By Zephyria 
Kim Do-cheol scowled as he watched the screen, bringing a cigar to his lips. The video transmitted real-time footage from Zone D. He had visited under the pretense of fixing the power plant, installing small cameras at the entrance and in the research lab, and they hadn’t noticed a thing.
After watching for days, Kim Ha-yoon finally appeared today. It was only a scene of him being carried on a stretcher, but it was clear at a glance that his condition was poor. Kim Seon-oh’s claim that Ire had returned to District A had been proven false. How to punish him could wait; now was the time to worry about Kim Ha-yoon.
Watching the screen, he pressed the call button.
A moment later, the face of Vice Chairman Park Ji-hoon appeared on the large screen before him.
“Vice Chairman. Did you see the video I sent?”
Vice Chairman Park Ji-hoon’s complexion in the screen was grim. From the beginning, he had argued for persuading Ire and using him as a valuable resource. He claimed it was for everyone’s sake, but it seemed he wanted to seize power by making Ire his own, untouchable asset.
Kim Do-cheol was astonished that the Vice Chairman was so eager to increase his power, even after what happened to his own son. Unlike the Vice Chairman, Kim Do-cheol believed the existence of ‘Ire’ would undoubtedly become a source of trouble. Eliminating him beforehand was an opportunity to prevent future calamities.
“Where was Kim Ha-yoon found?”
“Do you remember Professor Lee Yun-gi?”
Lee Yun-gi… The Vice Chairman pondered for a moment, then his sunken eyes widened.
“How do you know that man?”
“After being exiled, he apparently dug a hole in the ground and raised children who had nowhere to go.”
“Heh, that old man is still alive?”
“Yes. All of his close associates have confessed.”
The man brought in had tried to bite off his tongue to die, but they had administered drugs and attempted hypnosis. Based on his age, appearance, and medical knowledge, they were certain he was Lee Yun-gi. He was a former doctor, one of the committee members, and had advocated for embracing other districts.
Then, one day, he was caught smuggling food out of the district to distribute to the hungry, and for that, he was completely exiled. At the time, many people followed him, and there was strong opposition, but surprisingly, Kim Ha-yoon’s mother was among them. Perhaps it was because he was the professor who had taught her.
“And Kim Ha-yoon? What’s his condition?”
“As you probably guessed from the video, the chances are slim. I haven’t informed his uncle yet. I’m worried he might die from the shock, given his already serious illness.”
He pretended to worry about his uncle, but his true intentions lay elsewhere. The Vice Chairman knew this, yet he agreed with Kim Do-cheol’s opinion. When asked what he planned to do next, Kim Do-cheol shared a screen. It was a satellite image of Zone D.
“How about we wipe them all out this time? Since they took Kim Ha-yoon, there couldn’t be a better excuse.”
The excuse was a pretext. It would be a blessing if Kim Ha-yoon died in the process. They could simply report to the media that the enemy had kidnapped Kim Ha-yoon and that he was found dead after being tortured while they were trying to rescue him.
Kim Ha-yoon had more public trust than expected. Everyone considered it natural for him to inherit the leadership. Therefore, if they reported that they had bombed the area upon hearing of his death, even those who preached peace would have no choice but to remain silent.
“Is that feasible? Opinions are divided within the committee. Some suggest dealing only with the key figures.”
“How long would it take to find and deal with those ‘key figures’? The remaining remnants would escape and form another organization. Then this fight would be endless.”
“And if things go wrong?”
“Naturally, I will take full responsibility. You can step back completely, Vice Chairman. Just persuade the committee.”
Upon hearing Kim Do-cheol’s promise of responsibility, Vice Chairman Park Ji-hoon nodded. He figured that if things went awry, he could just pin it all on Kim Do-cheol. Kim Do-cheol inwardly cursed the sly old man but acted amiable to avoid offending him.
After ending the call, Kim Do-cheol contacted the Air Force Commander. If fighter jets carried out the first bombing and special forces entered for the second wave to clean up the stragglers, they wouldn’t last long. Then, he immediately summoned his direct subordinate and ordered Kim Seon-oh to be confined for the time being.
“Seon-oh, you should have chosen your alliances wisely. You idiot. I gave you so many hints, tsk.”
Kim Do-cheol muttered to himself and walked towards the window. The city stretched out below the building, visible at a glance. And not far away, on the opposite side, stood a much taller building. The place where Kim Ha-yoon used to live. A hope began to sprout that soon, that place would become his own home.
