Chapter Text
Saheon had never felt more lost.
The city stretched endlessly around him—towering buildings, crowded streets, unfamiliar sounds echoing from every direction. It was enormous, overwhelming, and utterly confusing.
He had arrived with almost nothing.
Just himself.
A pouch of money.
And the traditional robes on his back.
In the end, he had run away from Jisan.
Yet standing here now, Saheon realized how weak he truly was.
A Jisan shaman without Jisan was like a tree torn from its roots.
The absence of the village's blessings weighed heavily on him.
Every step felt wrong.
Every breath felt incomplete.
Still, he followed the faint remnants of Soleum's presence until he finally found himself standing before a massive building.
Disaster Management Bureau.
Without hesitation, Saheon stepped inside.
The sky had barely begun to brighten.
Most of the building remained quiet.
Empty.
His bare feet left faint bloody footprints across the polished floor.
After all, he had walked several kilometers without shoes.
In Jisan, nobody bothered wearing them.
Then voices reached him.
Raised.
Arguing.
"We can't do that! We can't bring him back there in this condition and expose him to the source!"
Saheon froze.
His heartbeat quickened.
"Grape has been saying he wants to go home over and over again. His condition keeps getting worse."
That voice—
He knew it.
One of Soleum's colleagues.
Saheon moved toward the sound.
Around the corner stood a man with a scar running across his neck, repeatedly dragging a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Jisan isn't the right place for him," the agent said.
A taller man crossed his arms.
"Then what are we supposed to do? Besides, I'm sure the young shaman from Jisan could heal him. It has to be something like that."
The brown-haired agent clenched his fists.
"The Bureau Director already knows about Grapes-ie's status. Bringing him there would only make everything worse."
Silence.
Then came a decision.
"For now, we isolate Grapes-ie."
Saheon's chest tightened.
No.
He immediately hurried toward them.
"P-Please..."
The words felt foreign in his mouth.
He wasn't used to asking strangers for help.
"Please take me to him."
...
"HAH?!"
The brown-haired agent nearly jumped backward.
He pointed directly at Saheon's face.
"You—! What the hell?! Am I hallucinating?"
"No."
Saheon's voice came out steady.
"I want to see Soleum."
The hallway fell silent.
Both agents stared at him.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Finally—
"Agent Choi," the taller one sighed. "You should consider it. Even if this shaman can't help, at least Grapes-ie will calm down."
"Bronze-ie, are you serious?"
Bronze released another weary sigh.
Then he turned toward Saheon.
"Follow me."
His expression hardened.
"And don't cause trouble."
Before Bronze even reached the door—
Saheon brushed past him.
No.
Practically sprinted.
Why would he follow Bronze when he could already feel Soleum's presence this close?
"See?"
Bronze muttered.
"Bad habit."
This time, he chose not to listen to Choi's complaints.
The moment Saheon entered the room, his heart nearly stopped.
Soleum lay motionless on the medical bed.
Far too pale.
Far too still.
Strange items surrounded him.
Artifacts humming with unfamiliar energy.
All of them working desperately to keep him breathing.
Saheon's hands clenched.
For a moment, he couldn't move.
Couldn't speak.
Behind him, Choi watched in silence as Saheon approached the bed.
The shaman carefully reached out.
As though afraid Soleum might disappear.
His fingers brushed Soleum's hand.
Then gently intertwined with it.
The touch was warm.
Still alive.
Thank the heavens.
"Sorry."
The apology slipped from Saheon's lips.
Then he turned toward the two agents.
"I'll take care of my husband."
...?!
Choi nearly choked.
If Bronze hadn't immediately smacked his back, he might have actually spit out whatever argument had been forming in his throat.
With tremendous reluctance, the two agents retreated outside.
The door closed.
Leaving only the two of them.
At last.
"Saheon...?"
The voice was weak.
Hoarse.
Barely more than a whisper.
"I'm here."
Saheon immediately squeezed his hand.
The sight of Soleum's tired eyes made his chest ache.
He missed them.
Missed the foolish smile that always accompanied them.
Missed him.
Completely.
"I'm going to perform a major blessing."
His voice trembled slightly.
"This must hurt."
Soleum quietly listened.
"What kind of blessing...?"
Saheon felt Soleum's fingers tense within his own.
A small smile appeared despite everything.
"What?"
He leaned closer.
"Are you afraid it'll hurt?"
Soleum remained silent.
The answer was obvious enough.
