I never knew that having your vision turn completely white could be such a terrifying thing. It was like my brain momentarily ceased to function, or whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t a pleasant change.
Hyungoh instinctively realized it the moment he faced the painting. That figure was undoubtedly his mother. The mother who had completely vanished from his memories.
He tried to recall the old photograph of her that Enya had shown him. But strangely, he couldn’t remember it at all. As if someone had erased it with an eraser.
Despite having looked at it carefully, Hunter, who had merely glanced at it in passing, came to mind more clearly.
“Choi!”
Michael hurriedly covered Hyungoh’s eyes with his hands. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Hearing the apologetic voice filled with anxiety, Hyungoh relaxed his tensed shoulders.
Then he placed his hands over Michael’s hands that were covering his eyes. The pure white that had painted his vision instantly turned pitch black.
Let’s play.
Hyungoh flinched. Multiple scenes flashed before his eyes all at once. The sharp quills of a hedgehog in his palm, the red mist emitted by a mouse submerged in a fish tank, even the intestines that burst out from a soaking wet cat.
Let’s play, Hyungoh.
Sharp fingernails scratched Michael’s hand. The woman’s voice, which had been coming from far away, drew closer.
“Close the door!”
Michael, who was tightly embracing Hyungoh, raised his voice. Herick and Theo, who had been standing in a daze unable to take their eyes off the portrait, quickly came to their senses.
Herick pushed the wall door with all his might. But it didn’t budge at all, as if someone on the other side was holding it back.
What’s wrong with this thing? It looks like it would fall right off if I kicked it hard enough. Herick, looking at the old and shabby door with incomprehension, called out to Theo.
“Hey, Theo! Try closing this with that brute strength of yours.”
Theo cursed as he saw Hyungoh shaking violently as if having a seizure. This is playing out similar to that time.
He pushed the wall door along with Herick, but it still showed no sign of closing. He wondered if something was stuck, but no matter how he looked around, everything seemed fine.
“Why won’t it close?”
“It opens just fine though.”
Just in case, Herick gently pulled the door, and as if nothing had happened, it opened smoothly.
This is enough to make a ghost weep. Theo looked at the woman in the portrait with suspicion. This really is enough to make a ghost weep.
Herick frowned at the strange phenomenon and turned his head toward the window.
“What now? What’s going on over there?”
An unsettled atmosphere swirled among the stiffly frozen subordinates. Herick narrowed his brow and approached the window. It seemed like a commotion had broken out near the main entrance, as everyone’s gaze was fixed there.
Bang.
In an instant, a massive gunshot cruelly tore through the thick silence.
Upon hearing that sound, Theo stopped fiddling with the door and quickly pulled out his pistol. The startled Herick also drew a gun from inside his coat.
Michael jerked his head up and covered Hyungoh’s ears. The three of them simultaneously looked out the window. Shouts and gunfire began to erupt from all directions.
“Mr. Cooper! Gostin has started attacking…!”
A man who burst through the front door and ran toward Theo was immediately shot and collapsed.
“Gostin?”
Theo glared at Herick with a face full of rage. Herick had no idea what was going on. Why would they attack without his orders?
A Gostin man who followed the fallen man aimed his gun at Theo. Herick laughed incredulously and blocked Theo.
“Have you lost your mind, Roberto?”
“Step aside.”
“You look like you’ll shoot me too if I don’t. Put your gun down now.”
The man called Roberto smiled leisurely. His gun barrel slowly lowered toward Hyungoh, who was being held by Michael.
“It’s the boss’s order.”
“…What?”
Bang.
The man with a bright red hole in his forehead fell backward. Herick glanced at Theo’s arm stretched out beside his right face and squeezed his eyes shut.
“I almost went deaf.”
“I’m sick of you guys, fuck.”
The lousy Gostin reputation goes nowhere. Theo irritably pushed Herick aside and approached Hyungoh. He was still trembling, his eyes and ears covered by Michael.
“Remove your hand, Gostin lackey.”
Michael raised his head, his bloodshot eyes looking precarious. This guy isn’t in his right mind either. Theo pressed his gun barrel against his head.
“Your boss declared war. Care to explain?”
So much for no war breaking out. Theo grabbed Hyungoh’s arm and pulled, but Michael held on even tighter.
“You never listen, do you? Do you think you can properly protect Hyungoh?”
Michael kept his mouth tightly shut. Frustrated, Theo scratched his head and checked the situation outside through the window. It was absolute chaos. Bodies were already piling up in the garden.
Shit. Theo realized that most of the fallen were Cenaline’s people. Whether they were ambushed or simply outnumbered from the start, they were being overwhelmed.
“Why not establish a whole country while you’re at it? You brought a damn army.”
Theo took out his phone and jeered at Herick. Herick lightly ignored him and went over to Michael to whisper.
“What exactly did you discuss with the boss? That bastard tried to kill Choi.”
“…”
“Sigh, how long are you going to keep your mouth shut?”
Are you sure this is okay? This situation. Herick asked, grabbing Michael’s shoulder. His eyes were unwavering as always. In normal circumstances, they would have been trustworthy eyes, but this time they somehow made him feel more uneasy.
Sensing a subtle presence behind him, Michael quickly got up and threw a table. As cups clattered down, two fully armed men were knocked over by the heavy table.
When Herick aimed his gun at them, Michael raised his hand to stop him.
“Don’t shoot.”
“What? Then how do we…”
Herick was about to ask how to deal with them when he saw Michael stomp on them several times to knock them out before taking their weapons, and decided to hold his tongue.
To make matters worse, a man broke the window and stepped inside. Theo, who was right in front, grabbed the man’s neck and threw him aside.
Hyungoh covered his ears. All kinds of noise were stirring inside his head. I’m scared. I feel like I’m going to throw up.
Coward.
When he raised his head at the voice coming from right in front of him, a woman with a bob haircut was crouching with a mischievous smile.
Why do you keep pretending?
It was the same person he had seen in the portrait. No, she was…
Hyungoh swallowed something lodged in his throat. An inexplicable feeling of guilt washed over him. Unaware that his eyes were welling up, he raised his hand to touch her face.
Even at that fragile gesture, she stood up and stepped back. Her bright smile made her look like she was enjoying a game of tag.
“Choi.”
Michael tried to support Hyungoh as he staggered to his feet, but spotting a man aiming a gun at him, he threw a flowerpot instead.
Men invaded through the windows. Theo was already engaged in a physical struggle with them at the window, Herick at the entrance, and Michael was also tied down by the intruders.
“Don’t shoot.”
When Theo tried to use his gun, Michael spoke firmly.
“Then how the hell are we supposed to fight, you idiot!”
“I can’t let Choi see such horrifying scenes.”
“…You’re really driving me crazy.”
Theo struck a man who lunged at him with the barrel of his gun. Michael cooperated, twisting the wrists of the armed men to restrain them.
I never thought the day would come when I’d fight alongside that guy. Theo glanced at Michael, who was fending off the men pouring through the windows with him. A killing intent was palpable in his characteristically bland expression.
“Michael!”
Herick, who had forcefully kicked the front door to push back several men trying to enter at once, looked around anxiously and shouted urgently.
“Choi has disappeared!”
Michael froze. When he turned his head, Hyungoh was indeed nowhere to be seen.
“…Choi.”
Michael, utterly dismayed, spotted the back door leading to the pool in the backyard. The door that should have been firmly closed was not only wide open but also swinging slowly back and forth, as if taunting them.
