The Continent of Light and the Abyss of Darkness
Our story strikes its roots deep into the heart of Planet Earth, specifically in that spot overflowing with purity known as the "Continent of Light." There, the sun does not merely shine upon faces, but serenity rises within hearts; there is no room for malice to prey upon souls, nor a trace of crime to desecrate the soil. Light there was not merely a physical phenomenon, but a constitution for life—where peace flutters its wings over all, and hands intertwine with a natural, flawless affection.
In the heart of this continent lies "The City of Love," a guarded pearl embodying the highest meanings of tranquility. In the 19th District, before House No. 7, the scent of flowers that disdain wilting wafts through the air. This is the home of a family that serves as a mirror to this purity: Arthur Bin Dragon, his life partner Jessica Cloud, and the fruits of their love, their son Plato and daughter Cleopatra.
Arthur saw a homeland in his wife and a bright future in his children. This flowing affection within their walls was a natural reflection of the grace permeating the entire region. However, beyond the borders of this radiance, the world hid another ugly face. While the Continent of Light was an oasis of safety, there lay on the far reaches the "Continent of Darkness"—a place seemingly kneaded from the clay of sin, where racism prevails, crimes of all kinds flourish, and mercy vanishes behind black clouds of treachery.
The Heavy Burden of Genius
Because light cannot endure while darkness threatens the world, the elite and the brilliant of the Continent of Light had to act. The mission was formidable: infiltrate the depths of the Dark Continent, investigate the roots of evil, and attempt to purge the world from the stain of crime.
The name Arthur Bin Dragon emerged as one of the most brilliant minds humanity ever produced. He was the scientist who harnessed his genius to serve mankind, the inventor of devices that transcended the limits of imagination. Perhaps his greatest gift to humanity was that unique device through which he could detect the existence of the "Soul" and calculate the exact number of souls pulsating in existence with ultimate precision.
Due to this extraordinary genius, an official decree was issued appointing him as an investigator and excavator in the Continent of Darkness. Upon receiving this assignment, Arthur did not cheer for his scientific triumph; instead, his eyes clouded with deep-seated anxiety. His heart constricted whenever he looked at his family's faces. The fear of the unknown—and the dread that harm might befall him, depriving him of seeing his wife and children again—became like a lump in his throat, suffocating him amidst all the surrounding glow.
The Midnight Choice
In a far corner of the house, specifically in the basement Arthur had reshaped into his private laboratory, silence reigned, broken only by the faint hum of electronic devices and the scent of old papers and chemical solutions. This basement had transformed from a neglected storeroom into a sanctuary of science.
Arthur sat behind his ancient wooden desk, drowning in a turbulent sea of restless thoughts. His mind was a battlefield where a single question echoed like thunder: "Do I accept being an investigator? Do I venture into that bitter experience?" He repeated the question to himself, then aloud, then in a whisper, until his mind nearly shattered from the sheer confusion. To him, going to the Continent of Darkness felt like suicide, yet the call of duty gnawed at his conscience.
At the peak of his mental struggle, the door opened with a quietness he didn't perceive. Jessica slipped in like a gentle phantom, standing behind him unnoticed. She placed her delicate hand on his burdened shoulder, a light squeeze carrying all the warmth of support. Arthur started slightly before her melodious voice reached him:
— "My love... I feel you are not well. What is it that steals sleep from your eyes?"
Arthur turned slowly, a faint, artificial smile on his lips that failed to reach his anxious eyes. He replied in a tone he tried to keep steady:
— "Fear nothing, my darling. I am perfectly fine... just a bit of work pressure and experiments that require double the focus."
Jessica breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing as if a weight had been lifted. She said with a tone full of pride:
— "I'm glad to hear that, dear. But please, give your body some rest. And since you possess such brilliant intelligence, it's very likely they'll ask you to join the investigation in the Dark Continent... that would be truly wonderful. I would hold my head high with pride everywhere."
Arthur's smile froze for a moment, a pang hitting his heart, but he quickly regained his calm mask.
— "O-of course, my love. Don't worry about me. Now, go get some rest; the little ones must have exhausted you all day."
As she left the lab with a soft laugh, she said:
— "Goodnight, my love... see you in the morning, if your books don't swallow you up! Haha."
The Point of No Return
As soon as the door closed and her footsteps faded, that smile vanished completely. Arthur grabbed his phone with a slightly trembling hand, nervously scrolling for that cursed number... the number of the Head of the Investigation Bureau, a man named "John."
He pressed call, his heart pounding with every ring... but John didn't answer. Arthur's tension surged; he tried again, the pressure mounting in his temples. Still no answer. Panic seized him: was it too late? Had the continent discarded his services because of his hesitation?
On the third attempt, with the glimmer of hope nearly extinguished, a gruff, angry voice finally answered:
— "What is wrong with you, Arthur? Have you lost your mind? Who in their right mind calls someone at three in the morning?!"
Arthur let out a nervous, borderline hysterical laugh:
— "Haha... my sincerest apologies, sir. I thought perhaps you had forgotten me, or that my name had fallen off your list... haha."
John interrupted sharply:
— "Enough nonsense. What do you want at this hour?"
Arthur took a deep breath, as if throwing himself off a high cliff:
— "I... I agree, Mr. John. I agree to accept the invitation to investigate the Continent of Darkness."
A heavy silence fell on the other end before John spoke in astonishment:
— "This is truly suspicious! How can you agree now to something you rejected with every fiber of your being? Don't you see this shift is sudden and illogical?"
Arthur replied gravely:
— "You have the right to wonder, but I have recalculated everything. I found that my place must be where truth is championed and injustice is fought."
John replied with cold indifference:
— "As you wish. Tomorrow will be your first case. Consider it a decisive test of your abilities; if you fail, do not dream of investigating ever again."
Arthur frowned in surprise:
— "How is that? In the morning you were urging me to accept, and now you put me on probation immediately?"
John's tone was final:
— "It's all the same, Arthur! In the morning you were refusing by all means, and now you wake me at dawn to join... Tomorrow at 9:00 AM, I'll see you at the office. Goodbye."
The call cut off, leaving Arthur in the silence of his lab, staring at the dark screen of his phone, realizing that his peaceful life in the City of Love had ended—and a journey into the heart of hell had begun.