Laila stared blankly at the clearly imprinted handprint. The woman shook her apron a few more times, but the mark wouldn’t erase. If anything, it seemed to become even more vivid.

“Just my luck. I had just put five blankets in to wash, and now it looks like I’ll have to do more laundry!”

Grumbling, the woman turned away with her basket, as if she had no more business with Laila. As the wind blew, making her apron flutter, that handprint became visible again.

Five fingers spread wide. On the fluttering apron, it almost seemed to be waving goodbye to Laila.

“Laila, what are you doing?”

At Eustar’s call, Laila turned as if waking from a dream. Seeing her strange expression, Eustar asked,

“What’s wrong? Did you see something strange?”

If by strange you mean what I see every day, Laila thought. She shook her head and looked at the compass again. The needle was still pointing northwest.

“It’s nothing, let’s go.”

Laila said calmly and started walking ahead.

Marnak, who was in charge of the 4th branch of Tentinella in Adiak, shut himself in his small private shrine to pray whenever he had free time.

Originally a devout priest, his life’s wish was for this inexplicable sync problem to be resolved as soon as possible so that he could return to his ordinary position as a priest.

“Director.”

As the door to the shrine opened, Marnak let out a sigh so small it was barely noticeable, then took off his long white robe and stood up.

“What is it, Robsker?”

“It’s that man. The one who came yesterday. He’s acting strange. I think you need to come and see.”

Robsker’s cheeks, usually unmoved by most things, were pale white. Whatever it was, something serious must have happened. Marnak gestured for her to lead the way and hurriedly followed.

“What on earth has happened? Until just a while ago…”

“He was docile. He was. The incident just occurred. He’s causing a disturbance.”

“A disturbance?”

“He’s terrified.”

Robsker’s voice was gloomy and subdued. She knew well the expressions and voices of people gripped by fear. Before coming to Tentinella, she had been the head guard at a prison that held the most vicious criminals.

She was always by their side as they took each step towards the execution grounds, and when the black cloth was placed over their heads. Even the bravest would wail like children when they truly felt death approaching.

Arriving in front of the room where the man was, after crossing the corridor, Marnak unconsciously clasped his hands tightly. His drooping eyes, which usually looked gentle, were now wide open as if he had just witnessed the most terrible sight in the world.

No, it was the most terrible sight in the world. At least within Marnak’s experience… If not the first, it would easily rank second or third.

“Save me! Aah! Let me out! I can’t stay here! I’ll be caught! They’re coming for me! They’re coming for me!”

The man was covered in wounds from head to toe, and blood splattered everywhere when he moved. All were self-inflicted scratches.

Some wounds were so deep that pinkish flesh was visible. Yet, as if he felt no pain, he kept running around the room, screaming continuously.

“The seeker is coming! The seeker will kill me when it comes! No, they’re coming to catch me. Let me out! Hide me! No! No! No!”

Marnak drew in a breath. At that moment, the man suddenly turned his head towards Marnak and began jumping up and down, his knees scraped so deeply that bone was almost visible. Simultaneously, his blood-stained palm slammed against the glass with a bang.

Robsker immediately stepped forward, extending her arm protectively in front of Marnak. Seeing her hand move towards the sword at her waist, Marnak quickly restrained her.

“Don’t, Robsker. That will only frighten him more.”

“But Director…”

“Save me! Get me out! The seeker is coming! The seeker is coming to catch me! They’re coming for me!”

The man continued to pound on the glass. Of course, it was glass that couldn’t be broken easily, so there was no need to worry about him suddenly breaking out, but it was distressing to see the bloodstains spreading across the glass.

Marnak said,

“I’ll go in and talk to him.”

But Robsker immediately moved to stop him.

“Director, absolutely not! That man has lost his mind. We don’t know what he might do!”

Marnak looked down at Robsker thoughtfully, then gave his usual gentle smile. It was a kind smile. A smile filled with kindness, goodwill, and sacrificial love.

Robsker’s faith was not even nominally devout, but whenever she saw Marnak, she thought that if there was a God, He must be like this man.

“It’s alright, Ro.”

“No, it’s not. Absolutely not.”

“Don’t be like this. I’m a priest before I’m a Tentinella agent. What if I were still just a priest? Would you still stop me then, Ro?”

