70

Ha-gyeom’s face turned deathly pale. Kang Hana and Kang Duna, who had been watching him intently, each added their thoughts in turn.

“We’re not trying to belittle their noble efforts to achieve justice.”

“But the reality is, not everyone can get on the lifeboat. We have to accept that.”

“If they were to rescue all those people, those who have already found a way to survive wouldn’t be able to maintain their quality of life.”

“For someone to live, someone else must die….”

As the conversation continued relentlessly, Ha-gyeom’s hands grew clammy with sweat. His mind was in a daze. Struggling to maintain his composure, he looked at Gi Suh-hyun, who spoke softly with a sigh.

“When faced with limits, everyone weighs the value of human life. They calculate who is worth saving and who isn’t. So, don’t feel the need to extend your goodwill to us.”

“…….”

“Just because you’re from the Center… it doesn’t change anything for us….”

Gi Suh-hyun’s gaze remained cold. However, her tightly pressed lips were pale and trembling slightly, revealing the deep wound left in her heart by Jeong’s death. Ha-gyeom realized that, in the face of someone who had endured such hardship, defending the Center would be heartless.

He finally regained his composure. After holding his breath for a moment, he steeled himself and handed the water he had brought for the sisters to Gi Suh-hyun. Despite his best efforts, his hand shook just as much as her lips.

It was only natural that his faith had been shaken. But he didn’t want to compare his own shock to the deep wounds she had suffered.

Clenching his fist, Ha-gyeom pulled his hand back and asked quietly, “…How are you feeling?”

“Much better.”

Gi Suh-hyun rubbed her neck, then stood up on her own two feet. Slowly but surely, she stretched out, taking her time. The sisters hovered anxiously nearby, ready to catch her if she stumbled.

“Can you get me some clothes? I can’t stay like this forever….”

After Gi Suh-hyun awoke and they discussed the Center, Ha-gyeom could sense a shift in the sisters’ attitude toward him. Their once friendly demeanor had grown more guarded. It felt as though an invisible line had been drawn between him and them. But Ha-gyeom wasn’t particularly bothered by it; it was only natural to protect those who needed it.

“Is there anything else you need?” he asked.

“No.”

Her response was curt. Resigned, Ha-gyeom began to turn away, but Gi Suh-hyun spoke again.

“Is this your resonance?”

“Yes.”

Guides could sense the nature and strength of each other’s resonances. Gi Suh-hyun carefully examined the boundary of Ha-gyeom’s resonance that stretched out into the distance, visible through the window. For a brief moment, her dark eyes seemed to flicker with a hint of blue.

Ha-gyeom felt a wave of tension, unsure of what she might say next, but no particular comment came. As the silence stretched on, he quietly left the room, leaving Gi Suh-hyun and the sisters behind.

---

With a loud bang, part of the building’s outer wall collapsed about three hours later. The explosive sound was followed by the structure trembling precariously, as if the very foundation of the building was about to give way.

Boom! Boom!

The noise wasn’t just from the impact; it wasn’t just from something being fired. Ha-gyeom sprinted out to the terrace, avoiding the debris falling from the ceiling. Gripping the railing, he looked down and saw massive monsters, some as large as several dozen times the size of a person, crashing against the building with loud, thunderous roars.

Screeeeech!

But the monsters were also dying. It wasn’t that the building was under attack by the monsters; rather, the monsters themselves were being attacked by someone, causing them to fall helplessly and thrash about.

Ha-gyeom’s sharp gaze shifted to the opposite building, where the unexpected event he had long anticipated was unfolding.

‘Yang Ga-eun…!’

Under the stormy sky, he finally spotted Yang Ga-eun’s red hair whipping in the wind. It wasn’t a hallucination! Yang Ga-eun had reappeared, standing on the rooftop of the opposite building, alternating between a spear and a gun as she took down the monsters.

There was no way she would be hunting in a place like this, far from the Center. It was clear that her intention was to cause chaos.

Realizing her plan, Ha-gyeom quickly dashed back inside the building. He had to find Baek Sa. While Yang Ga-eun and her team drew attention, he planned to find a way to get Baek Sa out and return to the Center.

Baek Seung-woo… and the words Gi Suh-hyun had said just moments ago…

His mind was as chaotic as the situation, but he decided to deal with that later. For now, Ha-gyeom sprinted through the winding hallways without a second thought.

