“Screams, explosions, machine gun fire, and shouting blended into a horrible cacophony.
Jeong Tae-ui looked around. People were sprawled on the ground. He hurriedly got up and approached them. Carefully, one by one, he tapped their shoulders and called out. Two of them were fortunately injured about as badly as Tae-ui but were still conscious and alert. One had briefly lost consciousness but slowly blinked awake after Tae-ui shouted several times. Muttering ‘Ouch, ouch’ with a pale face, he let his arm drop limply—it seemed his arm was badly hurt.
The other was bleeding near his head—either from hitting it during a fall or being struck by a rock. When Tae-ui called his name, the man mumbled something like a low groan, barely conscious, but did not fully come to.

“Damn it. Wasn’t this bastard supposed to be here to rescue hostages?! Did he come to kill us all with his own hands?! Crazy bastard!”
Tae-ui cursed while feeling some relief.
They were alive. Not exactly unharmed, but their lives were still hanging on.

Tae-ui, worried, looked at the man bleeding from his head and wiped the sweat streaming down his forehead with the back of his hand. Only when he saw blood on his hand did he realize that from his temple to the forehead, about two fingers' width of skin was torn away.
Yet he hardly felt the pain. There was no time for that.

“Damn lunatic, crazy Rick…” someone muttered, trembling. The voice was shaking—whether from anger or fear was unclear.
Tae-ui cursed the man for a while but then suddenly shifted his blame to the man’s brother, Kyle, who had caused this whole mess.
Crazy, crazy. Why the hell did he pick such a bastard to send? To gather hostages and the criminal together and kill them all neatly? Kyle!!

Just as another distant explosion echoed, Tae-ui suddenly snapped back to reality.
This wasn’t the time to linger here. While they still had lives left, and while that crazy bastard was off fighting others some distance away, they had to escape quickly. Fortunately, the area was thick forest. If he hid well, maybe they wouldn’t be discovered.

Tae-ui glanced once more at the people, then climbed over a half-collapsed wall beside the door, which had lost all meaning. He left a brief farewell to the stunned people, “I’ll see you again if there’s a chance,” then limped and dragged his aching body, running like mad.

Why was that man here?
Panting heavily, Tae-ui did not stop his legs. His ankle felt like it was about to break completely—probably shattered for sure. Though his stamina hadn’t dropped that much, he was gasping badly.

Was it coincidence? Or did he act on chivalry, hearing that his uncle’s friends were kidnapped, volunteering to save them?

“...Ridiculous.”
Tae-ui immediately laughed at his own thought and set his eyes aflame.
It wasn’t a coincidence. Their eyes definitely met earlier. When their eyes met, there was no sign of surprise. Instead, he smiled. Just like usual. He already knew Tae-ui was here.

“Morrow, you bastard…!”
That was the only conclusion. No matter why at this timing, while Tae-ui briefly looked away, Morrow’s words leaked out, and somehow Ilay heard them. Tae-ui ground his teeth and paced, cursing everyone from Kyle to Morrow—though he held some favor for Kyle and only screamed, “Why the hell did you send that bastard!”—and finally cursed himself.

He should have left then. Ankle injured or not—even if his ankle had been completely broken and twisted, he should have left right then. A bad decision had cost him his life. Come to think of it, a friend once said, “Luck is judgment.” The friend meant in economic matters that lucky people make money because they know when to act. Tae-ui had just brushed it off then, but now the saying hit hard, albeit with a different meaning.

He should have left that day. No, he shouldn’t have come to this house. No, even before that, he shouldn’t have come to Europe. There were other continents he could have gone to—why the hell did he come to this cursed land? No, even before that…

But knowing there was no end to regrets if he kept tracing back, Tae-ui stopped at the point that felt like life’s origin—the moment he decided not to follow his uncle to UNHRDO. Truthfully, his body was too tired to waste any energy on regrets.

He didn’t know how long he walked.
Deep in the forest now. Though he hadn’t entered intentionally following a path, he was confident he could find his way out later. He had a good sense for navigation.

The forest was quiet. The explosions had stopped some time ago. No sounds of gunfire, shouting, or screaming. Though he had run far, gunfire echoed farther than expected. Shouts and screams might fade into distance, but the gun and artillery fire had surely ceased.

Because of the sudden silence after continuous explosions nearby, an overwhelming unease surged. The absence of even birdcalls made this stillness especially eerie.

Suddenly, a voice from earlier came to mind.
—Moreover, the terrain is rough, so it’s easy to get lost. Wolves prowl at night, so better stay still and not have foolish thoughts.

As the man said, the forest grew deeper. But Tae-ui could still gauge whether he was close to losing his way. For now, it was manageable.

The problem wasn’t the path but the wild beasts. It was only morning now, so better than night, but if he ran into hungry predators, it would be trouble. And Tae-ui was so exhausted he wasn’t sure he could fend off even a hungry mongrel dog.

