Around 1 p.m., trays of cold food sat untouched on the long tables in the cafeteria.
Laughter and scattered conversations buzzed lightly throughout the hall.
Just like any other day — or maybe so.
Rain slouched at the table, idly stirring the thick, sticky soup in his tray with a spoon.
The murky light-gray liquid sluggishly followed the motion of his half-hearted scooping.
He wasn't hungry... there was just nothing else to do.
"Hey, hey — did you see that guy? So lame!"
Zyn chuckled while mimicking a ridiculous expression, clearly trying to be funny.
Snickers from nearby tables echoed her energy.
Her voice, animated and relentless, carried on:
"He walked like someone programmed him wrong! Come on, who even swings their arms like that while wearing glasses that huge? Haha!"
Eliza set her spoon down and turned to Zyn with a serious look.
"Come on… Maybe he didn't mean to. We really shouldn't make fun of people like that."
Zyn raised her eyebrows and laughed awkwardly.
"But it's true! Everyone in the room laughed — not just me. That dorky glasses guy looked ridiculous, and you know it!"
Eliza held her gaze, unfazed, and continued speaking softly:
"Still, that doesn't make it right. You never know... maybe something like that could stick with him for a long time."
Zyn's face tightened slightly in annoyance.
Then, suddenly, she turned to teasing Eliza instead:
"Ughhh, Eliza, aren't you taking things a little too seriously? It was just a joke!"
She lunged playfully toward Eliza, ruffling her hair in a friendly yet mischievous gesture.
"Stop it!"
Eliza scowled, but despite herself, a small smile crept onto her face.
While Zyn and Eliza were still chatting,
Gaia gently nudged Rain and whispered,
"Psst… hey, wanna go for a walk?"
Rain looked up, his expression a little puzzled, though his hand kept stirring the food in his tray.
"I was getting bored anyway…"
Gaia stood up from the table, sliding his tray aside quietly.
"Uh… excuse us, guys. Rain and I are just gonna hit the bathroom for a bit."
Zyn turned and responded casually,
"Ah, sure. Don't take too long!"
Gaia nodded, then turned and headed for the door.
Rain watched him for a second before getting up to follow.
There was a faint trace of concern on his face — Gaia seemed… unusually quiet.
"Hey… Gaia."
Rain called softly, quickening his steps to catch up.
Gaia glanced back slightly, giving a small smile — though his eyes didn't follow the gesture.
"Something wrong?"
Rain asked as they walked side by side down the corridor.
"You're way quieter than usual today."
Gaia repeated the words slowly, raising an eyebrow.
"Me?"
Rain nodded.
Gaia didn't respond right away.
Only the soft echo of their footsteps sounded through the still, tiled hallway.
He glanced at Rain briefly before looking ahead again.
His stride remained steady, eyes fixed straight down the corridor as if heading somewhere with purpose.
Then, without turning back, he finally spoke:
"There's something I want to show you."
The two of them passed through the large cafeteria gates, left ajar.
Two guards stood at the entrance, weapons gripped firmly in hand.
Gaia turned right into the side hallway —
the nearest junction point, and the place most shielded from the watchful eyes of the enforcers.
He walked slowly ahead, with Rain following quietly behind.
Their footsteps gradually faded,
slipping from the guards' hearing bit by bit.
Rain began to adjust his pace, stepping more lightly to minimize sound.
Gaia remained still.
Utterly silent.
He didn't look back or speak a single word.
At the first intersection,
he veered to the left.
And the moment he was sure no cameras or gazes could catch them—
He grabbed Rain's arm
and yanked him in close.
"Shhh."
Gaia raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence,
before slowly peeking around the corner —
carefully checking if anyone was passing by.
Gaia began using hand signals — attempting to communicate something to Rain.
But Rain seemed to not quite understand.
He tilted his head to the left, frowning in confusion.
Gaia let out a quiet sigh and placed a hand on his forehead, exasperated.
He then pointed to the collar on his neck, then Rain's, and then gestured toward his ear.
He repeated the sequence several times: from his mouth → to the collar → and to the ear.
