The scent of an air freshener.
No, was it perfume?
As consciousness returned, the first thing Kang Sihyun became aware of was a cool, pleasant scent wafting into his nostrils. Unknowledgeable about perfumes, he couldn't identify it, but he was certain it was something clean. The scent, softly filling the room, rose with each breath, lifting his eyelids slowly.
Blinking, his lashes revealed a ceiling. It was unfamiliar.
…Was he awake?
Dreaming had come without warning, and so did waking. Previously, a descent into a bog-like state signified awakening, but now, even that courtesy seemed forsaken.
The last thing he remembered was the voice suggesting they save Haewoon, leaving him with a hazy gaze as he surveyed his surroundings. The quilt on him, the framed pictures on the wall, the decorative items on the table - nothing looked familiar.
As he tried to guess where he was, based on the gender-neutral interior design and the scent of perfume likely belonging to a man, he heard a noise from outside the door.
Creak.
The closed door opened, and a familiar man entered.
“…You're awake.”
It was Hahyuk.
With S-Class sensibility, finer than his own, Hahyuk must have known he was awake even before entering the room. The lack of surprise or panic in his eyes upon making eye contact was proof of that.
The man, who may have either bought or made porridge, approached the bed. As he drew nearer, Sihyun attempted to sit up. Or rather, he would have if not for Hahyuk's hand on his shoulder, signaling him to stay down.
Trying to get out of bed but ending up sitting up and staring dumbly at Hahyuk, Sihyun gazed at him with sleepy blue eyes, still heavy with sleep. It was at that moment that Hahyuk furrowed his brow.
Squeeze.
Hahyuk's grip tightened on his shoulder with brute strength, causing pain sharp enough to grimace.
“What the.”
“…?”
It was hardly a sentence, more an aborted attempt at one. The man spoke in a muffled voice as if suppressing something, then clamped his mouth shut, continuing to stare intently at Sihyun.
The silent standoff continued until Sihyun let out his third exhale, at which point Hahyuk lowered his gaze and brushed his hair back.
Sigh.
After a moment, the man exhaled a long breath, which seemed to quell his anger. He sighed a few more times before closing his mouth, indicating he wouldn't continue the conversation.
Why this sudden change?
Sihyun, puzzled by the abrupt shift, directed a questioning look at Hahyuk. Just as he was about to ask what Hahyuk had intended to say, Hahyuk spoke first.
“…How's your body feeling?”
That was all.
From holding his shoulder as if to devour him or crush him instantly, Hahyuk seemed to calm himself down, and that was the end of it.
Sihyun didn't think inquiring about his physical condition was what Hahyuk had initially intended to say. Even knowing this, Sihyun didn't press further, strongly feeling that persisting would do no good.
As Hahyuk still hadn't released his shoulder, Sihyun briefly met his gaze and replied that he was okay. Hahyuk didn't respond. Instead, he handed Sihyun a bowl of porridge.
“You've been unconscious for about 8 hours. You must be hungry, eat this first.”
“Ah….”
It turned out he had been unconscious longer than expected.
While not exceptionally long compared to past incidents, considering how sudden it was, it wasn't something he could call short either. Glancing at Hahyuk, Sihyun took the bowl. He then began to understand why Hahyuk might have been angry.
Sihyun collapsing and becoming unconscious, especially after proceeding with the fourth Awakening Mark to save Haewoon, must have been a shock for Hahyuk, who was already dealing with a guild member's death.
“…You must have been worried.”
“You know it.”
“I'm sorry.”
“There's nothing to be sorry about.”
Hahyuk placed the tray that had been holding the porridge bowl on the table as he spoke. His tone was no different from usual. It was gentle, yet the atmosphere he carried was not the same as always.
Though his voice was calm and collected, his gaze felt as if it was scolding Sihyun. It resembled the demeanor of someone angry, making the porridge difficult to swallow.
This is going to make me sick.
There's a saying that even dogs are left alone while eating, but here was Hahyuk, giving Sihyun a hard time while feeding him porridge. Or perhaps not
anymore, since he wasn't actually ill.
As if his body had adapted to the awakened core, as the voice had said, there was no longer a rapid heartbeat, mana reflux, or throbbing pain.
Despite appearing completely fine, Hahyuk's gaze suggested he didn't quite believe Sihyun's claim of being okay.
There was no way to jump around on the bed proclaiming his wellness.
Contemplating whether his image or proving his innocence was more important, Sihyun seriously considered jumping on the bed just once when he thought,
“You knew, didn't you?”
“Hm?”
“That proceeding with the fourth mark would cause you to faint.”
“…”
Hahyuk's sensitivity and quick-wittedness were why Sihyun disliked him. How had he even guessed that?
It was a question Sihyun couldn't fully confirm or deny.
After all, he had anticipated it.
But being on the verge of fainting was the issue, not the pain itself. He had realized the pain could accompany the marking process when he placed his hand on the mark device, recalling the third mark. However, the possibility of fainting only became apparent after his heart began to tumultuously beat following the marking.
Knowing that saying anything would be worse than keeping silent, Sihyun looked at Hahyuk as if he knew nothing. Hahyuk, observing Sihyun intently, chuckled softly before standing up from the bed.
