Not long after, in a small room on the side of the refuge's hall, Will and Jin temporarily took residence. The room appeared quite bare, with nothing but a bunk bed that could accommodate two people. Due to its proximity to the sea, the room perpetually smelled damp and musty. "I feel like this place is about to mold," Will said, sitting on the edge of the lower bunk, patting the blanket on the bed. "Yeah, how long has it been since anyone stayed here?" Jin asked, turning to Lisa, who stood nearby. "Probably over a hundred years," Lisa replied casually. "A hundred years?" Will and Jin both exclaimed in unison. "Yes, what's wrong? I told you earlier, this place was built for special times like these, but it has never been used," Lisa explained. "Oh my god, we're staying in a place that's been empty for a hundred years!" Will cried out in distress. "By the way, Lisa," Jin suddenly said, his face turning serious. "Why does Master Harkin seem... a bit... crazy?" "Yeah, exactly!" Will chimed in, nodding in agreement. "I knew you two would ask," Lisa sighed, somewhat helpless. Upon hearing this, Will and Jin immediately perked up, their eyes widening in anticipation. "Actually, he wasn't always like this. He was once a very composed and wise man," Lisa said. "Composed? Wise?" Will asked in confusion, his tone implying disbelief. "Yes, Master Harkin was once hailed as the greatest mage of the United Nations," Lisa stated solemnly. "The greatest? Him? Now I see why the United Nations was overrun by the Shadow Council," Will muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Then how did he become like this?" Jin asked further. "This all began ten years ago," Lisa said. "Ten years ago? The day the Shadow Council took over the United Nations?" Jin asked. "That's right. When the four members of the Shadow Council attacked the United Nations hall, only King Sam II and Master Harkin remained. But despite facing four incredibly powerful mages, they didn't retreat. However, to protect Master Harkin, King Sam II was struck by the Shadow Council's magic and fell into a coma. Master Harkin, as the king's mentor, blamed himself deeply for not being able to protect him. One morning, we discovered that Master Harkin had changed, and from that point on, he became... a little unhinged," Lisa explained. "Because of guilt?" Jin murmured quietly to himself. "Yes." "Ten years... seems like there's a lot of history there," Will said. "It's not a fairytale, but a brutal, painful reality," Lisa replied. "So, what about King Sam II? Did he die?" Jin asked. "No, he's still here," Lisa said. "Here?" Will pressed. "Yes, though it's been ten years, he hasn't awakened," Lisa's expression suddenly became tinged with concern. "What?" Will and Jin asked in unison. "Sigh, earlier when Master Harkin said he had something to do, he was actually going to see King Sam II. Every day, Master Harkin hopes to see the king awaken. Most of the time, he's lost in his madness, but sometimes, he is still lucid," Lisa explained. "It sounds like Master Harkin is also quite pitiful," Will remarked. "Yes," Jin nodded in agreement. "Well, that's the story. You should get some sleep. I'll come find you in the morning," Lisa said before turning to leave the room. Exhausted, both Jin and Will lay down immediately.
Later that night, in their shared room, "Will, are you asleep?" Jin asked from the top bunk. "No, are you not asleep either?" Will replied from the bottom bunk. "Yeah, I've been thinking about the Shadow Council," Jin said. "Same here. If even the greatest mage of the United Nations couldn't defeat them, how can the three of us possibly stand a chance?" Will asked, his voice laced with concern. "I don't know," Jin said after a brief pause. Suddenly, unable to sleep, Will sat up in bed, threw on a coat, and stood up. "What are you doing?" Jin also sat up, asking him. "I can't sleep. I want to take a walk," Will said quietly, tiptoeing to the door and gently opening it. "Wait for me," Jin whispered to Will, then quickly threw on his coat and jumped down from the upper bunk to join him. The two of them quietly slipped out of the room.
The refuge at night was much like during the day, dimly lit, but with an eerie silence. The few people who had been there during the day had all vanished by nightfall. Curious, Will and Jin swiftly made their way to the hall where they had first arrived. The candelabra on the central table still held a faint light, but the rest of the hall was engulfed in darkness. Will slowly lifted his gaze and noticed that of all the rooms above, one still had light. "Could that be Lisa's room?" Will wondered, intrigued. "Let's go check the front," Jin whispered, gesturing to the opposite side of the hall. "Okay."
They walked to the other side, where a narrow corridor stretched for about ten meters. At the end of the corridor, there appeared to be a door. "That door..." Will said. "What's wrong?" Jin asked. "It looks like it's slightly open," Will whispered. He led the way, stepping lightly towards the door, with Jin closely following.
At the corridor's end was a simple wooden door. As Will had said, it wasn't fully closed, just slightly ajar. Driven by their curiosity, they gently pushed the door open. "Who's there?" A stern voice suddenly pierced the darkness, startling Will and Jin. "I... I'm Will." "I'm Jin," they both nervously replied. "Oh, it's Lisa's friends," Master Harkin's voice emerged from the dark as he slowly stepped into the dim light. "Master Harkin?" Will gasped in surprise. "Shh!" Master Harkin immediately gestured for silence upon hearing Will's loud exclamation. "What's Master Harkin doing here?" Will whispered. "Ah, I'm just chatting with an old friend," Master Harkin replied softly. There was a hint of sadness in his voice, and, unlike earlier, he seemed calm and lucid, not at all like the madman they had met earlier. "An old friend?" Will asked, confused. "Yes," Master Harkin responded, walking over to a table. He picked up a thick white candle, then placed a finger on its wick. A small flame ignited from his finger, lighting the candle.
With the light, Will and Jin could now see the room clearly. It was just as simple as it appeared, with only a bed, a table, and a stool. Lying motionless on the ancient bed was a man in his thirties, with long golden hair. He lay still, almost lifeless, like a corpse. "Will, this...?" Jin whispered, pointing to the man. "Is he... your old friend?" Will asked Master Harkin, perplexed. "Yes," Master Harkin said, his gaze soft as he looked at the man on the bed. "Could he... could he be King Sam II?" Will asked again, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Ah, I didn't expect you to know about King Sam II!" Master Harkin exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement. "Lisa told us some stories about him," Will answered. "Really?" Master Harkin murmured softly to himself. "Master Harkin, please tell me—who exactly are the members of the Shadow Council? Are they truly as powerful as they seem?" Will suddenly asked, his face serious. "Why... why are you so interested in the Shadow Council?" Master Harkin asked, surprised. "Because we plan to defeat them," Will said, his voice resolute.