Han A-young's Midnight Breakthrough
From a young age, Han A-young had been hailed as a genius. She graduated early from science high school and earned her PhD from a top American university at a remarkably young age—an elite through and through.
While pondering her career path with that doctorate in hand, it was the Korean branch of the Anomaly Management Agency that approached her.
During her doctoral studies, she'd received hints from certain professors about secrets hidden in the world. That sparked her interest in the agency's offer.
She went straight to the interview.
And the moment she saw the anomalies they showed her in the interview room...
She turned down all the various scouting offers and professor positions to join the Anomaly Management Agency.
True, the agency was a secret organization shrouded in the world's mysteries, so she couldn't boast about it to others.
But every day, she could encounter the hidden underbelly of the world and conduct research firsthand.
For Han A-young, who was innately bursting with curiosity, the agency was more satisfying than any other job.
She was pouring her youthful prime into research, but she believed it was worth it.
And today, as always, she was working overtime of her own volition.
Click... click...
A dark room with not a single light on except the glow from the monitor.
Gulp, gulp.
Had she built up a tolerance to caffeine now? The usual amount wasn't enough to fend off sleep anymore. So Han A-young poured energy drinks down her throat while slowly reviewing several days' worth of CCTV footage.
The reason she was scrutinizing the footage frame by frame like this was the interview she'd conducted earlier that day.
Anomaly-1004. The one nicknamed Angel had testified that she'd ripped out the dark cloud-like energy from Anomaly-109 in the next room.
Coincidentally, the lead researcher for Anomaly-109 had reported a sudden extreme drop in its aggression, prompting close monitoring.
But if Baekgu's reduced aggression was due to Angel's ability...?
"..."
This would be a monumental event capable of turning the entire agency upside down.
In her view, it could be the decisive turning point for humanity to gain the upper hand in the centuries-long shadow war against anomalies.
Gulp... gulp...
Han A-young chugged an Americano mixed with a shot like it was water while checking the CCTV.
"Oh..."
Around 2 a.m., she found the scene Angel had described.
In the footage, Angel approached the wall with her cute face all scrunched up because Baekgu was barking noisily even close to midnight.
She closed her eyes as if sensing something, then mimed grabbing and tearing at the empty air.
At that exact moment, Baekgu in the next room let out a whine and collapsed to the floor, soon rising again in a somewhat gentler state.
Slurp...
Han A-young swallowed another mouthful of coffee and checked the jumble of readings on her monitor.
Some anomalies affected their surroundings whenever they used their abilities.
Fortunately, the monitors showing Angel's containment cell internals displayed no major changes—just stable readings.
But the graph from Baekgu's room showed a striking shift.
The instant Angel grabbed at something, Baekgu's heart rate and body temperature spiked dramatically.
Then they slowly dropped, settling into a more stable state than before.
"Hmm..."
There was no direct physical evidence like changes in alteration values, but circumstantially, it was clear Angel had used her ability to change Baekgu. Han A-young rolled her pen between her fingers, lost in thought for a moment.
Tap tap.
Then she hammered out a report on her keyboard to submit to the board—the central authority over all global agency branches.
Anomaly Management Agency headquarters, sublevel 241 bunker.
One by one, people in suits entered this place shielded with absolute protection from all reality alterations.
The board members who made the agency's critical decisions.
If the agency issued directives to governments worldwide, these seven could be called the most powerful figures on present-day Earth.
"Haa..."
Catherine, director for North America, plopped into her seat and glanced around.
They couldn't see each other's faces due to certain measures, but she roughly identified the silhouettes and frowned.
"The chairman's not coming again?"
The chairman of the Anomaly Management Agency board.
His name wasn't even public, just swirling rumors. He hadn't shown his face once in the 122 years since she'd joined the board.
Still, since he'd been the one to discover this meeting's topic, Anomaly-1004, she'd thought he'd show up this time.
But he skipped even a meeting about an anomaly he'd found himself.
"If he's not gonna show, he should just step down."
Leaning back in her chair and grumbling, she caught East Asia director Kim Han-seong muttering in a low voice from the seat beside her.
"Keep it down. He has his reasons."
"Reasons? Like hiding during World War I and II? I thought we were done for back then."
"..."
Even Kim Han-seong, a staunch supporter of the chairman, fell silent without a retort.
Seizing the chance, Catherine prepared to launch her attack.
