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The cold cobalt light of dawn faded, and the site of the Bucheon Research Institute began to gain vitality under the morning sunlight.

As the early morning silence was broken, small footsteps could be heard.

“They say the Smile Theme Park flyer incident has been resolved!”

A blonde girl with red cheeks from running handed a newspaper to the black agent.

<<Smile Theme Park Flyer Incident Resolved!> <<The government officially announced the complete destruction of the 'Smile Theme Park Doll,' known to be isolated at the Sehee Research Institute, at 2 a.m. this morning.> The newspaper handed over by the smiling girl contained an article discussing the conclusion of the flyer incident. The black agent received the newspaper, smiled slightly, and spoke to the blonde girl who had her hands on her knees, catching her breath. "That's a relief, young miss." As she turned the page of the newspaper, a photo of a fierce-looking woman appeared. A death row inmate who had been sent as an object to avoid execution. It was something done for her own survival, but thanks to that inmate, Seoul was able to breathe a sigh of relief. "Uncle, can we really be sure it’s safe just because someone escaped from being an object?" "It's usually hard to conclude that way. The conditions for escape and destruction are often different." "Why do you think they're the same this time?" "Because both conditions overlapped. First, after the death row inmate escaped, the related object lost its power and was destroyed. That's the most important first condition." The black agent unfolded the newspaper and pointed to the related materials as he spoke. "Here, it says the escaped death row inmate testified that she had to clear nine types of apparatus to escape. Generally, the harder the escape is, the more likely the escape and destruction conditions align. Having to clear nine missions is quite difficult for escape-type objects. The fact that escape is exceedingly hard is the second condition." Hmm. Hearing the black agent's explanation, the blonde girl nodded as if she understood something. *

When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar ceiling.

The ceiling of the isolation room prepared for me.

As soon as I returned to the theme park yesterday, I had been kidnapped into an isolation room by Sehee and Yerin…

Nom nom.

I looked to the left, and Yerin was munching on my hair.

To the right, Sehee was snuggling my arm as if it were a treasure.

I couldn’t move…

Should I ghost out? I thought, but decided to just stay still today.

The theme park was fun, but there were too few humans, so I was low on human components.

Moreover, the bed was warm and comfortable, and the firewood was growing at a terrifying rate, so staying a bit longer wouldn’t hurt.

I had picked up a decent ability at this theme park.

A very powerful ability.

No, not just powerful; it was an ability that I liked?

I had acquired the Golden Reaper Storage.

When I closed my eyes, I saw a space filled with Golden Reapers.

If I were to name it, it would be the Golden Reaper Garden.

A place like Valhalla for the Golden Reapers.

Where feasts of pudding and cake were always held, and a river of cocoa flowed.

A land of endlessly spread fluffy beds where Golden Reapers frolicked above.

A sky made of bed canopies and a gently glowing light source.

A place perpetually filled with a dreamy atmosphere.

The Dream Garden.

A formless space that could only be entered through dreams.

As I entered the Golden Reaper Garden, one Golden Reaper jumped up and clung to me.

In the garden, many humans and Golden Reapers were already playing joyfully.

They were those who had been invited by the Golden Reapers from among the sleeping humans.

I casually settled down and grabbed a pudding to eat.

It’s truly a nice place.

Plenty of fluffy and delicious food.

Before I knew it, Sehee and Yerin, who had fallen asleep, were summoned to the Golden Garden.

Each was clung to by a Golden Reaper, playfully punching their cheeks.

It felt like they were saying, ‘Let’s wake up and play!’

Once they woke up in the Golden Garden, they looked around in surprise and seemed to reach some understanding.

Perhaps they figured out it was a dream.

Well, it is a dream.

Thinking it was a dream, they each rested a Golden Reaper on their shoulders and began to enjoy the Golden Reaper Garden.

Rolling around on the bed, running about, and when tired, lying down to rest.

I too rolled around in the Golden Reaper Garden until I grew tired of it.

*

Looking at the mirror, a strange face reflected back at me.

A tall woman covered in tattoos.

To anyone able to see spirits, my face would probably look different.

A grotesque doll face with eyes and lips stitched shut.

