Two days went by and the events of Grushia's Seminar had settled down, the entire city of Seolhart finally catching a moment of peace from the hectic chaos roaming in the lands. Within the City of Seolhart, Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee wandered the streets together, the two not having gone back to Grushia since Cho Jin-Hyan tried to sacrifice her.
Ha-Rin sighed softly as she looked down at her phone, noticing all the missed calls from Luciel, Su-Yun, and Hyeon Bae then closed her eyes to try to forget about all that happened on Wednesday. "This is all just too much to take in...Who knows what my uncle told my father. All I know is I have both clans on me now."
"And Cho Jin-Hyan dropped you to F Rank...and me too! But! Mainly about you, of course," Nu So-Hee said with a nervous chuckle, gently holding Ha-Rin's arm with a smile.
Ha-Rin sighed softly as Nu So-Hee held her arm, her gaze shifting up to catch a familiar figure leaned against a wall of a convenient store. Knowing the familiar white hooded cloak, a bit of life seeped back into her eyes as she softly gasped.
"No way...is that— The Echo?" Nu So-Hee asked in disbelief, stopping in her path as well and glanced over at Ha-Rin in shock. "Where has he been? Wait— It could be Covet! He's not bound to Battle Zone 4 anymore!"
"No...I know it's him.." Ha-Rin said, noticing blue-silver butterfly wings faintly coming into view due to the soft sunlight hitting against them. She began to approach him, glancing into his hood and smiled at his amber gaze. "You're finally awake?"
The Echo looked at Ha-Rin, returning her smile with a nose laugh, slipping his hands into his pockets after he turned his phone into a kaleidoscope of Sovereign Butterflies. "Shouldn't you be in school?"
"That's the first thing you say after reappearing after disappearing for three days? Don't you know what happened on Wednesday?" Ha-Rin asked, giving the Echo her usual blank smile.
"I am aware. I know nothing but of what my Father knows, and I only hear what He hears, and see what He does...when I'm with the Lord. Now I'm back, my own view...but now, with more Wisdom," The Echo said, looking up at the sky and exhaled softly as he rose his hand in the air.
"Are you familiar with the Parable of the Sleeping Caterpillar? This is not a warning, but more of something to look forward to. There is this young caterpillar who ate mainly good leaves in his life, leaves that soon put him into a restful sleep," The Echo began then lowered his hand slowly, his gaze shifting back to Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee.
"The caterpillar soon began to form into a beautiful chrysalis, one that could only be provided by the One who set upon his paths straight. Three dsys later, the caterpillar rose in a new body, a butterfly after such a long rest," The Echo finished, noticing their gazes were focused upon his wings.
"I've never noticed this before...but have you always had those wings?" Ha-Rin asked, returning her gaze to meet The Echo's.
The Echo shook his head with a light chuckle, placing his hands back into his pockets. "No, I haven't...and even though I do have my wings, my story isn't finished yet. I am still a little lower than the angels, and still a reverberating sound from the Voice."
"Okay, yeah... he's the real deal. I can't listen to another second of this type of speech. How can someone talk like this so casually?" Nu So-Hee groaned lightly, rubbing both temples on her head with her fingers gently.
The Echo smiled at the two of them and looked ahead, noticing a few passerbys gossipping and pointing at Ha-Rin, each of them talking about the news of Grushia High School. Ha-Rin heard them talking, her smile slowly fading away as she listened to the rumors.
"Hey! Ha-Rin didn't do anything so why are you all talking about her?!" Nu So-Hee called out, turning toward the passerbys and glared at them in defense for Ha-Rin.
"Are you freaking kidding me? She's the daughter of Kan Ji-Wong, a literal tyrant who funds the entirety of Manaport! Not to include the fact that she's in close relation with Cho Jin-Hyan and ACU!" One man retorted, letting out a scoff laugh toward Nu So-Hee.
"So what?" Nu So-Hee asked defensively, her glare shooting daggers at the accusing man.
"Wasn't she accused of attempted murder on a fellow classmate?" One woman asked to her friend as they walked by, the two sticking close together.
The Echo listened to each of the passerbys accusations and gossips as well as Nu So-Hee's defenses for her. He glanced back at the small crowd, his eyes shimmering an amber light behind his hood. "You lot love casting stones, yet don't realize each one is being blown back at you."
"Everything you named is speculation and rumors, and even then...Law Enforcement will have to start an investigation, not only on Ha-Rin but all of ACU. Yet, look around," The Echo continued, pausing to glance around at the scenery.
