The stench of blood and metal had swallowed the central zoo.

"You damned monster!"

The cry of the young noble responsible for caring for the animals was cut abruptly short when half of his face was sliced away by a clean, cold cut, as though an invisible blade had drawn a perfect line across it.

His body crashed heavily onto the cobblestone ground, and the wet sound of his skull striking the stone blended with the distant echoes of barking.

There, beneath the veil of darkness, in a place that teemed with both human and animal life during the day, the stench of blood flowed through every corridor and enclosure like an unstoppable tide. It seeped through the gaps in the cages, soaked into the stone walls, and stirred the animals with a primitive bloodlust that drove them mad. The beasts roared, clawed at the bars, and their eyes gleamed with a savage light that reflected the chaos spreading all around them.

Screams. Flashes of spells flying from every direction. Blue and crimson sparks illuminated the darkness for brief instants, revealing silhouettes running, falling, dying.

"Quick! Call the Military Knights! We need reinforcements! We can't hold—"

A wet, grotesque sound cut off the security chief's order. His body collapsed like an empty sack, leaving only two of what had once been a dozen guards. The rest lay scattered across the ground in positions nature had never intended for the human body.

The figure completely concealed beneath a heavy coat drenched in blood advanced without haste. Their footsteps were slow, as though they enjoyed the sound of their boots splashing through crimson puddles.

The two guards had a simple mission: prevent that creature from hell from reaching the officials stationed in the most dangerous sections. No matter how. No matter the cost. They only had to stop it.

"Quick, close the door!"

"Run!"

The guards barked their orders as the officials fled in terror, dragging robes stained with panic behind them. The older of the two, a veteran with silver hair and scars that told the stories of forgotten battles, clenched his jaw and channeled his Aura. Power surged through his veins like liquid fire, warming his limbs and sharpening his senses.

"Connect: Manipulative Magic—Aquatic Sorcery. Condense. Hydro Jet. Release."

At the sound of his voice, his hands glowed with a deep blue radiance. Brutal streams of pressurized water burst from his palms with such force that the air itself seemed to tear apart in their wake. The liquid projectiles streaked through the darkness like serpents, seeking the heart of the shadow-cloaked silhouette.

But the trench-coated figure moved. They dodged the first volley with a simple tilt of the head so fluid it looked rehearsed. Then they slid across the ground beneath the second stream before rolling aside with the grace of a hunting feline.

"Damn it," the veteran cursed through gritted teeth.

Without hesitation, he raised his power even further. The water around him began to tremble, hanging suspended in the air like tears frozen in time. His Aura shone brighter, and his eyes turned electric blue.

"Connect: Manipulative Magic—Aquatic Sorcery. Condense. Multi-Water Bullet Deployment. Release."

He unleashed a Level II sorcery. His body became the center of a raging torrent of energy, and a massive jet of water erupted from the ground before exploding into dozens of blue bullets. They shot outward in every direction, forming a tidal wave of projectiles meant to corner his enemy.

But the figure calmly adjusted their hat. The gesture was almost insulting, as though the attack wasn't even worth acknowledging.

Then they charged straight into the storm of bullets. They dodged every single one with movements resembling a macabre dance, twisting and weaving between the impacts like a phantom defying the very laws of physics.

"Connect: Manipulative Magic—Aquatic Sorcery. Condense. Hydro Jet. Release."

His younger companion seized the opening and continued firing the water jet, pushing its pressure to the absolute limit. The stream struck the ground with such force that chunks of stone exploded into fragments.

"Eisen," the figure commanded in a metallic voice devoid of all emotion.

FWOOSH!

The young guard's arms were sent flying.

Then his head.

His body collapsed with a dull thud, and blood gushed from the severed stumps like cursed fountains.

"NO! AARGH!"

The veteran lost his concentration for a single second.

That single second sealed his fate.

A brutal slash tore across his abdomen from side to side, nearly cutting him in half. The impact was so violent that his intestines spilled onto the ground along with a torrent of blood that stained the cobblestones an even darker shade of red than the night itself.

The veteran guard dropped to his knees. His trembling hands desperately tried to hold together the catastrophe that was his split-open abdomen. His fingers sank into the warm, slippery flesh, but it was useless.

He could feel his life slipping through his fingers.

"Don't feel too bad, old man," the figure said, their voice sounding as though it came from a metallic throat. "I'm way out of your league."

