Sphinxlike - Chapter 2

The sound announcing the test was heard through the speaker. While the sound was going on, Haeryu picked up the machine next to it. The machine looked as if it was someone’s old bone that had been pulled out and painted black. And as always, it fit perfectly into Haeryu’s arms. Whenever she wore this, Haeryu would feel like there was someone covering her arms and controlling each finger.

“Name Seo Haeryu. Age 7. Height 118.1cm. Weight 18.6kg.”

“Wait a minute”

Dr.Seo, who had been watching Haeryu from outside the glass, raised his hand. He turned his head around and brought the microphone closer to his lips.

“Haeryu, haven’t you eaten recently?”

Haeryu answered without hesitation.

“No.”

“Snacks?”

“I ate it all. Breakfast and lunch.”

Without eating, Haeryu wouldn’t have been able to do anything. Even if she only missed one meal, she would feel as if she starved the whole day. Everytime that happened, Haeryu would remember a car that ran out of oil, or a music box that stopped due to its mainspring being broken. When she didn’t eat, that’s exactly how she would feel.

For that reason, Haeryu made sure to never miss a meal, and the center would take care of her diet every time so there was no reason for her to.

But she wouldn’t gain weight…… maybe that was because of her height? Even though she had only grown 2cm, Haeryu focused on the fact that she had grown instead. For her whether it was 2cm or 2mm, growth was growth.

“No matter what, you should never go hungry, got it?”

“Yes.”

Dr.Seo lightly raised his hand and signaled for them to continue. Only then did Haeryu pulled on the machine that was hanging above her head, and put it on her head. The thick plastic wires wrapped Haeryu’s head like snakes.

Once in that state, when she opened her eyes, she was completely in a different world.

Haeryu blinked and focused on the virtual background she could see through the lens. The world in front of her looked like it had come from a children’s book drawn with crayons. There was a house decorated with a red roof and walls made of bricks underneath the blue sky and wool-like clouds. The color of the grass switched between light and dark green.

“Haeryu, can you see the monsters in front of you?”

Hearing Dr.Seo’s words, Haeryu looked more towards the side. Next to the house, there were several monsters attempting to catch Haeryu’s attention with clumsy moves. The monsters had many eyes, horns, and legs, as well as sharp legs, but they didn’t feel scary due to their appearance looking colorful like the background.

These monsters were the enemy that Haeryu was supposed to defeat in this test.

“Compared to previous times, there is a bit more, but that’s nothing to worry about. You can just lock the monsters in that toy house like you always do.”

Haeryu nodded and raised her hand that had the machine on it. At the same time, the monsters began running at her at tremendous speed. The movements weren’t the same sloppy ones it used to be. Haeryu focused her mind on her fingertips. The heat from the machine went under Haeryu’s skin, helping her control the force. This was natural since that was the whole purpose of wearing the machine anyways.

“Be careful not to take off the hold steel…… right.”

Haeryu remembered the telekinesis they sometimes used before tests. He had told her that there were people just like her outside, people who can move things without touching them, heal their injured body, see through walls, and be able to remember everything after just seeing it once. Haeryu knew what others would call people like them and her.

Supernatural. People who are born with super powers when they are born.

Haeryu moved her fingers towards the monsters that rushed at her. Once she moved her hand, the monsters started floating in the air and were thrown towards the toy house. Once everyone was pushed into the house, there was only one thing left for Haeryu to do.

Haeryu slowly clenched her hands together in the air. As if grabbing onto something invisible. Then, the house filled with the monsters crumbled like an empty can. It looked like there was nothing there in the first place.

“You did a good job, Haeryu.”

Listening to Dr.Seo’s voice that rang from the speaker, Haeryu stared at the collapsed toy house for a long time.

***