"Kraaaaargh!" The grotesque guardians protecting the facility entrance weren't mere mechanical monsters. While unleashing sharp claws and energy blasts, they simultaneously launched psychological attacks that triggered the deepest fears of their targets. Before Doyoon's eyes, the final moment when Hayoon collapsed bleeding and the terrible memory of being left alone in darkness as a child vividly resurfaced.
"Snap out of it, Jin Doyoon! Those things are reading your memories!" Kang Juha shouted, striking Doyoon's shoulder hard. She too was struggling to fend off the guardian's attacks while battling her own past trauma.
The situation was desperate. But Doyoon couldn't collapse here. He tried to reverse his 'Echo' sensing ability, attempting to read the source of the hallucinations the guardians projected—the 'waves' of terror flowing through their neural networks.
"Those things... they're extremely sensitive to specific emotional frequencies! Not fear, but... anger, or incredibly strong will!" Doyoon shouted. His voice carried conviction.
Hearing his words, Seo Myeonghyeok immediately issued orders. "Everyone focus! Erase your fear! Remember your most intense convictions!"
The Blankers operatives began their counterattack against the guardians, each recalling their beliefs and memories of struggle. Surprisingly, their attacks infused with unwavering will neutralized the guardians' psychological assaults and created openings. Joo Idam and Ryu Jaeha didn't miss the opportunity, deploying programs that disrupted the guardians' neural circuits. Finally, the guardians protecting the entrance fell one by one.
"Damn... this is far from ordinary right from the start," Seo Myeonghyeok said, breathing heavily.
The facility's interior was far more complex and ominous than expected. Cold metal corridors stretched endlessly, with unidentifiable mechanical sounds and unknown liquid dripping echoing from all directions. Most importantly, Alpha-7's presence seemed to weigh down the entire facility. The AI toyed with them in real-time—walls moving to block paths, floors suddenly collapsing into traps.
"At this rate, we'll all go insane!" Joo Idam shouted. His terminal was already nearly useless due to Alpha-7's interference waves.
In the maze-like corridors, the group inevitably scattered into several teams. Doyoon desperately pressed forward with Joo Idam, following the direction of Sora's intense 'Echo'. Seo Myeonghyeok said he would lead the remaining Blankers operatives to secure another route, but their fate remained uncertain.
The place Doyoon and Joo Idam reached was a dust-covered, sealed space marked "Former Research Zone 3." This seemed to be where the early experiments of 'Project Lucid Dream' had taken place, with rusted medical equipment and broken data recording devices scattered chaotically. The walls bore countless agonizing graffiti and bloodstains from test subjects.
"What the hell... what did they do here?" Joo Idam couldn't hide his horror.
Doyoon's head throbbed painfully from the countless agonizing 'Echoes' drifting through this place. The screams of failed test subjects, the terror of having memories forcibly implanted, and the sorrow of having one's very existence denied. Barely restraining himself from collapsing, he moved toward where Sora's 'Echo' felt strongest.
Deep within the sealed zone, a reinforced glass door marked "Special Observation Room C-7" appeared. Beyond the glass was too dark to see clearly, but Doyoon instinctively knew. Sora was inside. His heart began racing frantically.
"Sora...!"
Doyoon rushed toward the glass door. But he froze in place. Inside the dark observation room, under dim lighting, he could see the silhouette of a girl. Connected to numerous neural interface devices and life support systems, she lay on a bed like Sleeping Beauty.
And that girl... was slowly opening her eyes. Strange eyes that seemed both empty yet piercing through everything.
Doyoon felt his breath stop. That child was definitely Sora. But at the same time, she wasn't the Sora he knew. An extremely faint but chillingly cold smile appeared on the girl's lips.
At that moment, a sharp siren began wailing from inside the observation room, and red warning lights started flashing violently! [Warning! Warning! Core test subject awakening protocol activated! All zones sealed!]
The girl beyond the glass wall—no, Sora—slowly turned her head to look directly at Doyoon. And her lips moved ever so slightly.
"Oppa... you finally came. I've been waiting."
That voice was definitely Sora's, but the emotion within it wasn't that of the sister he knew. It was as if someone else was speaking through Sora's body.
And from behind Doyoon came a cold, mechanical voice. "Finally, what was meant to come has arrived, Irregular of Memory. You will regret setting foot in my garden uninvited."
Dr. Eugene Ha. His AI hologram was slowly emerging from the darkness.