chapter 10 - The unknown -part 2

On the whiteboard, Seon saw something that made his blood run cold. The board was covered with pictures, names, and health data, all numbered. The names belonged to the orphanage's children—around 120 in total. But what struck him the most was that 50 of those names were crossed out. His heart clenched as he scanned the first picture: it was the same chubby girl who had been dragged downstairs by the Dean.

As Seon's eyes moved down the list, he noticed his own picture, placed in the middle of the board at number 62. There, alongside his picture, was a short remark: Failed Experiment. His stomach twisted as he took in the rest of the data. The other children—about fifteen in total—were also marked with similar remarks, listed as "failed subjects to be disposed of."

Seon's heart sank even further. The crossed-out names weren't just abandoned—they were gone. They were all marked as "disposed," which Seon now realized meant dead. The orphanage had killed around 50 kids in the past five years alone. He couldn't fathom how many more had been taken before that. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of the horror before him.

The room seemed to grow colder, and Seon's thoughts turned to the shelves lining the walls. Each one was neatly organized, stuffed with books and labeled with large tags. He moved slowly, gripping his heart, a knot of fear twisting in his stomach. His eyes scanned the labels, but it was one particular tag that made him freeze. There, on a shelf near the back, was a red label—Authorized Only. The words seemed to burn into his mind, and Seon instinctively knew that this label meant danger. He had no idea why he felt that way, but the red label screamed of something forbidden, something he shouldn't touch.

He approached the glass door of the shelf and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. His eyes widened as he noticed the pendant-shaped edge at the corner of the glass. It was the same shape as the one the nanny had used earlier to open the table in the Dean's office. Without thinking, Seon rushed back upstairs, retracing his steps, and snatched the pendant that had been left on the table. He studied it carefully, looking for any sign of change. But when nothing happened, he quickly descended back into the hidden room.

His nerves were on edge as he walked over to the glass door again. With trembling hands, he attached the pendant to the edge of the glass. As if by magic, the door clicked open. Seon felt a rush of fear and excitement. He had no idea why the red label meant danger, but something deep inside told him it was linked to something he needed to understand.

Seon didn't immediately open any of the files. Instead, he moved cautiously towards the elevator. Pressing his ear to the wall, he listened for any sign of movement—any sound of the elevator opening. He waited in silence, but there was nothing. His heart pounding in his chest, he turned back and quickly returned to the glass door.

Seon's eyes darted over the files, but he couldn't make sense of any of the names. Then, something caught his attention: a blue folder, nestled among the others. It stood out because it contained the same strange flower that had appeared on the document he had seen in the Dean's office. A flower with blue stems and purple petals, etched into his memory. Without thinking, Seon reached for the folder.

As Seon opened the folder, the familiar broken cross swords and shield symbol greeted him once again, with the name Blue Hydves inscribed beneath it. His fingers hesitated for a moment before flipping it open, revealing a map—one he recognized instantly. It was the layout of the orphanage and its surrounding areas. His breath hitched as he turned to the next page, where a list of names appeared alongside photographs of people working near the orphanage.

His heart pounded. He knew these faces. They weren't just random strangers; they were employees from the mart, the company, and the neighborhood near B Town—the very place where the orphanage stood and where he was currently staying. His eyes moved quickly over the list of residents, spanning from elders to younger individuals. Some names bore a checkmark under Blue Hydves, but three stood out—circled in red and labeled Silent Knights.

A jolt of recognition coursed through him. One of them was familiar. The mart worker—the very person from whom he had previously gathered information. A cold sensation settled in his chest as he quickly shut the folder and scanned the shelves for more. There were other blue folders, thinner than the one he had just examined. He grabbed one and skimmed through its contents. Inside, he found three more village maps. Unlike the first, this one contained only photographs with no names, all grouped under Blue Hydves - Group 08.

Then, he heard it. The elevator.

Panic surged through him. He hurriedly closed the file, placing it back exactly as it was—but he didn't lock the glass, leaving a minuscule gap. Without wasting another second, he turned and sprinted toward the stairs. His body moved on instinct, his feet following a subconscious pattern as he leaped down the steps with practiced agility.

Reaching the pendant's spot, he quickly attempted to place it back—but in his rush, it slipped from his fingers and hit the floor with a soft clatter. He didn't stop.

His target was the bathroom.

Rushing inside, he shut the door behind him—just in time. Outside, the pendant lay on the floor, unnoticed. He barely had a moment to steady his breath before he heard them.