Saheon lowered his forehead against Soleum's hand.
The gesture was brief.
Tender.
Painfully affectionate.
Then he whispered,
"It's a short blessing."
His grip tightened.
"But it's a heavy one."
A pause.
Saheon finally raised his eyes to meet Soleum's.
Soft.
Determined.
"If that's the case..."
His thumb brushed over Soleum's knuckles.
"I won't let you feel any pain."
Soleum shook his head.
"I won't accept that blessing."
Saheon immediately looked up.
Shock flashed across his face.
"What do you mean?"
"You need to recover, Soleum."
The plea escaped him before he could stop it.
"Please. I'm sorry. Because of my father. Because of Jisan—"
"Then apologize to yourself, Saheon."
Soleum smiled weakly.
The expression looked fragile enough to shatter.
"Tell yourself you're sorry."
His fingers slowly tightened around Saheon's hand.
"Tell yourself you're sorry for staying somewhere that never made you happy."
The room fell quiet.
Soleum's voice remained calm.
Gentle.
Yet there was a strain beneath it that made Saheon's chest ache.
He didn't want that voice to disappear.
Not now.
Not ever.
"Saheon..."
Soleum's gaze softened.
"I love you."
His thumb brushed against the back of Saheon's hand.
"I love you so..."
The words were spoken with such sincerity that they hurt.
Then Soleum sighed.
"I know what kind of blessing you're talking about."
Saheon froze.
"..."
"I know it transfers the burden to you."
The silence that followed was answer enough.
Of course he had noticed.
Of course he understood.
And yet he had chosen to endure everything alone.
As always.
"I won't accept a blessing that makes you suffer."
Soleum's voice dropped into a murmur.
"So if the pain can still be carried by me..."
His eyes drifted shut for a moment.
"...then give me that blessing instead."
Idiot.
The kind of person who would stand in front of a storm and smile if it meant protecting someone else.
Suddenly, Saheon wanted nothing more than to crawl onto the bed beside him.
To wrap his arms around him.
To fall asleep together and forget the rest of the world existed.
Instead, he laughed softly.
A small, helpless sound.
"Of course."
His smile trembled.
"Then I'll minimize the pain."
Soleum narrowed his eyes.
"Not for yourself?"
"No."
"Good."
His expression relaxed.
"Then I trust you."
The answer was immediate. Without hesitation.
As though trusting Saheon was the easiest thing in the world.
And somehow, that hurt even more.
Slowly, Saheon took both of Soleum's hands into his own.
The hands that had become his home.
The hands he always searched for in the dark.
The hands that had taught him how to grow flowers, harvest vegetables, and live a life beyond duty.
Warm.
Still warm.
Saheon lowered his gaze.
Then he began to pray.
—Owner of all worlds.
—Owner of the universe itself.
—Please accept the suffering that has broken my other half.
—Every fragment of my devotion, every prayer, every act of loyalty...
—I offer them all in exchange for this single, insignificant request.
The room trembled.
Not visibly.
But the air itself seemed to tighten.
The blessing answered.
Immediately.
Soleum bit down on his lower lip.
A sharp pain surged through his nerves.
It felt as though invisible needles were threading themselves through every vein in his body.
Yet something else followed.
Relief.
The crushing weight inside his chest began to lift.
The sickness gnawing at his body slowly unraveled.
One piece at a time.
The pain remained.
But the corruption was fading.
Being torn away.
Soleum's breathing steadied.
Color gradually returned to his face.
Meanwhile—Saheon's vision blurred.
The room tilted.
His strength was already weak outside Jisan.
Performing a blessing of this magnitude should have been impossible.
Yet he had forced it through anyway.
His fingers loosened.
His body swayed.
The world darkened at the edges.
And before he could fully collapse, Soleum suddenly tightened his grip.
"Saheon."
His voice was stronger now.
Clearer.
More urgent.
Soleum shook the hands that were beginning to slip from his grasp.
The floating glow surrounding the blessing flickered.
And Saheon, who had been on the verge of losing consciousness, was dragged back by the sound of his name.
"Come here."
Soleum tugged on Saheon's arm, pulling him onto the narrow medical bed beside him.
The frame immediately let out a long, miserable creak beneath their combined weight. Even Saheon grimaced at the sound. The poor thing already looked old enough to collapse on a normal day, and now it was somehow expected to support two grown men.
"Wait."
Soleum suddenly pushed himself upright. His gaze fell to Saheon's feet, and his expression immediately hardened.
