"Joshey, wake up. Joshey, WAKE UP!"
It had been two hours. The voice wasn't coming from outside, but from within—and it wasn't Elias, either. If not him, then who…?
Joshey was dreaming—Elias was transferring memories to him in his sleep. Joshey's eyes shot open in shock, gasping as if he'd been drowning in the bathwater of his own subconscious.
Vale noticed him first. "Seems someone had a bad dream."
Slowly, he sat up and realized he was in some kind of infirmary—a low-class hospital, so to speak. Lucia moved closer. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," he replied, still dazed. He began feeling around his body, testing his injuries. "Huh? What happened? My wounds…"
"I healed you," Vale said simply. "Or rather, I accelerated your healing process. You're not fully restored, though, so don't move too much."
"Noted, I guess."
Elias had already passed along the memories of his earlier conversation with Vale, so Joshey understood who she was and why she was here.
He sat up straighter. "Oh, shit—what about the bodyguard dude?"
"His name was Gorvan," came a voice from the corner. Michael sat restrained against the wall behind Elias.
"I didn't say you could talk," Lucia said coldly.
"Well, you also didn't say I couldn't," Michael retorted.
Joshey's gaze sharpened. "Huh. So you captured Michael. What about Viggo?"
"I'm ashamed, but—" Lucia began.
Michael cut in. "He used some kind of crystal to distort space completely and escaped through it. Though I don't know if he'll even survive that kind of jump."
Joshey raised an eyebrow, surprised by how cooperative Michael was being.
"Well, no worries," Vale offered calmly. "If he's not far, we'll find him. That face is unforgettable."
Michael shook his head. "No point. Viggo's a dead man either way. You want to kill him. They want to kill him. She wants to kill him. I want to kill him."
Everyone stared at him, trying to decide if he was being protective or just stating a fact.
Joshey leaned forward. "You have some weird connections with Kaelen, and to be honest, I don't trust either of you. But I'd like to ask a few questions. Can you try to answer them?"
Lucia's face tightened with frustration when Joshey said he didn't trust her brother, but she held her tongue.
"Oh, don't worry about that," Michael said, his tone strangely sincere. "I'll be one hundred percent honest with you guys. Just like I promised before you woke up."
Joshey gave a thin smile. "Okay. What's your relationship with Kaelen? He sent us here to 'save you,' but it seems you weren't even in need of saving. And it sounds like you two have some bad blood."
Michael let out a short, tired breath. "Well, I don't know what he told you all, but he isn't trying to rescue me. Kaelen's only goal is to get his hands on a rare energy stabilizer—the one meant for the planet's power grid. The so-called Power Reactor."
Vale stood up abruptly. "What? What does a human want with the whole-ass Power Reactor?"
"Beats me," Michael said, shrugging as much as his bonds allowed. "Kaelen was a criminal when he first showed up here as a boy—always getting kidnapped or arrested. Over time, he was sent to be 'corrected,' and I was his correction tutor. Don't know when he lost it, but he became obsessed with my work. He wanted to be a part of it. Long story short, he worked for Viggo, didn't get what he wanted, and ended up wrecking this place—just like you folks did today. Though he was stopped… by them."
"Wait—first question: who is them? Second question: I don't see why Kaelen wants you specifically."
Michael took a breath.
"Well, for your first question, this whole place isn't a slave center. These people aren't 'slaves' to be sold—they're livestock, biologically altered for some kind of experiment. The organization behind it acts as a shadow government, unknown but with influence over everything. They have a base in every region of the world. This is just Caligurn's branch."
He continued.
"As for why Kaelen wants me… I have an Anima that allows me to locate anything, as long as I have prior information about it—human, non-human, or object. Kaelen wants me to find the Power Reactor for him."
"Well, I can't let that happen," Vale cut in sharply. "The Power Reactor is the movable core of the planetary energy grid—it sustains the whole world. If Kaelen gets his hands on that—"
Lucia stepped in front of her, eyes cold.
"Then what?"
"Ha. You really are something," Vale said, unimpressed. "Well, if you try to get in my way, I'll kill both of—"
"Ahhhh, stop it!"
Elias's voice cut through the tension. Lucia froze, hand on her hilt.
"Enough," he said firmly. "Whatever Kaelen's business is doesn't matter right now. As long as Michael is here with us, he won't find the Power Reactor."
Lucia slowly relaxed. Vale scoffed and turned away, sitting back down.
Michael sat quietly, absorbing it all.
Joshey spoke again. "You said some people came to stop Kaelen's rampage. And those same people collect humans and elves from here for experiments. What are the chances they'll show up now?"
Michael shrugged. "Who knows? Viggo didn't reach them. If he had, they would've killed him on the spot and replaced him."
Joshey's expression tightened. So killing Viggo was never the answer—he'd just be replaced. And this place… couldn't be saved either.
This is getting really complex, he thought to Elias.
Elias's silent agreement echoed back.
"Given the situation, I'm sure they'll be here in a day or two," Michael said. "Shipping day is tomorrow. If they don't get any updates, they'll storm the place."
Joshey folded his arms. "So we've got a day to get out, huh?"
Lucia stepped forward, ready to suggest they stay and fight—but Michael cut her off.
"You're strong. Strong enough to destroy this place. But that's it. Those people… they're beyond human comprehension. They're the top dogs of ruin—the most powerful humans walking this kora. Don't even think about fighting them. You'll die. Kaelen only survived because he ran. It won't go so well for you."
