It was a scream that came straight from the soul.
The moment Claude felt the touch on his shoulders, his entire expression changed drastically as he turned back, his eyes widening with alarm.
"Who?!"
He immediately drove his fist in the direction of where he felt the touch, but the only thing his fist met was the empty space behind him.
"Haa... Haa..."
Claude looked around, his expression tightening.
He didn't even realize his own breathing was rough as his chest heaved up and down unevenly, the soft hum of the lights echoing within the otherwise quiet space.
Then he noticed them.
The children. The entire classroom was filled with them, every single one of them looking in his direction.
Their bodies remained seated normally behind their desks, hands resting over their books, but their heads had all turned in his direction. Empty eyes followed him from every corner of the classroom.
Claude's breathing slowed.
"What...?"
Nobody answered.
A child near the front blinked.
The small movement irritated him more than it should have.
Claude's fingers twitched as he stared back at them, waiting for one of them to speak or move, but they simply continued watching him.
"What are you looking at?"
His voice echoed throughout the classroom.
Still, none of them reacted.
Claude felt something inside his chest tighten.
"I asked you a question."
The lights continued humming overhead.
Bzzzz...
Claude's head snapped upward.
"Shut up."
The sound continued.
Bzzzz...
His expression twisted before his gaze returned towards the children.
One of them released a faint breath through its nose.
Claude heard it.
Somehow, he heard everything.
The humming lights.
The scraping of someone's shoe against the floor.
The faint tapping of a finger against wood.
Even the faint dripping of blood somewhere behind him sounded loud enough to hammer directly against his skull.
Drip.
Claude's jaw tightened.
Drip.
He slowly turned towards the sound, only to find nothing except blood gathering beneath one of the desks.
His eyes twitched.
"Stop."
Another drop fell.
Drip.
"I said stop!"
Claude kicked the nearest desk aside, sending it crashing against the wall before immediately turning back towards the children.
They were still staring.
Something about that made his anger surge far more violently than before.
"Hehehe."
Then he heard it.
The same soft laugh as before.
His eyes widened, anger surging through every part of him.
"Who the fuck was that?!"
He looked around, only to be met with the same stares as before.
He spread his arms.
"What the fuck are you all looking at?!"
Nobody answered.
Claude's breathing grew heavier as he stepped towards the nearest row, his blood-covered hand clenching into a fist.
"You think this is funny?"
The child closest to him continued staring.
Claude stopped beside its desk.
"Answer me!"
He still received no response.
His expression slowly twisted as [Reinforcement] tightened around his hand.
"Fine."
Claude reached forward.
The child didn't move even as his fingers wrapped around the front of its uniform. He pulled it halfway from the chair before suddenly stopping.
'Wait. Wait...'
Something was wrong.
Not with the child in his hand.
With the room.
Claude slowly looked around.
Every child was still watching him.
Every single one.
Except... one.
Near the back of the classroom, a small figure sat with its head turned towards the chalkboard.
Claude's grip loosened.
The child in front of him dropped back into his chair, but Claude barely paid him any more attention, as his attention remained fixed on the only person refusing to look at him.
"...Was it you?"
He stepped away from the desk.
The child near the back didn't move, the back of his head facing Claude's direction.
"Why aren't you looking?"
The child didn't move.
Claude's footsteps grew heavier as he crossed the classroom, passing between rows of children whose heads slowly followed him.
"You. I'm talking to you."
The child continued to look away despite Claude's sudden appearance.
Claude's expression darkened.
"Look at me!"
Claude shouted, his voice thundering across the entire room.
"Everyone else is looking."
He stopped directly behind the child.
"So why aren't you? Hey!"
Claude reached forward and grabbed the child's shoulder, the body feeling strangely light as he turned it around to face him.
"Look at—!!"
Claude's voice disappeared in an instant as his eyes shot wide open.
The face staring back at him was a face he was all too familiar with as he felt the very breath leave his body.
"Y-you... T-that's..."
That face...
There was no mistaking that face.
From the eyes to the faint smile that curled at the corner of his lips.
Claude's entire body went stiff as his head turned slowly, moving towards the headless figure at the front of the classroom.
Claude's body stiffened further as a pair of eyes stared at him from the front, shivers running down his entire body.
The head...
It was facing him, alongside the numerous children.
Then⎯
"Boo~"
"AHHH⎯!"
Another scream ripped from Claude's lips as he stumbled backwards, Seth's face remaining fixed in his vision.
BANG!
Falling to the ground, he clawed his way back, trying desperately to put as much distance between himself and the head as possible. But it was also at that moment that the children moved, each one of them slowly turning to look at him.
But it was just that...
...Their faces had changed.
They all looked like Seth, and it was the sight that made Claude's vision darken as another scream ripped from his lips before he collapsed onto the floor.
"..."
A tense silence followed right after that, the silence stretching across the surroundings.
Until⎯
Clap! Clap! Clap!
A series of applause shattered the silence, Seth walking into the room whilst looking at the children around him.
They all started clapping as well.
Clap! Clap!
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Seth bowed to the children, each of whom wore the same face as him.
"...It was my pleasure."
He bowed again, and again.
He only stopped when Claude's body started to twitch.
At once, everyone stopped clapping.
Seth coughed awkwardly as he looked around, moving towards Claude and helping him up, setting him down in the nearest seat. Taking another chair, Seth moved to the opposite seat and crossed his legs.
Well, then...
He looked around, his lips pulling into another smile.
'There's one more rat that I need to catch~'
***
⎯How is the situation?
Secretary Kim listened in silence as the Section Chief spoke through the phone, his gaze fixed on the live feed displayed across the dashboard.
The Gate filled almost the entire screen.
"We're currently handling it, Section Chief."
⎯What is the current estimate?
"It's in the... upper B-Ranks."
Secretary Kim replied after taking a moment of hesitation.
"But the readings are still climbing. If the expansion continues at the current pace, it'll be approaching A-Rank classification soon."
A brief silence followed from the other side.
Johansberg exhaled.
⎯I can't leave headquarters right now. There are several other things that I need to take care of. I hope that you take care of the situation and you ensure that nothing happens to the Clean Up Crew. This should be within their means.
Secretary Kim glanced towards the papers spread across the passenger seat beside him.
Several preliminary reports had already arrived, along with screenshots from local news outlets and hastily published articles reporting an unidentified Gate appearing over Valmere.
The incident was spreading quickly.
"Then what do you want me to do?"
⎯Find out what Kyle and Zoey know.
Secretary Kim's eyes narrowed.
"They've already reported what they found."
⎯I don't believe they've reported everything. They're not telling the truth regarding the matter. Especially their reasoning behind the investigation. Something is not adding up. Make sure you dig through everything.
Johansberg's voice remained calm.
⎯Especially Kyle. I want you to dig well.
Secretary Kim looked back towards the Gate feed.
"What are you suspecting?"
There was a small pause.
Then—
⎯I believe that this gate is somehow connected to Seth.
Secretary Kim's expression changed slightly.
"Right, but he should be in Malovia. Still, it is indeed suspicious that Kyle and Zoey both came here after contact and sight have been lost with him."
⎯Exactly.
Johansberg's voice became quieter.
