The Phantom Lab and the Runaway Princess
I was wandering around the reading room.
Just how far had she gone?
No matter how big the reading room was, it wasn't normal for someone to get this lost.
It was practically a talent.
"Latynia! Where are you?"
I shouted without a care for manners, but there was no response.
Come to think of it, there had been a notice about a silence magic circle installed in the reading room.
From what I'd heard talking to Ruphus, it didn't completely block sound, but if you were too far away, it wouldn't carry.
In the end, I'd have to find her the hard way.
As I roamed the reading room, I spotted a suspicious magic circle.
What was this magic circle?
It was too small to be the silence one.
Had someone hidden it here?
I touched the magic circle, and suddenly it felt like my body was being sucked somewhere. My mind went hazy.
Once the dizziness faded a bit, I looked around and saw that the surroundings had completely changed.
Was this... a research lab?
The room was filled with strange instruments that looked like they belonged in a science experiment.
And there was Latynia, the one I'd been looking for.
She looked just as confused, glancing around.
"Where is this place?"
"Who knows. Looks like some kind of lab."
Latynia seemed to be thinking the same thing as me.
She poked at the various instruments curiously, which made her look like a kid left alone by the water's edge—unsettling me a bit.
I forced my eyes away from her and scanned the area. There was a path leading deeper in.
"Looks like there's a path that way. Wanna check it out?"
"Yeah. A little scary, but... intriguing."
Excited by this situation? Latynia wasn't exactly normal either.
We followed the path deeper in.
The narrowing corridor had restraints for arms and legs on both sides, along with dried bloodstains.
Ignoring them, we kept going until we reached tall cylinders filled with suspicious liquid.
"Looks like they did some human experiments here."
"Yeah. Not common, but it happens sometimes."
"Really?"
In this world, where the concept of stripping human rights was fully entrenched, it wasn't easy to accept.
Human experiments didn't happen every day, but they weren't unheard of for various reasons.
After all, the reason humans could use magic stemmed from early gate-opening experiments where they kidnapped people from the otherworld...
Some groups still discriminated against other races.
There were even insane cults that kidnapped them, broke their minds, and elevated them to cult leader status while worshipping them.
'Vivian...'
More than that, Vivian popped into my head.
Ever since entering this lab, thoughts of her kept surfacing.
As we moved along the cylinders, where the liquid inside gradually changed color, the feeling only grew stronger.
At the end of the cylinder path...
"Vivian!"
There she was, slumped against the wall—similar to how I'd seen her at the slave market, but a bit more grown.
I bolted toward her without thinking.
No, it was an illusion.
There was nothing there.
Of course not. Why would Vivian be here?
She was probably safe back at the dorm.
Latynia followed, startled by my sudden dash.
"Do-jun? What was that about?"
"Oh... nothing. Thought I saw something, but it was just my imagination."
"This place is so bleak. Hallucinations happen."
She was right—the area was utterly desolate.
No trace of human touch.
Just remnants of where someone had been restrained.
Even in a world where human experiments occurred, they didn't go this far.
It was like...
"How do we get out of here?"
"Good question."
It was a dead end.
No other paths.
How were we supposed to leave?
Nothing stood out when I looked around.
"Ow!"
As I poked around, my hand suddenly stung.
Looking down, there was a magic circle etched on the back of my hand.
Last time it was a pattern; now a magic circle.
Was my hand some kind of sketchpad?
At that moment, it felt like my body was being pulled somewhere again.
"Latynia!"
I instinctively reached for her.
The second she grabbed my hand, our bodies shifted elsewhere.
We were back in the library reading room.
The magic circle I'd touched was gone without a trace.
"Did you touch a magic circle here too, Latynia?"
"Yeah. As soon as I did, spatial magic activated."
"It's not just me—it's really gone, right?"
"Yep, invisible to me too."
Nothing remained where the circle had been.
The one on my hand had faded too, barely visible.
"Let's head back for now. Someone's waiting for you."
"Lady Latynia! I've been waiting."
As I escorted her out, Ruphus came rushing over.
Lady Latynia?
I gave her a fresh look, and she averted her eyes.
"Here she is. So, who is she that you're calling her 'Lady Latynia'?"
"This is the princess of the Rasertia Kingdom. Our Bloodmane tribe is located on the kingdom's frontier. In exchange for guarding it, they granted us autonomy."