If there were those who could see spirits, it’d be hard to miss this face.

It seemed that in this world, very few, if any, could see spirits.

Not even a single person recognized me at the place known as the ‘court,’ which seemed to play an important role.

To think that just by cutting off a woman’s neck and placing my doll head on, such a miraculous thing could happen…

Surely, the power of the ‘magical book’ is beyond imagination.

No, is it called ‘object’ here?

After roughly washing my face with water and stepping outside the court, the moonlight welcomed me.

Only one moon, not seven.

A body completely different from before.

Streetlights illuminating the path without using oil, gas, or objects.

In the light of that streetlamp, bugs I had never seen before fluttered, casting shadows.

Strange music wafted from the street, unfamiliar buildings loomed.

Everything in this world made it clear that this was not the world where I was born and raised.

What I received upon exiting the court was a scrap of paper proving my innocence.

And documents listing unfamiliar ‘my belongings’ and addresses.

Was my memory vague because of the object’s influence? It was rather friendly guidance.

Using the information injected to avoid making guests uncomfortable at the theme park, I fumbled through the address written on the paper.

‘Home.’

I wonder how many years it has been since I owned a home.

The place I arrived at after fumbling through the address had a completely different atmosphere from near the court.

Dark, dreary, a place close to unhappiness.

Oddly enough, arriving in such a place made me feel like I was back in my hometown.

Knock knock knock.

I knocked on the door noted in the address.

If the information on the note is accurate, my little sister must be living here.

“I’m coming out.”

The one who opened the door was a small girl with a slightly intimidated expression.

“… Unnie.”

“Yeah.”

Even though we’re family, it doesn’t seem like I’m very welcome.

I guess this is all because there are too many humans in this world.

If humanity were reduced to one-hundredth of the object, family would undoubtedly be precious.

Seeing her jump every time I spoke made it hard to strike up a conversation.

Eating unfamiliar food with unfamiliar family from unfamiliar dishware and lying down in a narrow, unfamiliar room.

Thus, my first day in this other world came to an end.

*

When I opened my eyes, my newly acquired little sister was stabbing me with a knife.

“Die! Die! Diiiiie!”

Blood flowing from my belly and chest soaked the room.

What on earth has this body done to be so resented?

“Hmm, that’s not going to kill me.”

I grabbed the trembling girl’s hand and lifted the blade up to my neck.

“I won’t die unless you cut my neck. Here, the neck goes here.”

I may have been released from the park’s curse, but I’m still an object.

My sole purpose was to escape the theme park.

And now that I have escaped, what I gained is…

A completely unfamiliar world, society, body, family.

I tried to eliminate the object, but I failed.

Home is already gone.

Then I thought, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to just die for this girl.

After all, the original owner of this body would never have done that.

*

Hehe heh heh.

“It’s quite unfortunate that our reunion after 30 years has turned out like this, my son.”

The bizarre laughter of the director echoed through the chaotic graveyard.

A man with a head that seemed to be forcibly torn from his torso raised it high above.

“My son. My son. Say it one more time.”

“That I’m a completely different person?”

“Is it that strange to receive back the gift I gave you? I am an exceedingly rational person, indeed?”

Crack.

His head exploded like it was pressed by a press on either side.

The blood-soaked man spoke with a devilish, contorted face.

“I am the director of the Central Research Institute. And, the name… I don’t know! Well, it’s a trivial matter compared to research.”

Hehe heh heh.

The institute director began to dig up a grave.

It was the grave of the man who had once been the director’s wife.

Lifting the stone coffin’s lid revealed a woman who retained her appearance as in life.

Then the director began to butcher the corpse with a shovel.

Blood filled the stone coffin, and as the body was smashed to pieces, the director shouted.

“Here it is! The gift I gave!”

From the corpse arose a small sphere.

“I needed this object that prevents decay and recovers wounds slowly. It’s no longer needed by the dead.”

The director, bloody from a gunshot wound, staggered as he walked.

Picking up the staff that fell to the ground, he vanished from that spot with the sound of it tapping the ground twice.

All that remained was the decapitated deputy director.

And the horrendous corpses of the bodyguards.