"The collars… they listen…"
Gaia mouthed the words slowly, with intense urgency — trying to communicate through a combination of gestures and hushed miming.
Rain finally began to grasp what Gaia meant.
He balled his fist and tapped it into his open palm, nodding in realization.
Gaia started walking again, and Rain followed closely behind.
Neither of them knew that at the far end of the hallway —
hidden in the deepest shadow —
a tiny, almost imperceptible surveillance device clung to the wall,
too small to be seen on first glance.
They continued moving through the long, identical-looking corridors —
each hallway repeating the same sterile, metallic pattern.
It was easy to lose one's sense of direction.
And yet…
something was subtly changing.
Minute details —
so small that Rain didn't even notice.
Gaia's voice gently broke the silence as they walked.
"Do you remember the way to the playground room?"
Rain glanced at him briefly before answering.
"Sort of… why?"
Gaia slowed his steps slightly.
"Could you give me directions?"
Rain nodded slowly.
"Just go straight a bit more… then turn left. Walk about ten steps, and the gate should be on your right.
You'll be standing right in the middle of it. It's a big one — usually left wide open."
Gaia nodded. The instructions seemed clear enough.
He moved forward quietly, following Rain's directions.
Counting the steps in his head.
One… two… three…
Upon reaching the corner, he turned left and kept counting.
The ceiling lights above flickered dimly in places.
The soft tap of their footsteps echoed faintly along the sterile hallway.
Then Gaia stopped, eyes narrowing as he looked ahead.
"…Hey. Is that it? Up ahead?"
Rain looked where Gaia was pointing, then gave a small nod.
"Yeah… that's the one."
The large gate loomed ahead — wide open.
A yawning threshold of unknowns waiting beyond.
Gaia turned back to Rain, his voice lowering and his expression growing more serious.
"You're sure it's exactly ten steps?"
Rain nodded firmly.
"Yeah… I always count my steps."
Gaia turned his gaze back toward the large open gate.
It was exactly where Rain had said it would be.
And yet… something felt off.
He wasn't standing right in front of the doorway like Rain described.
He was a few steps off — two or three paces to the side.
A twinge of unease sparked in Gaia's chest.
He knew Rain's instructions were correct.
Just like Rain, he had counted every step.
That could only mean one thing…
Something had changed.
Something small.
So small it might be invisible to the naked eye — like a few ants missing from a colony.
But even so, the structure had shifted.
And Gaia felt it.
Doubts and theories spun rapidly through his mind.
He didn't voice them — not yet.
But the silence between them grew thicker.
He stepped through the doorway into the empty room beyond.
At this hour, the playground space was completely vacant — everyone else was still at lunch.
Cautiously, Gaia began to circle the room, slow and deliberate.
Rain followed him inside, watching quietly.
His face betrayed a mix of worry and confusion he couldn't quite hide.
Everything looked normal — the positions of the artificial trees, the simulated sky dome, even the patterns of light and shadow in the room.
But Gaia… was acting strangely.
Stranger than usual.
Rain decided to nudge him gently.
"Uh, hey?"
"You okay?"
Gaia flinched slightly, but turned around.
His voice and expression tried hard to appear casual.
"Ah… uh, yeah. I'm fine, haha."
He let out a dry laugh and scratched his head awkwardly.
Rain gave a small nod.
"Alright, uh… let's head back then."
"Okay…" Gaia replied in a flat tone.
Rain, standing just behind Gaia, stared past him toward the doorway.
And then—
Something caught his eye.
A fleeting shadow—
A small figure, right at the edge of the doorway.
It happened in a blink.
A petite silhouette, about the same size as a child his age, appeared at the corner of the doorframe… then vanished.
He didn't catch a glimpse of the face.
But he saw a tiny hand gripping the edge of the door—
And something like the hem of a skirt, fluttering faintly in the air.
"A girl…?"
Rain murmured to himself, so softly that no one could hear.
Gaia turned back toward him and waved a hand in front of his face.
"Hey."
Rain flinched a little.
He gave his head a slight shake, as if trying to chase the thought away.
Then responded in a flat tone, trying to sound normal.
"Ah… yeah. L-let's go back…"