The itchiness and anxiety faded away, replaced by a growing anticipation for the day he would leave the island.

“Detention.”

As he entered, the first thing he noticed was the sound. From a distance, there was the faint, echoing sound of dripping water.

Small sounds that would normally go unnoticed became sharper when his vision was obstructed, and his sense of hearing heightened. His sense of touch was just as sensitive.

He reached out and slowly swept his hand through the space. His fingertips touched something hard and damp. The object on his right was a wall, likely a stone wall covered in moss.

“…Oh god… I can’t believe this. What century is this, having a prison like this…?”

Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden noise erupted behind his head, making it feel like his skull was on fire.

“What prison? If you’ve committed a crime, just shut up and follow me.”

The older guard standing beside Taeui, clearly displeased, yanked the iron chains. As he was dragged forward by the chains, Taeui shouted: “Wait, slow down! I can’t see anything, I’m serious!”

This older man, although not of high rank within UNHRDO, was known to be the most senior among the Instructors here. Taeui remembered his uncle mentioning him once, saying: “When I first joined UNHRDO, this guy was already here.”

Apparently, he wasn’t interested in promotion. Even when given the chance, he refused and remained in his role as a jailer, occasionally giving lectures. He was an odd figure.

As Taeui was being dragged, he kept shouting because, truly, he couldn’t see a thing. Even though there were faint yellow lights on the walls, the thick darkness inside made it impossible for his eyes to adjust.

This was the infamous seventh basement level, as the rumors said. The few who had entered and left this place had barely managed to escape with their bones intact. When Taeui had once asked his uncle about it, his uncle had grimaced and replied: “Prison? It’s not like any regular prison out there.” So Taeui had assumed the ‘this basement’ was just a row of simple cells, like small, dingy motel rooms.

But that wasn’t the case.

This was a prison, and not just any prison –it was an underground dungeon. A grim and unbearably harsh place that, if human rights organizations knew about it, they would certainly raise an outcry.

As Taeui was being dragged along, he struggled to move, constantly bumping into obstacles and groaning in pain. His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and as things became clearer, he realized this wasn’t quite the harsh prison he had imagined.

The walls around him were made of stone, seemingly ancient, covered in damp moss.

“When was this place built? No way it’s hundreds of years old, right?”

Taeui asked, and the guard pulling him along scoffed.

“The Asian branch is one of the newest in UNHRDO. It’s not even 30 years old, and we repair and upgrade the equipment every year. No one told you that?”

“But how can there be such an old, moldy basement like this? If it’s repaired every year, what’s with all the green moss?”

“The moss adds to the atmosphere. Annual repairs? That’s my job. This is my masterpiece.”

Taeui looked at him in astonishment.

“You’ve been here since this branch was built?”

“I designed it.”

So this old man was the one.

Taeui nodded repeatedly, recalling the shock he felt when he first saw this building. It looked like a place where a lot of money had been spent just to make it seem even older.

High above, drops of water occasionally fell from stalactite-like formations on the ceiling. The stone floor was wet, with small puddles scattered around.

On either side of the narrow hallway were cells with rusty iron bars, leaving just enough space for a person to stand. Some cells were a bit more spacious, a few square meters in size, but they were dimly lit by small ceiling lights.

If it was only for ten days, it would be bearable, but staying here for a few months would surely drive anyone mad.

As Taeui grew accustomed to the darkness, he fumbled along, gripping the jagged stones protruding from the walls while being pulled forward.

Finally, they reached the smallest cell in the corner. This one seemed even smaller and darker than the others.

Taeui didn’t mind much. After all, the light was just a dim little bulb. There wasn’t enough brightness to read or do much in the darkness anyway. The small space didn’t make him feel particularly claustrophobic.

“Get in. Stay here until you cool your head. Don’t go messing around with the door in front.”

The guard opened the creaky iron door, gesturing for Taeui to enter, then gave him a rough kick. Taeui, unable to brace himself due to the shackles on his hands, fell to the ground.

