Chapter 1: The Man Who Shouldn't Exist

HCP Pharmaceuticals had a clean reputation. For forty years, it had been the gold standard—innovative research, groundbreaking medicine, zero scandals.

But no one talked about the basement.

Because no one knew it existed.

Beneath the company's pristine public image, hidden under layers of security, was a lab working on things that no ethics board would ever approve.

It wasn't dangerous, or maybe a little bit, but it sure as hell was illegal.

But that can be forgotten after getting good enough results. Right?

That's what he believed: Kim Do-Jin.

Chairman's son. Lead scientist. Sleep-deprived but functional.

He sat at his desk, flipping through a mess of research notes, trying to pinpoint why his project was failing. Again.

His assistant stepped in.

"We're about to turn on the machine."

Kim exhaled, rubbing his temple. "Go ahead."

They walked into the main hall, where a twenty-foot-tall cylindrical machine stood, attached to multiple power sources.

No one expected today to be the day. The project had failed too many times in the last two years already.

The hum of the machine started. Then a loud screech. Then—

"It's on fire!" someone yelled.

Do-Jin snapped back to reality. "Shut it down before—"

Thud.

Something heavy slammed onto the floor inside the glass cylinder.

Everyone froze.

A scientist whispered, voice tight. "…I think that's a person."

Kim crossed the room in long, quick strides. The glass door hissed open, and he knelt beside the unconscious man. Young. Dark worn-out clothes, bruised from the fall.

Kim Do-Jin pressed two fingers to his neck.

Alive.

Barely.

"Get him to medical. Now."

* * *

The lab's private medical bay was quiet, save for the rhythmic beep of a heart monitor.

Kim Do-Jin stood by the window, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the unconscious stranger.

He didn't like anomalies. And this was the biggest one yet.

Soft movement behind him. He turned.

The man in the hospital bed stirred, wincing slightly as he sat up, eyes hazy with confusion.

Do-Jin stepped forward, voice calm but firm. "Take it easy. You've been unconscious for a while."

The stranger blinked at him, then at the sterile room.

"…Where am I?"

Do-Jin studied him carefully. "HCP Pharmaceuticals."

A pause. Then—

"The hell is that?"

Kim's brows twitched. "A globally recognized medical company."

The man's frown deepened. "Never heard of it."

Kim inhaled sharply, patience thinning. "Kim Do-Jin, and you are?"

"Park Hyun-So."

Kim noted how quickly he answered—like he had nothing to hide.

"And where are you from, Park Hyun-So?"

The man hesitated, then said, "Seoul."

Do-Jin went completely still.

"Seoul?" he repeated slowly.

Hyun-So tilted his head. "…Yeah? You know, the capital of Korea?"

Something wasn't right.

Kim Do-Jin turned toward the side table, grabbed his phone, and pulled up a world map. Turning the screen, he held it out to Hyun-So.

"Show me."

Hyun-So took the phone, confusion flickering into something closer to concern.

He zoomed in. Brows furrowed.

And then, his breath caught.

"…What the hell?"

There was no Korea.

But there was a country in the exact opposite place—labeled Aerok.

He scrolled further.

Japan? Napaj.

America? Acirema.

His stomach twisted.

"No. No, this is wrong." He shook his head, looking up at Kim. "Is this some kind of prank?"

Kim's expression didn't change. "I don't have time for them right now."

Hyun-So scanned the map again, flipping between tabs, opening articles. Every city, every country—it was all reversed.

The blood drained from his face.

Kim Do-Jin finally spoke, voice unreadable.

"You're not in Korea."

Hyun-So's grip tightened around the phone. "Then where am I?"

Kim Do-Jin exhaled through his nose, tapping a few things on his phone before turning it back to face Hyun-So.

"This is the world you're in."

Hyun-So looked again.

Aerok. Napaj. Acirema. Different companies. Different governments. But everything else—the culture, the way people spoke—felt the same.

Then he noticed something, an article, Do Alpha Pheromones Give an Unfair Advantage in Business? Experts Weigh In.

Slowly, his brain started putting the pieces together.

A mirror, Omegaverse at that.

Not just a different country. Not just a different language.

A flipped version of the world he knew.

He swallowed. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Kim watched him, unreadable. "Unfortunately, I'm not."

Hyun-So ran a hand down his face. His entire body felt numb.

Kim Do-Jin leaned back, arms crossed. "So, are you saying that you are in an alternate world?"

Park Hyun-So let out a hollow laugh. "I don't know; not like I want to accept it either."

Silence stretched between them.

For once, Do-Jin didn't have an immediate answer.

Because for the first time in his career, even he didn't know what the hell to do next.

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