Kaito stood in the center of the hall, looking at Lilith Domina with focus.
The woman did not move much; she simply stood behind her black desk and smiled a calm smile. Her black hair with dark red streaks hung over her shoulders, and her emerald green eyes looked at him with a strange stillness.
"How do you know my name?" Kaito asked directly.
Lilith tilted her head slightly.
"When you fell here, something of your energy came with you. The organization has ways of reading raw spiritual data. Your name was clear."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. His silver-gray hair fell over his forehead.
"So you know I'm not from this world, yet you weren't surprised at all. A stranger falls from the sky in front of you, and you act as if this is an ordinary thing that happens every day."
Lilith smiled again, but the smile did not reach her eyes.
"In our world, many strange things have become ordinary. Monsters appear every day. People turn into unrecognizable beings. Someone falling from another world… is not the strangest thing I've seen."
Kaito was not convinced.
"But you didn't even ask: where did I come from? How did I get here? Why am I here? This is strange."
He took two steps toward the desk and stood directly in front of her. His violet eyes looked at her with clear curiosity.
"And more importantly… I died. Completely died in my world. An attack I didn't see coming. Someone managed to kill me despite everything. This thing occupies my mind more than anything else."
He went silent for a moment, then continued in a quieter voice:
"I was the strongest there. No one could get near me. And suddenly… it all ended with an attack I didn't even feel. I want to know who did it. And how."
Lilith looked at him for a long time before responding.
"The matter of your death is a mystery to me as well. But I cannot answer it now. Your world is far, and its laws are different. As for here… you exist. And your existence can be useful."
Kaito laughed a short, sarcastic laugh.
"Useful? You mean you want to use me."
"Everyone is used here in one way or another," Lilith said calmly. "The question is: do you want to be used for good, or for ill?"
Lilith stood up and walked around the desk until she was in front of him. She was slightly shorter than him, but her presence was heavy.
"Let me show you something simple."
She raised her hand slowly. From her fingers, thin red chains emerged, moving as if they were alive. The chains were not entirely physical; they were semi-transparent and swayed in the air. The chains moved toward a corner of the hall where there was a small, closed door.
The door suddenly opened, and a small, deformed creature emerged. It resembled a human but was no longer one. Its body was covered in black shadows, and its eyes were red. It was moaning in a low voice.
"This is a small shadow monster," Lilith explained. "Two weeks ago, he was an ordinary company employee. He became afraid of the dark after an accident, then he transformed. Now, he cannot be brought back."
She moved her fingers slightly. The red chains wrapped around the monster's body rapidly. The monster immediately stopped moving and became completely still, like a doll.
"This is my ability. Control. I can bind monsters with chains."
Kaito watched the scene quietly.
"So you turn monsters into guard dogs."
"We turn them into tools that protect humanity," Lilith corrected. "Without us, this city would have become a hell."
Kaito looked at the red chains. He felt the "Infinite Void" within his soul moving automatically, as if it wanted to separate him from these chains. But he did nothing for now. He wanted to see more.
"Fine," he said finally. "Assume I agreed to join temporarily. What exactly do you want from me?"
Lilith retracted the chains, and they gradually vanished. The small monster fell to the ground unconscious.
"First, I want to understand your ability better. Second, I need someone whom the chains cannot easily control. You seem suitable for this role."
Kaito smiled a side smile.
"So you want a guard you can't control. That seems more dangerous for you than it is for me."
"Perhaps," Lilith admitted. "But risk is necessary sometimes."
Kaito went silent for a few moments. He was thinking about his death. Who was able to kill him? How did he not feel the attack? The question rotated in his head constantly, but he said nothing now. This mystery would stay with him.
"Fine," he said at last. "I will stay here for a while. But don't expect me to become a guard dog like this monster."
Lilith laughed a light laugh.
"I don't want a guard dog. I want someone who can break the rules when necessary."
She headed toward the door.
"Come with me. I will show you your room and give you some basic information about the organization. Tomorrow, the real work begins."
Kaito followed her out of the hall. The corridors were wide and lit with cold lighting. They passed some employees who looked at them with clear curiosity.
As he walked, Kaito could not help but think.
Lilith knew a lot about him, yet she showed no real surprise at his arrival from another world. It was as if she had been waiting for him… or at least was prepared for him.
And the question of his death still hung in his head like a sword.
Who was able to kill him?
And how?
At the end of the corridor, Lilith stopped in front of a room door.
"This is your room. Rest tonight. Tomorrow, we will talk more."
Kaito entered the room. It was simple but comfortable. He closed the door behind him and sat on the bed.
"A new world… chains… monsters… and a woman I don't understand."
He sighed quietly.
"It seems things will be more complicated than I expected."
Outside the room, in the dark corridor, Lilith stood for a short moment.
She smiled a small smile, and the golden circles in her eyes flashed for a single second before disappearing.
Questions for the Readers😎:
1 Kaito is still haunted by the question of his death. Who do you think has the power to shatter the "Infinite Void" and kill the Disconnected King without him even sensing it?
2 Lilith asked for someone "who cannot be controlled." Do you think she wants to protect herself, or is she planning to use Kaito as a backup plan against the Bureau itself?
3 We saw a glimpse of Lilith's power. Will Kaito's "Void" hold up against these chains if Lilith decides to use him as a real tool?
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