Najun: “[It’s surprisingly warm and cozy in here. I must not let myself get distracted. If he really intends to kill me, I need to be able to react immediately.]”

  Najun’s eyes slowly close. He falls into a trance even though he resists it. He had hoped he could fight against the capsule’s effect.

  Najun: “[Please don’t let anything happen to me. Please let me become strong. Please let me regain my abilities. Please let me make everyone proud. Please let me fulfill my role in this world…]”

  He loses control over his consciousness.

  Dr. Bunny: “The experiment: Najun’s Reboot begins now. Start recording.”

  The monitor begins recording audio and data. The capsule is a universal device and has often helped Dr. Bunny in the past. He wants to scan Najun’s body to find the cause of his current condition.

  Dr. Bunny: “The number of his memory particles seems normal. Although he has far more memory particles than the average person. What else could be the cause?”

  Dr. Bunny does not show it, but the data Najun provides is extremely valuable. Dr. Bunny has never before encountered a person with such magically high-quality blood. Until now, he had only picked up a few ordinary citizens whose data was barely useful.

  Dr. Bunny: “The brain looks normal. The thalamus and hippocampus appear intact, so his body should technically be able to access magical abilities.”

  During his research, Dr. Bunny learned that the brain is a crucial component of magic in this world. The hippocampus reads information from the blood, and the thalamus ensures that a person does not gain all abilities of a family at once. The thalamus functions as a gatekeeper—without it, the body and brain would likely overload, possibly leading to death.

  Dr. Bunny: “Could it be related to the prefrontal cortex?”

  The prefrontal cortex is responsible for executing and activating magical abilities. The interaction of these three brain regions, along with memory particles, forms the foundation of magic.

  Dr. Bunny believes the issue must lie in the prefrontal cortex, since the other brain regions appear normal.

  Dr. Bunny: “[Come on. Come on.]”

  The answer is no. The prefrontal cortex appears normal as well. Nothing in Najun’s brain is unusual—except for several small purple fragments.

  Dr. Bunny: “[Are those… seeds?]”

  The scans reveal that there are seeds inside Najun’s brain—but not the kind that grow into plants. These seeds have the potential to enter a growth phase and bloom into something entirely different.

  Dr. Bunny: “[If anything were to grow from these seeds, it would result in Najun’s immediate death. I should attempt to remove and examine them.]”

  The capsule has four mechanical arms that allow surgical procedures. Dr. Bunny does not intend to operate fully, but he wants direct contact with Najun’s brain. From one of the mechanical arms emerges a long needle, similar to a lobotomy tool, entering through the eye. The needle can perform precise, non-lethal scans.

  Dr. Bunny: “[Yes. I have reached his prefrontal cortex.]”

  The other arms stabilize Najun’s head to prevent accidental damage.

  Dr. Bunny: “[Perhaps I should inspect these strange seeds as well.]”

  The needle moves deeper into the brain. The arms tilt Najun’s head upward to improve access. One of the seeds is directly in front of the needle.

  Dr. Bunny: “[Should I touch the seed with the needle?]”

  Although Dr. Bunny knows it could be dangerous to disturb the seed, his thirst for knowledge is overwhelming. He licks his lips and tightens his grip on the controls.

  Dr. Bunny: “[I have to do this. For the pursuit of knowledge. Sorry, Najun.]”

  He nudges the seed inside Najun’s brain.

  At first, nothing happens.

  Dr. Bunny releases the controls and looks at Najun through the glass.

  Dr. Bunny: “No reaction?! That can’t be right!”

  He clenches his fists.

  Dr. Bunny: “Kaaaanaaaashimiii!”

  His assistant rushes over.

  Kanashimi: “How can I help you?”

  Dr. Bunny: “Bring me the Terror Key. Now.”

  Kanashimi: “But why? That key is far too dangerous—”

  Dr. Bunny: “Bring me that damn key!”

  Kanashimi flinches and runs to a door. She retrieves a long object wrapped in cloth. She stumbles while running, but quickly gets back up, afraid of being yelled at again.

