Harris and I were walking along the River of Flowers in the early morning light. Since the red hue colored the horizon until the sky changed to blue, I couldn't get the message on the back of the white envelope in the picnic basket out of my head.
A note was addressed to me. It basically asked me to open and read the letter inside the envelope only when I was already in SURVIVE.
When I realized that this letter was purposefully not given to me in an open manner, I did in fact think of two people. However, why did they, or any of them, write it as if they were sure I'd set my foot on SURVIVE again?
A group of police officers wearing dark blue uniforms were waiting for us when we both entered the editorial office. The neon crow emblems on their cloaks and hats reminded me of SURVIVE agents.
Harris chuckled unpleasantly, especially when they looked at us. As the five of them headed our way, Harris rushed to grab my wrist and stood with his back to me.
"What brings you all here?" Harris asked them coldly.
Those agents stepped aside, giving distance to a gray-eyed man who was walking toward us calmly. He was... the man who caught me reading the Miss Savior's cover letter in the HRD room.
"There's no need to be so sensitive, Reister. Nothing bad will happen if you'll just listen to me," said the man expressionlessly.
I cast a glance at Gabriel, who was being held by two men in dark blue uniforms, as well as Lucia, Neya, and the rest of our colleagues. Then I gathered the courage to approach the gray-eyed man.
"Is this how you recruit agents? By threatening them?"
The gray-eyed man looked at me displeased. "Threaten?"
"You put people at a disadvantage while waiting for us to come."
"Can't you see who is at a disadvantage here?" he pointed behind him. "Them, or us?"
My eyes widened as I noticed the red bruises covering the hands and faces of those holding Gabriel and the others. Those weren't serious bruises, but if they'd done it to the security forces… that'd be a different story.
"However, I'll forgive your impudence and their negligence if you join us."
My gaze returned to the gray-eyed man who still had a calm expression, even when his words sounded like a choice between life and death.
"Brissia! Don't you dare accept his offer!"
Gabriel called out to me in a furious tone. The act of raising voice, though, indicated fear. And the gray-eyed man, who seemed to have noticed it too, gave Gabriel a sinister glance as he chuckled softly.
"What was that? Do you think you have the authority to influence her choice?" he asked.
"I'm the manager of this editorial office," Gabriel replied firmly. "And no one, not even you, can take my employee away without my consent!"
Gabriel clenched his jaw, not diminishing even a bit of the loathing in his glares at the man and the other officers. It felt as if they had been involved in a tragedy traumatic enough for neither of them to budge.
"Brissie, don't listen to them."
I glanced at Harris who was looking at me seriously. However, as soon as the gray-eyed man turned around to hear him, he then uttered the most shocking thing I've ever heard.
"If you join us, Harris will be given his agent status back and an amnesty to all of his misdemeanours."
Harris frequently said "don't" to me, but his voice was drowned out by the voices in my head. Those voices was trying to shake my stance.
"You haven't forgotten about today's annual test, have you, Harris Reister?"
I widened my eyes then glanced at Harris. My heart sank as our conversation on the ship's deck replayed in my head.
He already knew, didn't he? He must have known that it was the day for each agent's competency assessment. But of all the things he told me, why didn't he reveal the date? Was it the beginning of his plan when he said it was fine for me not to come with him, to stay with Miss Savior and her family?
"Brissia."
I turned to face the man with the gray eyes when he solemnly called my name.
"I'm sure you're already aware of the consequences for agents who fail the test. If Harris doesn't get his agent position today, he won't be able to take the test, and his memory will be permanently erased as a disqualification."
I gulped. I knew I couldn't stay there and risk my life, but deep down I wanted to grant Harris's wish and make him remember the trip to Bouville always. To be honest, I'd also like to reminisce about that trip someday when we run into each other on the sidewalk by the River of Flowers.
"You lunatics… who enjoy using people as tools…"
All gazes turned to Gabriel, who clenched his jaw and glared at the gray-eyed man.
"...Are unworthy of their trust! Screw you all!" he snapped.
I flinched when Gabriel groaned in pain as an agent knocked him to the floor.
"Old man!"
Harris's voice trembled. I couldn't fathom the trauma in his eyes when he saw Gabriel being treated like a runaway. It must be upsetting to see the person who has always acted as his protector on all matters lying helpless on the ground.
Harris loosened his hold on my hand and sped up toward the stern-faced, gray-eyed man until I held him by the wrist. The anger that sparked in his hazel eyes instantly vanished as soon as our gazes met. I shook my head slowly, making him looked at me with wide eyes.
"Brissie… don't tell me you—"
"I don't want you to forget anyone, Harris," I said, trying to give him my best smile even though in the end, my smile would appear as the saddest smile in everyone's eyes.
"They have helped you with all their might," I continued, looking into his eyes for a moment before releasing my hand from his grip, then walked to the man with gray eyes.
Harris's face was no longer painted with the tranquility. One day, I came to this place with so many doubts shadowing my steps and fear haunting my mind. I didn't even care if returning to my home required sacrifice and tears.
However now, I fearlessly took a decisive step toward someone who appeared dangerous. Hopefully, no tears would shed.
As he saw the decision I made, the gray-eyed man motioned for one of his colleagues to approach Harris. The agent nodded, walking toward Harris carrying a cuff-sized, neon-blue crest emblem.
I turned to Harris to make sure the HR guy kept his promise. Harris just looked down silently as his colleague pointed the emblem at his heart. A glowing neon blue beam shot into Harris's chest cavity as if it had sunk into his heart. After a few seconds, the neon blue light disappeared, making the agent who did it to back off and return to the line.
