Deborah's POV
After two days of recovery, I finally regained some strength, though the wound on my back continued to ache, healing painfully slowly.
But we couldn't linger in Finias any longer. Time was running out, and the task ahead was daunting: not only did we need to warn the werewolves about the magma that would soon consume Finias, but we also needed to reveal that the so-called "slave bloodline" was, in truth, a powerful werewolf heritage. If they could escape from these underground cities, they would have access to abilities they had never imagined.
This time, I decided to make a direct move—I would go to the EI's FRD department, the division specifically focused on Falshi mineral research here in Finias.
In theory, the FRD researchers should be the ones most aware of the dangers within Finias's mines; they had to know about the underground city's impending crisis. Maybe, just maybe, there was someone like Mark among them—someone selfless, dedicated enough to risk it all to save the city.
With no chance for a werewolf to infiltrate the EI building, the mission fell squarely on me.
Hiding my nerves beneath a mask of calm, I stepped into the EI building.
A familiar feeling washed over me immediately: the stark gray-white tones, the orderly layout, even the trash bins in the corners—everything was eerily identical to Murias.
I moved briskly through the corridors toward the FRD offices, and memories of my time working in Murias flickered through my mind. I remembered clearly where the FRD was, and before long, I found myself at my destination.
Standing at the office door, I saw a woman inside, likely in her late thirties. She wore glasses with thin, gold frames and was studying a stack of papers with intense focus. Her expression was one of concentrated determination, as though the entire world had narrowed down to the documents in her hands.
I watched her from the doorway, a sense of admiration stirring within me.
Here was someone immersed in her work, someone who perhaps embodied the selflessness we were looking for.
She didn't notice me until a passing employee, looking puzzled, asked, "Hey, who are you? New here?"
At the sound of his voice, the scientist finally looked up, noticing me.
Quickly, I replied, "I'm here to see her." The passing employee nodded and moved on.
The scientist stood up, a friendly but curious smile on her face. "Hello, are you here to see me?"
I stepped into the office, closing the door behind me, trying to calm my racing heart.
There was a hint of confusion in her expression, so I introduced myself promptly. "Hello, my name is Deborah Wellspring."
Surprise flickered across her features as she replied, "Hello, I'm Rose Wellspring."
Of course—Finias had its own Tirnanog. All of Tirnanog's children shared the Wellspring surname.
"You're new?" Rose asked, with a kind but perplexed look. "I didn't hear anything about the FRD bringing in new people."
Her presence brought an unexpected pang to my heart; she reminded me of Mark, both of them wearing that familiar weariness, the kind that only seemed to weigh down those in Falshi research. The effects of the radiation were already apparent, wearing down her vitality just as it had for Mark.
The thought strengthened my resolve to warn her about the coming catastrophe.
But first, I had to gauge her stance, her character—I needed to know if she was as selfless as Mark, genuinely caring for the people of Finias, or if her motives were purely self-serving. I met her gaze, hoping to glean her thoughts.
But to my surprise, Telepathy didn't work. I sensed nothing from her. Her mind felt like a calm, clear pool—pure and transparent.
Just like Mark, she had a mind without impurities.
For a moment, I was taken aback, realizing that she was likely the second person whose mind I couldn't access. A soul pure and selfless.
Since my rebirth, Telepathy had become my greatest secret and one of my most powerful tools.
At first, I was thrilled by the convenience it provided, but I soon found it overwhelming, as it bombarded me with the chaos of others' emotions and thoughts.
I'd grown accustomed to avoiding direct eye contact, trying to shield myself from the endless noise of other people's minds.
But strangely, when I met the eyes of Mark and now Rose, my Telepathy seemed to falter, leaving only their unclouded smiles and open, sincere gazes.
It seemed more than coincidence that both Mark and Rose were mineral researchers, focused on uncovering the mysteries of Falshi. Their situations were eerily similar—both in the FRD, both affected by the radiation, and both possessing a rare purity that my Telepathy could not penetrate.