"What happened to your feet?"
Only now did he seem to notice the cuts and dried blood covering them. His fingers carefully brushed against one of the injuries, as though afraid applying too much pressure would hurt.
"You should have healed yourself first."
Guilt was written plainly across his face.
Saheon knew exactly what he was thinking. The blessing had consumed most of his strength, leaving him too exhausted to continue healing anything afterward.
"Instead of staring at them, treat them," Saheon replied curtly.
A quiet laugh escaped Soleum.
He opened the bedside cabinet with surprising familiarity, as though he had spent enough time in this room to memorize where everything was. After finding an ointment and some bandages, he carefully cleaned the wounds before applying the medicine.
Once he finished, Soleum immediately pulled Saheon back beside him.
"Your coworkers are waiting outside," Saheon pointed out.
"Let them wait."
"And if they come in?"
Soleum frowned, genuinely confused by the concern.
"We're married."
Saheon stared at him for a long moment before deciding the conversation wasn't worth continuing.
Instead, he shifted into a more comfortable position against Soleum's side. The familiar warmth of his embrace settled around him almost immediately. Before long, Soleum's hand found its way to his hair, gently patting his head the way he always did.
The simple gesture was strangely calming. Combined with the steady rhythm of Soleum's breathing and the exhaustion weighing on his body, it wasn't long before Saheon's eyelids began to droop.
For the first time in days, he allowed himself to relax.
Then, nestled safely in Soleum's arms, he fell asleep.
[#—#]
"What is this?"
Choi immediately covered his mouth when Soleum placed a finger in front of his lips, telling him to be quiet.
How could they not be shocked and find it strange? Bronze and Choi were looking at a rare sight where Agent Grape was carefully letting go of Saheon's embrace while the shaman slept peacefully.
"I need to return to Jisan with Saheon," Soleum said after they stepped outside the room.
"Grapes-ie, I don't want to interfere with your married life. But seriously, hide Saheon somewhere in the city."
Soleum looked at him.
"You said he doesn't like his family, right? It would be better not to go back there after he left."
Soleum sighed. "Saheon won't be able to run forever. If he stays outside for too long... his body will definitely weaken."
"Think about yourself for once!" Choi raised his voice slightly.
"Agent, if Bronze or I died in the Darkness, how would you feel?" Soleum asked.
"Why are you bringing that up...?"
"Agent, I would feel exactly what you're feeling right now. I would never be able to watch Saheon suffer."
Bronze handed Soleum a white envelope.
"I think you should open this. The Director gave it to us while you were unconscious."
Soleum fell silent. He immediately took it and opened the letter.
Hello, Agent Grape!
We've heard that you've gotten married. We would like to congratulate you on beginning a new chapter of your life with your partner.
However, we are truly angry.
A Disaster Native was never an appropriate choice.
The letter crumbled into ashes as soon as Soleum finished reading it.
His heart began to pound.
Panicked, he turned to his two seniors.
"I need to take Saheon back!"
Choi grabbed both of Soleum's shoulders.
Soleum looked at him with horror in his eyes.
"You! You already knew this was planned after I opened the letter, and you stayed quiet?!"
"Grapes-ie... we can't stop them. We really can't."
"Agent... please. Please let me go to Jisan and take him with me."
Choi and Bronze exchanged a glance before nodding once.
"Alright. We trust that you have a plan. The Bureau is probably already on its way."
Soleum smiled faintly.
"Making sure Saheon is safe is my priority right now."
His hands clenched.
Soleum returned to the medical room, and Saheon was still sleeping peacefully.
"Saheon, I'm sorry."
He gently woke him up.
"Wake up, love. Let's go."
Saheon opened his eyes slightly, only to freeze when Soleum picked him up into his arms.
"Wha—!"
Saheon immediately wrapped his arms tightly around Soleum.
Was Soleum always this strong? Or was Saheon simply weak?
Outside, the darkness of night was slowly giving way to dawn.
Strangely, the company building was still quiet.
Looking at Soleum's uneasy expression and the silence throughout the building, it definitely felt suspicious.
Soleum placed Saheon on the back seat of a bicycle before pedaling away at full speed.
"This— This is the road to Jisan!"
Saheon realized it after twenty minutes had passed. He grabbed the back of Soleum's shirt.
"No, my father will do something to you. We have to go back. Soleum."
"Saheon, I don't like how I can barely feel your grip anymore. We need to go back, okay?"
But there was something strange in his voice.
