Part 2: Ateez Story Lore A-World POV Chronological Order Timeline
- Meg Polier
- Sep 30, 2025
- 61 min read
Updated: Apr 26
Song: PROPAGANDA
A. INTRO
Weeeeeeing!!!!!!!
A loud alarm sound echoed in the plazas, streets, schools, and buildings. The Guardians monitoring people from everywhere were the first to respond to the sound. People walking on the street, office workers doing their business, and students studying, all stopped what they were doing, got up, and turned to the highest monitor.
Looking down from the sky, the whole world looked like a well-made set. People with blank faces, well-organized roads, and buildings. Pretty and neat world, but there was no life in it. In the middle of the cold dull buildings surrounded by still mannequin-like people, a mellifluous voice echoed.
Song: Cyberpunk
Describes the world current state of Strictland.
Z. A perfect world. Being perfect, our world is safe. A small error is a crack, and a crack leads to pain. Pain, pain is an unnecessary emotion and a negative element in life. We want to protect you all.
From the streets, companies, schools, and plazas, Z's roaring voice came out of the speaker. A yellow light lit up next to the ears of people listening with dry faces and blinking their eyes. Looking closely, it was the light from a small chip stuck under the ear.
Z. A world without cracks is always beautiful. You living your life in your position are the world itself. Do not doubt yourself. You are always right. We are right because you are right.
Smiles spread on people's faces. But no one's eyes were smiling. It was just the facial muscles that moved like a machine that obeyed commands.
Z. Keep that in mind. The government works for you. The government is committed to you. All of this...is for you.
At the end of Z's words, the crowd clasped their hands all together and cheered.
"Z! Z! Z! Z!"
At that point when the voices of people shouting for Z overflowed the world, music began to play out of nowhere with a crackly noise from the speaker (Sector 1 Song). Soon after, along with the sound from the megaphone, Z's voice was swallowed up by the gradually increasing sound of music, and the yellow light that flashed next to people's ears faded away. The Guardians who stood among the crowd began to look around as if they were looking for someone. For the first time, the feeling of 'confusion' crossed the faces of those who were puzzled by the sound of the song.
When the man standing in the plaza feeling somebody's presence looked to the left, Hong Joong, wearing a Black Fedora, smiled at him. The man didn't know Hong Joong, but unknowingly spit his name out of his mouth.
"A...TEEZ...?"
Using the Cromer to teleport Ateez on the ground and in the sky start their war against Z and Strictland. (Note: The World Ep. Fin: Will Diaries A. INTRO mentions that Halateez is still captured.)
01
"Look, once you see us, you can never forget us." said Min Gi, who appeared to the man's right. The man's eyes lit up with life. Then Min Gi threw something from his hand to the man. The man who reflectively received the object, flying in an arc, opened his hand. It was a small square-shaped machine. Inside the machine was written in small letters.
"There is a chip under your ear. Let the breaker touch the chip."
In the middle of the street appeared Woo Young and Yeo Sang, on the top of the building Seong Hwa and San, and in the school, Yun Ho and Jong Ho. To the music, ATEEZ started singing and dancing. People who first looked blankly at it began to shake their bodies unconsciously in response to the music. The Black Pirates began spreading flyers in the sky and handing out breakers on the ground. People picked up flyers and read them.
You are valuable by yourself. No one can define you, and no one can control you. Being alive is imperfect, and it's beautiful to be imperfect. Read poetry, draw pictures, listen to music, dance, and sing. Therein lies your own answer. [Black Pirates]
02
The people who listened to ATEEZ's music, watched their performance, and read the message in the flyers instinctively touched the chips with an unfamiliar feeling under their ears. For the first time, they realized the chips were implanted in their bodies.
The Guardians were eager to control people and capture ATEEZ, but as ATEEZ used the Cromer moving space to space instantly, it was difficult to catch them. Meanwhile, people put the breaker on chips under their ears. With a crackling, small spark, small particles popped out of the machine and entered into the chip.
The Guardians began to drive the ATEEZ members to one side. From school to street, from street to plaza, ATEEZ danced their final dance to the end of the music and disappeared in an instant, right at the moment when they were about to be caught by the Guardians who were reaching out to them.
The faces of those who put the machine on the chip were filled with chaos and fear.
The people running away and the Guardians chasing them, the people returning to their work with the same dry face even in the mess, and...among them, one hand picked up a breaker that had fallen on the ground and put it into the pocket.
03
Cheers overflowed in the underground bunker of the Black Pirates. Because this plan also succeeded. ATEEZ and the Black Pirates were celebrating themselves eating food with a background of upbeat music.
"I was worried about how to block the control system developed with new energy...Awesome, Left Eye."
Then Left Eye said shyly, scratching his head at San's praise. "There were a lot of failed chips of the government in the waste rolled into the Strictland dump, so we were lucky."
"If we put this machine on the chip, does it lead to the Black Link we use?"
"Yes. But not right away. Because each person's will is important. All we do is get them out of the government-controlled link. After that, it is left to their own will."
When Jong Ho asked if it is a matter of choice, Left Eye continued. "Right. They will not even know that this machine connects not only people but also the Guardians to the Black Link. They'll think of it as just a breaker that blocks them from the control link. Since the safety of the Black Pirates is also important."
"But why? Forced link connections are more efficient." Other members nodded and looked at Left Eye in response to Min Gi's suggestion to save more people by forcing the link to be connected.
04
"I've lived in this would for a long time, so I know. At first, I felt fear when I met you and remembered the memories and feelings of love and other emotions of the past that I had forgotten. Just like when you guys first came to the world. As unknown is always feared."
"That's why you give them time. Giving themselves time to overcome the chaos and to decide, until the Guardians find out that the control link has been blocked."
Then Left Eye nodded quietly drinking a glass of wine.
"When people become self-reliant, a signal goes to the Black Link we use, Then, the Black Pirates, scattered all over the place, contact them..."
"What if someone chooses to stand on the side of the government even after getting their feelings back?"
"We can't force them. Because the fear is big. No one knows what will happen if I'm the only one against it. We can't dangerously force someone who wants to follow the flow. That's not different from the central government that says only themselves are right."
05
"You haven't figured out the location of Z yet, have you?" When Hong Joong looked back at the Black Pirates, everyone stared at them with questioning eyes. The Black Pirates shook their heads with awkward faces.
It was not easy to find out where Z was located because it was information that even the Guardians did not know unless they were high-ranking members of the government. Undoubtedly, Z is the ruler of this world, at the same time, the symbol of the Z World. Therefore, his safety was the top priority to prevent terrorism.
"For now, that's the last step. Let's start with what we can do now." Everyone nodded at Seong Hwa's words.
To install mirrors and remove the coverings blocking the windows ATEEZ decided to infiltrate the symbolic place that is establishing this world.
06
A mirror is a window through which one can perceive oneself. In the early days, the government did not know the importance of mirrors, so they just tried only to control the emotions with new energy. However, as people looking at the mirror and recognizing themselves kept getting out of control, they removed all reflective objects, including mirrors.
So were the windows. To look out the windows at the landscape is to open the possibility of freedom and is a door that recognizes oneself and others and sees the world. So old buildings were blocked with curtains, coverings, and sheets, or in buildings built afterward, there were no windows at all. Furthermore, a large dome was placed in each zone to block out the solar heat and then intake of vitamins and nutrients, made by being exposed to light, was controlled through medicine. As this dome also served as a blocker and boundary between zones, it was an extremely important means of control for the government.
Song: The Ring
With the Cromer, ATEEZ and the Black Pirates moved freely across the areas, which allowed them to touch people's hearts with their performance, but that was not enough. The control of the government became increasingly systematic. Even humans who became aware of the control with the emotions rising within them, were either controlled again or taken to the Guardians and transported to the Guardians' bunker.
Now, the only way ATEEZ and the Black Pirates had to go was to 'make as many people aware as possible at once'. The first target point to install mirrors and remove the coverings of the entire building was the Prestige Academy, which was called the 'best school' of this era.
Song: New World
07
An emergency signal rang inside the underground bunker to alert an intruder within a 1km radius. Everyone's eyes were on the monitor and there was a short moment of tension. A young boy was crying alone, shouting "Help, Black Pirates!"
The boy took a sip of hot tea and looked at the members with slightly relaxed eyes and said, "Please, save my older brother."
On the way to school, the boy saw the performance of ATEEZ and the Black Pirates for the first time and got out of control through a breaker. "It was terrifying." said the boy. It was because he then realized how bleak and violent the school and the world are when he saw them after having emotion for the first time.
Song: WDIG (WHERE DO I GO)
The boy told, returning home that night, he carefully brought up this story to his older brother, who attended the same school, and his older brother tried to report him to the Guardians, so the boy unwittingly put the breaker on his older brother's chip. The boy thought his older brother would understand his intention after going through the same process he did, but the reaction was different. The older brother who felt his emotions for the first time shouted as if in pain, trembled, and looked at his younger brother with blaming eyes.
08
"Do you know the Guardians Island?" Tears welled up in the boy's eyes again. The members looked at Yeo Sang. The place where Yeo Sang was kept, "Guardians Island" is apparently a facility for re-educating the socially maladjusted. However, in reality, it was a place to dispose of people who rebelled against the central government system, and other various things such as art and instruments that stimulate human emotions. This does not apply to those who have completed 40 years of education and are being used in their respective positions, but those who have regained their emotions - those who recover their emotions and act as Resistance - have been caught by the Guardians and then disposed of there. So, it was a place that the members and the Black Pirates knew well. However, they did not know that children who were not even the Resistance would be taken to Guardians Island.