“Ow…”

He winced as his elbow hit the stone floor. Though the surface was smooth, preventing any cuts, there would definitely be bruises.

As he fell, his shackled hands accidentally struck the leg of someone sitting against the wall. Though it was hard to see in the dim light, it seemed like the person felt the impact, rubbing their leg in discomfort.

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

Taeui apologized as he rubbed his own aching elbow. Suddenly, there was the sound of metal clanging from behind – the guard had tossed something inside.

“Here’s the key to your handcuffs. Unlock them yourself. You’ll get three simple meals a day. There’s an intercom on the wall if you need anything, but don’t use it for nonsense, or you’ll regret it.”

The guard muttered in irritation, then turned and left. His footsteps echoed, growing fainter in the stillness.

No one bothered to explain anything else to him. Taeui slowly knelt down and began searching the floor. He felt around in the direction where the key had been thrown but couldn’t find anything. It seemed the key had ricocheted somewhere after falling.

“Where the hell is it…?”

Knowing he couldn’t live with the handcuffs on, Taeui expanded his search area on the floor, but after a long while, he still hadn’t found it.

He couldn’t tell how much time had passed, but at least half an hour must have gone by. After what felt like ages searching the floor, he sighed and sat down. The key might have gotten stuck in some corner, and in this darkness, even sharp eyes were useless.

Taeui sighed again and gave up the search for the time being, glancing around the cell. It was incredibly dark. The ceiling had a single small light bulb that gave off a faint, feeble glow, barely illuminating the spot directly beneath it. The corners were shrouded in complete darkness, making them impossible to see.

In the room was a man – the one Taeui had accidentally bumped into earlier. Though standing in a spot without light, Taeui could just make out the figure leaning against the wall, seemingly looking in his direction. Above him was a beam, casting a shadow, leaving only his feet and shins visible.

Taeui tilted his head and leaned against the wall beside him. He glanced toward the figure and tried to make some conversation.

“We’ll be living together for a while… Which training team are you from?”

There were plenty of topics to start with: how long they’d been here, how long they’d be staying, why they were detained, and so on.

Though he didn’t intend to make friends while being imprisoned, living with someone for ten days in silence would be uncomfortable. Even if this person didn’t seem very friendly, at least they could be someone to talk to and pass the time.

However, the man didn’t respond immediately. Taeui tilted his head and looked at him again. Maybe he was asleep or just didn’t want to be disturbed. After all, if he himself were locked up in the darkness for a long time, he might also become as detached and sullen as that.

Taeui scratched his head. If the man didn’t want to talk, there was no need to push it. He could just keep looking for the key. But despite searching for so long, the key didn’t seem to be on the floor.

While he continued searching, shackled and feeling utterly exhausted, a soft voice suddenly spoke.

“The key is right by the iron door, stuck in a crack in the wall.”

Taeui froze immediately. His entire body stiffened at the sound of that voice.

The voice came from behind him, from the man locked up with him. That voice wasn’t as detached or sullen as he’d imagined. In fact, it almost had a hint of mockery in it.

“I would have preferred if your voice was dry and sullen…” – Taeui muttered.

Though his words were quiet, the man heard them. He sighed and chuckled softly.

“What kind of voice do you prefer? That’s amusing. But I think you’d rather enjoy the voice of a weaker man.”

“Anything but your voice, Ilay.”

Taeui sighed and whispered. Then, in an instant, he rushed toward the iron door, trying to peer out through the bars. Even knowing it was probably useless, he hoped, desperately, that he could plead with the guard to change cells.

“I DON’T WANT TO SHARE A ROOM WITH THIS GUY! I STILL WANT TO LIVE!”

No matter how much he shouted, the guard was already too far away to hear, and even if he returned, there was no guarantee he’d honor Taeui’s request.

