Rustle.
The sound of fabric brushing against itself ca with a cool breeze grazing his cheek. When I slowly opened my eyes, I saw the fluttering curtains and the open window.
I sat up from the sofa and looked around. Sunlight poured into the living room. The switched-off TV and the ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) table in front of the sofa looked exactly like I rembered.
Where’s Cha Sahyeon?
Seeing the ga console left on the table, I imdiately wondered where he had gone. There’s no way he would leave the house alone without .
As I took a step to look for him, I suddenly realized—
Why does my body feel so heavy?
Each movent brought a wave of dizziness, enough to make stagger. Am I coming down with sothing? I muttered inwardly and called out,
“Hey, kid!”
Where could he have gone? It wasn’t like he could just vanish in such a small apartnt.
After checking the living room and kitchen, I headed for the bedroom.
Creak.
As the bedroom door opened with a rusty squeal, I saw the small back of Cha Sahyeon standing still in the center of the room.
Sothing about the room felt wrong. There should have been a bed and nightstand—but now it was completely empty.
“Hey, kid.”
He didn’t move an inch. Either he couldn’t hear or was ignoring . With no choice, I called out again and stepped inside—
BEEEEEEP!
“Guh...!”
A piercing ring shot through my ears, followed by a crushing pressure on my shoulders. As I dropped to my knees, pressing my forehead, the pitch-black floor filled my vision.
Everything around was drowned in darkness. The warmth I had felt monts ago had disappeared without a trace.
A dreadful chill crashed over like a wave. I lifted my head, drenched in cold sweat—and saw a tall man standing in place of the child.
Long black hair falling past his waist. A large bloodstained scythe in his hand.
The man slowly turned around. Green eyes peered through his loose hair and locked onto .
“Huuk... ugh...”
Terror rooted my legs to the floor.
I tried to crawl backward, trembling, just to get a little farther from him—
Thud. Sothing bumped into my elbow.
Instinctively turning to the side, I gasped as though stabbed in the heart.
Ryu Sunghyun lay there, bloodied, eyes closed.
And it wasn’t just him. Corpses of Circle Guild mbers and countless Hunters were strewn before .
The darkness took on a crimson hue. It beca a blood-soaked battlefield at sunset. Cinders flew through the air, smoke and screams choking the space.
This was hell.
“No... Sunghyun...”
Panicking, I pulled Ryu Sunghyun’s body into my arms. Terror and despair surged up to my throat, leaving breathless.
His body was cold and stiffening. The skin beneath my fingers was icy, and the heavy scent of blood masked the familiar sll of him.
Everything was horrifically vivid. This wasn’t a dream I’d forget upon waking. This was a fragnt of a mory—sothing I had lived through.
“Sunghyun... ngh...”
Tears dripped onto Ryu Sunghyun’s cheek. Even in a dream, he didn’t look at . He was gone. It was so cruel it beca unbearable—I couldn’t let go.
Holding him tight, I looked up at the green-eyed man. He stared at with an unreadable expression, and I whispered to him.
“I won’t forget. Never...”
My vision blurred again. Darkness closed in, devouring both the man and .
“I won’t forget...”
***
When I opened my eyes, a strange ceiling ca into view. I groped at the thick blanket over my chest and glanced out the window. No wonder it felt so dark—it was already deep into the night.
Did I pass out?
I had no mory after escaping to the rooftop with Cha Sahyeon.
Pushing myself through the church raid had taken a serious toll. Fainting wasn’t surprising—but why did it have to happen in front of him?
I sighed and carefully sat up. A white towel slipped from my face. It was damp and lukewarm—a used wet towel.
The nightstand beside was cluttered with dicine. Fever reducers, disinfectant, gauze—clearly used.
I stared at it blankly, and then heard a soft voice.
“You’re awake?”
My shoulders flinched on instinct. I looked up and saw Cha Sahyeon coming out of the bathroom, holding a new wet towel. He paused, looking at .
“Do you still hurt?”
I wasn’t exactly fine, but I felt a lot better than before I blacked out. At least the pounding headache was gone.
I gave a reluctant nod—and Cha Sahyeon suddenly bead.
“Really?”
“...!”
He strode over toward .
The closer he ca, the colder the air grew. Sitting down made him seem even taller. His sudden approach put on edge.
Stay calm.
I forced down the urge to run and t his gaze.
“I brought you here from the rooftop so you could rest.”
“...Where is this?”
“A hotel. Closest one to the rooftop.”
No wonder it felt cleaner and more spacious than a motel. But where did he get the money?
Even as my head spun, he kept talking excitedly.
“I took care of you, just like you did for . I wiped you down, put on the towel... Oh, and I went to the pharmacy too.”
“...”
“You’re really okay now, right?”
Sitting on the bed’s edge, he leaned forward. His green eyes sparkled.
“Did I do well?”
“....”
His eyes brimd with anticipation. If he were still the sa as before, I might’ve patted his head and praised him.
But now... I couldn’t.
Even false, empty words wouldn’t co.
