Krauss opened his eyes.
Above him loomed the armored ceiling of the MDCC's underground bunker. It was bleak, cold, and unmistakably utilitarian. No one would ever call it beautiful. He certainly didn't.
But it felt right. It felt real.
'Wait... real?'
Suddenly alert, Krauss sat upright and quickly checked his body. His limbs responded, his skin registered the chill in the air, and the coarse texture of the sheets beneath him confirmed it, his sense of touch was working.
'This can't be a dream… can it?'
To be sure, the boy pinched his cheek with all his might. A sharp sting shot through his face, making him wince.
At the very least, he could say with certainty that this wasn't a dream.
Still, that dream had been intense. The abrupt shifts in scenery, the sensation of cold seeping into his bones, the passage of time flowing backwards, the feeling of plummeting through darkness and drowning in a bottomless sea of nothingness… all of it had felt disturbingly real.
'More importantly… what was that about being the Master of the Sunless Shores?
And didn't that giant statue call me Lord Morpheus…?'
What was a Morpheus?
Utterly confused, Krauss scratched the back of his head.
In his stupor, he suddenly realized he wasn't alone. Seated beside his reinforced medical bed on a cheap plastic chair was a woman, probably around his age, maybe in her early twenties.
She had raven-black hair, sleek like silk, though carelessly cut with scissors and left as if grooming it had been a chore. The short length reached just far enough to hide her ears, complementing the curve of her pale, flawless skin and pear-shaped figure. She was certainly attractive, but "beautiful" didn't quite capture it.
The word that came to mind was dignified.
Even so, it wasn't her appearance that captivated Krauss the most, it was her "eyes."
One was a deep grey, the other a vivid crimson. Heterochromia. He'd never seen it before. And for some reason, looking into them made him feel as if they could see things no one else could. She was a wearing a brown leather jacket with black pants and white sneakers. The leather jacket was casually left unbuttoned, revealing a black turtleneck beneath.
Casually, she had her arms wrapped around a sheathed katana like it was a body pillow and looked bored and sleepy.
In a situation like this, most people would've been captivated by the sight.
But Krauss only tilted his head, puzzled.
Who is she?
Given the nature of this place, there were only two likely possibilities. She was either an agent of the MDCC or a Minus. Then again, she wasn't wearing an MDCC uniform, nor the armored plated suit of a guard.
Which left only one option.
'You gonna be kidding me. What's a Minus doing here? Was she assigned… or did she sneak in on her own? Wait, is that even possible?'
Before Krauss could puzzle out an answer, the woman stirred.
She yawned softly, her posture barely shifting as her crimson eye blinked open, followed by the grey. Her gaze immediately found his.
"Oh, so you're awake," she said with little excitement.
Solace blinked.
"…Yeah."
She straightened a little, adjusting the katana in her arms as if it were nothing more than a coat she had lazily tossed over herself. Her tone remained casual, as though they were sitting in a regular café instead of a high-security underground medical room.
"Do you always talk in your sleep? You were saying something about stars. And sheep."
Solace blinked again, his mind too sluggish to process her words.
"Sheep?"
She tilted her head slightly. "Or was it something like that? I wasn't really paying attention."
He stared at her for a moment longer, then rubbed his temple.
"Right. Of course. But… first of all, who are you, and why are you even here? Don't tell me you came all this way just to watch me sleep."
She shrugged.
"Name's Shiki. Shiki Kurosawa."
Shiki Kurosawa? That definitely sounded Japanese. Wait, she's Japanese? What's she doing in England? More importantly, how's her English so fluent?'
Before he could ask, she went on.
"Your name's Krauss Gray, right? I saw it on your profile report. And as for why I'm here, there's no particular reason. Well… there is one, but it's not that important," she tapped the side of her katana's sheath absentmindedly.
Krauss narrowed his eyes.
"You're a Minus, aren't you?"
Shiki raised a brow.
"Is that a problem?"
He hesitated.
"I mean… this is an MDCC facility. Aren't Minuses supposed to be in, I don't know, containment cells?"
Shiki sighed and leaned back in her chair, then explained:
"You really don't know anything, do you?" she muttered, then added, "Not all Minuses are monsters, just like not all humans are saints. But as you probably already know, there's no cure for Mania. And letting those with the potential to become Corruptors roam free is definitely not ideal, especially to ordinary people."
She paused, letting that sink in before continuing:
"That's where the MDCC comes in. We handle everything related to Mania. You have a choice: either return to your daily life under strict supervision… or work for us. I'm part of a group myself."
"That sounds… official?"
"It is. But it's not so simple. I'm an Omega."
"A what now?"
"Omega (Ω). It's what the MDCC call Minuses whose abilities can't be categorized, or who are considered special cases. They're... or rather, we're basically what are called 'Irregulars.'"
Krauss blinked.
"Hold on a damn minute… How did I even become a Minus? I haven't shown any abnormalities. So how the hell could I be one?"
Noticing his reaction, Shiki grinned dangerously.
"Oh? Are you sure about that?"
Just as he was about to respond, a mechanical noise echoed through the room as the vault door swung open.
Click!
Both of them turned their heads toward the sound.
