'What's the connection…?'
The journalist's fork hovered in front of her mouth before the noodles slipped back into the bowl—except for a single strand that she kept staring at.
"Who? Why? What's the goal?"
Too many questions… and no clear answers.
She tapped the screen, which had dimmed on its own once again.
Victim (A/'E)
He set himself on fire inside his apartment in the Blue Tower, located in Al-Amal district, on December 25th, 1992.
The motive behind the suicide was depression after being fired from his job, while also taking care of a sick mother, in addition to his wife and children. Close acquaintances reported conflicts between the couple that eventually led to separation.
The mother insists that her son (A/'E) would never do such a thing.
However, forensic reports and the motive settled the matter.
Thus, the testimony of the sick mother was considered weak and was dismissed.
'(A/'E)…'
'I should contact him, then.'
She searched her phone until she found a number labeled [The Informant].
As a well-established journalist, and contrary to expectations, Sarah didn't rely on influence…
She relied on connections.
Real ones.
"Hello! Listen, I need a favor.
Yeah—already heard the news? That fast?
No, no… don't worry, nothing will come back to you.
You think so too?
…
Good. Listen—I need information about the Blue Tower suicide case, December 25th, 1992.
I want the victim's name, the family's address—any address will do.
Yeah.
Alright… I'll wait for your call.
…That's none of your business. I'll handle it."
She hung up.
'Now… I wait.'
She grabbed another forkful and stuffed it into her mouth before it could fall again—
Her eyes never leaving the screen.
----
"Why did you stop your follow-ups, Miss Maryam?"
The informant doctor spoke with a slick smile.
"Do you think you're funny?"
"Maybe."
He shrugged and gestured toward the chair.
"Have a seat."
I sat down, glaring at him with irritation.
"Don't expect me to tell you anything about myself ever again."
"I'm sorry… but what happened was necessary."
"Necessary? Which part exactly?
Making me look insane in front of everyone?
Giving me drugs that erase my mind?
Or leaking my personal data—my family's and friends'?"
I slammed the armrest hard.
He sighed, adjusted his glasses, then rubbed his eyes.
"Where should I even begin…?"
He looked genuinely unsure.
"As for the hallucinations…
We can't distinguish between pathological hallucinations and those who truly perceive specters.
So, in the first stage, we rely on treatment."
He put his glasses back on.
"If they disappear… they were hallucinations.
If they remain… they're specters."
The drugs that turned me into a walking corpse…
The ones that erased awareness before the hallucinations…
But they did work at first, didn't they?
I was about to ask—
But he spoke first.
"There is, however, an exception.
Some people take the medication, and while their awareness appears suppressed… their energy remains unstable—and worsens. Do you understand?"
"No!"
"I'm telling you—the medication worked at first. What happened when you stopped taking it?"
My expression darkened.
'The faceless creature… the man in the pharmacy… the message in the rain… the burning specter… and of course… the black sphere.'
He studied my face.
"I can tell from your expression… did you go back to taking the medication after stopping?"
"Yes."
"Any change?"
"No. It did nothing… so I stopped completely after I got involved with the organization."
"We tried to confirm whether you belonged to the first category—pathological hallucinations.
So we brought in one of our specialists… and they confirmed you're the other type."
"When did that happen?"
That… never happened.
Or did it?
A chill crept in.
Was there a gap in my memory?
If there was… what else could I trust?
"Madam Randa. Remember her?"
"That fraud?!"
"I wouldn't call her that… but fine. That's the situation."
"She has an ability too?"
"Yes."
He nodded.
"Then why didn't you do that from the start?"
"As you know… the price."
I remembered her state…
Her head swaying left and right like a pendulum…
And when her eyes landed on me, she clawed at her skin until it peeled.
"Does she see death? Or the future? She said I'd be next after that man… you know who I mean."
"Yes, I know. And no—she doesn't see the future. Or death.
It's… complicated, even for us.
We don't know exactly what she sees. Not specters.
She talks about 'the source'… 'the origin'… but we can't verify it."
"That sounds completely unreliable."
"That's why we were hesitant to use her."
He nodded in agreement.
"You didn't answer me… why did she say I'd die next?"
"I apologize. She has… a rather dramatic way of expressing things."
'Dramatic?'
"But that still doesn't justify leaking my information and dragging my family into this!"
He lowered his head, then looked at me over his glasses.
And said something that nearly stopped my heart.
"Do you really think your family is separate from this?
Didn't you see what happened to the residents of the Blue Tower?"
The words died in my throat.
I remembered…
The smoke… still choking my lungs.
Those hollow eyes…
And the victims who died without ever knowing why.
"Unfortunately… once someone steps into this world—willingly or not…
there's no going back.
They themselves become a danger to ordinary people."
A shiver crawled through me.
'When he says danger… does he mean me…?'
I wanted to argue.
I would never hurt them.
My mother… my father… my brother…
And now… someone new.
I would never hurt any of them.
But…
He was right.
The world was no longer what I once knew.
And I…
I wasn't the same anymore either.
"I don't even know which version of me is real anymore…"
"Why is this organization secret? Wouldn't it be easier if everyone knew the truth?"
He let out a dry laugh.
"Do you think people would live normally… if they knew there are unseen entities that could kill them at any moment?
Or that others possess supernatural abilities… while they don't?"
'Once again… he was right.'
"Miss, my job was to determine whether your visions were hallucinations… or real… or something else entirely."
He extended his hand.
"But now… that it's confirmed…"
"Give me the file."
I handed it over.
He pulled out a pen and began filling it out, line by line.
'How is he doing this…?'
I swore I wouldn't tell him anything else.
Wouldn't trust him again.
And yet…
He had pulled every word out of me.
I had even agreed with him.
'I need to get out of here… before he asks anything else.'
"Where are you going, Miss?"
"I'm leaving. Isn't this over?"
He scratched his cheek, smiling faintly.
"There's one last step."
"I need a sample of your blood."
"…What?"
"The contract isn't complete without blood.
Didn't your team tell you?"
"Wait a second…"
"Was Lina serious when she said our contract is blood?"
"Heh… that's exactly how it works."
'Damn it… this organization is seriously suspicious!'
"Can I… change my mind?"
He chuckled softly.
"You're too late."
Before I could react—
A sharp sting pierced my arm.
I looked at him in shock—
As he calmly withdrew the needle.
"Welcome… officially."