Saheon noticed it immediately.
"Why do you sound like you're hiding something? And what's in your ear?"
Soleum flinched.
He lowered the panic in his voice before answering.
"Listen, Saheon. My company knows we're married. And they consider your village a threat. Including you."
Saheon could see his shoulders trembling.
"I— no, I mean, we. We need to take shelter in Jisan. It's the best place for you to recover your strength so we can run away. At the very least, your father will help."
His words sounded certain and full of hope.
"Just follow my plan and my agents' plan, okay? I'm wearing a communication device."
Because he was used to go between the city and Jisan, Soleum knew a shortcut.
If they moved fast enough, they should be able to make it before anyone took action.
After about an hour a journey that made Saheon wince just imagining the speed of Soleum's legs—they arrived at Jisan Village.
As expected, the village seemed to have already predicted that something terrible was about to happen. Instead of questioning them or showing any anger, the villagers hurriedly ushered Saheon and Soleum deeper into the village.
According to them, there were more important things to worry about right now.
Saheon gripped Soleum's wrist tightly, but Soleum's gaze remained calm, and somehow that made him feel safe.
So he obeyed.
Withered flowers were scattered everywhere, and the ground felt dry beneath their feet. Jisan's blessings were being slowly stripped away. Now an ominous prophecy had appeared as well.
The moment Saheon stepped into the village, he felt it too.
Without wasting any time, he headed toward his father, who was already performing rituals to ward off the coming disaster.
"You and your husband, get inside the house immediately."
Saheon tried not to let his personal feelings interfere.
This time, he listened.
He quickly pulled Soleum inside. His father's house had certainly been protected with barriers already.
The moment Soleum entered, several villagers approached him and placed a necklace around his neck. Thick red feathers surrounded a talisman hanging at its center.
"You know what that is?" Saheon asked.
"That's a bad luck warding necklace. It means the prophecy is extremely serious. If one of us dies, Jisan's blessings won't be enough."
Soleum glanced toward his mother-in-law, who was wearing an identical necklace.
So she was an ordinary person too.
Probably someone who had come from another village.
"Saheon, I have a plan. But we need to work together."
Soleum spoke with a serious, worried expression, though he still tried to smile.
"A plan?"
"Yeah. It also involves my colleagues' plan."
Saheon nodded.
"Of course. What is it?"
He straightened his back.
At the same time, he could feel dozens of people moving beyond the borders of Jisan.
Getting closer.
Fast.
Soleum immediately continued.
"First, gather your parents and your sister together. I need your power too, Saheon."
Saheon quickly grabbed his mother and older sister, both of whom looked confused.
"Come on."
And just like that, the plan began.
At first, Saheon's father refused.
But after hearing that Soleum intended to protect all of them, he eventually nodded.
He had already exhausted a great deal of his strength through countless rituals.
Soleum looked at the three people who had made Saheon's life so difficult.
Then he spoke.
"Make a circle on the ground using dried roses and stand in the center."
Saheon shoved his father forward before he could start complaining again.
Everyone stepped outside.
The villagers were doing the same thing.
[Grapes-ie... this wasn't the plan...]
[You're not seriously betraying the Bureau's operation, are you?]
[You said you were only going to save Saheon.]
The agent wearing glasses didn't answer.
Dozens of Bureau personnel had already surrounded Jisan.
They were steadily advancing toward the village.
Saheon grabbed Soleum's hand and pulled him into the circle of roses.
Soleum smiled.
"Saheon. Now."
Immediately, Saheon began chanting.
—Oh, blessings of Jisan, with all my devotion...
—Protect those within this circle of sacred flowers, the symbol of your grace.
Thin crimson smoke rose from the dried roses.
Soleum could only feel his heart pounding as he watched Saheon's incredible power at work.
"Good, son! Trust in Jisan's strength. Nothing can compare to it!"
Saheon's father patted his shoulder.
The five of them stood together within the same circle.
"Saheon..."
Saheon turned toward his husband.
"I want to ask for a blessing too. I feel different here."
His father snorted but made an effort not to say anything.
Saheon chuckled softly.
Then he wrapped his arms around Soleum.
—Protect my heaven with power beyond measure.
—Grant him the holiest form of protection you have ever possessed.
—A true bond that can never be severed.
Every villager heard the prayer.
Around them, the horrors released by the Disaster Management Bureau were already rushing toward the village.
—This is my devotion to you, the most beautiful offering, the most blessed gift Jisan has ever known.
