Karry walked forward while Arnold led the way. Sasha followed behind him, her hood removed. He had no idea where Arnold was taking them.
They finally stopped.
Karry couldn't believe his eyes.
"This…" he whispered.
Above them, more than fifty meters underground, floated a massive device. It looked like a colossal box filled with countless lights, streams of data flowing endlessly inside it. At its center was a large screen that projected information—faces, names, locations—directly into the air.
"This is where we gather information from the entire world," Arnold said calmly.
Karry stared at the machine.
"So that's how you knew so much about me…"
"Yes," Arnold replied. "Thanks to this device. But even it has its limits. That's why people like us—those who remember—are difficult to find. There is no surface-level information about you."
"I was hiding," Karry said. "I erased my traces."
"No one can hide forever," Arnold replied. "This device was built by one of USE's top scientists and engineers. He's one of us—a Sinner. He's currently on a mission inside USE."
Curiosity overcame Karry. He turned to Sasha.
"What about you?"
Sasha didn't even look at him.
"Don't talk like you know me," she said coldly.
"I only talk to people I trust."
She turned and walked away.
Karry clenched his fists.
*Why did I even care?*
*Stupid feelings…*
Arnold watched her leave.
"Don't worry," he said quietly. "She wasn't always like this."
Karry looked at him.
"Her parents were killed by the person she trusted most—her uncle," Arnold continued. "After that, she was adopted by demons. Good demons."
Karry's breath caught.
"They were erased during the wipeout."
Silence filled the chamber.
"She tried to blend in. She succeeded. She even made a friend."
Arnold paused.
"He died."
Karry felt a tightness in his chest.
"She killed her uncle in rage. The world called her a murderer," Arnold said.
"That's when I brought her to the Sinners."
Karry lowered his head.
*I shouldn't have asked.*
Suddenly, the device emitted a sharp sound.
A profile appeared on the screen.
**Name:** Harry Patson
**Species:** Elf
**Crimes:** Mass murder, countless victims
Arnold's expression hardened.
"We've found our target."
He turned toward Karry.
"This is a two-person mission."
Then he looked toward the tunnel where Sasha had gone.
"Sasha. Karry."
A brief pause.
"Tonight, you enter the field."
---
End of Chapter 4