Samael, having immediately found who he would target, leaned down and whispered into Han Yi-gyeol's ear.
"The SS-rank Deputy Master of the Roheon Guild?"
Upon hearing Samael's words, imbued with mind control abilities, Han Yi-gyeol's tightly closed eyelids twitched. The exact same words then flowed from the mirror.
[The SS-rank Deputy Master of the Roheon Guild?]
[Deputy Master? Ha Tae-heon isn't the Deputy Master though. Does he become the Deputy Master in a later volume?]
"Hmm...."
Samael tilted his head at the unexpected answer. Then, he immediately turned his gaze to Ha Tae-heon, who was standing next to Cheon Sa-yeon.
"Does our Deputy-Master Ha Tae-heon know what the scene is being shown in the mirror is?"
"...."
Ha Tae-heon narrowed his eyebrows at Samael's casual attempt to strike up a conversation with him.
As if to taunt Ha Tae-heon, who was blatantly showing his displeasure, Samael smirked and whispered into Han Yi-gyeol's ear once more.
"I wonder if Cheon Sa-yeon appears in that book."
The blond boy asked a question similar to Samael's.
[Does Cheon Sa-yeon appear? The Requiem Master.]
[Isn't he the rival? He's been around since the beginning.]
"And he's definitely SS-rank?"
[Is Cheon Sa-yeon SS-rank too?]
[Of course.]
Things are really turning out quite interesting. Samael smiled broadly behind his mask.
Cheon Sa-yeon and Ha Tae-heon appear in the novel that Han Yi-gyeol claims to have read. He hadn't figured everything out yet, but if the contents of that novel are true…
"It seems like that book served as a passage."
Azazel voiced the exact thought that had crossed Samael's mind. Samael couldn't hide his delight at the turn of events, which were even more interesting than he'd anticipated.
At the same time, his interest in Han Yi-gyeol—who lay unconscious and fast asleep—grew even stronger. He'd liked his defiant nature when he'd kidnapped him before, but he never imagined that he'd be hiding a secret like this. It seemed that now, he was seriously starting to want this man all for himself.
"Right. It seems Han Yi-gyeol isn't from this world. He must be similar to the monsters that crossed over here through the gate."
"So, it's not just monsters; humans can do it too."
"Han Yi-gyeol is the first person to have ever crossed over. If the Doctor were still alive, he would have examined him personally to see what changes had occurred in his body."
Samael clicked his tongue in disappointment and delved back into Han Yi-gyeol's mind to extract more information.
"Does Han Yi-gyeol appear in the novel as well?"
[What about Han Yi-gyeol?]
[...What?]
"Who is Han Yi-gyeol?"
[Who is Han Yi-gyeol?]
The blond boy repeated Samael's words exactly. It was just when he naturally assumed that an answer would come back this time as well.
Shiiing!
A piercing noise echoed from the mirror item floating in the air. Not only was there noise, but ripples formed on the mirror's surface, causing the image to shake slightly.
"Azazel, why is the item acting like that?"
"…I'll check it out right away."
Even Azazel showed a rare display of shock. The mirror item connected to Han Yi-gyeol's mind was practically a masterpiece Azazel had painstakingly crafted over many years.
Especially since Han Yi-gyeol's identity is ambiguous, we had prepared thoroughly to ensure there would be no setbacks in the plan, but to think the item would suddenly become so unstable. However, before Azazel could examine the item, the scene reflected on the mirror's surface changed.
A new scene appeared in the mirror that had been stained pitch black. The blonde man had disappeared, and several books titled 'Abyss' were lying on the table.
"It seems… he noticed that something was off and changed the scene himself."
"Is that even possible?"
"It would be impossible for an ordinary A-rank. But...."
Azazel trailed off. He didn't need to hear the rest to understand what she meant.
Han Yi-gyeol was a unique being who was A-class yet immune to the mind control abilities of Samael, an SS-class. Considering that, it wasn't entirely surprising to see him exhibit such a variable.
"The atmosphere has gotten quite tense over there."
Just as Samael furrowed his brow, Cheon Sa-yeon's voice was heard.
Cheon Sa-yeon, who had been standing motionless since Han Yi-gyeol was taken into Samael's grasp, twisted the corners of his mouth and spoke.
"Looks like something went wrong?"
"...."
His tone was as if he had fully anticipated that things would not go according to plan. Samael's black eyes, revealed through the slits in his mask, grew cold.
Despite his clear superiority, Cheon Sa-yeon's confidence was deeply irritating. Feeling a twisted sensation of nausea in his stomach, Samael also scoffed at Cheon Sa-yeon.
"Master Cheon Sa-yeon doesn't really seem too worried about Han Yi-gyeol, does he?"
Samael's gloved hand wrapped around Han Yi-gyeol's neck. He deliberately stroked Han Yi-gyeol's neck and face as he continued to speak.
"What if I suddenly get fed up and I snap his neck? You can't even save anyone in your position right now, you're stuck watching; what are you so confident about?"
Cheon Sa-yeon slowly blinked his eyes. A gentle breeze blew from beyond the gray sky.