“Judging by your expression, it must be true.”
“…”
“You knew and still decided to proceed with the marking?”
“There was no other choice.”
“I'm the guild leader, Sihyun.”
He was aware.
Reiterating known information must have a reason, so Sihyun listened silently to Hahyuk's seemingly out-of-place comment.
“I'm in a position to be responsible for the guild members and to consistently check on their status. What do you think I would feel about incidents like this?”
“…”
“If you think something might be dangerous next time, get permission first. Don't proceed in secret and scare people like this time.”
Essentially, he was saying not to surprise him by fainting again without warning.
With no other way to interpret his words, Sihyun nodded. Hahyuk, still looking somewhat skeptical, pulled a chair over and sat down.
"Let's eat first, then get to work," said Hahyuk, and Sihyun continued eating. When he had finished about half the bowl, he got off the bed.
"Did you finish eating?"
"I'm too distracted to eat properly. Let's take care of what needs to be done first."
Was this the time to stretch out, sleep comfortably, and fill his stomach?
Initially, Sihyun thought it was Hahyuk's implicit pressure that made the porridge hard to swallow, but even after their conversation, the difficulty in swallowing persisted, suggesting his subconscious was continuously concerned about Haewoon. The constant sharp pains in his stomach made it impossible to focus on eating.
As they left the room, Hahyuk led Sihyun to where Haewoon was.
"So, how can he be saved?"
"I don't know either."
"…"
"Once you're in front of Kang Haewoon, it'll somehow work out."
It might have seemed irresponsible, but that was the only option. The voice had instructed to proceed with the marking anyway.
Having opened all four cores, Sihyun believed a solution would emerge once he reached Haewoon. And just as he thought, the usually silent voice answered.
-I'll handle it from here.
See?
Hahyuk didn't hear the internal response and entered the room where Haewoon was. Haewoon looked the same as he did 8 hours ago.
As Sihyun approached the lying boy, suddenly, the voice exclaimed in admiration.
-You've surrounded him with mana.
‘Excuse me?’
-The boy you wish to save is encircled by mana. Judging by its threatening nature, it seems to be for protection. It's the handiwork of the man behind you.
Had Hahyuk created some sort of barrier with mana to prevent others from interfering?
-Yes.
Thinking to himself, the voice again uninvitedly read his thoughts and responded. Sihyun slightly bent down to feel the energy around Haewoon’s body more closely.
‘Is that something remarkable?’
-It's difficult unless the person can delicately manipulate mana. It consumes a lot of mana and requires constant attention.
That explained why Hahyuk looked more haggard than usual.
Surprised that Hahyuk would take such a measure, Sihyun glanced at him briefly before extending his fingers towards the boy.
"The voice asks if you can remove this."
"Oh, it tells you that too?"
"Yes."
"Hmm."
Hahyuk didn’t hide his fascination as he waved his hand once. Done. That word came from the voice
, not Hahyuk. Sihyun, following the voice’s instruction, approached Haewoon and placed his hand over the boy’s heart.
-Focus on the flow from your core, not the mana emanating from the boy. It’ll be easier to feel if you close your eyes.
Heeding the advice, Sihyun closed his eyes and sensed the mana circulating through his body. All the mana converged towards the core, and soon his body felt like it was about to burst with an overwhelming force.
It was overwhelming.
His nose tingled, and his closed eyes felt intense pressure, as if he was about to cough up blood. Just when his fingertips began to tremble, Sihyun felt an ethereal force enveloping his shoulder.
It was the same sensation he felt in his dream.
-It would be too much for you to handle without realization, so I'll assist you this one time.
Along with a voice more tender than anything he’d heard before, an intangible force pushed on Sihyun's shoulder. His body fell backwards, and a force obscured his vision as if to say, "This is enough; now rest comfortably." Unable to resist the overwhelming power, Sihyun felt his consciousness fading.
-This is all I can do for you. But don't worry too much. Since I will soon... you will do well.
The voice’s unusually gentle tone cradled Sihyun’s consciousness deeper into oblivion. As he surrendered to the comforting sensation, the boy’s eyelids lifted, and his blue eyes sparkled.
“…?”
The air had changed.
Not just the aura surrounding Sihyun, but the entire atmosphere in the room felt different, causing Hahyuk to flinch. His instincts were on high alert, wary of the figure before him. As Hahyuk tensely watched, Sihyun, now with his eyes wide open, slightly lifted his hand from Haewoon’s heart and began to speak, his gaze lowered.
“By the decree of the invocation.”
A deep, authoritative voice, impossible to be the boy’s, vibrated through the space. For a moment, Hahyuk felt the walls distort around them, his eyes wide with astonishment at the scene unfolding behind Sihyun.
The noise subsided, and a tremendous energy gathered at Sihyun’s fingertips. The overwhelming force made Sihyun inhale sharply, his expression briefly contorting before he continued.
“Grant salvation.”
His concise, forceful command echoed throughout the room.
In an instant, a brilliant light filled Hahyuk's bedroom, engulfing the two boys and the adult in a blinding embrace.
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