He was on the floor of the black and white room with nothing, although there were cameras in the corners, a white bed pushed up against the wall, and a long, narrow window he couldn't see through.
Hexin hummed as he lay on his stomach, legs swaying lazily in the air behind him. Crayons were scattered in every direction, some broken, others with teeth marks. In front of him was a large, messy sketchbook full of doodles and colorful chaos.
He drew a bird with a silly smile. Then a sun with a face. Then a blob that looked vaguely like himself but with bigger eyes. "Art," he mumbled proudly, biting a crayon as he stared at the page.
Suddenly, the door hissed open.
Hexin perked up, head snapping toward the sound. He watched as a black-haired man with pale skin and a white lab coat entered, his steps calm and measured. The man's hair had a distinct maroon-red streak in front, and he held a notepad and pen as he took a seat on the chair behind the long observation window.
Hexin's whole body jolted with glee.
"Junnie!!!!" he squealed, voice echoing around the sterile room.
Oh Junnie finally came! He'd been waiting forever! He'd even made a page just for him!
He scrambled to his knees and held up the book, pushing it toward the glass.
"Look look look! I drew you a hat! See? It's a big fluffy one with stars! And that's me—next to you! I made myself taller this time! Do I look taller today? I feel taller!"
He grinned so wide his cheeks would've hurt if he had proper nerves.
The man didn't react. He simply flipped open his notebook and clicked his pen.
Hexin didn't mind.
He sat back down and flipped another page. "Oh, and I drew our friends too! The tall one with the grumpy eyes and the one that always sneezes—here! They're riding a dragon. Rawr!" He made a little growl and flailed his arms in the air.
The man started writing something.
Hexin tilted his head. "Whatcha writing? Is it a poem? About me? No wait—secret codes?" He gasped. "You're a spy! I knew it! Spyyy-Junnie~"
No answer. Just more pen scribbles.
Hexin giggled and rolled onto his back. "This room is sooo boring without you, Junnie. You're like... like... sprinkles on plain ice cream. Or bubbles in water. Or like... cartoons but alive."
The man looked up for half a second, then back down.
Hexin tapped his foot against the wall. "Do you think trees talk to each other? Like, 'Hey nice leaves today, bro.' Or maybe they argue over squirrels."
Still nothing.
Hexin sighed dramatically. "Tough crowd."
He picked up a yellow crayon, stared at it, then began sketching again. "This one's you with cool sunglasses. I call it 'Cool-Junnie Saves the World.' It's gonna be a comic. But don't worry—I made myself the sidekick."
Somewhere behind the glass, someone else might've chuckled. But Hexin wasn't sure. He only focused on the one person who never smiled, never changed.
And yet, he still came back.
That was enough.
"Thanks for visiting, Junnie," Hexin said softly, hugging the sketchbook to his chest.
"I missed you."
The man didn't respond, but Hexin imagined he was smiling anyway.
There was a soft beep. A new figure entered the observation area—a guard in full black gear, helmet tucked under one arm. Hexin's eyes lit up again.
"Friend!" he shouted, waving both arms wildly. "Hey hey hey, I drew you too! You're a robot in this one. Pew pew!"
The guard gave no reaction beyond a passing glance before leaning toward the man with the notepad to murmur something. Hexin squinted, trying to read their lips through the thick glass, then gave up and stuck a crayon in his mouth.
"Secret spy talk again," he whispered around it, dramatically rolling back over to his stomach and pretending to eavesdrop. "I bet you're planning a party. With cake. Ohhh—chocolate cake?"
The man made a small note in his book, and the guard gave a low nod before exiting silently, the door hissing shut behind him.
Hexin flopped onto his back again, staring at the ceiling. "I should draw a cake... but I always make the frosting look like goo." He held up one of his slimy arms, the faint shimmer of orange swirling lazily beneath the black. "Too much goo. Not enough cake."
His thoughts trailed off as he began humming tunelessly, scooting in a slow circle with his elbows, dragging the sketchbook with him.
"You know," he piped up again, lifting his head toward the glass, "I think today's a good day. My collar only zapped me four times this morning! That's two less than yesterday!"
There was a pause.
The man's eyes flicked up, briefly.
Hexin gave a bright, oblivious smile. "Maybe it likes me now."
He started drawing again, this time a scribbly version of the collar around a stick-figure neck. Then he drew a frowny face beside it and crossed it out.
"No bad feelings today!" he chirped. "Just drawings and... and bird thoughts!"