A slender man stepped inside, wearing glasses and a light gray coat that resembled a lab uniform. The mysterious figure, known only as Victor, greeted them with a calm smile.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Gray. I'm Victor Vale, the Vice-Chief of the Mania Disease Crisis Control, pleased to make your acquaintance."
"The MDCC's Vice-Chief?" Krauss echoed, stunned.
Victor chuckled lightly as he approached with both hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. "Yes, well… I don't usually make personal visits, but your case is a bit of an anomaly."
His gaze shifted briefly toward Shiki, who gave a lazy wave of acknowledgement but remained seated, still hugging her katana.
"I see you've met one of our field agents already."
"She broke into my room," Krauss muttered.
Victor coughed.
"I'm apologize for her rude behavior. It's a bad habit she developed before coming to our organization."
Turning back to Krauss, his expression grew more serious.
"Alright then, I'll get straight to the point. Three days ago, you tested positive for the X-Virus, correct? And from the scans, we have discovered you have already developed an abnormality inside your brain."
'Great. That's certainly the news I wanted to hear.'
Krauss' mood darkened.
"So you're saying… I've really become a Minus?"
Victor gave a small nod. Then, clinically, he began to explain.
"Precisely. When someone is infected by Mania, an unknown black substance forms in the brain and spreads through the circulatory system, mutating both body and mind. We call this the 'Contamination Process.' From there, depending on the person's X-values, they either become a Maniac or a Minus."
He paused for emphasis, then added, "In your case, though, things are different. You're not showing any active symptoms or mania responses. And your neural chemistry is disturbingly stable."
Victor reached into his coat and retrieved a small device. With a soft beep, it projected a holographic display of waveforms and diagnostic charts.
"In fact, your readings are arguably more cleaner than most healthy, uninfected individuals."
As he listened to the lengthy explanation, Krauss frowned.
Instead of clarity, it left him with even more questions than answers. In such a situation, he only asked:
"What does this mean?"
Victor shook his head and slipped the device back into his coat pocket.
"I don't know. Or more accurately, we haven't figured it out yet. But we do have a strong theory." He paused, then shifted topics. "Putting that aside for now, tell me, how do you feel? Are you experiencing any changes in your body?"
Krauss gave him a questioning look, unsure what his physical condition had to do with anything.
Nevertheless, he answered.
"I'm not sure… Guess I feel kind of refreshed. And my body feels a little bit lighter."
"Interesting. Anything else?"
"I feel... energized?"
"Hmm..."
Victor rubbed his chin thoughtfully as if turning Krauss' words over in his mind like puzzle pieces that didn't quite fit.
Finally, he let out a defeated sigh.
"As I thought, it's still too early to decide anything."
'Well, I'm sorry to disappoint.'
Growing impatient, Krauss glanced at the man who, surprisingly, had been rather pleasant to speak with.
"So... does this mean I can go?"
Considering the MDCC scientists had already examined every inch of his body, Krauss figured there was no reason to keep him any longer. Even so, the Vice-Chief's next words caught him completely off guard.
"Yes, you're free to return to your daily life. But remember, don't reveal this incident to anyone including your loved ones. You'll have to promise this." Victor said as he looked him intently.
Surprised, Krauss asked, "Wait, seriously? You're just letting me go?"
"Why not? Aside from your unusual readings, there's no indication you'll become a Maniac. And your X-values, while slightly above average, aren't high enough to classify you as a threat or even definitively label you a Minus. Legally speaking, we can't hold you unless you've committed a crime, which you haven't," The Vice-Chief answered simply.
Krauss' face brightened a little. Even so, he remained skeptical as the thought of his previous worries came to mind. Then, he asked hurriedly:
"How can I be sure that I will stay away from future problems? Like for example, turn into a hidious creature or the sorts."
"There's no need to worry too much," Victor twisted his lips and said, "Based on the statistics of similar circumstances, you won't turn into a Maniac unless you have shown signs of rapid mental deterioration and contamination. But you'll need to be studied frequently, just in case, to prevent any future incidents."
Krauss only muttered, "I see..."
"You also have the option to work for us as a civilian stuff. This way, it would be much easier to observe your condition. Also, make sure to remember my precious words. Telling anyone that you have been infected might have the opposite effect and put you in danger unnecessarily. Some might misunderstand your position and even attempt to kill you, thinking that you are dangerous."
"Does that really happen?" Krauss asked in surprise.
Victor's smiled weakly but it did not reach his eyes.
"You'd be surprised how far fear can push people. After all, fear is what keeps us alive and is part of a living organism's instincts. The idea that someone can randomly turn into something else would terrify anyone, isn't that so?"
"Are you saying that my situation would be better if I joined the MDCC?" Krauss asked.
"Not necessarily. Actually, when you join the MDCC, you lose quite a lot. For example, freedom."
"Even if we don't talk about this now, there's another issue. First of all, you're just a college student with barely any real-world experience."
"And secondly..." Victor's expression darkened. "Our work mainly involves Mania-related incidents, most of which include rogue Minuses or Maniacs. This is a job where you could die at any moment. Every year, we face cases that are lethal, and about a quarter of them involve Minuses who've lost control."
His expression cracked slightly, his dark eyes growing more distant. There was no trace of a smile as he continued with a low voice:
"And among that quarter... many of them were once our teammates."