Robsker stared at Marnak for a moment with furrowed brows, then said,

“Yes, I would. No one needs to deliberately deal with a madman and put themselves at risk.”

Marnak smiled again. This time it was a smile overlaid with compassion. Sometimes when Robsker saw his smile, she felt a corner of her heart tearing. She wanted to scream and cover his face.

That’s exactly how I feel right now. Robsker thought.

How nice it would be if I could knock this man unconscious right now? Of course, she could do it if she really wanted to, but she couldn’t bring herself to do such a thing. For whatever reason, she couldn’t lay a hand on Marnak.

“Ro, step aside. I need to see that poor man.”

Marnak said. Though his tone was gentle, it was as good as an ultimatum, so Robsker had no choice but to step back. However, she had one condition that she absolutely couldn’t yield on.

“Fine. But I’m going in with you. And if I judge that something might happen to you, Director, I won’t hesitate.”

“Alright.”

Marnak whispered with a smiling voice. That calm voice seemed to caress Robsker’s cheek.

“Alright, Ro. I understand.”

The man who had been causing a disturbance by pounding on the glass had apparently tired himself out and was now slumped beneath it, scratching at his shoulders and arms. Robsker entered cautiously, one hand on her sword hilt ready to draw at any moment.

Marnak followed behind her. His eyebrows drooped as he saw the blood splattered everywhere.

“Mr. Daycok.”

The man flinched at Marnak’s voice. His eyes seemed somehow faded. He still looked terrified, but at least he showed no signs of causing another disturbance like before.

Marnak spoke again.

“Mr. Daycok, can you hear my voice? Do you understand?”

Daycok, blinking his sunken dark eyes, managed to nod with difficulty.

When Marnak extended his hand, Daycok tremblingly reached out his own in response. Seeing the blood clots and flesh stuck under his dirty nails, Marnak’s expression turned sorrowful.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Daycok. You’re safe here. No one will come to catch you…”

“No, Priest! You don’t understand!”

“This person is not a priest. He is…”

Robsker tried to interject, but Marnak silenced her by placing a finger on his lips. Robsker closed her mouth with a slightly sullen expression.

Marnak spoke again.

“Tell me, Mr. Daycok. Please tell me. What is it that you think I don’t understand?”

Daycok held Marnak’s hand with one hand while frantically scratching his already wounded shoulder and forearm with the other, shaking his head.

Fear seemed to be eating away at him. It was as if it was swimming through his mind like a needle, penetrating and causing nothing but pain.

“Priest, you don’t know… It’s chasing me. It follows me wherever I go…”

“What’s chasing you, Mr. Daycok? Is it a demon? Or something else?”

A groan escaped from between Daycok’s trembling lips.

“It, it’s truly evil. Priest, it’s the most vicious and terrifying ‘seeker’ in the world. I, I didn’t even say I wanted to play, but it forcibly included me in the game. Yes, that’s right.”

“Included you in the game? How?”

Daycok raised his head blankly. This time it wasn’t due to fear. There was puzzlement in his expression.

“It tagged me.”

Marnak furrowed his brow.

“Tagged? You mean it hit you?”

“No! No! That’s not it, Priest! It, that thing, ‘it’ tagged me! It tagged me like a seeker catching another child! Since then, it, it keeps chasing me. Originally, I should have become the seeker, but it… It doesn’t want that. It wants to be the eternal seeker. And it chases…”

“Did you see it? What did it look like? What did it actually do to you?”

Daycok’s fingers, which had been scratching his arm, suddenly stopped. Robsker saw fear, an indescribably miserable fear, rising like a dark cloud over his expression once again.

Daycok opened his mouth like a person in a trance, and a terrible smell wafted out. It must have been due to rotten teeth. The combination of intangible —presumably— fear and physical pain had clearly driven him to the brink of madness.

“I saw it… Yes, I saw it. They were young boys and girls. The one who tagged me was a girl. She left a handprint on my pants, it was like mud but wouldn’t wash off. Then it started appearing in my dreams, no… in my house. Under the landing, under the bed, inside the closet! Oh God! Priest, you must believe me. Once you’re caught by the ‘seeker’, that’s the end. It will chase you until you die. I know it! That’s why I’m asking you to let me out of here!”