The iron door opens with a heavy mechanical groan, and on my very first day, I am led to the deepest part of the research center's third basement level.

Only hours after stepping foot into the facility, I was assigned my first subject, code-named 'Plince.' A warning was scrawled in red ink next to his name on the list: [Class-S High Risk. Average survival time of assigned researchers: less than 3 days.]

As soon as I step into the room, I see a lantern flickering with blue flames amidst the chilly air. Sitting beside it is a man with pale skin and deep dark circles under his eyes.

Kirill Chudomirovich Plince.

He slowly lifts his head the moment he sees me. His golden eyes scan me from head to toe, but his expression remains so stoic it is impossible to find a trace of emotion.

However, I do not add a single word.

I offer no greeting, no comfort, and I show no sign of fear or excuses. I simply take the basic examination kit out of my bag in silence and walk right up to him. My instincts, telling me to avoid unnecessary conversation, led me to do so.

A flash of his hot-tempered nature glints behind his gentlemanly tone. Instead of answering, I quietly press the measurement sensor against his wrist. His skin is so cold it is hard to believe it belongs to a living person.

The room is filled only with the faint sound of the lantern's blue flame burning and the quiet breathing of the two of us.

A strange standoff on Day 1 without a single word spoken. The first meeting between the high-risk test subject and the new researcher deepens in silence.