Fl 97

He stared with a hollow expression at the spot where Kim Ha-yoon had disappeared.

Why… why… because of me… why…?

His mind was in chaos, and breathing became difficult, as if someone was pressing their foot on his solar plexus. In that moment, a black object slowly revealed itself from within the flames. As the creature fully revealed its form in the center of the lake with a grotesque sound, most of those present lost their will to fight.

It was a monster of a form never seen before. It was tens of times larger than the one he and Kim Ha-yoon had dealt with previously, and the number of tentacles was countless. The tentacles, which stretched out in unpredictable directions, began to cut off the breaths of soldiers who hadn’t managed to escape.

“Retreat! Retreat! All personnel, retreat!”

The neck of someone who had been shouting was instantly severed and sent flying. When he was a trainee, he had played games with his peers. It was a game where they shot guns at monsters, and everyone had laughed and had fun. They had even made trivial jokes about betting on who could kill more monsters if they ever met one.

But the reality before his eyes was utterly cruel. They were the ones being slaughtered, not the monster. A piercing ringing in his ears intensified, bringing with it an unbearable headache. His vision blurred, his consciousness faded, and time slipped back into the past, returning to the day the priest and the nun had died.

The rage and helplessness of being unable to do anything while watching his loved ones die before his eyes. It was the same when he saw Matteo fall, a moment he couldn’t grasp. Why did people become unhappy when they were by my side? Perhaps I was never meant to be born in the first place.

As the headache worsened and he could barely keep himself upright, someone grabbed his pants and shook him. Looking beside him, he saw Seo Young-jun struggling to look at him.

“Run… quickly…!”

Even that sight felt unreal. Just then, with a thump, the severed head of a comrade who had been in front of him rolled to his feet. In his dead eyes, there was even a look of bewilderment. The screams echoing from all around pierced his head like sharp needles.

Ah! He clutched his head and sank to his knees. The pain, which gradually intensified, felt like his entire body was being torn apart. He vomited what he had eaten and, banging his head on the ground, cursed the heavens. Why, when you love us, do you always give us such trials?

“Ugh…!”

Isn’t it enough that you’ve taken everything away until now!

This time… why… why again….

The image of Kim Ha-yoon he had seen moments ago was vivid. Why that expression? Why die so hopelessly? You have a debt to repay me! You were supposed to die by my hand! How can I resent you now! How can I!

Suddenly, Sister Agape’s face flashed in his mind. Beside her stood Matteo, his face young and innocent. Their expressions as they looked at him were strange. Seemingly happy yet troubled. As he tried to recall when this memory was from, a woman in a wretched state caught his eye in a corner.

Her face was familiar. She smiled faintly at the words “born healthy” and moved her lips.

“…The child, please.”

Her clouded eyes, fangs protruding sharply between her lips.

Ah. The woman reached out and grasped a sharp pair of scissors.

No… don’t.

Ire writhed and screamed at the unfamiliar and terrifying memory. The ringing in his ears intensified, and a metallic scent of blood rose from his throat. The ground beneath him began to vibrate, and cracking sounds echoed from various places. “It’s an earthquake!” Leaving behind someone’s shout, the monster that had only been in the lake began to move towards them.

Despair washed over the faces of those who couldn’t escape due to their injuries. The monster let out a strange cry and spread its upper body. It was similar yet different from the one he had seen before. Its hard shell felt like metal, not a crab’s. It glowed, and all its tentacles flew towards Ire.

“Dodge!” Seo Young-jun shouted with his last strength, but Ire accepted it calmly.

As it flew right before him, he moved his lips.

“Die.”

As if it acted as a curse, the tentacles began to burst from their tips as if crushed. In the blink of an eye, they reached his body and instantly exploded with a boom! The soldiers fleeing stopped and stared at the spot. The body, which even artillery shells couldn’t penetrate, was torn apart like a rag and vanished without a trace.

Completely mangled beyond recognition, Ire collapsed to his knees. He coughed, blood pouring from his mouth, and his body pitched forward completely. Soon after, blood flowed from his ears and eyes.

He looked up at the sky with difficulty and rolled onto his back.

Far away, fighter jets, having responded to the request for support, flew in.