* * *
“Do we need to dig deeper?” Gangsan’s question made Gilsu tilt his head. They were digging to plant seeds, but he had no idea how deep they should go. Gangsan, who had entered the pit, handed him the shovel, saying, “Now you dig.”
“Do we need to dig deeper?”
“Deeper? How much?”
“As deep as a person is tall?”
“And then what? Plant them all at once?”
Baek Seol watched the scene, holding a bag of seeds. The place where he was born and raised was practically a wasteland, and growing plants to eat was unimaginable. The same was true for the others, and opinions were divided on planting seeds.
Meanwhile, the old man who had treated Kim Ha-yoon slowly approached, hands clasped behind his back.
“What are you doing?”
“Good. Old man, you’ve lived a long time, right? Are you about a hundred years old?”
“Older than you.”
“Then do you know how to plant seeds?”
Gilsu offered a seed, and the old man hummed, his brow furrowed. Then, looking at the pit they had dug, he clicked his tongue. “You shouldn’t dig this deep. Are you planning to bury someone?” he chided.
Embarrassed, Gilsu asked how deep they should dig. The old man carefully examined the seeds in the bag. He told them they were corn, barley, and wheat, and everyone’s faces lit up with anticipation. The old man dug a moderate depth and scattered the seeds with spacing. Not only was the depth surprising, but the old man’s knowledge was even more so.
Gilsu, watching quietly, casually brought up a topic.
“Old man, you know.”
“I told you I don’t want to be bothered, and you keep pestering me.”
“That’s not it. When I go to see my family, should I bring a few seeds for them?”
The old man’s eyes sparkled. When asked if he was serious, Gilsu nodded. He figured he could do this much, given how much help he had received. Who knew? Maybe the old man would change his mind and come live here. There were quite a few people who handled medical supplies, but he hadn’t seen anyone as skilled as the old man yet. Of course, there would be plenty in District A.
“Here, you can plant them like this. Have one person go fetch water. After planting, you need to water them so they can sprout inside.”
Gilsu and Gangsan did as they were told and ran towards the research lab to get water. The thought of eating crops they grew themselves this year filled their hearts with excitement. Just then, Ire was also coming outside. Gilsu was about to talk about the seeds, but Ire headed straight for his car.
“Where are you going, Captain?”
“I have somewhere to go.”
“Where?”
Ire’s gaze lingered on the old man talking to Baek Seol in the distance. Since he had promised to look after his family’s well-being, he intended to keep his word. He could send a colleague, but he judged that his familiar face would be better for them to lower their guard.
“I’ll be back soon. Take care of Kim Ha-yoon. His fever hasn’t completely subsided, so keep an eye on him. Bring his medicine too.”
At those words, Gilsu’s lips curled up crookedly. “Don’t worry. I’ll take very good care of him.” The way he spoke each word slowly sent a sense of foreboding. He had lost his knife and nearly drowned him before, so there was no way he had good feelings.
Ire urgently called Gangsan.
“San, I have a favor to ask of you.”
Gilsu insisted he would do it, but Ire strictly warned him not to let him in. He wouldn’t harm him, but if he provoked Kim Ha-yoon’s temper and reopened his stitches, the situation might become unmanageable.
After reiterating his request, Ire started the car. As he left the district and accelerated, the numbers on the dashboard climbed rapidly. He scanned the sky, checking for reconnaissance planes. The planes that used to fly several times a day had been quiet for days.
He drove past District A and headed towards the lake, but there were no search parties in sight. Had they given up completely? But then, thick smoke was rising from beyond the mountains. That was also where the old man had lived in hiding. With a sense of foreboding, he hurried towards the area.
As he rounded the mountain and entered the village, an unbelievable sight unfolded before his eyes. Houses were burned to ashes, and people, their bodies so mangled they were unrecognizable, lay scattered everywhere. His heart sank, and his fingertips trembled slightly.
As he got closer, the devastation made it hard to breathe. Most of the fallen appeared to be men, bearing signs of penetrating wounds. There were about ten people lying on the ground. Where had the rest gone?
Just then, a groan of “Help me” was heard from afar. He got up and ran, finding a man gasping for breath with a gunshot wound to his chest. As he tried to apply pressure to the wound for first aid, the man grabbed his hand.
“H-help me… P-people… they were taken… taken…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence and died with his mouth agape. Something hot rose in his throat. He quietly closed the man’s open eyes and stood up. Searching the area for survivors, the smell of burning wood and flesh pricked his nostrils from all sides.
He discovered an entrance leading underground, but no one remained. Seeing smoke grenades rolling around, he deduced that they had been detonated to lure people out. Realizing they were military-grade, Ire squeezed his eyes shut.