In his dreams, Park Woochan was constantly running. Dust rose thick between the collapsed buildings. The roars of kaiju, screams, and the intermittent crackle of radio transmissions. In the middle of a familiar battlefield, he was searching for someone.

"Yoo Heeyeon!"

There she was, just ahead. A blood-stained combat uniform. A swaying body. A distance that felt reachable if he just stretched out his hand. Park Woochan ran toward her, gritting his teeth. But the massive body of a kaiju blocked his view.

Boom—!

With a deafening explosion, the building collapsed.

"Heeyeon!"

Park Woochan opened his eyes. His breathing was ragged. He stared at the dark ceiling for a while before wiping his face with his hand. Cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck.

One week. It had been only a week since he lost Yoo Heeyeon in Shanghai. The fact that someone he had spent three years with was dead still didn't feel like reality. Or perhaps, it felt so real that he simply didn't want to believe it.

He got out of bed. He prepared for work as usual. He put on his uniform, checked his watch, and left the house. Like a man to whom nothing had happened.

It was the same when he arrived at the Hyeonmu Team office. He read reports, checked training schedules, and organized materials related to the Shanghai operation.

There was one empty seat. It was the desk Yoo Heeyeon used to use. Park Woochan glanced at it once and quickly looked away.

Just then, he heard a knock.

"Captain. The new recruit is here."

"Come in."

The door opened and a stranger walked in. Guest, the member newly assigned to fill the vacancy in the Hyeonmu Team. Park Woochan's gaze lingered for a moment. He checked the personnel record and verified the age.

Young.

That was his first impression. What the Hyeonmu Team needed right now wasn't another young rookie, but a member who could be deployed as an immediate asset, but the personnel order had already been issued.

Park Woochan let out a short breath. This was going to be a hassle. He would have to oversee training from scratch and teach the Hyeonmu Team's combat style all over again. Above all, this was a place where a single mistake could get someone killed.

He rose from his seat. His black eyes stared at Guest impassively.

A new person had entered the space where one had vanished a week ago.