The Intended Miracle (2)
Given the sensitive nature of the topic, they had sealed off every surveillance camera and potential sound leak in the room. Under normal circumstances, such actions would have immediately triggered intervention from Central Management. But the person present here was none other than the head of the entire research division overseeing this sector. As long as she held her position and authority, everything that happened here could be concealed almost perfectly.
“How should I even put this… Well, why don’t you share your thoughts first? You witnessed the scene right in front of you, after all. Your perspective might differ from mine, since I was only watching through the cameras from afar.”
Ha-yeon opened the conversation with that question. At the same time, Cheon Hyeok pushed aside his despair and recalled the unbelievable memory of what had unfolded before his eyes. It was a mystical sight, as if something had been created from nothing. It felt as though time itself had reversed, but only around the wounded area.
Ever since the first gate appeared on Earth and those with awakening abilities emerged… countless powers had been revealed to the world. As one of the early hunters, he had seen all kinds of abilities over the years. Yet what he had witnessed just hours ago ranked among the top five most extraordinary.
He had seen awakeners who could rapidly regenerate damaged bodies during battle. But never once had he seen a destroyed heart being restored. Recovering from a fatal wound—something that should have meant certain death—and returning to perfect condition in an instant. It was the kind of ability every hunter dreamed of at least once.
“It probably wasn’t much different from what you saw. Regeneration… no, super-regeneration at the cellular level. No matter how many times I think about it, there’s no other way to describe it.”
Cheon Hyeok narrowed his eyes and stared at the girl lying before him. The vivid image of that massive hole gushing blood like a waterfall still lingered. The impression had been so intense that even now, with her body restored, he half-expected the wound to still be there beneath her thin clothes.
“I thought so. My impression doesn’t differ much from yours. An absurdly powerful super-regeneration ability. No… since her heart—the very source of life—was completely destroyed and then fully restored, it’s on an even higher level than that.”
“An ability of immortality… is that what you mean?”
At Ha-yeon’s murmur, he voiced the word that had been circling in his mind. Eternal, undying power that could heal any wound. No other concept seemed fitting. Ha-yeon, who had been gazing at the girl with deep contemplation, gave a small nod.
Of course, if the girl herself heard it, she would have been horrified and denied it outright. But for the two of them, it was the most plausible explanation at the moment.
“…For now, that seems like the most fitting description. The source is likely her awakening ability as an Irregular—one that even precision instruments couldn’t detect. You remember the first case, don’t you? Her power far exceeded our imagination as well. To think an immortal being is right in front of us… I still can’t believe it.”
Even as she spoke, Ha-yeon continued staring at the girl with a dazed expression, as if the reality still hadn’t sunk in. After all, the concept of immortality had been humanity’s greatest desire across all eras and cultures, long before the phenomenon known as “Calamity” ever occurred. The absolute end that even the greatest figures in history could not escape—being able to avoid it entirely. It was no surprise that a researcher like her would react this way.
But as her eyes gradually began to fill with madness, Cheon Hyeok immediately furrowed his brow.
“…Just how severe of an injury can she recover from? Is it a passive ability that works even while unconscious? Could she survive without eating? Does she even age at all…?”
Her eyes fixed on the girl, Ha-yeon looked ready to drool from pure curiosity. She no longer resembled a sane adult. She looked more like a child who had just received a rare toy. Cheon Hyeok quickly decided to cut off her wild speculation.
Whoosh!
“H-Huh? Aaaah!! What are you doing?!”
Startled by the sudden heat, Ha-yeon looked down and screamed in shock. Blue flames had ignited at the hem of her white coat. She knew better than anyone that those flames were real. She stomped in place, unable to hide her panic. Yet despite their small, fist-sized appearance, the blue flames showed no sign of dying out.
The fiercely burning fire vanished without a trace the moment he flicked his fingers lightly, as if nothing had happened.
“Are you out of your mind? I almost got roasted alive! Your flames don’t go out with normal methods!”
Ha-yeon, her face pale, held out the scorched hem of her coat and protested indignantly. Cheon Hyeok merely snorted and turned his head.
“You’ll wake the child… Keep your voice down. Anyway, if you try anything strange with this girl, I won’t stay quiet about it.”
“Ugh… This is so unfair. No matter how obsessed I am with research, I wouldn’t go so far as to experiment on a child. It’d be a lie to say I have no curiosity, but I have no intention of using such extreme methods.”
Ha-yeon tucked her tail between her legs at his threat, breaking into a cold sweat. She had realized that saying anything suspicious here would truly turn her into roast meat. Instead, she decided to steer the conversation in a slightly different direction.
“All the tests we’ve conducted so far have been inconclusive. But even if we can’t figure out the internal aspects, there are a few things we’ve noticed externally.”
“What do you mean by that?”
At her cryptic tone, Cheon Hyeok’s eyes lit up with interest. Ha-yeon smiled slyly and spoke.
“Do you remember when we first met and had a short conversation? Do you also remember what question that child asked?”
