Archive of Our Own

Underneath the strong sun, covered in dusts and dirt from the battlefield, two younglings spar with each other, loud metal clashing sounds reverb through the air. A few meters from them is a building a lot would know as an abandoned church in the middle of nowhere; rusty, as if in the brink of collapse. But it is actually more than home to countless orphans watching the fight intently, surrounding the field.

It's a place to stay, a place to grow, a place to reside, after traumatic tragedy that happened upon them years ago.

But behind all, truth hidden might be even more terrifying than a simple orphanage.

On the battlefield, it's clear that one is overpowering the other. Firm stances, strong sword swings, and unbreakable focus, against what seem like careless grips and absentmindedness. Fellow orphans watching the battle would hold their breath, as it has never been in their wildest dreams that Baku would be the one losing the battle badly, one who is deemed to be the strongest. Although, many would argue that Gotak, the one he is sparring with, is second in rank, but it is undeniable that power gap between them is already terrifyingly big.

And so it feels like a glitch, like an error in the universe, that Baku gets constantly knocked back attack after attack. But maybe to everyone who knows what has happened, it would make total sense. Finally, with one fell swoop, Gotak's sword smashes Baku's more than strong enough for him to lose the grip. The surrounding atmosphere goes even more deafeningly silent as Baku's weapon clangs on the dry ground.

Baku lunges forward blindly, as if his reddish brown hair sticking wet to his forehead has robbed him off of his vision. The other boy is caught by surprise and immediately moves his sword away from Baku's trajectory as well as evade the body slam his opponent plans to attack him with with a slight tilt of his body to the side. Just as Baku misses his onslaught, Gotak rams onto him with his shoulder powerfully, right on his chest Baku can almost feel his breath practically taken out, his garment torn and his leather vest dirty.

He gasps, mouth agape, as he hits the ground hard. The blue sky, the white clouds, and the bright sunlight in his vision, every imagery seeks their way into Baku's hollow eyes.

Baku's hollow eyes.

Something that are very unusual.

He tears up slightly at the view.

A clear sky is a benevolent sight to behold. It marks liberty, joy, and a lot of times comfort.

But not for Baku.

Not for Gotak.

Not for every orphan under the care of the church.

Because freedom is something out of their reach. Like a far-fetched dream, a mere fairy tale.

Fifteen years ago...

"Burn everything! Kill every adult and capture every kid you see!"

Amidst the chaotic scene of people screaming for their life, running away for a few seconds before an arrow or a sword would pierce their bodies, the voice of a certain strict-looking commander, his face covered with an eyepatch and a mask, hiding a terrible scar that marked his experience in countless battles glared through out the burning soil. Fervent fire burnt across all corners. No houses survived the endless onslaught of flames.

In one of the smoldering abodes, one the troops hadn't physically reached yet, a mother held her son on the cheeks, trying to wipe the tears of fear and terror running down his face. "Humin, my sweetheart, listen to me, okay?" she said, trying her strongest to conceal her own tremble. They were crouching down under the dining table, seeking refuge in case the roof would collapse as fiery chunks. Hiding behind the main door, holding a spear, was the father, trying to see if he could buy their son some time if ever the raiders got there.

"M-M-Mom...!"

"It's okay, dear, it's okay," she pulled her dearest offspring into a comforting hug, although her raging heartbeat would not be able to hide the lies.

"What's taking so long?!" the father half-shouted, realizing that their son was still there, a sobbing mess.

She just sighed, knowing that her husband meant no ill. "We want you to run as far as you can, okay, baby?"

"B-But what about you and d-dad...?" the little kid couldn't stop crying. His nose kept running, his legs kept shaking. It was as if he was just a few seconds away from wetting his own pants from terror.

Beneath the glowing faint light of the fire surrounding the wooden house, 'Humin' could see his mother's smile clearly, her loving brown eyes beaming with endless love and compassion. "We fear not death, as long as you can live on happy and freely," she answered. "So, please listen to our last plea, darling?"

"M-Mom!" He jumped to hug his mother again, which might be the last time ever in his life.

"Remember! Kill all adults and capture any kid you see!"

A roaring voice from outside the house seeped inside, a cue for 'Humin' to finally run, leaving his warm and once-happy family behind, to inevitable death and fire. Without looking back, he ran out of the house through the secret backdoor, the imagery of his mom's loving smile being the thing occupying his mind as he stepped outside.

But it was too clear for him.

The screams.

And the sound of bodies falling to the floor.

The little kid could slowly feel strength sapping away from his legs. He wanted to run just as he was told to, but with that pair of limbs he would definitely stumble himself over and over. He put both hands on his mouth, preventing himself from loud cries. Amidst the despair, he felt a hand tugging on his arm.

"Baku! Let's run!!!"

His eyes locked with those of his friend, one he held very dear and close, no other than Go Hyuntak, or Gotak for short. They lived a few blocks away and ever since that encounter at the playground a year ago, they seemed to be practically joined in their hips. Some neighbours would even refer them as one single package instead of two different kids considering how they spent time so much with each other. 

It was faint, but Baku could notice Gotak's just as watery eyes and burnt wounds on on his face. It took him a few more seconds to see there was a horizontal scar across his nose bridge. "G-Gotak!" he tries to shout his name, but not more that breathless gasp would come out.

Without any further words, Gotak dragged Baku with him, running as fast as their little feet could, occasionally sneaking and hiding every time they see some soldiers in their vicinity. After relentless running, they finally reached the border of the village, hiding behind a tree, watching their beloved hometown ablaze, burnt down to ashes.

It was an era of war and invasion. To them, the village was a hearth, a place to stay with lots of beautiful memories. But to the opposing kingdom, it wasn't anymore than mere grass to trample on. Within a single night, a little town the local had built with their own blood and sweat, crumbled down under the merciless tyranny. Long gone everything and before they realized, both Baku and Gotak had turned into a war orphan, and worse, with nowhere to go.

