Chapter 23

00023 The City of Traps.

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After the meeting ended, I checked on Ansol’s condition under Ahyun’s guidance. Seeing her lying on a blanket, sleeping soundly, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. I placed my hand on her forehead to check her internal state, and as expected, her mana was in a tangled mess. While it would eventually return to its original state over time due to self-regulation, I decided to help her.

“Someone should stay up and take care of Ansol through the night.”

“I’ll do it.”

I shook my head at Ahyun, who naturally volunteered. Turning my gaze to the window, I saw that it was already pitch dark outside. Ahyun’s eyes had been filled with fatigue for some time. Everyone must have expended a considerable amount of mental energy today. While he was holding on with sheer willpower, it would be problematic if it affected his actions tomorrow.

“You look tired. Go out and get some rest. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“Aren’t you going to sleep, hyung?”

“Later. Let the girls sleep well tonight, and we’ll take turns watching over Ansol. I’ll wake you up at the right time for the shift change.”

“Ah, shift change. That makes sense. Then, hyung, please take care of my sister.”

I nodded in response. Ahyun, swaying slightly, closed the door and left. There were still things I wanted to ask, but seeing him barely holding back his sleep, I thought it would be better to ask when we had a more relaxed moment. The trap point and the group’s attitude were on my mind, and I needed to sort out my thoughts. But first, I had to do what I had to do.

After confirming that the door was securely closed, I calmly raised my mana. Like ripples on a calm surface, a faint crimson aura soon began to shimmer in my right hand. I slowly extended my hand and placed it over the center of her chest, then immediately projected my mana into her body. While I was at it, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to give her a little extra help.

Fixing severely reversed mana flow or tangled circuits is quite a challenge, but calming overdriven mana and untangling it is relatively easy. As my pure, fiery mana flowed into her, Ansol’s body twitched slightly. Mana has different attributes depending on the individual’s nature. The mana I felt from her was gentle and carried a bright white light. Initially, her mana seemed confused and uneasy in the face of my overwhelming mana, but I gently and sweetly embraced her mana, reassuring her. It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m here to help. Be good, okay? Stay calm. As I continued to soothe her mana, it seemed to recognize that I was there to help and began to gather around my mana.

I handled her mana as flexibly as possible to avoid startling her. Watching her mana rub against mine, I found it endearing. I scanned her entire body, calming any agitated areas and untangling any tangled parts. As the process neared its end, a rosy flush appeared on her face. She looked more at ease. Is she having a happy dream?

There was one thing that bothered me. After scanning her entire body and trying to withdraw my mana, Ansol’s mana clung to mine. When I tried to pull my hand away, her internal mana seemed to beg me not to go, pressing against me. After struggling to free myself, I finally managed to catch my breath.

The task took about an hour. I had intended to finish quickly, but I ended up giving her a thorough check and boosting her vitality, which took longer than expected. There were no particular disturbances outside the room. Everyone seemed to have fallen asleep. Stretching my arms, I slumped into a seat. Since there was nothing else to do, it would be best to get some rest.

*

How much time had passed? I opened my eyes when I sensed someone entering the room. The surroundings were now pitch black. Turning my head, I saw a figure with a robust build peeking in, and our eyes met. It wasn’t Yoo Jeong, with her short hair, or Kim Hanbyeol, with her long hair down to her shoulders. It must be Ahyun.

“You must have been tired today. You can sleep more.”

I greeted him calmly, but he didn’t respond immediately. He just stared at me silently. After a minute of silence, Ahyun finally spoke.

“No, I’m really worried and can’t sleep. Hyung, how is Sol doing?”

“She’s much better. She should be able to get up by tomorrow. You don’t need to worry too much.”

“Really? That’s a relief. Hyung, then….”

I could sense Ahyun’s hesitation. But I waited calmly for him to speak, feeling that it was necessary at this moment. Ahyun soon spoke.

“Hyung, I want to talk to you. But it’s difficult here.”

“Sure. How about we go to the rooftop?”

“Okay.”

It seemed Ahyun hadn’t slept much either. He probably had many thoughts and concerns, especially about Ansol. Reading the sincerity in his voice, I stood up immediately.

