The sound of my pen scratching against the paper echoed through the room, accompanied by the steady drip of water from the sink’s spout. The bright glow of the crystal light on the ceiling illuminated the space. In the mirror’s reflection, a man sat at the table, writing.

  Julian Campbell…

  "It's officially day two since I ended up here. I have nothing to do, so I’ve been writing and gathering information. That man, Lucas, hasn’t even visited me once. I’m getting bored, so I’ve just been reading the books on the table. They probably put them here for prisoners anyway. At this point, I’ve gathered all the information available to me. I guess you could say information is my power—heh."

  Leaning back in the chair, I propped my feet up on the table, not caring about manners. I placed my hands behind my head and closed my eyes. After a brief moment, I opened them again.

  "On the first day after I woke up—or actually, just yesterday, after everything that happened—the first thing I investigated was the crystal necklace I’m wearing… and that woman. I touched the necklace again, but of course, I had to muster my courage first. Nothing happened. The woman didn’t appear, nor was there any reaction.

  Frustrated, I tried to remove it, and—yeah. The moment I lifted it, it electrocuted my hand. It stung like hell. But if I just touch it, nothing happens. What’s the principle behind that? Is it just another supernatural phenomenon? Heh. I’m getting tired of this shit."

  "Anyway, I ran numerous experiments on it, but none of them were useful. Every attempt failed—completely worthless. As for the woman… I have no information. The only thing I know is that she called me her son—Julian Campbell.

  But is she crazy? Delusional?

  What even is she?

  A whirlpool of blood, those hands, her terrifying presence… She’s a monster. There’s no way we’re related."

  "I’ll leave it at that for now. I don’t have enough information about her or this so-called ‘son’ of hers. Julian Campbell…"

  Sigh.

  "Speaking of names, ever since that man—Lucas—called me that, everyone who brings me food refers to me as Julian Campbell now. Thinking back, I should have fought back somehow, but what could I do? I was too scared. My mind wasn’t working properly. And I was manipulated—somehow.

  I don’t know how, but that conversation… it felt planned, like I was already trapped before it even started. He was the only one actually talking in that conversation. That man, Lucas, with his devilish eyes…

  Can he read minds? Does he have some kind of supernatural ability?

  And if he does… what other abilities does he have?"

  "Hahh… There are too many things I don’t know—including myself, of course. I actually tried to gather information from the people who come here, but every time I tried to speak to them, they ignored me. They just open the food slot in the door, put the food inside my room—my prison—and say the same phrase every time:

  'Julian Campbell, classified as safe or under investigation. Your meal is here.'

  Yup. That’s all they say.

  I tried to talk to them, but of course, they wouldn’t respond.

  Who would even talk to a man currently suspected of being a monster, right? That’s actually hurtful.

  I’m not a monster.

  That’s what I want to tell them—to yell at them. But who would even believe me? I guess proof is the only thing they need… but how do I prove it?

  All I can do is wait for their investigation to finish.

  But they haven’t even done anything.

  Hahh… At this point, all I can say is—fuck it."

  "And the worst part? The name. Heh."

  "Well, I guess I can’t do anything about my name now. Or who I am. I have no choice but to accept it.

  From now on… I am Julian Campbell."

  "Names aside, I had no other option left but to press the button near the door to gather information. I was actually hoping that the woman who cared for me yesterday would show up, but yeah… I guess she’s scared of me. I never even saw her. Every time I pressed it, a grumpy man would always show up instead.

  The dude has anger issues or something.

  I usually call him Guard 1 because he’s the only one I’ve seen other than the woman and Lucas. I couldn’t see his face entirely, but his eyes… they screamed anger.

  I wonder what his problem is.

  But yeah, I don’t care. I just need information."

  "I kept pestering him, hoping he’d give me some answers, but every time I asked something, he would just say:

  'If it’s not an emergency, please do not press the button.'

  Then he’d leave.

  So I pressed it again.

  And again.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  By the fifth time, he didn’t even bother coming.

  So what did I do next?

  I pressed it again. Lols.

  At this point, I just wanted to annoy him because I was bored. I think I pressed it 30 or 50 times—somewhere in between. And guess what? He finally came, furious.

  So I asked where the bathroom was. Just to give a reason why I pressed it.

  And also… I figured maybe I could learn something about this prison.

  If I could leave the room, I could at least get an idea of the layout. But surprisingly, they blindfolded and handcuffed me before guiding me there.

  They were so cautious… maybe something had happened before, and they learned from their mistake.

  Anyway, nothing useful came from pressing the button, so I gave up on that right away.

  I actually did think about studying the layout at first because I wanted to escape, but yeah… I gave up on that too.

  If I leave this place without knowing anything, that might just be suicide.

  Monsters exist.

  And since they have a prison for them, that must mean they’re a frequent problem outside.

  With no memory, no weapon, no ability like that man Lucas, and only information to rely on for survival… I’m as good as dead."

  "Speaking of abilities, I think they’re called Worldwalkers.

  I don’t have much information about them since no one answers my questions, but maybe they’re beings with special powers—like that man, Lucas. He introduced himself as one, after all.

  How do they become one?"

  "Hahh… If only I had an ability to protect myself, I would have escaped a long time ago."

  "But I think that’s still suicide since I don’t even know what the outside world is like.

  I think this place is called the Ruins.

  Why, though?

  Is it on the verge of collapsing?

  What’s the situation outside?

  …Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not good."

  "My information is incomplete, but I’m sure there are a lot of people like me in this prison."

