CHAPTER 3: THE MYSTERY UNFOLDED

Agatha used the ID card and it opened the door to the Red Zone. Inside, she found a lab with luminous surroundings. At the far end of the lab stood an old man, his gaze fixed on Agatha. Everything around her seemed to vanish, except for the man. With tears streaming down her cheeks, Agatha moved toward him, her emotions finally breaking through after years of numbness.

"Grandpa," she sobbed, falling into his arms and embracing him tightly. "Where were you? We searched everywhere when you went missing. How did you end up here? What are you doing in this place? I love you so much, I missed you so much."

"Agatha, I am a creation of your imagination," Grandpa revealed gently. "I exist as a manifestation of your intense emotions. Come, let me show you how I came to be." He led her to a covered equipment, unveiling a collection of beautiful flasks. Each flask held a different colorful memory from Agatha's life. Among them was the dark memory of Grandpa's disappearance, which had generated the physical presence of his living memoir. Agatha could touch and talk to him, but he could never truly return to her life.

"Why am I here?" Agatha asked softly, seeking answers.

"I reside in your unconscious, Agatha. I am the embodiment of your most intense energy. You could say I am always with you, even when you are not consciously aware of it. You are here with a purpose. This lab was built by my father, and I showed you pictures of it when you were younger. That's why you chose to envision me in this lab. It shows how much I and everything associated with me mean to you," Grandpa explained.

Agatha's disappointment became evident. Despite the connection she felt, she realized that he was merely a memoir, not her real grandfather. His knowledge would forever remain within her reach alone. After a moment, she asked, "Grandpa, I want to explore the lab. I want to find answers. Maybe your father had some, considering you told me about his book, 'How to close the Pandora's box,' which delves into the last days of Earth and how it can be saved."

"You may proceed, Agatha. But remember, I only showed you pictures of certain areas of this lab. The most important one is my father's Loop Room. I showed you its glass door, and our vision could only glimpse a few things beyond it," Grandpa directed. "Can you find a way to modify your engrams so that you can fulfill your destiny?" he asked, urging her forward.

Agatha pondered for a moment and then replied, "Engrams? You mean the smallest fragments of memories that may have been overshadowed by larger events? I must search for them, but it will require concentration and time. I need to hurry; otherwise, Logan, Mum, and Dad will die. I'll work with what I already have, or else I'll have to leave this place and search elsewhere."

"I'll go to the Loop Room. As far as I recall, it's located in the left corner of the corridor," Agatha determined. Upon reaching the room, she discovered that the door was closed. "I must open it and alter my memory, but how? Perhaps I need to sleep and dream about it. I have something that can help me remember my dream, allowing me to manipulate the spaces within my memoirs."

Agatha needed to take the Galantamine drug to enhance her dream recall. She began searching for it in the first aid room, which she remembered clearly from her memoirs. She found the drug in the sleep section, took it, and fell asleep with the thought of opening the door.

Agatha reached the Loop Room and to her surprise, the door was already open. However, only half of the room was visible, as depicted in the picture, while the other half was bathed in a hazy, luminescent light. Determined, Agatha knew she had to search for whatever remained, whether it was her great grandfather's half-written page or half-assembled machines. She understood that she would have to complete it all by herself.

On the page, she found the word "GARNIK" written in capital letters, but the other half of the page remained inaccessible within Agatha's memories. Drawing on her wit, she recalled the term and realized its significance in relation to unfinished tasks and memory. The word was "ZEIGARNIK." As soon as she uttered it, a portion of the room materialized near the page lying on the table. A mystery began to unfold before Agatha's eyes.

She understood that in order to paint a complete picture of the room in her memoir, she had to complete every half of the missing pieces. Agatha embarked on the task, driven by her determination to unravel the secrets of this Loop Room