Everyone began to look around, each of them spotting something different in their own views. ACU skycrafts hummed through the skies while vehicle units drove down the streets. A few ACU Officers patrolled the area, while some kept watch in Skytowers.
"The Law Enforcement has done nothing... meaning they are in kahoots with Manaport. Why would Satan cast out Satan? Why would Terminus terminate himself? Why would a Deceiver willingly deceive himself? If Ha-Rin was guilty...she would be dead by now," The Echo said bluntly, his gaze shifting over to the first man who spoke as he noticed him step forward.
"Are you seriously defending her right now? Of course they aren't gonna kill their own asset, she works for them! You sound crazy man, standing out here in that clansmen cloak on the corner. Who are you anyway? Do you work for Manaport?" The man asked, his blood flaring up with anger as The Echo spoke.
The Echo hummed softly at the man's last comment, turning his head forward at the hotel in front of them and lightly tilted his neck. "I've been standing here for three hours, 27 minutes, and 27 second. 30 now, talking to you. 168 people walked past here, 44 ACU Officers. They currently have two ACU Captains in Seolhart Hotel acting as Snipers."
"Seolhart currently has the highest ACU activity right now because they are on high alert. Have you looked at the news? Kan Ha-Rin is wanted...and the only reason they haven't taken a shot...is because you blind sheep are in their way," The Echo continued, his eyes glowing behind his hood.
"Wait what?" The man began, his bravado quickly vanishing at the revelation.
"Don't move or panic," The Echo commanded, his tone like a rushing wind within the crowd's ears which brought them back to just an alert level.
Ha-Rin glanced at The Echo, confused on why he would be at her full defense. "What are you doing..? I was once against you, helping Manaport gain information on you to hurt you. Why are you advocating for me?"
"Did you hear what you just said? 'I was once'... That's all I need to hear to know Luciel did reach you," The Echo said, his gaze shifting back up to the hotel where he noticed one sniper focusing his aim on Ha-Rin's head.
The man watched as The Echo began to walk forward, grunting lightly as he watched with uncertainty. "Yo, what are you doing? Do you want to die? You just said there were snipers around here..!"
"Yeah, you're freaking us out right now..!" A woman said, holding onto her boyfriend's arm.
The Echo continued to walk through the crowd, his focus locking onto his Sovereign Butterflies which rested on the Sniper's shoulder. "Just stay put, and no one gets hurt. One wrong move, and you'll put the entire herd in danger."
"You better listen to the man...he's the one saving all of your butts right now," Ha-Rin said calmly, walking toward the curb and sat down right in front of the aim of the sniper.
"Tch! Like we'd listen to a criminal's daughter..." The man said defiantly, stepping away from Ha-Rin and cleared the view for the Sniper unknowingly.
The Sniper slowly placed his finger on his trigger and chewed upon his toothpick, breathing slowly as he locked onto Ha-Rin. "Yeah...right there...just a little more to the side and I won't have to get your shoes all red."
"The wind is blowing 24 miles to the right. Take the shot, and you'll kill Nu So-Hee instead...and that will create more of an uproar," A voice said beside the man.
The man glanced over to his right, grunting softly as he noticed The Echo standing against the wall with his arms crossed. He quickly stood up and pulled his sniper out of the window then set it against the wall. "No way you're still alive...you should be dead with the rest of Dongchon."
The Echo scoffed lightly, never turning his head to look at him then got off the wall. He began stepping forward, calling his butterfly back to himself with a light exhale. "I should be dead right..? Burned as you all recorded it, but that's not how this works. Not if you really studied who I was."
"Tch, it doesn't matter now...I'll just finish you off right here then we'll go after your Spiritual Wife and end this once and for all," The Captain said as he unsheathed his machete, pointing it at The Echo.
The Echo glanced down at his watch, checking the time to see it was still only 12:44 PM then lowered his hand. "Yesterday, Cho Jin-Hyan recieved a warning from Ascea Himself...that God will cast your nests from the stars...your empire will crumble."
"Only then will you understand the truth...you are not of the highest order within your own kingdom. There's always someone higher than your ruler, and your ruler as a ruler...so before you take that swing. Think about what you are about to do," The Echo said, his back still turned to the Captain.
The Captain hesitated slightly, gritting his teeth as he held the handle of his weapon tighter. He scoffed at The Echo then grabbed his sniper, going back to the window to take aim. "I don't have time for this bullshit, I have orders to carry out."