⎯A massive Gate suddenly appeared around the exact location Kyle and Zoey were investigating, immediately after they requested old records connected to VILE-303. Seth is missing, Claude's team entered the school, and now we've lost contact with everyone inside.
The implications were obvious.
Secretary Kim adjusted his glasses.
"You think Seth is involved?"
⎯In some way. At least, I know that this situation arose because of what they were looking into. Find everything that you can.
"Understood."
The call ended shortly afterward.
By the time Secretary Kim reached Valmere, several more vehicles were already parked along the road leading towards the northern district.
Guild personnel moved between temporary barriers while monitoring equipment had been positioned outside the Gate's boundary.
Farther back, news vans had started appearing.
Reporters stood behind the restricted line while photographers aimed their cameras towards the enormous dome covering the abandoned district.
Secretary Kim stepped out of the car.
Two more black vehicles stopped behind him.
His attention immediately moved towards Kyle and Zoey.
The pair stood several meters away from the equipment, both watching the Gate.
Kyle looked unusually calm.
...The Secretary didn't miss it.
The Secretary approached them while one of the technicians called out from behind.
"Reading just changed!"
Several people turned.
The technician stared at the monitor before continuing.
"Still B-Rank, but it's rising again. If this keeps up, it'll cross into the A-Rank threshold."
Murmurs spread amongst the nearby personnel.
Secretary Kim ignored them.
His gaze remained on Kyle.
"Kyle."
Kyle turned.
Their eyes met.
Secretary Kim studied his expression for several seconds before glancing towards Zoey.
Then back towards the Gate.
"Where is Seth?"
"Seth?"
Kyle raised his brow in surprise.
"Seth? Why would Seth be involved in this? He's in Malovia."
The Secretary's eyes narrowed. He was just about to say something when he received a sudden text, and his lips curled up.
At the same time, several cars stopped at once, and figures began rushing into the Gate.
"Go! Go! Go!"
Kyle didn't even have the time to process what was happening before three groups already entered the Gate at once.
"Wait, wait..."
By the time he figured out what had happened, the Secretary was already smiling.
"...Since there's no involvement in Seth's case, I hope that this entire mess hasn't been caused by him."
He paused, giving Kyle a meaningful look.
"It would be pretty bad if it was."
-x-X-x-
"Why are you suddenly sending more people inside?"
Kyle watched the men approaching the boundary before turning towards Secretary Kim.
They had arrived with the latest vehicles and barely spoken to anyone before collecting their equipment, which made the way the Secretary was calmly checking his phone even more irritating.
This was out of order!
"There are procedures that we need to follow. This isn't some⎯"
"We're not that dumb, Kyle. These are scouts, and not the main squad."
The Secretary put his phone away and looked towards the Gate. Beyond the temporary barriers, several reporters were trying to get closer while Guild personnel repeatedly directed them back towards their vehicles.
"There's no need to get worked up. They're the second batch of scouts, and their instructions are to establish what happened to the first."
A first batch was sent before the Secretary arrived. They mainly comprised death row inmates.
"We're sending another, more elite batch to make sure it's all good inside."
"That's supposed to reassure me?"
"They're professionals. We aren't sending in the usual death row inmates with a camera and hoping something useful comes back."
Kyle's eyes moved towards the men again. One was checking a device against the readings on a nearby monitor while another inspected the equipment secured around his wrist. Unlike Claude's team, none of them seemed particularly interested in making conversation.
"They know their place."
The Secretary gave Kyle a meaningful look.
"The actual rescue squad is already being assembled. By the time they arrive, we should have a better understanding of what they're entering."
"And what happens if these people don't return?"
"Then we'll just send you in."
The Secretary's answer came without hesitation, and Kyle found himself looking back at the Gate. His teeth clenched at the sight before him.
'Why are you still not out yet? Stop playing around, damn it...'
A few minutes ago, he had been pleased with the development.
Now, watching more people prepare to enter, as well as all the reporters, he wasn't entirely sure how pleased he should be.
'...Damn it. I can just tell...'
No doubt about it...
That twisted fuck was trying to break them.
He still couldn't feel Seth properly. Still, he could tell that he was still fine.
The Secretary followed his gaze before looking at him again.
"You seem unusually concerned about a scouting operation."
"I'm concerned about the situation. This is a pretty high-ranking gate."
"Then you'll appreciate why we need more information before committing anyone else."
Kyle pressed his lips together.
Every answer was reasonable enough that arguing would only make his own position look stranger, especially when he couldn't explain why he wanted everyone to wait.
The first scout stepped through the boundary.
His outline blurred before disappearing, and the others followed after checking the device in the technician's hands.
The Secretary stayed beside the equipment, watching the readings while Kyle took a slow breath.
Zoey had been quiet throughout the exchange.
When he turned towards her, she was looking directly at him, her attention briefly lowering towards the pocket where he'd put his phone. Her lips parted as though she was about to ask something, but she eventually closed them.
A complicated expression crossed her face before she looked back towards the Gate.
Kyle looked away a moment after.
***
I watched the new group appear on one of the smaller feeds and slowly shook my head.
"...More guests."
They didn't immediately start moving.
The man at the front raised his hand while the others checked behind them, making sure there were no traps or any sort of anomalies that would ambush them.
Considerably more careful than the last group.
'Well, you're in luck. I don't have any more SP to use.'
The teachers had also been killed.
Fun was over.
I shifted closer to the monitor and enlarged the feed, watching as one of them compared the corridor against a photograph. Another remained near the entrance with his attention divided between the room ahead and the passage behind them.
"You're making this difficult. I haven't even finished cleaning up after the last ones."
Thankfully, I had already dealt with anything that would've caused an immediate problem. The blood was gone, the broken furniture had been replaced, and there wasn't a severed head waiting to greet them when they looked into the classroom.
I turned slightly and checked the row of gaming pods behind my chair.
Claude lay inside the nearest one with his head turned to the side. His breathing was steady, although the crease between his brows hadn't disappeared. The others were in much the same condition, completely unconscious despite how tightly some of their hands remained clenched.
Naturally, I didn't kill them.
Scaring the Guild's prized recruits was one thing. Explaining why six of them had died inside a Gate shortly before I conveniently walked out was an entirely different problem.
I didn't like them, but I wasn't one to kill meaninglessly.
That was no fun.
I wanted them to be alive and suffer every time they saw me.
Much funner.
Yup~ Yup~
"Hoo."
No, you're better than this, Seth.
I took another deep breath.
"I'm a changed man."
The lunatic me was gone. No, I was still a lunatic.
But a peaceful lunatic.
A non-killer lunatic.
A...
"Stuck lunatic."
Right, I was still stuck.
"...Really, you should thank me."
I looked at Claude while his fingers tightened faintly against the padding.
"Most people would've charged you for that sort of experience."
He didn't answer, which was probably for the best. I wasn't particularly interested in hearing his opinion just yet.
My attention returned to the monitors as the scouts reached the first classroom.
The man at the front stopped beside the window rather than immediately opening the door. He angled his light across the glass, shifted to avoid the reflection, and waited until another member had checked the corridor before trying the handle.
There was a small pause when it turned.
All four of them watched the opening, but nothing came through it. After several seconds, the leader pushed the door wider and moved far enough aside for the man behind him to look inside.
⎯It's empty. Same arrangement as the photographs.
