[Start of Audio and Visual Recording]

  ...[Severe energy fluctuation. Location Update: Unknown apartment.] [Full-spectrum light source detected. Analysis: A sun. We are outside the closed cavern system.]

  "Where... where are we?" The stunned voice was emitted from "Hong Min."

  He was standing in the middle of a small space with smooth white walls and windows revealing a clear blue sky.

  "There is no data," I replied, while analyzing the environment.

  "Hong Min" noticed a wooden shelf on the wall. On it was a collection of thin, polished metal plates. He approached and began to examine them.

  [Analytical Note: A minor change in the behavior of unit 'Hong Min' has been detected. His gaze toward the plates did not hold the usual curiosity, but was sharp. A slight increase in body temperature and heart rate has been registered, inconsistent with the physical effort expended. Data is inconclusive, but anomalous.]

  I scanned the plates from my position. Plate One: It showed the young king with another person whose build was similar to Hong Min's, but whose features were unclear. This person was holding the "Ash Blade" in its white scabbard. Plate Two: It showed the swordsman alone with the dark-haired woman, holding her hand, both of them laughing with genuine happiness. Plate Three: It was a group portrait featuring the swordsman, the woman, the young king, and two other individuals.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  After he had finished examining the plates, the world around us began to shake again.

  The white walls of the apartment started to blur, like an image on an old screen losing its signal. The furniture melted and disappeared in flashes of digital light, and the windows turned to absolute blackness.

  In seconds, we found ourselves in a completely different place. An infinite space of absolute blackness. The floor beneath our feet was made of a black material as polished as a mirror, reflecting an endless darkness. A heavy, absolute silence prevailed, broken only by the sound of Hong Min's trembling breath.

  And in the center of this void, there was a single spotlight from above, illuminating a single, simple chair made of the same black material, as if it had grown from the floor.

  And a man was sitting on it. He was as short as Hong Min, and slender. His skin was as pure white as an unwritten page, and his long white hair cascaded down his shoulders. His features were incredibly beautiful, and his eyes were the color of a clear, cold sky-blue. He sat calmly, looking at us with an air of boredom.

  He slowly raised his head and spoke in a quiet voice that carried a tone of displeasure.

  "Who are you? How did you bypass the defenses I put in place?"

  He looked at me for a moment, then fixed his eyes on Hong Min. The look of boredom on his face changed, his eyes widened in shock, and then with a glint of cold understanding.

  "You...!!!" he whispered, then he smiled a smile devoid of any joy. "So that's how it is..."

  He slowly raised his hand.

  [End of Recording]