The Captain gasped as he noticed Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee had escaped while he was talking with The Echo, his gaze shifting all around 4th Arc Street, only to find neither girl there. He grit his teeth and looked back at The Echo as he heard a chuckle.
"Do you know why you should never turn your back on a prey playing dead? They always manage to escape," The Echo said cryptically, finally turning around to face the Captain. "You saw it, she sat right in front of your line of sight. She baited you...and I stalled you long enough for her to get away."
"How long will it take for you all to understand..? You can not outsmart God-aligned people as easily as you think. His ways are higher than yours and mine, and that's the only reason...you're still alive right now," The Echo finished, turning away to walk out of the room.
The Captain watched as The Echo retreated without throwing a single attack, his gaze lowering to the floor, his fries burrowing with anger that he let his guard down enough to let the target escape. He quickly began to pack up this things and go search again, this time planning things more carefully.
"Come on, Nu So-Hee! Move your legs!" Ha-Rin fussed while running down an alley, holding Nu So-Hee's hand tightly in hers.
Nu So-Hee panted heavily as she hurried through the alley with Ha-Rin, glancing behind her as she heard K-9 Units barking behind them. "Oh my God, Ha-Rin! They're sicking dogs in us!"
"The day just can't get any worse! I thought I was forgiven! Why am I still being hunted like this!? It's been two days for crying out loud! Don't you all get tired?!" Ha-Rin asked with a groan as she continued running, soon entering into 7th Arc Street and looked around for safety.
The two girls continued running away, the sounds of sirens blaring through the city as their units raced down the streets. One Gunman rose from the roof of his unit with a rifle in hand, aiming it at Ha-Rin then began opening fire.
"Ha-Rin!" Nu So-Hee yelled out in terror, her heart stopping as she heard the bullets flying.
As the girls rushed down the street, The Echo warped to their aid then thrusted his palm in the air, using a pulse of energy to stop the bullets in the air. He waved his hand, shifting the bullets into a flock of pigeons and let them fly off before leaping backwards toward Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee.
"You're not getting away! Fire!" The Gunman ordered, slamming his fist against the roof of his unit.
The Driver pulled a lever within his truck and an advanced rocket began to appear from the opening of the front bumper. Soon, the rocket flew toward the three of them at high speeds, forcing The Echo's hand to act quickly.
The Echo awakened his Yaoke, locking onto the rocket and his eyes began to glow brightly. Immediately, the rocket began to collapse upon itself within a rift until it fully disappeared, leaving the ACU Units stunned completely.
"Echo! Ahead!" Ha-Rin warned, stopping in her tracks as she noticed another unit trapping them from the front as well.
The Echo looked back to see more gunmen stepping out of their units, letting out a slightly annoyed sigh then turned around to face those in the front as well. "Reinforcements? This is a little much for two 18 year old girls you know..."
"We have orders to carry out, and in Manaport...we eliminate traitors like her. Cho Jin-Hyan won't do it himself, so it's up to us to take liberty. We will deal with you later, Echo! How you're still alive is beyond us," The second Captain said as she aimed her handgun at Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee.
The Echo walked forward, standing in front of the Captain's line of sight as he looked at her. "Do you believe this is the right call? Look around you...the public is currently documenting everything you do. You kill two teenage girls here, no matter their connection, you'll be condemned by the public forever. Do you want that on your head 24/7?"
"Don't listen to him, Captain Sandra! He's just talking nonsense! Let's out Ha-Rin right now and finish off The Echo!" One of Sandra's lessers spoke up, taking aim at The Echo as well.
"He already stopped the first attempt, we can't lost this one after Captain Go-In lost her. This is a 4.5 million Zodia bounty we're talking about. This can fund our entire base in Fort In-Dong," Another Officer said, keeping her aim upon the three.
"Whatever you choose to do, do with it quickly...but remember, my Lord forgives...but He won't take away the consequences of your action. Today, we can all walk away alive...and tomorrow we can still choose life," The Echo said, keeping his eyes upon Sandra as she hesitated just like Go-In.
As Sandra began to focus more on The Echo, his Sovereign Butterflies began shrouding Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee in liminal energy, making them go invisible to the ACU within an instant. Immediately, they grew alert and began questioning the Echo but before they could gain answers, he also went invisible before escaping together with the girls this time.
"What the hell?! Twice all in the same timeframe?! And he managed to do it differently both times?!" Sandra asked with pure frustration, groaning before turning back to her units. "Turn this damn city upside down if you have to! They couldn't have gone far! Today, we are going on a hunt!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Her units said in unison before scattering through the city to find the three.
Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee panted quickly as they ran behind The Echo with their hands within his, Ha-Rin glancing up at him and gasping as his hood flew off his head. Before she could comment about my appearance, she heard K-9 Units barking and charging toward them at high speeds.
"Lightning Dogs, they have access to part of the Cerebral Hounds Gardens of the Ten Passing Shadow Gardens. Someone in their ranks is somehow of the Nomura Clan," I said, pushing Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee forward before pivoting around to face the Lightning Dogs.
One dog lunged forward with a claw swipe, but I phased through the attack then commanded the attacking dog to stand down. With a whimper, he laid down flat on the ground, his other pack units following suit as he was the Alpha.
A woman laughed as she walked down the alley, holding her arms as she looked at me with a smirk. "So it is true, the Legendary Noxius Ascea Exzodia has reawakened...you are still alive. I wonder...who else knows."
"Only the two girls and the few ACU Units that have seen me, but I don't come here to fight. I just came here to stop you plans before it happens, your plan of targeting the Bulan Elementary School," I said, facing the woman with a serious expression.
The woman scoffed at my comment, glancing down at her dogs with a soft hum. "So you know..? We're planning on siphoning energy from the Christmas Program huh? I did forget you were Do-hari's fiancee, so of course you'd want to replace Captain Nam-Sun."
"But it doesn't matter! Once we're done with Ha-Rin, everything else is still on the table! Lightning Dogs, subdue Noxius! We capture him alive and strike down Cho Jin-Hyan's niece!" The woman commanded, clapping her hands to seal the order.
Immediately, the Alpha Dog lunged toward me from behind, but within seconds, 13 invisible blows landed on the Lightning Dog, sending him crashing into a wall. The other dogs whimpered as they watched their Alpha fall in seconds, each of their ears perking up as they looked at me.
"Screw this shit, I don't know how Kaguya or any of these other foolish Nomura Clan members use these weak beasts!" The woman scoffed, summoning her gunblade then took aim past me toward the spectating Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee. "Unlike my captains, I'm trained to not hesitate!"
I rolled my neck then spaced out my legs to get into my Fluttering Stance, my Holy Fire emitting from my chest as a smirk grew on my face. "You all are starting to get on my nerves, but I suppose the real dogs amongst filthy cattle are starting to show. Come, my lost sheep...prove to me you're as bold as you speak."
The woman scoffed at me then began firing rounds at Ha-Rin, but with one swipe down with my fingers, a flurry of Cuts sliced each bullet in two, leaving behind deep slashing marks along the buildings. The woman froze for a moment, her gaze shifting to her gunblade as she noticed the weapon slowly sliding in two.
She quickly dropped her destroyed weapon then glanced back at me, gritting her teeth before charging in directly into a scuffle. Each attack she threw out met the air as I phased through each of her attack, wasting little energy in dodging then caught her fist upon her next strike.
Slowly gripping her fists, I began to lower her hand, my eyes glowing faintly as I stared into her eyes. "Another fake demon roaming amongst the Earth. You're not built for this...not even Sandra and Go-In could stand against logic and reasoning. So where are your real threats...so I can make them an example of what will happen if they come to Bulan with this crap..."
The woman stared into my eyes, nervous sweats building upon her face as the tensions rose within the alley. She panted softly as the air became more dense, the Spiritual Pressure within the alleyway increasing gradually and began to crush the woman under the weight.
"Nngh..! What are...you doing..?!" The woman groaned as she was slowly brought to one knee, panting heavily as her body couldn't handle the imaginary mass being added upon her.
"Where is The Supervisor..? I know he's here, unless you wish to take his place...you better speak truth otherwise this trial will be swift like rushing water down a river," I said, snapping my fingers as another butterfly landed on her body, adding more mass upon her.
"Nngh!!!! You...t-tyrant..!" The woman groaned, slowly looking up at Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee. "Defending... deceiving monsters like her...you...are..."
I tilted my head up as she spoke, scoffing lightly at her accusations. "As we stand here now, I am actively holding back to spare your life. I spared Go-In and Sandra, spared the ACU attacking Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee...I can do anything I want, but I choose to continue echoing my Lord because His desires and will are greater than I."
"So don't throw around the word Tyrant so loosely...after all I am Luca the Tyrant's descendant and I can still show you what true Tyranny is. Have you seen...a Legion of Thrones before?" I asked, my amber eyes glowing as I looked down at the Nomurian woman.
