The Disappearance of Ejin

Ivy's belongings had been moved into the office room. Asic kept training in the basement as part of his daily routine. Mining still required months of preparation, so he had plenty of free time. Asic rarely came upstairs, only meeting Ivy for meals or sleep.

But Ivy didn't feel lonely. In fact, she loved it. It was like the entire office was their personal love nest, undisturbed by anyone else. And every night, Asic played his part as the perfect boyfriend, keeping her satisfied and content.

Ivy knew that in a few months, the place would be bustling with people. It was on track to become a leading mining company in the New World within a few years. She wanted to soak in this peaceful time as much as possible.

One late afternoon, as the two went about their separate routines, a young girl in a big hat stood nervously at the office entrance, looking like a lost chick unable to climb back to its nest. Her eyes searched inside, as if hoping to see someone familiar but finding no one.

"What should I do? Is this even the right place?" She hesitated, patting her cheeks lightly to bring herself back to focus. She couldn't let herself worry any longer. Mustering all her courage, she took heavy steps toward the office door. But it didn't open—the security system didn't allow unauthorized people to enter.

[Hello, do you have any business here?] OC's synthetic voice came through the speaker by the door.

"Um, is this Asic's office?"

[Yes, it is. Who are you?] Upon hearing the confirmation, the girl immediately beamed, her earlier anxiety melting away. Relief spread through her heart, like she had finally grabbed onto a rope while falling off a cliff.

"My name is Palon. Please, I really need to see Asic," she pleaded. She looked like she was about to drop to her knees on the dirty doormat just for the chance to see him again. After scanning her face, OC sent the footage to Asic.

Asic, who was training at the time, granted permission and informed OC that he'd be up shortly. Palon was escorted into the large, empty office. The first thing she noticed was Ivy, sitting at a computer.

'Wow, she's gorgeous... and so grown-up,' Palon thought, her eyes widening in admiration. Ivy had a mature, experienced aura, something Palon, still just a naive young girl, couldn't compete with. Ivy looked composed, professional, worlds apart from her.

"Uh, h-hi," Palon greeted shyly.

"Good afternoon," Ivy replied with a warm smile.

'Oh my god, even her voice is perfect. Who is she? Is she Asic's girlfriend?' Palon thought, her mouth hanging open a bit. Everything about Ivy—her looks, her voice—embodied the ideal woman Palon wished she could become. Ivy, on her part, quickly read Palon's emotions just by observing her expressions.

'Who is this cute girl? An old fling of Asic's? Nah, he doesn't seem like the type to go for someone this young.' Though Palon was likely around eighteen or nineteen, she still looked very young in Ivy's eyes—more like a high schooler than a college student.

After freshening up, Asic came upstairs from the basement, not wanting to meet the ladies covered in sweat. The moment Palon saw him, her eyes filled with the same look Asic had seen back on the train—the same eyes when she had locked herself in the bathroom and he came to get her.

"Hey, Palon. I didn't expect we'd meet again so soon. How'd you know I was here?"

"You posted your phone number and office location for business inquiries," Palon answered. Asic remembered that OC had set up some bots to hype up his presence online recently—one of them must've leaked the office details.

"Take a seat. Uh, would you like some tea or coffee?"

"Thai tea, please."

"And I'll have coffee, no sugar," Ivy added. Asic walked to the open kitchen, while Ivy led Palon to the office lounge. Asic soon brought them two black coffees and a glass of orange Thai tea. He sat next to Ivy, and Palon couldn't help but admire how well they seemed to fit together.

Sipping her milk tea to calm herself, Palon explained why she had come back to Cryptopolis. She had reached Oceanstone, reported to the university, and her friend Ejin had gone to his company, as agreed. They'd promised to check in with each other once a day.

But after Ejin started his new job, he hadn't contacted her again. On the second day, Palon went to the company office to inquire but found it empty, an abandoned building. No one had rented the space.

"There was nothing there, really! When I asked around, the neighbors said no company had ever been there. I can't reach Ejin, and I'm worried sick. I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have brought him out here. It would've been better if we'd just stayed in Cryptopolis from the start." Palon's voice cracked, her tears spilling out despite her effort to stay composed.

Asic and Ivy listened in silence, exchanging glances that conveyed their thoughts.

"Did you report it to the police?"

"Yes, but there's been no progress. I've been waiting for days, and I'm so worried. I saw your clip online, Asic, and decided to come here before going to the Cryptopolis police headquarters because I really didn't know where else to go." Palon had no family left—only Ejin, who was both a close friend and her last relative. She remembered Asic from their time on the train, and he was the only person who came to mind.

"I see. Since you've filed a report, I'll check on the case for you. I'm not in law enforcement anymore, but I still have some connections."

"Really? Thank you so much!"

