The Green Sea could only be reached through traditional means of transportation. Team Alpha was scheduled to travel on Ark’s private plane.

Arriving at the airport, Yoon Tae-ha pulled a suitcase that could easily fit a person with light steps. She was cutting it close to the appointment time because she had brought a geographically challenged individual.

“This airport is a little different from the ones I’ve seen before.”

“Raphael. If we’ve even used the pick-up service, could you please speed up a little? We’re not going on a vacation.”

The white-haired man walked around, looking at everything with a dazed expression. It wasn’t Incheon Airport, but even the warning that he could get caught if he kept looking around like that was useless.

“Is this your first time to the Green Sea, Raphael?”

“Hmm. It’s my first time since joining your company.”

So he had been there before.

Raphael seemed interested in the Green Feather. He didn’t explain why he was interested. His only answer was, “Because it’s pretty.”

“Is the research value of the feather that significant?”

“Persistent human.”

“I won’t tell the company. You know I’m not someone who blabs.”

“If you’re that curious, I can’t help it.”

Yoon Tae-ha’s eyes sparkled. Raphael lightly licked his lips as he looked at her.

“Some ravens leave feathers behind after they die.”

The immigration checkpoint was getting closer. Yoon Tae-ha asked questions a little hastily.

“Is the Green Feather a substance that comes from dead ravens? What kind of power does it have? Is it related to the formation of the Raven Garden?”

“Your partner over there is glaring at me.”

Raphael, changing the subject unnaturally, nudged her shoulder.

The people of Team Alpha increased in number around them. Raphael also seemed to have no intention of saying more. He walked towards the leader of Team Alpha, who had brought four enormous suitcases.

The process of going through immigration was difficult. The soldiers thoroughly searched their luggage. Their faces suggested they suspected weapons that shouldn’t be taken out were hidden inside the suitcases.

Recently, the relationship between the Korean government and Ark had been strained, so everyone was annoyed but resigned to it. The very individuals who had caused the rift went through the procedures without changing their expressions.

This dispatched team wasn’t just composed of combat operatives. Technical officers and a small number of researchers were also accompanying them. A huge airplane that could carry them all was waiting.

Yoon Tae-ha walked with Cheon Geon-young through the carpeted aisle of the plane. There was a subtle lemon scent, as if air freshener had been sprayed.

“Our seats are in the back, right?”

She said in a miserable voice.

“Yeah. I lost the draw. It might be a bit loud because of the engines.”

“It’s not like we’re hanging outside the plane, don’t worry about it.”

The air inside the plane was thick with tension and excitement.

Raphael was sitting next to Kim Doo-eon, who was accompanying them under the guise of a technical officer, asking him all sorts of questions about the plane. Kim Doo-eon explained with a beaming smile, without showing any annoyance, and then acknowledged them when he saw them. Cheon Geon-young greeted him and walked ahead.

For safety, the seats were arranged so that the combat operatives were seated at the front, middle, and rear of the plane.

At the front were Baek Sang-ho and his seemingly depressed guide. In the middle sat Choi Bo-mi and other espers and their guides.

Seeing Yoon Tae-ha moving, Choi Bo-mi winked. Between Choi Bo-mi and her guide, it seemed like sugar powder was falling. Yoon Tae-ha rubbed her arm for no reason.

“Go inside.”

Cheon Geon-young moved aside when they reached their seats. His clothes and her hair naturally brushed against each other and then separated. While Yoon Tae-ha was tidying her disheveled hair with her hand, her partner sat down next to her.

Through the round window, fully armed soldiers and an employee in an orange vest could be seen. The seats were business class, so the long flight wouldn’t be uncomfortable.

The two fastened their seatbelts without a word and waited for takeoff. Soon, an announcement came on, and the aircraft moved with the roar of the engines. The surrounding sounds became muffled.

Yoon Tae-ha had boarded planes and helicopters countless times, but she felt a flutter in her heart as if it were her first time. She knew it was because of the man sitting next to her.

When the white dots on the runway appeared to connect into a single line, the plane soared upwards.

Ding. Dding. Watching the red seatbelt sign flashing above her head, she closed her eyes.

Ravens and the Green Sea. An unidentified green stone.

She tried to gather as much scattered information as possible.

The Raven Garden was the first great rift that opened long ago. The ravens that came out of it stirred up the human world to their heart’s content, then gathered at the place where the great rift had occurred and committed suicide.

They crashed their heads into trees or flew into large pits and died. Why such a bizarre phenomenon occurred still remained unknown. They couldn’t ask the dead birds.

‘Could Raphael also be a foreigner who crossed over to Earth when the Raven Garden appeared? That’s why he’s interested in the Green Feather and that place.’

Something he had said bothered her.

Some foreigners try to return, and some try to adapt.

‘Which side is Raphael’s true intention on?’

She had seen novels or movies that came out before Earth became like this.

Half were about the sky opening and aliens invading, and half were about Earthlings crossing over to another world after being hit by a car. The former were usually movies, and the latter were mostly novels.