I looked away and finally forced myself to speak.
“...Yeah.”
A aningless answer. It was the best I could do.
“....”
“....”
A heavy silence settled in the room.
His expression fell when he didn’t get the response he hoped for. His shoulders sagged slightly, long lashes casting down—just like when he was younger. But now, even that felt suffocating.
I can’t breathe...
I touched the back of my neck, eyes squeezed shut. My stomach churned, my breath ca short.
I wanted to run. I couldn’t face him. And I hated myself for being so scared.
But I had already prepared for this.
I knew he was the Catastrophe. I chose to save him anyway. I knew this day would co.
The system started it—but I was the one who chose and accepted everything.
I had to pull myself together and treat him like before. If the Seed progressed any further, then...
“Hyung.”
His quiet voice snapped from the edge of my spiraling thoughts. When I opened my eyes, he was smiling gently, the hurt expression gone.
“It’s night now. You can go S-rank, right?”
A strange question. I narrowed my eyes without replying, and he continued as if he understood.
“For now, we should be safe.”
“...What?”
“Nearly fifty cultists are dead, and one of their top officers—the Director—is gone. So they’ve taken a huge blow.”
“...”
“I destroyed the sanctuary and disposed of the bodies. It'll take them ti just to understand what happened.”
He stood. A black bird rose from the shadow on the floor.
“We could go back to our old office, but since it’s been compromised, don’t stay there long.”
“...What are you talking about?”
“I’ll leave a shadow with you. Just put up with it, even if it’s uncomfortable. It’s A-rank strength now, so it should be more useful.”
“Wait, what are you saying?”
A surge of dread rushed in. I stood abruptly, but his shadows already encased him.
Back on the rooftop, they had embraced too. But now they ford a cold, solid wall. His skill was shutting out.
I realized, too late— He truly ant to leave.
“Wait—where are you going?!”
I was afraid of him. But being apart was sothing else entirely. The system... the world’s safety... I needed him with .
As the shadows began to rise, I reached out in desperation. The darkness parted where my hand reached—and he took it.
“I don’t want to leave either, hyung.”
His voice trembled beneath a bitter smile as the shadows crept up.
“But I have no choice. My energy is too strong right now. Even regular people could notice.”
His hand turned black. Then his entire body rged with the shadow—disappearing like smoke.
“So just wait a little.”
“Wait—!”
“I’ll finish this quickly and co back.”
“Cha Sahyeon!”
I reached again, but nothing remained. He vanished without a trace, leaving only the promise that he’d return.
***
[News Headlines]
「Disaster at the Royal Palace – S-Rank Demon Appears From a Rift」
「Sudden Rift Manifestation: Expert Analysis Released (Press Conference)」
「Zero Casualties in Royal Palace Incident! Who Is the Mysterious Healer?」
「Yesung and Circle Guild Involved—The S-rank Hunters’ Hidden Supporter Revealed?」
“Uugh...”
Hyun Dowoon groaned and clutched his head as he glared at the news articles.
He’d already watched the leaked footage over a hundred tis. Yet nothing made sense.
Cha Seohu!
Why the hell would you pull sothing like this?! If you had that kind of skill, why didn’t you just keep hiding it?! Why let yourself be caught on video?!
“This is insane...”
Thud.
He slamd his forehead against the desk.
No doubt his father and brothers had seen it too. They must’ve recognized Seohu as quickly as he did.
Seohu surely knew that as well. So what the hell gave him the nerve to go public like that?
“I don’t get it...”
As Hyun Dowoon muttered to himself, frantically trying to figure out what to do—
BAM BAM!
Soone pounded aggressively on the iron door.
He limply pressed a button, and the door opened on its own. The visitor was none other than Son Gayoung, representative of the 10th underground floor.
“Seein’ you a lot these days, noona.”
He greeted her in a tired voice. She scowled and twisted her mouth.
“You think I want to be here? Orders keep coming from the top—I don’t have a choice.”
“What is it this ti?”
“What do you think?”
She jerked her chin upward.
“Get up there. It’s a summon.”
Hyun Dowoon couldn’t hide his shock.
He rarely had reason to go upstairs—he only handled jobs from his workshop. That person almost never called for him directly.
Which ant... If he was being summoned now, of all tis, with everything going on about Cha Seohu...
His face turned pale.
Son Gayoung t his eyes and nodded.
“Your guess is right.”
She blew out a puff of cigarette smoke and added irritably,
“Not just Kang Haeil, that bastard—but even Mook Jeongho.”
“...What?”
“Both of them just returned to the district.”
Hearing that, Hyun Dowoon’s complexion grew even whiter. Even Son Gayoung, who brought the news, looked troubled.
She had figured it out too—The real reason for this sudden sibling gathering.
Cha Seohu!
Hyun Dowoon clutched his head again, ntally screaming at the boy who’d gone off-grid.
You’re screwed, you bastard...
So please—Just pick up your damn phone!
– Part 1: End
The story will resu with Part 2 on April 3 after a two-week break.
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