The door opened like a mouth, revealing a white and gleaming research center that operated across five branches, numerous levels, and employed thousands of staff. They were everywhere, and their steps echoed, and mutters traveled throughout large hallways.

  The public was aware of what was above the ground, those towers with numerous floors, and in the bright light. That would be the hospitality of science and research, while the underground was more confidential, defended, and shrouded. The city above needed both, or maybe what was hiding below was the true face of this place.

  Emblem Association wasn't secretive enough to be like the Academy or the Assembly. It required crews and skilled individuals at all levels. Under contracts, jobs, and merits, they provided a constant flow that Walkers could not match due to their sheer needs and contracts.

  In this place, talent came with directions, and science took massive leaps toward the past and the future. Present mattered, and William saw it for the first time.

  "Wow... It is bigger than I thought." William said, looking at the level four base as Mi-Yung walked forward.

  "It's not much. There are bigger places everywhere, and the past would dwarf our tries in comparison."

  "The scale is different, however," a man's voice called out, coming from above. Mi-Yung angled her neck, watching the person she expected, without any avarice or surprise. He wasn't even that bad, unlike some of the Pillars. On that thought, that wasn't that shocking, since this man wasn't too old or annoying and helped Mi-Yung on several cases.

  He was the Association Pillar, Rey. He was surprisingly small, floating as if he had wings, while his clothes flared up as if he were in water. He was close to the ceiling, wearing a white coat and cool hat, and watching the pair below.

  William saw nothing around him or below his feet. He would notice Arcana or Vectors, but didn't, so this must be quite a masterful technique, Passive Skill, or something that touched upon very intense truths that he couldn't see with the naked eye.

  Rey descended and landed before Mi-Yung. She was quite a bit taller, but it didn't matter. He nodded towards her, walked past her, and aimed his interest at William. "Is that him? I thought he would be bigger, imposing."

  "I think he can roar loudly if that matters to you, Rey. Don't try it too much, though."

  "Greetings, sir," William said, bowing since this person was quite an important figure from the looks of it. Mi-Yung told him a couple of clever bits about what awaited, mentioning people from the Assembly and this place.

  Still, the personal meetings and impressions were different than words and lessons, and William felt this Walker was a really big deal, even if his height fell short of his own.

  This entire ordeal was stressful and quite important for Mi-Yung, so William decided to care about it as much as possible.

  Rey approved the bow but didn't show it in any way. He sized William up and down, giving him a series of blinking looks, and poked him with his finger. William wondered why everyone wanted to touch him in this way. Were his bones dry? Muscles too soft? Could these freaks notice anything wrong with him?!

  "Hm." Rey hummed and turned to Mi-Yung. "What will happen with him, hm? How far? Low? Tests are curious, Mi-Yung. I've gathered information over the past ten days, and let me tell you something, that period was very clever of you. It fetched ammo for everyone, however. Taker wasn't impressed."

  "I wasn't doing that shit for him," Mi-Yung said dismissively and turned towards the little but quite absolute person.

  "Yes, you were fishing for answers instead and got time for others to look at your fish. It's quite a catch, if I do say so myself. Gale.... is that a new specimen?"

  "Excuse me?" William muttered, also sizing up the person speaking about him like a fish.

  "No idea. I did what I could, Rey, and you took the essential bait, and it worked with the rest. I am thankful, even though I still have my doubts about the dealings at that table. Could you help it? My tests would be unnecessary. None of you would take my words for it, nor would the rest care for others."

  "Yes, that's why we are here. Old Dream wouldn't accept it even more." Rey nodded, turned to William, and watched his face. "Tests are numerous. We have almost a hundred ways to determine all types of Arcana and Egos sequence methods, but this one is..."

  "Not much for his Rank 0, though."

  "That is a possibility, and from the perks of our given fishing, Mi-Yung, highly unlikely. Different stories put us on different paths, and his story is thorny. It is a path that does have our attention. My attention!"

  "Almost reclusive. Useless." Mi-Yung smirked and looked around. "You wanted this, too, I see. I came with him, like he did with me. You might count on him more than me."

  "I will grab you by your words," Rey said, pacing around William again. William wondered if this person was a great Rank 8 Walker like Mi-Yung suggested because, so far, he was far different from Kaufman.

  Was there a senseless pressure around him, but still nowhere? The air was calm, yet not, and his whole demeanor was pleasing like the entire sky, or... space? That was quite unusual or expected affinity, or did it work that way because of his Rank?

  If one judged him as he was, Rey was light, small, and surprisingly young-looking. William guessed he shouldn't be older than Luke from the appearance alone, but that was bullshit. Age did not correspond to these freaks. Not in the slightest!

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  It was no wonder because Rey wasn't that old in terms of the oldest generations. He wasn't even seventy, and many considered him the youngest Rank 8 in the world. Old Dream was the oldest, followed by Dachy and Kaufman, all of whom were part of the First Generation.

  That trio was known as the oldest cornerstone of the Federation and its massive supporting movements. Rey was their successor by several decades, which spoke volumes about his qualities and talents, considering there weren't many of them.

  Of course, in other parts of the world, there were also such Walkers, but due to the separation issues and distances, the entire population of the two hemispheres imposed their differences. Most Walkers were unable to work together, didn't want to, or couldn't because of power problems.

  With more than a century, one would wonder how many Walkers from the first generation walked around the Earth, lost their steps, or hid away because it was better that way.

  "So, William, is it?" Rey asked him and decided to give him the full attention that Mi-Yung offered. She was here as his proxy anyway, looking the part and acting the part. Hopefully, it will stay that way, but if it won't, Rey didn't give a shit.