"Also, if you need a place to stay, feel free to use one of the rooms here. There are plenty of empty ones in the office. If you have any questions, just ask OC—he runs this place."

[Ask away,] OC's voice echoed through the office, moving Palon to tears. She didn't have much money, and had spent most of it on the train back to Cryptopolis. She had prepared herself to sleep on the streets if needed, just to get here. Covering her tear-stained face with her hands, she choked out her gratitude.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." After that, Palon dragged her suitcase to the nearest room. Anywhere with a roof and safety was enough for her.

"Letting a girl you don't know stay in your office, huh? Now you get to live with not one, but two pretty women. Got any ulterior motives?" Ivy teased, her smile mischievous.

Asic just laughed. "Cryptopolis streets aren't safe. I can't just let a young lady wander around out there. She could get hurt by someone shady. Plus, I'm not into unripe fruit. Maybe if she were four or five years older."

"Oh? I wasn't gonna get jealous, but now I think I am a little," Ivy said playfully. She didn't know the depth of Asic and Palon's relationship—she was just trying to gauge his reaction. She didn't care who he'd been with before, but right now, Asic was hers. At least until their arrangement ended.

"That kid, Ejin... seems like he's had some bad luck."

"I figured as much. He's naive—trouble was bound to find him. Didn't expect it to happen this soon, though. I'll be right back—need to make a call," Asic said, standing up and navigating through his contacts for an old friend in the police force.

Asic knew these types of cases well from his time in law enforcement. Criminals would set up fake companies to lure miners or miner assistants, only to exploit them in human trafficking rings. The able-bodied would end up working in illegal mines, unprotected by any laws. Worst-case scenario, they'd be harvested for organs. Those with good looks would be sold into prostitution. None of these fates were things Asic and Ivy wanted Palon to hear, so they kept quiet in front of her.

On the rooftop, Asic called an old friend. In seconds, the call was picked up by a familiar lazy voice.

"Hello, Eugene speaking."

"Hey Eugene, it's Asic."

"Asic? The idiot who didn't stick around till retirement, and who left after picking a fight with old man License? That Asic?" Eugene's lazy tone picked up slightly, excited by the opportunity to take a jab. Asic didn't mind the words, but that didn't mean he'd let them slide.

"And you must be Eugene, the guy who's so lazy his butt never leaves his chair. Or have you upgraded to sitting on a toilet now? Should I call you Toilet Man instead?"

"Hey! How'd you know I was glued to the toilet? I figured moving from a chair to the bathroom would save me time. Right now, I'm working on merging with the toilet itself—imagine the efficiency!"

"Please stop. Before this, I made a bed with a built-in toilet to avoid bathroom trips, but it didn't work. Couldn't sleep with the stench," Eugene continued.

"Enough about toilets, okay? You're ruining my appetite."

"Hey, you started it!"

"Knock it off. I have something serious."

"I'm serious too! I'm currently pushing out a massive one—hurts like hell, feels like I'm gonna tear my insides apart. You really wanna chat right now? I can fart the national anthem for you if that'll make you happy."

"You're disgusting," Asic snapped and hung up, leaning coolly against the wall for three seconds until Eugene called back. He must've wrapped up his bathroom business. Asic didn't waste time, giving him the details—a missing person case in Stone Ocean. A young man, kidnapped by a human trafficking scam. He wanted to know the progress.

Having been in the force, Asic knew the investigation process well. The media often criticized the police for being slow, but the police had an incredible capacity to gather information, with every step documented. Eugene, a member of the Central Investigation Unit, handled case record tracking.

"Hey, hey, hey. Even for you, a former officer, I can't just disclose police info. It's illegal, man. If the boss finds out, I'm screwed, not you."

"Think of the young lady crying and begging me for help. You wouldn't want to hear her sobbing, would you? I could send you a recording," Asic countered. He hadn't actually recorded Palon's cries—who would be that twisted?

"No! I can't handle women crying, especially cute girls. Damn it," Eugene muttered. Asic heard him grumble as he walked back to his workroom. Police data was kept on a separate network from the general Fluxnet to prevent hacking, meaning it required a terminal search.

"Hey, Asic. Got good news and bad news."

"What's the good news?"

"The good news is, the case has been closed. The bad news? You're gonna have to follow it up on your own," Eugene joked, but it came out as dark humor. Asic stood on the rooftop, the strong evening wind whipping his clothes around. He raised his hands as if to smoke, then remembered he didn't have any sedatives on him.

His amethyst eyes looked out over the vast Cryptopolis, neon lights brightening the metropolis, yet it felt darker and colder than the deepest ocean.

"I see," Asic said. He understood Eugene's implication well. Neither needed to say more, as they understood each other perfectly. Asic ended the call, not wanting to drag his friend into more trouble.

"Looks like I really have to do this myself."