By Zephyria 
Although his expression was dry and emotionless, he was definitely crying.
He was sitting powerlessly on the platform, looking down at the people reaching out to him, shedding tears. Exorcist! Black eyes blankly staring at those who were enthusiastic. It was difficult to fathom the sadness in his shadowed face, but his despair was clearly felt. Yes, he had lost his mind after being shocked by a reality he couldn’t handle.
Well, it was understandable.
‘Is the future that was just shown really that guy’s…….’
The unpleasant sound of something creaking and shaking echoed in my ears again. Then, I felt like the ground under my feet was collapsing. It was terrifying enough to give me goosebumps.
Rope.
Kim Ju-won understood what that meant………
It was the last moment that was too cruel to be given to a human.
‘First, I have to get that bastard down from there.’
Whether what I just saw was really the future, or……. the past.
Whatever it was, I had a feeling that I shouldn’t leave him in that state.
Kim Ju-won tried to approach Ki Jae-eon, pushing through the crowd.
“Hey, Ki Jae-eon-! Ah, shit. Move!”
But it wasn’t easy.
It was difficult to deal with the crazed people, especially a large number of them.
It was a situation where an accident could happen.
“Exorcist!”
“So that we can overcome this ordeal-.”
“I, I will go. To the Exorcist’s side-.”
Sure enough, there were people trying to get on the platform.
It was hard to predict what those who had already lost their minds would do to Ki Jae-eon. Damn it, I don’t know. Should I just knock them all out? Just as Kim Ju-won was contemplating, a loud voice rang out from behind him, “Duck!” At that moment, when he instinctively bent over at the familiar voice that pierced his eardrums, he felt something heavy kicking his back nimbly.
It was Ahn Seo-myeong.
He used Kim Ju-won as a support and jumped onto the platform.
“Haa, ha…….”
Ahn Seo-myeong, standing upright under the sun, reached out to Ki Jae-eon, who had lost his will.
“Take it. I’m really desperate right now.”
*
His condition had hit rock bottom.
Ki Jae-eon ran his dry face and went up to the platform. He saw people filling the seats, but he didn’t feel any pressure. They were just stones……. That’s all they looked like.
A hazy mind is helpful like this. Ending his self-deprecating thoughts, he shook off his heavy shoulders and began the Blessing Prayer in earnest. The gong rang-. And that’s when he drew his sword. He spotted familiar faces in the distance. It was the main office.
Twitch.
His concentration was momentarily disrupted.
Cold sweat dripped down the palm of his hand holding the sword.
‘No. Focus.’
He scolded himself and tried to immerse himself in the ritual again, but once his mind was distracted, it was difficult to regain his composure.
Especially Ahn Seo-myeong.
He was worried about that child.
‘Is he very angry?’
I’ve been deliberately avoiding him since that day.
Ah, guilt is pricking my conscience.
‘I should go down and apologize, no……. I should focus now…….’
He swallowed hard. The pressure of the crowd, which he hadn’t felt until now, was now rushing in. It was caused by the accumulated fatigue, mental driving, and the guilt towards a specific someone.
‘It wasn’t on purpose.’
The faster he moved, the more complicated his thoughts became.
‘It’s just… just, me too…….’
Jingle jingle jingle-! The bell rang.
‘Because I’m working hard. Because of me, hyung…….’
The gong echoed incessantly.
‘Because I don’t have the leeway…….’
A sharp blade cut through the air.
‘I want to be understood…….’
It was when his selfish desires were finally mixed into the prayer he offered to the gods.
[Oh, child-.]
His subconsciousness finally awakened the Mountain Spirit.
[I shall grant your wish-.]
Was it a reward for driving out the Wish Eater?
Ki Jae-eon’s wish to be understood was granted.
The Mountain Spirit of the southern mountain bestowed a blessing.
However, the problem was that it was in a form he didn’t want.
‘……No. Stop……!’
He pleaded, but it was already too late.
Ki Jae-eon’s past life was replayed in people’s minds.
“W, what is this…!”
“Aaaagh.”
“I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die!”
But there was one thing.