  She was here, accepted the plea deal, and knew this boy required this attention. That alone answered that she was a bit helpless or needed the Assembly. Rey read between the lines, or over the past ten days alone, and hoped to help her.

  Rey had his ideas worth seeking and doing, and he wasn't as mindful of William, yet he wasn't ignorant about him in the slightest. There were no grudges; just common interest because he was a very keen Walker, who had been a key researcher of this entire land. His presence was greater than sense, and his experience and position guaranteed knowledge near the peak of the present world.

  "Yes, sir. Mi-Yung explained a couple of things that will happen tonight. I'm a little apprehensive about it. Thanks to her, I got the hang of it bit by bit, so am I... prepared?"

  "That is natural because it is unnatural. Tests are... well, it is like an invasive sight and a digging worm. Some of it is great. Some of it is very personal because we are looking at things that aren't there yet, or they are there but cocooned and fresh, or very distinct because Emblems are that way. Yours has been far beyond the norm, I suspect."

  "Yeah. She said it like a curse. I wonder what you want to know or see with those tests. She brushed it off and said that someone else would say it, but even then, she often talked about Rank 0s and offered many concepts. She must've meant you, sir."

  "Hm." Rey nodded and didn't expect Mi-Yung to be this throughout. He gestured forward. "She seems to have done her diligence. Also, things might take a different path than we expected. Follow me."

  His uniform was white, resembling a doctor's, but with a much more military style. It had deep pockets and an appropriate style for this place and this person. On a little man, it wasn't so bad.

  "We go into First Head's sites. He is a busy man and won't be home today, so take care. His deputy will do it instead."

  "Sounds great." Mi-Yung sighed with relief that that old bastard wouldn't touch William early. He was busy with that Sea anyway, and he better be busy until the Forced Awakening.

  They walked into a vast hallway with numerous metallic, interconnected glass walls and doors. A lot was happening around them or beyond, with workers creating things and science unfolding, yet it seemed to be no magic at all. But was it really true? How much Arcana changed such prospects, or did Walkers do it more, or Darks?

  There were even seminars in some rooms, research facilities, and rooms related to chemistry. There were numerous rooms related to medicine and pharmacy, as well as farms for herbs and by-products, and facilities for alchemy. It was silly; William understood this was what science was like, and they were creating complex medicines.

  Then, there was machinery, various locked doors, sturdy walls, and places that better remain private. William didn't see what was happening within them during this walk. He knew he wouldn't get that chance either. The group soon closed in on a big laboratory akin to a bunker. The opening door was a sizable metal door with hinges the size of his entire arm.

  Inside wasn't a very tall or massive room. It was kind of flat, dark, and long. Inside were numerous shelves, investigation papers, and a complete mess because of them. Scattered around a single-floor room, papers lay as if a storm had rampaged inside.

  "Hello?" Rey called out. "Dream?"

  "I am already here, waiting for days," an old voice echoed behind William, who shuddered and jumped past the entrance, and never noticed an old man standing behind him.

  Old Dream looked like a senile relic on the verge of cracking to dust. William wasn't sure where he came from, but he was right behind him for a while, and even Mi-Yung didn't know that. She was also shocked and a lot more apprehensive than ever before. William noticed it, but his main attention was drawn to this new freaky Walker. He looked his age, for sure.

  He turned and yelped, watching a person whose skin seemed burned or cracked a long time ago. It was hard to tell if it was harmful or everywhere, for he wore a loose green robe and a big cloak over it in the same color. It looked old, like him.

  Old Dream coughed, white eyes squinting and sizing them all. "Hm. No girl?"

  "Nope." Rey shook his head, accepting his lone pedigree. "It would not work. Not with Reaz and Dreadus being quite adamant and continuous in their trials, and... well, Mi-Yung urged another point, sir."

  "What?" Mi-Yung asked, but before getting any answer, Old Dream pushed them into the room with a wave of his hand.

  It was as if the whole room shifted, or they did. William was unsure what to call it, but he felt as if his perception moved like he were in deep water, and his eyes couldn't adjust to it.

  "What was that?" he asked nobody in particular, now standing deep in the messy research facility with quite a lot of personality. Drawings were everywhere, either featuring Walkers, Emblems, or Darks. They were all over the place, looking cool and far better than he would ever draw.

  Old Dream was right beside him, looking way too closely. "Oh, Gale! GALE!"

  "W-what?"

  "Good. Good!" Old Dream clapped, and William found himself on the ground next, kneeling and almost hyperventilating because everything shifted and happened way too fast. It was not pressure. He felt as if he couldn't follow reality. It was very odd, as if he were slipping to the ground and his consciousness was on the verge of plunging away.

  Old Dream looked at him at the same eye level and patted his shoulders. "Young and oblivious like an old painting. How far do you dream, young devil?"

  Mi-Yung and Rey stepped aside from him, both pairs of eyes flaring in light, and their arms crackled in their respective Arcana's fissures. "What are you doing?" They demanded from Old Dream at the same time.

  "Pipe down, youngsters. This is part of my agreement, my arrangement with Gales, and...lastly, what I stand for. You won't stop it."

  "You won't put him through Dreamscape or anything of that sort," Mi-Yung argued, almost unleashing her Arcalyst.

  William was frozen and so mildly uncomfortable that he was almost unable to think, get angry, or do anything else. He was also getting heavy and felt his soul and body pulling for the first time. It felt fake, yet.... not.

  Old Dream scoffed at them. "I need to look! Look if he knows anything."

  "But he doesn't," Mi-Yung argued. "He didn't even know the name of his father. He doesn't even recall his face! His mother is the same. He recalls the hand and how he fucking died, old man!"