To complete the 40-year education curriculum, people must take the final graduation exam. During this exam, they will be investigated on what kind of part to be used in the society and if they fail to pass the emotional test they are judged as defective and will be sent to Guardians Island.
The boy cried again. As his older brother, who was about to take the graduation exam, could be taken to Guardians Island because of him, he desperately accessed the Black Link of the Black Pirates and found a nearby area believed to be a bunker.
Z. OUTRO
"The exam is not the problem, we have to save him right away, even tomorrow. That's how school is like, easy to be targeted when one seems different from the crowd."
Min Gi, who had a hard time at school, intuitively caught the danger. The boy nodded. "There is a student organization in school. Since the Guardians and teachers cannot monitor all of the students, they selected the best students and built this organization to monitor others. But as our school organization is certified by Mr. Z..., no by Z directly to head the organization, they might notice it before even taking the exam."
The members became complicated. There was a high possibility that it would not end with just saving his older brother. As it must be something really turning the whole school upside down. If they decided to go to another school, not the Prestige Academy, where they have thoroughly researched for installation of mirrors and removal of coverings...the Prestige Academy infiltration plan thereafter could be dangerous or impossible.
"What school do you go to?"
The boy who grasped the atmosphere said with a worried face.
"Prestige Academy."
There were no words, but they spoke with their eyes.
"That's perfect. We were planning to go there, too."
A. INTRO
Prestige Academy
With his anxious face hoping that the members might help, they boy said, "Prestige Academy." Yun Ho smirked.
"That's perfect. We were planning to go there, too."
Prestige Academy. Boasting smooth, slippery walls like that of a spaceship, its curved buildings from an enormous circle enclosing a large quad in its center. When looked at from the sky, it appears as a fortress with buildings built tightly together like walls blocking outsiders fro entering.
And in truth, for an outsider entering this place is no easy task. After checking your entry ID at the main gate, you must pass through numerous inspection stations to finally enter. In a way, it's a system similar to that of the immigration offices used to move between countries in World A. While only a school, security is kept strict as only the most distinguished talents of World Z can attend the illustrious academy.
In this world, children are required to undergo various tests at a state-certified hospital within six months of birth. After six months of age, a child's natural temperament and talents reveal themselves and it is considered the parents' obligation to nurture their children according to their innate growth potential. The children who have been identified as 'talented' are able to enter Prestige Academy and are then placed in one of five classes depending on the results of their entrance examination.
Class 1 is raised to work in the government. They are the ones who will be responsible for researching and implementing systems for better efficiency and control of society in the future.
Class 2, which includes future Guardians, is trained to control people and punish those who defy control according to government guidelines.
Class 3 is taught to classify new humans following the system, and then educate them accordingly.
Class 4 is fostered to handle various tasks necessary for human survival. For example: overseeing new energy exchanges, charging control chips, or the supply and manufacturing of essential energy.
Class 5 is in charge of city management, sanitization, and organization, and therefore receives an education reflective of such.
The children enrolled in Prestige Academy are educated and trained in these five classes before being aptly deployed throughout society after graduation.
A-World ATEEZ infiltrates Strictland to and then infiltrates the Prestige Academy. (Note: The World Ep. Fin: Will Diaries A. INTRO mentions that Halateez is still captured.)
01
Their promise to save the boy's brother aside, as a key pillar supporting the systems of this society, Prestige Academy was the ideal target. By awakening the many children raised there, World Z's ruling class would be damaged from within - they could shake the system from its roots.
Dressed in security uniforms, Min Gi and Woo Young lead a group of freshmen who had just entered the school. With the help of hacking by Left Eye and the Black Pirates, the members were able to sneak into the school in disguise and scattered throughout the complex, each performing their own roles (Song: Outlaw). Min Gi and Woo Young, who infiltrated the academy's security workforce, were acting as entrance guards after having divided freshmen into their respective classes to avoid suspicion from Guardians and others on the security team. Although they couldn't talk to each other, as they had to pretend to have no emotions, the two exchanged glances without anyone noticing, comforting each other's nerves.
Just then, they boy's brother, who they recognized from a photo shared to them by the boy, stopped in front of Min Gi. Min Gi let him pass, but was quick to send a signal to the group, tapping a transmitter on is waist before the next student came.
'He just entered the school.'
Receiving the signal, Woo Young chased after the boy's brother with his eyes. His uneasiness was clear even from just his steps. Through the transmitter hung at his belt, Woo Young sent a signal to the group as well"
'He's passing through the hallway on the right.'
The boy's brother went up the stairs. It was clear he was heading up to the classroom intended for the eldest grade of Class 2.
'He's going up to the classroom. Confirm contact timing.'
The boy's brother arrived at the classroom and sat down. Maintaining a blank face, he acted as stiff as possible. He placed his glass tablet in the center of the desk and his pen exactly 7.5 cm away in a parallel position as usual. Sitting straight upright as though he were a machine, he gazed at a blank monitor. So far no one seems to notice my emotions, the boy's brother thought with a sense of relief.
"Meet me in the restroom on the left side of the first floor."
The boy's brother turned back in surprise at the low voice he heard from behind him. Was there always someone like this in my class...? He thought for a moment. Thinking back, he realized that in the 40 years of attending this school he had never once looked closely at the faces of the people around him. Without the need to exchange emotions, there was no reason to talk to one another face-to-face. And, for the first time in his life he made eye contact with someone other than his family or school faculty. Yeo Sang's deep eyes seemed to whisper to the boy's brother, 'it's okay.' Have I been caught?, he thought. As if in response to the boy's brother's confusion, Yeo Sang flashed the breaker in his hand with a small smile. The action said it all, Yeo Sang knew that he could feel emotions. It was then that Yeo Sang stood up and walked out of the classroom. The boy's brother, who didn't yet know if Yeo Sang was a friend or foe, watched him with a befuddled expression. He quickly turned back and looked around the classroom. He questioned, did anyone see me? But no one did. Just like the boy's brother had done before, the students sat at their desks either adjusting their set up or focused on their own work. Only the sound of objects chattering around, not voices, echoed in the classroom. That's right, no one here is interested in me, he thought and stood up as if he had made a decision.
02
In the corner at the end of the first-floor hallway, he could see a restroom with the lights turned off. Questioning whether walking around in the empty hallway in itself would be an action that seemed suspicious, the boy's brother paused for a moment in worry. Just then a long shadow appeared from behind.
"Don't worry. We're here to help you."
It was Seong Hwa. Seeming slightly relieved by Seong Hwa's smile, the boy's brother stepped forward carefully. Seong Hwa followed behind the boy, as if to protect him. He sent a signal to the other members,
'I've made contact with the boy's brother.'
When they entered the restroom, Yeo Sang was there to greet them. Seong Hwa locked the door just in case anyone else tried to come in. Now it was just the three of them: Yeo Sang, Seong Hwa, and the boy's brother. The room fell quiet. The only sound the boy's brother could hear was the pounding of his own heart. He put his hand over his chest. The boy's brother, who was never taught emotion, didn't know what to call the feeling of his heart racing. Is this 'nervousness'? He thought for a moment.
"Your younger brother came to the Black Pirates' bunker last night. He was worried that you might get sent to the Disposal Site and asked us to come save you. You know the Black Pirates, right?"
The boy's brother nodded slowly as if to say he understood the situation. My only way out of this is to follow them, but what does that make the last 40 years of my life? What have I been living for this whole time? And what if I do survive by following them? Then what? What comes next? What if following them leads to something worse? These complex thoughts tangled up in his head and bothered him. Yeo Sang and Seong Hwa knew the boy's brother was feeling conflicted, but there was no time to waste. They explained to the boy's brother that the Black Pirates planned to rescue him. ATEEZ and the Black Pirates' goal was to awaken as many people as possible at Prestige Academy and create the opportunity for them to choose their own paths. It was inevitable that the sudden rush of new emotions would cause some chaos and confusion.
"Emotions, confusion. Why would we need those? All it means is that a lot of people will have to go through the same thing as I am right now."
"Chaos. Pain. They're not necessarily bad things. You need to feel them to move forward, it's something all people go through. That's what growth is. What's clear is that the feeling of growing through pain is a new, precious experience of yours. It was the same for all of us."
The boy's brother stated at Yeo Sang's outstretched hand. His racing heart gradually started to calm down. He wondered what this emotion was called. The boy's brother didn't know what it was but he could feel the warmth flowing through his blood. He cautiously reached out and grabbed Yeo Sang's hand.
"Class will start soon, let's just go back to the classroom for now..."
BANG BANG BANG!
Suddenly the bathroom door shook. The three looked at the shaking door anxiously.
BANG BANG BANG! Someone outside beat hard on the door.
"Open the door right now. Otherwise, I will refer you to the disciplinary committee immediately."
The boy's brother, who was still holding Yeo Sang's hand, quickly pulled away and moved back. Then, with a painful sigh he recited, "Thunder..."
03
"Thunder?"
His eyes shook as Seong Hwa repeated the name back to him. BANG BANG BANG! As the door began to shake again, the boy's brother sprang up as if by reflex and unlocked the door. Outside stood a group of students in neat uniforms. One each of their chests was a symbol inscribed with the word 'THUNDER.'
