By Zephyria “The Awakened Management Bureau was tracking the group to eradicate drugs that negatively affect the Awakened.” And just recently, they learned that the two groups were originally one and moved with the same purpose.”
“So, what are they? What do they do?”
Eui-jae grabbed Sa-young’s thigh under the table. There was no reaction. His muscles twitched reflexively, but that was it. Was he dozing off? This wasn’t something to doze off to.
‘What’s going on?’
Eui-jae looked at Jung-bin again. Jung-bin was now reaching inside his shirt collar and groping his neck. He didn’t even seem to be aware that he was doing it.
“Their name is….”
Just then, he felt a small vibration in his pocket. Was someone contacting him? Eui-jae pretended to focus on the story and checked his phone. It was a text from Ga-eul.
Ga-eul:
It’s a disaster Doomsday is coming
The moment Eui-jae’s eyes widened.
Woo-oong.
It started with a small vibration. Ham Seok-jeong briefly hardened her face, then bowed her head to the people to ask for their understanding. Hmm, uncomfortable coughs erupted from all over, but no one stopped her. She took out her phone. Eui-jae stared intently at her face. A square screen appeared in her black eyes. What kind of contact would the Director be receiving right now?
‘Doomsday.’
Eui-jae hurriedly reached out and grabbed Ham Seok-jeong’s arm.
“Just a moment, Director!”
At the same time,
Dozens of different notification sounds tore through the air.
Buzzing, beeping, vibrations and sounds, music mixed together and rang loudly. The Hunters who were looking at Ham Seok-jeong and J took out their phones one by one. Jung-bin, who had been touching his neck, also came to his senses and checked his messages. No matter how much of a J he was, he couldn’t block all the phones.
And,
Silence fell.
It was quiet. Ham Seok-jeong, Song Jo-heon, who had been having a staring contest with her, Gyu-Gyu, who was yawning as if bored, and Hong Ye-seong, who was doing origami with the materials he was given to read.
Instead, they were touching somewhere on their bodies. Someone their neck, someone their eyes, someone their ears, arms, mouth, heart, stomach. As if checking if their body had suffered a loss without their knowledge. And the check didn’t end with just one time. People kept touching somewhere. Only the sound of clothes rustling was heard in the silence.
“…….”
Eui-jae read the words on Ham Seok-jeong’s phone screen.
[Report that an unidentified group is holding silent protests all over the world. Confirmed as the group being tracked. Creating anxiety that Doomsday is coming soon and encouraging civilians to participate….]
Eui-jae dropped the hand that had been holding Ham Seok-jeong. No one looked at him. He felt completely isolated from the world. He took a step back without realizing it. And he grabbed Lee Sa-young, who was sitting next to him. As if he was the only lifeline.
“Hey, hey, Lee Sa-young.”
“…….”
“Answer me.”
Even shaking his shoulder didn’t bring a response. Eui-jae swallowed. His stomach churned. An uneasy feeling swirled around him. Then, something white and round fluttered up from the floor. It was Cluck.
Cluck went straight to Eui-jae without looking back. A flurry of quick words poured out of its small beak as if it was flustered.
“Hey, hey! This is a real disaster. What’s wrong with your world? Why is the progress so fast?”
Eui-jae checked the pulse on Sa-young’s pale, straight neck. Fortunately, it was beating normally. He let out a small sigh of relief and replied.
“Explain it in a way I can understand. I know I’m screwed right now.”
“What’s there to explain! Some crazy brats are bringing Doomsday. They’ve laid out a red carpet for it to come! Why are there so many crazy people here?”
Eui-jae circled the table and checked the contents of the texts the Hunters had received. They were from different people, but there was a common word. Doomsday. Eui-jae, who had returned to Sa-young’s side, irritably swept back his hair.
“This happened just from seeing the word Doomsday?”
The ominous voice that warned about Doomsday swirled in his head.
‘The more you think about it, the more you talk about it, the more you say it out loud…. It will come faster.’
‘You better be careful. Because you can’t stop people’s thoughts and mouths.’
That’s how careful he had been. He deliberately didn’t share information with Lee Sa-young or the Director. Even though they were already people who knew about Doomsday, he was worried that acquiring additional information would be like attracting Doomsday. But all those efforts were in vain. Eui-jae touched his mask without realizing it.
“If it’s getting this fast just from seeing the letters….”
How should he face it? Could it be stopped with human power? Suddenly, a sense of helplessness washed over him. But Cluck, no, Hong Ye-seong’s voice tore through his thoughts.