He sat up suddenly, eyes wide. "Oh! I almost forgot! They let me watch a documentary last night—about forests! Big leafy trees and little things that live in the dirt and tiny birds that scream for no reason!"
He jumped to his feet, waving his arms as he acted it out. "One bird was like 'Caw!' and the other was like 'CAW!!' but it was the same bird, they just zoomed in!"
He paused, blinking.
"...I think I might be part bird."
No reaction from the other side of the glass. But Hexin wasn't discouraged.
He scooted closer and pressed both palms to the glass. His fingers left faint smears on the surface.
"I think I'd like to touch grass someday," he said, quieter now. "Real grass. Not the fake kind in the rec room. I bet it smells green. You know what I mean?"
He smiled again, but this time it didn't quite reach his eyes.
Just for a moment, his gaze lingered on the man's hand, the one still writing.
Then the collar around his neck sparked faintly—just a tiny flicker—and Hexin winced. It passed in a second, and he brushed it off with a giggle.
"Oops! Guess I was getting too dreamy."
He flopped back down, hugging the sketchbook to his chest.
"I'm gonna draw the grass now," he mumbled, already dozing off mid-sketch. "With flowers... and maybe a screaming bird…"
His voice faded into soft humming again, and the crayons lay scattered around him like petals.
The man behind the glass closed his notebook. The pen clicked.
He stood up, looked through the window for a moment longer, then turned and walked away without a word.
Hexin didn't see him leave.
He was busy dreaming of the next time he's going to meet up with summer again,aka Ha-Yoon. Oh he has so much to talk about—
[Facility Intercom Voice – cold, emotionless tone]
----------------------------------------------------------
"Attention: All active units assigned to Dungeon Retrieval Protocol 9.
Report to Gate Sector B-12 immediately.
Objective: Mana stones and viable monster remains. Corpse integrity is priority.
Failure to extract minimum quota will result in disciplinary action.
Unauthorized deviation or attempted escape will result in immediate termination.
Experiment 043 to 150 — you're on rotation. Suit up."
Deployment begins in five minutes."
----------------------------------------------------------
"Oh it was time for the treasure trip! Just what I was thinking, he's just so excited to tell summer about everything that happened, though it's a shame that he can't take his drawings with him to show to him, but oh well—"
CLANG!
The heavy door slammed open again, this time louder and more impatient.
A guard stepped in, already fully suited in black armor, helmet sealed and visor down. His voice came through the modulator in a clipped, mechanical bark.
"043. You're late."
Hexin looked up with a sheepish grin, still sprawled across the floor with crayons sticking to his goo. "Late? Nooo, I was just... fashionably behind! There's a difference."
The guard didn't laugh.
Instead, he stepped forward and dropped a bundle at Hexin's feet with a solid thud—a basic armor set: dark synthetic plates, scratched from use, plus a belt with a sheathed short sword and a pickaxe clipped to it.
"Suit up. Now."
Hexin stared at it, tilting his head. "You say 'suit' but I don't see any sequins. Or glitter. Or anything fancy at all, really."
No reply.
With a sigh, he sat up and started squishing himself into the armor. Some pieces resisted his gooey form at first, but he wiggled and squelched until they fit. The chestplate clanked against the floor as he adjusted it.
"Oof. So heavy. I'm gonna walk like a turtle now. A very shiny, very dangerous turtle."
He fastened the belt and let the sword hang at his hip.
------
Hexin bounced slightly in his seat as the truck rumbled over uneven terrain. It wasn't exactly comfortable—metal benches with no cushion, dim red emergency lighting flickering overhead—but Hexin didn't care. His thoughts were full of birds and crayon drawings and Summer.
He hugged his knees to his chest, grinning to himself.
Four days. That's how long it had been since the last treasure trip. And now he got to see Summer again! He hoped the other boy didn't mind the nickname. He'd never said anything about it, so Hexin just assumed he liked it. Besides, it fit him—like sunlight in a cold place. Even if Ha-Yoon didn't smile much, or talk much, or... really do much other than exist quietly, Hexin could feel the warmth.
The truck jerked, slowing to a halt. Around him, other experiments began to shift, yawning, stretching, or staying quiet. Some had new bruises or old scars; others clutched their issued gear: dull grey pickaxes and plain swords strapped to their belts. Armor was thin—just reinforced vests, black gloves, and boots that didn't quite fit.
One guard opened the back doors, letting in a rush of dusty wind and faint, foul-smelling air. Hexin hopped up and followed the others out, blinking as the landscape came into view.