"The Supervisor isn't here right now, but I am acting in his place here. Welcome back, Exzodia's Savior," A familiar dark tone said while approaching, a dark chuckle following behind.
I let go of the Nomurian woman's hand, gesturing for her to leave and exhaled softly at the man then noticed he had two other men tagging along with him. "Well, well...if it isn't Usama, K, and a third Fire Wielder. Unfortunately, I don't have time to play with all of you...so return to your master."
"Do you think you have a choice in this matter? This is family business and you're only interfering in business. Today, we weren't even focusing on you so why make yourself a target yet again?" Usama asked, rubbing his red cross around his neck with his thumb.
I continued making my way toward Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee, grabbing their hands and walking away. "They are a part of my family now, so anything involving my sheep... involves their Shepard as well. If you want Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee, you will have to take them from me. Otherwise, your proud roars means nothing when all it's doing is being erased in the wind."
Usama laughed at my comments then snapped his finger to give the order for K and Ares to charge forward to take Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee from me. As they grew closer, I warped both girls on the top of the building then repelled both men with strong winds.
K grunted as he was knocked back further, but began hurling fireballs toward me through the wind storms. I charged forward on the offensive, phasing through the fireball then aimed a water imbued strike toward his face, but Ares used his high velocity to ram into me.
I grunted as I crashed through a wall into a storage closet of a residential area, recovering on one knee then stood back up. I dusted myself off with a light scoff. "Ahh, I understand now...You have Dark Aries energy. And K has Dark Sagittarius energy. You're bringing Zodiacs out to combat me now? I see you're starting to learn something..."
Ares scoffed at me and kept watch over me, watching as I shuffled around the room and grabbed hold of a metal rod. "What? You need a weapon for us?"
"Since I am limiting myself, it's only fair for a 3 on 1 don't you think?" I asked, twirling the rod around in a circle then cloaked it in wind energy. "You want the girls? You get through me first!"
Usama noticed everything went silent for a moment then grunted as Ares came bursting through the wall with high winds pushing him further back. He took cover for a moment then looked back, watching as I walked out of the hole in the wall with my metal rod.
"You all thought you took me down for good, but all you've done was awaken something entirely new within me...or better yet, something that was always there. This is it, one I take down the last calvary...we are leaving," I said, thrusting my rod backwards as K went for a sucker punch, the rod striking his stomach clean.
"And this time...you'll see 20% of what I can do. Since you're using Zodiac power, it's only right I prove to you why you don't know what you're doing with it," I continued, stepping forward and launching my rod toward Usama.
He grunted as he barely dodged my javelin throw, his attention now being directed behind him as I warped behind him quickly. Catching my metal rod, I cracked his leg with the rod, bringing him down onto one knee. Upon my next swing, Ares managed to rush behind me and grab my arm, flipping me over his shoulder with velocity.
Recovering off one hand, I phased back onto my feet, nullifying any damage then rushed forward at blinding speeds. Within a second I was gone and behind Ares, striking his back with a straight punch then warped in front of him with a surging uppercut.
"Nngh..! What the heck is this speed..?" Ares grunted, recovering in the air then landed on his feet and launched red lightning toward me between Usama and K.
My eyes began to shimmer lightly as I thought about awakening my Yaoke once more, but I decided against it then began blunt forcing the absorption of his dark lightning. Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee watched in shock from the rooftop as I began absorbing a dark element into my body, the both of them holding their breaths.
"Are you absorbing my lightning? Fool! Have more of it then!" Ares laughed, blasting more lightning toward me and grinned wickedly.
I grunted lightly from the amplification of his lightning then chuckled lightly, amplifying my Wind Cells into Lightning, showing the three there was no true struggle with absorbing any form of lightning. "Right now, you three aren't even a threat to me. Zodiac Power, and all you can do is tickle me?"
Dispelling his lightning, I began shaking my hand as the red lightning began crackling around my hand into blue lightning. "Though I echo the Lord of Hosts, I am still called to preserve and protect my Kingdom as King of Qutsade. So, effectively with the rising threats and the unauthorized movements within the Kingdom of Darkness..."
"Things have to be fixed immediately, so unless you wish to be part of that destruction before your appointed time...I suggest you move aside," I said with slight annoyance in my tone, the faint image of a Throne Angel appearing behind me.
Usama, K, and Ares felt another shift in energy, yet that shift wasn't from my aura but from the Angel behind me. Seeing my serious amber gaze, the three felt their skins crawling, an echoing light that made them uncomfortable to be around.