He slowed his steps suddenly. His ears were ringing from the multiple explosions close by. It felt like a tiny insect was chirping inside his ear.

His body had no strength left. He felt he couldn’t take another step. Actually, he couldn’t.

Leaning against a tree stump, Tae-ui slumped down, wiping the blood steadily flowing down his forehead from his hands as his vision blurred. Dried blood crusted his hands and layered with fresh blood again, making a crackling texture. Maybe next time he thought, I should wear gloves. He muttered weakly.

He no longer felt pain. His ankle couldn’t move without dragging it, and his body, battered from collisions with trees and rocks, was swollen and cut everywhere, yet # Nоvеlight # he felt no pain.

“Ah… damn, I’m really gonna die…”

But then—

Crunch. …Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
The sound of grass being crushed. More precisely, footsteps pushing through grass. At first slow, but steadily quickening. Faint labored breathing accompanied it.

Tae-ui flinched and curled up. Silently, he shifted his body behind a rock close to the stump, pressing himself tightly inside. His chaotic thoughts emptied.

Someone was approaching. Anxious, uneven footsteps drew nearer.

They weren’t coming straight at Tae-ui. They seemed unaware Tae-ui was there, staggering irregularly toward this direction.

…No.
His frozen heart loosened slightly.

He could tell from the footsteps. Ilay wouldn’t stagger so nervously and urgently, nearly falling. Ilay’s steps were distinct—confident and weighted.

Then who was it? Someone staggering hurriedly like that. Only two types could be nearby now: kidnappers or hostages.

But if someone hurried nervously like they were fleeing someone, it was likely the latter. The anxiety chasing them leaked in their footsteps.

Tae-ui clenched his fist. If the latter, he thought, he had to help. But he couldn’t move from behind the rock. Not even a finger. In his state, trying to help would only cause more harm. He recalled those who had shared the room with him last night. They hadn’t become close friends, but in some way, they were his comrades. He couldn’t just ignore them.

How long could his body hold out? Could he even move properly? He didn’t know what he still had on him. He fumbled through the pockets of the jacket he’d grabbed randomly from the floor when fleeing the lodge. Outside pocket, inside pocket, front pockets—nothing. Damn it. At least a 1 euro coin or something. He clicked his tongue. He still had nothing, just a body battered and barely able to move.

No choice. If he was one of the hostages, if he was in danger… he’d think about it then.
He had to help, but he couldn’t promise to risk dying for it, he muttered silently, forcing his heavy eyelids open despite the tension.

At that moment—

“Come out, Tae-i.”
His heart sank.

He thought he’d never hear his name called in that voice again. Or rather, never should have.

His fingertips trembled. He had no strength to even move a finger, but his heart pounding made his fingertips shake uncontrollably.

“I saw you head this way and drove this bastard this way. You must be badly hurt, so you probably didn’t get far from here. Come out now.”

The voice was low and quiet, but in the still forest it carried far.

Ilay didn’t know exactly where Tae-ui was hiding. He guessed somewhere near enough to hear his voice but didn’t know if Tae-ui hid behind a stump or a rock covered with grass. Tae-ui did not move. He didn’t want to be a fool coming out just because he told him to, he was too scared, and lacked the strength.

He didn’t even have the strength to answer. Above all, he didn’t want to face that man, even if it meant dying there.

What would Ilay do? Would he search the entire area? But even though the forest nearby was wide, searching for one person was too much. Unless he came with several people, Ilay alone couldn’t manage it. This wasn’t the same as fighting a dozen or so men.

“You’re not coming out…?”
Ilay’s voice was calm, not angry, quietly muttering. After a few seconds of silence, he waited patiently.

Tae-ui, though very unlikely, wished Ilay would give up and leave. Or that Ilay’s claim of following Tae-ui here was a lie, and he’d check somewhere else.

His consciousness blurred, frozen stiff, barely breathing, he suddenly heard Ilay sigh softly.

“If you don’t come out, I’ll burn down the forest.”

The casual tone made it sound like weather talk, but hearing those words drained the color from Tae-ui’s face.

No way.

Tae-ui only turned his eyes to survey his surroundings.

Though it was midsummer and dry twigs and leaves were scarce, it didn’t mean trees wouldn’t catch fire. Living trees don’t burn easily, but once ignited, it’s uncontrollable. And of course, thick trees surrounded the area.

No, that wasn’t the real problem. Setting fire to a forest was a crime beyond compare. Tae-ui broke out in a cold sweat. Then he suddenly shook his head inwardly.

No way. No matter how crazy Ilay was, even if he was shelling a house with anti-tank guns, he wouldn’t be insane enough to set fire to such a large forest. Ilay knew how severely arson was punished.

While Tae-ui silently shook his head, Ilay waited a few more seconds, then opened his mouth and started counting.

“If you don’t want to burn to death, come out. One… two… three.”

