The twisted shoreline of the grotesque island loomed before me.

Jagged waves crashed against misshapen rocks, and the sky was cast in a dreary shade of blue.

It felt as if everything on this island was crafted to unsettle me.

I held the Golden Reaper on my palm and sent a small wave of will towards it.

“Sorry for being late.”

Seeing it drained of warmth and light, clutching the orb tightly, brought a pang to my heart.

The Golden Reaper, which had always worn a sunlit smile, now lay limp and exhausted, drained of all its firewood.

Gently, I began breathing firewood back into it, nurturing it like a delicate sprout in need of water.

Gradually, the Golden Reaper’s radiance returned, like a withered flower blooming once more.

The golden light grew brighter until it transformed into a radiant halo and began to dissolve, drifting towards the heavens.

Returning to the Mini Reaper Garden.

To the Valhalla of the Mini Reapers.

Guided once more to where it belonged, the Golden Reaper’s spirit began to flow into its rightful place.

This was the natural cycle of the eternal Golden Reapers.

As I watched, a small crease appeared on my brow.

It was a complex feeling—a mixture of anger and frustration.

“Why couldn’t the Golden Reaper return to the Mini Reaper Garden?”

I cast my will into the air with a trace of irritation.

There wasn’t any obstruction blocking the connection to the Mini Reaper Garden, and it wasn’t as if telepathy couldn’t be used.

It didn’t seem as if it had burned through its firewood in a fierce battle to protect or eliminate someone, either…

What could have caused this?

With a blend of anger and questions, I began walking towards the island’s center.

When the Golden Reaper opened its eyes, it felt the soft grass beneath it and saw the beautiful night sky, illuminated by a river of starlight.

The plush grass, like a luxurious carpet, and the starry sky—both were familiar sights to the Golden Reaper.

“I’m back…!”

Hugging the golden orb tightly, the Golden Reaper looked up and let out a bright laugh.

Releasing the now-used orb, it began walking slowly towards the Mini Reaper Garden.

Step by step.

Upon arriving, it noticed other Golden Reapers rushing somewhere en masse.

“There’s a ton of snacks!”

“Pudding!”

The Golden Reaper tilted its head in curiosity, then blended into the crowd, joining the flow.

Exiting the Mini Reaper Garden, it was greeted by a breathtaking sight.

A giant candy pinwheel constantly releasing Mini Reapers.

A towering statue of “Mom” reaching proudly towards the sky.

Humans gathered under tents set up all around.

Mountains of snacks piled high.

It was a festival for the Golden Reapers!

In the sky floated an array of maw-shaped balloons, each carrying banners with human letters fluttering beneath them.

“Gray Reaper Theme Park Opening Festival – D-17”

Though the Golden Reaper couldn’t understand the words, they exuded a joyful feeling.

“Wow!”

The air was filled with an infectious cheerfulness.

Under the tents, large and small humans, along with Mini Reapers, gathered in groups.

Golden Reapers dashed around with pudding balanced on their heads, and humans prepared an assortment of treats, eagerly awaiting the Mini Reapers.

Laughter and the aroma of delicious food filled the air.

With an instinctual pull, the Golden Reaper strolled leisurely through the festival, taking in the sights.

Then, amidst the festive noise, it heard the faint sound of sobbing.

Following the sound, it spotted a little girl in a corner, crying as though she’d lost her way.

“Human!”

Without hesitation, the Golden Reaper approached and gently patted the girl’s cheek.

Startled, she looked up, her tears stopping at the sight of the Golden Reaper’s bright smile.

A tiny smile, mirroring the Golden Reaper’s, spread across the girl’s face.

She picked up the Golden Reaper, placing it on her palm, and began to chatter excitedly.

She shared vivid stories about the fascinating Mini Reapers, delicious foods, and a grand parade.

“A human’s voice.”

The Golden Reaper listened intently to the voice of the cherished human it had longed to meet.

When the story ended, the girl beamed brightly.

Her sparkling eyes and playful smile.

“A human’s face.”

Seeing everything it had yearned for in this beloved human, the Golden Reaper smiled in happiness.

“I finally met you!”

Outside of Songpa District, at James Tower.

James was spending a busy day handling various cases.