"Why are the three of you all gathered here? With the door locked at that."
From the crowd of students came a girl's clear voice. The group parted to each side as a female student walked forward. Is this the student group the younger brother had mentioned? And she must be their leader, Yeo Sang thought as he recalled the frightened boy from the day before. The female student, who did in fact appear to be in charge of the group, stood in front of Yeo Sang, Seong Hwa, and the boy's brother.
The female student who looked as though she were the personification of 'cold,' stared at Yeo Sang with a fierce gaze. "You don't look familiar."
Yeo Sang handed over the ID card he had prepared in advance. When a male student nodded confirming his name was on the student list, the female student then turned to Seong Hwa. For a while now Seong Hwa had been staring at the girl with a look of disbelief. In other words, with a face revealing clear emotion. Panicked, Yeo Sang moved to block the girl's view.
"I think the door needs repairing. I never intentionally locked it, but it wouldn't open and it took me a while to grasp the situation."
The female student pushed aside Yeo Sang's shoulder and looked at Seong Hwa again, as if she no longer cared for an explanation of the situation. Seong Hwa was still starting at the girl and the boy's brother had his head down, his hands shaking. Emotions. These were clearly displays of emotion. The girl slowly approached the boy's brother. He swiftly tried to grab his trembling hands behind his back, but the female student grabbed them first. The girl looked down at his very slightly trembling hands with cold eyes. More and more the boy's brother was losing the ability to hid his emotions. His breath shuddered and his face was frightened as if he was on the verge of bursting into tears. At that very moment, when it seemed like it was all over even before the operation had really begun, Seong Hwa snatched the girl's wrists, "Why are you here?"
In Seong Hwa's question was a hint of nostalgia. The girl looked back at him with an unchanged expression. She wasn't able to understand the intent of his question. Yeo Sang was the same - he couldn't understand what Seong Hwa was thinking.
However, Yeo Sang did know that they needed to get out of this situation as soon as possible and he quickly thought up an excuse using the logic system of World Z. "It's inefficient for us to use our time without a good reason like this. Class will start soon, so would you please let us leave."
At Yeo Sang's words, the Thunder group turned to their leader. The girl raised her free hand signaling permission for them to go, and the group moved out of the way as Yeo Sang took the boy's brother out into the hallway. Pulling her wrist out from Seong Hwa's grasp the girl asked, "What exactly do you mean? Do you not know what kind of group Thunder is?" Seong Hwa snapped out of his confusion and looked at the girl. In this world, it was dangerous to harbor emotions. He touched the bracelet on his wrist, trying to calm himself down. The bracelet was engraved with the words 'Be Free.'
04
Hiding his turbulent emotions, Seong Hwa asked the girl again. "Is there a problem with us using the restroom? I don't think the other students and I did anything wrong, so why did Thunder come all the way to this remote restroom?"
Looking at Seong Hwa speaking with a steady expression, it seemed as if the female student's face shook very slightly. Is she...feeling some kind of emotion? Avoiding Seong Hwa's eyes, the girl said, "It's Thunder's duty to patrol the school. We need to keep an eye on anyone who might be 'emotional.' This is just one of the places in school we're required to check." Seong Hwa examined the girl's face without answering. He wanted to find confirmation of the slip in expression he saw before, but her face had returned to its original coldness. "Class starts soon, return to the classroom for now. I'll let you off with a warning this time but if you get caught again, I'll have to refer you to the disciplinary committee for an emotion test." The female student, the head of Thunder, turned and the rest of the Thunder members followed her.
Seong Hwa went out into the hallway, watching the back of the girl as she walked away. The strong, cold looking girl was the one that Seong Hwa had been looking for for so long. Though of course, the same girl in World A and Wold Z seemed very different.
That girl he had once encountered back in World A. He came across her by chance, on a day when the rules of life, logic, and efficiency were weighing down his thoughts. She danced freely, letting her body move along to the music playing on the street. After meeting her, Seong Hwa came to realize many things, and everything changed. But on the day he finally decided to muster up his courage and speak to the girl he had been observing from afar, she was gone. Only a bracelet engraved with 'Be Free' was left in the spot where she had once danced. For a long time after, Seong Hwa would often go and wait for her there but she never appeared again. What should I call this feeling? Is it admiration, gratitude, or curiosity? He wondered. Although still unsure what his feelings were, he continued to look and wait for her. But Seng Hwa never expected that he would meet her in World Z, as the head of the student group Thunder, a group considered elite even within Prestige Academy, which only the best talents of World Z - and the ones most loyal to the system of control - could join. He didn't know whether to be happy or sad. However, just as she had changed his life and set him free that one day, Seong Hwa was determined to save her from this world.
05
That afternoon, taking advantage of the empty campus while the students were in class, the members installed various devices they had prepared in advance throughout the academy. They hid smoke bombs in places they had scouted out, just in case on an emergency.
The class bell rang and the members were waiting in preparation for the upcoming performance at each of their locations when an urgent signal came: 'The boy's brother has disappeared!'
It was from Yeo Sang. When the class bell rang, the boy's brother bounded out of the classroom like a bullet before Yeo Sang could talk to him. Yeo Sang quickly chased after him, but he had already disappeared into the crowd of students that had moved out into the hallway.
Seong Hwa, who was moving down to the first floor with the younger brother, was flustered by the signal and stopped. The boy asked in surprise, "Who disappeared? My brother?!"
At that moment, one of the students heading towards the quad shouted.
"What are you doing up there?"
At the same time, the members received another alarm signal. It was Woo Young, 'It looks like he's going up to the top floor!"
As a thought crossed his mind, Hong Joong looked at Min Gi and San worriedly. Just then, the boy shook off Seong Hwa's hand and dashed out into the quad as if he knew what his older brother was thinking.
Woo Young hurriedly climbed the stairs up to the top floor. Wind blew in from a broken window in the middle of the hallway, bright red drops of blood falling from the broken pieces of glass. Looking up, Woo Young saw the boy's brother standing on a narrow railing attached to the window. The boy's brother looked down at his feet. Students gathered in the quad under him and the dizzying buildings. The looked up at him with dull expressions.
"I had only one day left before graduation. Just one day and my 40 years of schooling would be complete. But you Sense Offenders have stirred up people and influenced my brother, and now you've made a mess of me, too. My life is ruined!"
"No life is ever ruined! This won't solve anything!"
"If I don't pass the test, I'll be dragged away to the Disposal Site. If that's not a ruined life, then what is?!"
He shot at Woo Young with intensifying emotions. As he looked back at Woo Young, his foot, which had barely been fixed on the ledge, slipped, swinging in the air before it caught the railing again. The boy's brother's breathing was unsteady.
"At the very least I was confirmed for Class 2. I could have been an Guardian! But now...but now...now everything's all wrong."
"Until now you've lived within the guidelines set by the government, believing that's your limit. Listen to me, you're just confused. Because this is your first time feeling emotion. That confusion is something that everyone goes through as a part of their lives. By going through it, you're choosing your own path for yourself. You've been a puppet so far, but from now on you can live your own life. I guarantee it, and we'll be there to help you."
"Yeah, maybe you guys are right. But even if you are, I don't want to live a life that's different from everyone else."
Tears streamed down his face. With one of his hands that had been gripping the window frame, he wiped the running water he felt on his cheek. Water is coming out of my eyes? What is this? I knew something was wrong with my mind, but I guess my body is broken now too, he thought.
"Brother!!"
A familiar voice came from below. The boy's brother looked down at the quad and among the dull faces there was only one that showed emotion. It was his younger brother. He could tell it was him even from a distance. The same water was flowing down his brother's face. In the midst of all those same, achromatic faces, his younger brother's face which was full of emotion, seemed to shine. It was as if his brother's feelings were being projected on him. He closed his eyes tightly.
06
"Is this really what you want?"
Yun Ho, who had appeared without him knowing, stood next to Woo Young and called out the boy's brother. Yun Ho was panting as if he had run up in a hurry.
"How should I know? I've never felt 'want' for anything before. I'm just trying to finish everything before I'm dragged off to the Disposal Site."
"What about your brother? Do you think your brother wants you to die?"
Woo Young grabbed Yun Ho's shaking shoulder. He knew very well just what a brother's death meant to Yun Ho.
The boy's brother's eyes shook at Yun Ho's words. He looked down again. His younger brother looked up at him with a saddened face and shouted, "Brother, no! Please!! I just wanted to help you!"
Just then, Guardians ran out of the building into the quad, heading towards the younger brother.
"No..." The boy's bother called out quietly. "The Guardians will take my brother away, save him - "
Hurriedly turning back towards Yun Ho and Woo Young, the boy's brother's feet slipped before he could finish his sentence. His body fell into the air and his hand, which had been desperately grasping the window frame, finally slipped. It was only an instant, but every moment seemed to move slowly as if time was being dragged out. With nothing to rely on, his body fell and he struggled to seize hold of something, but with only the air around him, it was all to no avail. Woo Young, who was watching in shock, stretched out his arm towards the boy's brother, but only touched his fingertips - he was already too far away to catch.
The younger brother, Hong Joong, San, Min Gi, Jong Ho, Seong Hwa, and Yeo Sang, who were watching the scene from below in the quad, could only shout in a stunned manner. Seong Hwa, who was standing closest to the younger brother, quickly covered the screaming boy's eyes. It was at that moment, a light shined behind Woo Young's body that was half stretched out the window. The Guardians, who were running towards the younger brother, stopped at the flash and looked up. One of the Guardians called out,
"Quantum Energy...It's the Cromer!"
