The Bureau's Proposal
"Huh—yeah, is Seojun okay? Good thing. I'm on my way now, so I'll be there soon."
Park Seongmin swallowed a rising sigh as he comforted his wife over the phone. Lee Suyeong had always been frail, plagued by frequent minor illnesses. Was it her constitution, too weak to carry a child? Their long struggle with infertility had worn the couple down, and as time passed, hope gave way to the despairing word infertility. Just as they were considering IVF as a last resort to fulfill Suyeong's desperate wish for a child, a miracle happened—Seojun arrived. Their son, hard-won after years of hardship. As he might be their last child, the couple couldn't help but worry about him even more.
I don't remember exactly, but I had a strange prophetic dream with my wife.
It felt like they had gained the whole world in happiness, but inexplicable events kept occurring, deepening their anxiety. The countless bizarre phenomena around their precious son. At first, Seongmin thought it was his own overreaction. Even when his son's shadow loomed larger than his own sturdy adult frame—despite the boy being small compared to his peers—or when a woman's voice echoed from the room where the child slept alone, or when an old doll he'd spotted by chance on the street ended up perched high on a wardrobe shelf. Each time a chill ran down his spine, he'd laughed it off as amusing delusions. But those delusions were starting to take on real substance.
More than fear of the unknown anomalies, it was the anxiety that something bad might happen to his son that made Seongmin restless. It was worry for his boy that drove him to grasp at folk superstitions he'd once dismissed as primitive.
Hoo...
Though he'd quit smoking over ten years ago, today of all days, he craved a cigarette desperately. He finally reached home, parked, and punched in the door code. As he stepped inside, he noticed two unfamiliar pairs of shoes.
"Honey, you're back?"
Behind Suyeong, who greeted him warmly, sat a person in a black suit in the living room.
"Yeah, but who's here?"
Suyeong approached and whispered, "They say they're from the NIS, here to help with our Seojun."
"The NIS?"
What on earth? The National Intelligence Service—didn't they catch spies? Seongmin's mind filled with questions amid the bizarre situation.
It's not impersonation, is it?
The two women in black suits sitting in the living room stood at his arrival and approached. Both looked strikingly young. The one with long hair and a cold demeanor introduced herself first.
"Mr. Park Seongmin? Hello. I'm Jung Ha-yeon."
"Hello. Moon Sera here."
"Ah, yes. Park Seongmin."
The three exchanged greetings and naturally sat facing each other across the table.
"As I explained to Mrs. Lee Suyeong, we're here about your son, Park Seojun."
Jung Ha-yeon placed her NIS badge and another ID on the table.
"Supernatural Management Bureau of the Republic of Korea?"
Seeing the word supernatural on the ID, Seongmin instantly recalled the strange events around his son.
Confirming his reaction, Ha-yeon set the tone and began slowly.
"Do you like movies? Fantasy or horror stories with demons, monsters, ghosts, magic, that sort of thing."
Seongmin's expression darkened as he began piecing it together.
"I don't seek them out. That stuff... it's just youthful fantasy, right?"
"True. For most people. But some of those stories stem from actual records."
"Are you saying ghosts and demons aren't imaginary—they really exist?"
"You already suspect it, don't you? The incidents around Park Seojun aren't natural phenomena."
"You mean... because of a demon...?"
The truth he didn't want to believe. Suspicions he'd only guessed at were closing in as reality, and Seongmin and Suyeong's faces looked ready to crumble.
"No, not that. Not everything beyond human perception is a ghost or demon."
Hoo—
Relieved by Ha-yeon's response, the couple relaxed slightly. She continued in a lower, more serious tone, signaling the main point.
"We call phenomena beyond understanding mystery. Sometimes, people are born with innate strong affinity for it. They wield immense power through their abilities. Wizards. Those who twist and shake the world's laws. Mages."
A brief silence fell over the arcane explanation. Suyeong gathered her thoughts and asked.
"Is our Seojun a mage?"
"Precisely, he has a mage's talent."
Seongmin let out a hollow laugh.
"Haha..."
He didn't think it was a lie. It was too real, given what he'd experienced.
