A Year

Seeing that Harry had finished reading the related case files, Victor spoke slowly.

"Based on our experience, low-level domains that cover a large number of people but have minimal harm tend to share one common feature: the more the domain's rules align with the normal rules people are supposed to follow, the harsher the consequences for breaking those rules."

"The hospital wing is a perfect example. Here, patients and the night-shift staff can pass through the domain without even realizing it, as long as they follow the expected behavior."

"And since there's a patrol, or a domain enforcer, it actually means good news in a way."

"Good news?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed," Victor nodded, his face darkening as if recalling something grim. He hesitated before continuing, "Domains without enforcers are far more dangerous. There was an incident where one of the Blazing Sun Sect's primary squads was completely wiped out in such a domain."

Victor closed the laptop and turned to Harry.

"I've looked through your file. You've only been at the Serenity Funeral Home for a few days, and before that, you had no experience with anything like this. I'm not sure why you're getting involved, and to be honest, I don't like it. It introduces variables we can't control, which could lead to unnecessary casualties."

"But since the new Director personally requested your involvement, and given that you've already been inside the domain, you're more likely to uncover clues. And since you're from Serenity Funeral Home, I have no choice but to cooperate."

"My only priority is resolving this issue. I hope you can cooperate too. If I find that you're a liability or slowing us down, I won't hesitate to sacrifice you, even if it means offending the new Director."

Victor's tone was serious, and after finishing, he extended his hand toward Harry.

"Everything for the sake of resolving this matter, right? If you contribute significantly, I'll fully cooperate with you. Our priority is solving this issue," Victor said firmly.

Harry nodded and shook his hand. He appreciated how straightforward Victor was—he didn't hold grudges or keep things bottled up, which meant fewer misunderstandings down the line. Plus, someone bold enough to say such things outright was unlikely to stab you in the back.

"It's not that I want to be involved," Harry began, "I just don't have a choice. Earlier, I was nearly crushed by a falling leaf—an 'accident,' they called it."

———

Victor drove Harry straight to Serene City's First Hospital. Upon arriving, he checked himself into the hospital and even managed to get admitted into the massage therapy department.

Yes, Victor, now a "patient" in the massage therapy department, ended up in the hospital bed right next to Harry's.

His reason? The massage therapy department had a shortage of beds, and since he only needed treatment during the day, where he slept at night didn't matter.

Harry was stunned to learn that it was possible to pull this off. A ten-session massage therapy course would qualify him for insurance reimbursement by getting himself admitted to the hospital. And it was all perfectly within the rules.

When Harry inquired further, Victor revealed that, as a member of the Blazing Sun Sect's field team, his medical expenses were reimbursed 100%.

At this point, Harry realized that Victor must have done this countless times before, given how smoothly he operated.

Once settled in, Victor got busy coordinating with support teams via his laptop and earpiece. Harry learned that other members of the Blazing Sun Sect were stationed in different departments. There were even technicians discreetly installing equipment under the guise of monitoring repairs. Every procedure was above board.

After organizing all the updated data, Victor turned to Harry.

"I've compiled some new theories based on the latest intel. If the 'accident' you experienced wasn't really an accident, then it's highly likely you broke some kind of rule."

"Are you saying we can't even step outside during the day?" Harry frowned, thinking back.

"It's hard to say for sure, but we can't rule anything out. It's more likely related to last night, though."

Harry mulled over this for a moment, 'Could it be that eating at the nurse's station somehow violated a rule? Or maybe... when I knocked on the desk, was the sound too loud?'

'This would be hard to verify, but according to Victor's files, if I survived once, I woln't be punished twice for the same infraction.'

As darkness fell, the two ate their bland hospital dinners. Afterward, Victor cautioned him.

"Tonight's goal is information gathering. We won't take any risks or cause any disturbances since there are other patients around. If we can't find a solution, we'll wait and observe. Safety first."

"Wait for the hospital to relocate? Tear down the building?" Harry guessed.

"If it comes to that, demolishing the building isn't off the table."

"..."

Harry was speechless.

