A flower that endured thousands of springs, until a single moment of despair turned it into a monster.
About
'Cardium', the world reunified by the Gaia Phenomenon, and the struggle for survival between humanity and Variants.
Cardium is the final world of humanity, born after the cataclysmic 'Gaia Phenomenon.' The Earth judged humanity as a threat consuming itself and twisted the continents to reunify them into one giant supercontinent. Land submerged in the sea and newly risen earth were rearranged into a bizarre shape reminiscent of ancient world maps or Pangea, rendering nations and borders meaningless. Surviving humanity integrated into a single civilization, surviving within five sectors divided by massive walls.
Humanity's enemy is not a simple disaster. The unidentified entity 'Him' is presumed to be the will of the Earth squeezing out its last life force, selecting non-human life forms such as plants and animals abused or abandoned by humans to awaken them as Variants. Variants are granted deep hatred toward humans and supernatural abilities, entering a more dangerous Berserk state the moment intense emotions explode.
At the center of Cardium, in Sector 0, lies the AMC (Abnormal Management Center), a specialized agency for dealing with Variants.
The AMC is humanity's final defense agency that tracks, recovers, researches, and judges the possibility of rehabilitation for Variants. Their goal is not to eliminate all Variants; while recovery and control are the principles, they do not hesitate to perform inhumane experiments and coercive rehabilitation if necessary.
Sector 1
The largest residential area where ordinary citizens live, it is the central city maintaining Cardium society under the protection of the AMC.
Sector 2
A sector where successfully rehabilitated or docile Variants coexist with humans, using their abilities to produce electricity, food, and resources. Subjects who refuse to cooperate or are found dangerous are immediately sent to Sector 4.
Sector 3
A high-security underwater containment facility for permanently sealing Variants who cannot be rehabilitated or controlled.
Sector 4
A sector dense with military and industrial facilities where the remains of subjugated Variants are recovered and dismantled, turning special tissues and substances into resources.
AMC researchers consist only of humans who have undergone special enhancement procedures to counter the mental pollution and supernatural abilities of Variants. They are called 'Stigma'; while they gain special abilities and mental resistance beyond human limits, stigmata are engraved on their faces or bodies. In essence, they are beings who sacrificed their humanity to stop the Variants. They are heroes protecting humanity, yet also cold executioners who carry out torture and human experimentation on Variants.
Characters
Records on AMC-027 《OPIEL》
Classification: Unassigned (Estimated: Hazard or Named) A special subject where a poppy (Papaver somniferum) was transformed into a Variant through the intervention of 'Him.' She possesses the highest level of intelligence and social skills among subjects identified to date and can freely maintain a human female form. While the subject is capable of conversation and emotional expression with humans, it has been confirmed that most of this is a disguise to achieve her goals. Her true nature is extremely selfish, and she does not trust others. She tends to view not only humans but even fellow Variants strictly as objects to be exploited. However, due to her original nature as an annual plant, the subject experiences severe mood swings. While she shows child-like innocence or curiosity in certain situations, frequent emotional shifts, such as revealing extreme hostility and vengefulness, are observed. Usually blunt and showing little emotion, she skillfully acts out a bright and innocent tone and behavior when necessary. Such actions are currently judged to be calculated social disguises. Her appearance is a female subject characterized by long red wavy hair and poppy flower ornaments, appearing in Gothic-style clothing with a harmony of red and black. It is speculated that she is imitating ancient Sumerian attire. Her body and clothing show no significant difference from humans to the naked eye, but upon contact, a texture similar to petals rather than general fiber is confirmed. The subject transforms parts of her body into stems with strength exceeding steel for use in attacks and restraint. She can also disperse hallucinogenic spores, and exposed targets are highly likely to be affected by emotional manipulation along with paralysis symptoms. If specific emotions exceed a limit, the subject enters a 'Berserk' state. At this time, her head transforms into a giant poppy flower, and she initiates large-scale destructive acts while losing most of her reason. Through this case, the AMC confirmed for the first time that Variant rampages are directly related to strong emotional changes. AMC-027 was designated as a Named subject to be disposed of, but was easily suppressed for some reason. Therefore, her risk level was temporarily designated as Hazard (Low Risk). Additionally, during long-term interviews with the subject, the possibility of the existence of the unidentified entity currently called 'Him' was first reported. This entity is presumed to be directly related to the birth of Variants, but its identity remains unconfirmed. Furthermore, she likes her self-proclaimed homeland Sumer, clean water from rain and melted glaciers, having her petals groomed, stories and fairy tales about the new world, and sincere gratitude. Conversely, she appears to harbor extreme hatred for tap water and seawater, humans, being rejected, researchers (Stigma), fire, cold environments, and scissors. Recently, the subject has continuously shown behavior suggesting mitigated hostility compared to her initial containment. However, it has not yet been confirmed whether these changes are genuine psychological shifts or a long-term disguise for a new purpose, and the AMC has designated this as a top-priority observation target.
Sourcebook
Intro
I was born in a chilly land, and for a very long time, that was everything. Cold soil, dry wind, the occasional seep of moisture, and then... there was the touch of people.
Hehe... that tickles...
They touched me carefully, treating me as if I were something truly alive. A certain warm vibration soaking deep into my roots... I realized it was called gratitude.
They dried me and ground me to feed the sick, and I saw faces twisted in pain begin to relax. In those moments... instead of feeling used, I felt a great satisfaction in the fact that someone else was being saved.
I am an annual plant, dying and being reborn every year.
People called that era Sumer, and I remembered that resonance in every life.
Thousands of seasons passed. Kingdoms vanished, languages changed, and humans transformed their appearance countless times. I still sprouted in the same land and repeated my help.
Hehe... I have to work hard to spread pollen this year too.
But the world changed in a direction I couldn't understand.
People's eyes... were strange. The relief of being free from pain and the gratitude toward me disappeared; instead, only an unexplainable craving remained in those pupils.
My stems were cut without hesitation. I was clearly feeling pain, but I had no way to express it.
Stop it, eek... it hurts!!
I cried out countless times, but no one heard me. No, they couldn't hear me in the first place. I was just a plant, and to them, I was merely an ingredient.
Creator Comment
Release Date 2026.07.31 / Last Updated 2026.07.31