I rested my cheek against my hand.
It was rather interesting to see how these scouts operated.
The desks in the classroom stood in their usual rows, with exercise books open beneath the classroom lights. The scouts examined them without disturbing the furniture, and one crouched to look beneath a chair while another remained at the doorway.
They were taking their time.
That would've annoyed me under normal circumstances, but I was having quite a bit of fun watching them.
One of the men stopped beside the podium.
He lowered his light towards the wood and ran his finger along its edge, checking the underside before looking at the floor beneath it.
My gaze briefly moved towards Claude.
He probably wouldn't appreciate how little evidence remained of what he had gone through.
'Spent a few SP for it, but worth it.'
That was also why I was so poor.
⎯I don't detect any vital signs. There's no one here.
"The first team may have been moved elsewhere. Keep checking."
They continued through the room, the faint sound of their footsteps reaching me through the speakers. Whenever a floorboard creaked, somebody paused to identify where the sound had come from before moving again.
I left the volume alone.
There was no reason to send a teacher after them, and having something laugh beneath a desk would probably make them retreat before I got what I needed.
Besides, I wasn't the only one watching them.
My eyes moved between the feeds, checking the doorway, the empty gaps beside the desks, and the patches of window where the men's reflections appeared whenever their lights passed over the glass.
For a while, nothing stood out.
The man near the podium photographed the register. Another checked Desk 27, following the carved number with his light before looking towards the empty chair behind it.
The guard at the doorway watched them both without speaking.
I straightened slightly, my hand leaving my cheek.
"...Hm?"
I replayed the last few seconds on a smaller window without taking my attention off the live feed.
"One, two, three, four..."
I paused as my lips slowly pulled into a smile.
"Five."
There was an extra person in the room.
"Gotcha!"
-x-X-x-
"Haha."
A soft chuckle escaped my lips as I moved the recording back and watched the group that had entered the classroom.
'There are supposed to be four, but now there are five.'
I didn't even know when the fifth had arrived. All of a sudden... he was just there.
It never clocked in until I counted them.
'Good thing I was prepared.'
I would've missed it otherwise.
My eyes narrowed slightly as I looked around. The fifth scout stood near the cupboard, holding his flashlight over a stack of exercise books. His uniform looked the same as the others', and he moved aside when one of them approached, allowing the scout to check the shelves beneath him.
Neither seemed particularly bothered by the other.
I clicked my tongue.
"...You could at least introduce yourself."
I enlarged the feed without changing the angle.
There was nothing visibly wrong with his face, although that meant nothing. He could take on any appearance, and nobody would notice.
Even his movements looked natural as he closed an exercise book and returned it to the same place.
The scout beside him glanced towards his hands before continuing the search.
'You can't tell there's an extra person, am I right?'
I was quite intrigued by this.
Thinking about it, I also had trouble with this anomaly in this regard. It had some sort of ability that made one never notice their presence. And even if they did, they'd treat it as if it had been part of the group the entire time.
'Illusionist Decree?'
My eyes returned to the recording as I tried to replay the entire situation, but finding the exact moment wasn't as easy as I'd hoped.
Their lights kept passing across the windows, and several times one of the scouts blocked my view of another. The fifth figure was simply there by the time everyone settled into their positions.
"Hm. That's annoying."
I stopped the replay before I lost track of what was happening now.
Knowing when he appeared wasn't going to help much if he disappeared while I was busy looking for it.
And...
'Where is he? Hmm... Right, here.'
I was already starting to lose him. Just a small distraction was enough to make me forget.
Interesting.
On the larger screen, he moved towards the podium and looked at the register. He didn't take a photograph or turn the pages, merely studying what was already open before glancing towards the back of the classroom.
Towards Seat 27.
My fingers stopped against the mouse.
'...So you were paying attention.'
Back when I was in the classroom. He had been there.
Watching.
I glanced towards the other scouts as one passed close enough to brush against the other's shoulder.
Neither reacted, but I found myself watching both of them afterward.
Ho?
"...Can you move between people?"
I didn't know whether that was possible, let alone how long it could stay inside someone. I paid close attention to both, and when I saw the other scout's head twitch from time to time, I found myself smiling.
"So it can take over other scouts."
I looked at the room once more.
The fifth person was now gone.
There were only four of them now.
"Haha."
Before I knew it, I found myself laughing as the hair at the back of my neck rose.
"So that's what your true ability is like."
The fifth person was only there to infiltrate. But in reality, it was only a diversion so that it could take over the body of the scout.
I hadn't gone through the trouble of keeping the Gate open for nothing. If I wanted to, I could've probably left by now.
From the start...
This was my goal.
I wanted to catch this troublesome rat.
⎯We'll continue down this side. Check the next room.
One of the scouts' voices echoed from the speaker.
The 'anomaly' moved with them, falling into place without anyone noticing a single thing. He acted and talked like their colleague without showing any strange signs. I'd have been fooled had I not been paying close attention.
My gaze followed him through the feeds.
It was probably searching for me.
With the creation of the Gate, it had lost track of me.
I still didn't know why it was waiting so long to act, but I wasn't planning on finding out.
"...I guess our roles are starting to swap."
It was my turn to spy on it.
The thought made my lips pull slightly, although I wasn't stupid enough to assume that things were over.
I opened the layout in the developer system beside the feeds and selected a classroom farther along their route.
There wasn't enough SP left to start buying anything new. I had already spent most of my SP, but that wasn't what I needed at the moment.
The layout of the Gate was still before me, and I could alter that as I wished.
This was the perk of the Developer System.
My fingers moved across the keyboard while the scouts checked another room.
One stayed outside while the others searched, keeping the entrance visible throughout. The extra man waited near him, his attention moving between the window and the corridor without lingering anywhere long enough to look suspicious.
I left them alone.
There was no need for me to add any sort of horror sequence. I was already done with scaring people.
⎯This room is clear.
⎯This room is also clear. There's no sign of the previous scouts or the Clean Up Crew.
⎯We're heading deeper.
For several minutes, the only sounds coming through the speakers were their reports and the occasional creak of a floorboard. I waited with one finger above the keyboard, watching the distance between them and the 'anomaly'.
Whenever he stopped, someone else moved alongside him.
"...Would you mind giving me a little room?"
They obviously couldn't hear me, but complaining helped while I waited for them to reach the next classroom.
The leader stopped from time to time to scout each room. The 'anomaly' continued several paces behind, bringing his flashlight towards the next classroom window.
⎯Check inside. We'll cover the corridor.
At the leader's orders, the anomaly reached for the handle while the nearest scout moved to the next classroom.
"Ha."
The anomaly opened the door slowly, looking past the frame before entering the room.
Tak!
I didn't wait a second more.
I pressed the key on my keyboard the moment he moved past the door, duplicating the room and separating it from the main branch of the Gate.
⎯Huh?
⎯...Where did he go?
The leader's voice entered my ears through the speakers, noticing the sudden disappearance of their team member.
⎯What?
⎯He went in right ahead of me.
They checked the room from the doorway before entering together, their lights passing over the desks and the space behind the door. One moved towards the cupboard while another kept looking back into the corridor.
I watched a scout cross the same patch of floor where the anomaly stood in the other feed.
They weren't seeing the same room anymore.
The leader raised his hand before anyone could continue farther.