Night deepened, and at precisely 10:30 PM, the corridor lights switched off, leaving only the dim emergency lighting. Inside their room, the lights also went out abruptly.

An oppressive, eerie silence filled the air. Though nothing seemed to change physically, Harry could feel the shift in the atmosphere—an inexplicable sense of dread.

Looking over at Victor, who had been wide awake just moments before, he now lay sound asleep, snoring softly.

In the dim moonlight filtering through the window, Harry could make out a third bed that hadn't been occupied earlier. Now, someone was lying in it, fast asleep.

Harry silently took out his phone and snapped a picture of the new occupant.

He then tiptoed over to Victor and tapped his face lightly. No response. Checking his eyes, Harry found that Victor was in a deep sleep, as expected.

Victor had warned him this would happen. Everyone who entered the domain fell into an unshakable sleep.

Harry, however, was different. While everyone else slept, he was free to move around.

Creeping to the door, Harry peeked out into the hallway. Silence reigned. The usual sounds of people coughing, snoring, and flushing toilets were gone. Only a faint, ever-present hum lingered.

Stepping into the corridor, Harry noticed through the small windows of the other rooms that the number of patients had noticeably decreased. Not everyone had been drawn into the domain.

As he approached the nurse's station, Harry saw the familiar figure of the little nurse with cavities—Jenny. Her complexion was worse than before; her right side was charred, and her skull was slightly caved in.

Jenny noticed Harry, her expression surprised. She quickly craned her neck to peer toward the department entrance, checking for any signs of mist. Seeing none, she sighed in relief.

"Good evening," Harry greeted with a smile, waving.

"What are you doing up again? After lights out, you should be in bed. Hurry back and sleep."

"You're not looking well today. Didn't put on makeup?" Harry teased, leaning on the counter.

"Keep your voice down! Get back to your room! The patrol could show up at any moment, and if they find you out, we'll both be in trouble." Jenny whispered anxiously.

"I work at Serenity Funeral Home. I saw your parents visit you today," Harry said gently.

"Oh..." Jenny paused, understanding that Harry knew her true identity. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "How are they?"

"They're doing well. They made your favorite green bean cakes, bought some bread rolls and oranges. They miss you a lot."

Jenny's expression turned complicated—grief, helplessness, and pain all mingled together.

"Go back now. If the patrol catches you, you'll be in danger. They already took someone last night."

"I wanted to ask you a few questions. What do you know about this place? Can you tell me whatever you can?"

"The head nurse will make rounds soon. Anyone caught wandering the halls after lights out will be taken. Breaking hospital rules will get you taken too. If the head nurse finds you out here, you'll be in danger."

Harry nodded. This aligned with what the Blazing Sun Sect had theorized.

"How did you end up here?"

"I dozed off at the desk during the night shift. The head nurse caught me, and that's how I was brought here."

"So, it wasn't just an accident."

"It was an accident, but because I fell asleep during the night shift, I broke the rules. That's when the 'accident' happened, and I've been stuck here ever since. A year now."

Harry nodded. This fit with what he'd suspected.

The Blazing Sun Sect's previous investigations had concluded it was a simple accident.

Now, it was clear the domain's rules could affect those who had violated them, even outside the domain, when it disappeared.

Then Harry caught another key detail.

"A year? You've been here every single day for a year?"

"Yeah, working the night shift every night."

"Besides last night, when was the last time someone was taken?"

"I don't know about other departments, but in mine, the last time someone was taken was three months ago."

"Do you know that person's name?"

"I don't, but I remember he had a crooked mouth and a five-centimeter scar on the side of his head where no hair grew."

Harry frowned, sensing that things were far more complicated than they seemed.

"The head nurse, does she have a set routine for making her rounds, or is it random?"

"Usually, it's at three in the morning, but not always..."

As they were talking, Jenny's expression suddenly changed to one of alarm. She glanced toward the end of the corridor, and through the glass, Harry could see a faint mist starting to rise.

"Hurry back! The head nurse is coming!" Jenny whispered urgently.