When Woo Young looked back, Yun Ho had disappeared along with the flashing Cromer. Yun Ho reappeared in the air for an instant, snatching the boy's brother's waist when he was only five meters from the ground. With a flash of light, he disappeared again before materializing in front of Seong Hwa and the boy. With the boy's brother, of course.
"Brother!"
Seeing his brother safe in front of him, the boy burst into tears and, as soon as Seong Hwa let go of his hand, ran to hug him. The brothers hugged. They held each other close, shedding hot tears. Through each other they felt a desperate sense of relief, love, and what "life" was.
07
"What a relief. Or...maybe not."
Jong Ho said, as he approached the other members who were watching the two brother's warmly. As the members looked at Jong Ho, he struggled pointing behind him with his chin. Having caught news of the Cromer, Guardians were rushing in from all over. Seong Hwa made eye contact with the female Thunder leader standing among them. On the surface, there was no change in her expression, but Seong Hwa felt it. It's like she was smiling.
"Guess it can't be helped." Min Gi shrugged and smiling playfully "Let's go!!!"
The group looked at each other and shouted together as they dispersed to their respective positions using the Cromer. Woo Young, who had come down to the quad half a beat late, called out as if he was upset at the members who had already disappeared.
"Are you going to do this without me?"
A Guardian stretched out his arm towards Woo Young's back, but there was a spark! With a flash, Woo Young disappeared to his position.
Song: BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)
Beep! With the sound of a loudspeaker, groovy music starting with the sound of a rough, low bass guitar filled the air. Along with the music, a large black tent covered the building. A blinding darkness overtook the people for a moment. Then, colorful neon-colored paintings appeared around the buildings and tents. A splendid fantasy world unfolded around the A marking inscribed in the center of the ceiling. Breakers fell like shooting stars from above the impassive people. As if bewitched, the emotionless students and faculty reached out and grabbed the breakers like they were catching falling stars. Those who brought the breaker up to the chip under their ears were flooded with waves of emotions. It was nauseating at first, but they were soon amazed by the beautiful world that unfolded before their eyes. As ATEEZ and the Black Pirates appeared and disappeared in the dark, the Guardians could do nothing but jump after them helplessly. The paintings that filled the dark world then disappeared in an instant, and a ball filled with light fell from the ceiling to the center of the quad. Everyone's eyes were on the ball. The moment it touched the floor, the ball shot out beams of light, exploding like a light bomb. The light reflected on the walls of the building, and then shining walls showed people's reflections much like a mirror. Those who had regained their emotions walked slowly towards the mirror-like walls of the building. As if they were unfamiliar with their own faces, they touched their hands to their reflections and actual faces, comparing the two.
Even those who had not yet used the breaker, upon seeing so many people in the same space do so, began to follow suit. With so many people awakening at the same time, the Guardians were confused, and unable to decide who they should catch. Just then, the tent disappeared and ATEEZ reappeared among the students.
The music changed and the members danced and sang joyfully. People gathered around then, cheering, singing, and dancing along with the group. It was almost like a concert hall that could only be seen in World A. In World Z, where music, dance, and art had disappeared long ago, this type of scene was something from centuries past.
The boy and his brother, standing at the front of the crowd, looked up and smiled brightly at the members. For the first time, their smiles were so bright. Like flower petals in the air, ATEEZ leaflets scattered in all directions. The students picked up and read the leaflets. Within minutes, the world at Prestige Academy was completely changed.
The Guardians, trying to get a hold of the situation, rushed toward the members. Their leader called over the radio, "Catch anyone who's awakened. We need hostages."
The Guardians caught the awakened in front of them at random.
"The awakened caught now will be immediately disposed of without replacing their chip. If you want to save them, put down the Cromer and come here slowly."
08
Caught in the arms of the Guardians, the awakened struggled to get away. The members stopped dancing and looked at each other, troubled. No matter how important their goal was, they couldn't risk to the death of innocent people. The members slowly approached the Guardians with their hands up, holding the Cromer. The music faded. Just then, when the boy, his brother, and the newly awakened thought it was all over after seeing the members surrounded - Boom!
Smoke bombs detonated throughout the campus with an explosive beat. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, a rainbow of smoke bombs burst and spread out in beautiful harmony with music, obstructing people's view. The members, who had used the chaos to rescue the students caught by the Guardians, opened the escape route they had secured in advance and ushered people outside. Everything was as planned. The members gave each other high-fives and smiled.
Then, a scream came from behind. Seong Hwa looked back reflexively, and through the thinning smoke he saw the younger boy caught in the grasp of one of the Guardians. "Where's the boy's brother?"
The members, who were already stepping outside, turned back in confusion at Seong Hwa's question, shouting through the thin smoke.
"He's outside!" "He's with me! Let's get out of here!"
When Seong Hwa didn't answer, worried, San and Yeo Sang returned to the quad. They could see Seong Hwa's back walking into the smoke. Past him they saw a Guardian half-hidden by the haze carrying the boy. San and Yeo Sang went to help them but were held back by people who couldn't escape and were grasping aimlessly in the chaos. They needed help too.
Seong Hwa, who had been running toward the boy, stopped abruptly. Yeo Sang and San, while working to get the remaining people out, looked at Seong Hwa bewildered. Seong Hwa stared at someone who had grabbed his arm. It was her. The female leader of Thunder.
Seong Hwa followed the girl as she pulled him along. The two of them disappeared into the different-colored smoke, All too late, San and Yeo Sang ran into the smoke that the Guardian and the boy had disappeared into, but no one was there.
No Sogn Hwa, no boy, no female student.
There was only Yeo Sang's voice anxiously calling out to Seong Hwa.
Z. OUTRO
The secretary stepped out of Z's office and opened the door. The principal of Prestige Academy and the Guardian leader, who had been waiting outside, walked into the office. Z sat back in a large throne-like chair.
Z. There's not much to say. The principal should take responsibility for this situation.
The principal, whose security protocols for the school were breached during the attack by ATEEZ and the Black Pirates, had no excuse. He was prepared to be demoted and waited for his sentence without a word.
Z. Has a replacement been found?
"Yes. A replacement was found and is on standby to start working right away." Z nodded at the secretary's words.
Z. Originally, I was going to send you off to a sanitarium, but as an individual in an important position such as 'principal', I've decided to dispose of you quietly so as not to create another excuse for the Sense Offenders.
"That you." The principal repeated the greeting to Z without really knowing what it meant to be grateful.
Z. Take care of it.
The Z-Only Guardians deployed to protect Z immediately took out their guns and shot the principal's head and heart. The principal died instantly on the spot.
A-World?
Halazia Group seems to be fulfilling people's wishes in their dreams. One of those wishes seems to be from ATEEZ on Z world, hoping for their help in the battle with Strictland.
Opinion: Invite is reminiscent of In Your Fantasy, beginning making this happen right before they jump to Z-World at the end of Crazy Form
A. INTRO
The scenery at the square has changed considerably from when ATEEZ performed just a few months ago. Sense Offenders graffiti symbolizing 'Wake Up' and 'Be Free' decorates the streets, covered with concealment screens installed by the forces trying to suppress them. The world is divided into the systemized and those outside the system, with each group fighting more intensely to win and stop the other. Unable to identify the faces of all the individual criminals, but having detained the men in black fedoras*, the government has moved beyond simply denouncing the Black Pirates as a terrorist group and encouraging people to turn them in - plastered across the city are wanted posters of ATEEZ with the members' faces and government announcements declaring that [Those who attempt to induce emotion will be deemed associates of the Black Pirates and, for the people's safety, executed immediately without being sent to the Disposal Site.]
*Opinion: This sentence confirms that Halateez are alive and still captured.
A car moved across the dilapidated square and stopped in the center. The Guardians that filed out of the car moved in perfect order. With practiced skill, they set up something on the display that had been built in the middle of the square. A rope was lowered, tied, and pulled. Brushing off their hands and taking a step back from the display, the Guardians looked up at what they had installed. Content with their work, they got back in their car. As the Guardians' car disappeared, silence fell over the square. The small sound of footsteps began to break through the silence. Several Sense Offenders that had been hiding in the alley slowly walked out. Some slumped down in their spot, unable to reach the display before bursting into tears. Under the square frame of the display, feet swayed in the air. Sense Offenders that had been someone's family, someone's lover, someone's friend. Following the government's announcement, now, when Sense Offenders are caught drawing graffiti or distributing breakers they are no longer sent to the Disposal Site. Instead, they are swiftly executed, then hung up in the square for everyone to see. It is an exemplary caution and declaration aimed at the ever-growing Sense Offenders who tirelessly try to change the world: If you continue to resist, this could be you.
Rather than fall into silence, the square filled with sobs of sadness and anger. Clinging to those people who had once shone so brightly, all they can do is pledge that they will not let those sacrifices go to waste. We can no longer live in a world like this. We've already lost our loved ones, we cannot afford to lose any more. No longer can we let our children live in a world like this. With the same heart and mind the people cried, determination burning through their red eyes. We must let the Black Pirates and ATEEZ know. We are here.