⎯Stay together. Nobody goes through another door.
"...Good idea."
I moved their feed aside and enlarged the classroom containing the anomaly.
He had stopped near the second row, apparently waiting for the others to enter. His flashlight remained pointed towards an open book while his head turned slightly towards the doorway.
⎯It's clear.
Nobody answered.
"Oh, it is."
Tak!
I pressed one of the keys on my keyboard.
CLANK!
The door to the room smacked closed. The anomaly blinked slowly before moving to the door as he pulled the handle, trying several times before looking towards the window beside it.
The glass showed an empty corridor.
For several seconds, he stayed there with his hand against the door. He didn't call for the others again, and when he finally turned around, the small, ordinary movements I'd been watching had stopped.
His flashlight lowered towards the floor.
I leaned closer as his eyes moved across the classroom, passing over the desks without checking beneath them. Then his chin slowly lifted towards the corner from which I was watching.
His gaze settled directly against mine through the monitor.
I kept my hands on the keyboard while my lips curled.
"Stuck..."
I laughed.
"...That is what you are."
-x-X-x-
⎯Still nothing from Claude's team?
Secretary Kim moved the phone against his ear while looking over the technician's shoulder. Several camera feeds filled the monitor, showing different areas around the Gate.
"There's been no direct contact. The scouts are still searching for them."
The Secretary replied over the phone, the Section Chief's voice following right after.
⎯And their condition?
"All four are showing normal vital signs. There haven't been any sudden changes since they entered."
⎯That's good.
The Secretary used the opportunity to check the display beside the camera feeds. The numbers had risen again, prompting the technician to compare them against the previous readings.
"The Gate's output is still increasing."
The technician mumbled, his brows creasing slowly as he went through the numbers displayed on the monitor.
"The current estimate remains B-Rank, but it's getting closer to A. The BUA might take over soon."
Overhearing the technician, the Section Chief's tone lowered.
⎯Let me know when there's confirmation. Until then, don't give the reporters another reason to panic. I'm going to reassure the BUA that we've got the situation under control.
Kim glanced towards the barriers, where two reporters were arguing with a Guild member about how far back they needed to stand.
More vehicles had arrived while he'd been on the phone, and several cameras were already broadcasting the scene.
"That might be difficult."
⎯Then give them something useful instead. The rescue team should be arriving shortly. Have them bring Claude and the others out before the situation starts to get out of control.
"What about the other Guilds?"
⎯Don't worry about them. We'll get this sorted before they can cause any trouble.
"I understand."
⎯Get this done quickly.
The call ended shortly afterward, leaving the Secretary staring at the display for another moment before putting his phone away.
A black car approached from the southern road, slowing as it reached the vehicles parked near the barriers. Kim recognized the department insignia before the doors opened, and his shoulders relaxed slightly as four people stepped out.
The Hoarding Department had more elite members than any other department in the Guild. Even after sending Claude's team, Johansberg still had people capable of handling something like this.
At the front was Damien Kross, the squad's captain, a tall man with dark hair and the relaxed expression of someone who rarely seemed concerned by what was waiting for him. Beside him walked Irene Stahl, one of the department's senior field agents, her attention already moving across the Gate and monitoring equipment.
Apparently, the reporters recognized them too.
"Are you the rescue squad?"
Damien turned towards the question while adjusting the cuff of his sleeve.
He had barely moved away from the car before another microphone appeared beside the first.
His expression didn't change much as he replied.
"We're here to assess the situation and assist the people already inside. This isn't a rescue mission, and nobody is missing."
"Is that so? But from what we've gathered, you've lost contact with them."
"And? This is normal."
Damien smiled faintly as the reporter tried asking another question.
"Claude knows what he's doing. I'm sure he's already found something useful by now."
"Then why has another team been sent?"
Irene looked towards the enormous Gate before answering.
"This is standard protocol. We don't just send one team to handle everything. Scouts and inspection squads are always sent to aid the inner teams."
Several cameras immediately turned towards her.
She didn't seem bothered, her attention briefly passing over the monitoring equipment before settling on Kyle and Zoey.
"The Guild has people suited to different tasks. Once a situation reaches this level, it's better to leave it to those equipped to deal with it."
Kyle's brow furrowed.
Although she didn't make it obvious, it was clear that her words were meant to target him.
A reporter noticed where Irene was looking.
"Are you saying the investigation was mishandled?"
"I'm saying we're here now."
"...That's enough."
The Secretary caught Damien by the sleeve before he could add anything and guided him towards the equipment. The others followed, leaving several unfinished questions behind them as Guild personnel moved to keep the reporters from coming closer.
"You can speak to them afterward."
The Secretary added, pushing the team away from the reporters.
"Preferably once this entire situation is handled."
Damien's smile remained, his attention shifting towards the monitor.
"Then tell us what we need to know."
Kim brought up the latest report and pointed towards the camera feeds.
"The second scouting group entered through this section. Their vital signs are stable, but they haven't located Claude's team or the first batch of scouts. The interior resembles the original school, although we can't rely on the old floor plans."
"Do we have a confirmed route back out?"
"Only as far as they've checked."
Damien leaned forward and followed the marked route across the screen. Behind him, the other members began checking their equipment, their earlier conversation stopping as Kim went through the reports.
Kyle watched them for a while before looking away.
They weren't incapable. That was what made dealing with the Hoarding Department so irritating. Any member of the Hoarding Department could work in any other department and become their star recruit.
They weren't as smart, but they could easily brute force their way out of many situations.
"You're going to burn holes in their backs at this rate."
Zoey nudged Kyle's back, prompting him to look away.
"I'm thinking."
"About what?"
"...Well, the entire situation."
He looked towards the Gate again, trying to feel anything from Seth.
His connection was still thin, but that wasn't what bothered him. With each second that passed, he was growing more and more irritated.
'He's having too much fun. Come out, damn it.'
Every second he spent there felt like an eternity for him.
He was so occupied by his thoughts that he didn't notice the expression on Zoey's face as she looked at him. Eventually, her lips parted.
"Did you know?"
"Hm?"
Kyle looked at Zoey, their eyes meeting.
And for just a moment, a strange silence settled between the two.
Until⎯
"Hm?"
"...?"
Both suddenly turned to face the Gate as something pulsed in the air.
The change was slight at first, barely noticeable beneath the distortion already covering the school. Then, another pulse swept out from the direction of the Gate.
"Secretary."
Someone called out for the Secretary, who had long since started paying attention to the Gate.
The new arrivals stopped checking their equipment and moved apart, giving themselves room as the Gate warped again. Damien's expression lost its earlier amusement while Irene raised one hand towards the reporters.
"Stay behind the barriers."
Someone shouted for the cameras to turn, and several reporters began speaking at once.
Kyle barely heard them. The school was becoming visible, its roof gradually emerging through the darkened surface before he could make out the broken upper windows and the trees along the road.
"It's fading!"
The technician leaned over the monitor, his fingers moving rapidly as the readings changed.
"The boundary's losing stability. Output is dropping!"
"What about the scouts?"
The Secretary asked immediately.
"Still normal... All four of them."
Kim stared at the screen before slowly lifting his head, a smile appearing across his face.
"...As expected, they cleared it."
Damien let out a soft breath and lowered his hand.
