The young man with auburn hair, wearing a pristine white doctor's coat, called out: "Hey, don't forget to bring it for me." His voice was warm but concealed an indescribable urgency.

"I remember. Stop nagging." The friend grumbled, slamming the door shut. His voice barely squeezed through the door crack, carrying both irritation and concern.

Walking in the dark night, his mind was in turmoil. "But... she's been missing for about 3 years. How could there be any hair samples left?" He pondered, lost in thought, his steps aimless on the quiet street.

"Maybe I should..." An idea suddenly flashed. "I'll tell that madman I couldn't find any. Then he won't be able to go there." But immediately, another voice in his head objected: "But... what if he's the first one to succeed? Technology has advanced significantly compared to 4 years ago..."

He stopped in front of an old house where Su used to live. The streetlight cast his shadow on the mottled wall, like a haunting ghost. He raised his hand, gently touching the wooden door faded by time.

"Su," he whispered, "are you still out there somewhere?" His voice choked, memories of his best friend's beautiful and talented girlfriend flooding back. The afternoons they spent researching together, the laughter echoing in the lab, and then... that fateful day.

He vividly remembered Su's determined face when she declared she would be the first to explore the Anomaly Point. "I'll bring back the secrets of the universe," she promised, her eyes shining with belief and hope. And then, she vanished, like so many others before her.

His hand trembled as he unlocked the door. Entering the pitch-dark house, the smell of damp and mold hit his nostrils. He turned on the light, the weak glow revealing a space forgotten by time. On the dressing table, a comb still held a few delicate strands of hair.

"Perhaps... this is the last chance," he muttered to himself, carefully gathering the hair into a small bag. "If anyone can do it, it can only be that madman."

On the way back, he felt like he was carrying the last hope, as fragile as the strands of hair in his hand. Could this really be the key to opening that non-physical door? Or would it be the final step leading his best friend into an endless abyss?

That night, he couldn't sleep. Questions whirled in his head like an unceasing storm. Was this decision right? Or was he pushing his friend down a path of no return?

As dawn broke, he stood before the laboratory door, the small bag of hair heavy in his hand. He knocked, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Come in," his friend's voice rang out, tired but full of excitement.

He entered, overwhelmed by the sight before him. The lab had transformed into a maze of wires and electronic devices. At the center, a strange machine emitted a soft hum, as if whispering the secrets of the universe.

"You... you're really going to do this?" He asked, his voice trembling.

His friend turned, eyes blazing with belief. "This is our only chance. Not just to save Su, but to understand the nature of reality."

He held out the bag of hair, feeling as if he was giving away a part of his soul. "Here... her hair."​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​