  "Though… not all of them are actually human.

  Heh.

  I wonder what these so-called monsters are like.

  I’m curious about them.

  But I don’t actually want to meet one.

  …Just what do they look like?"

  Julian rocked his chair back, closing his eyes. Just as he leaned too far, a sudden knock at the door startled him, causing him to topple over with a loud crash. Groaning, he rubbed his back before picking up the chair and setting it upright.

  Then, a voice followed from the door.

  "Julian Campbell."

  Recognizing the name, I sighed and straightened myself. "If it’s about the food, just do the usual and put it in the slot. No need to scare me half to death… Damn, my back."

  But something was off. The voice was different from the usual person who brought my meals. It wasn’t Guard 1’s gruff tone. This meant something was happening. Still, I acted as if I didn’t notice.

  The voice spoke again. "It’s not about your food. It’s about your investigation and what happens next."

  The door clanked, the knob twisted, and it swung open. A man stepped inside, flanked by a small group. "Lucas, the leader of the Falcon Squad, has requested your presence. I’ll be escorting you there."

  Immediately, I could tell this man was dangerous. His presence was suffocating—similar to Lucas’s, but different. If Lucas had an aura of controlled authority, this man radiated something sharper, more brutal. The kind of person you’d want to avoid at all costs.

  He was tall and well-built, with pale skin and a striking combination of red hair slicked back and a single violet eye. The other eye, a cloudy white, bore a deep scar running diagonally across it—a wound that looked like a sword slash. A silver sword-shaped earring dangled from his right ear. He wore a long black coat that reached his knees, a black uniform underneath, and a gauntlet on his both hand. On the right side of his chest, pinned to his uniform, was a badge with three red stars—a mark of high status. A sword rested at his waist.

  Behind him stood three others, all clad in similar coats but bearing badges with only two white stars. To his left was a man with white hair and piercing green eyes, his ivory skin and well-defined features giving him an almost noble air. To his right, a middle-aged man, possibly in his fifties, had dark auburn hair and a neatly trimmed mustache. Like their leader, both carried swords. They had to be his subordinates.

  The last person in the group stood slightly behind them—a young woman in stark contrast to the rest. She wore white clothing instead of black, her long black hair framing a porcelain-skinned face with sharp green eyes.

  I frowned, assessing the situation. This setup was unusual. "Lucas? The man from yesterday? So, is my investigation finally happening?" I asked. "But what is this setup all about? I know I’m being suspected of being a monster, but this is a chance to prove my innocence, right? How exactly is this going to happen?"

  The red-haired man tilted his head slightly, then narrowed his eye at me. "It seems there’s a misunderstanding about your situation," he said, his voice cold and laced with intimidation. "Did Lucas not explain yesterday?"

  Misunderstanding?

  I clenched my fists. I had expected my information to be incomplete, but the way this man spoke made it clear—I didn’t even know the full extent of my own predicament. The weight of his presence was almost unbearable, making it difficult to think clearly, just like when I spoke to Lucas. But I couldn’t afford to let that happen again. I needed to gather information this time. I needed to know what this "investigation" truly meant for me.

  I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady. "N-No. The information I received was so vague that I still don’t understand my situation. Can you at least tell me what will happen to me?"

  The man clasped his hands behind his back. "You’ll find out soon enough. Lucas will explain everything to you. But I will say this—you’re lucky." His violet eye bore into me, scrutinizing. "I can see why Lucas classified you as safe, but I can’t tell whether you’re a monster in disguise or just an ordinary human. And that’s because of that necklace of yours."

  His voice was laced with something unreadable. Caution? Disgust? Uncertainty?

  Regardless, as he spoke, he approached me until we were just centimeters apart. Up close, the difference in our height was obvious. He towered over me, the pressure of his presence pinning me in place like a predator sizing up prey. His glare was sharp, his expression unreadable—but the threat was clear.

  Then, the woman behind him spoke. "That’s enough, isn’t it? My commander is waiting."

  The man didn’t move at first, his gaze lingering on me. I followed his glance toward the woman, who was now staring him down.

  He clicked his tongue in annoyance but finally stepped back. "Fine. I’ll let it go your way. But tell your commander—Lucas—that no mistakes will be tolerated. If he’s wrong, the risk isn’t just his. We all pay the price. If this mission fails, it’s his head on the line."

  The woman remained unfazed. "We know that. But your way isn’t always the only answer. We need to consider what truly benefits us in the long run, rather than just immediate threats."

  The man scoffed. "Ridiculous. You and your commander are dreamers. When will you finally see reality? When it’s too late?"

  The woman smiled slightly, but her words were sharp. "Hasn’t our commander’s decision always been the right one? Meanwhile, what about you? You stay here, killing monsters and criminals—but the cult you were tasked with eliminating? They’re still out there. You never even found their bodies, did you? Some great leader you are—Wolves Squad Leader."

  The room’s atmosphere thickened. The white-haired man and the older subordinate glared at the woman in response, their hostility evident. It was three against one, yet she stood firm, unfazed.

  Finally, the red-haired man exhaled through his nose and turned toward the door. "Tie him up and blindfold him. Bring him to Lucas."

  I tensed. "Is that really necessary? Can’t I at least know—"

  The woman lifted a finger to her lips, signaling for silence. She met my eyes and said in a low voice, "Comply if you want to live."

  I swallowed hard. Then, without another word, I let them bind my hands and cover my eyes. It was better to follow them than to resist—my information was incomplete. I let out a heavy sigh and thought, 'I wonder what will happen to me now.'