"Well," I muttered, leaning closer to the bathroom mirror, "it looks the exact same as before."
My reflection stared back at me with that same unimpressed expression I always seemed to have in the mornings. Same hair. Same tired face. Same everything.
Except the eye.
My fingers rose automatically, brushing the skin just beneath it. The iris was clear, sharp, whole—no hint that three days ago it had been torn away in a place no human surgeon could have helped me escape.
"Come to think of it…" I squinted, tilting my head. "I never asked for his name, did I?"
The memory of the horned man flickered through my mind—his antlers aglow in lanternlight, the Parade bending around him as if he were its heartbeat.
Not knowing his name felt wrong. Like reading an entire book and skipping the title.
I huffed out a breath and stepped back from the mirror.
'To be fair, so much happened that night…
It would've been stranger if I'd kept my cool, right?'
I grabbed a fresh shirt and jeans—comfortable, nothing fancy—and slipped into them as the early morning sun filtered weakly through the blinds. The air outside the bathroom felt colder, grounding. Like a reminder that my apartment existed in a world with normal plumbing and a complete lack of floating lanterns and eldritch fireworks.
I reached over to the desk and picked up my anomalous pocketwatch.
Its surface shimmered faintly beneath my fingers, reacting to my touch.
"Alright," I murmured, flipping it open. "Inventory check."
I closed my eyes, focusing.
---
『Midnight Rubber』
A pack of chewing gum that grants night vision while chewing.
Night vision fades as the flavor dies.
Simple. Practical. Tastes like mint mixed with regret.
『The Binding Ember』
A sealed jar with a floating golden flame.
Attaches itself to intent.
Whoever opens it becomes the rightful claimant of whatever they touch for an hour—objects, land, concepts… even living beings or anomalies.
Downside:
If my will is weaker than the target's?
Yeah. Then I get claimed.
『Moon-Soul Ember』
A sealed jar with a silver flame.
Reacts to souls, reveals truths.
Memories, desires, fears, potential futures—whatever dwells closest to the heart.
Can burn lies, illusions, bindings… but the last effect is severely limited.
Also: wildly unpredictable.
Fun.
『White Apple?』 ×2
Mystery fruit from the Diner Anomaly.
No records.
Effects unknown.
The last one wiped out all my nausea and fatigue and made me feel like I could deadlift a small car.
Which is… not normal, even by anomaly standards.
So these stay untouched until I know more.
---
I exhaled slowly.
Seeing my entire collection laid out like this—even just mentally—made something warm spark in my chest. A small, smug smile tugged at my lips.
"Quite the collection, considering I've only been employed for, what… barely a month?"
Yeah. I was proud. Sue me.
I snapped the pocketwatch shut and tucked it into my jacket pocket.
"I know for a fact Louis would be so jealous."
The mental image came immediately:
Louis staring at the jars with his eyes bulging out, mouth wide open, struggling to form actual words.
Maybe he'd whisper, 'Y-Yuwon… what did you DO?'
Maybe he'd grab my shoulders, shake me, start listing every possible Regulation I might've violated.
I snorted.
"Honestly? The thought of his jaw hitting the floor is… pleasant to the soul."
'Maybe I should show him someday…?'
'No. He'd have ten consecutive heart attacks.
In alphabetical order.'
I shrugged into my jacket and headed for the door.
"I haven't seen Sarah since the Mimic Maze…" I muttered to myself while checking the address she'd sent me. "Last time we talked she said she was preparing something big."
That phrase—something big—had sat in the back of my mind for days. Not ominous, not urgent, just… teasing. Like she wanted me to stew in it.
I tucked my phone away and glanced at the building in front of me.
A quiet, cozy breakfast restaurant tucked between a bookstore and a flower shop. Golden light spilled through the wide windows, carrying the warm smell of coffee and baked bread. A little bell chimed whenever someone entered or left. It was the sort of place where couples whispered affectionately and families argued over pancakes.
Not exactly the place I expected Sarah to pick.
I was twenty minutes early, which made me feel responsible and punctual—rare feelings for me.
But when I stepped closer to the window—
She was already inside.
Sitting at a corner table.
Back straight.
Hands wrapped around a warm cup.
Watching the door like she'd been waiting.
"…When did she even…?"
I pushed through the entrance and approached her table. The bell chimed above me—louder than usual, somehow.
She noticed me instantly. Her lips curved into a subtle, small smile, and she lifted her hand in a tiny wave.
A smile.
From her.
'Oh wow. She didn't smile even once inside the Maze… granted, there wasn't much to smile about anyway.'
I slid into the seat across from her. Up close, she looked exactly as I remembered—calm eyes with a faint edge of exhaustion, deep black wavy hair that always seemed perfectly unbothered by gravity, a posture that was small and quiet but unshakably confident.
"It's been a while, Yuwon," she said softly.
"That it has." I loosened my jacket and settled back. "Have you been waiting long? I thought I'd be the first to show up—considering I arrived twenty minutes early, you know…?"
"I got here ten minutes ago," she said with a small shrug. "Couldn't help myself. It's been a while."
A chuckle escaped me before I could stop it. "Yeah… I guess that feeling's mutual."
And then, because I'm me and I have the subtlety of a brick, I immediately added:
"So—last time we talked you hinted at something big. What was that about?"
Smooth. Very smooth.
Her eyes glimmered with faint amusement. "Curious much? I suppose I made you wait long enough."
She rested her elbows lightly on the table, fingers intertwining.
"I work for the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs as well now," she said casually. Just. Like. That. As if she was telling me she got a new haircut.
If I had been drinking anything, it would have ended up sprayed across her face.
My brain stalled.
Completely froze.
Like someone unplugged the entire system.
'WHAT?!'
My mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again.
"Wha—what—? Why would you—how—since when—?" I sounded like someone who forgot how vowels worked. "Sarah, are you messing with me? Did I walk into an illusion anomaly?"
A smug little smile curled onto her lips. She looked almost… proud of herself. Was she enjoying this? She was enjoying this.
"Well," she said, expression softening, "I wanted to make myself useful. To help others. To make sure another tragedy like Josh doesn't happen again."
My chest tightened. Not from grief—but from the meaning behind that choice. The weight she was carrying. The risk she was accepting.
"I get that, Sarah. I really do…" I rubbed my forehead. "But it's a dangerous profession. How did you even apply? With what credentials?"
"I didn't apply," she said. "Nico actually recruited me."
I blinked. "Nico… who?"
"Oh—sorry." She cleared her throat. "I meant Agent Ares."
My brain rewired itself. "The one who came for Supervisor Ash?"
She nodded. "Yes. He thought I had potential. And Supervisor Ash put me into their team."
"Wait—actually?" I scratched the back of my neck, bewildered. "Then how come Julian never told me?"
She tilted her head slightly, curious. "Are you two close?"
Before I could answer, a waitress appeared by the table with a polite smile.
"Good morning! Can I get you something to drink to start?"
We both placed our orders—coffee for her, hot chocolate for me—because caffeine and I had an ongoing feud.
When the waitress left, I leaned back in my seat.
"We're halfway to becoming best friends," I admitted. "We talk a lot now. He's good company—surprisingly."
"I figured you two would get along," she said, her smile returning faintly. "Though I was a little worried you wouldn't make any friends in your new work environment."
I narrowed my eyes.
'The hell is that supposed to mean?'