The words hit Jisung while he was still seated on the floor, watching Seth get dragged away.
The two masked figures in white medical gear hauled the screaming man through the doorway without slowing down. Seth’s voice cracked one last time before the door sealed shut behind them, cutting the sound off completely. The corridor fell quiet again. Only the low pulse of the runes along the walls remained.
Even long after Seth was gone, the words still echoed in Jisung’s mind.
"These are bad people. Run!"
’...what did he mean?’
Jisung sighed. In his current state, those words made no sense.
He sighed, wiping the back of his hand across his eyes and forced himself to his feet. His head still throbbed from the earlier skill backlash, but the worst of the doubled vision had faded. He could stand firmly now, walk and even see clearly. And that was enough.
Squeak!
He looked up as the door the other men went through suddenly opened. Two figures were walking towards him, in near-identical, quiet strides. They wore the same clean medical apparel as the men that dragged Seth away. A mask covered the lower half of their faces. Their voices, when they spoke, were calm and almost gentle.
"Follow me, Participant 34. To begin stage two of the Procedures." One of the men said.
Jisung hesitated. Every instinct told him not to follow them. Seth’s words were still ringing in his ears, but he fought to silence them all.
’This is Paradise. What the hell is he talking about?’ he thought. ’I have to follow these men. I don’t really have a choice.’
The corridor behind him was barely lit and empty. The only light came from the direction they indicated. He had nowhere else to go.
After a brief hesitation, he nodded and they began leading the way.
He followed close behind them.
His stomach tightened but he concluded it wasn’t more than nerves. ’...as Teresa said,’ he thought to himself. ’We can’t stop halfway. I must work hard to finish the Procedures.’
Soon, they were before a large door and the men pushed it open. The room the door led to felt familiar at first.
It shared the same basic layout as the Diary Session chamber. It was two distinct halves separated by a wide transparent barrier.
On the far side the lighting was bright and clinical. Several people in matching uniforms sat at long tables, some typing on thin devices, others writing by hand, all of them watching the darker half of the room with quiet focus. The whole setup looked organized and focused.
The other side of the room which the men led him to, sat in shadow, dim enough that Jisung had to squint to make anything out. The air felt cooler here. The floor was smooth and slightly reflective under the dim glow of the runes. Along the length of the wall stood a row of narrow beds, each one fitted with thick straps and metal fixtures that looked far too solid for ordinary medical use.
Then he saw them. Beds. Rows of them, spaced evenly, each with a single figure lying still beneath thin sheets.
He counted without meaning to.
’Ten.’ He blinked. ’...ten?!’
On nine of those beds, all nine of the participants who had been called before him were already there. They lay on the beds in neat order, eyes completely shut, bodies completely still.
Seth was among them too, near the middle. He was quiet now, as if the chaos from only minutes earlier had never happened. The contrast was so sharp it made Jisung’s stomach tighten even more. Whatever fight Seth had put up was gone. Right now, he looked like he was only sleeping.
Jisung stopped walking. He could feel his heart beat rising gradually.
One of the masked figures placed a hand lightly on his shoulder and guided him forward.
"You’re fine. Just lie down here."
Jisung obeyed.
"What’s going on?" He finally asked after a long moment of silence.
They did not answer.
He tried again, louder. "Hey. Tell me what’s going on."
The second figure spoke without looking at him. "Participant 34, stay still. It is not going to hurt. We’ll be done in a minute."
Jisung’s pulse jumped. He started to sit up the moment the back of his legs touched the edge of the bed. But a firm hand pushed him back down. The grip was controlled, but there was no warmth in it.
"Don’t do that again." The warmth in their voices had completely vanished.
Suddenly, the memory of Seth’s voice echoed in his mind again.
"Run. These are bad people. Run!"
He felt goosebumps all over his body. His senses sharpened all at once. The danger he was in became clear as day.
’I have to get out of here.’
He moved to bolt off the bed but he didn’t get very far. Something cold and metallic snapped around both wrists at the same time. A wider band locked across his midsection. Two more wrapped around his ankles. The restraints pulled tight in one smooth motion, pinning him flat against the mattress.
A message rang out.
[Unique Ability Subjugation In Use]
Jisung’s eyes widened with shock.
He twisted hard against the restraints, using every bit of strength he could force into his arms and legs.
He let out a loud grunt as he pulled even harder but it didn’t bulge. The metal felt heavier than it looked. But he didn’t give up. He tried again, pulling harder.
The bed frame groaned beneath him. One of the masked men holding his shoulders nearly lost his footing.
"Dude, stay still!" He barked.
"Let me go!" Jisung’s voice came out rough. "Let me—"
The second figure leaned in and pressed down harder on his other arm. Jisung thrashed, every muscle fighting the restraints at once, adrenaline burning through whatever calm he’d managed to hold onto.
"How is he this strong?" the first man muttered.
"Definitely stronger than the last," the second hissed. "Bring the injection. Now!"
Jisung almost broke the grip on his left arm. For a split second the pressure eased a little. He peeked at it and surged upward with everything he had left.
Until he felt a sharp sting at the side of his neck. Cold liquid spread under the skin almost immediately.
He froze.
The violent thrashing slowed against his will. His arms grew heavy. The sound of his own breathing slowly faded. He tried to keep yelling, but the words struggled to come out each time.
"Let me... go..." he managed.
His vision narrowed. The two masked faces above him blurred.
’Let... me...’
The bright observation side of the room became a smear of white light and moving shapes. He could still feel the metal against his wrists and ankles, but the sensation was fading, as if his nerves were being switched off one by one.
His eyelids grew heavy, dragging shut no matter how much he willed them open. The last thing he saw was the quiet click of someone adjusting a device near his head.
’...go.’
Silence filled the room.
Beep!
Beep!
Beep!
"Finally! Oh my god!"
One of the masked figures let out a long breath and gave a short, humorless chuckle.
"Man. And I thought the other guy was worse."
The second figure only sighed. He straightened his coat and touched the small device at his ear, and spoke in a low, professional tone.
"Head back. It’s time."
He turned toward the bright side of the room and waited. After a moment he nodded once, as if receiving confirmation through the earpiece. Then he looked down at the still form of Jisung on the bed.
"Operation Dream Surrogacy is ready to commence."
He raised one hand and began the count in a calm, even voice.
"In three... two... one."
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Author’s Note: If you’re enjoying the novel, don’t forget to add it to your library and show some support. It really helps!
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