Just then, Rose suddenly seemed to struggle for breath, breaking into a harsh cough as her face turned pale. I rushed to steady her, pressing a glass of water to her lips. She sipped a few times, her color gradually returning.
"Falshi is radioactive; you need to be cautious," I murmured gently.
She gave a small, weary smile, resignation in her eyes. "There's no helping it. Hardly anyone wants to work in FRD, do they?"
The fatigue in her determined gaze touched me, and I couldn't help but ask, "Then why did you choose to be here?"
She lifted her head slowly, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes. "And why did you? As a child born in Tirnanog, shouldn't you understand?"
I nodded, understanding her meaning instantly.
Children born in Tirnanog were part of the lowest ranks in these cities, barely a step above the werewolves.
It seemed they, too, bore some inescapable connection to these stones—a silent responsibility, a destiny accepted without words.
"But honestly, I've always had a love for minerals," she said, a faint smile softening her face as her gaze turned distant. "You can tell I was born on the surface, right? Both my parents were mineral experts, and I grew up surrounded by this knowledge. I knew the risks of radiation; it's what took my parents. But I still chose this path."
"You chose the FRD, to become a mineral expert, despite everything. That's admirable." I spoke with a touch of awe.
She nodded slowly, her expression calm yet resolute, as if speaking from some deep well of inner conviction.
"Perhaps it is," she murmured. "I feel it's my destiny. I was born to study these minerals—my life wouldn't feel complete without them. Honestly, just surviving in these underground cities is a kind of fortune, a rare blessing. Most people don't realize the safety and comfort we have here, shielded from the deadly Enigma radiation on the surface. Few understand how much we owe to places like Finias."
I could see the passion in her gaze, the fierce determination that drove her. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself, deciding to share a piece of the truth. "Actually… a small amount of Falshi can shield against the Enigma radiation above."
Her eyes widened in shock, the calmness in her expression replaced by a sharp, alert curiosity. She quickly leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "How would you know that?"
"Just by carrying a small amount of Falshi," I explained cautiously, watching her reaction, "a person can withstand the Enigma radiation on the surface." I could feel a faint unease settling over me, wary of revealing too much.
Her gaze grew intense, and suspicion flickered in her eyes as she studied me. "Who are you?" she demanded, her tone laced with both curiosity and caution. "How could you possibly know that? What kind of research have you been involved in? You're so young—how could you reach the same conclusion that's taken me over ten years of study?"
Her questions hung in the air, leaving me momentarily speechless. It dawned on me that she had already uncovered the same findings as Mark, arriving at the conclusion through her dedication and skill. A sense of respect stirred within me—I hadn't expected her to have pieced together the truth about Falshi on her own.
"You… you discovered it too?" I asked softly, a note of admiration slipping into my voice despite myself. Rose had not only reached the same conclusion, but she'd done so through sheer persistence and scientific rigor, a testament to her intellect and determination.
Rose nodded, her expression shifting to one of excitement. "I've spent years in the FRD, gradually understanding Falshi's properties, and realized it does have some protective effects. But since it's still unproven, I've been careful, not wanting to risk making it public."
She was far closer to the truth than I'd expected, nearly keeping pace with Mark's research.
Reflecting, I found it almost poetic that in this isolated world beneath the earth, certain truths seemed to repeat themselves. Despite the unique setup, structures, and limitations of each city, the people within seemed drawn toward the same discoveries, a parallel evolution in understanding—a march toward an unseen, singular truth.
As I thought, I couldn't shake the uncanny feeling that these underground cities, while separate by design, were tied to a larger, carefully crafted pattern. The cities were controlled, isolated, yet the human mind's drive for reason and discovery kept nudging them all in the same direction, like a compass finding its bearing no matter how often it's shaken.
It was both fascinating and unsettling.
Rose met my gaze, her eyes filled with questions, while I felt my own emotions shifting, caught between revelation and uncertainty.