The guard raised his head, but his eyes could no longer focus. Pain was a tide dragging him toward unconsciousness, yet the pride of a veteran noble refused to surrender so easily.

"Aghh..."

"Shhh. Go to sleep," the figure whispered with an almost maternal gentleness.

Then, with utter disdain, they turned their back on the guard.

As though he were nothing more than an inconvenience.

As though his death wasn't even worth a second glance.

The veteran clenched his teeth in fury. The humiliation cut deeper than the pain, deeper than the wound itself.

That man...

That demon...

He was walking away without giving him a second thought, insulting someone who had served the Crown for forty years.

Relying on nothing but sheer willpower, he managed to activate his Aura one final time.

Energy surged from deep within him like a dying gasp, like one last cry of defiance.

"Connect: Manipulative Magic—Aquatic Sorcery. Condense. Hydro Jet. Release."

The jet of water burst from his hands, now weak and trembling. But this time, the figure didn't have time to dodge. The impact struck them squarely in the head, knocking off their hat and forcing them to take a step back.

The hat spun through the air before landing on the ground, and the dim glow of the emergency lights illuminated the face hidden beneath it.

The guard felt his heart stop.

What he saw... was a horrifying metallic face. Not a human face, but a mask of rusted iron, with long, razor-sharp nails piercing the flesh around the eyes, encircling the entire skull. The spikes had been driven into the flesh as though their wearer had been subjected to a ritual of torture from which they could never escape.

But the worst part wasn't the eyes.

It was that their skin and flesh seemed to be made of pulsating metal, beating as though they were living organs.

"W... What... the hell?"

The guard tried to speak, but only a hoarse rasp escaped his throat. His mind struggled to process what he was seeing, to find some shred of reason within that nightmarish image.

But he couldn't.

There was none.

"Ah... how boring," the metallic figure said, their voice sounding distant, as though they were already somewhere else, in another place, another time.

The veteran's body fell backward, and the light faded from his eyes, taking with it the horror of what he had witnessed.

---

Moonlight filtered through the empty cages, casting long shadows across the zoo's corridors.

"Oh, by all the gods... wh-what the hell happened here?" a young knight muttered, covering his mouth to keep himself from vomiting.

"I-I don't know, man," his companion replied, pale as a ghost. "But... whatever it was... it was horrifying."

The soldiers advanced with cautious steps, avoiding the pools of blood that spread across the floor like crimson lakes. The stench was unbearable, a metallic mixture of blood and rotting flesh that clung to their throats and refused to let go.

"What kind of monster would attack a damn zoo and kill everyone?" another knight asked, covering his nose, his voice trembling.

"You don't think... it could've been the Injae?" suggested a young blond-haired soldier, his eyes still wide after emerging from one of the cages.

"Shut up, idiot," an older soldier interrupted, his face lined with wrinkles of concern. "Those things went extinct centuries ago."

"No. Didn't you know? There's still a group of them alive," the young man insisted, clinging to his theory like a drowning man to driftwood. "But... as far as I know, they're in another country. A distant, isolated one."

The soldiers were still struggling to suppress their nausea.

Entrails, scattered human remains, blood covering every inch of the corridors... everything had been strewn about as though a storm of blades had swept through the place.

And they still didn't have a single clue as to why such a horrific massacre had taken place.

A silver-haired commander approached the group, his expression tense and his jaw clenched.

"Find anything useful?"

"No," one of the soldiers replied, shaking his head. "We're still looking for clues or survivors, but so far... there's no good news."

The commander frowned. His gaze swept over the corridors, the open cages, the bodies sprawled across the ground.

Something didn't add up.

"Hmm... what exactly happened here...?"

"An anti-magic group. They call themselves... the 'Children of Calydon.'"

The knights, who had been whispering among themselves until then, immediately fell silent at the sound of a woman's voice. It came from the zoo's entrance, clear and sharp as the edge of a blade.

The moment they recognized that voice, everyone stood at attention.

Clad in a full suit of armor that gleamed beneath the moonlight, creating a strange contrast between her beauty and the slaughter surrounding her, the Captain of the Special Squadron, Stardust, stepped onto the scene.

"C-Captain Bell," the commander greeted, bowing respectfully.

"At ease," Bell said without taking her eyes off the bodies. "Any survivors?"

"No, ma'am," the commander replied gravely.

Bell gave a slow nod. Her expression didn't change, but a flicker of concern lit up her eyes.