The raid on Prestige Academy has created a small but significant fissure in this world. That one performance, while strictly censored and kept under tight control, spread by word of mouth and through the Sense Offenders. It gradually split the world into two. And, the story returns back to right after the Prestige Academy raid when the Black Pirates returned to the bunker.
01
Despite the mission being a success, the members gathered in the Black Pirates' bunker with an air of desolation. The boy's brother was asleep in the corner, tired from crying.
"Seong Hwa wasn't taken away by force. I'm sure I saw it, he walked away on his own. But why...?" Yeo Sang answered San's mumbling as if he was wondering himself. "Seong Hwa looked surprised the moment he first saw her in the school restroom. His expression was almost...taken aback? And his face when he grabbed her hand and walked off in the quad, it was like he found someone he missed. That look was so odd I kept thinking about it. It's the same look Seong Hwa gets when he talks about the girl with the 'Be Free' bracelet he was looking for back in our dimension." Dumbfounded, the members shouted at Yeo Sang that that didn't make any sense. Yeo Sang started as if he was about to say something before suddenly looking at the CCTV outside the bunker and pointing, "Oh? It's Seong Hwa!"
"What happened? Did you really follow her of your own accord? Just because she looks like that girl? Tell me that's not it?"
Only then did Seong Hwa realize the members had misunderstood him. The members looked at Seong Hwa, their eyes all filled with disappointment.
"It's not like that."
They avoided his gaze as if they didn't want to hear what he had to say next. Seong Hwa paused and saw the boy's brother lying in the corner behind the members. Seeing him fast asleep with such a tired face, Seong Hwa understood the members' agitation. Calmly steadying his breath, Seong Hwa continued in a serious tone.
"I'll cut to the chase. We can save the boy."
02
One by one, they began to look at Seong Hwa with half-belief, half-doubt. Seong Hwa took a paper out of his inner coat pocket and spread it on the table. It was an unfamiliar map.
"Thunder is a group made up of elite candidates poised to lead this world one day, and an organization like us. A resistance. The girl put a GPS in the boy's pocket before he was taken by the Guardians. We think he was taken to the Disposal Site. And this is a map of it."
They all studied the map on the table. It was far too detailed and specific to be fake.
"The Black Pirates have been around since long ago, so why not just join them? Why go to the trouble of setting up a separate organization called Thunder and secretly working behind the Black Pirates' back? And what makes you believe that Thunder, an elite group among elites, is actually a resistance?" Hong Joong asked, unable to clear his doubts about the girl. Seong Hwa replied with a confident voice, "To find the location of Z, something only the upper class knows." There were short sighs followed by a moment of silence.
Not only Hong Joong, who had just aggressively pressed Seong Hwa with interrogating questions, but all the members' expressions changed visibly.
Z's location was something that for so long had eluded the Black Pirates despite all their efforts. Z only ever contacted the citizens of World Z online through controlled broadcasts of video and audio. Government assistants and lower-ranked officials are stationed widely, sometimes even among ordinary citizens, and while the Black Pirates managed to secure some suspects and coax them through emotion-inducing breakers in an attempt to find Z's hideout, the only information they were able to obtain was that Z resides in the center of the city where this world's top class works and never leaves the building. Those who work in Z's hideout are selected from only the most elite and their access to the outside world is restricted after selection. Since the Android Guardians, known as the Imperial Watch, are not humans with emotions, emotion-inducting devices are useless on them, and thus the group had presumed finding Z's hideouts nearly impossible.
As Prestige Academy is made up of only the most elite, there was a higher possibility that more people there than in any other class would be able to awaken emotion on their own and hide those emotions successfully. Thunder's purpose had evolved into this: Disguised as a government-approved school organization, the group could gather internal information on their world in plain sight, increasing their current safety and probability of success. And above all, to secure information on Z's hideout - information necessary for a revolution.
The control over everything that triggers emotion in this world began with Z, the leader of the pseudo-religious scientific organization called Scienslavar, and the organization's AI simulation for the 'best solution.' They created a political party under the catchphrase "The pursuit of a peaceful world without religious conflict and terror through emotional control." The party grew in size, passed the Emotional Regulation Act, and as a result, Z effectively took control over this world. Under his control, the world's class system solidified and they began disposing of humans deemed 'defective.' Z's hideout, where all political subordinates are gathered, acts as a control tower and is a fundamental place to this world. For this reason, it is a place the Black Pirates needed to eliminate - a place even more symbolically important than Prestige Academy.
While they still weren't sure how much they could trust Thunder, the members were determined in their next goal: going to the Disposal Site and saving the boy, the most urgent issue of the moment.
03
The Head Guardian of the Z Imperial Watch traced the path of blood that flowed to his feet back to the cold face of the principal of Prestige Academy with his eyes. The thought crossed his mind that he too might end up like this one day, but he gazed at the scene without much emotion.
Z. Now that we've set the bait, the Black Pirates will go to the Disposal Site to save the child. Take care that no mistakes like this are repeated at the Disposal Site. Or you'll be the one replaced this time.
"Understood. I'll handle it without problem," replied the Head Guardian in a voice void of emotion.
The Head Guardian brought with him over 100 Android Guardians to the Disposal Site. As the entrance closed, a kaleidoscope of blue butterflies fluttered in through the closing door and flew along the path of the Guardians. As the Guardians pass by, Red Humans working at the Disposal Site lower their heads to greet them. In rag-like clothes with skin reddened by the furnace, the appearance of Red Humans is so hideous they now resemble goblins more than people. At a crossroads, the Guardians walk to the left and the butterflies scatter. One of them flutters into a hallway on the right. At the end of that hallway is a row of small rooms blocked by bars. Each room is packed with people, making the space look even tinier than it is. These are people soon to be disposed of and an air of desperation fills the room. They've been marked as defective for harboring feelings or having physically impaired bodies. When the small butterfly suddenly appeared before them, the people sitting there helplessly were unable to take their eyes off it. A few stood up, grasping the bars of the cage to gaze at it fluttering down the hallway. Was it some hallucination brought by hope? The butterfly exited the end of the hallway. In a boiling furnace shooting out hot air, remains of disposed human bodies float to the surface before sinking down again, melting into the incinerator. Red Humans stand on a bridge above and use an unmelting stick to stir. The butterfly looks down at the scene, rising above to an execution platform that connects to yet another hallway. It gently sits on the execution platform as though it were a diving board. The body of the butterfly fluttering its wings a few times looks odd.
Upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that it is not a living creature, but an animatronic. And at the end of said animatronic's body, was a camera.
04
"The GPS signal leads here, but why don't I see anything?" Yeo Sang said, operating the butterfly-shaped drone from a van stationed in the darkness of an alleyway near the Disposal Site. The monitor's screen showed the inside of the Disposal Site illuminated by the butterfly drone, and the members gathered to check the inside of the facility against the map they received from Thunder.
Song: Emergency works here.
"Either way, it shows that his location is somewhere inside. I'm sure we'll find him when we get in. Guardians who aren't part of Z's Imperial Watch don't carry individual weapons. As long as we move swiftly, we have a good chance of winning. But it's imperative we get there before he's disposed of so let's move as planned." The members, nodding at Hong Joong's words, sat down and fastened their seat belts with determined faces. With the sound of a powerful engine starting, the headlights flashed on, illuminating the darkness. Grabbing the steering wheel, Min Gi violently stomped down on the gas pedal and left the alley, racing through the parking lot near the Disposal Site. Speeding forward without hesitation, the van crashed through the parking lot fence, sending it flying onto some cars parked in a row. Beep, beep, beep. Car alarms burst sporadically from each car, and the silent area around the Disposal Site filled with noises in an instant. At the disturbance, the Guardians inside the Disposal Site whipped around. Panicked by the sudden disturbance now of all times, just when the Guardians were visiting, Red Humans rushed outside to the parking lot to recover the situation. As the Red Humans ran out, the members took the opportunity to sneak inside, wrapping chains around the closed door handles and securing them tightly with locks - to prevent the Red Humans from entering again. Running to the hallway on the left, Hong Joong, Yun Ho, Yeo Sang, and Jong Ho were faced with Guardians running toward them. The fighting began as Guardians rushed at them as if they had been waiting for this attack. The four members fought back with weapons prepared by Left Eye, but the other members who were in charge of moving the prisoners to the bunker had the Cromer. Without the Cromer, the physical strength of the members fighting the Guardians was inevitably reduced. As Hong Joong was knocked to the floor by a Guardian's fist, he heard the click of a gun cocking from above his head. The members looked at Hong Joong with uneasy expressions. Yun Ho, Yeo Sang, and Jong Ho could hear guns click above them as well and the members, surrounded by Guardians, carefully stood up, their backs together. Guardians stood around them staring at them with guns pointed.
Meanwhile, Seong Hwa, Min Gi, San, and Woo Young, who were moving the imprisoned people back to the bunker of the Black Pirates, suddenly heard a noise through the closed door and froze. Feeling intuitively that something had gone wrong, Woo Young guided the people shaking in fear inside the bunker. The sounds of shouts and screams were growing closer.
"The Guardians have weapons. Currently, all members are surrounded. We need backup from the Cromer." Jong Ho's soft voice called over the radio.
If the Guardians at the Disposal Site were armed, the members would need the Cromer. But they also couldn't just leave the people they had barely managed to save alone here. Something was definitely going on outside the bunker doors.
San picked up the radio and said, "Trouble on the Pirate Bunker side as well. Hang in there a little longer. We'll be right there."