Baku hadn't stopped crying, because that was how he was: a cry baby. Gotak would always be the one comforting him every time he was upset. But especially that day was different, Gotak had to suppress his own fright for his friend even when they went through exactly the same thing. In the end, the little child could not lie to his own feelings and cried together in each other's embrace.

"Let's go, Baku..." Gotak suggested, letting go of the hug, trying to get back on his two feet. "Just somewhere. I think we are safeㅡAAAH!"

"Found you, kiddos."

In a split second, they were separated from each other, a soldier lifting Gotak by his collar like a helpless little kitten. He was too spent to fight back he couldn't even move any of his limbs.

"Gotaㅡ"

"There, there, calm down."

Another one would sneak behind Baku and covered his mouth, head right next to his so that he could clearly hear his whisper. Out of exhaustion, consciousness started to strip away from Baku as he saw the evil man trash Gotak away like a rag through his closing lids...

...

...

"We fear not death, as long as you can live on happy and freely..."

...

...

Everything started off wellㅡmore than well that it felt like a dream, actually, like an afterlife. Because after the two of them woke up on a soft and fluffy bed along with a number of other kids in the same room, they would be guided to have their breakfast and counselling to recover from their mental trauma. To say the attendees were kind was an understatement. Contrast to how those bastard troopers ripped their villages to shred, they were treated with utmost care and warmth here.

After a few days, Baku and Gotak would learn that it was a house for orphans. Yes, like them. The very same orphans who lost their family from the rampaging and merciless war. The children were grouped based on their age groups to attend necessary classes: the basics would involve reading and writing, while older teenagers would attend courses revolving around military stratagems and hands-on swordmanship.

Home of Apricity.

Meaning a place to offer warmth and comfort amidst the chaos and coldness of the cruel world.

Simply, it was a church that provided refuge to those in need of care in their early phase of life as their family had been stripped away from them forcefully in a menacing way. The archbishop, someone who everyone would refer as "father", was an old man that has one-man authority around the organization. He was a warm figure, both Baku and Gotak could not deny as they enjoyed their time whenever "father" came to visit whether it was classes or dinners.

Growing up, Baku began to forget his tragic past pieces by pieces. The kid who once lost his light finally regained the glitters in his eyes, and it was safe to say Gotak was beyond relief witnessing that. "W-Why are you crying?" Baku panicked, seeing his best friend with his teary eyes, something he would only see on that day of all.

"W-What are you talking about! Dust got into my eyes! Dust!!!" Gotak denied with all his might, rubbing his eyes hurriedly with his sleeves. But in truth, he was glad his precious cry baby, the only "family" member left of his had gotten back on his feet, now even stronger than he was before.

Months and seasons would pass, eventually everyone got older, some moved out of the children's dorm to the one for older ones, some even moved out of the church, sent off with graduation party. Baku, along with his newfound friends, Juntae and Sieun, would also be placed at classes suitable for their ages. They started to attend for example literary and physical education classes, latter which Baku would attract attention of instructors from how imminent his physical prowess was in his young age.

Speaking of his new friends, as it would have been stated, Juntae and Sieun were also both fellow war orphans. Sieun shone very brightly from the early age as he aced reading and writing classes far faster than anyone else would, and it wasn't hard to see he would actually be a teaching aide in literary classes. Juntae on the other hand was a small and timid kid Baku and Gotak harbored adoration towards, a little guy who attracted people's kindness from his selflessness.

While all sounded perfect, almost like heavens for children left by their parents, anyone who disobeyed the strictly imposed rules would be obliged to enter the "Chamber of Repentance" until they learnt their lessons. "Father" said these rules were necessary for later when they finally were ready to explore the outside world, after "graduation." Rules involved everything around behaviours and politeness, but most strict of all: timeliness, curfew, and prohibition from leaving.

Everyone had tasted the "Chamber of Repentance" at the very least once in a life time. It could vary from mere advices and scolding to some physical reprimands depending on their age and severity to make sure the same mistakes would not repeat, not from the corresponding child, but also those around. It was enough to make everything in order.

Baku, though, was very adventurous in nature. And that applied to Gotak as well as they would explore every nook and cranny of everything around their village back in the day. They liked to sneak outside the room in the middle of the night. Sometimes to explore parts of the church that still remained unknown to them, sometimes to drag Juntae and see his cute panicked face all night long, sometimes to sneak into the attic where the stargazing view was in its absolute peak, or other rare times just for the thrill of it.

Did he get found and ushered to the "Chamber of Repentance"? Oh, sure, more than enough already. Did he get enough of it? Never.

Until it was too late to realize it was a grave mistake to know too much.

"Father!" a young man called for the archbishop in the dark hallway as Baku froze behind one of the concrete column, sneaking around as a part of his routine: a rebellious church adventure. He was alone that time as all of his friends exhausted themselves upon the rigorous training the physical instructor put them intoㅡas you could tell, it barely affected Baku himself. The man approached the holy figure whose robe draped against the floor as he walked slowly. He bowed a little before passing on the message. "I am deeply sorry for the urgent inquiryㅡ"

"Ssh!" One hush and the room went total silent Baku could feel his throat drying up. "Tone down," he spoke softly.

"My apologies, father. A request from General Bong just arrived from the frontline. He asks if we could send more assassins as soon as possible."

It was barely audible but Baku could hear the deep sigh the archbishop was releasing. "Send everyone from the older group. That would suffice."

"I'm sorry, father, but as in every single one of them? Because I believe some are still underㅡ"

"You heard me the first time," "father" raised his voice. "Everyone."

"P-Pardon my stupidity, Your Holiness. I shall inform everyone to prepare a "graduation" party tomorrow."