His vision gradually blurred. Am I going to die now…?

Suddenly, that day came to mind. The day Kim Ha-yoon pushed him and he fell from the helicopter.

He sometimes had that dream. Reality was a nightmare, but in the dream, he was smiling. He hated smiling, so after waking up, he would curse Kim Ha-yoon. Back then, he thought it was okay to die, but not anymore. There were so many people he wanted to see alive.

His consciousness grew hazy, and he could hear people’s voices. His head ached, and blood, or perhaps tears, continued to stream from his eyes.

* * *

“Captain, Captain?”

“Stop calling me. Don’t bother me.”

“I think your finger just moved.”

“Really?”

“Captain. Can you hear me?”

Hearing the familiar voice, he slowly opened his eyes, only to squint at the blinding light. His vision was blurry. After blinking a couple of times, familiar faces gradually appeared one by one.

“How did you guys….”

“See, I told you I moved!” Seeing his colleagues rejoice at the sight of him, a lump formed in his throat. With Jang-cheon’s help, he managed to sit up. Seeing the injection needle in his arm, he realized he was in a hospital. And not just any hospital, but one in district a. Why was he here? More importantly, how did his colleagues get in? Did they get captured? They looked too well-dressed to have been captured.

“We got word that it was okay to visit, so we dressed in our best clothes.”

“You woke up after a week. Did you know?”

Ire’s mouth hung open in surprise. A week had already passed?

“They say all the monsters are dead. They even mobilized fighter jets. I hate the people from district a, but I have to admit their capabilities. To take down that terrifying monster, amazing, isn’t it?”

As he tried to recall memories, Ire gazed down at his own palm. He clenched his fist tightly and squeezed his eyes shut. When he asked about the deceased comrades, he was told that their bodies had been found. As they were discussing arrangements for the funeral, a knock sounded, and the door opened, revealing Kwon So-young. Gilsu’s mouth hung open as he greeted her. In fact, “flirted” might be a more accurate description.

“Could my friends wait outside for a moment? I have something to discuss with him.”

As they readily left, Kwon So-young brought a chair and lightly checked Ire’s condition.

“How are you? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

Instead of answering, Ire asked a question.

“What about the others?”

“There’s chaos because of the many casualties. The media too.”

“What about Seo Young-jun?”

“Fortunately, he survived. They provided temporary measures well. He’s hospitalized here, so you can visit.”

Oh Nam-gi was also fine. Knowing how sharp he was, Ire had expected him to survive somehow. While thinking this was a relief, Ire ultimately couldn’t bring himself to ask about Kim Ha-yoon. As if sensing his thoughts, Kwon So-young subtly broached the subject.

“Aren’t you curious about Kim Ha-yoon?”

“…….”

“Well. You hated him so much. You must have thought it was good that he died.”

He looked up and met Kwon So-young’s gaze. “He’s dead?” His voice trembled slightly at the end. Kwon So-young paused, then shrugged.

“Actually, they’re still searching. The recovery of bodies isn’t complete… given how intact they aren’t.”

“…….”

“As a friend, I hope he’s alive, but honestly, there’s little hope. You saw his last moments, didn’t you?”

When he didn’t reply, Kwon So-young smiled bitterly.

“Just pray. To the God you believe in. He used to say he’d go to hell when he died because he did a lot of bad things. You could ask him not to punish him too harshly if he ends up there.”

Kwon So-young’s eyes gradually reddened. She let out a soft sigh and composed her expression. Then, she gathered her notepad and stood up, turning back to Ire.

“Oh, and do you happen to remember?”

“Remember what?”

“At the end. How, and why, you collapsed?”

He shook his head, and she looked as if she expected it. After Kwon So-young left completely, Ire buried his face in his hands. A moment later, he heard the sound of the door opening. As Ire looked up, his eyes slowly widened. Matteo stood in the doorway, looking at him.

Unlike before, his eyes were filled with warmth. He walked over slowly and gently pulled Ire into a hug. Stroking his hair, he soothed him, saying everything was over and he was okay. “Did your memory return? Do you recognize me now?” Finally, the tears he had held back burst forth. He didn’t know why his sorrow surged when he said it was over.