By Zephyria 
The members of the organization, who had been treating their injuries and cleaning up the surroundings, raised their heads one by one and looked at the rising sun.
Even the cruelty of the battlefield, which seemed to last forever, gradually faded under that intense and beautiful sun. This was because the light that shone on humans from high above did not impose any standards on humans. On the winner, on the loser. On the righteous, and on the immoral. On the well-fed, and on the hungry. It shone the same sunlight on everyone.
The nature of the sky was always so solemn and majestic, but why did humans always gather in groups, divide and fight against each other, and engage in dogfights?
Above all those deaths and births, a consistent symbol rose high.
It was the new sun, signifying that yesterday’s night had passed, and today had arrived.
The door of the main house opened, and two men slowly walked out. Kwon Rae-i, who had been reborn as the new Chairman of Gyeongjeong, silently looked at the eastern sky.
The brilliant light shone down on him.
The master of the empty throne. The head of the corrupt and dark world. Kwon Rae-i, who had defeated his brothers and gained immense power, slowly inhaled.
No emotions such as achievement or intoxication could be found on his face. There was only the comfort and peace of having reached an ideal that he had long sought. He had a partner he had longed for and yearned for, and he would face a new life with him.
The morning breeze blew, the stench of blood faded, and clear air permeated deep into his lungs. When he gently closed his eyes, he could hear the faint sounds of birds and wind. For a moment, his chest swelled. He remembered the days when he had wandered and yearned alone, and he also saw the future he had to move forward to.
The iridescent red sunlight was the same color as clear bloodstains, but it was not the same. It was warm and sparkling. It was as if he was living to see this light. For each other, to face this day together. Embracing everything and finally arriving here, the two were facing this morning together.
The sky became dazzlingly bright, and the sun rose higher and higher.
As if to illuminate their future forever.
Now, a new era would unfold.
***
Thump. The bedroom door closed urgently. Kwon Rae-i, grabbing Tae-hwon’s hand and pulling him back to the bedroom of the Separate House, locked the door and drew the curtains on every window.
The organization was still in disarray, and Kwon Tae-oh’s fleeing remnants had to be chased down and captured, but with Woo Tae-hwon right in front of him, there was nothing more important. For him, Woo Tae-hwon was always the top priority.
“I was worried. To death.”
Having finished the preparations, he hugged Tae-hwon tightly.
Heartbeats resonated loudly beyond their pressed chests. Kwon Rae-i’s thick ribcage was constantly rising and falling. Tae-hwon silently hugged him back, then awkwardly raised his hand belatedly.
When he had lost his memories, he had been able to hug his back without hesitation. As soon as he regained his lost memories, it became difficult to touch Kwon Rae-i.
It was bound to feel unfamiliar.
Woo Tae-hwon had desperately pushed him away, rejected him, and built an iron wall for a full ten years. There was only one reason. Because he was convinced that he and he could not be together.
Therefore, Tae-hwon could only stand there stiffly, hugged by Kwon Rae-i. His arm twitched, and his fingertips brushed the air. After hesitating for a long time, he finally clenched his fist in the empty space and let out a heavy breath.
Sensing the changed reaction, Kwon Rae-i raised his head sharply and wrapped Tae-hwon’s arm directly around his waist. And with eyes shining like a wild beast, he asked. Almost accusingly.
“Explain what happened. Everything.”
“…There’s not much to explain. Kwon Tae-oh probably told you everything anyway.”
Tae-hwon replied calmly. The look in his eyes as he looked at Kwon Rae-i was subtle.
“I’m asking Woo Tae-hwon now. Not that bastard.”
Kwon Rae-i, who had already grasped all the details, was still meticulous to the end. It seemed that he could not leave even the slightest gap in matters involving Woo Tae-hwon. His furrowed eyebrows were persistent, and his eyes, burning hotly, were invariably passionate. A dark possessiveness and desire for control could be seen in his tightly closed jaw.
“Um…”
Tae-hwon paused for a moment. In a fleeting moment, ten years unfolded, and in the end, he had no choice but to tell Kwon Rae-i about it.
To his beloved, precious, and only one.