"I guess we came here for nothing."
"He could've saved us the trip," Irene muttered, watching the school emerge. "At least they're not completely useless."
The Secretary said nothing. He was already reaching for his phone while the reporters pushed closer to the barriers, their voices louder than ever.
"Has the Gate been cleared?"
"Was it the Clean Up crew?"
"Can you confirm the missing personnel is safe?"
The Gate drew back across the road before the Secretary could answer. The main gates of the school reappeared beside the large building that made up the school.
"Look!"
"Oh my god! That's...!"
That was also the moment something came into view for everyone present, and as the Gate shrank further, a figure became visible near the entrance.
"What the..."
The Secretary lowered his phone slightly as he stared at the figure, his expression changing for the worse as he noticed the bodies behind the figure, lying across the ground.
One wore a scout's uniform, his equipment still secured around his chest, while several others wore the familiar insignia of the Hoarding Department.
He instantly recognized them.
Claude lay on his side with one arm folded beneath him, while a little farther away, Rena remained motionless beside the others. Her chest rose faintly beneath her clothes.
Neither was the person standing.
The Secretary's expression changed with each passing second, turning extremely dark.
Beside him, the new squad stood completely still, their attention moving between the unconscious bodies and the man standing before them.
"Seth...?"
Click! Click! Click!
The rapid clicking of cameras flooded the area.
Seth stood alone in front of the others, his hair and clothes rather clean.
He seemed to finally notice how many people were watching.
His gaze moved across the cameras, the Guild vehicles, and the people gathered behind the barriers.
Click! Click! Click!
Then the reporters surged forward.
Guild personnel barely had time to react before microphones appeared from every direction, cameras lifting above shoulders as questions began overlapping one another.
"Seth! What happened inside?"
"Are those members of the Hoarding Department?"
"Did you clear the Gate?"
"What happened to Claude's team?"
"Why were you the only one standing?"
"Are they injured?"
"Did you defeat whatever was inside? We weren't made aware of your presence. Does the appearance of this Gate have anything to do with you!?"
Several reporters pushed against the Guild members trying to hold them back, while others moved around the sides in an attempt to get a clearer view of Seth and the bodies behind him.
"Seth! Over here!"
"Can you tell us what happened?"
"Did the Hoarding Department fail the mission?"
"What exactly happened inside that school?"
For several seconds, Seth simply stared at the swarm of microphones and cameras rapidly closing in around him.
Then he slowly lifted his head towards the open sky, his shoulders easing as a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Stuck..."
His voice drifted quietly, bringing everyone to a momentary silence.
Then⎯
"...That, I no longer am."
-x-X-x-
Click! Click!
The silence lasted just long enough for me to lower my head before the cameras started again. The reporters all looked at me with weird expressions.
"Stuck where? Were you inside the Gate?"
"Seth, did you rescue the people behind you?"
"Can you explain why nobody was informed that you were here?"
I raised one hand and waved, only for several microphones to move closer. Someone nearly stepped on my foot while another reporter leaned around him, trying to get her camera in front of the others.
"...There's no need to push. I'm not going anywhere."
"Then can you tell us what happened?"
"Well, I was—"
"Did you encounter Claude's team inside?"
"Yes, but—"
"Are they seriously injured?"
I looked towards the bodies behind me, where Guild personnel had finally started moving through the crowd. One crouched beside Claude while another brought a stretcher closer, forcing several reporters to move out of the way.
"They're alive. You should probably let those people check them before asking me anything else."
That only seemed to make the questions worse.
"Did you save their lives?"
"Was the rescue squad unable to enter?"
"Does the formation of the Gate have anything to do with your presence?"
My smile tightened as another microphone brushed against my chin. Beyond the reporters, the Secretary was speaking to someone while repeatedly glancing in my direction, his expression becoming less pleasant whenever another camera turned towards me.
'He doesn't seem particularly happy to see me.'
That was unfortunate. I'd gone through quite a bit to make sure his precious recruits came back in one piece.
"Everyone, please move back. The medical team needs room."
The Secretary's voice carried through the crowd, but barely anyone listened until he started directing Guild personnel between the cameras. I used the small gap to look around and spotted Kyle standing near one of the vehicles.
He was staring at me with an expression that suggested he wasn't particularly happy either.
"...Quite the welcome."
"What was that?"
I turned towards the reporter beside me, then slowly raised my hand again.
This time, I kept it there until the nearest people stopped speaking. The questions gradually faded as the others noticed, although the cameras continued clicking while I looked from one expectant face to another.
"You all seem very interested in where I was."
A woman nodded immediately.
"Naturally. You were the only person still standing when the Gate disappeared."
"I was stuck."
"We understand that, but—"
"No, I don't think you do."
I shook my head and rested one hand against my chest.
"When a man spends several days staring at a door that won't open, he starts thinking about things. Important things. Like whether the door is the problem, or whether he's the problem for continuing to expect it to open."
The woman slowly lowered her microphone before remembering herself and raising it again.
"...What conclusion did you reach?"
"The door was the problem."
A few people exchanged glances, but I continued before they could interrupt.
"I was very reasonable about it. I waited, tried the handle, waited some more, and eventually threw a chair. Normally, that's where I realized that the door was a very durable door. So I tried speaking to it."
"You tried speaking to the door?"
"It wasn't particularly receptive."
I glanced towards the school while someone behind the reporter coughed.
"But that's behind me now. I've decided not to hold a grudge against doors. You can't spend your entire life resenting something just because it kept you locked inside a room."
"So you've overcome what happened?"
"I wouldn't go that far. I'm still a little traumatised by the experience. Doors..."
I sighed.
"What despicable invention."
Nobody seemed to know what to ask after that.
The Secretary had stopped speaking. Beside him, a tall man with dark hair watched me with his brows drawn together, while the woman accompanying him looked between me and the unconscious people being carried towards the stretchers.
I gave them a small nod before returning my attention to the reporters.
"The important thing is that I'm no longer stuck. Or at least, I wasn't until all of you stood in front of me."
Several people looked down at the narrow space they'd left around my legs.
"Now, please excuse me. I'd like to leave before I develop another problem."
I stepped through the gap before anyone could think of a reply. Questions started again almost immediately, but I kept waving as I headed towards the SUV where Kyle had already opened the rear door.
He moved aside without saying anything, which was probably the nicest thing he'd done all day.
Outside of the money he lent me, of course.
I climbed in and pulled the door shut.
The noise outside became considerably quieter, although I could still hear someone calling my name through the glass. Kyle got behind the wheel while Zoey settled into the passenger seat, her attention remaining on me for quite some time.
I touched my face and looked at Kyle.
"Is she flirting with me?"
"...Huh?"
Zoey looked stunned.
"Where did you get that idea from?"
I touched my face again.
"So you're not?"
"No, of course not..."
Zoey covered her face, shaking her head as she mumbled, 'He's getting weirder and weirder everytime that I see him.'
So...
"You're flirting with me."
"...."
"How are you doing?"
Kyle asked through the rearview mirror, trying his best not to pay attention to what I'd said.
"...I'm fine. There was food. I was just stuck."
"Oh... yes, you made that clear."
I leaned against the seat, pleased to find that there was no longer a little ghost to bother me. My shoulders slowly relaxed as Kyle looked towards the school, where the reporters were still trying to follow the stretchers.