At the moment, the bunker door burst open. A Pirate member covered in blood hurried and shouted, "The Pirate Bunker's been exposed to the Guardians! We need to evacuate now--"
A beam saber flew in from behind cutting the Pirate member down his back. With a wretched cough, blood spurred out from his mouth and he fell forward. Behind the fallen member, armed with beam sabers, the Guardians stood and looked at the members.
05
"Where the heck did the leak come from?" Woo Young whispered in a low voice, unable to make sense of the situation. For the safety of the bunker we made sure this place was hidden, and hidden well, so just how did the Guardians get a hold of this location? It would be impossible without an inside spy. "Seong Hwa...Please tell me you didn't share the location of the bunker with the Thunder girl, right?" Seong Hwa couldn't answer Min Gi's question.
He had been so sure of the girl's feelings, but that might have been a misjudgment.
"Ahhh!"
A scream was heard over the execution stand. It was the boy's voice. The boy was being held captive by the Guardian. The Head Guardian, his gun aimed at Hong Joong, spoke: "Tell the members with the Cromer to come over here. I'll give you 10 minutes. Or this kid...well you know what'll happen." He set a timer for 10 minutes.
Hong Joong, who had been agonizing over the desolate situation for a while now, picked up his radio and relayed to the members in the bunker, "They're holding the boy hostage. I think all four of you should get over here right now, within 10 minutes."
While the members at the Pirate Bunker knew they needed to quickly solve the situation on their side and head to the Disposal Site, with so many Guardians closing in on them, the fight was unlikely to end easily. Skillfully using the Cromer's spatial movement ability, the members knocked down the Guardians one by one. Then, in just a split second, Seong Hwa was struck in the side by a flying beam saber and fell to the ground. Min Gi ran immediately towards Seong Hwa, trying to take out the Guardian and stop the attacks flying toward his fellow member, but in that same moment, another Guardian struck Min Gi as well. Min Gi and Seong Hwa collapsed, then San and Woo Young followed, coughing up blood on the floor. Having successfully pushed back agains the members, the Guardians's strikes came down on them like bombs.
Many thoughts passed through the minds of Hong Joong, Yun Ho, Yeo Sang, and Jong Ho, as they were dragged helplessly though the Disposal Site to the execution area, and likewise through the minds of Seong Hwa, Min Gi, San, and Woo Young as they were kicked down by Guardians into the bunker floor.
It was as if their lives were flashing before their eyes.
They met the men in the black fedoras and came to this world, and, like it was some kind of fate, ended up carrying on the mission they left behind. Ironically, here in heavily restricted World Z they remembered the dreams and emotions that, under the pressure of reality, they had begun to forget back in World A. And somehow, for someone other than themselves, they ended up running to this point, determined to save these people that had all but resigned themselves to a desolate life in this world. Through many performances they realized just how much impact their songs and dances, which they had considered dull and insignificant, have on people. They were happy to fight alongside the Black Pirates as ATEEZ, but that all ends today.
Just then. With the sound of a zap, a Guardian fell to the floor of the bunker.
06
For a moment, the Guardians' attacks stopped. When Woo Young barely managed to look up, he saw people in ridiculous masks with thin, long sticks flooding into the bunker. The other members were also confused. As they were all wearing the same ridiculous masks making them impossible to identify, the members didn't know whether these people were friends or foes.
When the masked figure standing at the front raised their stick and pulled the handle, a zap of electricity was released. It seemed like some kind of modified electric shocker. The figure swung the stick forward as if wielding a baton and the masked people behind them let out a cry and began running forward. The members, already covered in blood, curled up and closed their eyes tightly, preparing to be struck. Zap, snap, crack. Sounds of electricity were heard sporadically, followed by the thump of something falling to the floor. Bang, bang. The members cautiously opened their eyes to find the masked figures attacking the Guardians, taking them out all at once with electric shock waves. Broken Guardians laid stiff on the floor. The lead masked figure approached the members and stretched out a hand. Seong Hwa took the figure's hand and stood up. Then, Ming Gi, San, and Woo Young also took the hands of the masked people and stood up as well.
"I'll evacuate the people here to somewhere safe. Come here when you're done at the Disposal Site."
The masked figure had a modified voice and handed a note to Seong Hwa before running towards the Guardians still attacking behind the members.
For now, it looked like these masked people were there to help them. And if that was the case, there was no time to linger. They needed to head to the Disposal Site and help the members in trouble. San picked up the Cromer. Flash! Just as the Cromer lit up, the boy's brother, who had been hiding in the corner, also threw himself toward the light.
"Looks like they're not able to come over." The Head Guardian loaded the gun he was aiming at the boy's had. "I assume the rest of the members are in the bunker now? So it's safe to say that not only the Black Pirates, but all the people you rescued and all your members must have been taken care of. The Guardians were already at your bunker before you infiltrated the Disposal Site. I was sure the Black Pirates had all been dealt with, but I gave you 10 minutes just in case to check if any remaining members with the Cromer were left alive. But if they couldn't come here in 10 minutes, that means they're not in the position to help you. Looks like we won't need to wait any longer. Ten minutes is already up anyways."
The number on the Head Guardian's timer was decreasing. 00:03, 00:02, 00:01...The alarm went off loudly as the timer struck 00:00. Just then, when they thought they would lose the boy and all was in vain, Seong Hwa, Min Gi, San, and Woo Young appeared with a flash of light. They quickly appeared in front of the Guardians gathered in the back and disappeared again, repeating this until, before anyone knew it, they had taken all the guns the Guardians were holding and thrown them into the furnace.
Then the Head Guardian, who was holding into the boy, grabbed the boy by his neck, lifting him up with one hand and lowering him close to the furnace.
He shouted, "Do you want me to melt him feet-first like this? Everybody get on your knees!"
The members, who had been fighting the Guardians with their fists, halted their attacks and knelt down one by one. At the Head Guardian's nod, other Guardians restrained the members with rope. Despair fell over the group.
At that moment, another person was watching this scene from behind. The boy's brother, having heard over the radio that the boy was being held hostage, could no longer hide in the bunker, and threw himself behind the members when the Cromer flashed. He watched the situation unfold, holding his breath as he hid. These people who had saved him, these people who had stopped fighting to protect his brother and knelt on the ground - he knew he should step up and help them. Just in case, he took out the portable jackknife he brought for self-defense out of his pocket and held it in his hand. He laid the jackknife down on the floor and pushed it hard toward Yun Ho in the back. The jackknife slide across the floor until it hit Yun Ho's foot and stopped. The slight bump caused Yun Ho to glance at his feet out the corner of his eyes and there was the jackknife. When he looked along the line of the knife back to its source, Yun Ho saw the boy's brother staring back at him. They still had a chance. Slightly relieved, Yun Ho grabbed the jackknife, avoiding the Guardian's surveillance. Careful not to make a sound, he began sawing through the rope tied around him. Then he handed the jackknife to Seong Hwa at his side. Carefully, Seong Hwa began to cut through his own rope.
Having captured all the members and obtained the Cromer, the Head Guardian dropped the boy to the execution stand floor unharmed. The members were relieved that they boy was safe, at least for now. The boy let out a heavy sigh of relief and raised his upper body to look at the Head Guardian.
"Am I done with my role now?"
"As expected of an elite student, your acting was excellent. If all ends in success, Z promised that he would not deal with you brothers as Sense Offenders but, as a special exception, allow you to return to your existing class or higher after refitting your control chips."
The members and the boy's brother, who had overheard the Head Guardian's conversation with the boy, looked back at the boy, confused. As if feeling their gaze, the boy turned his body toward the members. With an innocent, if not frightening, face the boy spoke.
"I'm sorry. It was just so hard to find the Black Pirates' bunker. So I came over here first and asked for help. It'd be nice if you didn't hide yourselves so well. You wanted to make your group more accessible to the people, didn't you?"
As everyone was looking back to the child with disbelief, Seong Hwa, who just handed over the jackknife to San, pulled from his sleeve the note he received from the masked figure in the bunker. He opened it and saw it was a map, and on that map was written: Thunder.
07
The prisoners rescued from the Disposal Site shuffled into the luggage compartment of a large bus. The masked figure pleaded with the curled-up, hidden people to be patient and closed the door. Then, after looking around to make sure no one was watching, they removed their mask. It was the girl, the leader of Thunder. She took off her work clothes to reveal a school uniform underneath, a uniform that only the most elite students of World Z were allowed to wear.
The other masked people took off their masks and clothes as well. They revealed the same faces the members saw back in the Prestige Academy restroom. The girl fixed her hair and got on the bus.
The bus ran along the road before stopping in front of a checkpoint to the city center. Guardians stopped the bus for a short while. From the exterior of the bus, they saw the faces of people through the bus windows. They were faces and clothing that guaranteed themselves and needed no inspection.
The Guardians tapped the rear of the bus and the vehicle started again. Thanks to their status, the group passed the checkpoint with ease.
When his older brother, who had just woken to emotion, panicked in fear at the thought of being disposed of, the boy first tried contacting the Black Pirates through the Black Link, hoping he could find their bunker and ask them for help. But when he was unable to find it, he gave up, leaving only a message on the Black Link and resorted to hiding in the Disposal Site. When my brother's dragged here, I'll save him somehow.