The Mountain Spirit had overlooked a fact.
Humans are not perfect beings like gods.
Therefore, their flawless consideration sometimes comes across as an incomprehensible ordeal.
For example, like judging animals arbitrarily from a ‘human perspective.’
This was the same.
The Mountain Spirit’s wish to show Ki Jae-eon’s heartbreaking past life to make others understand him was just a small mistake stemming from overestimating humans.
Because there was always a huge wall called survival in front of human understanding.
Instead, unexpected devotion followed.
From desperate struggles not to die to blind faith in him as a savior.
“Exorcist, please don’t abandon us…….”
“Exorcist, Exorcist-!”
“I am so afraid. Please, to us…….”
As the murmuring grew louder, Ki Jae-eon began to lose his will. All the words like hero and savior tightened his breath. Yes, just like back then.
“……Stop.”
Please, stop.
Leave me alone.
Even the twitching of his lips, which burst out despite himself, was trampled and disappeared in the collective cry for salvation. Ah, this is the limit. Ki Jae-eon stared at the outstretched hands with empty eyes. Would he be comfortable if he was caught in those hands and died as if falling?
‘Maybe I’ll be at peace then.’
Just as he was thinking blankly.
“Duck!”
Cutting through countless desires.
“Haa…. Haa.”
The sun rose.
“Catch me. I’m really desperate right now.”
It was such a young sun.
-’Exorcist.’
I must have relied on you without showing it.
-’The living must live.’
To you, who is more affectionate than anyone else with a blunt face.
Ah, Seo-myeong.
Don’t leave me behind.
Don’t die for me.
Please, not in front of me.
“……Don’t die.”
“Do I look like I’m dead?”
At that moment, the throbbing heartbeat was transmitted through his palm.
“I’m perfectly fine, right?”
“……!!”
Ki Jae-eon was startled and opened his eyes.
He woke up to find himself in his room.
“Get up slowly. You look like you have low blood pressure.”
“…….”
Ahn Seo-myeong handed a cup of water to Ki Jae-eon, who was blankly frozen.
“It’s not too late to think after drinking a glass of water.”
Seeing the clear cold water in the transparent glass, he suddenly felt thirsty.
Ki Jae-eon obediently took the cup and emptied it coolly. The cold water cleared his head. Only then did he roughly guess that he had fainted.
“Want more?”
“Ah, no…….”
“Yes, there’s rice porridge prepared over there.”
Ki Jae-eon quietly shook his head. He didn’t feel like eating anything. He had no appetite.
“…….”
“…….”
A long silence fell in the room.
Ki Jae-eon fidgeted with his hangnails, feeling like he was sitting on thorns. He didn’t know what to say at all.
That’s because what should he say to a child who has seen a terrible future where his own death is predicted…? Should he tell him to run away and not save him when that time comes? No, no matter how he babbles, it won’t mean anything.
“Hyung.”
Breaking the serious atmosphere, Ahn Seo-myeong opened his mouth. It was a call that sounded particularly low.
Ki Jae-eon gave a sidelong glance, meaning to speak. He was ready to accept his anger, sadness, or resentment.
“Why don’t you answer my calls?”
Ahn Seo-myeong grumbled sullenly.
“You must have seen all the missed calls.”
“……?”
“Even I get hurt if you keep ignoring me. I think I have the right to complain since you ignored me twice. You know I’m still growing, right? Please pay attention because I’m in a sensitive emotional period. Are you going to take responsibility if I go astray because of this? Well, you can if you want. I have nothing to say if you take responsibility for your actions. ……Ah, and please keep in mind that I don’t like playing hard to get.”
Ki Jae-eon was dumbfounded by the calmly added words. His tense body slumped powerlessly. He stared blankly at Ahn Seo-myeong with a look that seemed to say, ‘What did I just hear?’
‘It’s true that I ignored his calls…….’
Isn’t this not the time to be acting like this?
Ahn Seo-myeong, realizing Ki Jae-eon’s confusion, belatedly let out a bland exclamation, “Ah-.”
Then, this is what he said.
“It must have hurt?”