Sa-young rested his chin on Eui-jae's shoulder. Soft strands of hair brushed against his cheek, tickling lightly. Haa... He let out a small sigh and whispered.
"...You know, I once imagined a day like this."
"Yeah?"
"A day when you'd come back... and say things like, 'You did well. You worked hard. Thanks for waiting.' Those kinds of words."
The steady rhythm of Sa-young's heartbeat thumped faintly through the layers of clothing faster than usual. A low chuckle brushed against Eui-jae's ear, and their bodies trembled softly with the laughter.
"It's better... than I imagined. Hearing it directly from you."
"...Then I'm glad,"
Eui-jae muttered gruffly, patting his back.
Sa-young rubbed his head against the nape of Eui-jae's neck, like a large, affectionate animal pressing closer.
Then, the dark night sky began to fade. The narrow alleyway around them melted away as though washed in white paint. Eui-jae lifted his head. The alley where they'd reunited vanished, replaced once again by the white desert. Feeling the ground sink beneath his feet, he grabbed Sa-young's wrist and started running.
"What, suddenly?"
"Just run! If you stop, you'll sink!"
"Sink? I didn't before, though?"
Eui-jae faltered and glanced back. Sa-young stood firmly atop the sand, perfectly stable, while Eui-jae's feet were being swallowed by it. Seeing that, Sa-young grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, breaking into a run.
"God... there's never a quiet moment with you. Since when did this start? Did you mess something up again?"
"I didn't! I was just running, trying to find you."
As he ran, Eui-jae glanced back again. The white desert stretched endlessly, even the horizon fading into haze. He thought of his aunt. Of the comrades he'd lost in the West Sea Rift. Maybe their memories were buried somewhere in this place.
Then
"Don't look back."
The low voice struck his ears like a whip.
"If you get caught up in the past, you won't be able to move forward. You'll be trapped there."
"..."
"Focus. Regret won't take you back to that moment. It can't change what's already happened."
The resolute tone echoed beside him. Eui-jae stared at the scattering fragments beneath his feet, memories of people breaking apart and reforming. They ran across the weight of countless recollections.
"Don't look back. Don't regret it. Just keep running. Don't stop."
A large, calloused hand gripped his own tightly.
"If that's too hard... then just focus on my hand."
Eui-jae lifted his gaze. Sa-young's back filled his vision, his black curls fluttering, the tails of his coat snapping in the wind, the black-gloved fingers clutching his own.
Lee Sa-young didn't long for the past. He didn't regret. He simply left it where it belonged and moved forward.
"...You never regret anything?"
At the self-mocking question, Sa-young turned his head slightly. The violet in his eyes gleamed, reflecting Eui-jae's face. He gave a small, crooked smile.
"Who goes through life without regrets? Only robots do that."
"Then how..."
'How can you keep running without hesitation?'
The words nearly slipped out, but Eui-jae swallowed them. Every step sent up white dust, memories not of his own, flickering to life. Scenes flashed by in fragments: people fighting monsters, shielding others, dying miserably. Worlds ravaged by endings, countless memories of destruction.
Sa-young faced forward again, tightening his grip.
"Right now is what matters most."
"..."
"You're here, beside me."
And at that instant, the world shifted.
"Divide the zones that need support! Report immediately! Contact the Awakened Management Bureau!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"How many new rifts?"
"About five! The formation rate is slowing compared to earlier!"
"Keep checking! Civilian evacuation status?"
"Underway! Most civilians have entered shelters. Those who haven't are being escorted by the Mackerel Brothers!"
"If they request backup, send a team right away!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"And, damn it, there are so many monsters!"
Thunk!
A hand axe split a monster's skull clean in two. Between the halves appeared a frowning woman: Hunter Yang Hye-jin of the Rift Management Bureau. She kept barking orders into her radio.
"Yes, Hunter Yang Hye-jin speaking. Director? Ah, yes, just a moment..."
The regulars from the hangover soup restaurant, Hunter Yang Hye-jin and the rookie hunter were alive and fighting.
His steps grew lighter.
Collapsed buildings, broken cars, cracked asphalt, familiar scenery. Over it all, strands of golden hair fluttered. Eui-jae's instincts kicked in; he followed the motion.
Honeybee.
She was single-handedly holding off a dungeon break.
She tightened her grip on her rapier and shouted,
"Quit dawdling and get the civilians out!"
"Do you need backup?"
"Shut it! Don't need it! Go block the others instead!"
Hunters in suits carried the injured away while Honeybee charged straight into the horde of monsters, disappearing into the chaos.
Honeybee.
The pressure weighing on his body eased slightly.
Next came the lobby of Seowon Guild. Normally lined with books and librarians, it was now filled with groaning patients. Librarians rushed to treat minor wounds. Amidst them stood a man in a white coat, silver hair tied back.
Nam Woo-jin stood before a patient with a hole through his stomach. A pure white light burst from his hands. Behind his glasses, his eyes were narrowed in focus, sweat dripping down his brow. The light faded after a while, leaving only a faint scar.
"...Next."
He staggered as he moved toward another bed. The marionette boy beside him caught him immediately.
"Master, you must rest. You're overexerting yourself."
"No time. Next!"
"Understood."
Supported by the boy, he continued to the next patient. His image, too, began to fade.
Nam Woo-jin.
The sand around Eui-jae's feet loosened.
Among the shifting scenes, a crimson goldfish swam gracefully across a road blanketed in white ash. Ah, that... Eui-jae's eyes followed the spot of red as it turned into a narrow alleyway toward a faint human presence trembling beneath a box.
"...Yeah, found two survivors here. Road 12-4, right-side alley. One's injured."
In a dark room lit only by blue screens, the younger Mackerel lifted his gaze from the monitor. The older brother typed furiously, and a small screen popped up in the corner.
"S-shortest route to the nearest hospital. It's... it's close enough. N-no need for outside help."
"Got it~ thanks, hyung."
The younger one snapped his fingers. The red goldfish began guiding the survivors toward the hospital.
Mackerel Brothers.
His steps grew lighter still.
"Heh~ where do you think you're running off to?"
Thwack! A black combat boot smashed into a man's face.
"Aaargh!"
The man screamed, clutching his bloodied nose, Ivan, a member of Prometheus. He gasped, eyes wide with terror. The bloody boot drew closer, and its owner crouched down, light blue hair tousled, a grin creeping up his lips.
"We haven't even had our fun yet~ Crying already? That's no good."
"W-why... why are you doing this?"
"Why? Idiot."
Crack! The fist slammed into his skull. Gyu-gyu grinned lazily.
"Because thanks to you, a bunch of my friends got screwed over... and that pisses me off."
He grabbed Ivan by the hair, whistling as he dragged him into the darkness.
"Come on~ let's play a little. Don't worry, I won't kill you..."
Shhhh, shhhh, the scrape of fabric against the ground faded into the dark.
Gyu-gyu.
The sand that had tried to grasp his feet lost its strength and scattered into nothing.