The board united under the banner of humanity's welfare against anomalies, but that was just cooperation for humanity's sake—their personal relationships were far from amicable.
But her attack plan was interrupted as the monitor in front of her started buzzing with static.
> The meeting will now begin. Board members, please remain silent.
The flat, mechanical tone announcing the start of the meeting.
Catherine shut her mouth at the sound.
They could bicker at other times, but during discussions bearing humanity's fate, rational judgment was essential.
Unnecessary quarrels were unbecoming.
No one lacking that discernment would hold a board seat.
> Discussion on Dr. Han A-young's proposal for active utilization of Anomaly-1004: Yea/Nay
Seeing the agenda pop up, Catherine crossed her legs.
"What's there to debate? If it's real, we push it now. Anomalies are popping up faster already."
South America director Carlos, seated opposite, raised a counterargument.
"It's an angel worshipped in Christianity and Islam. Teaming up with it could backfire if we encounter religion-linked anomalies, strengthening them instead. Observation only for now."
The world was full of anomalies, many tied to religions.
Carlos worried that collaborating with an angel against anomalies might entangle them with religious ones, making those stronger instead.
Religion-linked anomalies grew with faith, and an angel's existence would fuel that belief perfectly.
The agency had plenty of past failures trying to use one anomaly against another over centuries.
"So we just sit on our thumbs till anomalies wipe us out? You know that massive thing's thrashing around at the Antarctic base, right?"
"..."
"It's not a demon—it's an angel. Could be God's pity gift, an all-purpose key."
Carlos clutched his head at Catherine's words.
"Looks like we'll just keep talking past each other. Better to vote cleanly and tally opinions."
"Agreed."
Yea/Nay buttons appeared before each director.
They pressed based on their convictions and judgments.
And the result...
"3 to 3."
A tie.
Carlos and Catherine's gazes simultaneously turned to the empty head seat.
Normally, ties were decided by the chairman.
But with him neglecting his duties, it was hopeless now.
"One hour for persuasion, then revote."
"Agreed."
As Catherine and Carlos swiftly proposed and moved to proceed...
Everyone flinched at the message flashing on their monitors simultaneously.
V.
The initials of the board chairman, whose identity no one knew.
Catherine let out a hollow chuckle at the message.
"That sneaky bastard was listening the whole time?"
The containment cell was starting to feel a bit familiar now.
"Heee..."
I was parked in the massage chair in the middle of the cell, lost in bliss.
Anomaly-352.
The so-called comfy massage chair.
This thing looked like any ordinary massage chair, but its gimmick was...
The massage performance was insane!
Regular chairs followed preset intensities and routines with minimal user input.
This one adapted variably to the user.
For my shrunken body, it kneaded gently with light taps.
Too painful on normal chairs, it was perfect for me now.
I totally got why elders love these things.
'Eugh... this is dangerous...'
But it felt threatening too.
Keep using it, and I'd turn into a rotten human glued to the chair all day for massages.
"G-Gotta... stop... now..."
Stopping was simple.
Just press the big STOP button.
But my hand wouldn't move.
Just a bit more... just a little longer... I wanted to savor this massage.
'Just... 10 more minutes... 10 minutes...'
As I rationalized it to myself...
-Shhhhk.
The firmly shut door slid open smoothly.
'Huh? Not interview time yet?'
I tilted my head at the door opening outside interview hours.
Then a bunch of stern-faced guys in full tactical gear with guns stormed in and took positions.
'What the...'
Sensing something off, I hurriedly stopped the massage chair.
I gulped and waited.
-Grrr...
Then a familiar growl came from behind the agents.
This growl was definitely...
"Puppy!"
The bark from the noisy neighbor next door.
==========
Nickname:Baekgu
Physical Specs:51cm, 23kg (as of March 30, 2026)
A Jindo dog with pure white fur.
On April 21, 2021, at 12:42 p.m., a report came through local police in Jindo-gun, Jeollanam-do, of a suspected rabies case in a Jindo dog.
After suppression by hunters, the attending vet suspected atypical infection and reported to the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency. Agency agents dispatched urgently classified it as an anomaly.
Bravo-6 team secured and contained it at Chungju Base.
Has shown extreme hostility toward humans, with physical abilities far superior to a normal Jindo. Experiments confirm it can see spirits. Utilization considered but shelved due to dangerous aggression.
— If only it were a bit tamer, the staff would've adored it! (Chungju Base Chief Researcher Dr. Han A-young)