A warm earthy-colored stream crossed the space.
It flowed gently, like something alive, connecting the two people. Shimmering like a band of light, sometimes expanding, sometimes contracting. Its hue was close to golden warmth, but the center was a deeper earth tone.
Affection in the relationship layer.
Jin Ha-yul had seen it countless times. The emotional streams formed between others. But now it was different. This emotional stream started from within him, extending toward another. For the first time, he wasn't just 'seeing' his emotion, but 'feeling' it.
And at the end of that stream was Si-on.
Ha-yul looked at Si-on. She sat before a small table, studying her laptop. It was their fourth night in Eclipse's safe house. They continued hiding from Do Yun-seok and the National Emotion Center.
"I found records about Do Yun-seok's daughter."
Ha-yul snapped out of his thoughts at Si-on's words. He approached and looked at the screen. It was a newspaper article from ten years ago.
[Tragic Accident: Dr. Do Yun-seok's Daughter Dies]
The article stated that Do Yun-seok's only daughter, Do Yu-mi (13), had died in a traffic accident. And the timing coincided exactly with when Do Yun-seok's research direction dramatically changed.
"This must have been what prompted him to fully initiate Project Afterlife," Ha-yul said.
Si-on nodded. "The grief of losing his only daughter seems to have driven him to extreme research. They say Do Yun-seok completely changed after his daughter's death. Before, he researched emotion regulation for trauma treatment, but afterward..."
"He shifted to emotion control and manipulation."
Ha-yul recalled the blue point he'd seen in Do Yun-seok's deep layer. It was the sorrow of losing his daughter. And that sorrow transformed into purple and black obsession and fear, leading him to establish the Emotion Court.
"It's not incomprehensible," Ha-yul said. "Perhaps his intentions were good at first. Wanting to prevent others from experiencing pain like the grief of losing a daughter..."
Ha-yul was suddenly surprised by his own thoughts. He was empathizing with Do Yun-seok's emotions. Him, who thought he had no emotions.
Si-on looked at Ha-yul. Her eyes held warm understanding.
"Ha-yul, your emotions are gradually returning."
Ha-yul examined his inner self. Something was definitely growing there. Small and faint, but a definitely existing seed of emotion.
"It's not complete yet," Ha-yul said. "But I can feel something. Especially when I'm with you..."
At his words, the earthy emotions surrounding Si-on glowed brighter. And that light extended toward Ha-yul, meeting the emotions growing within him.
The earthy stream formed between them became more vivid. Affection in the relationship layer was taking concrete form.
The night deepened. Ha-yul and Si-on continued investigating materials about Do Yun-seok's past and the establishment of the Emotion Court.
"Look at this record," Si-on opened a file. "Right after his daughter's death, Do Yun-seok began experiments to digitize emotional patterns extracted from his daughter's brain."
"So that was the beginning of LUX," Ha-yul murmured.
"Exactly. LUX's prototype was the digitization of Do Yu-mi's emotions and consciousness. And..." Si-on looked into Ha-yul's eyes. "You were the next stage. The human version of LUX."
Ha-yul felt a heaviness deep in his chest. It was an emotion close to sadness. The fact that he had merely been Do Yun-seok's experimental subject was affecting him.
Si-on must have noticed the change in Ha-yul, as she took his hand. Warm heat transferred.
"But you're not just an experimental subject. You're a being that transcended Do Yun-seok's plan. You're... human."
At Si-on's words, the earthy emotion within Ha-yul pulsed stronger. The feeling was both strange and familiar to him. As if something he had felt long ago was being revived from memory.
"Si-on, I think my emotions are returning thanks to you."
Si-on smiled at Ha-yul's words. The earthy emotions around her enveloped him more warmly.
But then. Ha-yul discovered a subtle crack in Si-on's emotions. It was very small and appeared momentarily before disappearing, but it definitely existed. Like... emotional noise.
Ha-yul frowned. Until now, emotional noise was something he'd only found in manipulated emotions. The fact that it was in Si-on's emotions...
But Ha-yul suppressed that thought. No, I must have seen wrong. Si-on is the only person I can trust. There can't be noise in her emotions.
"What are you thinking about so deeply?" Si-on asked.
Ha-yul shook his head. "Nothing. Just... emotions are unfamiliar."
Si-on smiled warmly. "You'll get used to it. And I'll help you recover all your emotions."