Taeui cursed the guard in his heart, the one who had thrown him into a cell with such a dangerous person. The feeling of being trapped in a cell with no escape made him feel like he was about to die.

As he gripped the bars tightly, unable to move, he heard movement behind him. Taeui froze, focusing on the sound.

Ilay slowly stood up and approached Taeui. The soft sound of his bare feet against the stone floor grew louder as he got closer. When the steps stopped right behind him, Ilay crouched down and fumbled in the corner of the wall near the door. Then he handed something to Taeui.

“Hold out your hand.”

Ilay’s voice sounded calm, not as if he was about to strangle him or do anything dangerous.

Taeui glanced at the object in Ilay’s hand. Even in the dim light, it caught the faint glow, revealing it was a key. Ilay had mentioned earlier that the key was stuck in a crack in the stone by the iron door.

“Oh, thanks.”

Taeui thanked Ilay, though he felt a bit surprised. Ilay held onto the handcuffs and twisted the key into the lock, even though the rusty key seemed reluctant to turn.

Wait a minute—while thanking him seemed appropriate, wasn’t it odd that Ilay had known the key’s location all along and had just stood by watching while Taeui searched for so long? Was it really the right time to be grateful?

Conflicted as he was, once the handcuffs were off, Taeui sighed in relief and stretched his arms to loosen them. Only a few hours of being handcuffed had made him agitated; he couldn’t imagine how prisoners of the past endured such conditions.

He silently paid respects to the ancestors who had suffered before him.

Now that his hands were free, the next major concern was…

“…So, we’re going to be living together for the next ten days?”

Taeui muttered. Ilay seemed to have experienced being imprisoned, while Taeui had never been in such a situation before. Perhaps Ilay knew more about the rules and whether it was possible to get a cell change halfway through.

“You just said we’d be living together for a while, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I did…”

Taeui mumbled awkwardly, and Ilay chuckled softly.

Taeui sighed and leaned back against the wall, sitting down. Once again, a sense of gloom washed over him. After all, being locked in the same space with a murderer who had killed four people – and considering the ones who had been killed before, the number was much higher – staying calm seemed unimaginable.

“But I didn’t expect you to be here. What’s your charge? Let me guess… Is it being an accomplice?”

Ilay pondered for a moment before responding. Taeui thought to himself, of course, someone experienced with imprisonment would know these things well, but admitting to being an accomplice felt like exposing a weakness. So, he responded nonchalantly.

“I was charged with being an accomplice. Though I don’t even know whose crime I supposedly aided…”

After all, the real criminal was standing right in front of him, and Taeui’s so-called ‘accomplice’ charge involved those who were already dead. It felt unfair, but there was no way to protest it. Ilay smirked.

“Ah, an accomplice, huh.”

“……”

Taeui didn’t reply, only staying silent. He then tried to express some form of loyalty to his own branch – though in reality, he felt none – and maintained the appropriate attitude of an employee from the Asia branch.

“It seems like everything runs smoothly and transparently in the Europe branch, doesn’t it?”

“Ha ha, leaves are always the same shade of green. How could one branch of the same organization be any different from the rest?”

Ilay laughed, dismissing the notion. The man didn’t seem like a typical Europe branch employee at all.

In truth, Ilay didn’t seem to belong anywhere. Taeui often felt that Ilay stood out as a distinct figure within the Europe branch, though perhaps that was due to his personality, which caused others to keep their distance. After all, Ilay had killed members of his own branch before.

“In the history of joint training sessions, the highest number of deaths was six. This time, it looks like we just barely missed that number.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Only-five-people-died this time.”

Taeui looked at Ilay, who was talking about death as if it were the most casual thing in the world. In the dim light, his face seemed even more menacing. Once he got out of here, Taeui planned to ask his uncle if there had ever been a training session where just one person killed five others. Perhaps this was a new record.

“Killing five people can’t be considered self-defense anymore… That’s just too strong.”