"Flee while you are still given the chance...I am not here for you just as you are not here for me. However, if I catch any of you in Bulan...I will promise destruction upon you just like Dongchon. I refuse to allow you to cause the little ones to stumble," I said, my tone growing slightly lower into my true voice.
"And if any of you dare to cause them to stumble, I will find a millstone myself...and drag you under. You tried it with High Schoolers, now you're lowering to children. This isn't a threat from a King, but a promise. I suggest...you sit this one out. Please," I finished, walking past the three of them while they were still paralyzed with uncertainty.
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Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee walked through the streets of Western Seolhart, the two sticking close to me as we began reaching the exit to enter into Bulan. Once we entered into Bulan's plaza area, the two noticed Woo-Chi and Tae hanging around a cafe together, the two seemingly hanging out.
Along with them I noticed Do-hari and grunted lightly, swiftly surrounding myself in Liminal Energy to hide myself from her line of vision. Ha-Rin looked back after feeling my presence disappearing, but could tell I was still there and smirked at me.
"Why are you hiding? It's just Woo-Chi and her friend," Ha-Rin said, rolling her eyes as she began to approach the table.
"You've been away for three days, so you have to answer for something. Stop hiding and come on..!" Nu So-Hee said, grabbing into my invisible cloak and dragged me along with her.
Do-hari looked over at the sounds of light commotion, noticing Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee struggling to pull seemingly nothing to the table. Woo-Chi and Tae looked over as well, wondering what the two were doing and why.
"What in the world is going on here..?" Woo-Chi asked as she watched Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee groan as they collapsed into their seats. "Ha-Rin? Nu So-Hee? Why are you two in Bulan?"
"It's a very...very long story and it only happened two days ago. However...right now, we are on the run from Manaport and ACU," Ha-Rin said in between her light pants, looking to her left to notice I was still invisible.
"Running from Manaport and ACU? Aren't you like the face of that company? Don't tell me, you betrayed them?" Tae asked with messy curiosity, the gossip being the most interesting talk of the day.
Nu So-Hee and Ha-Rin both looked confused as they realized that no one in Bulan knew about the Grushia Meet, as if the entire incident was swept under the rug. Ha-Rin sat back in her seat with a blank smile, exhaling softly through her nose.
"You can say I betrayed them, but out in the open it's not something we should talk about. For now, I just want to get my mind off all of this..." Ha-Rin said with a light groan, leaning against the table as she finally found a moment of true peace.
Do-hari glanced between Ha-Rin, Nu So-Hee and the empty spot between the two and hummed lightly. She tapped her finger against her chin then closed her eyes, her body dispersing into golden butterflies as she activated her Feveisav. All four girls became startled as Do-hari suddenly vanished into thin air, each of them looking between each other.
'God...why can't she just let this one strange incident slide..?' I asked, closing my eyes with a light smirk as I knew she was going back to her current Happy Moment.
Do-hari opened her eyes slowly, watching as the outside world became grayscale in the past then looked around before hurrying off to where Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee would come from. "There's no way...I saw him sleeping in bed earlier today. There's no way he's awake!"
Do-hari continued to run forward, her eyes sparkling with hope that her theory was true. As she continued running, in the distance she could see three figure approaching the Bulan Exit. Her eyes tracked Ha-Rin then Nu So-Hee, finally her eyes landed upon the third figure, me.
She gasped with pure happiness and charged toward me, avoiding the girls due to them being in grayscale also then charged toward me, the only one in full color. Seeing her, I could do nothing but smile and await her full speed embrace.
"Nox!" Do-hari said with pure happiness, leaping into my arms with a tight hug.
I chuckled softly at her as I caught her, her momentum causing us to twirl around in a circle. "Yes, yes, it's me, Nae sarang.."
Do-hari smiled at me then flicked my forehead. "First that was for not telling me that you woke up today."
I smiled at her, rubbing my forehead gently with a soft chuckle and sighed. "Yeah, I probably deserve that one...I did kinda ask my Lord how funny it'd be if I woke up after you did.."
Do-hari giggled softly then gave me a soft peck on the lips. "Mmm, and this one means I'm happy you're finally awake.."
"I'm glad to be awake as well, only through the Grace of God I'm still able to be here for you all," I replied with a light hum, gently poking Do-hari upon her nose.
Do-hari blushed lightly at me and hugged me once again, humming softly back and resting her head against my chest to listen to my heart beat. "Let's stay like this...just for a moment longer..."
