'Mayada… was…?'
Memories flooded back all at once—
Hair beneath the desk.
The scent of mint.
The message in the rain.
Everything struck my mind at once.
At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to spin the fidget spinner endlessly—
But of course, I didn't.
It would be rude to play with a toy while someone was speaking.
"I don't know how or why… but it seems that you and her share the same ability."
Even Suleiman sounded as confused as I was.
'Should I ask…?'
I didn't feel like he had the answers I was looking for.
And I still didn't fully trust them.
Too many questions…
Too few answers.
I remembered the hollow eye sockets of the burning specter—
That abyss-like despair.
"What exactly are these specters?"
"They are dense concentrations of Aetherion energy, taking on forms that only those sensitive to Aetherion can perceive."
"But sir… how can energy carry emotions? I'm sure I felt despair from that specter!"
"That's not uncommon. Some specters form under special circumstances…
You could say they are a mixture of Aetherion energy and the corrupted will of a deceased human—
which eventually becomes a vengeful specter,
seeking to fulfill the final desire the person had while alive."
A chill ran down my spine as I remembered that overwhelming despair.
'What kind of terrifying wish could drive someone to become… that?'
A burning entity that drowns others in despair…
Wait…
A corrupted will mixed with Aetherion?
Does that mean Madam Mayada's will…
Was it her will that wrote the message on my window?
Does that make her… a specter?
Wait—
If she was the former leader of Team Gamma…
Then why did her "will" warn me about the organization?
Who should I trust…
A distorted will?
Or the organization?
Should I tell Suleiman about the message?
Or…
Would they consider it a specter that must be eliminated?
What about the orb?
I touched my bag where I had kept it—
But when I reached inside…
It was gone.
Again.
It comes and goes whenever it pleases.
But…
The organization already knows I can see it—just like they knew about the faceless monster.
If it were dangerous…
They would have told me.
'I'll observe for now… and decide later.'
As long as it doesn't harm me—
It might even be useful.
After all, it saved me when I was about to die.
That reminded me of the lab doctor.
Once I finish the official registration here, I'll contact him about the medication.
'Why didn't I bring my notebook…?'
There were too many questions.
Suleiman shrugged his good shoulder.
"That's all the information available at our current level.
As for how spirits become vengeful specters—or why some wills can transform while others cannot…
I don't have those answers."
I felt a wave of frustration.
I joined to get answers—
Not to collect more questions with no answers.
"We'll complete your official registration, and you'll learn things gradually."
We left the room, walked through the winding corridor, and entered the elevator.
He lifted the hidden control panel and pressed several buttons—
Like entering a passcode.
Then he pressed another button—
And the display showed -3.
As the elevator ascended, a wave of dizziness hit me.
A dizziness that perfectly reflected the state of my mind.
Moments later, the doors opened—
Revealing a floor completely different from the underground levels.
It wasn't a narrow, suffocating corridor—
It looked more like a hotel.
A spacious hall.
Reception desk on the right.
A cozy seating area on the left.
Suleiman stepped out and told me to follow him.
Only the two of us exited the elevator—
Lina and Basel stayed behind.
"I'm heading home," Lina said in a low voice.
"I'll contact you for the next mission."
Basel waved beside her.
"Me too!"
Suleiman simply nodded, and we continued walking toward the receptionist.
Behind him was a massive digital screen covering the wall.
Numbers and data moved across it—
Like a stock exchange or airport display.
On the upper-left side, two sections were labeled:
Missions
Dozens of entries appeared beneath it—
Each with a short description.
Each title was marked with a different color.
Most were red and orange.
A few were yellow.
One or two were green.
And only one—
At the very bottom—
Was blue.
Next to it was another list:
Rewards
I didn't have time to read them all.
My eyes drifted to the right side of the screen.
A single title:
Ranking
Below it—
A long list of names.
Some familiar.
Some not.
And there it was—
A very familiar name:
Team Gamma
At the bottom.
Dead last.
Even though the number beside it had just changed—
And a small green arrow pointed upward—
It was still…
At the very end.
'What the hell have they been doing…?!'
Anxiety crept into my chest.
Did I just entrust my life…
To the worst-ranked team?
I glanced at their leader beside me.
His expression turned bitter—
He had seen it too.
He had every reason to be.
For a moment…
I wondered if I could still back out.
But the receptionist's cold, mechanical voice snapped me back.
"How may I assist you?"
Same tone.
Same expression.
Just like a hotel clerk.
"Registering a new member."
The receptionist glanced at me briefly, then nodded.
He pulled out a file from one of the drawers and handed it to Suleiman—
Then returned to his position.
After taking the file,
Suleiman led me down a hallway in the reception area.
He stopped in front of a door.
Handed me the file.
And gestured toward it.
"You'll go in alone.
I'll wait here."
The file looked like a standard registration form—
Like joining a club.
Except for two unfamiliar fields:
Ability
Level
I knew about ability…
But what was "level"?
I hesitated.
What was behind that door?
And why wouldn't he come with me?
For a moment, I imagined a dentist's chair—
And torture tools.
Was this where they would experiment on me?
"There's someone inside you know well."
Suleiman spoke after noticing my hesitation.
That gave me enough courage.
'Who could it be…?'
My thoughts spun as I opened the door.
Who did I know—
That was responsible for registering me here?
"You…?"
Of course…
I should've known.
"Welcome, Miss Mariam."
"How have you been?"
"I wonder why you suddenly stopped attending the sessions…"
It was—
Dr. Essam.