The projector flickered, casting images onto the screen—walls scrawled with crude children's drawings, a rusting slide, a dormitory lined with bunk beds stacked like a barracks. Then came a vast field, its enclosing walls covered in thick moss, a testament to time's passage. Next, dimly lit corridors, a choir room frozen in silence, and other forsaken chambers, each more unsettling than the last.
"And...?" Theo drummed his fingers against the table, his impatience barely contained. "What a jok—" His words died in his throat the moment he turned to Uriel.
She sat stiff, her face drained of all color, her lips parted slightly as if she had forgotten to breathe. Fear clung to her like a second skin.
Saurav, standing at the front, didn't even glance back as he spoke. "Luv, do you recognize this?"
Luv's expression darkened. His fingers curled slightly, deep in thought. "From my incarnate's memories… yes." His gaze fixed on the images flashing before them, his mind scrambling through recollections. "This place… It's the same building's interior where we found Yona, according to the Cosmic Hollow, right?"
"Correct." A slow grin spread across Saurav's face. "But the real question is—is it the same building?"
All eyes turned to Luv, anticipation thick in the air.
"No… it's different," he muttered, his brows knitting together. "It looks identical, but it's not the same place. If anything, the one from my memories felt more like a replica. There were no wall drawings, the paint looked fresh, and even the torture rooms—" He inhaled sharply. "The room in the image… where the floor is torn, where someone clawed into it with their bare hands—that looks real. Too real."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
"Do you all still not understand?" Saurav asked, leaning casually against the table, his back turned to them.
"I do," Lady Qin's soft voice broke through the tension. Her eyes remained closed, hands delicately clasped. "Even Yona had no idea she was transported to a decoy room. Two identical rooms must have been created—the false one to mislead, while the real one hid the true secrets. Once uncovered, the culprit became obvious."
"You're not wrong, but that's only half the truth," Saurav said, his tone laced with amusement.
"Oh?" Lady Qin's eyes fluttered open as she gracefully tilted her head, her gaze sharp. "Then tell me, my dear President, what is it that you're hiding?"
Saurav turned his head slightly, meeting her gaze with an unreadable smile. "The real room held many secrets, yes. But why not just erase them? Why not clear all evidence? With magic, that's easy enough. The creator of this place knew black magic—destroying clues and barring others from interfering would've been effortless."
"Then why?"
"The answer is simple," a voice interrupted.
Everyone's attention snapped to Kai. He had been silent for what felt like centuries. His expression remained unreadable, but his piercing gaze locked onto each of them in turn.
"The culprit never believed that anyone could find the original room. They thought it was impossible."
"Oh?" Lady Qin's lips curled in intrigue. "And how do you come to that conclusion?"
Kai's gaze didn't waver. "Because of the other form of magic Saurav mentioned. Uriel assumed that no one—not an ordinary human, not even black magic—could break that spell."
Saurav? Luv thought, calling by his name directly?
"That's right," Saurav said, his voice laced with quiet approval as he clapped his hands faintly. His gaze shifted sharply to Uriel, his pupils sliding to the side.
"Uriel." His tone darkened. "Just accept it already, or I'll lay out the proof—everything, including Yona's testimony. And when that happens… you won't have any way to escape."
Uriel's breath hitched.
"Continue," Qin commanded, her voice razor-sharp.
The projector flickered, displaying a new image—a photograph of a handwritten letter.
Uriel clutched her head.
"The letter is addressed to Mister Varyon," Saurav said, his tone unreadable. "And as you can see, the name Theo Varyon is clearly mentioned—a letter that was never sent."
Theo's gaze snapped to Uriel, his eyes brimming with rage and disbelief. "What the hell is this?"
Uriel sat frozen, drowning in her own failure.
"At the end of the letter…" Saurav gestured toward the screen, "the name Uriel is written. This letter was found in another room—one that wasn't part of the decoy. And inside that room—" The screen changed again, revealing a wall covered in photographs.
Uriel with two boys.Uriel with a group of puppets, including Yona.A news clipping about missing girls.
Theo's fists clenched.
Saurav sighed, his voice heavy. "It also mentions the Luminara Halcyon production farm. And if I remember correctly, Uriel… you were once the Chairman's wife, weren't you?"
Uriel's jaw tightened.
Theo's eyes darted across the images, then stopped at the two unfamiliar boys. His breath caught. "Those two…" His voice wavered. "Who are they?"
Silence.
Uriel lowered her gaze, her expression devastated. "They are… our sons."
Theo's breath hitched. "I have—two other sons?" His grip on his cane tightened, knuckles turning white. His teeth ground together. "Why the hell wouldn't you tell me?" His voice was low, guttural, but he didn't push further. The situation was already spiraling beyond his control. He wanted answers, but now wasn't the time.
"Take her," Lady Qin ordered, her voice leaving no room for argument.
Without warning, the lights flickered, and two men appeared from nowhere—their veils shimmering like a starry abyss, their metal masks twisting into spirals. One of them touched Uriel's shoulder—
And in an instant, she vanished.
The masked figures bowed to Qin before silently phasing through the floor beneath them.
Luv, who had been lazily rocking his chair on two legs, watched the scene unfold with mild interest. As the figures disappeared beneath the ground, he leaned back a little too far—
Thump!
He crashed onto the floor.
Kai shot him a murderous glare.
Luv, completely unfazed, sat up and dusted himself off as if nothing happened.
"I have another question," Qin said, standing and stepping toward Saurav.
She reached out, her fingers tilting his chin up.
Saurav flinched slightly at the sudden closeness, anticipation flickering in his eyes.
"What about the missing girls?" she asked.
Saurav's gaze darkened. He turned to his laptop, flipping to the next slide.
The room collectively tensed.
Theo's face twisted in sheer disgust. "I knew that bitch was insane."
The image on the screen was horrifying.
Girls—dozens of them—hanging like carcasses in a slaughterhouse.
"We never imagined Uriel could sink this low," Saurav murmured, his voice grim. "In her pursuit of the Luminara Halcyon, she lost herself completely." He exhaled sharply, turning his face away. "What did they even do to deserve this…?"
A heavy silence settled over them.
Then—Qin gently tilted Saurav's chin, forcing him to meet her gaze.
"It's time for me to leave," she murmured. "You did well, President. Kaia was especially helpful. I'd like to meet her someday." Her voice dropped slightly. "The seal is broken, so I suggest sending Corp. Members to gather the remains and all remaining clues."
Saurav exhaled. "Sure."
As everyone began filing out, Qin stepped closer to Theo, lowering her voice to a whisper.
"I trust you won't show any empathy toward her."
Theo didn't even flinch. "I'm not that selfish." His voice was cold as he walked past her.
With that, everyone left, leaving only Luv, Kai, Oz, and the President behind.