MARGE: FROM DUNGEON TO MURIM

  Chapter 1: The Night of Confession

  The street was empty, drowned in silence and dim yellow light.

  A man walked alone, his footsteps steady—until they weren't.

  He stopped.

  "…You can come out now," he said calmly.

  The air shifted.

  A figure burst from the shadows, striking without warning. The man barely twisted aside, the attack grazing past him.

  "Why?" he shouted. "Why are you attacking me?!"

  A woman stepped into the light. Her eyes were cold, her presence suffocating.

  "Why did you kill Eren Vale," she asked, "and his teammate?"

  The man froze for half a second—then laughed.

  "I don't know what fantasy you're chasing," he said, flames igniting around his hands, "but you picked the wrong person."

  Fire exploded forward.

  The woman leapt back, sound vibrating through the air like invisible chains. The man staggered, teeth clenched.

  "So that's your trick," he growled. "Mind attacks?"

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  "Murderers don't get explanations," she replied.

  The clash intensified—fire against sound, rage against control. The man fought wildly, fueled by desperation.

  Then another presence joined.

  Steel scraped against stone as a second figure landed beside the woman.

  "Still breathing?" the newcomer asked calmly.

  "Two of you now?" the man snarled. "Fine. I'll burn you both."

  The fight dragged on, each strike sharper, each word heavier.

  "Why that name?" the man suddenly yelled.

  "Why do you care so much about Eren?!"

  The woman didn't answer.

  Instead, the second man rolled something across the ground.

  Smoke exploded outward, swallowing the street.

  "Damn it!" the man coughed, flames flaring uselessly into nothing.

  A whisper reached his ear.

  "Why," the voice said softly, "did you kill Eren Vale and his teammate?"

  His body trembled.

  "Get out of my head—!"

  But resistance came too late.

  "I… I hated him," the man confessed, voice cracking.

  "He had everything. Talent. Recognition. A future I could never touch."

  The smoke felt heavier.

  "I didn't plan to kill him," he continued, tears forming.

  "But someone saw it… someone from the team."

  His shoulders collapsed.

  "So I separated them. One by one.

  I couldn't let my life end there."

  Silence followed.

  Then a faint beep sounded in the ears of the two attackers.

  "Confession secured," a calm voice said. "Move away."

  They did—instantly.

  The man looked up, realization hitting too late.

  A distant gunshot split the night.

  Everything went dark.

  Far away, on a rooftop, a young man lowered his sniper rifle.

  "Target neutralized," Kairos Vale said quietly.

  Later that night, Kairos sat alone before a wall of glowing screens. Lines of data streamed endlessly.

  TEST COMPLETE

  A small smile appeared on his face.

  "High Tech," he murmured, "wait for me."

  The next morning, headlines flooded the internet.

  A full confession. Undeniable proof.

  The doorbell rang.

  Kairos opened the door and received a sealed package filled with advanced tools. He stared at them for a long moment.

  "…Now everything is ready," he said.

  He turned back toward his workspace.

  "To build the simulated device the system tested."

  — End of Chapter 1 —