Between managing victims from the European abduction incidents and analyzing the mountain of data from the James Explorer, there was no shortage of tasks.

“Phew, exhausting.”

He uploaded the analyzed data to the secure research cloud, then stood up, stretching his back.

Though he wasn’t that old, the long hours at the desk since coming to Korea were taking a toll on his back.

As he stretched, the Golden Reaper sitting on his desk mimicked his expression, trying to look just as tired as James.

The sight made James chuckle, making it hard to keep up with his stretches.

“You shouldn’t make people laugh when they’re trying to exercise.”

He gently tapped the Golden Reaper’s head with his finger.

“Human, are you hurt?”

The Golden Reaper looked up at him with a worried expression, wrapping its small hands around his finger.

“No, I’m fine.”

Smiling reassuringly, James placed the Golden Reaper on top of his head.

At that moment, the phone on his desk rang loudly.

“Oh no, the machine that makes humans work is ringing!”

The Golden Reaper balled its tiny fists, giving the phone a few disgruntled taps.

James picked up the receiver, hearing his secretary’s familiar voice.

[Routine contact from the James Explorer.]

“Alright, put them through.”

After a brief crackle, the connection stabilized.

A creaking sound, like an old wooden floor, came through the line—though it was a normal sound for the ship.

[Director James. Routine update. No unusual activity to report.]

The conversation continued smoothly, covering the ship’s location, progress, and any events related to the “blue mist.”

During the chat, James threw an odd remark at the captain.

“Oh, if this mission goes well, we might even get you up on the JamesSS.”

It was an old verification method—dropping strange phrases to gauge reactions when communicating with exploration teams handling Objects.

While the U.S. Object Association preferred using drones and mental contamination sensors to gather information, James often relied on old-school methods.

[Thank you, Director!]

The voice on the other end sounded genuinely moved.

However, James’s expression hardened.

It made sense—JamesSS was the name of a space station that had already been destroyed.

After sending off the Golden Reaper, I continued climbing the eerie island.

It hadn’t looked particularly large from the outside, but now that I was here, it felt vast.

Creak.

As I ascended towards the island’s center, strange sounds and visions began to appear.

It was a hallucination of spider webs made of mold, covering everything around me.

“I’m dizzy.”

Each time, my head spun as if I were on a merry-go-round.

Perhaps the Golden Reaper had been unable to send a signal because it got lost amidst these disorienting illusions.

As I climbed higher, I saw fallen Objects that had once been human.

Creak, creak.

These beings looked grotesque enough on their own, but their behavior was even stranger.

[Hehe. Heheheh.]

They clutched their heads, grimacing in pain, yet laughing as though they were overjoyed.

A smile of pain-filled joy, seeping from faces contorted in agony.

Could it even be called laughing?

Some of them managed to utter words that resembled language.

[Stay away!]

[I don’t want to get closer!]

[The light, the darkness, the colors!]

An Object with empty eye sockets scratched frantically at its nonexistent eyes, muttering to itself.

Yet their language was unlike any spoken on Earth.

It was a death rattle, transformed into a curse by sheer madness.

What was stranger still was their actions.

Though they screamed warnings and urged themselves to avoid it, they slowly made their way towards the center of the island.

Those with legs shuffled along slowly.

Those with arms crawled forward.

Those without limbs wriggled their way there.

As they advanced, their forms twisted into even more bizarre shapes.

A chaotic blend of blue void and tentacles.

Just seeing them, hearing them filled me with such disgust that I obliterated all of these harmful Objects with a swift “Kwek.”

After dealing with the twisted Objects, I resumed my path towards the center, where the Foreign God was likely to be.

Following the twisted, spiral path, I soon spotted a man’s silhouette emerging from behind a dark rock.

The gloomy blue light descending from the sky illuminated one side of his face, casting a glint on the Object-made prosthetic eye embedded in his socket.

As he slowly approached, the tail of his long coat swayed subtly.

His face bore the marks of age and countless experiences.

…

I remembered him from Italy.

If I recalled correctly, he was the cherished human of the blindfolded Purple Reaper.

Strange… I couldn’t see the Purple Reaper anywhere.

“Where is the Purple Reaper?”