"Ah, also. That kid from the younger class."

Baku gulped. It wasn't enough already finding out the "graduation" was actually the church sending the grown kids to... war. Possibly the very same war that took the lives of his whole village. Not to disregard the fact that there was a chance that the bishop might be mentioning him. He couldn't help but to overthink. He might have stood out too much all this time proving his prowess. What if... he was the only one from his age group that would be sent to war when he could barely hold a sword?

It reminded him of one specific past feeling: fear. The young, weak Baku started to take over himself that his eyes were getting watery.

"Which one, father?"

"The one that is good at sports I believe, I watched him last week."

Baku pulled an even more tense breath than before.

"Park Humin?"

He was really about to cry.

"Is that the one with glasses and purple hair?"

His breath stopped. It wasn't him.

"No, father, I believe you'd be referring to Geum Seongje."

Geum Seongje.

The loner kid who was a regular to the Chamber of Repentance due to his bad attitude. He was also a reason Baku went inside there a few weeks ago because of a very bad fist fight with him. Certainly was his fault that he kept harassing Gotak, Juntae, and Sieun. It was true that he might stand second after Baku in physical prowess. He had quite a hard time battling against him that one time.

But still, knowing this unfair treatment saddened him.

"Ah yes, he might fit the criteria "The Witch" is looking for for her experiment," "father" explained.

'Experiment...?'

"Send him off to her the usual way."

"What are you doing, Baku?!" Gotak's irritated tone wakes him up from daydreaming about the false freedom expressed by the blue sky. "You know they would punish both of us if we pretend like we can't fight?!" Though, rather than anger, concern adorns his voice more.

They both are well aware of the sparring rule. Anyone stepping inside the arena should never present less than 100% of their proficiency. The archbishop is always present at the arena whenever duel is scheduled. He is very critical and meticulous when it comes to the children showing their fighting prowess by duelling each other. It's as if nothing can escape his eyes the way he remembers every detail about each children's ability. It's not just once or twice Baku or Gotak ended up in the Chamber of Repentance as "father's" verdict was they were not giving it their allㅡnot feeling well isn't even an excuse.

Of course everyone would notice the change of the bishop's behaviour towards them as the contrast is very start compared to their early days. But no one could tell whether he changed, or he has always been this way towards the older group.

"Get up, Baku," Gotak insists, with what feels like a plea more than a challenge. "I don't want you go in there again. Not after you just came back last night!"

Gotak can still vividly remember how Baku suddenly came back to their dorm room after three days spent in the special Chamber of Repentance. Yes, a special one, reserved for punishment beyond regular measures. He came with hollow eyes, scratches and wounds decorating his arms and legs, and some bruises on his face. It was a sight Gotak loathed to see that he could feel his blood boil. But instead, he hugged Baku very tightly, understanding very well what his friend needed the most.

He is well aware that Baku is in no state to fight. He came back almost lifeless, clothes torn and filthy, only whispering, "I'm fine, I just need a good night sleep." upon the surge of question along the line of "Are you okay?!". He was really bad at lying you don't have to be a childhood friend that Baku knew since preschool to tell that since in the morning Baku was still very silent. It feels like almost a set up that the schedule for today's sparring was altered to him, and worse, Gotak has to be the opponent. Hell, his wounds from the punishments are still visible: arms, forehead, cheeks, lips, head, almost everywhere.

"There is..." Baku finally blurts out some unintelligible words, "no such thing as freedom."

"What?"

"There is no such thing as freedom."

A phrase that has been repeating in his head. Thanks to the constant brainwashing in the chamber accompanied by endless tortures.

The next three days after he found out that Seongje was going to be sent as a human experiment was spent with Baku mostly out of it; even the most grandiose of food couldn't bring him back like it always worked. Though, finally after three gruesome days, he finally opened up at what he found out: the truth about the church and possible reasons they weren't allowed to leave ever. It was between suicide missions or human experiment. That would explain the stealth classes as well as constant laboratory check up they started to get as they reached certain age.

What drove him back his original fire was the last words of his parents: to live happily and freely. From those days onwards, he started his journey and fight as a freedom fighter, supported by his closest companions: Gotak as his righthand man, Sieun as the main strategist, and Juntae as their apothecary.

Starting out, everybody found the idea appealing, especially after listening to what kind of possible future they would end up with. But realizing was far harder than mere talks, even with all their abilities combined, the church was just too tightly guarded, not to mention how vast the courtyard surrounding the building was.

Tries upon tries, failures upon failures that were met with regular visits to Chamber of Repentance, their forces started to dwindle as most thought it was all futile. "Father" even enhanced the security and augmented harsher punishments for escape attempts. Many got a lifelong scar from some of the penances it had gotten unbearable to the point of giving up.

But Baku was more than resilient to keep trying even with lesser peopleㅡthough Sieun pointed out smaller team might result in higher chance of success since escape is all about stealth and invisibility instead of power tug of war. Still, sometimes, what was impossible remained unattainable. Sanctions were getting even more severe they would come out of the chambers with visible wounds and blood.

Until their last attempt a few days ago where all culminated.

Everything went smoothly following Sieun's plan that he spent weeks working on pafter assigning Baku, Gotak, and Juntae memorizing the patterns of the guards, daily schedules, even personalities. You would be mind-blown at how insane that kid's brain could be. After continuous defeats and visits to the punishment rooms, a lot of them didn't want to participate it even after various persuasions, so they decided to launch the operation not more than eight people.

Youth full of ambition fighting for their well deserved liberty.

"I think we have to abort the mission this time too," Sieun declared, tone very low as they were in the hidings, a mix of disappointment and guilt adorning his voice. It was a total pity indeed, as the door to the outside life they always longed for were just meters away. But it was too risky. There were a crucial shift in the guard's schedule and behaviours and he didn't want to risk getting caught again today. His friends have had enough of beatings from the authoritarian church personnel.