Cheon Sa-yeon answered, struggling to hide his blood-chilling anxiety.
"I trust Han Yi-gyeol."
"What?"
"Cheon Je-heon, you will never be able to keep that man under your thumb."
Samael raised his eyebrows at his unwavering demeanor, and his voice which was filled with such conviction.
[Hyung-nim.]
A new voice came from the mirror. Samael turned his gaze away from Cheon Sa-yeon.
Right, there was no need to fall for such provocation right now. If there really was a problem with the item, I had to extract as much information as possible before the connection was lost.
***
Tap, tap-tap. The sound of rain tapping on the window made my heart pound, feeling unsettled.
Outside the window, where night had fallen, rain was pouring down as if a hole had been punched in the sky. The room, filled with cool air, was chilled enough to make one's fingertips tremble involuntarily.
Sitting alone on the sofa in the suffocating silence, I lifted my heavy head. A pile of books stacked in order on the table came into view.
"...."
I cautiously reached out and stroked the cover of the book placed on top. It hadn't changed since I first took it out of the bookshelf with Yeon Seon-woo.
That realization stabbed me in the pit of my stomach. My eyes stung, welling up with tears instantly, and I let out a deep sigh.
I sat there for a long time, gazing at the book. I don't know how much time had passed, but the door opened with a soft knock.
"Hyung-nim."
Go Dong-ju, who found me sitting alone in the room, hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.
"The director is calling for you. He tried calling your cell phone but you didn't answer, so... he sent me to give you the message directly."
At Go Dong-ju's report, my senses started to come back to me, if only slightly. Barely managing to lift my body, which felt as heavy as if it were soaked in water, I answered.
"Okay."
"Would you like me to drive?"
"No thanks, I'll get there on my own. Let's close the shop early today."
I neatly tied the tie I had loosened. The sensation of it constricting my neck made it hard to breathe.
"Um, Hyung-nim."
Go Dong-ju asked me as I was putting on the suit jacket I had draped over the back of the sofa.
"Are you alright?"
"...."
I tried to brush it off as if nothing were wrong, but my body froze on its own. After a brief pause, I nodded.
"I'm fine. Sorry I'm leaving early. Could you please clean up the shop for me?"
"Yes. Don't worry."
I turned away, avoiding Go Dong-ju's gaze. However, before I could even leave the room, I heard Go Dong-ju's call from behind me again.
"Hyung-nim."
"What is it?"
"Is your name Han Yi-gyeol, hyung-nim?"
"What?"
I reflexively turned around at the unexpected question. Go Dong-ju, with an expressionless face, opened his mouth.
"Does Han Yi-gyeol appear in the book on the table?"
"…How did you know that? Did you read it behind my back or something?"
A strange sense of déjà vu brushed past me and Go Dong-ju. The person standing before me was clearly the Go Dong-ju I knew, yet he exuded a very unfamiliar aura.
"What is your name, hyung-nim?"
Is it just my imagination? No, was this really just my imagination? Even as I continued to have my doubts, I answered as if possessed by something.
"I… my name… isn't Han Yi-gyeol."
"Then what is it?"
"Go Dong-ju, snap out of it. Why are you suddenly asking something like this?"
No matter how much I thought about it, this wasn't normal. Go Dong-ju grabbed my wrist tightly as I tried to back away.
Go Dong-ju, who stood right in front of me now, showed no emotion on his face, as if he were a mannequin. It sent shivers down my spine.
"Who gave you that book?"
"Let go of my hand while I'm still being nice."
"Do you know what that book truly is? Please tell me about the one who gave that book to you, hyung-nim."
My heart raced at the baffling situation. The one who gave me the book? He wants me to tell him about that boy?
The book lying on the table over Go Dong-ju's shoulder caught my eye. A gentle whisper echoed in my mind.
- "Since it's your first time reading a book like this, and especially because I'm the one giving it to you… That's why I like it."
The true nature of the book? An explanation about the boy who gave me the book?
Why on earth do I have to bring that up? I can't even bring up Yeon Seon-woo's name so carelessly right now. There is no way Go Dong-ju is unaware of how I'm feeling right now.
As soon as I realized that, anger surged up inside me. As I tried to break free from Go Dong-ju, I instead roughly grabbed him by the collar.
"Who the hell are you?"
Everything around me that I firmly believed to be reality turned into smoke and scattered. Go Dong-ju's face, which I held my gaze with, began to blur and soon vanished without a trace.
With his facial features gone, Go Dong-ju truly looked like a mannequin. It was only then that I realized this was not reality but a dream, and that someone was manipulating the dream.
'These cultist bastards…'
I grabbed the collar of this figure—who no longer even resembled Go Dong-ju—and threw him to the floor. The figure soon turned into a wisp of smoke, just like the objects around it, and dissipated.
Everything except my body vanished. It was proof that the dream was shattering. Feeling Kwon Se-hyun's energy leaking out uncontrollably, I slowly closed my eyes.
And when I opened my eyes again, the true reality appeared.