"You are welcome to return and prepare for tonight's test, Harris. As for Brissia…"
The gray-eyed man's decent smile bothered me.
"…We are delighted to have you join us."
I only gave him a cold look. I could see how shocked Neya, Lucia, and the others were from where I was.
Tension lingered in the editorial office this morning even after the group of officers and Notus District agents had left. When Gabriel made a move toward me, Lucia and Neya jumped in to quickly pull him back. I glanced warily at Gabriel as he did so.
"No, no, no! Gabriel, remember that she was once an employee like us! Hold yourself!" Neya said, but unfortunately couldn't stop Gabriel.
"Does she also recall how much assistance we have given her in exchange for this?" Gabriel asked as soon as he stopped in front of me with an upset look. "Do you realize what it would mean to be tied to them?"
I tried to stay calm when I looked into his eyes which were no longer warm and wise, although in my heart I was surprised to remember that this was the first time he was that angry at someone. His eyes were full of disappointment.
"I told you… dark-blue doesn't suit you," Gabriel hissed.
I stepped toward him, making him flinch.
"All I know is that if I had refused to be bound by them…"
I stared at the man as cool and calmly as I could.
"…Neither of us are still standing here now."
Silence enveloped the room. Gabriel might have assumed I was siding with the cops, but it wasn't the time to care about what other people thought of me.
"Shouldn't you know best, Gabriel, that they could do anything to us since they blocked all the exits? And you still want me to disobey them, sacrificing Harris and our co-workers? Why?!"
I failed to contain my frustration at the man who sounded as indifferent as Harris toward the people who had been by their side all along. Why? Why would they rather die than let me try to fight for my life and theirs by joining SURVIVE?
"Because only tragedy awaits anyone who joins SURVIVE, Brissie."
I turned my head to a soft voice behind me. Harris, who was still standing in front of the main door, now looked in the other direction with empty gaze.
"Your willingness to join SURVIVE has traumatized Gabriel, who still can't get over his old wounds from the loss of two people who became his lifelong lessons," Harris continued.
As Gabriel approached Harris, I spontaneously stepped aside. He then grabbed Harris by the collar.
"Are you done? Or is there anything else you want to spit out in front of everyone?"
Harris smacked Gabriel's hand off of his collar, chuckling sarcastically. He also said, "Admit it, Gabriel. You forbade her from entering SURVIVE for yourself, nobody's sake."
After that, he walked out of the editorial office, leaving all of us in a suffocating atmosphere. I glanced briefly at Gabriel. He looked confused and very unlike his usual self.
"Gabriel," I called as calmly as possible as I approached him. His crooked face made me feel anxious.
"Thank you for everything you've done so far. Just trust Harris to me from now on," I said seriously.
Gabriel stared at me for a moment then narrowed his eyes and rubbed his face while muttering, "That's not it… gosh."
I blinked to see Gabriel hissing in frustration. Seeing Neya, Lucia and the other co-workers approaching us with expressions as confused as mine, I couldn't understand even more what was wrong with what I was saying. Hadn't he always been worried about Harris?
"I was concerned that I couldn't trust Harris your life," Gabriel said with a flat expression to me.
I was taken aback for a moment then snorted with laughter.
"Now I understand why Harris called you Old Man," I said with a chuckle.
Gabriel gave Neya and Lucia an annoyed glance, as well as a few of the co-workers who chuckled at my words. But at least, I managed to dispel the suffocating tension. In the end, I decided to follow Harris to SURVIVE.
***
"Oh, Harris, you're back! And isn't that your… girlfriend?"
I turned to an agent with shoulder-length red hair who commented as Harris and I had just entered the headquarters lobby. We stared at each other for a moment, but he looked hesitant to see me.
"She's officially part of us from now on," Harris replied with a straight look. "And could you put a pause between the 'girl' and the 'friend'? She's not my girlfriend."
"I'm not sure what you mean, but did you took her to your bedroom in secret because you said she wasn't official until now?"
"No… ugh, whatever, dummy."
The red-haired agent rolled her eyes at Harris's words. Then she approached me. To my surprise, she commented on how well the dark blue uniform suited me. She even said that she almost mistook me for an agent of her year when she first saw me.
"Even so, there's no need to call me Senior. I'm sure you're actually the same age as us," she said with a big grin, reminding me of Ji. Ah, right... how were she and Nicho doing on the other side?
I saw Harris look at me, though a second later he looked away and walked to the back door of the building. I felt like I should talk to him, so I immediately followed him.
"Harris," I called him when I arrived at the edge of a medium-sized green field bordered by concrete walls.
"Are you upset that I chose to surrender to SURVIVE?"
Harris didn't answer my question. His gaze was still straight ahead, to the other agents who were training under the gray sky.
"Or... that I'll become a better agent than you?" I asked again with a small grin.
"Neither," Harry replied. "I'm upset that I will no longer be able to relax with you the way I did when I was on leave. Just look at how tense their faces are due to their busy training schedule."
His words made me snort. When he turned to me, he smiled slightly, causing me to raise my eyebrows. My eyes fixed on the palm of his right hand on my left shoulder.
"Surrender? You saved me, Gabriel, and the others even though it cost you your life. You're a hero to me, Brissie."
Hearing Harris said it genuinely and smiling gently, it felt as if a cool breeze was blowing inside me. It also pulled up the corners of my lips.
Even if we were stuck in this hell of being called an intelligence agency, the least we could do was remember each other's names.