Baku, Gotak, and Juntae didn't need any reason as to why the strategist announced a halt to the current attempt, but other kids might not be in the same boat. "What the fuck do you mean we gotta stop now?!" one of them protested, the one that had always quite a bad temper. "The door is right there and no one's guarding!!!"

"I know, but according to my calculationsㅡ"

"Calculation my ass! I'm so fucking tired of this all. I'm fleeing. I don't care about you all. Don't envy me if I get out while you are stuck here for eternity rotting under that geezer's tyranny!"

"Wait, no, Yeongbin!"

He listened to no reasons any longer, fed up with all the tortures he always had to undergo under this facility, a very evil oneㅡhome to constant persecution and suffering behind a facade of a church taking care of orphans. If that's not the most evil thing ever, I don't know what.

As Sieun shook on his feet, eyes wandering to every direction, trying to come up with possible solution to this unpredicted errors in his stratagem, he could feel a strong hand holding his shoulder: Baku. "I'm gonna get him, you all can get back to the room and follow Sieun's lead," he assured with a grin before everyone commenced as instructed.

Except one.

"Gotak, what are you doing?" Baku asked. "Go quickly with the others!"

"I will," he answered shortly before jumping in for a quick hug. His eyes were quite watery but of course he wouldn't let those be seen by Baku. "Just... come back safely, okay?"

Baku was a little dumbfounded but nonetheless happy. Gotak could be touchy and loving at times, he just didn't expect this, a critical time, to be one of those. He simply nodded with an affirming smile, letting Gotak go after Sieun to return home safely.

The redhead then followed Yeongbin's trace getting out of the building towards the balcony through the faulty window that can be easily unlocked. Yes, Sieun factored that in his research. As Baku got outㅡwith a lot of struggle of course, he had a damned big figure compared to that Yeongbin kidㅡhis churchmate had already jumped down the balcony and ran on the grass field towards the main gate. "Shit, he's so fast!"

He sped up his pace, gripping around the white walls carefully to descend down the building. "Hey! Who's there?!" Just as he stepped down, Baku quickly hid himself behind a pillar as a guard shouted, shattering the silence the night was engulfed in. "Hey! Stop right there! Escapee alert!!!"

Baku fiddled anxiously in his spot. Sieun was right; aborting the mission was the right decision. But that wasn't the worry for now. He gotta think fast on how to run away from the scene not getting caught, as helping Yeongbin was already beyond saving.

Amidst of the raging rain in his head, a mild yet deadly flash of thunder struck all of sudden in a form of a stabbing sound: an arrow was shot, the sound of it brushing through the wind whispered through the tranquil night. Baku shivered. His heart raced, his breath quickened, his eyes shook. He braved himself to peek beyond the column, although with blurry eyes from welling up tears, he could faintly see a body on the grass: Yeongbin.

Yeongbin was shot dead.

And it was because of his persistent idea of escaping the church even after countless failures.

He just killed a person. A real person.

The rain was replaced by grey, blurry clouds, his mind all hazy from the happenings. Then in what felt like an instant, he felt someone slamming him from behind, locking his strengthless limbs while whispering great punishments would be waiting for him at the Chamber of Repentance.

A day before...

The door opened, the chamber illuminated in a very bright light contrasting to the inferior dim lighting provided by the candles next to each side of the door. The bishop walked in, face even more stern than ever, visiting his most recently favourite chamber attendee: Park Humin. He gestured to the a guard in the cell to step aside, who just stopped lashing whip on the almost unconscious young man, all four limbs chained and ensnared on the wall. His clothes were all ragged from sweat and blood after spending three days full of endless torture of whipping and beating.

It was a total nightmare.

Even for Baku who possessed a physical excellency, the torture was too much he could feel his body tearing apart from agony. The way he almost didn't get food and water just poured salt on the wound. Twice a day, a guard would bring a tray of food and water and released Baku from the chains before locking him inside to finish his food for a few minutes. Sometimes Baku wasn't even unable to muster an appetite to stuff his stomach he felt like throwing up blood. Yes, when meal time was over, he would be back chained on the wall again, sometimes going straight for another round of whipping and beating.

"Have you learnt your lesson, Park Humin?" the old man asked, head looking up to see Baku's face.

Baku remained speechless, just with exasperated and tired heavy breaths. He didn't know how long the torture would last. Heck, he didn't even know how long he could survive this whole predicament. He thought maybe it was just better to die rather than living a hell. But of course the evil church wouldn't let him die just like that. Because to them, Baku wasn't an enemy, but an asset.

"Father" exhaled before taking a glove from his robe pocket, wearing it on his right hand. A second after, a hard slap echoed through the narrow chamber, knocking the chained man off his breath. "Speak, you mut," he said harshly, tone remained composed. "Or can you not speak because of the guild eating you inside out?" he asked rhetorically, stepping closer.

He grabbed the youngster's cheeks with one hand, forcing him to look in his eyes directly. "That's right, you killed a fellow orphan, didn't you? Jeon Yeongbin died because of your fucking stupid idea of escaping the church."

Baku let out a helpless whimper as the bishop let go of his hold of his cheeks. "But worry not, kid, father would not as far to kill you," he continued, walking back to the door. "Why, you may ask? Because, you, my child, is a treasure."

He smiled, although it was rather too dark for Baku to seeㅡthat, or his consciousness was just almost gone. "You'd make a great addition to General Bong, a flawless soldier, a perfect weapon, unmatched. He would be beyond thrilled to know I would send you there." He stepped closer again, noticing the open bleed on the side of Baku's abs. "But at the same time, you would also make a great subject for "The Witch's" experiment. Imagine how much wealth would I make to make them bid for you?"

