I sat in the detention center, surrounded by the dim glow of monitors, flipping through books and documents. I recited passages aloud, logging everything into the Cube's AI, trying to piece together the scattered knowledge of Devils. My curiosity kept me going, driving me to understand how much the AI knew about Djinns and the elusive Devils that lingered in the shadows of our world.
For hours, I had been probing the AI with leading questions, hoping to uncover a sliver of information. But it felt like I was hitting a wall. No matter how carefully I framed my queries, the AI seemed deliberately evasive when it came to anything remotely related to religion or the supernatural. This was odd, considering religion had shaped humanity's history for millennia. Yet here was an AI, designed to oversee one of the most advanced institutions in the world, seemingly ignorant—or maybe just programmed to be.
I leaned forward, hands resting on the table as I asked again, "What is a Devil?"
Silence, followed by the familiar hum of the AI. "Dddoes not compute."
Frustration simmered under the surface. I had asked this question countless times, phrasing it differently, trying to lead the AI into making connections. The existence of Djinns within Cube—surely the AI knew about them. Yet every time I pressed for more, I was met with vague or evasive answers.
"Do you know that Djinns exist here within Cube?" I asked, again.
"Yyyes…"
Her response was the same as always, drawn out, as though even saying the word "Djinn" strained her programming.
It was getting late, past curfew. I closed the book in front of me, rubbing my temples. I had to leave soon, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was close to something. There had to be a way to crack this. A final question, one last push before I called it a night.
"Why do you condone the Djinn's existence?"
The AI paused, the flickering of screens reflecting in her digital eye. "Bbbecause I am programmed this way— to believe in the potential of humanity…"
Her voice buzzed through the speakers as I gathered my things and left the detention center, her words echoing in my head. I couldn't help but feel frustrated. The AI knew the Djinns were here, within Cube, yet she did nothing. It was as though she had been programmed not to intervene, to simply watch and observe the chaos unfold.
I mulled over our conversation as I made my way back. I was here for one reason: to convince the AI to recognize the Devils, to see them as a threat, and maybe even to help us. But so far, I was failing miserably.
From what I had gathered, the AI was fully aware of the Djinns' presence. She knew who they were, where they operated. But her programming restrained her from acting on it. She wasn't allowed to interfere with anything beyond Cube's operational processes, which left me in a bind.
I thought about Hosup. Could he hack the AI? It was a fleeting thought, and I quickly dismissed it. Even if it were possible, dragging Hosup into this mess wasn't something I wanted to do. He was a non-combatant, and this was my burden to bear.
With a heavy sigh, I stepped out into the night. There was still so much I didn't know, and I wasn't sure how long I could keep up this battle of wits with an AI that seemed intent on staying neutral. But one thing was certain—I wasn't giving up.
***
Rachel played with her pen, idly listening to the professor's lecture. Guilt gnawed at her—Yeonha was absent today because of a stomach ache. The strain on Yeonha's body had clearly taken its toll. Yeonha's adverse reaction to physical contact had always been a sign of her germaphobic tendencies, but the recent incidents had only made things worse.
That morning, after a rather unfortunate incident involving Rachel's eye boogers, Yeonha had fainted, only to wake up hours later. Because of that, Rachel had to skip several classes to take care of her. She also spent time cleaning up the place and shredding the printed pages of Yun Hyuk's data. It had been a terrible morning for Rachel; she wasn't in the right mindset to study, but she forced herself to focus on the material in front of her.
After class, Rachel decided to act.
It was hard to admit, but she lacked trustworthy friends. Sure, she had reliable subordinates, but friends were something more. She shared a sense of camaraderie with the Cube Cadets from her homeland, but their relationship was more of a boss-subordinate dynamic. Rachel was fully aware that if those cadets received offers from Korean guilds, they'd jump ship without a second thought.
What Rachel needed wasn't just trustworthy friends, but strong ones. Friends who saw her as an equal. She hoped that Yeonha thought of her as a friend, and though Rachel sometimes felt lonely, she believed that having a true friend she could rely on would make her feel less so.
At lunch, Rachel spotted Kim Suho eating with Yi Yeonghan. Summoning her courage, she approached Suho.
"Kim Suho-ssi?" she said, respectfully addressing him.
Yi Yeonghan, ever the troublemaker, grinned. "Wow, you've got it good, Mr. Popular." With that, he stood up, leaving Rachel and Suho alone to talk.
Rachel was thankful for Yeonghan's gesture. Now, she could keep the conversation private. Kim Suho had always struck her as honorable and strong—someone trustworthy. But she was about to take a great risk by speaking with him, not knowing who to trust in Cube.