In the living room, Yoo Jeong was sleeping, hugging her blanket tightly. Kim Hanbyeol was not in sight, probably sleeping in another room. I carefully unlocked the door to avoid waking them and quietly went up to the rooftop with Ahyun.

The cold night air on the rooftop cleared my head. We stood silently, looking at the pitch-black city before us. Ahyun broke the silence first.

“Hyung, this city is really quiet.”

“Yeah, it’s suspiciously quiet. But we can’t let our guard down.”

At my words, Ahyun looked sad and then gave a self-deprecating smile. I could guess what his expression meant, but I could only wait for him to open up.

“Hyung, you really seem amazing.”

“Nah, we’re all the same. There’s nothing special about me.”

“No, that’s not it. That’s not what I mean.”

Ahyun shook his head three times in quick succession. His face was filled with distress and a sense of helplessness. I understood his feelings but still felt a bit uncertain, so I remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

“After you left today, I had a lot of thoughts. When you were with us, I felt we all worked well together. I thought that if we five worked together, we could escape this place. But it wasn’t like that. You said to take care of the others, but I couldn’t lead them well. They fell to strange things, and Sol was in danger. And you noticed something strange with Yoo Jeong and Kim Hanbyeol today, right? They fought over whether to go save you or not.”

Ahyun’s face became more troubled as he spoke, but he didn’t stop.

“What I really hated was that I couldn’t make any decisions at that moment. I couldn’t even stop them. All I could do was be pushed into saying, ‘I’ll go,’ as if I had no choice. It made me feel so suffocated.”

“...”

“If you hadn’t been there, I would still be having these thoughts. What will happen tomorrow? Can I do it well? I even thought about just giving up and dying from the burden.”

“Ahyun.”

I tried to stop him from getting more emotional, but he shook his head again, signaling that he had more to say.

“But then you appeared. It felt like a miracle. Do you know what I felt when I saw you? Gratitude? No. Guilt? No. It was relief. I felt that you would somehow make things right. I felt that I could trust you. And it was true. The atmosphere improved as soon as you arrived, and Sol’s condition got better. You’re always calm and composed. You give a sense of stability. You seem different from us. There’s something different about you, even if I can’t put my finger on it.”

Ahyun’s last words made me feel a bit uneasy, but I maintained a calm expression. Seeing him lower his head, as if he had said everything, I spoke in a quiet voice.

“Can I say something? It won’t be long.”

“Sure, take your time. I’ll listen.”

I smiled at his relieved response and slowly approached him, placing my hand on his head. Ahyun looked up at me with a surprised face.

“It’s okay to feel the need to rely on someone or to feel this burden. In fact, I think it’s fortunate.”

“Fortunate?”

“Think about it. How were we in the forest? You didn’t try to do everything on your own like a troublemaker. You didn’t suppress others either. When I gave a general opinion, Yoo Jeong and Kim Hanbyeol would carefully observe and provide additional input. Then, you and I would combine those opinions and choose the best course of action.”

“...”

“We all support you. It’s natural to feel the burden, but you don’t have to carry it all alone. Even if things go wrong, it’s our collective responsibility, not just yours.”

“But...”

Ahyun tried to speak, but I raised my hand to stop him. He closed his mouth, understanding my signal.

“You can think I’m amazing, but I also think you’re amazing. You brought a timid sister this far and always act with quick and decisive action. Ansol relies on you, and you might also want to rely on me. I, Yoo Jeong, and Kim Hanbyeol might also rely on you and Ansol. We work together as a team to escape this place. That was what you said to me at first. But the next thing you said was quite contradictory. Relying on each other isn’t wrong.”

I had intended to keep it short, but it ended up being a bit longer. However, I decided to finish my last point.

“We’ll share the burden of responsibility. So, just do what you can. That’s enough.”

“What I can do...”

“Exactly. What you can do. You don’t need to worry about the rest. We’ll do our best to support you.”

I stood in the night breeze, watching Ahyun slowly digest my words. The night breeze felt unusually gentle and even ticklish tonight. After a while, Ahyun lifted his head. His eyes, which had been unstable when we came up, were now deep and heavy, as they were when I first met him. His face showed a sense of relief, as if he had shed some of his mental burden.

============================ Author's Note ============================

1. Typos and context corrections.