  Kanashimi: “Here.”

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  Dr. Bunny presses his face against the glass, smiling at the capsule.

  Kanashimi: “Doctor…?”

  He licks the glass and looks up.

  Dr. Bunny: “This is what I call valuable data.”

  Kanashimi approaches the capsule and peers inside. She sees Najun having a seizure—his body shaking violently, his eyes rolling back until only white remains visible.

  Dr. Bunny: “The seeds are firmly embedded in his brain. I must provoke them further.”

  He stabs the seeds repeatedly with the needle. Najun’s convulsions and screams intensify. Saliva splatters across the inside of the capsule.

  Kanashimi: “You’re killing him! Stop!”

  Dr. Bunny: “What was that? Be quiet before I kill you.”

  Kanashimi moves toward the monitor to release Najun. Dr. Bunny punches her in the face.

  Dr. Bunny: “Touch that again and you’ll regret it.”

  Although she wants to keep trying, her fear overwhelms her. She doesn’t even understand why she cares so much about a boy she barely knows—she just wants the suffering to stop.

  Kanashimi: “You’re a doctor. You’re supposed to help people, not just research them.”

  He ignores her sobbing on the floor and continues observing Najun’s agony. He had expected this reaction—but seeing it firsthand is incredible.

  Dr. Bunny: “I wonder what’s happening inside his head right now.”

  Something truly is happening inside Najun’s mind.

  He finds himself once again sitting at a table, surrounded by dark mist.

  Najun: “Here again? Mister Mystery!”

  Mister Mysterium: “I see. So we’ve already reached this point in time.”

  Before Najun can continue speaking, he is slapped across the face. Then again. And again. Najun stops counting after thirteen. His cheeks burn red with pain.

  Mister Mysterium: “How can you be this stupid? Why did you enter that capsule? Are you trying to ruin our plan?”

  Najun: “What plan?”

  Mister Mysterium continues speaking, but once again Najun cannot hear him. His mouth moves, more slaps follow.

  The dark mist wraps around Najun—and he wakes up in a bed.

  He is drenched in sweat and quickly sits up. The scene resembles his very first awakening from the dark dimension. And just like before, someone is sitting beside his bed.

  This time, it is Dr. Bunny.

  Dr. Bunny: “You’re finally awake. Thank goodness. I thought I had killed you.”

  Najun: “What…?”

  Dr. Bunny drops to his knees and presses his forehead against the floor.

  Dr. Bunny: “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

  Najun: “What are you apologizing for? I don’t understand.”

  Dr. Bunny: “I carried out the experiment and treatment as agreed. I was supposed to help your condition while conducting research. Right?”

  Najun: “Yes.”

  Najun swallows nervously, fear creeping in as he anticipates the doctor’s next words.

  Dr. Bunny: “Good. Unfortunately, I was unable to restore your magical abilities or your ability to read. The reading issue is caused by the so-called ‘seeds’ inside your brain—likely connected to the hand you mentioned.”

  Najun: “And my magic?”

  Dr. Bunny: “The three brain regions responsible for magic usage are functioning normally. The cause of your magical blockage is external.”

  Najun: “External…?”

  Dr. Bunny: “Exactly. We still need to identify what that external influence is. With more tests, we’ll know more.”

  Najun: “More tests? At least that’s a glimmer of hope.”

  Dr. Bunny: “One thing that may cheer you up: the seizure stimulated your body. Your physical abilities should change slightly—especially after the medication I administered. It may take time to take effect.”

  The words do not motivate him. They make him sadder.

  Out of respect, Dr. Bunny leaves the room.

  Dr. Bunny: “Kanashimi.”

  Kanashimi: “Yes?”

  Dr. Bunny: “Please take care of that poor boy. And don’t tell him anything about his—or my—episode.”

  Kanashimi: “Of course.”

  She touches her cheek. The doctor always follows the same pattern: kind → curious → obsessive → aggressive and violent → kind again. Kanashimi recognized it long ago and adapts accordingly. This time, she lost control as well.