"I see."

"Forgive my insolence, but... how are you so certain it was that radical group?"

Bell turned toward him. There wasn't the slightest hint of hesitation in her voice beneath the helmet.

"There's a bloody handprint outside," she said calmly. "That group uses it as their signature. They're sick in the head, if you ask me. That's not what's important. What matters is figuring out why they attacked this place."

The commander frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"That's exactly what I've been wondering. It doesn't make sense. Those extremist groups attack strategic locations or places with social importance. A zoo? Sure, people gather here, but..."

"Not at night," Bell interrupted. "Especially not unless they're trying to break the people's morale. They weren't after attention."

"They were after something."

"Something? Like what?"

Bell turned on her heel and began walking down the main corridor, her armor softly clinking with each step. She raised her voice just enough for everyone to hear.

"Tell me. Have you checked all the animals yet?"

The soldiers exchanged confused glances.

"Huh? N-Not really... why would that matter?"

"Do it," Bell ordered without looking back.

"Yes, ma'am!" the commander shouted, turning toward his men. "Move! Check every animal immediately!"

The soldiers scattered in every direction, leaving Bell alone in the central corridor. She remained motionless for several seconds, watching the shadows dancing around her.

I don't like this... Sounds like it's going to be a night full of work. Ugh... what a drag...

Bell began moving through the area, making her way down the corridors with steady steps. If her suspicions were correct, it would be best to inspect the more exotic animals first. Her instincts told her that was where the answer lay.

Walking through the cobblestone hallways, where blood and mangled flesh had piled into revolting heaps, she arrived at a section isolated from the rest. A green sign, flickering as though damaged, displayed the name of the area: Exotic Animals.

"Hmm. Let's see..."

"Greetings, young Bell."

Bell spun around instantly. Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword, her body tensed like a coiled spring, and her Aura erupted around her with the force of a gale. Her eyes swept through the darkness, searching for the intruder who had managed to slip past her senses unnoticed.

But the moment she recognized who it was, the tension melted away like morning mist.

"Good grief, don't do that, Madame Herz," Bell said, letting out a relieved sigh. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Oh my~," a soft, melodious voice chuckled from the shadows. "Someone as young as you shouldn't be worrying about things like that."

A woman emerged from the darkness, dressed in an elegant office suit that contrasted sharply with the carnage surrounding her. Her snow-white hair was tied into a flawless bun, and her golden eyes shone with ancient wisdom. She carried a finely carved wooden cane that tapped against the ground with every step.

"Leave that to old fossils like me."

Herz let out a laugh that felt completely out of place given the gravity of the situation, and Bell felt a chill run down her spine. It wasn't the laughter of a madwoman.

It was the laughter of someone who knew something no one else did.

"No laughing?" Herz asked, raising an eyebrow at Bell's expression. "Okay, I get it. My apologies for the poor timing... and for the scare. I came as quickly as I could after sensing the disturbance in my Golden Thread."

"Not quickly enough..." Bell murmured, a flicker of frustration crossing her eyes.

"Ah, young lady... that's true. Keep it a secret, but these old bones you see here aren't what they used to be," Herz said, her smile fading for just a moment. "Neither is my magic..."

Bell frowned.

There was something in Herz's tone she didn't like.

Something that didn't fit.

"So... the Golden Thread is failing?"

"Sometimes," Herz admitted with a sigh. "But..."

"But?"

"No ordinary person should know that... unless..."

Herz stopped mid-sentence.

Her gaze drifted into the distance, as though she were seeing something Bell couldn't perceive.

"Excuse me, Madame Herz," Bell said sharply. "What was that?"

Herz blinked and returned to reality. Her smile slowly reappeared.

"Nothing. Just that I'm getting very old," she said, though the cheerfulness in her voice sounded forced.

Bell didn't like the expression Herz had worn for that brief moment, but she chose not to ask. She preferred keeping her job. As much as she answered directly to the King, angering the Strongest Creature in the World wasn't exactly wise.

Rumor had it that Herz had once been a living legend, a sorceress so powerful she could bend reality with nothing more than a whisper. And although she now appeared to be a harmless old woman, Bell knew those stories were anything but exaggerations.

"Now then," Herz said, picking the conversation back up, "what do we have?"

"I think the Children of Calydon were behind the attack," Bell replied, crossing her arms over her armor. "My theory is that they stole animal specimens. As for their motive... no idea. Right before you nearly gave me that heart attack, I was about to investigate that theory."

