In the mountains near Sokcho, Gangwon Province, positioned on a mid-slope, a team of agents from “The Tree” had barricaded a 2-kilometer radius around a reported rift and waited in tense silence.
“Team leader, how much longer do we have to keep spinning our wheels here? It’s been five days with no sign of activity. Are you sure the investigation team didn’t make a mistake?”
“Shut your mouth and keep watch. Can’t you feel how tense the investigation team is?”
“…Fine.”
The woman with long straight hair, dressed in a sleek black suit, suppressed her irritation as she glanced at her wristwatch.
Current time: 5:32 PM. The anticipated appearance of the unidentified entity: 6:30 PM. About an hour left.
This was Choi Harin, team leader of Information Team 2 under The Tree. Though she had curtly shut down her subordinate’s complaints, she herself was equally exhausted from the prolonged vigil.
Just get through this year. I’ll quit cleanly and move on with my life. Hand in my resignation and start anew.
Despite her reputation as a highly competent operative within the globally renowned organization, Choi Harin couldn’t escape the weight of her mortgage and looming debt.
At least the pay’s good. Shame it all counts as hazard pay…
Reaching for a cigarette, she quickly realized she’d forgotten a lighter and turned to her subordinate.
“Got a lighter?”
“I’ve got a lighter, but no cigarettes. Mind sharing one, Team Leader?”
“Tsk.”
“Heh, thanks a bunch!”
Just as she lit her cigarette, a flurry of frantic shouts erupted from the agents near the rift.
“The rift is opening!”
Choi Harin threw her unlit cigarette aside in frustration and barked orders.
“Everyone, prepare for combat! Follow the protocols we’ve drilled!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The entire group instantly fell silent, moving as one into battle-readiness. It wasn’t just discipline that kept their mouths shut.
Please, let it be something manageable. Please.
The agents all knew that their survival hinged on the nature of the entity emerging from the rift. To joke around in such a moment would be nothing short of madness.
“We’re finally done with these all-nighters!”
…And yet, madness had a voice.
All eyes turned to the agent who had spoken. Though no words were exchanged, the collective glares were loaded with enough curses to fill a dictionary.
“…”
“…”
The tension snapped into sharp focus as a figure emerged from the rift.
It was a man.
He appeared to be in his late twenties, with black hair and matching dark eyes, standing roughly 180 centimeters tall.
A decent appearance… Wait, is he human? Could this unidentified entity be a returnee?
Everyone held their breath as they observed him.
They knew better than to relax just because he looked human. The agents had seen too many cases where human-like appearances masked horrors beyond comprehension.
He could be a being wearing human skin or a returnee who had lost their sanity and become a killer. Their power varied wildly depending on the entity, and one misstep could spell doom.
Judging by his clothes, he seems to hail from a fantasy-world setting…
A loud gulp broke the heavy silence.
No reaction yet. If that’s the case…
Choi Harin rose from her position and approached the man cautiously, prepared for any contingency.
As she neared, the man finally spoke, his voice low and uncertain.
“…Where am I?”
Korea!
“This is the Republic of Korea, located on the planet Earth. Can you understand what I’m saying?”
Her tone was polite, even friendly, though she was far from calm.
“Earth…”
He repeated the word as if testing it, rolling it over his tongue like a foreign flavor.
“So I’ve returned at last…”
His murmured words seemed to confirm he was a Korean returnee, yet Choi Harin didn’t let her guard down. Too many predecessors had died from misplaced trust in similar situations.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, returnee. I am Choi Harin, an agent of The Tree.”
“…”
“It seems you’re still trying to process your current circumstances. If it wouldn’t trouble you, may we offer our assistance? To be clear, we’re a certified national organization, and our intention is solely to help you. Please don’t misunderstand.”
If he refused, they were authorized to use any means necessary to secure him, as per their standard operating procedure.
Still, Choi Harin silently prayed.
Please, just cooperate willingly. Let’s do this the easy way.
Fortunately, the man accepted the proposal without resistance and was safely transported to the headquarters of Tree. The transport was carried out with him restrained by special cuffs and a blindfold, as per protocol, but he showed no particular reaction.
After the blindfold was removed, the man slowly looked around.
A stark white room, reminiscent of an interrogation chamber, surrounded him. Not long after, Harin, who sat across from him, began a round of questions.