Twisted, rocky ground stretched in all directions. The sky above was a murky gray, sun hidden behind permanent cloud cover. Not too far ahead, the dungeon entrance yawned open in the earth—an ugly, jagged crack reinforced with black steel gates.
"Line up," barked one of the guards.
Hexin didn't really pay attention to the orders. His eyes scanned the group, bouncing over heads until—
"Summer!!" he squealed, practically skipping over.
Ha-Yoon stood near the back, arms crossed, his expression unreadable as always. The bandages over his right eye were a bit darker today. Hexin frowned slightly but quickly covered it with a grin.
"You're here! I thought maybe they'd send you tomorrow or the day after or—well I guess it's today! Oh! Did you miss me?" Hexin leaned in, wiggling his brows.
Ha-Yoon gave him a flat look. "You're loud."
"That's not a no~" Hexin sang, spinning once. His armor rattled a little.
They walked in pairs as they were led down into the dungeon's mouth. It wasn't long before the steel gave way to stone—smooth, slightly damp, lit by eerie blue mana lanterns. The air was heavy, thick with dust and mana residue. Strange echoes whispered down the tunnel, like voices that didn't belong.
After a checkpoint where each experiment was handed a tracker device clipped to their belts, the group split off in small teams.
Hexin ended up with Ha-Yoon and two others: a short girl who rarely spoke and a tall, jumpy boy who flinched every time the wind moved wrong.
The task was the same as always: Mine mana stones from the glowing veins along the cave walls. If they found a monster corpse—especially one that wasn't completely decayed—they were to mark it immediately for pickup. The good ones could be harvested for parts. Powers. Money.
"Don't stray," a voice echoed behind them.
Hexin, of course, immediately started straying.
Not far, though. He stayed close to Ha-Yoon, pickaxe slung lazily over one shoulder.
He watched the other boy work for a moment. Ha-Yoon's swings were efficient, mechanical, almost bored. But his fingers trembled slightly when he stopped to wipe his brow.
"You should let me hold your hand," Hexin said suddenly.
Ha-Yoon paused. "Why."
"Because your hands are shaking and I'm soft."
There was a long silence.
"…No."
Hexin giggled and plopped down beside a chunk of rock glowing faintly blue. He began humming as he chipped away, occasionally glancing at Ha-Yoon. The two other teammates kept working quietly, one coughing every few minutes.
They spent about an hour like that—chipping, hauling, occasionally listening for monster growls in the distance. Sometimes the walls pulsed with strange lights. Once, Hexin swore he saw eyes watching them from the cracks.
"You think monsters ever get bored in here?" he whispered.
"No," Ha-Yoon replied. "They're monsters."
"But maybe they were people once. Or pets. Or, like, angsty teenagers cursed by ancient cheese."
Ha-Yoon blinked slowly. "…Are you okay?"
"Mentally? No."
A rumble shook the floor. Everyone froze. Somewhere far off, a roar echoed.
One of the guards' voices crackled over the group comm: "All units, remain in position. Possible Class 3 in lower tunnels. Reinforcements en route."
Hexin perked up. "Ooooh! A big one!"
"No," Ha-Yoon said instantly.
"Yes~!" Hexin sang.
"Do not move from your assigned sector," the comm repeated. "Repeat—do not engage."
Hexin sighed dramatically and rested his chin on his pickaxe. "Fine. No monster-chasing today."
They worked in silence for a bit longer before Hexin whispered, "Hey... after this... do you think they'll let us rest together again? Like last time?"
"I doubt it."
"But maybe. If I ask really nicely."
Ha-Yoon glanced at him. "Why do you keep trying?"
Hexin paused, then smiled quietly. "Because I like the way your hair looks under the flickering lights. Like candy. Or sea foam. Or... like hope."
Ha-Yoon didn't respond. But for just a second, he looked away—almost shy.
And Hexin thought: Maybe that's enough.
----------------------------------------------------------
The air in the dungeon was thicker than usual today. Not in a suffocating way—just heavy, like it was holding its breath. Hexin noticed it after the fifth mana stone he helped dig up, mostly by stretching a gooey limb into the crack of a glowing rock and gently prying it loose like a jelly crowbar.
He glanced sideways. Ha-Yoon was nearby, kneeling with a pickaxe resting across his lap. His mint green hair was messier than usual, and his bandages had darkened slightly on the right side. Still, his face was unreadable, focused. His silence wasn't cold—it was familiar.
"So..." Hexin whispered, slithering up beside him and mimicking a pickaxe motion with one stubby goo arm. "How's the dirt treating you today?"