Lucia's pride visibly dimmed. Vale snickered quietly from the corner.
Joshey grimaced. "Damn. So they're powerful—and politically untouchable?" Inwardly, he felt the sting of unfairness.
"Even though their identities are hidden, you'll recognize them if you see them," Michael added. "They wear black cloaks covering their faces… with bronze-colored…"
"Badges," Joshey finished.
Michael nodded. "Correct."
The realization hit Lucia: The four men who ambushed us on the way here… were they part of this?
"If you've already met four of them," Michael said, "that means a lot."
"But they were weak," Lucia argued. "You're hyping them up for nothing."
Michael's eyes narrowed. "What animal was on their badges?"
Joshey answered for her. "Wolves."
"Oh. That's why. They're ranked by power. Wolves are the lowest. Then Tigers. Then Monsters. Then Dragons. Then the highest—the Seven Elements of Darkness. And above even them, the Divine. At best, sister of Kaelen… you'd rate as a Tiger by their standards."
Vale, still seated, finally spoke up. "What's their goal?"
"What every government wants: control, power, domination. But their real purpose is advancing humanity through a special project. If they're looking for you…" He turned toward Joshey. "…that means you're a threat, white-haired boy."
Vale was puzzled by the nickname but didn't question it. In her 150 years, she'd never even heard whispers of a shadow government like this. Lucia remained still, quietly absorbing it all before stepping aside to clear her head.
Joshey studied Michael carefully. "Why trust us with all this? If there's one thing I know about secret governments, it's that they don't want their work exposed. Especially not like this."
Michael exhaled slowly. "Because I'm tired. There's a good chance I'll die soon anyway—that's how this place works. But… for some reason, I have faith that telling you is the right choice. Whatever you do with this information… that's on you. And I trust you'll make the right one."
Got it. Here is the corrected and storylined version:
"Well, now that we've heard everything we wanted, what do we do about him?" Vale said, gesturing toward Michael. "If we let him go, Kaelen can still use him to find the Power Reactor."
Joshey interjected, "Not exactly. There's a reason Kaelen sent us and didn't come himself—it's because he can't."
Michael nodded. "Yeah, he was banned from this place. The barrier around this place makes sure of that."
"See?" Joshey said. "So this is actually the safest place to leave him."
Vale didn't press the matter further and reluctantly agreed.
Joshey struggled to get off the bed, staggering slightly as he steadied himself. "Alright, we need to get out of here. But before we do, I have to go to the juvenile barracks."
It was a shame, but he knew he couldn't realistically save everyone here—not now, and maybe not yet. But if he could save anyone, it had to be Minna.
"What about me?" Michael asked, showing his restrained wrists.
Joshey stepped forward and used a fine thread of Pyro mana to melt through the bindings. "There. I don't trust you, but I'll trust your blind faith."
He motioned to Vale, and they headed out of the infirmary. Lucia was standing just outside the building, arms folded.
"Where are you going?" she asked flatly.
Vale shrugged. "No idea."
Joshey pushed past, moving with purpose. "I've got someone I need to carry out of here."
(break scene)
Viggo materialized just outside the first gate of the Granary. He immediately doubled over, coughing violently. His skin was raw and blistered with severe radiation burns—he had barely survived the jump.
"Heh… hehehe…" he rasped, a strained laugh escaping his lips. "Better a slim hope of survival than none at all. That bitch was definitely going to kill me."
He laughed again, deliriously proud of his own genius in enduring the crystal's intense radiation. Gathering what strength he had left, he began to stumble away, already vowing internally to report the entire catastrophe to them.
But something—someone—blocked his path.
"Well, if it isn't you, Master Viggo."
He was dragging himself to the gate after Lucia butchered his hands off, bleeding and barely alive. It was Haitei. But as he crawled, he noticed an intense level of radiation coming from an empty space nearby. He pulled himself into a safe corner and watched, waiting, as the air flickered and warped—just in time to see Viggo pop into existence, battered and alone.
This was his only chance.
"You... who are you?" Viggo asked, his voice laced with fear and exhaustion.
"Hey, Viggo, you lousy piece of shit," Haitei rasped from the shadows. "Why did Schitz have to die because of your incompetence?"
Viggo blinked, struggling to focus. "What? Look, whoever you are, this isn't the time. We have bigger issues to deal with—"
"Oh, I see. If you'd given me closure, maybe I'd let it slide. But... there's no going back now."
Using Aqua mana, Haitei drew his own blood, shaping it into long, knife-like blades along the stumps of his arms. Then he lunged.
Viggo had zero experience in fighting—he'd always controlled others to do it for him. Haitei was on him in an instant, pounding him over and over with brutal, bloody strikes. He beat Viggo relentlessly for minutes, not stopping even when Viggo stopped moving.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SEE HALF OF YOUR FRIEND'S BODY?" Haitei screamed, his voice cracking with grief and rage as he continued to strike, pouring every last ounce of pain and fury into each blow.
He breathed heavily and fell back, laughing—a raw, hysterical sound that echoed in the silence of the courtyard.
His laughter didn't last long.
A figure in a black cloak appeared soundlessly beside him, looking down with detached curiosity. "You are still alive. I believe you can be of use to us."
Before Haitei could react, the figure stabbed him with something that resembled a shard of shifting black liquid. There was no pain—only a sudden, cold numbness that spread through his veins, followed by an overwhelming pull into darkness.