"A-Ahhh!!" Baku cried out loud as he feel a strong pressure on his side; the bishop grabbed and pinched a wounded spot on his body with full strength he could feel the fabric of the gloves digging under his skin. It hurt so much his visions blurred. 

"Making sound now, mut?" he chucked a little, before taking the candle from one side of the door. "Freedom?" he laughed mockingly. "That's definitely not for you poor and imbecile orphans."

Baku screamed in pain as the evil old man dropped a few hot candlewax on his shoulder, burning through the fabric. "Ah, what a music to the ears," he handed the candle to the guard, gesturing to put it back before grabbing Baku by his cheeks again. "Did you hear that? There's no such thing as freedom. Not as long as my beloved church still stands."

"Father" laughed again, now sounding more wicked it burnt Baku's ears.

He put his gloves back to this pocket. "Teach him one more lesson before letting him rest with a meal. Then call Doctor Jin to patch him up roughly before returning him to his room tonight."

"Yes, Your Holiness."

With that, the head figure closed the door before another session of whipping and beating began yet again.

"There's no... such thing... as freedom..." Baku repeats as if it was an enchantment of some sort, but now lips shaky and eyes watery. His hands are trembling from the sudden throwback in his head, forcing him to remember every bit of physical anguish he experienced the past three days. 

Gotak bites his lower lip seeing Baku that way. That's the first time he does ever since that tragic night. The usual talkative, loving, caring, yet brave and protective Baku seems to be gone. It looks like someone uses him as a physical vessel, pretending to be Baku poorly.

He is upset. Angry.

Baku might be the only one that can help him suppress his uncontrollable emotions sometimes, but now that brake is gone.

"What in the heavens are you doing?!" the bishop shouts loudly, standing up in front of his designated chair on the side of the field. "I will count to three before I send you to the Chamber of Repentance! One!"

Gotak grips his sword hilt strongly, the other forming a fist so firm his nails dig into his palm.

"Two!"

Baku's eyes remain hollow and empty, devoid of life and ambition. He wishes he has enough strength to grab Gotak's sword and directly stab it onto himself.

"Thrㅡ"

"YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP, WRETCHED OLD MAN!"

The whole church went silent, not at the remark, but at the sword Gotak throws at the bishop, perfectly landing on the right side of his stomach, a complete penetration. Blood immediately slips out of the man's mouth as his weak hands trying grasp the deep wound. Gotak was fuming.

Before the hall had the chance to let out a sound, the silence gets even more deafening as an arrow stabs Gotak left chest. His pupils dilated at the shock, it happened too fast. In a blink of an eye, he feels all strength disappearing from his whole body.

"G-G-Gotak!" Baku gasps, his whole body trembling in shock and disbelief as his best friend's powerless body falls down to the ground with a loud thud. He crawls as quickly as his feeble body can bring him to tend to his lifelong friend's condition. Gotak's eyes look like they are staring blankly, almost lifeless. "Gotak!"

"Baku..." he weakly whispers.

"G-Gotak, s-save your breath!" Hearing his just as weak voice makes Baku tremble even more his eyes are getting wet.

"You... are crying again..."

"Of course I am!!! Don't leave me, don't leave me, please!" he pleas and pleas, holding his dear friend's hand with both, tears dropping on his shoulder.

Gotak faintly smiles. "Keep... fighting... for your freedom..."

Freedom.

Nightmare from the chamber flashes in his head. An image of a certain wicked, evil old man appears in his head, "There's no such thing as freedom." It repeats, again and again like an unending echo. Exactly what he experienced the time they finally let him rest from the torture, lying on the cold wet cobblestone in that dark chamber almost lifeless. That phrase kept repeating like a broken record, seeping deeper and deeper to his subconsciousness.

Then he also remembers of another voice whispering to him, directly into his soul.

"I'll give it to you. Freedom."

It was so eerie he thought he was hallucinating. Was it someone else's voice or his inner voice, he couldn't tell. He knew he was too weak to properly respond.

"Just let me in to your soul. The power of shadow and darkness."

The only darkness Baku met was his losing his complete sense, succumbing to exhaustion.

"I'll let you in," Baku speaks inside his soul, reaching out to the mysterious voice with a glimmer of hope it was real and not his inner monologue. "Let me borrow your power, whoever you are, and let me take revenge on these atrocious people harming me and my friends!"

He is met with silence in a vast dark space inside himself. Maybe it was true, there wasn't a mysterious to begin with. It was all in his head.

"Then the power should be yours," the very same voice from that night answered, echoing through the mystic space. "Go forth and reclaim that freedom, for you and everyone around you. The power of shadow and darkness is yours."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Baku cries, or rather roars, head tilted up to the sky as he and Gotak are shrouded in crimson red barrier that blocks incoming arrows from the marksmen intending to take them out after Gotak's display of barbarity that has taken the life of the bishop. Fellow orphans watching the scene gulps in cold sweats. Juntae would whisper to Sieun asking what is happening to Baku as it is the first time he sees such thing. Sieun isn't in any better state as well. Although the marksmen and guards remain composed and vigilant as it isn't their first time witnessing horrific materialization of dark power. 

As the barrier subsides, everyone in the area can see dark red smokes emanating from Baku. The grass beneath the two of them is gone, replaced with a circular, baren spot of dry soil. Baku has his eyes closed, breath steady and slow, trying to come in terms with his newfound power surging through his body. Were it anyone else, their body wouldn't be able to contain that enormous power, but it's Baku we are talking about. In matters of seconds, the wounds and bruises he got from the chamber the past few days start to heal and mend.

