By Zephyria 
Feeling a pang in his heart at the deeply cracked voice, Koi replied.
“I’m going to release Pheromones. So you can’t come in with me.”
As if reading Grayson’s mind, Koi spoke firmly. Immediately, Grayson wore an expression as if his world had collapsed. Seeing that face, Koi blinked in surprise.
Grayson making such a face.
It was almost a pity Ashley wasn’t here to see this. I’m right, Koi was certain. Grayson is feeling emotions. Because of Dane.
“Really…”
Grayson barely managed to squeeze out the words.
“Really? Really, you can save Dane?”
“I can’t be sure.”
Koi reluctantly answered, his voice trembling.
“But I have to try everything. So that Dane can wake up and recover.”
Grayson still had to watch from behind the glass. That fact was unbearable pain for him, but there was no choice.
But really, if Dane could just wake up.
A faint hope flickered across Grayson’s face.
“Please.”
He opened his mouth, his voice shaking uncontrollably. Koi was surprised once again at this sight he was seeing for the first time. But regardless of his reaction, he grabbed Koi’s shoulders and desperately muttered.
“Save Dane, please. …Please. I’ll do anything, anything, I can do anything… Please help me.”
Seeing his son pleading repeatedly, Koi felt a complex mix of surprise, pain, joy, and sorrow. In the end, he couldn’t hold back and hugged his son tightly.
“It’ll be alright.”
Koi continued, putting his own wishes into the words.
“Dane will definitely open his eyes, and he’ll get better soon. You know how strong Dane is.”
Then he pulled away and looked up at his son, adding.
“Dane will go back to the way he was. So let’s believe and wait.”
…Huh?
At those words, Grayson blinked in surprise. Koi pulled away from his son, smiled once more, and turned to head into the ward. Grayson blankly watched Koi.
Go back to the way he was.
Back, to the way he was.
…The way he was.
Grayson’s face gradually paled as he repeated the same words over and over.
Dane lying alone in the quiet ward looked so pitiful. Koi entered the ward alone and checked his condition up close, and soon tears welled up in his eyes. To think that someone so vibrant and full of life was lying here like this.
There was no time to waste. He soon sat down on the makeshift chair and took a deep breath. Koi placed his trembling hands on Dane’s arm, which was wrapped in bandages, and closed his eyes. And a refreshing yet somehow soothingly soft fragrance spread throughout the ward.
It was an endlessly long darkness. He had been walking for a long time, but still couldn’t see anything. Dane was tired of walking and had stopped in his tracks.
Should I stop now?
He vaguely recalled. He had lived too long. He had endured too long. Shouldn’t he stop now? What’s the point of this life?
“You were born as you pleased.”
Suddenly, his mother’s words came to mind. He had forgotten those words, which he had heard more than 10 years ago, but they would sometimes come to mind like this and make him want to die. Every time, every moment, he realized he was alone. And he would be alone when he left, too. He would wander in the darkness like this for the rest of his life, and when he collapsed from exhaustion, he would disappear into dust.
Then would I, and that cursed word, disappear from the world too…?
“Dane.”
Someone called his name. Dane was puzzled and looked around. Still, in the pitch-black darkness, he couldn’t feel the presence of anyone else.
Did I hear wrong…?
Dane tilted his head and soon chuckled. What am I thinking, I’m the only one here.
Alone, forever.
That’s what he was thinking bitterly when it happened. He heard the voice again.
“Dane, come back.”
This time it was clearer. It was certain. Someone was calling him desperately. Earnestly, with a desperate wish.
“Dane, please open your eyes. Please come back to us.”
A faint light appeared on one side. Dane blinked in surprise. His feet moved as if possessed. The feet that had been moving slowly, one step at a time, were now running. The light gradually became brighter. And finally, when a light as bright as the sun enveloped his entire body.
“…Dane!”
Someone was calling his name. Dane slowly lifted his eyelids. His blurry vision was filled with a hazy light, and he couldn’t see anything properly. He lowered the eyelids he had barely opened, but the sound continued to be heard.
“Here, Dane has opened his eyes, call the medical staff! Over here!”
The urgent voice faded away. Ah, Dane inwardly sighed. Vaguely thinking that he wanted to hold onto that voice, his consciousness sank back into darkness.
When he regained consciousness again, it was extremely noisy around him. The continuous mechanical sounds, the sounds of people busily moving around, and the sounds of something chattering were mixed together in a complete mess. Still dazed, he lay still. To be exact, it was more like he couldn’t move at all.
It was one day, a month and a half after the accident.
Dane Striker, a miraculous recovery!
Our hero, Dane Striker, whom the entire nation had been anxiously wishing for a speedy recovery, has finally opened his eyes. It has been a full 45 days. Many citizens came out to the scene of the miracle to celebrate and welcome him. Currently, Dane Striker is resting, and according to the doctor in charge, he will need approximately three more months of treatment and rehabilitation…
With the good news, all kinds of media poured out articles about Dane Striker. Articles and TV shows that re-examined why he had been in an accident and in a coma were broadcast several times, and interviews with people who had attended the candlelight vigil also followed.
In that situation, people now turned their attention to the terrorists who had caused all of this. What were they that they caused such a huge accident?
I also know about people who call Dominant Alphas devils. There was a club with that religion when I was in college. Of course, I didn’t join.
Are Dominant Alphas not people? Besides, they’re trying to bury the town, they’re crazy. Does that mean they’re going to kill people who aren’t Dominant Alphas too?
It’s true that Dominant Alphas have a lot of problems. Actually, it’s a bit bizarre, isn’t it? I can’t believe you can go crazy because of Pheromones, I don’t really understand it.
Everyone was talking however they wanted. In the meantime, the investigation was steadily progressing, and the identities of the terrorists were revealed to some extent.
They were a splinter group that had broken away from the existing orthodox faction. Those who were dissatisfied with the existing leader and doctrines formed a separate organization and were said to have kidnapped Dominant Alphas, tortured them, and tried to kill them. Because they were a disorganized group full of enthusiasm, most of them were killed without properly unfolding their ‘dream’, and the two who barely survived were likely to receive life sentences.
Amidst the noisy world, Dane was still focusing on treatment in serious condition. After regaining consciousness, he suffered from extreme pain. Because of this, the hospital gave him injections at regular intervals, and Dane was almost always asleep under the influence of the medication.
Grayson still came to the hospital every day to check on his condition. He had already recovered from all his injuries and had to be discharged from the hospital because he could no longer stay there, but instead, he visited Dane every single day. He would just watch Dane, who was fighting the pain and sleeping, but still.
It was several days later that Koi visited the hospital again.
“Grayson!”
Ashley was seen behind Koi, who was running over happily. He hugged Grayson tightly and said happily.
“I’m so glad Dane woke up! That’s great, that’s really great…!”
Koi repeated the same words, not knowing what to do with his joy. Grayson said, “Yes,” and smiled. Seeing that face, Ashley frowned slightly. That smile was exactly the manufactured smile he had taught him.
What happened…?
When he first came back after releasing Pheromones, Koi had said excitedly. That Grayson had changed from before. He had been happily talking about how he was clearly showing emotions…
What’s with that expression now?
Is Koi wrong, Ashley thought. It’s common for people to be blinded by their love for their children. Besides, Koi is especially attached to his children, so it could easily happen.
Nevertheless, Ashley felt uneasy. While watching his son and Koi with a frown, Koi turned his head and said.
“I want to see Dane, is that okay?”
“Ah, of course.”
He immediately answered the words he had asked to the hospital director standing behind him. That’s good, Ashley thought. I’ll be able to hear about Dane Striker’s condition while seeing him.