"One only has allies and enemies," The slouched man said at last.
He glanced at her.
"None of their own blood."
Darin's voice stuttered. "R-right…"
The man turned to her.
"He wasn't assigned to where I operate."
Darin held his gaze. "That's it?"
"That's it."
Her fingers curled slightly into her lap.
"That's not an answer," she said, too fast.
"It is," he said calmly. "I told you what I know."
Something in Darin's chest twisted.
"…Is he alive?" she pressed.
The man didn't respond.
He had already stood.
Her eyes followed him.
"Hey—"
He reached for the tablet Sugar had left on the bed.
Darin's breath caught.
"Wait—" she said quickly.
His fingers paused above the screen.
Just for a moment.
Long enough to feel intentional.
"You already chose your question," he said.
The tablet lifted from the bed.
Darin stood halfway without realizing it.
"What happens to me now…?" The words slipped out before she could stop them.
That made him pause.
For the first time since they met, his voice stuttered.
"…Y-you'll figure it out."
He looked at her for a moment longer than necessary.
Something unresolved hung between them.
Then he turned.
The door opened.
Cool air slipped into the room.
For a brief moment, Darin thought he hesitated again.
Like he wanted to say something.
But he was gone.
Darin's knees buckled as she dropped back onto the edge of the bed.
Her palms pressed hard against the mattress, fingers splayed, keeping her upright when her body wanted to fold in on itself. The fabric dipped under her weight.
Her head hung low.
Her eyes fixed on the floor.
For a moment, she looked like something that had already been emptied out.
…
Then her breath caught.
Her head snapped up.
She rushed.
The bathroom door slammed against the wall as she rushed inside, bare feet slipping slightly against the tile. She dropped down hard beside the toilet, knees hitting the floor with a dull crack she didn't register.
Her hands found the edge of the carved opening instantly.
She leaned in.
"Eun-seo!"
Nothing.
The tunnel answered with the same low hum, air passing through metal like it always had.
"…Eun-seo!!"
Her voice broke the second time, louder– too loud.
The sound of a door opened somewhere beyond the wall.
And then a voice, thin and shaking, pushed through the opening:
"What is it, Darin?"
Darin sucked in a breath, it scraped her throat raw as she leaned closer, fingers tightening against the cracked edges of the hole.
"There's a replacement for Sugar," she said, words tumbling over each other. "W-when he gives you one question… I want you to ask him—"
She stopped.
Her mouth stayed open, but nothing came out.
Her pulse hammered against her skull.
"…ask him…" she forced out, voice lower now, urgent, controlled through strain—
"Do you check on everyone like this?"
"…okay." The answer came.
Darin exhaled, a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"Don't rush it," she said quickly, lowering her voice again. "Stay calm, this might be our only chance."
A faint shuffle echoed through the vent, like fabric brushing metal.
"I'll try my best." There was something fragile in the way Eun-seo said it. Not fear exactly, like she understood the weight of what Darin was asking… even if she didn't fully understand why.
Darin's grip on the edge of the hole loosened slightly.
"…thank you, Eun-seo."
Darin slowly pulled back from the opening.
The bathroom felt smaller when she stood, the hum of the system returning to fill the space between her thoughts.
She rose to her feet, steadying herself against the sink.
For a second, she didn't look up.
Then she did.
The mirror caught her immediately.
Skin paler than long ago, damp strands of hair clinging unevenly to her face.
There was dust along the edge of her wristband.
She stared at herself.
The reflection didn't move right away.
Just… still, in a way that felt separate.
Her fingers tightened slightly against the edge of the sink.
The girl in the mirror looked back.
Same eyes, same rhythm of breath.
But something about the posture was… too calm.
Darin blinked once, and the image was corrected instantly.
"…Get a grip."