Guest Ch 7

Invitation to the New Seoul (7)

The wolf, now cornered, suddenly turned and started running. The man took his eyes off me and fixed them on the wolf retreating at full speed. He spun his sword and shouted.

“Aim for the alpha!”

A short girl with a childish face responded.

“I’ve got it!”

She aimed at the alpha wolf like a national archery athlete. The tension in the air was so tight it felt like I could hear the sharp twang of a taut bowstring. The moment she released it, the arrow flew in a long arc.

Whoosh, thud!

The arrow hit the wolf’s body accurately. The girl took out another arrow from the quiver on her back and shot it at the wolf that had fallen forward without even screaming.

Thud!

This time, it struck the wolf’s wriggling head perfectly. The wolf, with its head pierced, trembled for a moment before its legs collapsed under it, leaving only the stench of blood.

“Black Foot, clean up.”

At the man’s command, the fighter called ‘Black Foot’ snapped the necks of the remaining dogs. The alley was dyed black with the wolves that had been slashed with swords and the dozen wild dogs with broken necks and spines. The pungent smell of blood filled the alley. Witnessing this massacre, unlike anything I had ever seen, even in documentaries, left me unable to blink.

Wolves and dogs that had once roamed in packs to attack humans…

And the people who slaughtered them without hesitation…

None of this was something I could adapt to.

“You must be very surprised.”

The man approached, shaking the blood off his sword. I stared at him blankly as he came closer. Facing such overwhelming power, I felt completely defeated.

“I told you to get in the car, but you didn’t listen.”

He reached out and grabbed my wrist. It felt just like the first time he had caught me when we first met. Again, he didn’t let go, just held on tightly, almost burning with heat.

How am I supposed to make sense of this situation? How can any of this be real? Can this reality even exist?

“Are you protesting by not answering?”

At his words, I managed to part my trembling lips.

“W-who… no, what is going on?”

“Good, at least you’re not mute.”

“I, I…”

Before I could say anything more, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me forward. I stumbled and was pulled towards him. My legs gave out, and he caught me by the waist. His strong arms and the large hand gripping my waist didn’t even register in my mind. The pervasive stench of blood was all that reminded me that this moment wasn’t a dream but cold, hard reality.

“Get in. I’ll explain everything in the car.”

The man gave one final warning to me as I stood, still trembling, looking at him.

“Otherwise, the master of those wild dogs and wolves will come for you. Do you want to stay here?”

He was frighteningly calm. If I didn’t obey, it wouldn’t have surprised me if he drew the sword from his belt and used my forehead as a target.

“Don’t make me repeat myself. Prophet.”

That’s what he called me.

Prophet.

I still couldn’t tell where the dream ended and reality began.

Red dust continued to fall from the sky like rain.

*

I stared out the window the entire time we drove. I didn’t know where we were going. I just pressed my face against the window, lost in thought.

I felt like Alice in Wonderland. The scenery outside was unmistakably Seoul, but it wasn’t the Seoul I knew. It was as if I had fallen into a hellish version of the city.

The car sped down the empty Gangbyeonbuk Highway. To the left was the Han River, and to the right were dark city buildings without a single light. But my gaze lingered on the Han River, not the buildings.

In the pitch-black darkness, the river writhed like a beast. It was breathing slowly, like a snake with black scales.

Gone was the romance of nighttime cruises, the summer fountain shows, or fireworks displays. The neatly maintained banks of the Han River were now overrun with weeds and trees, resembling a wild forest. It seemed to reject any human presence, only making the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze.

How can this be reality? What has become of Seoul? My grandmother’s house in Huamdong is still there, so this must be Seoul, right?

“All the wolves they cared for are dead. They’re going to be furious. They’ll definitely attack our fortress for a while, so we better prepare for defense.”

I turned away from the window, glancing at the driver who had just spoken. He was an enormous man, so tall that his head brushed the ceiling, forcing him to tilt it slightly. He had to be over 190 cm tall. His physique didn’t seem typical for someone of Asian descent; he looked like he might be mixed race.

“Would it have been better to burn the wolf carcasses? That way, there wouldn’t be any traces, and it would’ve taken them longer to find out.”

Despite his intimidating size, his tone was friendly, which eased my tension a bit. It gave me hope that not everyone here was a threat.

“We could’ve bought ourselves more time to prepare. Captain, am I the only one worried about this? Why are you so quiet?”

The man glanced at the rearview mirror, addressing the people in the back. But they said nothing. The atmosphere was oddly cold. Other than the driver, the people looking at me didn’t seem particularly friendly.

On my left sat the man who had ruthlessly slaughtered the beasts with his knife. On my right, a small man, dark and silent, clearly trained in deadly combat. Sandwiched between them, I clenched my fists on my lap. If this is all real, then I’ve been kidnapped.

That’s right, kidnapped. These strangers had dragged me away against my will, so what else could it be but kidnapping? Although I was confused because kidnappers usually demand ransom, which these people hadn’t done.