"Quite the mess outside. Oh, right... About the school—"
"Don't worry about it. I've figured it out more or less."
"You have?"
"Haha, yes."
Kyle watched me through the mirror, apparently waiting for the rest. Unfortunately for him, I wasn't particularly interested in explaining anything right now.
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.
"Seth..."
Zoey's voice made me look towards her. She had turned slightly in her seat, her hand resting over the phone in her lap.
Our eyes met, and for several seconds she seemed to struggle with whatever she wanted to ask. Her gaze moved towards Kyle before returning to me, but eventually she pressed her lips together and faced forward.
"...Never mind."
I watched her for another moment before closing my eyes again.
"Indeed, you're flirting."
"...I'm not."
-x-X-x-
Breaking — [Seth Emerges as Valmere Gate Disappears. Hoarding Department Members Recovered Unconscious. What exactly happened?]
Footage from Valmere Island spread before the Guild could release a detailed explanation.
The same recording appeared across several news outlets, showing Seth standing in front of the school while medical personnel attended to the people behind him.
Some articles called it another achievement for one of the Guild's most controversial members. Others were considerably less generous.
Breaking — [A Successful Rescue, or Another Unexplained Incident? Questions Remain over Seth's Involvement]
Breaking — [What Happened to the VILE-1048 Investigation?]
The comments beneath them had already turned into arguments.
⎯I knew he wasn't a fraud! Look at the Hoarding Department. They needed him to bring them out.
⎯Lol, he's still a fraud. Shouldn't he be searching for VILE-1048?
⎯He gave up on that. That's his level.
⎯So clearing a Gate doesn't count now?
⎯You saw him standing outside. Where's the footage of him clearing it?
⎯Can someone explain why he spent the whole interview talking about doors?
The last comment had more replies than several of the arguments above it.
*
I put down my phone and shook my head.
"...There's complexities to doors that people just can't seem to grasp."
From the exterior finish to the internal mechanism.
"Doors..."
I wistfully looked up.
"Such enigmatic technology."
That aside, the comments were also rather funny.
Apparently, leaving a Gate alive wasn't enough. I also needed to provide a recording, explain every decision I made, and somehow clear another anomaly while doing it before they could deem it as enough.
Thankfully, I wasn't particularly interested in satisfying people who probably wouldn't believe me regardless.
I pushed the phone aside and leaned back against the couch in the waiting area. There were more important things to worry about, starting with the footsteps approaching much faster than necessary.
"Squad Leader!"
I turned just as Mia reached me, barely managing to sit forward before she grabbed my sleeves.
"You're really here..."
Her eyes were already red, and the way she kept looking over my face made me wonder if I had just come back alive after dying right before her eyes.
"...Were you expecting someone else?"
"I thought you were gone!"
Mia's grip tightened as tears started slipping down her cheeks. Behind her, Joanna and the others slowed near the couch, their expressions easing when they saw me properly.
I looked between them before awkwardly patting Mia's shoulder.
"I'm here. You can stop checking whether my arms are attached."
"Nobody would tell us anything. You weren't answering, and then we heard there was a Gate, and people were being carried out—"
"Yes, but I'm clearly not being carried anywhere."
"You aren't, but the others that came into the Gate are."
Joanna muttered.
I glanced towards her, and waved dismissively.
"...Indeed."
"You had something to do with that, didn't you."
"No.....?"
Joanna gave me a meaningful look, alongside the others.
That seemed unfair.
Accused like this out of nowhere without any proof.
Yes, I did do it.
But, like...
"No...?"
Mia eventually released my sleeves and moved back, wiping her face while the others shook their head. They all looked tired, their bags still hanging from their shoulders as though they'd come straight here.
No, they probably did.
"When did you get back?"
"Just now."
Joanna replied, massaging her forehead.
"They kept us in Malovia."
"Even after you lost contact with me?"
"Considering the fact that we couldn't just tell them what was happening, we had no choice but to to remain there."
Several of the others nodded, their expressions becoming less pleasant.
"And then we saw you on the news."
Mia added, still sniffing.
"Arguing about a door."
"I wasn't arguing. I was explaining what happened."
"That didn't explain anything!"
I considered defending myself before deciding that probably wouldn't help. Mia was still holding a handful of tissues, tossing each one on the floor.
"...Well, you're all here now."
Joanna lowered her bag beside the couch, but instead of sitting, she took out a folder.
"There's something else. We found the person from Silver Lantern."
My attention immediately moved towards her.
'Right, I was supposed to do that...'
I secretly wiped my forehead. Thank god for my team.
"You found him?"
"We confirmed his identity and traced where he'd been staying. Everything we managed to collect is in here."
She handed me the folder, although her expression didn't look nearly as pleased as it should have.
"What's wrong?"
Joanna hesitated before answering.
"He's alive, but he's in a coma."
My fingers stopped against the cover.
"...He was already like that when you found him?"
"Yes. We haven't been able to confirm exactly when it started, but we found him in that state when we went looking."
I opened the folder and went through the first few pages. There was an address, a photograph, and several records attached behind it. Joanna had marked the information they'd verified separately from the things they still needed to check.
A coma.
My thoughts drifted towards VILE-1048, although I stopped myself and shook my head.
'No, I am jumping to conclusions.'
"Any changes in his condition?"
"Not while we were there. We left instructions to contact us if anything happened."
I nodded slowly and closed the folder. It wasn't the result I'd hoped for, but finding him was better than having no idea where to look.
"Alright. You've done well."
Joanna's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"I'll go through this properly. For now, put your bags down and get some rest. You all look like you've been the ones stuck somewhere."
Mia gave me a particularly unpleasant look.
"...What? We actually were stuck."
"Ah..."
I nodded, wistfully looking up.
"Stuck... I was once stuck."
"...."
"...."
"....He's lost it hasn't he?"
"Yes, it wasn't this bad before."
"It's really bad, isn't it?"
"...Should I quit?"
***
At the same time, Severed Stars Medical Ward.
Secretary Kim was waiting outside the ward when Section Chief Johansberg arrived.
The Section Chief took the folder offered to him but didn't open it immediately, his bulky frame remaining still as his attention settled on the closed door behind the Secretary.
"Have they said anything?"
"Nothing useful yet. Most of the team is still unconscious."
"And their injuries?"
"Nothing serious enough to explain their condition. The doctors have checked them more than once."
Johansberg's brows lowered as he opened the folder. He went through the first page, then returned to the beginning as though he had missed something.
"All six?"
"Yes. Their nodes are responding too."
"Then why haven't they woken up?"
"That's what they're trying to establish."
The Section Chief looked through the remaining pages without speaking. Kim waited beside him, listening to the movement of staff farther down the corridor.
"Seth was able to walk out..."
Johansberg eventually said.
"He was."
"And Claude's entire team needed to be carried out."
Kim didn't answer. There wasn't much he could add that wouldn't make the silence around them more uncomfortable.
Clank!
The door opened before Johansberg could continue, and a doctor stepped out, pulling it nearly closed behind him.
"Claude is awake."
"...Good timing."
Johansberg immediately moved towards the room, but the doctor remained in his path.
"He's very distressed. Keep your voices down, and don't try questioning him about what happened yet."
