I turned the beautiful red pearl between my fingers, idly playing with it.
Of course… the moment I remembered where it came from,
its beauty immediately twisted into something else.
A crimson flame burned within it, struggling to break free,
while black veins sprawled across its surface like ugly scars—
pulsing… as if alive.
The longer I stared at it,
the more a repulsive sensation seeped into me from within it.
And yet…
I couldn't take my eyes off it.
Suddenly, someone snatched it from my hand.
With a smooth, effortless motion,
he placed it inside a small red box resembling a jewelry case,
then hid that box inside a solid blue container with a handle on top.
"Incredible!
A Rank-28 core… and not just that—it has a dual attribute as well!
This is a tremendous achievement!"
The man stroked the blue container, his gaze almost obsessive.
"This is a winning deal.
The Australian branch won't be able to refuse a core that can nurture their star…
I already have someone in mind this gem would be perfect for."
He muttered, practically drooling over the box.
Then he turned toward our team, who stood behind him,
walked up to Suleiman, and patted his uninjured shoulder.
"Well done. You've proven to the administration that this team is worthy.
Taking down a specter nearly at Yellow Rank—with only three members, one of them a beginner?
You've exceeded expectations!"
"She deserves the credit."
Suleiman replied in his usual cold tone, gesturing toward me.
The man's gaze shifted to me.
My body tensed instantly.
There was something… unsettling about the way he looked at me.
As if he were evaluating a product.
Then he extended his hand.
"Welcome. You must be the new member.
I'm Rashid, the Vault Manager of this branch.
I've heard a lot of praise about you…
and I have high hopes for you as well.
I hope you'll become our branch's star."
He shook my hand warmly—
a stark contrast to the cold, calculating look in his eyes.
"I hope I live up to your expectations."
I replied with matching enthusiasm—
Though it wasn't how I truly felt.
'Expectations, my foot…
I'll learn how to survive on my own, then say goodbye to this organization and all its dangers!'
He smiled at my artificially enthusiastic response,
then picked up the blue container and headed toward a door clearly labeled:
[Vault]
But before leaving, he turned back to Team Gamma and said:
"Oh, I almost forgot…
I heard the administration assigned another new member to your team."
"And…"
"Expect your reward."
He waved casually and disappeared behind the door.
I glanced at Suleiman.
His shoulder was still in a sling, his neck wrapped in bandages—
yet he was staring at the door Rashid entered with a pale, stunned expression.
I didn't understand his reaction.
It couldn't be because of the reward…
'Then it must be because of the new member?'
But why would adding someone new be that shocking?
Wouldn't it make things easier… having another hand to help?
Unlike him—
I felt a bit relieved.
At least I wouldn't be the only new member anymore.
"Hey!"
A nudge hit my shoulder.
When I turned—
It was a guy I had never seen before.
At first glance, he looked intimidating.
Tall—overwhelmingly so—with a heavily built body.
His biceps alone looked like they could snap my neck without effort.
Wheat-colored skin, sharp features—
He looked like a bodybuilder.
But the bright, cheerful smile on his face
gave him an oddly friendly aura.
Just by looking at his muscles,
I could already guess what his ability was.
"I'm Basel Al-Mayez!"
"Mm… I'm Mariam."
I introduced myself, slightly hesitant.
"Al-Mayez…?"
I felt like I had heard that name somewhere before.
"Are you related to the journalist Sarah Al-Mayez?"
"Yes! She's my sister!"
"Speaking of your sister…" Lina chimed in,
"why not invite her to join us?"
"It's strange she has such perception.
Don't you think she might have some kind of ability?"
"No… she's just very smart and hardworking."
"There he goes bragging about his sister again…"
Then she turned to me.
"Since I'm more experienced than you,
you can ask me anything. I'll be at your service!"
"Alright… thanks."
"Hey, Big Pablo, why are you still here?"
"Ah… I just wanted to greet the new member, then I'll leave!"
He answered Lina, then looked back at me.
"I heard what you did!
You were like a superhero straight out of a story!
I'm looking forward to working with you, partner!"
He was full of energy—
Like a kid excited for his first day of school.
Suleiman rubbed his face with his good hand.
"Mariam… I think you've already glimpsed your ability.
I don't know why, but it was very similar to Madam Mayada's ability…"
"…Seawater."
There was a hint of nostalgia in his voice—
unlike his usual cold tone.
"Speaking of Madam Mayada…
what exactly is your connection to my family?
Don't tell me you… tampered with their memories too,
just like you did with the apartment fire victims?"
"No, we didn't."
"Didn't do what, exactly?"
"We didn't do anything like memory manipulation."
"Then how did you convince the residents of apartment nine
that the specter was just a gas explosion?"
"It was a gas explosion.
Didn't you hear it?"
"I did—but the specter—"
"They can't see it."
"…" 'Damn it… I forgot again.'
"What about the name 'Salim'?"
"Another identity. My real name is Salim.
I just don't like it."
He shrugged with his uninjured shoulder.
"As for Madam Mayada…
you need to see this to understand everything."
He took out his phone, tapped a few times, then handed it to me.
It was a photo.
I recognized two people in it—
Younger than they are now.
Lina… smiling widely, her face unscarred.
And a man in a black suit—his expression bitter, yet somehow more at ease,
his hair messy.
Between them stood a woman.
Her radiant smile scattered their seriousness.
Her long black hair flowed down—
like shining strands of silk…
so dark it seemed to absorb the surrounding light.
Something about her stirred a memory in me—
Something I had tried to forget.
"This… is Madam Mayada."
"Our team's former leader."
"!"