Daegu used to be a beautiful city.
Nine years ago.
Before the rifts.
Before the world lost its mind.
Buildings that stretched to touch the sky now broken, leaning, some missing entire floors like teeth knocked out of a jaw.
Dead bodies. Monsters. Humans.
At the end, it didn't matter.
We all die.
So why do we live?
---
A street that looked like it had seen better days.
Old now.
Waiting for its end.
Lost its color.
What color there was now was steel and rust.
Lost its shape.
All gray.
All broken.
*Pound.*
*Pound.*
A large fist covered in blood.
The man the fist belonged to was also large—bob haircut, old static face, voice kind and deep, low-pitched.
Other men around him stood like angels with broken wings.
In front of him: a young boy.
Black hair.
Blood.
Beaten.
Hyun-woo.
The deep low voice spoke.
"You really don't know where Ha Joon is, do you?"
A pause.
"I thought you two were friends. Now what type of friend leaves another friend, especially when they need you most?" Another pause. "You know what else I heard? His mom moved up to the green zone. All the way to Daejeon City. Meanwhile, you're stuck here. With me. And your little sister's still at the hospital. Do you hear me?"
He smiled.
The men around him stayed in shadow.
The only light coming from him were the white teeth shown through laughter.
---
*Confusion. Pain.*
*I think that's what the world is feeling right now.*
*But am I confused?*
*No.*
*Am I in pain?*
*Yes.*
*This is normal.*
*It's always been like this.*
*The strong rule.*
*The weak suffer.*
*Even when the city was beautiful.*
*Even before death came like a disease, infecting everything it touched.*
*Broken and filled by systems we didn't choose.*
*Like being born into this world.*
*Me on the ground, beaten up because my friend somehow, some way, disappeared.*
*Ha Joon.*
*Am I happy?*
*Am I sad about my sister?*
*I don't know.*
*I don't know much lately.*
---
The deep low voice told him to get up.
Get back to work.
Hyun-woo got up slowly.
Bleeding.
"Don't forget, kid. Before anything, clean yourself up first. The Orange Phoenix runs this city."
They walked away.
---
Beautiful clouds.
Luscious blue sky.
Moving away from a dying city to a building that still breathed life.
Luxury.
Long fingers. Pinkish skin. Black nails painted.
Scrolling on a phone.
Pictures.
A tall black-haired girl with black eyes and tan skin.
Next to her: short brown hair and hazel-green eyes.
Both of them smiling.
Hugging each other.
Frozen.
*Knock. Knock.*
The black-haired girl with black eyes and tan skin quickly got up.
Rushed to the door.
It was her manager.
Short black silky hair. Thin glasses. Long red scarf. Jacket and suit.
"Park Han-Soo. What took you so long? What's going on? You found her?"
Park Han-Soo's voice was gentle.
Easy.
"Come down. We haven't found anything yet. But we're going to find her. I promise." A pause. "Meanwhile, how are you doing? How are you handling this?"
She started to cry.
Park Han-Soo slowly closed the door behind him.
"Why don't we take a seat?"
---
Both sitting down next to each other.
He hugged her.
Her face pressed into his chest.
Her skin could feel the cloth of his scarf—soft, gentle, always like that.
His heartbeat vibrated through her face, bringing ease.
Around him, everything made sense.
For a while.
"Han Seo-rin. You're the leader. Your character is strong. Even at the hardest times, everyone looks to you for guidance. You can't allow people to see you in this sad, broken state. It doesn't fit the character."
She looked at him.
Anger.
Confusion.
"My character? What are you saying? My friend is gone. My friend is kidnapped. And you want me to what? Act like nothing happened? What the hell are you talking about?"
Park Han-Soo tried to hold her.
Tried to comfort her.
"That's not what I'm saying, and you know that. This job—it's more than just singing. People expect things from you. You know this. It's the cost of this line of work. I'm trying to help you. I'm always on your side."
Tears came out of her like someone opened the gates of heaven and flooded the earth.
They locked eyes.
Embraced one another.
She whispered.
Slow.
Broken.
"Please don't leave me. I don't want to be alone."
Park Han-Soo looked at his phone.
"I've got time. And you want to know something? I'll take your mind off this. You went platinum. I've also been talking with the team about Choi-Ara gaining some weight. With all that's going on right now, it'll seem more believable for her character. Gain sympathy. Award season is coming up."
She stopped him right there.
"I don't want to talk about all of that. Not today."
The two embraced each other.
---
Beyond the blue sky.
White fluffy clouds.
An old medieval village covered by fire.
Buildings collapsing.
A big muscular man—bald, large nose—gripping an ax.
Charging toward a giant goblin.
Green skin. Long hair. Mutated nose. Yellow eyes. Sharp teeth.
The ax struck down.
The goblin fell to its knees.
Powerful swing.
The goblin grabbed a rock.
Swung it at the man's face.
Powerful force.
Over and over and over again.
The man backed off.
The goblin moved forward.
Screaming.
Beating the man with that rock.
Over and over.
In all that chaos, Hyun-woo—worn-down face, bruised, bleeding, at the end of his limit—took a spear.
Thrust it into the goblin's head from behind.
The goblin screamed.
Blood poured from its mouth.
The tongue flew out.
It fell.
The body collapsed with the man, the ax still in its chest.
---
Darkness.
Then a giant light.
Blinding light.
A space peeling off like an act of God.
All hunters dead.
Except one.
*I look in front of me. My eyes blurry.*
*Is this how it ends?*
*Something in me refuses to die.*
*Keeps pushing.*
*Keeps trying to live.*
*Why?*
*I don't know.*
*After the incident, I go back to a city that's slowly decaying. Rotting away.*
*I don't know if I'm going to make it to the hospital to see my sister for the last time.*
A man appeared in front of me.
I'd seen his face before.
Yes.
Someone like him, you can't forget.
Dark hair. Tall. Face of a model.
He told me he'd been looking for someone like me.
I didn't understand.
He told me he wanted to save this city.
I looked into his eyes.
I saw it.
He wasn't lying.
I asked him the only question that mattered.
"Why?"
And he told me of a dream.
A better world for all.
I don't know why I found his dream comforting.
Like fire in the cold.
And I told him:
"What do I have to do?"
He said:
"Join me."
Deep down, I wanted it.
Something to fight for.
I needed something to fight for.
I found something to fight for.