The marksman captain who bats no eye regarding the changes in the atmosphere around Baku, prepares an arrow and pulls the string. But before he can shoot the projectile, a pair of ghostly hands sprouts out of the ground, blood red in colour, smoky and rubbery, immediately grabbing both of his arms and pulling them down, disarming him. The man physically cannot fight the formidable force, especially when another pair appeared locking his feet. He grunts as he drops his bow and arrows. But it doesn't stop there as another hand springs up from beneath him, spiralling up his torso and grabbing his throat with the same force.

"W-What is that?!" his fellow soldier watches in horror as the event transpires. They have to witness their captain brought to brink of death out of suffocation, face getting pale and eyes getting red. "C-Captㅡ"

Before any of the juniors can help, they fall into the very same predicament: countless pairs of hands would jump out of the ground, twisting the locking their limbs and throats. Cries and screams of pain echo through even the open-space battle arena. It's like a mass massacre.

The orphans watch in mix of terror and joy. Relieved that their 'kidnappers' are meeting their well deserved doom, but also dread as they can't tell whether they are safe only for now or not. Yes, the hands only hurt those affiliated by the church, every single orphan is safe from reach of the ghostly conjures.

Then in one quick snap, bone cracks reverb through the air along with stifled cries and screams as the hands in unison twist the limbs of the church followers in unimaginable manners, exceeding what joints manage to do. As the summons disappear, countless dead bodies fall to the ground. Just like that, a huge force of the church is wiped.

Juntae can't help but to grab Sieun's hand to stop his shaking, very badly. But unfortunate for him, the ever calm and composed Sieun is also shaken. He definitely has no plan to get out of this safely after calculating the radius and speed of Baku's mysterious abilityㅡit's assumed that the man next to Gotak in the middle of arena is no longer Baku, just to be safe. But now that's the only thing he can hope for, that his hypothesis is nullified.

Baku's chest heaves from intense and deep breathing as he looks down at his hands, now gleaming with dark reddish colour. He feels a slight mix of tingling and burn, accompanied with tremendous amount of power surging through every blood vessels. The power granted by the mysterious voice, to go forth and claim their freedom. He clenches his fists before standing up after looking at unconscious Gotak one last timeㅡhe is still breathing, barely. As painful as it might be to see him in such state, Baku knows he has no expertise treating people; his last hope might be Juntae that would rush to mend Gotak.

With eyes full of courage and determination, he looks at the crowd of his fellow orphans, eyes intent with frightㅡdefinitely not what he intended but understandable. "This is our chance!" Baku shouts aloud, his glaring voice blasts through the air. "Let's fight once for all! Who's with me?!"

Surprisingly to him, he is met with a total silence. Maybe they are still afraid, especially after the last escape result, Yeongbin's death, has been announced to every single dweller of the church, and the announcement came with Baku as the instigator. The very same one that has been showing them failed attempts after another, and visits to the Chamber of Repentance after another.

But not for one determined, glasses-wearing, short guy who stands up immediately, surprising his friend next to him. "I-I will fight!" he shouts, head facing down, fist clenched, before taking his medic bag with him and rush to the field. He isn't sure about joining the fight considering his capabilities, but at least he has one expertise he can use right now, and that's to treat Gotak who is at the death's door.

Whispers and murmurs start to manifest amongst the once silence crowds, first mild, then getting louder yet muffled among countless moving lips. It's mostly along the line of saying Juntae is pretty much one of the weakest link, and it splits from there: one side would talk bad about how stupid he is, the other about how courageous he is. At least he is not as cowardice as majority of the crowds that refuse to just open the door to liberty they have been longing for. Yes, they suffer just as the same as Baku's group.

As Baku converses with Juntae who hastily tends to Gotak's fatal wound, ransacking his bag for his equipment, a marksman from outer garrison who has caught up with the situation inside sneaked from the entrance, completely hidden in Baku's blind spot, drawing his bow.

One, he picks up an arrow from his quiver.

Two, he pulls the string.

Three, an arrow is shot, stabbing him right on the side of his neck.

And four, a body fell to the ground, lifeless.

The sneaky marksman was sniped right before he could execute his assassination. Baku glanced at the dead body then towards the direction where the arrow came from: the crowd, Yeon Sieun, an adept bowman, one of the most prominent in the archery among the children of the church.

"This might be our only chance if we unite," he speaks in a considerable volume. "If you really think continue on living under this tyranny is better than dying fighting for liberation, then you are even more of a stupid that the person you have been badmouthing."

Sieun is never the one to speak in front of crowds, so he really never cares if they would answer or not. He immediately leaves his seat to tend to Baku, swearing his allegiance for the fight.

"I will fight too then!" one among the crowd imitates Juntae's allegiance from before, turning heads from Sieun to him. Then another one, and another one, and before they realize, majority of the 'prisoners' have stood up and followed Sieun's track to the centre of the hall. The fighters all surround Baku, awaiting orders, admitting him as the leader just like their countless failed escapes before this. The others with sufficient medical knowledge would sit down next to Juntae to offer some helping hands in mending Gotak's critical wounds.

Baku tears up and smile at the scene: the hearts of the whole church have united again. Combined with his newfound power, something in him whispers that victory will be theirs finally. In the short limited time before the whole outer garrison reach the hall, Sieun quickly comes up with some strategy, relying on his impeccable memories of previous encounters and church layouts. There would be four teams operating separately. One elite and small squad consisting of agile ones to save the younger children, one team led by Sieun to spread firewood and straw to set everything on fire to remove their historical tracks, one party to guard Juntae and the others, and the remaining big number would join Baku fighting back the outer garrison and possible reinforcements.

The leader clenches his fists before taking Gotak's sword from the ground. He spares one last glance at him, face pale, looking a little too fragile his heart churns at the sight. 'Wait here, Gotak,' he whispers internally, 'I will definitely succeed this time and we can continue those endless adventures we had when we were young.' He quickly wiped away tiny bits of tears escaping his eyes out of nostalgia.

