> Not everyone who vanishes is gone. Some return—but not as who they once were.
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[Somewhere in the Outskirts – Ruins of Lab Zero]
Fog drifted like ghosts through the collapsed walls of what used to be Lab Zero.
A pair of boots crunched against broken glass.
S004 paused, scanning the dark.
He was taller now—leaner than the others remembered, yet somehow less human in posture. His coat was black, military-cut, singed at the hem. A red identifier blinked on the inside of his wrist: Subject 004 – Active.
He stopped at a scorched wall.
Pressed his fingers to a child's drawing half-covered in ash.
Six stick figures.
Labeled: Me, Ellee, Kael, Hyuk, Yulseung, Taerim.
He stared at the name.
"Taerim…"
His voice cracked—like someone unused to speaking.
Behind him, Dr. Kwon's voice buzzed through a comm-piece.
"Any recognition?"
S004 lowered his hand.
"Yes."
"She's still unstable," Kwon said. "You will bring her back."
"She won't come willingly."
"She will… if she sees you."
A cruel emotional setup here. I want the reader to immediately wonder: Is S004 truly loyal to Kwon? Or torn? This ambiguity is intentional.
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[Hanseong Academy – Training Facility, Day 4]
Taerim's hands trembled as she focused on levitating three combat drones.
Juwon observed silently. "You're burning out."
"I need to improve."
"You need rest."
"I can't rest, Juwon. Every time I sleep—I see them."
He looked away. "I see them too."
This was my way of bonding the two more subtly. Trauma doesn't isolate them—it threads them together.
Suddenly, the alarm blared.
"UNKNOWN SIGNATURE. CLASS-B. SOUTH WALL."
All of them rushed to the outer yard.
The academy's defense field shimmered—then shattered like glass.
And there he stood.
S004.
Unmasked.
Alive.
Taerim froze.
"No…"
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Seungmin?"
Yes. I made S004 one of the "dead" original seven—a character the reader didn't know existed until now. It raises questions: Why wasn't he mentioned before? Guilt? Trauma suppression? Strategic narrative delay? This gives options to explore.
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[Flashback – Ten Years Ago]
Seven children stood in line.
One was crying.
Ellee hugged the smallest—Seungmin. "Don't be scared. We'll get out together."
He sniffled. "You promise?"
"I promise."
Then the lights went red.
Screams.
Fire.
Seungmin was pulled away, his hand slipping from hers.
And then—gone.
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[Present – Academy Wall]
"No way," Yulseung whispered.
Harin took a step back. "But… we saw him die."
S004's gaze swept over the group. Unreadable.
Then he spoke.
"Hello again… siblings."
I used "siblings" to play up the unnatural family dynamic—how they weren't just friends, but bonded by shared suffering and code.
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[Briefing Room – 3 Hours Later]
He sat, handcuffed but calm.
Ellee paced like a storm. "Why are you here?"
S004 looked at her. "Because I remembered."
Juwon crossed his arms. "You work for Kwon."
"I survived because of Kwon. That's not the same."
"Then what do you want?" Siyoon snapped.
"To protect Taerim."
Everyone went still.
"She's not ready. You know what's coming."
"Coming?" Taerim asked. "What's coming?"
He hesitated.
Then: "The Omega."
Author note: The Omega is your next arc's major threat—either a being, a weapon, or a countdown event. I'm leaving it vague for now, but the weight of it should send chills.
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[Nightfall – Taerim's Quarters]
She sat on the bed, knees pulled up, heart racing.
The door opened softly.
Seungmin stepped in—free of cuffs now.
"I'm not here to hurt you."
"I know," she whispered.
Silence stretched.
"You were always quiet," she said.
"And you always listened when no one else did."
She finally looked at him.
"Why didn't you come back?"
"I couldn't," he said. "They kept me locked in Cryo-Zero. I only woke up… last year."
Her lip quivered. "I thought you died."
"So did I."
She reached out.
Fingers hovered near his—then stopped.
"Can I trust you?" she whispered.
"…I don't know," he admitted.
One of my favorite lines. It's painful, raw, and honest. This reunion isn't joyful—it's damaged. I want readers to feel that tug of trust and betrayal.
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[Final Scene – Lab Omega Control Room]
Dr. Kwon smiled at a screen.
S004's tracker blinked steadily.
"He's doing well," the assistant murmured.
"Of course," Kwon said. "Even broken wings remember how to fly."
On the screen, Taerim and Seungmin stood together.
Unknowing.
Trusting.
"And soon," Kwon whispered, "they'll all return to the nest."
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