First published: July 29th, 2023

It is Young-ja's uncertain voice that stops Ha-neul in his tracks. He's heard this right...Won Da-rae. The code name of their time machine Wanderer. Ha-neul stares at the sapphire ring around his right index. It is impossible: Won Da-rae's existence. He made sure it was in pieces the day they almost graduated. That's how he got badly injured; and he didn't know of Eun-kyung's arrest until a year later. 

Ha-neul notices the flock of magbots teeming over him and not over the brightness illuminating at the other side of the library. He doesn't care anymore, these illusions are part of Eun-kyung's bizzare plan. 

But he has to know if his ring being removed was true or not. He seriously had no pain; no painkillers could do that. Ha-neul heads to the large, dark door, the exit of the basement library. The shelves, the benches, the aura, does bring back memories of their chrono-trotting days. But Ha-neul pushes it away with a tight grim on his face.

Ha-neul reaches the door and nudges the its knob, an ornate copper. The next moment though, he flinches back, seething. Did hat knob just deliver an electric current. 

Ha-neul shakes his left hand. Luckily there aren't any scars on it. But, how is he going to get out now? 

A cold breeze blows at the back of his neck, making his hairs stand. Ha-neul turns, spotting a figure lurking in the narrow space between two book racks. Even with the distance between them, Ha-neul can cleary see the daek blue robes the figure dons. He squints, trying to make out the unknown's face. 

One more second, and they're gone. Poof...into the air. Ha-neul takes a step forward, ignoring the fake magbots' jarring chatters. Thag figure must be real, he's never seen them before. His fingers brush the cold metal of the ring - whoever's survived in Ehmo, they don't wear blue. They hate it. 

"Wah, it's seriously Won Da-rae." Jae-seong's voice pulls Ha-neul out of this particular train of thoughts. He turns back to see the door again, maybe he can try opening it again. He shakes his head, why is he entertainting useless thoughts?

With several thoughts of the sapphire ring and the incident revolving Na Eun-kyung nagging him in his head, Ha-neul waks down the library, toward the bright section. If he remembers correctly, there's an emergency exit behind the time machine. 

Entering the lair, Ha-neul stops. Not because of its nostalgic decor, or the upgraded line of suits hung in a transparent rack on his right, or the wonderous machine itself. Dae-ho is blocking his path. 

He can overtake him, there's a lot of space than before. But the flashes of Double Doomsdays make him freeze. If he could stop what happened to Dae-ho that year, nothing would be the same now. 

"Don't touch it," Young-ja says, her eyes widened. She stands closer to the frozen Ha-neul and startled Dae-ho. "You'll end up powering it on." 

On the other side of this lair, past the flashy whiteboards adorned with scribbled rules and sepia images of the club during their missions, an amazed Kang Jae-seong stands. A few inches before Won Da-rae. 

He scoffs, looking at Young-ja. "You think it works?" He scans the machine from top to bottom, the grey shell exterior, the hexagon window at the center displaying a huge disk inside. The launching pad. His gaze lands on the gap between the heavy door and the wall. 

Jae-seong sighs, pointing to it. "If it did, nobody would've left the door open." 

"But still," Young-ja says. "We're all here. What if Eun-kyung's done something to the machine."

Jae-seong turns back. "As if." 

Shaking his head, Jae-seong nudges the door and brushes his hair with his fingers as he watches it fly open with a creak. He grins, seeing the transluscent disk occupying most of the floor, and the wall-mounted screens, each turned off. 

Now, where's the exit to this place?

Meanwhile, Dae-ho begins to move, stopping beside Young-ja. Somehow, his racing heart beats slower when he's around her. When in fact, it should be higher. But he's fond of the calming aura she gives. 

Even though she looks frustrated right now. 

"That idiot," Young-ja mutters. She turns to him. "The exit is behind Won Da-rae, right?" 

Dae-ho nods with a sigh, watching Jae-seong inspect the place.