Ha-Rin tapped the table gently with her index finger, looking down at her watch then looked over at Woo-Chi. "Uhm...sooo..."
Woo-Chi glanced at Ha-Rin as she took a sip of her smoothie, raising an eyebrow then set her cup down. "What..? And why are you acting so nervous? Better question, why are you here in Bulan specifically?"
"H-Hold on, Woo-Chi..! We just came from multiple life or death situations and it's only 1:34 PM, give her a break alright? Geez," Nu So-Hee said, leaning back in her seat with her arms crossed.
"Yeah, because we're supposed to just let a young criminal mastermind slide with everything she's done in a heartbeat. You know, I still haven't forgotten what you've done to me...you're just lucky Oppai told me to try to let it go," Woo-Chi scoffed, flipping her hair with light sass.
Ha-Rin's left eye twitched lightly then she cleared her throat, leaning forward against the table with a soft exhale. "Look, Woo-Chi... I'm so— I'm...so..."
Woo-Chi sucked her teeth as she knew Ha-Rin wasn't going to fully apologize, letting out a scoff before standing up on her feet. "If you're not going to even try, out chat is done here."
Tae scoffed at Woo-Chi, leaning back in her seat and resting her hands behind her head. "I dunno why you're getting up when Ms. Bong is still missing, and this is our table. They should be the ones to leave, and take their mystery ghost with them."
"Majayo..." Woo-Chi said quietly, quickly taking her seat again then huffed lightly. "Tae is correct, you two should be the ones to leave."
"You're not even trying to listen! Ha-Rin was already betrayed by Manaport and demoted all the way to F Rank, both her clans are hunting her and her mother is missing! Can't you show a bit of sympathy?" Nu So-Hee stressed, lightly smacking her hand against the table.
"Yo, watch it..! You're gonna knock my shit off the table," Tae said, quickly sitting up to protect her latte and cookie from tumbling off the table.
"She didn't show sympathy when she left me to die in the forest and had me sent to the hospital for three months. Why should I show her any sympathy? At the very least, she had someone protecting her. No one found me until Kaguya looked for me," Woo-Chi said with slight defiance, never turning her head to look at Ha-Rin and Nu So-Hee.
"Are you serious right now?" Nu So-Hee asked, clearly offended by Woo-Chi's tone and retorts. "She's coming to you as a woman trying to make amends and you're acting like you don't care."
"No! Are YOU kidding me?!" Woo-Chi said with an outburst, slamming her hands on the table as she shot up from her seat. "All SHE ever cared about was herself and her Rank, she didn't even care about Woo-Yi nor Li-Na! Why do you expect me to turn tail and kneel before her just because she's feeling sorrowful?!"
"If anything, she's getting exactly what she deserves! In fact, you desever MORE than what you're getting! You deserve to get your ass beat by me right now! You deserved to fall wherever you came from! You ruined my life...and you expect me to believe you're sorry..? You won't even speak for your goddamn self, and expect me to believe you're sorry?" Woo-Chi asked with fire in her eyes, scoffing at Ha-Rin before storming off.
Tae groaned softly as her latte spilled on her skirt, looking up at the sky with a sarcastic expression. "Yesha, why am I getting caught in the crossfire..?"
Do-hari noticed Woo-Chi walking off from the table then gasped, noticing Woo-Chi becoming full of color within the grayscale world. "What in the world just happened..? Why is she walking away angry?"
"You can see that?" I asked in genuine awe, still holding onto Do-hari as I watched Woo-Chi walk off then looked at Do-hari noticing her body slowly disappearing into golden butterflies. "There's a time limit...we stayed so long in the past it's now the present.."
"What..?" Do-hari asked before disappearing and returning to the present, opening her eyes and gasping.
"Oh now you return...they already went chasing after her," Tae said, cleaning off her skirt and High Wolf hoodie while some of the workers cleaned off the mess on the ground.
"Where did they go?" Do-hari asked, standing up quickly and taking Tae's hand before running off.
I became visible as well and put my hood over my head, getting up from my seat to follow the other two, hearing the full conversation between Woo-Chi, Ha-Rin, and Nu So-Hee. 'Lord, where could they have gone..?'
Nu So-Hee stormed after Woo-Chi, soon ending up at Dong-Ga Park and she rushed forward to grab Woo-Chi's arm. "Hey!"
"What?!" Woo-Chi exploded, snatching her arm away and turning around to glare at Nu So-Hee and Ha-Rin. "What more could you possibly say? What more could you possibly want?! You want me to get on my hands and knees for you?!"