So this modern-world-challenged directionally impaired girl was a princess from the otherworld?
"Never pegged her for a princess, though."
"Ruphus? Didn't we agree to keep my identity secret? I'm just an ordinary human studying abroad in Korea."
"I can't do that. If something happened to you, the king would..."
"Father... sigh..."
Latynia let out a deep sigh.
Doting dads must be everyday in this world.
With three close friends gathered, it felt right for me to bow out.
Ruphus and I had just met today, his little sister was shyly hanging back, and now Latynia had joined—making me feel like the outsider.
"Uh... then, Lady Latynia?"
"Call me like you were."
"Alright, Latynia. I'll head out then."
"You're not listening."
She pouted.
Somehow, I ended up hanging out longer with the otherworld trio.
Our princess's personality helped a lot.
"So, princess, what brings you to Earth?"
"..."
"Princess?"
"..."
"...Latynia."
"Yes? Why I came to Earth?"
"Yeah. With your status, wouldn't it be comfier staying on the Imanitus Continent?"
"I don't like my position much. And the kingdom... it's suffocating. Father's overprotective—won't let me do anything. So..."
"So?"
"I ran away with Ruphus's help."
Not a princess—a fugitive.
"I reported you."
"Eek! Don't!"
"Kidding, kidding."
Her emotions rollercoastered with every word I said—it was getting fun.
"So, just tourism in Korea?"
"Tourism too, but mostly to learn magic."
Coming from the otherworld to Korea to learn magic?
The funniest thing I'd heard lately.
Magic originated from the otherworld via gates—coming to Korea to study it?
Even Prism's level couldn't match otherworld magic research.
It might change in a few years, but right now, the gap was huge.
"That's... a hilarious joke. Got more?"
"Don't tease! I have my reasons."
"Sure, that's why you ran away. I get it."
"Not like that..."
I could read between the lines.
Overprotective dad probably wouldn't let her learn real magic.
Frustrated, she bolted?
Princess oblivious to the world's dangers.
"Lemme guess. The king said magic's dangerous, so no advanced stuff—just basic life or elemental magic?"
"How'd you know?!"
Latynia grabbed my hands in amazement.
The proximity was... weird.
She was too close from the surprise—I'd lighten the mood with a joke.
"I could tell at a glance. I know exactly what you're thinking, princess."
"Ah..."
Her face flushed, eyes glazing over.
Not the reaction I expected.
I thought she'd snap at the 'princess' bit...
The fluffy atmosphere made it hard to continue.
Help me out, Ruphus!
But Ruphus just smiled warmly at us.
Dude, your princess is acting off!
All three matched their first impressions to their real personalities.
Made bonding easy.
Except one.
Latynia had the highest status but great character.
Calling her 'Lady Latynia' or 'princess' made her freak—fun to tease.
The more I did, the less I wanted to let her go to Imanitus...
Ara still avoided eye contact when I tried talking.
Her wolf ears poked out cutely sometimes; when I reached to pet, she'd whip her head away.
Then cover them and growl... adorable.
More pet than beastkin.
"Ruphus, gimme your sister?"
"What?!"
His mane stood on end like a startled brush.
That big a reaction?
Latynia looked equally shocked.
Ara just looked confused.
"I'll treat her well. You know my type."
"Absolutely not! And how would I? We just met."
"True. Later then."
"Not later either!"
Not easy yet.
Try again once she's used to me.
Turns out they were leaving at closing time.
I had people to check on and stuff to do, so I left first.
At the infirmary, Lee Ji-ah had already woken and gone.
Thought about calling, but she hadn't reached out either, and she had her own stuff...
Tried anyway—didn't connect.
Personal reasons, probably.
Back at the dorm, Vivian was still fiddling with Thousand Changes.
But her reaction was off from usual.
"Vivian, you okay?"
She didn't even look when I called.
More than that—she was avoiding me.
Why?
As I approached slowly, she desperately tried to back away.
"D-don't... come..."
She nearly toppled the chair; I caught her quick.
Held her like always, but she flailed weakly with arms and legs to push me off.
Still clutching Thousand Changes tight in one hand.
That hurt my feelings.
She'd been fine until now—why this?
I took Thousand Changes back first.
The slime-like fabric rippled, vanished as I willed, then reappeared on my right hand.
Getting the hang of using it. If I learned my abilities step by step like this...
Then Vivian's aura shifted.