Soon, he saw Tae-seong’s back. Only one civilian was left with him. Something was wrong. Ha-gyeom glanced around and realized that Gi Suh-hyun and the sisters were nowhere to be seen.

“…!”

It seemed that it wasn’t just Yang Ga-eun’s group taking advantage of the chaos. Baek Sa, Park Ha, and Yeo Jin-joo, armed, were now standing next to Tae-seong. At the same time, Tae-seong pressed the barrel of a gun against the temple of a middle-aged man.

“Where did Gi Suh-hyun and those brats go? Spill it, you bastard!”

“What, you think I’m afraid of this? Don’t waste your bullets. I’d rather bite my tongue and die.”

There was no fear in the man’s eyes. His expression was one of resignation and confidence. Given that he was one of those Gi Suh-hyun had cared for, his reaction wasn’t entirely surprising.

Boom!

The building shook again, causing various objects to crash to the floor. The ceiling tiles shattered, revealing the framework above. At this rate, the building might actually collapse.

Unable to wait any longer, Ha-gyeom ran straight to Baek Sa.

‘…Hyung.’

He swallowed the words he desperately wanted to say and instead grabbed Baek Sa’s wrist. He looked up to meet his eyes, but Baek Sa’s gaze remained fixed on the man, never turning towards him. Ha-gyeom, frustrated, tightened his grip on Baek Sa’s wrist.

Only then did Baek Sa slowly turn his cold, emotionless eyes toward him. There was no reaction, no feeling in his gaze—not towards the defiant man, not towards the disaster unfolding around them, and not even towards Ha-gyeom. He was utterly devoid of emotion.

What had made him so cold and distant?

Ha-gyeom’s eyes welled up, but his curiosity was short-lived. The windows, already cracking, suddenly shattered with a sharp sound.

“What are you doing? Go after them,” Baek Sa ordered.

Park Ha grumbled as he grabbed Yeo Jin-joo and pulled her along.

“We’re screwed, damn it.”

Park Ha sprinted toward the broken window, leaping out with Yeo Jin-joo clinging to his back, her scream echoing as they disappeared.

“Stay here until I get back.”

“Yes.”

Tae-seong responded nonchalantly to Baek Sa’s command. Ha-gyeom found it suspicious that Tae-seong’s gaze briefly flickered towards him, but the thought vanished the moment Baek Sa gripped his wrist in return.

“Wait….”

Ha-gyeom was staring into Baek Sa’s unreadable eyes, unsure of how to convince him. But before he could speak, Baek Sa started moving. Ha-gyeom was stunned by the force with which Baek Sa pulled him toward the staircase.

The speed at which they ascended left Ha-gyeom feeling dizzy, his vision intermittently blacking out. By the time they reached the rooftop, his breathing was ragged, and his eyes were wet with tears. This might be his last chance. The anxiety gnawed at him, leaving him feeling as if his heart were being squeezed. But he still had no idea what to say to Baek Sa.

So, he simply pleaded, like a child.

“Please, just listen to me. I don’t know what you think of me… Maybe you don’t understand now, but I…!”

He followed Baek Sa up the final steps to the rooftop. As they burst through the door, Ha-gyeom was immediately engulfed by a blanket of darkness.

“Ugh…!”

A monster had crashed into the rooftop railing like a falling plane and then vanished. Startled, Ha-gyeom hesitated.

In the now empty sky, Ha Young-jae leaped forward, firing a cannon at the monster that was fast approaching. Even as he watched the clear stranger with a sharp gaze, Baek Sa made no move to reach for his weapon or prepare for battle.

“…….”

It took less than ten seconds for Yang Ga-eun and Seok Ji-ho to appear behind Ha Young-jae. Ha-gyeom also sensed the energy of Lee Do-seon, whose resonance was enveloping his own. Ignoring Seok Ji-ho’s foolish grin, Ha-gyeom lunged at Baek Sa, grabbing him by the collar.

“Listen to me…!”

Ha-gyeom shouted, but suddenly, he didn’t see Baek Sa—he saw Baek Seung-woo instead.

“Go back, Shin Ha-gyeom.”

Had Baek Sa ever called him by his name before?

Suddenly, everything went white, and the world fell silent. Ha-gyeom’s mind went blank, as if he were being sucked into the heavy stillness.

“…Go back, and don’t even think about returning to the place where I saved you from.”