The petite girl in the passenger seat turned her head to look at me as I finally started to grasp the situation. She was the one who had been shooting arrows as tall as herself. Her gaze wasn’t as threatening as the men sitting next to me, which was somewhat reassuring.

“Why are you so pale? Are you going to get carsick?”

…My relief died instantly. I had a long way to go before I could adapt to this world. What was with her accent? Was she from North Korea?

“Why are you so scared? Do you think we’re going to eat you?”

What kind of group is this?

A man so big he had to hunch over in the driver’s seat.

A North Korean girl who shot arrows like a ghost.

A tall man who had hacked at wolves with a knife.

And a small man who knew how to kill with martial arts.

I was just starting to recover from the shock from the dog and wolf slaughter, and now I’m talking to a North Korean girl? Should I think of her as a defector, or has Seoul been unified in this strange new world?

If Korea has unified, should I congratulate them? Should I smile and ask who the president of a unified Korea is? What’s the official name of unified Korea? Is it ‘United Korea’? Do they still use the term ‘Republic of Korea’?

No, this isn’t the time for such trivial thoughts. The biggest issue isn’t Seoul, it’s whether the entire world is still the one I knew. What if the U.S. president’s name isn’t the one I remember? I would be shocked.

Should I ask these people where we are? If I ask what happened to Seoul, will they kill me like they did the dogs and wolves earlier? I’m too scared to speak to anyone except the driver…

“Toya, be quiet. Just keep your eyes on the road.”

The girl pouted in response to the man in the black coat’s criticism. What caught my attention more than her sassy reaction was the unfamiliar name ‘Toya’ that the man used to address her. I wondered if there was a North Korean name called Toya, so I cautiously opened my mouth, which had been tightly shut for a long time.

“What country is the name Toya from?”

At my question, his gaze, which had been staring straight at me, lowered. I flinched at the cold, silent look he gave me. It made it hard for me to ask anything easily. If I did something even slightly irritating, he would glare at me like a starved man unable to catch his prey.

If this man grabbed the back of my neck and applied just a bit of pressure, my bones would snap without issue. He was an impossible opponent in a physical fight. How could I possibly win against someone who swings a cleaver?

“No, I’ll stay quiet.”

The girl giggled at my submissive response.

“You’re cute when you’re scared. Oppa, don’t be so afraid. He won’t eat you.”

I responded with an awkward laugh to her speech, which was hard to adjust to. It seemed like she noticed my struggle to adapt to the situation and showed pity, offering me the explanation I was desperate for.

“I came from Mongolia. Before coming to South Korea, I studied the language in Pyongyang for about five years. I’ve studied the Seoul dialect a lot too. Do I sound like a native from Seoul now?”

So that’s why her speech is a mix of North Korean and Seoul dialect.

Although her tone was a bit awkward, it didn’t hinder communication. I was surprised that, despite being from Mongolia, she had mastered both North and South Korean dialects. I nodded at the girl, who had narrow, long eyes without double eyelids.

“No one would suspect anything even if you said you were from Seoul.”

The girl looked satisfied with my obvious lie.

“My hard work paid off. Scaredy-cat Oppa, you should call me Toya too. What should I call you?”

Before I could answer, I glanced at the others’ expressions. The man called ‘Black Foot’ seemed uninterested in the conversation, just staring out the window. The way he sat casually in his chair gave off an air of freedom and unpredictability, like someone who didn’t easily blend into the group. The man who had swung the knife earlier was frowning for some reason, staring at the girl, Toya. Toya, cheerful as ever, broke the tense atmosphere.

“Why is your Captain glaring like that?”

Is this girl a bit naive? Doesn’t she see that the man, called the leader, has been spinning a knife between his fingers this whole time?

“Don’t mind that dandy oppa. The captain’s just a bit of a jerk.”

“Toya.”

“Let’s just ignore him! So, what should I call oppa?”

Thanks to the spunky girl, who had the guts to defy the captain, I answered with a much more relaxed expression.

“Woo Hyunho. You can call me Hyunho.”

“Hyunho, Hyunho, Hyunho.”

The girl repeated my name over and over, her lips pouting slightly as her cheeks flushed.

“It’s pretty. It suits your handsome face.”

She had just called him a dandy, and now she was calling him handsome. I took it as a compliment, smiling back at her, accepting it in my own way. Only then did the man reveal his displeasure with the situation.

“Toya. Look ahead. You’re distracting the doctor while he’s driving.”

The man at the wheel immediately refuted the claim.

“Hm? No, I’m not. Not at all.”

“Aren’t you like the captain? You can handle several things at once. But the captain can only do one thing at a time.”

Her playful tone only made me more nervous.

She was doing this on purpose. If the man got angry, I would be the first to suffer. Why did she keep provoking him?

Frozen in fear, I cautiously glanced at the man.

