Chapter Text
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[Provisional] Abnormalities Concerning Employee K█m S█l█e█ Report
██/██/20██
292 days after K█m S█l█e█ was was reported unconscious after entering S█k████g M█tr██p█lit█n C█ty, employee K█m S█l█e█'s body began experiencing strange growths such as:
- Antler-like formations on the skull
- Yellow sc█l█s growing on the neck region
- A ██████ tail growing on the lower back.
The source of the sudden changes are unknown but it is suspected that the extra appendages are similar to that of the neutralised G██d█n Fl█w█r R██or█ M██c█t from Qterw-█-██.
Last known location was in the Fox Counseling room according to a statement submitted by witness L██ J█h██n (Field Operations group █)but has since disappeared before a second inspection could be conducted.
Written by researcher Kwak Jaekang (Researcher team 1)
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'Zzzt Zzt!'
The weak fluorescent bulb flicked on, barely illuminating the small white tiled bathroom.
Kim Soleum sluggishly looked up at his face with a frown. His tired reflection stared back at him, the skin under his eyes had darkened overnight again.
As the faucet ran, the cold water flowed through his palms. The sight reminded him of the recent dreams he has been getting.
***
Every night Kim Soleum had dreamed of standing at the gates of a massive waterpark.
Although the visitors inside never seemed to notice his presence, occasionally unfamiliar people would appear and try to greet him, as if they had met before.
Sometimes he would see a young man with an eyepatch hesitantly make eye contact with him while walking next to a short-haired coworker.
Sometimes he would see two men in blue jackets scouting around as they waved at him casually.
Other nights he saw a white humanoid lizard walking stoically as a man with brown hair tried calling out for him before being smacked on the head by his female companion.
It was all so very strange.
‘…’
But Kim Soleum didn't mind them one bit.
He thought he had gotten used to these dreams until an unexpected incident occurred.
It had been a little over an entire month since he had these abnormal dreams. That night he was standing in front of the gate as usual, conducting his usual test of checking whether the supernatural force that prevented him from entering had dissipated yet. Expecting the usual invisible force to block his hand, Kim Soleum yelped in surprise to find that a blue wave had rippled across the barrier where his finger touched.
Perhaps through curiosity, he pressed harder, feeling the rush of a cool sea breeze as his hand began to pass through, then arm, then torso–until his entire body managed to phase into the other side.
Kim Soleum’s mouth gaped open in surprise.
“That was easier than I expected!”
Although a little pleased, fear began to pool in his heart.
After all, how could he have forgotten that he was still in a strange and abnormally vivid dream where everything could easily turn into a nightmare in a blink of an eye.
Feeling a trail of cold sweat trickle down his spine, Kim Soleum was about to take a step forward befor–
Good Child…
Standing in front of him was a blue dragon mascot staring back at him with its black, beady eyes.
'Plop.'
Its empty raised hand stayed stupidly in the air for a couple seconds as a churro dropped out of its grasp.
Came to visit?
Tears began to well up in its eyes as it broke into a deadsprint, heading straight towards Kim Soleum.
“..!!”
He tightly shut his eyes, bracing himself for the worst before feeling a pair of large plush arms engulf him completely.
'Drip drip.'
Just as Kim Soleum was about to try and struggle out of its tight grasp, he froze upon feeling a small damp spot pooling on his shoulder.
A thin trail of water slid down slowly onto the pristine white-tiled floor, pooling into a small puddle.
I missed you.
His breath hitched just the tiniest bit when he heard the mascot say those words. Every single atom that made up the being known as Kim Soleum wanted to desperately get away from the thing.
He tried to move out again but was pulled in closer by the dragons' plush arms.
Every. Single. Time.
Eventually Kim Soleum just found himself giving up, as by that point it just felt awkward to attempt further if he already knew the outcome.
The two stayed like that for a moment, neither of them speaking a word. Although Kim Soleum never met this strange being once in his life, he felt a warm sense of nostalgia wash over his mind as it had greeted him.
Perhaps had they met before?
At this thought his heart began to unconsciously beat faster. The ribs in his chest pounded loudly against the surface of his skin as the organ threatened to break free.
‘Oh god.’ He thought. Soleum had questioned something he shouldn’t have.
He dared to try and remember his former life out of the miraculously wonderfulSekwangmetropoliscitywherethedaywasalwayssunnyandbeautifuland- sunnyandbeautifulandsunnyandbeautifulandsunnyandbeautifulandsunnyandbeautifulandsunnyandbeautifuland–
Y█u’re █ne █f u█ n█w ███
‘…’
What was that?
***
After a few minutes, heat began to crawl up his cheeks as he carefully pushed the dragon mascot away, making sure to grasp onto its shoulder gently enough to not startle it.
Kim Soleum looked into its glistening black eyes and wiped away the tears that began to cool quietly on its cheek with his thumb.
‘I really do have a soft spot for cartoon animals’
He thought that if it wasn’t for its cute appearance, he would’ve tried to punch it in the face by now out of fear.
Good Child should eat
Yongyong opened its palm to reveal a blue-packaged churro. Hesitantly taking it in his hand, Kim Soleum sighed in relief as he watched the mascot retreat off into the theme park.
Originally he was going to place it in his pocket, but seeing as how the warmth from the bread was starting to fade, it seemed optimal to have it now rather than later.
The cinnamon crystals sparkled under the sun as the churro drew closer to his mouth. As Kim Soleum was about to take a bite, the world around him began to twist and collapse in on itself.
***
The faucet turned off with a soft click as he left the bathroom in a daze.