Maybe this was his last mercy. He counted slowly, but left a longer pause before the last number. Tae-ui heard that Ilay had become very brutal at UNHRDO lately but his voice sounded surprisingly pleasant—not so bad after all. From the way he counted, he’d been practicing cat-and-mouse games.

But when he finished counting, expecting Tae-ui not to come out, Ilay didn’t wait. Tae-ui heard a rustling noise as he cautiously peeked from between the stump and rock. Ilay was loosening the strap of a large, limp leather pouch on his shoulder.

“...?”
Tae-ui tilted his head in puzzlement. What was in that large, floppy leather pouch...?

Before he could finish his thought, Tae-ui was horrified. As Ilay opened the pouch, a sharp smell hit his nose—gasoline.

Without hesitation, Ilay poured a massive amount of gasoline all around. Calm, with no blink, he doused the nearby area liberally with the gasoline stored inside the pouch.

The smell was overwhelming, almost headache-inducing. Surrounded by the smell, Tae-ui’s mind went blank. Could he really be about to set a fire? No matter how crazy, no way. He wouldn’t burn down the forest just to catch one person. He cursed silently inside, suffocated by the gasoline smell clinging to him.

Ignoring Tae-ui’s thoughts, Ilay turned the empty pouch upside down and shook it out, then ripped it with bare hands. The thick leather tore easily. Holding the gasoline-soaked piece, he took out a lighter.

No way.
But it was no ‘no way.’

The leather piece immediately caught fire, mixing the smell of burning leather with gasoline.

A few steps ahead, Ilay casually tossed the flaming piece. The grass flickered briefly before catching the nearby trees soaked with gasoline.

What happened next was instant.

The fire spread rapidly from tree to tree, leaf to leaf. Standing calmly in the middle, Ilay was so close to the flames but casually took out a cigarette and lit it with the igniting fire at his feet.

Crazy bastard. Crazy bastard! This crazy bastard!!

Tae-ui burst with fury and tried to stand up suddenly. Actually, he couldn’t stand. He wanted to but his body didn’t cooperate. He managed to lift his body a span above the ground before collapsing again.

But the movement seemed to catch Ilay’s attention. Raising his eyebrows slightly, Ilay glanced at a rock nearby, then stepped back. His eyes curved thinly when he spotted Tae-ui.

“Ah ha…”

A low, quiet laugh followed, but Tae-ui didn’t feel like laughing along.

“You crazy bastard. What the hell are you going to do with this… this whole mess?!”

Though he wanted to scream and run wild, his body wouldn’t obey. Clenching his fists, he groaned, barely able to speak through clenched teeth. Ilay approached and crouched beside his face, getting very close. But what caught Tae-ui’s attention more was the cigarette flame near his nose.

“You should be saying something to me instead, Tae-i.”

Ilay whispered softly. His voice was so low and gentle that for a moment, Tae-ui wondered if he was mistaking the man or confusing memories.

Then he recalled—this man was dangerous even when speaking softly and tenderly.

“Is that the problem now? What are we going to do about this?!”

“Try asking for help.”

“Who the hell sets fire to a forest…?! What?!”

With whatever strength he had left, Tae-ui shouted at the top of his lungs, though the voice was weak. He couldn’t understand what Ilay had just said. He stared blankly as Ilay flicked ash from his burning cigarette. Meanwhile, the flames were spreading wildly.

“Since there’s fire nearby, it’s hot. I’m going to leave soon. But you look like you can hardly move.”

“...”

“Try asking for help. Then I’ll help.”

Ilay calmly said as he put the cigarette back in his mouth. His tone and expression were so normal it felt like talking about the weather. Tae-ui looked at him dumbfounded for a moment.

“If you don’t ask, will you leave me here to burn in the fire?”

“Mm.”

Ilay nodded shortly. Tae-ui glared at the inhuman reply but soon remembered this man was capable of leaving a person to burn without a second thought.

“It’s hot… you’re not talking? Then I’m leaving.”

“Why the hell did you tell me to come out if you were just going to leave me to burn? That makes no sense!”

Feeling the contradiction, Tae-ui shouted loudly. Meanwhile, Ilay got up and stared down at him expressionlessly.

Silence stretched. Their eyes met.

But the stare down didn’t last long. When the flames neared the rock where Tae-ui lay, the heat made it hard for him to breathe. He gave up holding out and quickly said,

“Help me.”

Looking straight at Ilay, he blurted out the words. Ilay tilted his head and looked down at him. A subtle twist appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“Okay.”

With the short word, Ilay bent down, grabbed Tae-ui’s collar, and lifted him.

Carrying Tae-ui on his shoulder like a load, Ilay headed away from the gasoline-drenched area. Every step pressed Tae-ui’s stomach, making breathing hard, but once clear of the flames, his tension eased.

His barely held consciousness faded again, but this time he didn’t force his eyes open. He had been caught by a man he should never have been caught by. No matter how hard he tried to focus, it was useless.

As his vision blackened, he sensed Ilay making a phone call, but before Ilay spoke, Tae-ui lost consciousness.