His height… Well, I couldn’t tell for sure since he was sitting down, but he seemed a bit shorter than the man driving. Since he was a head taller than me earlier, he must be at least 180 cm tall, maybe even over 190 cm.

He seemed handsome, but I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eye because of his cold demeanor. It was hard to get a clear look at his features. All I could gather was that he was intimidating.

The only thing I could clearly make out was his clothing style. Under his navy blue coat, he wore a plain white shirt and black jeans. A specially made leather belt was wrapped tightly around his waist. All sorts of guns and knives were holstered on it. His fully armed appearance was overwhelming. Even without the weapons, he looked intimidating enough to take on most beasts with his bare hands. His body appeared solid, even under his clothes. It wasn’t something that could be achieved with just casual exercise. How many years had he been fighting in this environment?

“What are you staring at?”

His response to my gaze felt like that of a highly sensitive animal. He was different from the thugs I had faced in the alley. If I had to compare him to anything, his cold, calculating aura was closer to that of a bird of prey. His sharp gaze felt like it could grip my neck like talons.

“My apologies.”

The man’s eyes narrowed at my response. His face was pale, and the shadows cast by his furrowed brows made him appear even more menacing.

“You’re quick to grasp the situation. You don’t seem like an idiot either. I was prepared to understand if you were panicking and couldn’t think straight, but you’ve already regained enough composure to observe me.”

This time, the man began to scrutinize me. He watched my expression, my reactions, and my every word before speaking again.

“It’s obvious you haven’t suffered enough. You’re a nuisance.”

If anyone heard him, they’d think he was a noble who had never dirtied his hands. It’s not that I haven’t suffered, but this world forces too much suffering on people.

I wanted to protest, but no words came out. Arguing with a kidnapper was pointless. If I tried to play mind games, I’d only end up losing. Every time I saw the gleaming knife peeking from under his coat, a cold sweat ran down my back. How could I possibly put on a brave face?

“I can hear your brain working. What are you thinking so hard about?”

I felt suffocated. I wanted to ask Toya to switch places with me.

“Tell me. What’s on your mind right now?”

“…I’m not thinking about anything. I’m not clear-headed enough to think yet.”

The man smiled, releasing some of the tension he had been holding me in. I thought he wouldn’t stab someone with a smile, but I was wrong. He was the type who could smile while stabbing you.

“You think this is a joke.”

I grimaced, realizing that smiling had been a mistake, but it was too late.

“Pull over.”

The driver exclaimed in surprise, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

“What? Here?”

“Yes.”

“This is the wild dog territory.”

“Just for a moment.”

“But…”

“I said stop.”

The driver, called ‘Doctor’, who had been fidgeting, finally shifted gears.

Screech.

The car stopped on an empty bridge crossing the Han River. The man grabbed me by the neck.

“Hey, Captain!”

The man ignored Doctor’s urgent cries.

Thud!

He slid open the car door and dragged me out. Before I could resist his forceful grip, I was thrown to the ground.

“Ugh!”

Thud!

hit the cement floor hard. My tailbone screamed in pain, but I didn’t have time to focus on it.

“Prophet.”

The man approached as I lay there, his eyes gleaming with a chilling light. Without giving me a chance to explain, he grabbed me by the collar.

Flinch.

I was genuinely terrified. He looked like he would kill me just as easily as he had crushed the stray dog’s head. I held my breath and bit my lip. The man had no sympathy or mercy for me. He forcefully turned my head to face the road we had just driven on.

“Tell me what you see.”

I exhaled nervously, my lips trembling.

“Wh…what?”

“Tell me what you see with your eyes right now.”

I shifted my shaky gaze. The city, submerged in darkness, was almost invisible. Only the steel-framed buildings and the trees growing around them revealed faint outlines. The undergrowth of withered plants was consumed by moss and lichen. The road was covered in that strange green. It wasn’t a refreshing shade of green, but an oddly slimy color, like the skin of a green monster slowly devouring the asphalt.

“S-sir, I see plants.”

The man grabbed my chin with one hand. His grip was strong. He stared at me as I trembled, then forced my head up to look beyond the plants.

“Say it again. What do you see?”

There was nothing visible to the naked eye in the darkened world. Only deep darkness. I could only see pitch-black holes, like deep pits. Bottomless holes, as if the ground had completely caved in.

“…Sinkholes.”

I was familiar with those holes from the news.

‘A sinkhole with a diameter of about 3m occurred near Jamsil…’

Diameter of 3m and depth of 10m? That was child’s play. The sinkholes in front of me were at least 100m in diameter and immeasurable in depth.

Volcanoes spew lava from their mouths, but sinkholes just devour everything indiscriminately, trees, cars, even people. They drag everything underground, no matter if it’s passing by, standing still, or flowing. There’s no safe place for those of us who walk on two feet. You never know when you might fall through and disappear. If we, who can’t fly like birds or swim like fish, can’t even trust the ground, where can we settle and live?

Those holes, which evoke the most primal fear, painted the road pitch black. A darkness that empties everything.