‘I see. Is it time to open up now?’
There was no longer any reason to suffer alone. The years of enduring, persevering, and enduring faded. There was no need to go mad with loneliness every night, cry out, and yearn for warmth. The past days when he had parted with Kwon Rae-i and had to push him away crumbled into pieces like dust and scattered into his heart.
“Ten years ago, the Chairman called me.”
Tae-hwon recalled the old memories.
It was a story that was too distant from the beginning.
“Ten years ago?”
He asked back. Tae-hwon calmly affirmed with his eyes and continued.
“It was right after your mother’s funeral. When you were ten and I was twenty. The Chairman issued a summons to me. I was secretly afraid.”
Tae-hwon smiled bitterly and put strength into the hand that touched Kwon Rae-i’s back. He slightly adjusted his posture, awkwardly hugging him again, and lowered his gaze. In fact, the story he was telling now was something he had never intended to confess to him for the rest of his life. It was a past he had tried to hide and conceal until the end, to cut out as if nothing had happened.
“I was afraid that I might be kicked out of Gyeongjeong. I had gone against the wishes of the main wife and protected the youngest young master. Moreover, the main wife had passed away… It was the kind of fear that a low-ranking member of the organization would commonly imagine.”
If he was kicked out of Gyeongjeong, he would not be able to meet Kwon Rae-i.
Kwon Rae-i, who was the only salvation in his life. His young master.
That’s why he was afraid. He was afraid that the Chairman might issue a harsh order to him.
“But, the story I actually heard that day…”
Tae-hwon stopped talking for a moment. His black eyes sank even more heavily. Now he seemed to be rummaging through the bottom of his memory.
“Yes, Tae-hwon.”
Kwon Rae-i whispered and called him. Tae-hwon slowly blinked his eyelids and erased the bitter smile from his face. Because he had been hiding his emotions and erasing his expressions for too long, even this was not easy.
“It was about your mother, not the main wife who had passed away.”
“My mother…?”
“Yes. Your mother. The one who gave birth to you and passed away… that person.”
When the story of his mother came up, Kwon Rae-i acted like someone who had fallen into an unexpected trap. The strength with which he grabbed Tae-hwon’s back increased, and he hugged him so tightly as if to trap and possess his whole body. His ribs were crushed, making it difficult to breathe.
“The Chairman told me. Leaving Rae-i alone in the Separate House was not to mistreat a child born outside, and neglecting the jealousy and envy of the main wife was not because he was indifferent to you. It was just your mother’s last wish.”
“…”
“Your mother, even until the moment she took her last breath giving birth to you, only wanted you to stay away from Gyeongjeong. She didn’t want to throw you into a disreputable den, a corrupt and harsh underworld. Rather, she desperately wanted to save you. That’s why she pleaded with your father, Chairman Kwon, with blood, as her lifelong will. To let you leave Gyeongjeong and live as an ordinary person like others when you became an adult.”
The moment Tae-hwon heard that story from the Chairman 10 years ago, he couldn’t dare to say anything. Kwon Rae-i’s mother. The small and unfortunate child he had pitied and thought was only lacking was actually being protected by such deep and intense maternal love.
“That’s why the Chairman deliberately kept you away. He didn’t even stop the bullying of your brothers. So that in the future, you would hate and despise this family, Gyeongjeong, and your father, and cut off ties with your blood relatives without regret and move into the light.”
“…But, then, what about Tae-hwon?”
“I was also a member of Gyeongjeong. Even if you became attached to me, in the end…”
“…”
“Yes. So I decided it was right to separate. The lives we had to live were different. You in the light, me in the dark. The people you should trust and rely on are not the strange and foolish Woo Tae-hwon, but the clean and warm souls outside who are not tainted by anything.”
Tae-hwon let out a deep breath. At some point, his voice was trembling slightly.
It was strange.
Now that the difficult battles were all over, and the succession disputes had all come to an end, and he had even regained his memories and finally faced Kwon Rae-i. At this moment, it was more difficult than ever. It was painful and his heart ached as if his insides were all crushed.
Why was he feeling so torn apart at this moment…?
Why was it so painful…?