Ha-Yoon blinked at him once, then quietly replied, "Harder than usual."
Hexin gasped. "Scandalous!"
For a little while, they just kept working, cracking rocks and pulling out the faintly glowing blue veins of mana stone. Around them, other experiments did the same. Quiet chatter drifted around—people whispering about guard rotations, rumors of new tests, or someone who supposedly collapsed last trip and hadn't come back.
Then something shifted.
The glow from the stones around them pulsed faintly, almost like they were dimming—just for a second. Then again. A few experiments paused, glanced around. One of them muttered, "Power fluctuation?"
"No..." Ha-Yoon stood up slowly, scanning the far tunnel ahead. "That's not it."
A sudden thud echoed from deeper in the cave. Then another. Rhythmic. Heavy.
Hexin tilted his head. "Ooh, is that one of those rocky-boom monsters? The one that sounds like drumbeats?"
"No," Ha-Yoon said flatly. "That's... something else."
The guards further down started shouting orders. Flashlights clicked on, weapons raised.
A scream tore through the hallway, cut short a second later.
Chaos rippled instantly.
One of the guards fired blindly into the dark. Someone shouted for backup. The ground trembled slightly as something massive moved forward—and then it stepped into view.
The creature was like a hybrid of mantis and nightmare. Its limbs were too long, bending the wrong way, and covered in jagged, chitinous plates that shimmered black-red under the flickering dungeon lights. Multiple sets of glowing eyes blinked in sequence across its head, and its mouth was a mess of twitching, hungry mandibles.
It let out a shriek—so high-pitched even Hexin winced—and then pounced.
The guards were the first to go. One tried swinging his sword, only to be skewered through the chest and flung into the wall like a rag doll.
"RUN!" someone screamed.
Hexin stood frozen. Not in fear exactly—just... surprise. "Huh," he mumbled. "That's new."
"Hexin!" Ha-Yoon grabbed his arm—well, his gooey approximation of one—and yanked. "Move!"
They bolted. Some of the other experiments scrambled down side tunnels or ducked behind stone pillars, but the creature didn't care. It chased, slashing wildly, shrieking louder.
Hexin didn't feel fear the same way the others did. But when one of the guards near him was torn in half, he flinched. A lot.
"We can't outrun that forever," Ha-Yoon hissed. He looked over his shoulder, eyes sharp. "We have to do something."
"But I don't have a something!" Hexin said, flailing slightly. "I've never monster-ed before!"
"Then stick with me and don't get in the way."
That, Hexin could do.
They ducked behind a boulder as the creature shrieked again. It had paused, tail lashing, sniffing the air.
Ha-Yoon's breath was steady. "We'll lure it toward that broken pillar—see the edge? If I can hit its leg just right, it might collapse onto it."
"That's smart," Hexin whispered. "What if it eats you instead?"
"Then run."
"I hate that plan."
"Too bad. Ready?"
The creature spotted them again—no more time for planning.
"Okay, maybe I'll just distract it!" Hexin leapt up with a flourish. "Hey! Ugly! Goo for brains!"
He waved his arms wildly, drawing its attention just as Ha-Yoon darted toward the side. The monster roared and lunged straight at Hexin.
It hit.
Or rather, it passed through him like stabbing a gelatin balloon.
Hexin yelped—not from injury, but from shock. "Rude!! That hurt!"
Pain sizzled through his core, not damage, just... unpleasant. But his form reshaped itself quickly, squishing to the side as Ha-Yoon leapt into action, swinging the sword cleanly at the creature's joint.
With a bone-snapping crack, the limb gave out—and the creature shrieked as part of the ceiling collapsed on it.
Dust exploded outward.
Silence.
Hexin blinked. "...Did we win?"
A groan answered him. Ha-Yoon stumbled forward, blood dripping down his arm.
Hexin rushed to his side instantly, goo curling around his waist like a scarf. "You're hurt!"
"I'm fine." Ha-Yoon looked down at the monster, still twitching beneath rubble. "We need to tell the guards. That corpse is worth a lot."
Hexin nodded, eyes wide. "Oooh, maybe enough for a whole week without collar zaps!"
Ha-Yoon didn't answer. He just sat down, breathing hard.
Hexin slid down beside him and offered a crayon. "You want to draw the monster while it's still fresh?"
Ha-Yoon gave him a tired look. "...You're ridiculous."
"I'm your favorite ridiculous," Hexin replied proudly.
And somewhere, just out of sight, a guard's radio crackled.