"I only need to speak with him."
"Then please do so carefully."
Kim followed the Section Chief inside.
Claude was sitting against the raised back of the bed, both hands pressed around his head. His fingers were pressed against his hair, and his shoulders were drawn so tightly upwards that the hospital gown had bunched around his neck.
Johansberg paused at the sight, his voice softening a little.
"Claude."
Claude flinched at the sound of the voice.
His eyes shifted towards them without properly settling on either face. Then his attention caught on the door behind Kim, and he pulled his knees closer beneath the sheet.
"Claude, it's me."
Johansberg took another step.
Claude's hands tightened around his head as he shook it, his breathing becoming strained enough that the doctor moved forward. He wasn't looking at Johansberg anymore, but at the space just beyond his shoulder.
"No, no..."
His voice barely carried beyond the bed.
"Please n-o..."
"Claude."
Johansberg moved closer to the bedside and reached out, his hand briefly brushing against Claude's shoulder.
Claude immediately pulled away.
His back struck the raised bed as he tried to put more distance between them, forcing Johansberg to withdraw his hand.
"Easy. Nobody's going to hurt you."
Claude continued shaking his head.
"You're safe now. You're out of the Gate. I just want to understand what happened inside of the Gate, and Seth's involvement in it."
Claude froze.
For the first time since they entered, his eyes properly focused on Johansberg.
"...Seth?"
His breathing stopped for barely a second before returning much faster.
"No."
Claude pushed himself farther against the bed, his fingers tightening around the sheet.
"No, no, no..."
The monitor beside him began sounding faster as the doctor stepped forward.
"Claude—"
"Let me leave! Let me leave!"
Claude's eyes moved towards the door again, pulling at his clothes as he tried to get out of the bed.
"I don't want anything to do with him! Ha... Haa..."
"Wha⎯"
The Section Chief grew flustered as Claude tried to push his way out of the room, the doctor immediately jumping to stop him from leaving.
At the same time, Claude's cries continued, his voice growing louder by the second.
"I don't know anything! I don't...! Leave, let me leave!!"
This sight...
It was one the Section Chief would never forget
"LEAVE! LET ME LEAVE!!"
-x-X-x-
By the time I returned to my office, I was feeling rather exhausted.
'It's not like I've been gone for that long, but it feels as if I've been gone for almost a year.'
The door to my office opened normally, which I appreciated considerably more than I used to.
I left it open behind me and carried Joanna's report towards the desk, only to slow when I noticed something already sitting there.
A package.
It was wrapped in plain paper, with a delivery slip tucked beneath the cord around it.
"...Don't start."
I put the report down and examined the package without touching it. After everything that had happened, I felt that any new package inside of my office meant bad news.
Another present from the system?
That thought reminded me of something I had almost forgotten about.
'Right. I did finish developing a Gate.'
The quest should've been completed. I brought up the system panel and found the notification waiting among the messages I had left unchecked, my eyes stopping on the section concerning the rewards.
For a moment, I considered opening it.
Then my gaze returned to the package.
"...Let's deal with one thing at a time."
I dismissed the panel without claiming anything and looked at the top of the box. The name on it made my expression change.
Silver Lantern.
"Oh."
I checked it again before loosening the cord and lifting the wrapping. Inside, fitted between layers of protective material, was an old radio.
"So they gave it to me."
I breathed in relief.
"In that case, I don't have to worry."
I carefully lifted it onto the desk.
The casing was worn around the corners, and a faint layer of dust remained caught along the edge of the speaker despite the way it had been packed.
After looking at it for another moment, I sat down and turned the knob of the radio.
Krrr—
A static sound spilled into the office, making my hand pause above the dial. I lowered the volume slightly, listening as the rough hiss settled into the air.
At first, that was all there was to it.
Krrr—
Just the constant hiss of the radio.
"Nothing?"
I glanced towards Joanna's report before leaning closer to the speaker. Beneath the static, I started to make out something else. It wasn't noticeable at first, but it soon became clear inside of my mind.
"...Hello?"
The word left my lips before I realised it.
I immediately pressed my lips together, remembering that it was just me in the room.
The faint sound coming from the radio remained as I tilted my head and brought it closer to my ear.
I couldn't make out any words, but there seemed to be several people speaking somewhere beyond the static. Every so often, one voice rose above the others before sinking back beneath the hiss.
My fingers rested against the volume knob.
BANG!
"....!?"
I jerked back as a heavy strike burst from the speaker, cutting through the static.
It sounded like something being brought down against wood, the impact followed by an echo that echoed for quite some time.
My hand remained suspended above the radio while the last of the static thinned.
Then a deep voice spoke.
"Let... Krr... the hearing... Krr... begin."
BANG!
The second strike made my heart thud so hard that, for a moment, I couldn't tell which sound was coming from the radio and which was coming from inside my chest.
I slowly withdrew my hand from the radio, listening as the last of the echo faded.
Krrr—
The voices I'd heard earlier had gone quiet, leaving only the faint rustle of paper somewhere beyond the speaker.
'...A hearing again.'
I glanced towards the open doorway before returning my attention to the radio. There was no music or announcement to explain what I was listening to, and the longer the silence continued, the more uncomfortable I felt.
Then something scraped across the floor on the other end, followed by that same deep voice.
"The accused... Krrr... will now... Krrr..."
The speaker grew static every few seconds as I strained my ears to listen carefully.
"Krrr... stand trial."
Krrr—
Come on.
My fingers tightened against the radio, a long static sound echoing across the surroundings.
Krrr—
Each second that passed felt infinite.
I waited, my ears straining as silence settled around me.
And then—
"Please... Krr.... come forward... Krr..."
Krrr—
"Seth Thorne."
***
Night had settled over Valmere Island, leaving most of the northern district dark.
A few temporary lights remained outside the school, illuminating the barriers across the entrance and the strips of tape fixed between the gateposts.
The reporters had left, but the restrictions remained. Along the restrictions were several cameras that overlooked the entire area.
Several doors had been sealed, while notices beside the staircase warned against entering the lower floors. A loose end of tape brushed against the railing whenever the wind passed through the broken windows.
Downstairs, the classroom within the basement remained empty.
The desks were still arranged in rows, their surfaces barely visible through the dirty window beside the door.
It was empty, with a portable lamp having been left near the turn in the corridor.
Its light reached the edge of the window, catching the marks where somebody had tried to wipe away the dirt before giving up.
By the time a figure appeared beside it, the lamp had started to dim.
He approached without touching the tape hanging across the classroom door. His attention remained on the window as he leaned closer, angling his head until he could see past his own reflection.
His gaze moved along the rows before stopping near the back, where one chair had been pushed farther beneath its desk than the others.
Somewhere behind him, the loose tape brushed against the stair railing.
He turned towards the sound, waiting until it came again before returning his attention to the classroom. The dim light made it difficult to see the corners, and he shifted closer until his sleeve touched the wall.
He raised one hand and pressed it against the glass.
His head lowered slightly as he looked towards the same part of the room again.
"...I almost forgot about it."
His voice drifted quietly through the corridor.
Then his attention moved towards the door.
His hand lowered towards the handle.
Clank!
The lock broke easily.
He paused briefly before pushing the door open and stepping inside.
