RG 126

The sound of fabric brushing against fabric was followed by a cool breeze grazing my cheek. As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw the swaying curtain and the open window. I got up from the sofa and looked around. The living room was lit with sunlight. The TV was off, and the table in front of the sofa was exactly as I remembered.

‘Where’s Cha Sahyeon?’

Seeing the game console on the table made me wonder where Cha Sahyeon had gone. That kid wouldn’t have gone out alone without me.

Just as I took a step to look for him, I suddenly realized something.

Why is my body so heavy? With every step I took, I felt dizzy. Am I coming down with something? I muttered inwardly and called out to Cha Sahyeon, “Hey, kid!”

Where could he have gone? It wasn’t easy to disappear in a place this small.

After checking the living room and kitchen, I finally headed to the bedroom.

The rusty sound of the door echoed as I opened the bedroom door, revealing the small back of Cha Sahyeon standing in the middle of the room.

Something was strange about the room. There should’ve been a bed and a nightstand, but now it was completely empty.

“Kid.”

Cha Sahyeon didn’t move at all, as if he couldn’t hear my voice. With no other choice, I stepped into the bedroom and called out again—

Beeeep!

“Guh…!”

A piercing ringing in my ears was followed by a crushing pressure on my shoulders. I collapsed to the ground, clutching my forehead, and saw a pitch-black floor beneath me. Everything around me was swallowed by darkness. Even the warm air from just moments ago had vanished.

A biting chill surged over me like a wave. As cold sweat dripped from my face and I lifted my head, I saw a tall man standing in place of the child. Long black hair falling past his waist. A large scythe gripped in his bloodied hand. 

The man slowly turned around. Green eyes, visible through strands of tousled hair, fixed on me.

“Haa, ugh…”

My legs were frozen in terror and refused to move.

I tried to back away, trembling, desperate to put even a little more distance between myself and the man. That’s when—thud, something bumped into my elbow.

I instinctively turned to the side—and gasped as if my heart had been pierced.

Ryu Seonghyeon lay there, covered in blood, eyes closed.

And it wasn’t just Ryu Seonghyeon. The bodies of Circle Guild members and countless Hunters were sprawled out before me.

A red glow filled the previously dark space. A battlefield bathed in blood beneath a setting sun. Sparks drifting through the air, the stench of smoke and cries of agony filling every corner.

This is hell.

“No, big bro…”

I frantically pulled Ryu Seonghyeon’s corpse into my arms. Fear and despair surged up to my throat, making it hard to breathe. I could feel the chill of his stiffening body. His skin, cold to the touch, and the strong scent of blood had completely erased his familiar smell.

Everything about it was disturbingly vivid. This wasn’t just a dream I’d forget when I woke up. It was the leftover trace of a memory I had truly lived through.

“Big brother, hhh…”

Tears fell onto Ryu Seonghyeon’s cheek. Even in my dreams, Ryu Seonghyeon had died and wouldn’t look at me. I hated him for that. Hated him so much, it hurt. So much that I couldn’t let go.

Holding onto him, I stared at the green-eyed man. As he looked back at me with an unreadable expression, I muttered, “I won’t forget. Never…”

My vision gradually blurred. As the darkness returned and began to swallow both the man and me, I repeated the same words over and over again.

“I won’t forget.”

***

When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling came into view. I fumbled at the thick blanket covering my chest and checked outside the window. No wonder it felt so dark—night had already fallen.

‘Did I pass out?’

I had no memory after escaping to the rooftop with Cha Sahyeon.

I’d pushed myself to the limit tearing through the church. So passing out wasn’t all that surprising… but the fact that it happened right in front of Cha Sahyeon didn’t sit well with me.

I let out a sigh and slowly lifted my upper body when something soft and damp fell from my face. It was a lukewarm washcloth. There were also various medications scattered across the nightstand. From fever reducers to disinfectant and gauze.