He had no idea what kind of power was backing Ilay, but being put in jail seemed like far too light a punishment.

It seemed Ilay heard Taeui’s muttered words, but he simply smiled and didn’t respond. After a moment, Ilay spoke up.

“I’ve been here for quite a while. There might be instructors from other branches who’ve been here for less time than I have. I know a bit about how the organization works… That’s why.”

Taeui frowned and turned to look at him. Though it seemed like Ilay was answering, his response was vague at best. Taeui still thought this man wasn’t easy to figure out. He realized Ilay never outright lied, but he also never fully told the truth, making dealing with him exhausting.

Taeui despised those clever but insane types – always pulling unpredictable stunts while keeping an escape plan for themselves.

As Taeui felt his irritation growing, Ilay suddenly asked.

“So, what time is it now?”

“Huh? Oh, since this morning, I’ve been handcuffed and questioned by the Instructors before being put in the cell, so it’s probably around lunchtime.”

Taeui recalled the clock he saw while passing through the Instructors’ rooms and answered. As soon as he said that, memories of the morning flooded his mind. Suddenly, a wave of fatigue washed over him.

This day had been nothing but bad luck – one problem after another since the moment he arrived. The only good thing was meeting Xinlu.

Remembering that, Taeui pulled out the so-called pager from his pocket. He held it in his hand and checked it—no new messages.

“There’s no signal here.”

Taeui looked disappointed when he heard Ilay say there was no signal. He slipped the pager back into his pocket and glanced at Ilay, who was now opening a wooden box with a handle that he’d taken from a wall shelf.

“Come here and give me a hand.”

After staring at Ilay for a moment, Taeui stood up and walked over to him in the dim light. As he walked, he tripped over a protruding stone on the ground and had to sit down for a moment to deal with the pain.

“Damn it, can’t they make this dungeon any brighter? At this rate, I’ll be half-blind by the time I get out.”

Taeui grumbled, and Ilay chuckled.

“You’ll get used to it soon enough, and your vision will adjust. It almost feels like your eyes are evolving. Just give it a bit more time.”

“If my eyes evolve any further, I’ll be blind when I get out.” – Taeui muttered, continuing to complain as he moved closer to Ilay and sat down next to him. He peered into the box Ilay was opening, faintly illuminated by the dim light of the small bulb. Inside were a few plastic containers that reflected the weak light.

“Is this a first-aid kit?”

Taeui picked up one of the plastic boxes, shook it lightly, and mumbled to himself. Ilay pulled out a roll of bandages from another package and began to wrap it up. It seemed like it really was a first-aid kit.

“Why a first-aid kit all of a sudden? I didn’t even get injured that badly.” – Taeui said, taking the bandages from Ilay. Then he remembered—Ilay had been injured.

During the explosion, a fragment had lodged in Ilay’s right shoulder. The blood from the victims had splattered all over him, drenching his entire body in red, but only his right shoulder continued to bleed.

“You’re hurt too” – Taeui remarked, surprised. Ilay, who was taking some medication out of the kit, paused for a moment and stared at Taeui. His expression seemed strange, but due to the darkness, Taeui couldn’t make out the details. Perhaps it was better that way.

“What do you think of me?”

“Ah, I just think based on what I’ve seen and experienced.”

“Ah, based on what you’ve seen and experienced. But I don’t recall ever being aggressive toward you.”

It seemed like Ilay assumed that Taeui’s impression came from witnessing his aggression toward others. Ilay either didn’t know or was pretending not to know, but it appeared he had some semblance of a conscience.

Taeui recalled the image of Ilay in his more violent moments. Ilay had been involved in multiple murders, showing no hesitation in his actions. But when Taeui thought about it, Ilay had never actually been aggressive toward him personally.

Taeui pondered for a moment and murmured: “True, you haven’t shown any aggression toward me.”

**************************************

*The pager that Taeui and Xinlu used in the early 2000s. (My sister also had one.)