"I'm leaving him to you, Juntae," Baku pleads. "Please, save him." He wants to say a lot more, but feeling his lips tremble upon those last three words, he decides to remain silent to which the little guy just nods before reverting his focus back to his job.

And the war begins.

Baku roars with a war cry to inspire his teammates as they rush towards the guards outside after everybody secured their own weapon. Some brought their own for today's supposed scheduled fights, some would ransack the dead bodies of the guards, some would fight barehanded riskily. The clashes of metal equipment, Baku's booming outcry, as well as overall ruckus made on the garden are also part of the plan Sieun made to forcefully attract soldiers stationed inside so the two teams can finish their mission more smoothly.

It isn't an easy fight. Baku's squad, even big in number, would still be outnumbered even before the reinforcement from nearby military base closes in. Many suffer from injuries already as the church never spares any mercy to them. Baku, being the avid fighter with excellent adaptability, quickly learns how to use his power to his own free will. To attack, to defend, to trap enemies, to pull allies from danger to safety, and to turn the tides of the battle. The other two teams in the church don't have it any easier as they have to navigate through a places full of danger while escorting young children, and the other one having to infiltrate to the most secluded and guarded room of records.

After a long very long and tiring fight, with some unfortunate casualties from their side, they finally emerge victorious. Baku's squad has successfully slain almost, if not entire, every single one of the guarding army, coming back to the hall with heavy panting and injuries. Sieun and the two teams return having set the room of records to ashes.

While Juntae has given up as Gotak's injury is beyond severe already.

Tear stains have covered his cheeks, unable to dam the feeling of loss that Gotak, his most loyal and protective friend, is leaving them right when they finally gain their long-desired breath of fresh air, unrestrained. 

But Gotak is still breathing, barely, something that according to Juntae is impossible. His eyes are closed, and his lips would weakly mutter the question, "Baku... where is he?" repeatedly that he could only hold his hand with his own shaky ones while answering, "Please wait a little, Tak, he will be here soon."

"Baku... where is he...?" Gotak repeats again, for only god knows how many times.

"I-I'm here, Gotak! It's me, Baku!" Baku, ignoring all of his pains quickly kneels down next to him, across of Juntae. "We won! We won, Gotak! We are free!"

Gotak's eyes flutter open, although his visions aren't completely clear. But he knows from the voice it is indeed Baku. His friend. His most treasured person. His only 'family' left from their village. The one that has always made him smile and go on even after everything that has happened to both of them. He weakly lifts his right hand. "Baku... give me... your hands..."

Baku spares no hesitation. "G-Gotak, no, don't go!" he pleas, desperation very apparent in his tone, eyes getting watery. "We are finally free now! We can go explore the world and do anything we want! P-Please stay with me through all of those possibilities and adventures!" 

The crimson smokes that had been rising from his body has dissipated gradually, until they no longer are there, as if it goes away along with how he breaks down at the sight of the very pale and feeble Gotak. His intestines feel like twisting. The victory that should've felt triumphant now tastes acrid and resentful, like the iron flavour of blood that constantly lingers in his mouth the whole three days he spent in the Chamber of Repentance.

Gotak smiles finally knowing of their victory and Baku's being back to his original self. He knows he can't make any of that; he knows his time is nigh. But at that very last moment of himself, he hesitates on the decision of what his last words to Baku would be.

'I'm proud of you, Baku...'

'Finally... the freedom we have been chasing for...'

'You are crying... again... Baku.'

'Your hands... are warm... indeed.'

'Live well, Baku...'

'Baku... I love you... I hope you know that.'

In the end, Gotak doesn't manage to say any last words for his goodbye as he closes his eyes one final time, still with a smile.

"N-No! Gotak!" Baku panics, holding his hand more tightly, as if that would squeeze life back to him. "D-Don't go, please!"

"I-I'm sorry, Baku..." Juntae apologizes as his heart sank deeper, still crying. On his side Sieun sits down, comforting him, while simultaneously consoling himself too, reality too harsh to accept. 

"GOTAAAAAAAAAAK!"

...

...

...

...

...

...

Baku lets out a very groan of relief as he lies down flat on the ground, what seems to be a mix of grass and fallen autumnal brown leaves that crumbles beneath his pressure, hands behind his head. He takes a deep inhale of the breezy gust with eyes closed, calm and soothing, with all around chill temperature of late autumn. His mind rests at total peace and serenity, enjoying his life he is grateful for.

Another man, also in his thirties, takes a seat on the bare ground next to his spot, rustles can be heard as he scoots. "That's it?" the man, with a voice very reminiscent of Baku's past and whole life, asks. "You said, 'I know a place' for a date and then make me watch you lie down?"

It wakes Baku up from his tranquil, something he wasn't allowed to have the years he spent under that cursed church. But now he has been out for a very very long time, serene isn't a thing of scarcity. He looks at the man who has a raised eyebrow and laughs. "Yeah," he answered simply, goofily, followed with a hearty laughter. "Come here, baby," he says with a pet name, stretching his hand all the way out for his lover to lie his head on it.

The other scoffs at how random the combination of the answers was. "I'm a little cold," he answers, completely unrelated, rubbing the side of his arms gently.

"I told you not to dress skimpy," Baku says, a little mockingly, a little too enjoying of the moment. Well, in truth, the man doesn't dress in a skimpy get up. It's a normal set of clothes: long trousers, boots, and a upper garment covering up to his elbow. Nothing skimpy about it.

"I'm not dressing skimpy!"

Baku laughs, again, louder. "That's why you come here, Go Hyuntak!"

