Guest Ch 8

Invitation to the New Seoul (8)

“They say the biggest hole in the world is in the eastern part of the US. How big do you think it is?”

He lowered his head and whispered, his breath brushing against my ear. It was a slow, quiet breath.

“Washington D.C. disappeared. I woke up one day, and an entire state in the US was gone. So, where do you think the second biggest hole is?”

His breath slowly caressed my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

“France. The Eiffel Tower disappeared. All the antique buildings around Seine River, too. What about Korea? Want to guess?”

He stroked my messy hair, whispering as if he were counting the goosebumps rising on my neck, one by one.

“Several apartment buildings disappeared entirely. It’s no longer surprising that people are vanishing. The Earth is swallowing everything.”

The breath that had hovered near my ear slowly faded away. He lifted his head and looked at the frozen, pale report on the screen. A smile finally spread across his lips.

Was it a good thing that I was shocked and terrified? His smile seemed to revel in my fear and anxiety.

“The Prophets before you played around a lot. If they had told the future properly, people would have made wise choices. But instead, they deliberately offered only the worst options. That’s why things turned out this way.”

What’s a Prophet? Why is he telling me this?

“The job of a Prophet is simple: to fix the mess your ancestors created.”

He let out a satisfied chuckle, like I was something he owned.

“You can’t do it alone, so I’ll help you. Even with the smallest things.”

I couldn’t say anything back to his cruel, cold expression. I had been foolish and naive to think this was a kidnapping. This wasn’t a kidnapping.

This was a plunder to enslave me.

*

“We’re here.”

The Doctor stopped the car after crossing Seongsan Bridge and heading south. I lifted my slightly weary face at his words. My eyes met Toya’s in the rearview mirror. She looked at me, subtly worried about the incident on the bridge when I was grabbed by the collar.

“This place is called West Fort. It’s where we’re all safe.”

Suppressing my complex emotions, I looked out the window.

The area we arrived at after crossing the bridge seemed to be Yeongdeungpo. The first thing that caught my eye was a facility with defensive walls. Sandbags were piled up to create traps, and steel plates were erected beyond them to form a barrier. Snowplows and more sandbags were used to build a retaining wall. The defense facilities seemed quite sturdy. Maybe that’s why they call it a ‘Fortress.’

I noticed figures of people on the ramparts. They drew the bows slung on their backs and prepared to shoot. But when the Doctor flashed the car’s headlights three times, the tension eased. The gatekeeper greeted the approaching car with a friendly wave.

“You’re back early today!”

The Doctor rolled down the window, resting his arm on the sill as he spoke.

“We accomplished our goal and came back early.”

The gatekeeper tilted his head, curious.

“Goal? What goal?”

“Wait and see. The captain will announce it tomorrow.”

“Good news?”

“Of course. You can look forward to it.”

The Doctor appeared to be a reliable person. No one doubted his enthusiasm, and everyone looked at him with anticipation.

“Whatever it is, you worked hard today. Rest up! I’ll wait for the announcement tomorrow!”

The Doctor gave a thumbs up in response to the cheers. The car crossed through the open ramparts and entered the Yeongdeungpo Station area. Doctor’s identity was checked at every intersection with barricades. The men doing the checks were all in their twenties or older, unshaven, with messy hair, armed with guns or knives.

I didn’t see any children, women, or elderly people. Were they kept separate? Or was this fortress only for men fit for combat? I couldn’t tell.

“We’re almost there.”

Just as Toya said, well-maintained commercial buildings started to appear between the overpass and the railway bridge.

The buildings were much cleaner than those near Seoul Station. No broken windows or thick layers of dust. Judging by the flickering lights, they seemed to have their own power generation facilities. I wondered where they kept their guards—probably in a supply warehouse.

I was busy speculating since I couldn’t ask.

Creak.

The car stopped in front of a large shopping mall. I’d only been here once with friends for dinner. It was Times Square near Yeongdeungpo Station, with its surrounding department stores.

“Boss, should I find a place for the Prophet to sleep?”

As soon as the Doctor parked the car, Toya and Black Foot jumped out without a word. The boss spoke while staying close to me.

“I’ll watch him myself.”

“In the same room?”

“Yeah.”

I think I just heard something terrible… Did he say we would be sharing the same room?

The man’s expression didn’t change. Instead of sending me elsewhere under someone else’s watch, he seemed to prefer controlling me himself.

Sigh… The thing I’ve learned the most since arriving in this world is how to give up. I almost want to say, “Just throw me in a warehouse with a blanket and lock me up.”

I’m quickly learning that resistance is futile. One of the lessons learned through repetition is not to provoke the man. I’ve decided to follow his orders without complaint. One experience of getting grabbed by the collar was more than enough.