“No, that’s not it. This didn’t happen in the last world. I think your world is just particularly unique.”
Cluck, who had been tapping Hong Ye-seong’s cheek with its wings to wake him up, sighed deeply. Cluck paced back and forth on the wide table, muttering.
“The Souls will already remember two Doomsdays. Even if they don’t realize it.”
“…….”
“They’re already people who have died twice because of Doomsday. Their Souls will remember the horror of Doomsday. Besides, this world was merging with the Destroyed world.”
Cluck rubbed its wings together, whimpering.
“Even though the Destroyed world keeps coming to mind, the fear that the Souls remember is combined. That’s why the speed of recognizing Doomsday is much faster.”
Eui-jae looked around. They were still touching somewhere on their bodies. With strangely distorted faces. Cluck sat on Hong Ye-seong’s head and chattered diligently.
“Imagine hearing the word Doomsday without knowing anything. Wouldn’t you just ignore it? Like, aren’t Doomsdayers tired of it?”
“…I guess so.”
“But after you guys came back from that world, people started to remember the Destroyed world little by little. It’s only natural to freeze up because of fear.”
“Frozen because of fear? This many people?”
“You underestimate fear too much. No matter how brave a human is, they can’t ignore the fear engraved in their Soul. They’ll instinctively want to avoid Doomsday.”
“…….”
Eui-jae chuckled. Hong Ye-seong was right. He was also afraid of silence. From the moment he felt fear in the silence for the first time, until now when he was comforted by Sa-young. He didn’t know what to do with the sudden silence.
“Then what about Lee Sa-young?”
Eui-jae grabbed the filter part of the Gas mask and turned Sa-young’s face towards Cluck. He was swayed at his will because he had no strength in his body. Sa-young was slumped over like someone who had completely lost consciousness, let alone touching somewhere.
“He didn’t even hear about Doomsday, but he’s suddenly like this. What’s going on?”
“Huh? I don’t know either!”
“…What do you know?”
“The point is we have to do something. Let’s go out!”
Cluck jumped up as if it was about to run out at any moment. Eui-jae hurriedly said.
“Wait a minute! You’re saying we should leave him like this?”
Cluck tilted its smooth head.
“This place is safer than outside. Because it’s a Shield made by this body. And he’ll come to his senses soon. He won’t be like that forever. Fear is a temporary emotion.”
“…….”
But. Eui-jae tightened his grip on his hand. Could he leave him again?
“…….”
Unfortunately, there was no time to hesitate.
He took off the watch he was wearing on his wrist, rolled up Sa-young’s coat sleeve, and fastened it on his right wrist. The sound of the watch strap being fixed rang out clearly. Eui-jae murmured in his ear.
“I’ll be right back.”
“…….”
“This time it’s for real.”
As Eui-jae got up, Cluck fluttered up and settled on his head. It raised its wings forward with a whoosh.
“Okay, friend. Let’s go!”
“Get down, you crazy brat!”
The road was packed with cars, and the downtown area should have been crowded with people heading somewhere, but all the people on the street had stopped and were looking up at the sky. It was quiet. As if there wasn’t a single living thing. Eui-jae passed through them, glanced around, and muttered.
“I thought it was just the Hunters.”
“Civilians have also experienced Doomsday. Civilians will come to their senses later. Their mental resistance is a little lower.”
Cluck chattered. Cluck, who was sitting on the tip of the spear instead of Eui-jae’s head, flapped its wings.
“Aren’t those the ones? The crazy bastards.”
As he said, people in white clothes were filling the road. But they were also staring blankly into the air. The signs they were holding were also lying powerlessly on the floor. Eui-jae walked closer and picked up one of the signs.
Let’s overcome Doomsday with human power!
Cluck clicked its tongue.
“They couldn’t avoid fear either. They’re stupid…. Do they even know what they’ve done?”
“…….”
At that moment.
A shadow fell over the sign. Eui-jae quickly jumped back. Soon, in the Shield where he had been standing just before,
Kwaaaang―!
Something huge poured down from the sky.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Through the thick cloud of dust, the appearance of something huge writhing could be seen. There was also a sound like crunching something. Eui-jae held his breath with his spear aimed. And,
Through the cloud of dust, a huge mouth opened wide. Inside the mouth, which was full of sharp teeth….
Eui-jae cursed.
“……Fucking hell, this is too much.”
White clothes and limbs soaked in blood were glimpsed.