"Then let's go."

"Captain Bell—!"

A soldier came running toward them, panting heavily, his face as pale as death. The moment he noticed Madame Herz, he froze in place, his jaw dropping.

"AH! M-M-MADAME H-H-HERZ!?"

"Save the shock," Bell said impatiently. "Get to the point."

"Please, young man," Herz added gently. "I'd appreciate that as well. What did you find?"

The soldier swallowed hard before answering.

"Several animals are missing from this specific area," he said, pointing toward the Exotic Animals section. "We also found several caretakers slaughtered inside one of the rooms. One of them had the records."

"That..." Bell murmured.

"That sounds troublesome, young ones," Herz said, and all warmth vanished from her voice.

Bell felt the wind turn cold.

Something was stirring within the shadows.

Something neither she nor Herz fully understood.

The Children of Calydon weren't just another extremist group. They were fanatics—radicals who hated magic with a passion that bordered on madness.

But why would they steal exotic animals?

It didn't make sense.

Something was slipping into the world through the darkness.

Something that had been waiting for centuries.

And Bell, despite her armor and her rank, felt a chill crawl slowly down her spine.

---

SLAP!

The sharp crack of a hard slap burst against my eardrums. For an instant, the world turned white—a blinding flash that erased everything.

Then came the burning.

First like a sting.

Then like fire spreading across my cheek, scorching every inch of skin.

An unbearable itch, so deep it almost felt as though someone had ripped my flesh away. My fingers moved on instinct, and with tears streaming down my cheeks, I brought my small hand to the spot that had been struck.

I wanted to make sure my skin was still there.

But I wasn't sure of anything.

"¡M&&##*, how dare you say something like that to us!?"

The voice reached me distorted, as though someone were speaking from the bottom of a well. The words stretched and shrank, losing their shape... their meaning.

Was that... my name?

I blinked, and the world around me trembled. The walls rippled like water, and the colors became so saturated they were unrecognizable.

Everything was too bright.

Too loud.

And at the same time... empty.

Who... am I?

I looked at my hands.

They were too small.

Too delicate.

My fingers trembled, and there was a tiny birthmark on my palm that I didn't remember ever seeing before.

Were they mine?

Were they really my hands?

No... they're not mine.

...Or are they?

Of course... They're mine.

Mine...

Mine...

A buzzing filled my ears. The ceiling began to crack, and through the fractures seeped a flickering white light, like the glow of a broken television. It flickered once. Twice and with every flicker, the room changed.

"¡M&&##*, ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!?"

The name echoed again, but this time the letters shattered into fragments.

M... #ERROR#.

A chill ran down my spine.

That's right.

I'm... M#ERROR#.

And they... they were [RELOADING = INVALID /Syntax/].

The words warped inside my mind, refusing to take shape. It was like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands.

I knew they had to be something.

Someone.

But the name disappeared every time I tried to hold onto it.

I blinked again, and the darkness surrounding them cleared for a brief moment.

I recognized them.

Or at least... I thought I did.

They were faces I should have known.

People who were supposed to love me.

But their expressions...

Why were they looking at me with so much hatred?

The terror of seeing them was indescribable. Their faces twisted. Their muscles tightened and relaxed in unnatural waves.

Their expressions melted, dripping like hot wax, and the sounds coming from their mouths weren't words anymore.

Just noise.

Their faces kept falling apart until even the flesh gave way, peeling off their bones with a wet, grotesque sound.

SPLASH.

It hit the floor like a pile of filthy rags.

I wanted to scream.

But my throat was locked shut.

"#”r!1=, DddOoON'T ever meNNNnTioN that agA...__iN, DO YOU HEAR ME!?"

The words shattered into pieces like glass hitting the floor.

Their mouths moved.

But the sounds didn't match.

It was like watching a badly dubbed movie where the audio and video refused to line up.

"I-I..." My voice came out trembling, broken. "I don't want to be away from my..."

SLAP!

Before I could finish, another blow struck me.

Harder this time.

My head snapped to the side, and I felt something warm and metallic spread across my tongue.

What was that?

I'd tasted it before... But I couldn't remember where.

...Blood...?

The word drifted into my mind like a whisper, though I wasn't sure it was right.

I'd NEVER experienced that feeling before, but it was horrible.

Terrifying, even.

