his own. The Syndicate had likely frozen his account. He was offline, cut off from the system that had ruled his life.
He needed to contact Yuki. He opened the chat and typed a quick message.
Leo: I'm trapped. The Syndicate showed up. What do I do?
He hit send. A red error message appeared instantly.
MESSAGE DELIVERY FAILED. RECIPIENT IS OFF-NETWORK OR IN A SYNDICATE INTERFERENCE ZONE.
His heart sank. Yuki's restaurant was his location. The Agent was still there. Yuki was in danger because of him. Guilt joined the fear, creating a toxic cocktail in his stomach.
He was alone. Almost.
He scrolled through his miserable contact list. There was only one other name that wasn't from his old, irrelevant world. A name with a pink-haired anime avatar and a string of hearts.
Sephie-chan.
It was a terrible idea. She was a goddess, yes, but one who cared more about video games and light novels than interdimensional politics. Asking her for help was like asking a child to help with his taxes. But she was his only option.
With trembling fingers, he typed a message.
Leo: Sephie-chan, I need help. I'm in big, big trouble.
The reply was almost instantaneous, accompanied by a shower of dancing bunny stickers.
Sephie-chan: LEO-KUN! Trouble? Is it a new raid boss? Do you need a healer? I've got the best healing gear! (oﾟ▽ﾟ)o
Leo took a deep breath, trying to find a way to explain his situation to someone whose reality seemed to be a game.
Leo: It's not a game. It's the Couriers' Syndicate. They've declared me a 'renegade agent' and they're waiting for me outside.
There was a pause. For the first time, Sephie's reply took longer than five seconds. When it came, the emojis were gone.
Sephie-chan: The Syndicate? Ugh. They're the worst. So boring. Always trying to regulate everything and ruin the fun. The boss hates them. They keep trying to tax the souls crossing the Styx.
Her casual reply was both unnerving and strangely comforting. To her, the Syndicate wasn't an apocalyptic force, just an annoyance.
Leo: They want me because of a 'Fragment of Knowledge'. They're going to... recycle me.
Sephie-chan: Recycle? Oh. That. Yeah, that's bad. Very bad. Where are you now?
Leo: In the guest room you gave me. The door is locked, but they said it won't stay that way forever.
Another pause, this one longer. Leo could almost picture her putting down her video game controller.
Sephie-chan: Okay, that's interesting. The Guest Room is technically Underworld soil. Diplomatic sovereignty and all that. They can't just break down the door. It would be a declaration of war. And nobody wants that paperwork.
A spark of hope ignited in Leo's chest. A technicality. A loophole.
Leo: So I'm safe in here? As a resident-in-training, do I have rights? Can the Syndicate just come in and get me?
Sephie-chan: Hmmm. That's the tricky part. 'Resident-in-Training' is like having a student visa. You have limited protections. They can't force their way in, but they can camp outside forever and make your life a literal hell if you leave. And eventually, your visa expires. You need political asylum. Which would require an audience with my father. And trust me, you don't want that.
Leo's hope flickered.
Leo: So I'm trapped.
Sephie-chan: Not necessarily. The Syndicate has power everywhere, but the Underworld has its own rules. And rules can be... bent. There's a third option. It's not good. It's not safe. And it will cost you. But it's your only move.
Leo: What is it?
Sephie-chan: There's a place in the Underworld. A place not even the Syndicate dares to police. Charon's Night Market, where soul contracts are traded and secrets are sold for the right price. If you want a way to fight back against the Syndicate, the tools you need are there. But to get in, you need a guide. And to survive, you need something to trade.
A new notification appeared on Leo's screen, sent from Sephie. It wasn't an order. It was a map. A map to a place called the "Pier of Lost Souls."
Sephie-chan: Meet me here. And bring something of value. Something more valuable than Karma Points.