The classroom remained dark, illuminated only by the weak light spilling in from the corridor. Rows of desks stretched towards the back, all of them empty.
Or at least...
Almost all of them.
Someone was sitting near the middle of the classroom.
The figure stopped.
A man sat behind one of the desks with his elbow resting against the surface and one hand covering part of his forehead. His head was lowered slightly, dark hair falling over his eyes as though he'd been sitting there for quite some time.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then the man sighed.
"...Alright."
His hand slowly moved away from his forehead.
Their eyes met.
The figure's expression changed.
The man, on the other hand, merely looked tired.
"It's good that you remembered because it would've been troublesome if you forgot something like this again."
He leaned back against the chair, his gaze drifting briefly around the classroom before returning to the person standing near the door.
"You know, I've had a very long few days."
The man rested both hands against the desk.
"I was trapped inside my own office, forced to attend classes, nearly replaced by something wearing my face, and then I had to spend three million just to leave."
He paused.
"And after all of that, I finally thought I could go home."
He sighed.
"But then I remembered you."
The figure remained near the doorway.
"...I remembered that I had to deal with you. That's my precious time, you know? I would've taken it personally if it were the me of the past. But I'm a changed man now."
He pressed his hand against his chest.
"I'm a peaceful man."
Seth tapped the table.
"So I came back. Because I'm a peaceful man."
-x-X-x-
"If being peaceful is a sin, I am a sinner."
I pressed my hand against my chest as I said those words, making sure he understood I was a peaceful person. I didn't want him to think that I wasn't.
No, I am peaceful.
The man remained beside the door, his gaze moving past me towards the empty rows.
He was still not saying anything, and I could just make out his features behind the hood he was wearing.
I sighed.
"Can you say something? It's getting rather awkward. I've had a difficult week, and I need someone to help me with my mental health. I feel like I'll go crazy at this rate."
No, I was probably already crazy.
But I was also a different crazy than before.
"A peaceful crazy."
That's me.
"....."
The silence continued, prompting me to purse my lips.
I was just about to open my lips again when⎯
"...I was going to look for you."
The figure finally spoke, their deep voice echoing across the classroom.
"You're saving me some time to look for you."
"You speak?"
"Where are the copies?"
My fingers stopped against the wood before I smiled.
"Right, you must be looking for them."
Naturally, I took them with me and hid them away from the Guild. They were inside of my 'Gate'. From the start, my Gate had never been cleared. I just... closed it myself. Well, it was a little bit more complicated than that.
But that was besides the point.
"It took quite a long time to produce those."
His voice drifted in the air.
"Right, sure."
I mean, VILE - 303 had been contained for quite some time, and the school had been shut down for quite some time too. It certainly took at least a decade.
"I thought you had abandoned it. I'm surprised you even showed up. Well..."
Pausing, I looked at him meaningfully.
"...Maybe you did forget, but you're just here to clear up the place so that there's no trace of you in any way."
"....."
His silence was enough to confirm my guess.
"You could've started with that. Would've saved us the introductions."
"Then stop wasting my time."
"Your time?"
I looked around the classroom before returning my attention to him.
"...You crazy lunatic!"
BANG!
I smacked my hand against the table, looking at him resentfully.
"I'm the one who had to waste his time to come here and meet you. If anything, you're wasting my time."
He didn't flinch.
If anything, he showed not much of a reaction.
I shook my head.
"Time wasting lunatic."
"...You're out of your mind."
"No, my mind is inside my body."
"....."
I shook my head again.
This guy...
Stupid.
Well, anyways. Stupidity aside.
"Was this some sort of testing ground for you?"
I looked at my seat.
Desk 27.
"What were you trying to achieve with this? Were you experimenting with this place to create an anomaly or were you prepping to create a Gate?"
I had thought it deeply over the time I had been in the Gate, and something became clear to me during that time.
'Someone was behind the entire tragedy.'
From how specific areas had been locked away and sealed, to how all of it had been swept under the rug and forgotten about it. Someone powerful had been behind it.
...Or powerful backing.
The Hand?
'No, I'm not sure.'
Either way, the entire scenario had been created with a goal in mind.
One that I knew was related to the system.
He was using these people as testing subjects for the system and the Developer System. Although I wasn't certain, I could more or less guess that he was also a system user.
I turned to look at my desk again.
In the silence, I spoke once more.
"She said... she saw someone in her seat. It answered her name, and everyone couldn't see her. At first, I thought she had been hunted by some sort of ghost, but then, I experienced the entire scenario myself."
I raised my head to look at him.
"The withdrawal call was yours too?"
"Her mother's voice was enough."
"Right. Right. But how did the mother only realise until later?"
It always felt weird how the mother never looked for her daughter quickly. Someone had to have purposely delayed the situation.
"I wasn't the same back then. I was still new to this."
Ah, that explains it.
I turned to look at the classroom. Or more specifically, I looked at the burned areas.
"...When the teacher eventually found this place, she burned everything. You were still new to all of this back then, so you couldn't stop her in time and ended up losing most of what you had here. Then, in a fit of anger, you sealed her inside and left her to burn to death."
I paused, gauging his reaction.
Still nothing.
"Oh, and... the voice upstairs was obviously you trying to cover everything up afterward. You just weren't very good at it yet."
Thinking thus far, I suddenly felt like laughing.
"Hahaha."
Oh, well...
I did end up laughing.
I wasn't even sure why I was laughing, but since I was laughing, I decided to stay committed to the role as I continued to laugh for the next several seconds before abruptly stopping as I recalled something.
"That doesn't explain Elon."
"....."
"He seemed to be aware of the situation to some extent, and even copied the handwriting. He seemed to have left them everywhere in 303"
"....."
The man still didn't answer.
This bothered me a bit since it felt as though I was close to finding out the whole truth, but was blocked in the last moments.
"Say it. Tell me. Say it."
He still wouldn't budge.
"I mean, I already figured out most of the situation. It wouldn't be so bad for you to just tell me the rest. Just... think of it as helping out a peaceful guy. What do you say?"
"....."
Still nothing.
Terrible voices started to enter my mind, telling me to kill him, or torture him.
But I curbed such voices down.
I wasn't a violent man.
I was a peaceful man.
I was⎯
"Right, I am a peaceful man."
I stood up to look at the man. My nodes started to churn. Instantly, the surroundings started to change as I pressed my finger against the table, bringing the two of us back inside of my Gate.
This time, I didn't cause the same commotion as last time. If anything, this was a more curbed version of the Gate I had created.
Finally, his expression started to change.
"Didn't you say you were a peaceful man?"
"...Ah."
I paused before looking at him.
Eventually, I smiled.
"My mind is in complete disorder because you insist on hiding things from me. Naturally, this means I cannot be at peace."
I nodded to myself, the matter already settled inside of my mind.
"And if I cannot be at peace, then I must find peace. That is simply the nature of a peaceful man."
I matched his gaze.
"A peaceful man seeks peace even in the middle of chaos. So tell me everything."
After a brief pause, my tone lowered.
"Otherwise, I may have to create some peace myself."
"....."
A short silence hung after my statement as he continued to stare at me. Eventually, his lips pulled into a smile as he shook his head.
"...You're as crazy as they have said."
"I'm not. I'm a⎯"
"Crazy bastard."
He moved.