In Ark, there were occasionally foreigners who wanted to return. However, they somewhat acknowledged that there was no way.

‘What about those who can’t accept it?’

This question lingered in her mind.

‘Of course, there would be people who would do anything to go back, since they desperately want to return.’

Her stomach twisted when she reached the end of her thoughts.

‘If they try to go back by reopening the rift.’

Her eyes snapped open at the nightmarish assumption. A cold sensation ran down her spine. Only when she broke free from her thoughts did she hear the surrounding noise.

A flight attendant was approaching with a cart. It was a cart filled with drinks and snacks. She turned her head towards the man sitting next to her with a dazed expression. Cheon Geon-young was engrossed in reading research materials on his tablet.

He immediately noticed her gaze and turned his head.

“Are you hungry? Do you need anything?”

“......No.”

She waved her hand to indicate she was okay. Then she leaned her head weakly against the window. Yoon Tae-ha, who had refused a drink and closed her eyes again, slowly fell asleep despite the plane’s vibrations.

•

Something was warmly enveloping her body.

Her nose was chilly, but the area below her neck felt warm. Yoon Tae-ha slowly opened her eyes. It was dark around her. Her vision was tilted at an angle.

She had definitely been sleeping leaning against the wall. The wall should have been cold and had slight vibrations. Why was it so stable?

Blinking her dazed eyes, she realized. She was now completely leaning against the person sitting next to her. The source of the warmth was the blanket wrapped around her body. It hadn’t been there before she fell asleep. Someone must have put it around her while she was sleeping. And when she rustled, the low voice of the person who had put the blanket around her spoke.

“Sleep more.”

She tried to lift her head. But Cheon Geon-young reached out and made her lean back again.

“About four hours have passed.”

The thought of Cheon Geon-young pulling her, who had been banging her head against the wall, to lean on his shoulder made her embarrassed. What about when he put the blanket around her? Had she been sleeping with her mouth open in an ugly way? All sorts of thoughts crossed her mind.

But getting up abruptly was too comfortable. She even felt a sense of fulfillment, like the last piece of a puzzle had been put in place.

Leaning against his firm and reassuring shoulder, her eyes kept closing again. She didn’t want to sleep. Yoon Tae-ha forcibly stared at his tablet, still filled with dense text.

“Aren’t you reading in too small a font in the dark?”

“I can see roughly.”

“What are you looking at so intently?”

He tilted the tablet towards her. Cheon Geon-young’s upper body also shifted its center of gravity to the side.

It was a distance where the warmth emanating from his warm body couldn’t help but be conveyed. His cheek stiffened momentarily.

“It’s about the efficacy and uses of unregistered plants.”

Yoon Tae-ha’s voice, lower than usual, was languid. Cheon Geon-young checked his surroundings, worried that someone else might hear this voice. Fortunately, most people were asleep.

“Are there any plants we need to be careful about? Give me a crash course. I couldn’t read it because I was asleep.”

He pointed with his finger at a flower that looked like a purple tulip.

“If you finely crush the petals and mix them with the liquid from the stem, it acts like an anesthetic.”

“This one must be the prettiest among the anesthetics.”

As Cheon Geon-young roughly finished his explanation, lights began to turn on in the distance. People stirred and got up, looking uncomfortable. She murmured,

“It’s time to be fed.”

It was a meal that might be their last if the plane happened to crash. The people who had woken up had messy hair and mumbled as they ate their rice.

After that, it was as she said, repeated feeding. Had it been about an hour after the last meal? A heavy announcement came on.

• We are approaching our destination. The aircraft is expected to experience turbulence, so passengers are advised to prepare accordingly. Hearing this, the passengers fastened their seatbelts tightly. “Please, let’s have a smooth landing this time.” Along with someone’s murmur, the aircraft shook violently.

•

The person in charge, Baek Sang-ho, had a determined look on his face.

“First, we will go to the first free city. Our base camp is there. The research team can safely conduct their research there.”

The interior of the hangar at the airport, which was built and used jointly by several countries, was cool. Along one wall of the empty hangar, cars of various sizes were lined up. There was everything from extra-large RVs to trucks.

“Beyond the border is a lawless zone. We will place the vehicles carrying non-combatants like the research team and combat support team in the center, and Team Alpha will escort them around the perimeter.”

People moved with disciplined efficiency according to Baek Sang-ho’s instructions. It was drizzling rain outside the hangar.

“Cover the rear!”

Baek Sang-ho, who had been busily giving instructions, shouted that and threw car keys at Yoon Tae-ha. She nimbly snatched the keys.

When she pressed the button, a black pickup truck that looked like it could drive through snow and mud responded. Cheon Geon-young and Yoon Tae-ha exchanged glances as they looked at the car. They were both thinking the same thing.

“This is no joke?”

“Cool.”

It was a four-wheel drive that gave the impression of a tank. Baek Sang-ho urged them as they approached the car, admiring it.

“Don’t make faces like newlyweds looking at a wedding car! We’re here to work!”