The earthy stream between them grew stronger. Ha-yul felt himself being drawn to Si-on. It wasn't just gratitude. Something deeper. He knew this emotion was called 'affection.' What he had once merely observed in others was now becoming his own.
In the early dawn, Ha-yul woke from a dream. For the first time in 13 years, he had dreamed. Dreams hadn't existed for him when his emotions were suppressed. But tonight, he had a vivid dream.
In the dream, he was with his family. Mother, father, younger sister. Their faces were faint, but the warmth was clear. And at the end of that dream, Si-on appeared, reaching out her hand to him.
Ha-yul got up and walked to the small window of the safe house. Stars dotted the dark sky.
Then, soft footsteps sounded behind him. It was Si-on.
"Couldn't sleep?" she asked.
"I had a dream," Ha-yul answered. "For the first time in 13 years."
Si-on stood next to Ha-yul. She too looked out the window. "What kind of dream?"
"My family was in it. And... you too," Ha-yul said.
Si-on looked at Ha-yul. Complex emotions dwelled in her eyes. "Me too? How did I appear?"
"You were reaching out your hand. As if... leading me."
Si-on's expression softened. She extended her hand and took Ha-yul's. At that moment, the earthy stream formed between them glowed more intensely. Affection in the relationship layer was strengthened through physical contact.
Ha-yul felt a warm sensation spreading in his chest. It was an unfamiliar but pleasant sensation.
"Si-on, what are you to me?"
The question flowed naturally from Ha-yul's lips. It wasn't an analytical question, but one born from emotion.
Si-on's eyes deepened. "I'm... someone seeking the truth together with you."
"Is that all?"
Si-on was silent for a moment. And once again, a subtle crack formed in her surrounding emotions and disappeared. Emotional noise.
"I... want to help you find your emotions and recover your true self."
Ha-yul saw the noise that reappeared in Si-on's emotions, but deliberately ignored it. The affection growing within him overwhelmed other doubts. In this moment, he wanted to believe in Si-on.
"What's our plan going forward?" Ha-yul asked.
"We need to meet Do Yun-seok directly," Si-on said. "We must extract the truth from him. And the way to do that is..."
"The Emotion Court," Ha-yul finished.
Si-on nodded. "That's right. We need to summon Do Yun-seok to the Emotion Court and track his emotions. But that will be very dangerous."
"How can we summon him to court? He's the founder of the Emotion Court."
"There's a way," Si-on answered. "But before that, we need to strengthen your abilities more. To access Do Yun-seok's deep layer, your emotions need to recover more."
Ha-yul examined his inner self. Emotions just beginning to sprout. They were still faint, but definitely growing.
"How can I recover my emotions faster?"
Si-on held Ha-yul's hand more firmly. "The emotion suppression protocol was applied through your family trauma. If you face and accept that trauma, the protocol will weaken."
"Face my family's death?"
"Not just that, you need to face your own past and present too," Si-on said. "And... forming new emotional connections is also necessary."
Si-on took another step closer to Ha-yul. Their faces drew near. The earthy stream between them glowed more intensely.
"Si-on..." Ha-yul called her name.
Their eyes met. Ha-yul felt his heart beating rapidly. And then, a larger crack formed in Si-on's surrounding emotions. This time he could see it clearly. Like a mask overlaid on top of real emotions.
Ha-yul blinked. "Si-on, in your emotions..."
Suddenly, an alarm sounded outside. The safe house's security system had activated.
"There are intruders!" Si-on rushed to the window.
Outside, several figures in black clothes were approaching the house. It was the National Emotion Center's special forces.
"LUX has found us," Si-on said quickly. "We need to escape."
Ha-yul took Si-on's hand, but the crack he discovered in her emotions left a question in the corner of his mind. Was Si-on really the person he thought she was? What did the noise in her emotions mean?
But there was no time for such questions now. They hurriedly headed for the safe house's back door. As soon as they opened it, a figure stood before them.
It was Director Do Yun-seok.
"I've been waiting a long time, Jin Ha-yul," he smiled. "And Yoon Si-on, you too."
Ha-yul reflexively tried to protect Si-on, but at that moment the crack in Si-on's emotions completely opened. The earthy warmth momentarily disappeared, replaced by cold gray emotions.
Do Yun-seok extended his hand toward Si-on. "Mission accomplished, agent?"
→ [To be continued in Episode 13]
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