“Excuse me.”

I called out to him, speaking to the back of his head as he walked a step ahead of me.

“Should I call you Captain too?”

He glanced at me and said as he entered the Times Square building.

“You’re not my subordinate, so there’s no need to call me Captain.”

“Then what should I call you?”

“Do you really need to call me anything? We don’t need a title.”

Wow, he’s really grumpy. What am I supposed to call him without a title?

As we passed through the dimly lit first floor of Times Square, I got a little annoyed and snapped back.

“Then can I just call you ‘hey’ or ‘you’?”

The man froze at my words. Honestly, my heart skipped a beat seeing his reaction. I felt like I had dug my own grave by losing my temper. I took a step back, worried he might grab me by the collar again and throw me to the ground.

It was understandable. His glare in the darkness was terrifying. I thought only animals had eyes that glowed, but that was the moment I realized humans’ eyes could glow too.

“I-I might not be able to call you if I really need you later.”

My voice trailed off as I tried to explain. Seeing his cold, glowing eyes, I silently vowed never to talk back to him again.

The man stared at me for a long time before turning his head. His dismissive attitude no longer bothered me. I was just relieved he hadn’t grabbed me by the collar again. What more could I ask for?

As we passed through the wide hall of the first floor, I glanced at the empty shops. This used to be a place for idol fan signings and corporate pop-up stores, but now it was completely deserted. The exposed escalators leading upstairs weren’t operating either.

The area that once bustled with clothing stores and restaurants was now littered with dusty tables and chairs. A torn and faded poster on the wall advertised a ‘Summer Hot Sale.’ Naked mannequins stood against the glass windows, their necks twisted unnaturally. It was eerie, like they would burst through the glass and charge at us at any moment. I stuck close behind the man, feeling that in this abnormal place, a group of mannequins running toward us like zombies wouldn’t be out of the ordinary.

“Cough.”

A dry cough escaped my lips. Swallowing didn’t ease the pain. That’s when I realized I hadn’t had a sip of water for over half a day. The thirst I had temporarily forgotten while being chased by the wolf and captured by this man suddenly resurfaced.

“Cough, cough.”

The cough wouldn’t stop. My dry throat ached with every cough, making it unbearable. I had no choice but to call out to the man.

“Excuse me…”

I really didn’t want to talk to him. I didn’t want to deal with his glare, and I definitely didn’t want to risk another collar grab. But in this situation, I was always the one at a disadvantage, damn it.

“…Can I have some water?”

He started to say something but stopped. It seemed like he had realized his own contradiction—finding me annoying but choosing to take care of me himself.

He just kept walking in silence, without saying whether he’d give me water or not. Frustrating, but I held back. I had learned that it was wisest not to question the man. So, with my aching throat, I frowned and followed him as he led us to the rooftop.

Creak, thud.

He opened the rusty iron door, and a spacious rooftop painted with green waterproofing paint stretched out before us. There was a mechanical room with a generator. The man placed his hand on top of the mechanical room door, ducked his head, and went inside. I looked up as I followed, not needing to duck.

The height of the door seemed to be around 185 cm, meaning the man must be taller than that—over 190 cm for sure.

I followed him, taking in his broad shoulders, well-proportioned body, and height as he easily fit through the doorframe. The mechanical room was wide and empty, except for an old bed and a small refrigerator. This seemed like his place. Judging by the razor on the table, it looked like he spent most of his time here.

“Here.”

He tore open a box and tossed a 1.8-liter bottle of water at me. He threw it so effortlessly, as if it were a 500ml bottle. I barely caught it, my arms aching under the weight.

“Ugh…”

There was no point in complaining. He wasn’t interested in my pain. He just opened the refrigerator, which had a small mechanical fan attached.

Click.

While he grabbed something cold from the refrigerator for himself, he had handed me the lukewarm bottle. I wasn’t even bothered by the difference in treatment. In my haste, I quickly opened the 1.8-liter bottle and drank nearly half of it.

Gulp, gulp.

My parched throat finally felt some relief, and I started to feel alive again.

“Haaa.”

Leaning against the wall, I let out a breath as my tension eased. He watched me briefly before taking off his coat and laying it over the refrigerator. He unbuckled the belt strapped around his waist and chest and placed it on top of his coat. He rolled up his sleeves, soaked a gauze towel in the water he was drinking, and wiped his face and hands with it.

As he approached me, his tall frame cast a long shadow that swallowed me whole, from the top of my head to my toes where I sat slumped against the wall. His glowing eyes, even in the dim light, made my relaxed body tense up all over again.