“Name: Lee Taeseong. Age: 28. And you’re saying you don’t remember anything else?”
A nod.
“Ha…”
Harin sighed in frustration, absentmindedly placing a cigarette between her lips.
“He claims to remember nothing beyond his name and age? Could that really be true?”
While there had been cases of returnees losing parts of their memory, someone who forgot almost everything like this man was unprecedented.
“It doesn’t feel like he’s lying… but there’s no point in me dwelling on it.”
After the initial questioning, the man would be sent to a temporary containment facility. Whether he lied or not, the classification tests he’d undergo would uncover the truth.
“…”
Harin suddenly felt a piercing gaze fixed on her. At first, she assumed it was a sign of an imminent outburst and readied herself to respond. But on reflection, she realized the man was restrained and posed no immediate threat.
“Ah, is it the cigarette?”
Realizing her mistake, Harin removed the cigarette and apologized.
“Sorry about that. Smoking while working is a bad habit of mine…”
“…Can I have one, too?”
Only then did Harin realize that the man wasn’t staring at her, but at the cigarette in her hand. Smirking, she handed him a cigarette and lighter.
Although it was against protocol, she considered it harmless enough to allow as a personal judgment call. After all, the man didn’t seem particularly dangerous.
“At most, he’s probably a Delta-level.”
Definitely not because Lee Taeseong happened to be her type. Definitely not.
“Mr. Lee Taeseong, you will now be transferred to a temporary containment facility. There, you’ll undergo various tests to assess the level of threat you may pose. If you’re deemed safe, you’ll be allowed to return to society. So, please cooperate.”
In other words, failing the tests would mean never leaving. And because the process varied for each returnee, no one could predict how long it would take.
However, Harin saw no need to explain all this to Taeseong. Knowing the full truth wouldn’t change anything and might even make things worse.
As a returnee, these procedures were unavoidable. Harin believed it was all for the greater good—to protect her family and the safety of the world’s citizens.
Inside the containment facility, Lee Taeseong looked around. The room was neither large nor small. It contained a bed, basic furnishings, and even a small bathroom in the corner.
“This should be livable for now.”
He sat on the bed and tried to recall his memories but gave up quickly. Every time he felt on the verge of remembering something, his mind would go blank.
The only thing he could remember clearly was his determination.
“I have to return.”
This singular thought was etched in his mind, even when all other memories were erased.
“Why did I yearn so desperately to return?”
Taeseong began analyzing his situation and the steps he needed to take.
“The people here seem friendly, but they’re hiding something. I need information about this place and my lost memories. There must be a reason I was so desperate to come back.”
While his memories were gone, his intelligence remained intact.
“That woman, Choi Harin, called me a returnee. She acted too naturally for this to be her first encounter. They were already waiting for me when I arrived, meaning they likely knew I’d appear. If that’s the case, there might be other returnees as well.”
Resolving to act, Taeseong clenched his fists and attempted to break his restraints.
“…Ugh.”
Despite his efforts, the cuffs remained unyielding.
“Must be made of some special material.”
Giving up on the cuffs, he shifted his attention to the door—a large steel one that could only be opened from the outside.
Then, a knock.
KNOCK KNOCK.
A cheerful voice followed.
“May I come in?”
Before Taeseong could respond, the door opened, revealing a young woman with a bright smile.
“Hello, returnee! I’m Oh Haeyoung, your assigned handler during your temporary containment period!”
“…Handler?”
“Yes! Every entity contained here at Tree is assigned a personal handler like me! Let’s get along well!”
Haeyoung rummaged through her belongings, pulling out an object and placing it on the table.
“This is one of the entities we manage here!”
“…What is that?”
“No. 1004, also known as the Lying Boy. It’s an Epsilon-level entity with the ability to detect lies! Its nose grows longer whenever someone lies!”
The item was unmistakably the disembodied head of Pinocchio. Unlike the fairy tale version, it lacked a body entirely.
“Was it always like this, or did it lose its body?”
Haeyoung cheerfully placed the head on the table.
“You might be a little confused right now, so I’ll give you a quick demonstration! Answer my question truthfully!”
Taesung nodded.
“Are you human?”
“Yes.”
As soon as he responded, the head’s nose began to elongate.
“What the…”