"Then... is there a way to remove that talent? Can't he just live a normal life?"
Ha-yeon shook her head gently.
"We can't erase talent, but it can be hidden well enough to live like anyone else. However, I don't recommend it."
"Why not?"
"Because the world isn't ordinary."
A meaningful answer, laced with a heavy shadow in her tone.
"Treasures held by the unqualified bring disaster. Seojun's talent could be a treasure someone would spark a bloodbath to claim."
"What should we do?"
"The most important thing is for Seojun to grow strong himself. Strong enough to protect against external threats."
Ha-yeon pulled documents from her prepared bag and placed them on the table.
"The Bureau collaborates closely with mage society. One key role is finding talented children and connecting them to that world."
She deftly opened an envelope and laid out the contents in order.
"Mage talent is usually inherited through bloodlines. It's extremely rare among normals—ordinary people—so cases like that are almost nonexistent. Sometimes it manifests naturally or from ancient mixed blood. Without proper training, they often get swept away by their powers, leading tragic lives. Mage society can't scout them all, so most cause endless problems—unhappiness for the individual, tragedy for society. That's why, in modern times, the Bureau supports mage society through active cooperation."
Ha-yeon finished the background explanation matter-of-factly.
"This concerns Seojun's enrollment in a magic school."
Not some contract, but pamphlets and info sheets packed with clauses.
"A magic school?"
"Think of it as their middle and high school. They have their own important system, so tuition is low. Seojun's age is perfect for immediate enrollment."
"You're saying we should send Seojun there."
Seongmin couldn't agree readily. It felt unreal, unrelatable. All he felt was anxiety about losing his son.
Glancing at his wife amid his turmoil, he saw Suyeong biting her lip, sharing the same feelings.
"Honey..."
He gripped her anxious hand tightly, swallowed his unease, and asked in a trembling voice.
"What do we need to do? After sending Seojun there, can we still see him?"
Ha-yeon understood their fears. It was hard for ordinary people to accept, easy to misunderstand the unknown.
"No need to worry too much. We're not kidnapping or imprisoning him—it's literally a school. As a boarding school, you can't see him daily, but he can come home on breaks. After graduation, he'll live freely as a full mage. Young mages at the school receive ironclad protection from mage society. Violating that is the ultimate taboo—like touching a dragon's reverse scale. It'll be a solid shield until Seojun grows strong enough to protect himself."
After her words, Seongmin wrestled with his thoughts before finally speaking.
"Yes... I understand..."
After a few final instructions to the couple, the two Bureau agents stepped out and boarded the cramped elevator.
"Whoa, like I said earlier, these old apartments really have tiny elevators. Is that why they put mirrors everywhere?"
Whether intentional or not, mirrors on three sides made the narrow space feel less claustrophobic.
"But elevators with mirrors like this creep me out a bit."
The facing mirrors reflected each other infinitely, countless Moon Seras moving as she did.
Ha-yeon nodded slightly at Sera's words.
"Well, there are countless ghost stories about mirrors, so it's not just your imagination."
The elevator dinged dully at the first floor. As the doors opened, cool outside air and murmuring noise rushed in through the narrow gap.
The apartment entrance, quiet just hours ago, now had an ambulance with flashing lights parked there. Paramedics bustled with a stretcher, on which lay a gaunt, skeletal woman clutching something unrecognizable. The foul-smelling mass bore bite marks and human teeth impressions everywhere. Paramedics cleared the filth forcibly, wrapping her in a blanket as she boarded with dazed eyes. Nearby, a policeman took a serious statement from a middle-aged man who seemed to be the superintendent.
"Looks like an accident?"
Moon Sera voiced her curiosity at the busy scene.
"Seems so. Better step aside so we don't get in the way."
They walked to their car, got in, and pulled out of the parking lot.
"In the end, we didn't even get to talk to the kid properly."
"What would talking to a kid accomplish?"
"I'm curious, you know? Wonder what a kid with mage talent is like."
Ha-yeon lightly comforted the disappointed Sera.
"There'll be another chance later. For now, focus on driving properly."
"Yes—yes—"