The ground trembled violently.
Cracks spread across the earth.
The drought deepened.
The Bureau agents had begun releasing everything they had brought with them.
Soleum smiled and tightened his embrace around Saheon.
"Thank you."
Saheon pulled back slightly.
Why was Soleum's voice shaking?
Then Soleum reached into his coat.
And took something out.
A talisman.
Before Saheon could react, Soleum pressed it firmly against his chest.
"Soleum...?"
Saheon stumbled backward from the unexpected push.
Immediately, his father and older sister caught him from behind.
"What did you do to my son?!"
His father grabbed at the yellow talisman covered in unfamiliar writing.
He tried to remove it.
It wouldn't budge.
Saheon stared at the symbol.
No.
No.
It couldn't be.
Heat burned behind his eyes.
Soleum stepped backward.
Out of the circle.
"You are not going anywhere, Soleum! No!"
Saheon shouted.
But his sister held him back.
She couldn't even look at Soleum.
Because she remembered.
The request Soleum had made.
"I'm going to push Saheon. Please don't let him leave the circle."
That request.
That talisman.
Saheon grabbed it and pulled with all his strength.
It didn't move.
He tried again.
Nothing.
He tried tearing off his robes instead.
The robes wouldn't come off either.
He pulled and pulled until his hands shook.
Until it felt like he was trying to tear himself apart.
But it wouldn't come off.
Because he recognized it.
It was a Protection Talisman.
"Calm down, Saheon. I'm only going to talk to them."
"You're lying. What is this talisman? Take it off!"
Saheon's voice cracked.
He was furious.
Terrified.
His eyes trembled, and his knees threatened to give out beneath him. Why couldn't Soleum simply stay inside the circle? Why couldn't he remain here, protected by Jisan's strongest blessing where nothing could reach him?
Yet Soleum only smiled.
The sight made Saheon's chest ache.
"This is a protection symbol. But this one is awful."
"Awful?"
"You have to offer something of equal value in exchange for protection. The more precious the sacrifice, the stronger the protection becomes."
He hated that smile.
Hated how calm it was.
Hated how it looked like a farewell.
Tears gathered in his eyes as desperation tightened around his throat.
He didn't want to see that expression.
Not now.
Not ever.
"Saheon..." Soleum's voice was gentle. "This is my devotion to you, the most beautiful offering, the most blessed gift Jisan has ever known."
Saheon shook his head immediately.
"No."
"No."
His voice broke.
"Come back into the circle, Soleum."
"I'm the master of this village," Saheon said, trying to steady his breathing. "I'm strong. I can protect you."
But Soleum turned away.
Panic surged through him.
Saheon immediately began reciting a spell, intending to paralyze his father and force his way free. The words barely left his lips before he realized something was wrong.
His body wouldn't respond properly.
As if something was suppressing him.
His eyes widened.
"Father...?"
His father lowered his head.
He couldn't even meet his son's gaze.
Realization struck.
"You two...?"
Saheon struggled violently, but neither his father nor his sister released him.
"Soleum!"
His voice echoed across the village.
"No! Don't go!"
His wrists hurt from fighting their grip. "I don't want this!"
Soleum lifted his gaze toward the crimson sky.
Above them, thousands of spirit-fire arrows shimmered into existence.
An execution that had been prepared long before today.
A plan designed to destroy Jisan.
Now the sky was filled with them.
Thousands upon thousands.
Waiting.
Ready to fall.
Soleum closed his eyes.
And prayed.
"Please."
—Let this Protection Talisman remain in place in exchange for the entirety of my life.
"TAKE IT OFF!"
Saheon's scream tore through the air.
His fingers were bleeding from how desperately he had tried to remove the talisman.
The arrows descended.
Without mercy.
Without hesitation.
The villagers' screams erupted all at once.
Jisan's protection no longer mattered.
Bodies were pierced.
Burned.
Consumed.
The sacred barriers shattered beneath an endless rain of fire.
Saheon froze.
The world became distant.
Silent.
As though he had fallen underwater.
Through the chaos, he saw Soleum.
Soleum was smiling.
His lips curved into the most beautiful smile Saheon had ever seen.
Yet his eyes were filled with tears.
For the first time, Saheon saw him cry.
The sight hurt more than anything else.
Slowly, Soleum raised his hand.
The wedding ring was burning.
The silver glowed red-hot against his skin.
His fingers were already beginning to melt beneath the heat.
