Chapter 11 - CHAPTER 11 THE UNPREDICTABLE LIFE

A slowly opened his eyes and saw a beautiful city in the distance. Tall buildings touched the sky, people walked along the streets, children laughed, and the sounds of car engines filled the air. A looked around and noticed K standing near a tree."Where are we now? I don't remember this place. Is it your home, K?" A asked.K replied, "We are near a city."A looked frustrated. "Seriously, I know it's a city. I'm asking why we are here."K began walking toward the city entrance. "You will find out soon enough. For now, let's visit this beautiful place while we still have time."A followed K with the same frustrated expression. As they walked, A noticed the sky becoming cloudy.K glanced up and said, "Looks like a thunderstorm is coming soon."They entered the city."Of course you know it," A said. "This is your domain, after all."K laughed. "As expected from you, A. So, what do you think? Why are we here?"A looked around at the people and their activities. "Maybe to understand human life better. Or maybe you want me to remember my memories. I don't understand your plan."K turned around, looked at A, and pointed toward the people. "There are a lot of people here, so this is the best place to learn about human nature. Let's get started."They entered a café named ENJOY LIFE. The café was almost empty except for an old lady who was quietly murmuring a song. A caught a few words: "moments… life… happiness…" before she stopped.K walked to the third table. A followed and sat down. K ordered a cup of coffee for both of them. While waiting, A curiously looked around and noticed an unopened letter in a frame hanging securely on the wall."So why are we here in this café, K?" A asked.K replied, "Because I wanted to have a coffee."A gave him a flat look. "Seriously? You just tried to kill me, and after everything I faced, you're acting like it's normal."K laughed while looking into A's eyes. "Well, aren't you the one who tried to punch me first? Come on, just enjoy the coffee."The old lady served them. A took a sip and looked at K, who was still wearing the mask."Are you just going to stare at the coffee? Remove that mask, K," A said.K tilted the mask to drink. After taking a sip, A insisted, "Just take it off."K lowered the cup and asked, "Do you know how much time it takes to prepare this coffee?"A paused mid-sip. "Six minutes. Why do you ask?""Well, six minutes here," K said, "but three years to completely prepare it."A cut him off. "Oh, I know. First, someone plants the seeds, takes care of the plant until it grows, harvests it, selects the finest beans, roasts them, and then transports them. Okay?"K didn't speak. He simply took another sip of his coffee."Why aren't you saying anything? At least nod if you agree," A said.K finally spoke. "You know how much everyone in this world depends on each other. The things you mentioned are just one part. In this world, everyone depends on others—directly or indirectly. The true value of someone can only be understood when they are gone."A tried to speak but stopped. They both continued sipping their coffee in silence."I understand what you want to say, K," A said eventually. "If anyone is missing, the whole chain collapses."K nodded. "This applies to everything in nature—from plants to animals.""Okay, but what about human nature?" A asked.K replied, "The values are being lost nowadays."While A continued drinking his coffee and thinking about escaping, K said calmly, "Well, you can't run from me, A."A nearly choked on his coffee. "WHAT? HOW DID YOU—?!"K placed his cup down. "I know everything. You are an open book to me, A."A was completely caught off guard.K said, "Well, let's continue our journey."K paid the bill. A followed him as they walked through the streets. A saw many homeless people struggling, while others laughed as they exited stores. He also noticed office workers rushing by. Everyone seemed to be living their lives in completely different ways."Everyone looks busy with their own life," A said."Indeed," K replied. "Everyone has a completely different life. Some struggle to earn money, some struggle with hunger, and some struggle with loneliness."They entered a park and sat on a bench. K pointed toward the children playing on the slide."Look how happy they are," K said. "No struggles, no fear, no overthinking—just life and happiness.""You're right," A said. "In childhood, there is nothing to worry about. Just happiness."The sky was now almost completely covered with clouds. K coughed lightly and said, "In childhood, everyone has dreams of becoming something. But only a few ever fulfill those dreams.""Dreams are hard to fulfill," A replied, "but giving up is never an option."K asked, "What time is it now, A?"A looked at the watch. "It's still showing the same time. Is this thing even worki—"A massive explosion suddenly rocked the area near the park. A turned just as a bomb dropped from above. Before it hit the ground, K placed a hand on A's shoulder. The bomb exploded. Bombing continued for nearly an hour.When the dust settled, the once-beautiful city had been reduced to ruins. A opened his eyes to find himself and K unharmed. He looked around in shock. His heartbeat quickened. The area where the children had been playing was now gone. When he turned, K was no longer beside him.A slowly walked through the streets, surrounded by countless dead bodies. His face turned pale. His hands and legs shook. The same people who had been busy, laughing, and working were now lifeless corpses lying in blood and gore. As rain began to fall, A couldn't hold it in and vomited.He barely kept walking when he heard a weak voice."He…lp… help…"A ran toward the voice and found a man trapped under a large piece of a collapsed building."I… I will help you. Just stay with me," A said, trying to lift the debris.The man screamed in pain. A stopped, horrified."I… I'm sorry. Please… I'll find someone to help," A said."Stop… please… see my wife and kids… please… leave me… save them…" the man begged before going silent. His body showed no signs of life.A searched desperately for others but found them crushed under the rubble. With shaky legs, he moved forward, terrified. Then he saw a young boy still breathing. Without hesitation, A cradled him and ran to find a hospital."Kid, please… just a little more… just a little more," A whispered.He saw the hospital sign and ran toward it, only to find it already destroyed. The boy took his last breath in A's arms.A fell to his knees. Tears streamed down his face."Why… why… WHY AGAIN DO I HAVE TO FACE THIS?!"The rain grew heavier as A remained on his knees, still holding the dead boy.K's voice came from behind him. "Everyone has to face their past one day. I understand how painful it is. But life and death are not in our hands, A."A didn't speak or react. He simply stared at the dead boy."A, we have to leave," K said.In a voice full of pain, A asked, "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?""Yes, I knew," K replied calmly. "This city was going to be destroyed. This country is at war.""Why didn't you warn them?" A asked, his voice breaking.K answered, "I told you—life and death are not in our hands. From the day of birth, the clock starts ticking. No one knows how much time they have left."A slowly turned toward K, his eyes red from crying. "Why? Why do you think like this? At least we should try—for the kids, for the people, for everything."K placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's not our job. Now we have to move."A gently placed the boy's body on a flower bed in the remains of the hospital garden. He then walked with K. As they moved through the streets, blood mixed with rainwater flowed around them. Pieces of human flesh lay scattered. The only sounds were the rain and their footsteps. The city that was once full of life and joy had become a cemetery.A's hands and clothes, stained with blood, were slowly washed clean by the rain. A door appeared again. This time, A didn't speak. He quietly walked inside. K followed. Behind them, the world disappeared as if it had never existed. — THE END OF CHAPTER 11 —