“Hmm… She said this place didn’t look like a research facility. And when you went ahead and spilled classified information, I gave you an earful about it.”
“Right. But didn’t that strike you as odd? That question could only come from someone who already knows what a normal research lab looks like. And I heard she’s been wandering the back alleys since she was separated from her parents at a young age… Now do you see what’s strange?”
Cheon Hyeok’s eyes widened as he listened to her calm explanation. She was right. How would a child her age know what a research facility looked like? If she had attended school normally and received a proper education, maybe—but considering what they knew of her past, that seemed unlikely.
“I see. You’re saying there’s a high chance she was once in a place that resembled a research lab…”
“Exactly. That’s why she already knew what a place called a research facility looked like, and it slipped out unconsciously. Of course, it could be an overinterpretation, but the possibility is there. And if this guess is correct, then she must be hiding her past from us for some reason.”
Ha-yeon concluded with a haughty air, crossing one leg over the other. Cheon Hyeok was inwardly impressed. Despite pretending otherwise, she had been quietly observing the girl the whole time. Otherwise, noticing such minor details would have been impossible. Her sharp mind and quick wit never failed to amaze him.
“Still, we can’t force it out of her. She might have her own circumstances. What I’m trying to say is, we still know too little about this child. So what comes next is most important—her future placement.”
At that pointed remark, Cheon Hyeok scratched his head with a thoughtful gaze. Ha-yeon watched him groan in indecision and calmly voiced her own thoughts.
“The first option is to report everything we’ve discovered to the higher-ups as is. Of course, that would save us a lot of trouble. But in exchange, we can’t guarantee the girl’s future. After all, she’s the second Irregular to appear… and one with immortality on top of that. Those people are desperate to expand their influence—who knows what they’ll do? As you know, there are even crazier people up there than me.”
Ha-yeon spoke in a chilling voice, calmly laying out the harsh reality. Cheon Hyeok nodded without objection. He couldn’t find any flaws in her reasoning either. The idea that they would learn all the facts and still leave the girl alone was something even a passing elementary school student wouldn’t believe.
Yet the fact that they had rescued a child who appeared to be an awakener had already been reported upstairs. They were particularly meticulous when it came to managing awakeners, so any suspicious movements on their part would prompt immediate action.
“You don’t want that either, do you? We can’t send an innocent child into that kind of hell. Which brings us to the second option—falsify the test results for the report and take custody of the child ourselves.”
“That’s easier said than done. It’s completely unrealistic, especially for us, who are already under suspicion upstairs. Even coming here after so long was a huge ordeal… We’re completely on their bad side, both of us.”
Cheon Hyeok let out a deep sigh filled with lament. When he thought about it, the fact that he—an active hunter who could still fight—was assigned as the head of an investigation team was no coincidence. It was a form of punishment. Retribution against someone who stubbornly clung to a case they were told to drop. And the same applied to her, who had been cooperating with him.
“Well, you’re not wrong. Thanks to that, I haven’t been able to leave this underground facility much lately either. Research on beings that exist outside humanity… It’s fascinating, but I’ve reached my limit. We’ve already extracted nearly all the information we can from her, our only sample. That’s why we absolutely cannot let this child slip away. Just like in the experiment earlier, there’s clearly some kind of connection between her and this girl. It’s still just a hunch… but I have a feeling this child could be the breakthrough for that research.”
Ha-yeon licked her lips as she recalled the memory, speaking with conviction. At the same time, the girl’s face that she had just sent flying flashed through her mind. A horrifying sight that could hardly be called human. For the past few years, her mind had been focused entirely on restoring her to her original state. She had even abandoned all the honor and position she had built up for that purpose. If this child they had met by chance could become the breakthrough for their stagnant research, then handing the girl over to them was out of the question. Though involving the child in another experiment weighed on her conscience… at least she could keep an eye on her from nearby. That would be far better for the girl.
“…I won’t allow anything as dangerous as what happened earlier.”
“Of course. I’m not an idiot. I have no intention of putting the two of them face-to-face again at the risk of danger.”
Ha-yeon readily agreed to his cold warning. Only then did Cheon Hyeok relax and slowly walk over to sit in a nearby chair. It was a sign of his acceptance. Noticing this immediately, she smiled in satisfaction and spoke again.
“Then let me tell you about that second method. First, everything that happened here today will be concealed and falsified. That’s obvious. Next is how to dispel the higher-ups’ suspicions. Heh, I happen to have a good idea.”
When he gave her a questioning look at the mention of an idea, Ha-yeon whispered her plan. As he listened with a blank expression, his eyes suddenly widened.
“Hey, are you serious about that?”
“Why not? It serves as a decent excuse and lets us keep her right by our side. We kill two birds with one stone. The stares from others will be unavoidable, but I don’t think there’s a better way.”
At his shocked reaction, Ha-yeon spoke in a calm voice. Realizing she wasn’t joking, Cheon Hyeok wore a troubled expression and couldn’t find words for a while.
Thus, the result of their secret conversation determined the girl’s future. And the black cat watching everything from the corner smiled faintly before quietly slipping away.