Woo-Chi pat her chest repeatedly, her eyes filled with pain and unresolved hate. "Everything about that day lives in here...you can't erase that level of trauma... Even with Nox's presence and support, I can not forgive you...you did more than just show jealousy, you tried to kill me!"
Ha-Rin exhaled softly, closing her eyes and lowering her head. "Then what will have you accept my apology?"
"Oh, now you have a voice to use? Do you even know how long you left me out there? I was out there for 12 hours, barely alive on my last thread of life...and you know who I happened to see first before Kaguya saved me..?" Woo-Chi asked, her voice breaking as she clearly remembered every moment from two years ago.
"I saw Covet...a Moth, and Principality of Envy. A monster you invited because of YOUR jealousy! You literally coveted against me! So what could your best sorry even be? Nothing you can ever say can make up for that!" Woo-Chi yelled, clapping her hands together with stress.
"And that's the point," Ha-Rin replied, her gaze raising up to meet Woo-Chi's. "Nothing I can say will help any because you wouldn't accept it. I already know saying sorry won't fix anything...but look what you're getting in the end."
"You didn't lose anything, in fact you gained more than anyone else in Class 12-A excluding Hyeon Bae! You got everything that I have now, so what is the issue now? That you haven't gotten to beat me up? I'm here now," Ha-Rin continued, leaning forward and tapping her cheek.
Woo-Chi's glare only strengthened as Ha-Rin provoked her, her hands clenching into fists. "You haven't changed one bit, you still think you're superior! You just don't get it do you?!"
"And you're only proving my point more! What more do you want from me? You want me to jump off a cliff?" Ha-Rin asked, standing up straight and crossing her arms.
"Yes! That's exactly what I want and how I feel right now! I want to do to you ten times over what you did to me! I want to raise hell over you right now! I want to strangle you with...ALL of my strength but you know why I'm not doing it?" Woo-Chi asked, tears falling down her cheeks.
"Because...I'll just become just like you. The level of hate won't decrease, it'll only stay the same. Killing you won't decrease the pain...I would only be at your level then..." Woo-Chi said, turning away sorrowfully and paced away alone.
Ha-Rin stood still, Woo-Chi's words echoing in her mind and her hand found its way to her chest, a sense of conviction striking her for the first time. "She'll...be just like me..?"
"Tch...she's just being overdramatic. I mean, what does she want us to do realistically?" Nu So-Hee said with a light groan.
"Sounds like you two lack actual understanding," A voice called out from behind the two girls.
Ha-Rin turned around and noticed Vaughn with Junia, her gaze shifting down as she watched Junia innocently wave at Ha-Rin. "We lack understanding..? She lacks forgiveness..."
"Is that so? Then she's not forgiving you for a reason. Young Woo-Chi doesn't need an apology from you, she wants you to change and repent. Only then will your apology even mean anything," Vaughn said, bowing toward the two before walking off with his daughter.
Nu So-Hee sucked her teeth at him, crossing her arms as he walked by. "I so hate old men who thinks dropping wisdom means anything..."
"That old man so happens to be a survivor of Dongchon, so his wisdom happens to mean something here," I said, approaching the two with a calm smile.
"What does he mean Woo-Chi doesn't want an apology from me?" Ha-Rin asked, looking up me with slight confusion.
"For it is written: Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth," I said, placing my hand upon Ha-Rin's head gently and rubbed her hair. "She won't forgive based off words and lips alone. This isn't something I can just swoop in and fix as her forgiveness rides on you."
"How?" Ha-Rin asked, closing her eyes as I rubbed her hair.
"You have to be born again, and the only way to do that is following my God and your God, my Lord and your Lord. He's calling you right now, calling you to Him. Everything that is happening, the calamity in your life is only for His good pleasure...He wants you to finally come to him, my beloved," I said gently, noticing Ha-Rin relaxing under my touch.
Ha-Rin exhaled softly and lowered her head, not fully grasping what I meant but understood the idea of it. "I suppose...I just wish things weren't this difficult."
"No one said it would be easy, but this is the process of denying your flesh daily. The Road to Heaven is straight and narrow, yet only few make it in. I want you to be part of that few, my sheep..." I said warmly, gently holding Ha-Rin's chin to make her raise her head.
"Now, keep your head up...and keep your eyes on the true light. He's right here and the Kingdom is amidst us...you still have time," I finished with a smile, noticing Ha-Rin return my smile with her own light grin.