I stared blankly at the used supplies when a gentle voice came from somewhere.

“You’re awake?”

My shoulders flinched instinctively. I quickly looked up to see Cha Sahyeon walking out of the bathroom. Holding a fresh washcloth, he paused to look at me before asking, “Do you feel better now?”

I couldn’t say I was completely fine, but I was definitely in better shape than before I passed out. At least the pounding headache was gone, which made things easier to bear.

I gave a reluctant nod—and suddenly, Cha Sahyeon broke into a bright smile. “Really?”

He strode toward me without hesitation.

As he came closer, that eerie chill grew stronger too. Sitting down made his build look even larger, and his direct approach brought a wave of tension over me.

‘Stay calm.’

I forced myself to suppress the urge to flee and met Cha Sahyeon’s gaze.

“I brought you here from the rooftop so you could rest,” he said.

“Where… is this?”

“A hotel. It’s the closest one to the rooftop.”

No wonder it felt so spacious and clean for a motel—it was a hotel. But he shouldn’t have had any money. How did he manage to get a room?

While my mind swirled with questions, Cha Sahyeon kept chattering, visibly excited. “I took care of you like you did for me. I wiped you down, put the washcloth on your head… Oh, and I went to the pharmacy to get medicine too.”

“…”

“You’re okay now, right?” Cha Sahyeon sat on the edge of the bed and leaned toward me. His vivid green eyes sparkled.

“…”

There was so much expectation in his gaze, it was impossible not to know what he wanted from me. If he were still the same as before, I would’ve patted his head and told him he did well.

But now… I couldn’t. Not even a polite lie would come out.

I averted my gaze from him and, after a long pause, finally managed to speak. “…Yeah.”

It was a reply that held no meaning. But it was the best I could give.

“…”

“…”

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Cha Sahyeon, having failed to get the reaction he wanted from me, looked downcast. His shoulders drooped slightly, and his long eyelashes lowered—just like when he was a child. But now, even that familiar sight only made me feel uncomfortable.

‘I can’t breathe…’

I rubbed the back of my neck and squeezed my eyes shut. My stomach churned like I was seasick, and my breathing grew increasingly shallow. I wanted to run away. Facing Cha Sahyeon was difficult, and I felt pathetic for being so afraid.

I had prepared myself for this. It wasn’t as if I had saved that kid without knowing he was a cataclysm waiting to happen. I’d expected this day to come eventually. It may have started with the system, but in the end, I was the one who chose this path and accepted it.

I needed to pull myself together and take care of him properly. Acting emotionally like this wouldn’t help anything. I had to get my emotions under control and treat Cha Sahyeon like I used to. If the seed progress increased any more here, then… really…

“Brother.”

The soft call snapped my spiraling thoughts in half. When I opened my eyes, Cha Sahyeon was smiling faintly, his earlier hurt expression completely gone.

“It’s nighttime, so you can transform into an S-class, right?” It was a sudden and odd question. I narrowed my eyes instead of answering, not understanding his intent, and Cha Sahyeon continued as if he understood my confusion, “You’ll be safe for a while.” 

“What?”

“Nearly fifty cultists are dead, and the head of the lab, one of their key members, is also gone. So they’ve taken a big hit.”

“…”

“I destroyed the sanctuary and dealt with all the bodies. It’ll take them a long time just to figure out what happened.”

Cha Sahyeon stood up. A pitch-black bird rose from the shadow on the floor.

“You could go back to the office we used before, but since it’s already been exposed once, don’t stay there too long.”

“What are you…”

“I’ll leave a shadow with you. Even if it feels weird, just accept it. It’s got A-class power now, so it’ll be more useful than last time.”

“Wait—what are you talking about?”

A wave of dread washed over me. I hurried to follow him, but black shadows were already coiling around him. When we escaped to the rooftop, his shadow had swallowed me up too—but now, it was cold and solid like a wall. I could feel it clearly: the skill’s owner was rejecting me.