  She hears sniffling as she reaches for the door handle. Through the crack, she sees Najun crying—tears soaking into the bedsheets. She hesitates before entering. The only emotion Najun feels right now is sadness.

  Najun: “[What am I supposed to do now? Without my abilities, I can’t go home. I can’t even manage mail if I can’t read.]”

  He wipes his tears away. His teeth chatter.

  Najun: “[What will happen to me if I can’t do anything? What will Father say? What will my siblings say? No… this can’t be real.]”

  Soft footsteps interrupt his thoughts. Kanashimi quickly turns on the air conditioning, takes a deep breath, and closes her eyes. She walks over to Najun and presses her face into his blanket.

  Najun hears a muffled scream inside the blanket.

  After about half a minute, she pulls back and looks at him. He immediately notices her injured face.

  Najun: “Are you okay?”

  Kanashimi: “That was necessary. A scream to release things.”

  Najun: “Okay…”

  He looks away awkwardly, unsure what to say.

  Kanashimi: “How are you feeling?”

  Najun: “Fine. The experiment was very exhausting.”

  Kanashimi: “The doctor said you’ll need to wait before the next treatment so your body doesn’t overload.”

  Najun: “Mm.”

  He fights back more tears, biting his lower lip, his face contorted with pain.

  Kanashimi: “Would you like something to eat?”

  Najun: “No.”

  Kanashimi: “Something to read or watch?”

  Najun: “No.”

  She doesn’t know what else to do. Dr. Bunny didn’t specify how long she should take care of him.

  Kanashimi: “[I need to distract him.]”

  Kanashimi: “This may sound strange, but maybe you’d like to help me with my tasks. You seem like someone who works to distract themselves.”

  Najun: “Why do I seem like that?”

  Kanashimi: “No idea. Will you accept?”

  Najun hesitates.

  Najun: “In that case… yes.”

  With slight dizziness, he stands up. Kanashimi gives him clean clothes and a mop. They start by cleaning the floor, finishing quickly.

  Kanashimi had asked Najun to stay quiet and hidden—Dr. Bunny must not find out that a patient is cleaning. According to her, he will be locked in his private lab for a long time, analyzing the data from the Najun Reboot Experiment.

  Najun: “You were right. This really distracts me from our little failure.”

  Kanashimi: “I’m glad.”

  Next, they sort Dr. Bunny’s tools.

  Najun: “What happened to your face?”

  Kanashimi: “I was reprimanded for inappropriate behavior.”

  Najun: “What did you do?”

  Kanashimi: “Uh… behaved inappropriately. No need to go into detail.”

  She doesn’t tell him that she feels drawn to Najun—she doesn’t know whether it’s romantic, platonic, or unconditional. But something is there. Something deep emotional.

  Najun: “I think it’s excessive. Your cheek looks really bad.”

  Kanashimi: “I know. Don’t worry—it’s not the first time. I just need to learn to always behave properly.”

  Najun: “That sounds toxic.”

  Their conversation pauses as they carry a large box.

  Najun: “How did you end up here?”

  Kanashimi: “The doctor found me injured. He treated me, and you could say he raised me in a way. I can’t tell if I’ve been here a month or several years. But I don’t plan on leaving.”

  Najun: “Why not? I know the doctor isn’t entirely bad, but the way he treats you isn’t okay.”

  Kanashimi: “I have nothing else. My life was gray and empty. When he took me with him and brought me to this land, I felt fulfilled.”

  They move toward the capsules to clean them. They chitchat a lot and Najun even laughs a little bit. His sadness isn’t gone but it’s definitely weakened.

  Kanashimi: “Cleaning the capsules is the hardest part of my job. They’re shaped so strangely and—”

  She notices Najun isn’t listening. He’s staring at one of the capsules, mouth wide open.

  Kanashimi: “[Is the sight of the capsules triggering him? Another seizure?]”

  She drops her cloth and knocks over the bucket. Before she can snap him out of it, he blurts out:

  Najun: “Why is that #!￥!# being held in this capsule?”