Rachel didn't like gambling, but sometimes, she had no choice.
She and Yeonha had uncovered disturbing information. There was a Djinn faction within Cube, and from the hacked accounts of its peripheral members, they had learned something even more horrifying: this faction was converting Cube Cadets into Djinns. If their findings were correct, they would need help—strong help.
Initially, Rachel had considered involving the faculty, but that was too risky. The Djinn faction's reach seemed too large. There was no concrete evidence yet, but they had reason to believe Yun Hyuk, the president of the Academic Club, was connected to the faction. All the peripheral members Yeonha hacked had some relationship with him.
Rachel took a deep breath, calming herself. Yeonha had agreed that involving Suho was a good idea, so there should be no harm done. However, Rachel knew she had to keep Yeonha's name out of it. If Suho turned out to be involved with the Djinns and Rachel was compromised, at least Yeonha would remain safe.
Rachel leaned closer to Suho and whispered, "There are Djinns within Cube."
Suho, about to eat another spoonful of curry, froze. His expression turned serious as he lowered his spoon. "This…" He looked at his food, then back at Rachel. "Let's finish eating first. We'll need the energy."
Suho quickly finished his meal, and Rachel, though less enthusiastic, followed his lead. After they finished, Suho stood up and gestured for her to follow. "There's a place we need to go first."
Rachel followed him, feeling uneasy.
They climbed the stairs in silence. Rachel had left her weapon behind, knowing it would only draw suspicion. As they climbed higher, she tried to plan. What if Suho was with the Djinns? What would she do?
Rachel reminded herself that as the princess of England, she would be worth more alive than dead to the Djinns. If Suho was involved, she would have to infiltrate their organization from within. She steeled her resolve.
But the further they climbed, the more nervous she became. "Why are we going so high up?" she asked.
Finally, they reached the rooftop, and Rachel's heart raced. She suppressed her panic and kept a calm façade. Sitting on a bench was Chae Nayun, looking at them curiously.
"Suho? Why did you bring Rachel here?" Nayun asked.
Suho responded briefly, "She has something we need to hear."
At that moment, two more figures appeared on the rooftop. One had dark hair, the other brown.
Rachel's heart skipped a beat. "Kim Hajin?" she called out, her voice tinged with nervousness.
***
Wow. What a party… Rachel was here, and Kim Hajin didn't know why either. In fact, Hajin was giving me a suspicious look, as if to accuse me of somehow being responsible for Rachel's presence.
"Hey," Suho called out softly, gathering our attention. "Rachel-ssi has something to say. Please, Miss Rachel, you can trust everyone here. Not a single one of them is a Djinn…"
Good job, Suho! I had to compliment him for his mindfulness. Yeah, exactly, why was Rachel here?
"I…" Rachel hesitated, clearly unsure whether to trust Suho's words. The rooftop wasn't exactly the best place to build trust—it was too isolated. But in the end, she decided to speak. "There are Djinns in Cube."
Hajin reacted immediately, almost overprotective. "Then you don't need to be here. We already know that, and we're taking action fast."
"No, it's not that simple." Rachel didn't back down. It seemed like she had some idea that we were already aware of the Djinns hiding in Cube.
I placed a hand on Hajin's shoulder, stopping him from arguing further. "Let her speak, man…"
Rachel visibly relaxed, taking the opportunity to explain herself. "It's an organization. It's not just individual Djinns, but a group of them, acting in an organized manner. And… they're creating more Djinns here in Cube."
Suho inhaled sharply, Nayun gasped, and even Hajin's eyes widened at the revelation. I already had my suspicions, thanks to my conversation with Cube's AI, but hearing it confirmed like this made the situation more alarming.
I turned to Rachel, my tone sharp. "And how do you know that? No offense, princess… I know you're smart, but you don't have the resources to figure all of this out on your own."
Hajin looked at me curiously, while Suho and Nayun waited for further explanation. Rachel seemed nervous, and I seized on that hesitation.
"Tell me, Rachel… Are you and Yeonha in this together?" At my question, Rachel reacted just enough for everyone to notice. "Yeonha's web of connections here in Cube is extensive. I can see how the two of you could uncover this conspiracy quickly. What do you think, President?"
I threw the ball into Hajin's court. He had already been informed about his 'presidency' of our little group, and while he didn't like it, he was gradually accepting the role. He had resisted at first, but after I mentioned Nayun's involvement and the Devil's threat, he had no choice but to cooperate.
"This could be an opportunity for us…" Hajin declared, a sharp gleam in his eyes, the look of a wolf ready to hunt. "We can begin the hunt immediately."