I realized then that Cha Sahyeon was truly about to leave. I couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted, “Wait, where are you going?!”

I was afraid of him, uncomfortable around him—but being apart from him was a whole different issue. There was still the system, and for the sake of the world’s safety, I had to keep Cha Sahyeon close. Growing desperate as the shadows rose, I reached out to stop him. The shadow scattered just enough for our hands to meet, and he took mine in his.

“I don’t want to go either.” Through the writhing shadows, I could see his bittersweet smile. “But I don’t have a choice. My energy’s too strong right now—strong enough that even normal people can sense it.”

His hand, which held mine, turned pitch-black. Then, his body merged with the shadows and began to dissipate like smoke.

“So please wait for me just a little.”

“Wait…!”

“I’ll finish this quickly and come back.”

“Cha Sahyeon!” I reached out again, but this time, there was nothing to grasp. With only those parting words, Cha Sahyeon vanished without a trace.

***

[Disaster Strikes at Gyeongbokgung, S-class Demon Emerges from the Rift…]

[Sudden Rift Manifestation—Experts Reveal Analysis at Press Conference]

[Zero Casualties in Gyeongbokgung Incident! Who Is the Mysterious Healer Who Appeared Out of Nowhere?]

[Yesung Guild and Circle Guild Involved—The Enigmatic Support Protected by S-Class Hunters…]

“Ugh…”

Hyeon Dowun groaned, clutching his head as he glared holes into the online news articles. He had already watched the leaked video more than a hundred times. Yet no matter how many times he saw it, he couldn’t make sense of it. Gritting his teeth, he shouted inwardly.

‘Cha Seohu!’

What the hell were you thinking, pulling a stunt like this?! No, if you were going to hide a skill like that, why not keep it hidden to the end? What were you thinking, getting caught on video like that?

“I’m gonna lose it, seriously…”

Thud. Hyeon Dowun slammed his forehead onto his desk.

“Father” had surely seen the video. So had the “brothers”. And like Hyeon Dowun, they must have recognized immediately that the Healer in the footage was Cha Seohu.

Cha Seohu must’ve anticipated that too. So what nerve did he have to go and do something like that?

“I don’t get it,” he muttered under his breath, racking his brain to figure out what to do next. It was then that someone banged loudly on the metal door.

Dragging a limp arm, he pressed a button, and the door opened automatically. The visitor was Son Gayoung, the manager of the 10th basement floor.

“We’re seeing each other a lot lately, sis,” he said with a weary voice. 

Son Gayoung twisted her lips, a frown creasing her brow. “I don’t want to come either, okay? But I’ve got orders coming down from above—I don’t have a choice.”

“What is it this time?”

“What do you think.” Son Gayoung tilted her chin toward the ceiling. “Get upstairs. You’ve been summoned—for the first time in a while.”

Hyeon Dowun couldn’t hide the look of unease that crossed his face. As someone who usually handled commissions from his workshop, there were rarely any reasons for him to be called upstairs. And that person almost never summoned him directly. Which meant—if they were summoning him now, it had to be something extremely serious. Considering the chaos caused by the Cha Seohu situation, and now they were calling him… no way…

Meeting Hyeon Dowun’s pale gaze, Son Gayoung gave a slow nod. “Your guess is right.” She exhaled a thick puff of cigarette smoke and added, irritation clear in her voice, “Kang Hae-il, that bastard, and even Muk Jeongho.”

“What…?”

“Both of them just got back into the district.”

At her confirmation, Hyeon Dowun’s face turned even paler. Though not quite as bad, Son Gayoung also wore a deeply uncomfortable expression. She had clearly caught on too—to the real purpose of this sudden brotherhood summons.

‘Cha Seohu!’

Hyeon Dowun clutched his head again and silently screamed for Cha Seohu, whose whereabouts remained unknown.

‘You’re screwed, you idiot…!’

So pick up your damn phone already!