The boy hid all night, but around the time the sun rose, he received a message from none other than his older brother asking why he didn't come back last night, and went home, relieved. Without much thought, the boy turned on his computer to find a message. It had come in via the Black Link. The Black Pirates had seen his message and responded with the rough location of their bunker, along with assurance that if the boy were to call for help from the Black Pirates while in the area, and the monitoring staff determined the situation was all clear, they would help him. It was then that the boy changed his mind.
The fear he felt staying overnight at the Disposal Site and seeing the facility for himself had changed his mind. He ran to the Head Guardian and asked him to make an exception of himself and his older brother, both who had found emotion, if he promised to uncover the location of the Black Pirates' bunker.
Yun Ho and the members, who had believed the boy's desperate plea to save his brother, felt deeply betrayed.
"When I said I didn't need emotions to live in this world, you said something to me. You said that when the fear passed, I'd see a different world! You were right. The faces of people with different facial expressions, the world seen through the window now that the screens have been removed, and the feeling of seeing myself in the mirror for the first time. You must know it all even better than me, you woke to emotion first."
"Brother..."
Seeing his brother criticize his choice, the boy was shaken.
"When I thought I had to die, when I almost died, these people were the ones who saved me. How can you do this to them after seeing all that with your own eyes?"
"I didn't have a choice. If I wanted to live and save you too."
"It might have been different if I had never known, but now that I know emotion, I can't go back to how I was before anymore. It's okay to make a wrong choice. It's okay to make mistakes. You can turn it around. You just have to make the right choice next time. Come here. That side's not right."
For a moment, the boy looked down at the Head Guardian's foot beside him and turned to look at his brother, whose hand was stretched out to him. When the younger boy didn't budge, the older brother moved slowly toward him. The boy looked at the members with a sad face. Yes, everyone lives by making mistakes. Depending on whether you choose to turn it around at the next opportunity or cover up your mistakes with more wrong choices can make all the difference in one's life. The members knew it better than anyone else. They looked at the boy, hoping in earnest that he would make the right choice that would erase their feelings of betrayal. The boy, whose eyes were shaking violently, moved to approach his brother as if he had made a decision. The Head Guardian moved his head and the Guardians standing behind him sprung to catch the boy's brother. All the while, Yeo Sang, who had freed his legs from the ropes, secretly positioned himself to trip the Guardians. The Guardians fell forward, tangled among themselves, and the boy's brother quickly ran to the boy, avoiding them. Just before their hands could reach, with a snap, the Head Guardian grabbed the boy by the back of his collar. Before the members could do anything, the Head Guardian kicked the boy's brother, sending him falling below the execution platform.
"No! Brother!"
The boy bit down on the Head Guardian's arm and jumped under the execution platform to where his brother fell. At the same time, the members, moving their free limbs, pushed the Guardians into the furnace. Min Gi started the Cromer.
Min Gi, appearing in the air above the furnace and below the execution platform, had to make a lot of judgements in just that short moment. Could he save both the boy and his brother, and if he could only save one, who? Just as Min Gi reached out to the boy's brother below him, the boy's brother's lower body slipped into the furnace. The boy's brother closed his eyes as if telling Min Gi to go save his younger brother. With a sorrowful heart, Min Gi turned his head and snatched the boy falling from above. The boy looked at his brother, who was sucked into the furnace and screamed.
Min Gi put the boy down in a safe place and using the Cromer ran to the members who were in the midst of a fight with the Guardians. The members, full of anguish from having watched the boy's brother fall into the furnace, threw the few remaining Guardians into the incinerator. The boy looked at the furnace, stunned. At the very furnace that had devoured his brother in only an instant. His choice had made a mess of everything. Tears poured from his eyes.
The boy's tears fell and evaporated on the surface.
Now only the Head Guardian was left. Just as the Head Guardian chased after Hong Joong, who was holding the Cromer..."Die!!!" The boy ran toward the Head Guardian from behind at full speed. Using that momentum, he grabbed the Head Guardian, carrying the two of them off of the execution platform.
Hong Joong tried with one arm to hold onto the boy, but it was not enough. For an instant, Hong Joong's gaze met the boy's eyes stained with tears.
The boy mouthed to Hong Joong quietly, "I'm sorry."
Dragged down by the boy, the Head Guardian fell into the furnace. Hong Joong had no choice but to sit back and look down at the surface of the furnace in despair.
Then, the building shook with a distant bang. Seong Hwa checked the time. "I know how you feel, but...We need to get out of here first. The bomb's about to go off."
"We should go, too." San picked up the Cromer. As the flash of the Cromer spread inside the Disposal Site, a series of bombs went off. A blue butterfly sitting still on the side of the execution stand emitted a red light and burst apart. Blue butterflies that had been located throughout the building burst and in an instant the Disposal Site collapsed. Remains of the building fell in the boiling furnace as the Disposal Site sank to the floor.
The crescent moon at the beginning of the video indicates that this is a shared dream. Most likely this dream is being shared with all of Strictland by A-World ATEEZ. The full moon at the end indicates that dimensional travel has also occured, and indicates this videos is a series of operations taken over a 2 week period. Halazia team has arrived on Z-World indicated by the smashed cromer. The bluebird holding Sopro symbolizes their hope in using their last resort, Sopro, to free Strictland. The infiltration of the Strictland Disposal Site takes places within this 2 weeks.
08
There was a garden in front of Thunder's main base. In it, two similar looking trees were planted. The ATEEZ members dressed in black suits, the Black Pirates, and Thunder members bowed silently in front of the two trees. Behind the trees, which resembled the two brothers, were other flowers and trees bearing the names of the Black Pirate members lost in the flight "I will not let your sacrifices be in vain. I promise."
Song: Silver Light works here.
It may have been Yeo Sang's words, but it was also everyone's will. Fireflies glittered over the heads of the grieving people. As if in response to everyone's hearts, the fireflies circled over the people's heads once more before climbing high up into the sky. The fireflies seemed just like stars to the people, and so they looked at them for a long time. Like they were making a wish on a star.
This place, a small village in a lush, grassy forest far away from the government's surveillance, was the place where the Grimes siblings first met long ago. According to the girl, the leader of Thunder, one day, by chance, she came across the Grimes siblings singing on the street and for the first time in her life, she understood "beauty." While the raw emotion she had only ever understood in her mind before felt unfamiliar at first, as time passed, she realized the truth that something essential had been taken from humanity.
"Did you realize that while you were attending Prestige Academy?" She stopped for a moment, lost in thought, as she showed Seong Hwa around the village.
"At the time, I had already been chosen as an excellent talent and was a member of Thunder. I was also already selected as the next group leader."
Exceptionally smart, she flawlessly acted the part of an elite student to avoid any suspicion that she was an impure person. And on the day that Thunder received Z's achievement award, she made a resolution.
"Only a limited number of people ever met Z. Maybe if I were to become the head of Thunder, and enter society with such a career, someday I would meet the ever-elusive Z. At least that's what I wanted to think..."
She turned her head and looked into Seong Hwa's eyes.
"I want to live in a world where I can enjoy beauty."
Behind her resolute gaze, he felt a strong sense of determination and belief. Suddenly, he remembered the girl back in World A and felt his heart beat loudly. Worried that she might hear it too, Seong Hwa avoided her gaze and walked forward. She followed Seong Hwa quietly.
World A and World Z. These two worlds seem very different, but they felt somehow connected. The men with the black fedora's who look just like themselves. They were men who, just like the members from World A - even if we were only dreaming - danced and sang to evoke happiness in people. While we may seem like totally different, we are in fact the same. The same was true of the girl. The girl with the Be Free bracelet danced freely with no care or worry as to how she looked to other people. Seong Hwa, mesmerized by the beauty, saw himself in her and from that day on, started to walk a new path free from restricting rules and principles. The Thunder girl, she reminds me of the girl from our world. And she reminds me of myself, Seong Hwa thought. Moved by the feeling of beauty stirred within her after listening to the songs of the Grimes siblings, she started on a new path away from the principles and rules of this world. The moment he first saw her at Prestige Academy, behind the girl's cold exterior, Seong Hwa had clearly felt that heart - that very yearning for beauty.
"Since becoming the leader of Thunder, no students were branded as Sense Offenders or sent to the Disposal Site. I would always just intimidate with empty words like the time I first saw you in the restroom." As she said that, she laughed softly.
"What about the other Thunder members? Did you all come to an agreement?"
"I carefully approached anyone I thought was experiencing emotion. Because it's dangerous. Anyway, while that was happening, I came into contact with some people who knew the Grimes siblings. After the siblings had their souls taken away at the Guardian's bunker, groups of people who knew the siblings or were awakened thanks to them, gathered to hold a funeral. And we decided to build our base here in this place where the siblings once hid. Through all this, I also learned about the existence of the Black Pirates and heard stories about ATEEZ. I really wanted to contact you, but we, a smaller group than you, had to move more carefully. But I didn't expect to see you at the school."
People passed Seong Hwa and the girl. Thunder and a group of Black Pirates were pitching in carrying food to the people they had rescued from the Disposal Site. "I thought the Black Pirates were fighting alone, but I'm glad Thunder's here too. Just like how we didn't know about Thunder, maybe there are a lot of other people in the world who think the same as us. They could be fighting alongside us right now." Seong Hwa's reflection on Thunder's existence giving him strength resonated with the girl's heart. Did I make the wrong choice? A small whisper of doubt had always existed hidden deep in her heart, but Seong Hwa's words changed that worry into conviction. Conviction that she had made the right choice.