The taste lingered inside my mouth, clinging to the roof like a promise of pain.

I thought that with them I could...

I-I don't understand...

"YOU CAN'T %%%%%%%%, DO YOU HEAR ME!?"

"Sweetheart, you're breaking our hearts," my father's voice? came from behind me, but when I turned around, his face dissolved into a cloud of pixels. "But don't worry, we can fixYYYoooouuuUUUUUUUU #ERROR#."

The error repeated itself.

This time louder.

The words stretched like chewing gum before snapping apart.

My father—or whatever that thing was—flickered.

His image doubled.

Tripled.

Until there were a dozen of him staring at me with empty eyes.

"W-Why?"

My voice was barely a whisper.

My hands trembled.

It felt as though the floor were opening beneath my feet.

The room rippled like a mirage.

Every time I blinked, something changed.

A painting on the wall.

The color of the curtains.

The position of the table.

Nothing was stable.

Is it really that wrong?

Is what I f___ep__l really thAaaAt wro-/ERROR/ng?

The words caught in my throat.

Wait...

What exactly am I feeling?

They... They look so... Horrible.

Their faces have become masks of pure rage.

Their eyes are two black voids piercing straight through me.

Or maybe...

The thought struck like a knife.

Could it be...

Am I...?

ZooZooSoZy YY y yYY Yii Yyoooo IIIIIIIIIIiiIII

---

"AAAHHHHH!"

I bolted upright in bed, my heart pounding so violently I could feel it in my throat.

I was drenched in sweat.

My nightgown clung to my skin like a second, soaking-wet layer, and the sheets were so soaked it felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of water over me while I slept.

"Ah! Ah... G-God... what the freakin' hell was that?"

My voice came out hoarse, barely more than a broken whisper.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my legs trembling, and wiped the thick beads of sweat from my forehead.

My fingers were cold.

Or maybe my forehead was burning.

I didn't know.

I couldn't tell anymore.

I can't remember what I dreamed...

I blinked several times, trying to focus on the room around me.

The morning light filtered through the curtains, dim and gray, as though the day itself were waking from a nightmare.

Everything looked normal.

The cluttered desk.

The books piled on the floor.

The dress hanging over the chair.

But something didn't feel right.

The air itself felt heavy, as though it were charged with static electricity.

But I feel awful.

Like I just experienced the worst thing my mind could possibly imagine.

I swallowed, and my throat scraped like sandpaper.

I placed a hand over my chest.

My heart was still beating far too fast, far too hard, hammering against my ribs like a bird trapped inside a cage.

My hands are shaking.

My mouth's completely dry.

No doubt about it.

I had a nightmare.

But...

About what?

I rested my elbows on my knees and buried my face in my hands.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to catch even a fragment of that dream, but there was nothing. Only a black, sticky void that refused to be illuminated.

"God... I can't remember anything,"

The room looked exactly the same as always.

Yet somehow...

Different.

The shadows in the corners seemed deeper.

Longer.

The air carried a scent I couldn't identify.

Something metallic.

As though old blood had seeped into the walls.

I blinked.

The smell vanished.

I must still be half asleep.

I carefully got to my feet, feeling my legs threaten to give out beneath me.

The wooden floor creaked under my bare feet, and somehow the sound felt far too loud, far too intrusive in the morning silence.

"...Should I call the system?"

The question hung in the air.

The answer came almost immediately.

No.

I have a feeling that'd be a really bad idea.

I couldn't explain why, but something deep inside me told me not to.

The system's been acting strangely lately.

Those errors.

Those interruptions.

A chill ran down my spine.

I'd... I'd better go for a walk or something.

Going back to sleep is completely out of the question.

I looked at the messy bed, the wrinkled, damp sheets, and the pillow still marked by the shape of my head.

The mere thought of lying down again made me nauseous.

"God," I sighed, running my fingers through my tangled hair. "What a way to start a new day, huh?"

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

Had I really expected anything different?

The life I was living now wasn't normal.

Nothing around me was normal.

And I was still pretending I could somehow keep it all under control.

I wonder if anyone else has to deal with this kind of shit...

I stared at the blurry reflection of my face in the vanity mirror.

Tired eyes.

Dry lips.

Hair plastered against my temples.

It was like looking at a stranger.

"Heh," I laughed, though there wasn't a trace of joy in it. "Of course... I'm the only one with this kind of rotten luck."

---