Still, he looked only at Saheon.
"Sorry."
His voice was barely audible.
"Saheon."
Another arrow struck.
"Sorry."
Another.
"Sorry."
The apologies blurred together.
Im sorry. Sorry. Sorry.
Forgive me Saheon.
Until they became nothing but a broken prayer carried away by the wind.
Saheon let out a sound that barely resembled a human voice.
A raw, agonized scream ripped from somewhere deep inside him as countless flaming arrows pierced Soleum's unprotected body.
His body lurched from the impact.
Yet his eyes never left the circle.
Never left Saheon.
Relief appeared on his face before pain did.
The force sent him crashing to the ground.
"Soleum..."
The name emerged as a whisper..
As though speaking louder would make it real.
Around them, Jisan burned.
The village was swallowed by blue fire until nothing remained except ruins, smoke, and ash.
When the flames finally died, only Saheon and his family were left alive.
The Bureau's fire vanished as soon as it sensed the blessing was gone.
Its purpose had been fulfilled.
Everything became quiet.
Too quiet.
Saheon stumbled forward.
One step.
Then another.
Until he reached Soleum.
"No..."
His knees hit the ground.
He pulled Soleum into his arms immediately.
The body was still painfully warm.
Saheon didn't even notice the burns spreading across his own hands.
Didn't notice the heat blistering his skin.
Nothing mattered.
Nothing except this.
He buried his face against Soleum's chest, desperately searching for the familiar warmth he had always known. His ear pressed against the place where a heartbeat should have been, and for a moment he simply stayed there, refusing to accept the silence. He waited for even the faintest breath, the slightest movement beneath his trembling hands ... anything that could tell him Soleum was still there. Even one heartbeat would have been enough. Just one. He would have taken anything, if it meant Soleum could still come back to him.
His lips trembled as he began reciting a spell.
—Bring him back.
His voice cracked.
—Bring him back.
Again.
—Bring him back. You fucking jisan i said protect him! I told you! Are you deaf!
Again.
And again.
And again.
BringhimbackBringhimbackBringhimbackBringhimbackBringhimbacktome
Until the words stopped sounding like a spell and became a desperate plea from someone whose world had just ended.
"Saheon!"
His father grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
"That's not something you can say!"
"Just bring him back..!"
Saheon's entire body shook.
The Protection Talisman finally loosened from his robes.
It drifted to the ground and burned away in the fire, as though its purpose had already been fulfilled.
Slowly, Saheon looked up.
He was smiling.
And that frightened his father more than any scream could have.
"Father..."
His voice was strangely calm.
"I'm the heir of Jisan, right?"
No answer came.
"Our power is supposed to be the strongest, isn't it?"
"Saheon..."
"There has to be a way."
His smile trembled.
"There has to be."
Tears continued falling without end.
"He'll open his eyes."
Silence.
"He will."
"Saheon... we can't bring back someone who has already—"
"Then Jisan's power was a lie."
Saheon lowered his head again.
His gaze found the silver ring lying nearby.
The ring that had rolled from Soleum's hand. The ring Soleum had proudly shown to him as though it were some precious treasure.
The ring that had survived when everything else had not.
"Saheon... no, son. Believe in Jisan's power—"
A lie
Every prayer.
Every blessing.
Every promise.
A lie.
If Jisan's god truly existed, then why was Soleum dead?
Why had no miracle happened?
Why had every prayer gone unanswered?
Tears streamed endlessly down Saheon's face.
The world in front of him felt as though it had already ended.
Then a voice suddenly echoed from a communication device that had survived the fire.
"[Mission complete. Sacrificing one person to save many was the correct decision.]"
Saheon stared at the device.
His vision blurred.
That was it?
Just that?
After he had lost everything?
After they had taken his home.
His future.
His happiness.
After they had taken Soleum
They would never record the flower garden Soleum planted behind their house.
They would never record the dinners that waited long past midnight.
They would never record how carefully Soleum tied Saheon's sleeves whenever he forgot.
Those things had disappeared with him.
Yet none of them were considered part of the loss.
That was all they had to say.
The realization hurt more than the flames.
Because somewhere, to someone, Soleum's death had already been reduced to a completed report.
And then he cried.
The kind of grief that shattered a person from the inside out.
The kind that left nothing behind.
“Mission accomplished: the Jisan shaman no longer believes in his own power. The story of Jisan sinks into oblivion, along with the brief tale of an unnamed Bureau agent.”
–End–