Z. OUTRO
After ATEEZ and the Black Pirates' surprise performance - labeled terrorism by the government - at Prestige Academy, the institute was temporarily closed down as the ruined curtains were discarded and mirrors removed. The building was remodeled as a panopticon structure with a surveillance tower in the center to help strengthen overall control. The students were transferred to nearby schools according to their grades, and Thunder's leader was moved to a distinguished school of similar level with Prestige Academy. Having passed the emotion detection test - with the help of a present from Left Eye, a device that keeps one's heart rate steady - and completing the remainder of her exams with top marks, the girl successfully graduated without a problem.
As she was by far the most superior candidate, she was picked up by the government and appointed as Z's protocol manager. On her first day of work, the girl, who had until that point maintained her composure so well, began to tremble at the thought of finally reaching her goal. This was a place sensitive to outside intrusion, if her cover was blow here she would be shot on the spot. Looking in the mirror, she cleared her head and took a deep breath. 'It's okay. You've done fine so far.' she said, looking at herself in the mirror.
The Guardians came to pick her up in front of her house and the girl followed them out and into their car. 'Just where is his hiding place...It must be in a difficult place to find,' she thought to herself as she chased the scenery outside the car window with her eyes. She memorized the way looking at the surrounding buildings and signs, knowing she would have to describe it accurately and in detail. 'Why are we going here?' The car ran along a familiar road headed for the city square. She didn't expect Z's office to be this close. They headed into the underground parking lot of the tall central bank building in the middle of the city square and entered a private space marked "Authorized Personnel Only. All others are prohibited from entering." They stopped between the walls that hid the surrounding space. The girl got out of the car and entered a hidden corridor, following the Guardians. They took an elevator in the middle of the hallway. The Guardian pressed the button to the penthouse and the elevator rushed up at a high speed. Ding! With a clear bell, the elevator door opened, and the girl walked along the long corridor feeling as if she had come to another world. The sound of the Guardian's footsteps and her own footsteps echoed in the cave-like space. After passing through the hallway through a checkpoint searching for dangerous items such as guns and knives, they walked along a long hallway again. Through the windows on both sides, she saw people working in each room. They looked like fish trapped in an aquarium. After passing through the corridor and reaching the end, she was met with a large door. As if it had been watching her, the large door opened as soon as she stopped before it. The refined office on the other side felt suffocating in contrast to its enormous size. All the walls of the room were glass. Charged energy molecules lined the room.
Upon first hiring an office worker to his team, Z always inspected the people with his own eyes. That was the real final test. Only after passing the test, were they able to receive their ID card that served as a pass - the pass, which is required to be worn by everyone in the office, also functions as a monitor complete with camera and audio.
Z. Which of these many molecules is yours?
He questioned her, sitting across a high-backed chair. This must be Z. She swallowed, careful not to make a sound.
"I don't quite understand what you mean."
Energy molecules shone beyond the glass wall. They were particles of emotional energy linked to the chip in one's ear. At one point, the light emitted by them was even more intense, but as the Sense Offenders' protests intensified, the energy of those who had turned against the government disappeared, making the light weaker.
Z turned his chair and looked at her. She gazed at him with resolute eyes. Slowly rising from his chair, Z walked toward her with a dim smile on his face as if the final test had already begun.
Z. You were looking around outside the car. And then in the hallway. And now at the molecules that are beyond this glass wall, you're looking at them with curiosity. Curiosity is also an emotion. Curiosity is dangerous, you know.
Z grabbed her chin with one hand. He studied her expression, moving her face in his hand.
Z. Would your molecule be here? Or...Is it already gone?
Oh, the road here was already the test. Don't tell me that all our plans have failed? Is this how I die? She felt her blood run cold with fear. But it was still too early to judge. The fact that Z asked a question means that the results are still inconclusive. I have to keep my composure. I must not be caught.
"What is 'Curiosity'?"
In response to the girls answer, Z took his hand off her chin as if he was amused by her retort. He waited, looking at her mouth as if to see if she would keep talking.
"That was not an emotion, but a thought. I was looking at the structure to figure out where I'm going to work. My molecule is here, of course. Feel free to check for it now, if you must."
Z ordered the Guardian with his eyes. The Guardian checked the chip next to the girl's ear to see if it worked. There was no reason for her to be shaken. A long time ago, when her chip lost its light due to emotional awakening, she discovered her own way to avoid being caught at school. She manipulated the chip to turn on and control her emotions right at the moment she wanted and turn off releasing her emotions at the moment when she didn't need it. The chip responded to the Guardian's hand and emitted and yellowish glow. Only then did Z smile with satisfaction.
Z. So what do you think of the Sense Offenders?
She answered with a cold face, "They are unnecessary impurities."
[Your Thunder]
Songs: Crescent Part.2 and Dreamy Day work here.
My dear ATEEZ
The sibling tree we planted together has grown much taller than me. It might not seem like a big deal, but shortly after you left this place, the tree trunk got badly split. I quickly put a splint on it and wrapped it well, but I was worried it might die. Fortunately, it has grown well, so isn’t that impressive?
Looking at the much-grown sibling tree reminded me of the child and his older brother.
“If they had grown up, would they have looked like this? Would they have been this sturdy and strong?”
I asked you this question to myself. I imagined your playful yet proud responses. Only then did it hit me in a concrete way: the reality that you had left for your world, and the fact that I could no longer see you.
Until I passed Z’s test with flying colors, no one expected that we would part so suddenly. We were so focused on being happy that I was accepted into Z’s protocol management position and the next mission. Indeed, the protocol management position was the best way to access the system Z had built. And the hint you gave me was a huge key. ‘The leader of Sciensalvar, Henry Jo.’ Knowing the identity of someone who looked like Z helped me find the system password. (Did I mention that there were records of Z accessing your world in there? When Z briefly had the Cromer, it seems he met Henry Jo in your world. If my memory is correct, it was in 1999 in your world.)
While it was difficult to access the system, the system itself was designed with a simple structure. It wasn’t that hard, since after the central government took emotional energy, all humans were no different from programmed machines. The structure of a dictatorship is obvious. We decided to use the well-built system itself. We just turned things upside down. ‘Wag the dog,’ a strategy where the tail wags the dog’s body to grab the head and take control. By tweaking the input values of chips implanted in people’s ears, the tail became the head, and the head became the tail. Do you remember? Z desperately searched for the Guardians while surrounded by people in the square. It was so pathetic I thought I was the villain at that moment?! What a joke….
So… What I’m saying is … If I hadn’t been swayed by that pathetic act, we wouldn’t’ have let you go. Just when I couldn’t pull the trigger. Z, took an old man standing nearby hostage, and as always, you used the Cromer to save the hostage, but Z used that to take your Cromer. Then Z immediately threw the Cromer to the ground. Probably intending to escape. You all ran towards the falling Cromer reaching out to stop it, but just as you touched it, the Cromer hit the ground and shattered into pieces. As the flash was about to engulf you and Z, I realized what it feels like to be overwhelmed with rage. I pulled the trigger at Z, who was clinging to SEONG HWA to somehow survive. After the flash disappeared, Z fell to the ground of the square with a thud. But you guys… You were gone.
You probably returned to your world, right? Even though you’re not in our world, kids who followed your music, dance, and performances have become another ATEEZ, remembering you. You’re not here, but ATEEZ is still here.
Oh, by ‘here’, I mean ‘the zone liberated from control’. After Z disappeared and you left, a lot has happened. We were divided into those who decided to live free from emotional control and those who decided to continue under the system’s emotional control. We tried to make a unified decision, but it wasn’t easy. After a prolonged period of indecision, we decided to respect each other’s decisions. We couldn’t force them to believe what we believed was right. We chose to coexist peacefully and divided into the ‘Liberation Zone’ and ‘Control Zone’, each establishing its own order. It’s sad to think that, over time, we might become different nations, but what can we do? If I may be just a bit greedy, I just hope we don’t treat each other with violence or coercion.
Thunder’s headquarters now acts as the interim government of the ‘Liberation Zone’. So, unlike before, it’s become a place where people frequently come and go. The sibling tree stands in the most visible spot in the garden, and the injured trunk has healed, leaving bumpy scars. I wondered if the scars were too unsightly and whether I should cover them with a ribbon, but then a child walking with his parents saw the sibling tree and said this.
“Oh?! These trees have unique patterns unlike other trees. Wow, they’re pretty.”
‘Patterns? Now that I think about it, I’ve only ever though of them as scars, not patterns.’ The patterns created by the scars distinguish the sibling tree from other trees. Scars can become unique patterns in the future, and to myself..
I’m writing this letter because I miss you, but I don’t know if it can cross the universe to reach you, if we can hear from you, or even if there is a way to send it.
I wonder if you safely arrived back home. When the first Cromer broke, you said you arrived in the past. Did you arrive on time this time? Are you still dancing and singing together there? I hope all your wishes come true: finding your family, gaining independence from your strict father, standing on stage, meeting many people, and making lots of money. You’ve changed many people’s lives, so I’m sure you’ve succeeded. Whatever it may be, I hope you remain ‘free’ without being too tied down, just like she said, the one who resembles me. :)
I miss you all. The Black Pirates, Thunders, Left Eye, and everyone in the Liberation Zone all miss you. Will there be a day when we meet again.
Hoping for that day…
-Your Thunder
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