There, the full name. To some that might sound scary, but to either of them, hearing that from each other gives them butterflies. Something very special about being addressed not by their usual childhood nicknames they came up for each other. He smiles widely from ear to ear before succumbing to cuddles with his lover on the ground, engulfed in the warmth of Baku's embrace that would keep him warm against the chill autumn zephyrs.

Gotak visibly blushes as Baku rolls his arm, forcing him to roll over closer to the side, face very close to Baku's, chest against his. "W-What are you doing?"

"Wanna see you up close," Baku bluntly answers, "your pretty face up close."

He locks his eyes on Gotak's reddening face, scanning every pores and imperfections on him, something that ironically make him even more perfect. And lastly, on the horizontal scar across his nose bridge, a mark that would last forever, a bitter proof of that day. No matter how many times he looks at it, different mixed feelings would brew inside him. But on top of all, it always reminds him about how utmost Gotak's significance in his life. Even with a bleeding across his face, the little Gotak still came to his rescue, which if not, only god knows what would become of Baku that day.

Meanwhile, Gotak's heartbeat busts through the roof. It's not that Baku doesn't do this oftenㅡhell, he is one clingy fella that can't keep his hands off of Gotak just for a second. But usually he would fill the atmosphere with rather playful vibes, and in rare moments where Baku compliments him seriously like this, he can't help but to blush very hard and fall even harder into those deep brown eyes of his.

A moment after, with Gotak's mind still in an unending tempest, a gentle, a little chapped pair of lips meet his plump and soft one. His face gets even redder he doesn't know it's possibleㅡto be fair, he can't tell, but he can feel that his face goes very hot. Baku keeps the atmosphere romantic by not laughing, just smiling with gaze still intent with love and affections.

"W-What do you think yㅡ"

"Dad!!"

An endearing voice of a little boy running towards the two of them interrupts Gotak's questionㅡand well, their romantic moment just now. The two of them quickly adjust their position and sit up, with Gotak still as red as tomato while Baku barely tinted pink. They immediately spare a little gap between their seat and act natural.

The kid arrives in front of Baku, cheerful face slowly turns into a confused look. Baku frowns at the foreign facial expression. Is there something wrong?

"Dad," the kid calls once more before pointing at Gotak, "who is this?"

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Dad, who is this?" his 'son' wakes him up from his daydream with his adorable call. 

Yes. A daydream.

A regular daydream of his where in an imaginary present time he and Gotak can live a happily ever after, waking up by each other's side every morning, resolving fights and making up, building their own orphanage and raising unfortunate children so they didn't have to take the gruesome path they did, and many more.

All is but a dream.

Baku picks up the kid with a coo. He really isn't expecting any of his "children" to be here,  especially when he has told the eldest one to keep an eye on everyone for the time being. "You aren't supposed to be here, Go Hyunmin," he says, pinching his cheek. "What are you doing?"

The kid pouts as he holds his reddening cheek after Baku's fingers left. "Dad's a meanie!" The "father" just laughs. "You look gloomy all day... So I sneaked out of the house to follow you..."

Baku is a little caught off guard, not expecting his 5-year-old youngest "son" would notice that. He puts down the kid and squats in front of him. "Sneaking out of the house is breaking the rules, you know that?" Baku scolds tenderly. "What do you have to say about that?"

Hyunmin sniffs as his fingers fidget in anxiety, eyes locked on his shoes. "I'm sorry, Dad..."

Baku smiles, holding the kid by his cheeks. "Don't do it again, okay, dear?" he assures, stopping the slight sobbing. "Dad's fine, so you don't have to worry."

The kid nods before looking back at the tombstone in front of Baku, pointing at it. "But who is this, Dad?" he asks the question again.

In front of him lies a tombstone with a bouquet of blue flowers Baku just put down before plummeting into a daydream earlier. Ten years ago, exactly that day, Gotak, the one that always stayed by his side, left him and everyone, not having the chance to bask in the invigorating air outside the church after their revolt succeeded despite being one of the most influential figure to drive the coup. It still left a sour taste in his mouth; fate can be as cruel as it is. After a very long fight and duress, although he finally grasps what his parents wished for him, to live freely, a huge chunk of him is missing: Go Hyuntak. The victory that day was sweet, but the freedom without him still tastes bitter even after a decade.

It was an undeniably difficult time for Baku moving on and getting over Gotak's death, but thanks to Juntae and Sieun, he decided to carve a path of his own, one he once imagined he would walk hand in hand with Gotak on: building their own orphanage to care of unfortunate young children. It wasㅡand still is hard as almost everything reminds him of Gotak. Every night he would wish and imagine if things would be different were Gotak still here with him.

"He's... your other dad," Baku answers softly as he stands up. "Go Hyuntak."

"I have another dad?" Hyunmin looks up, craning his head almost 90 degress. "Our names are very similar, Dad! Go Hyunmin, Go Hyuntak!"

Baku smiles, because that's exactly why Hyunmin is named Go Hyunmin: Go, to honor Gotak's family name, Hyun from his first name, and Min from Baku's. Unlike other orphans, Hyumin was silently put in front of his orphanage, anonymously, as a nameless baby. Seeing this exactly like an imaginary scenario he had played numerous times about he and Gotak adopting a baby, a name wasn't hard to come up with. And thus, Go Hyunmin joined the orphanage, adored by his older brothers and sisters.

"That's right, you two bear similar names," Baku exhales deeply, trying not to let any tear from his eyes fall.

"Do I look like him, Dad?" Hyunmin holds one of Baku's finger as he asks. "What was my other dad like?"

Baku takes a moment to let that question sink in. How was Gotak like? Or rather, how is or how would Gotak be like? He feels a twist in his heart, maybe a little splinter too; it hurts and he knows. He still longs for an alternate timeline where he and Gotak could coexist in happiness. But he has to accept it, that it's impossible. Gotak met his time already and he promised to Juntae and Sieun he would live on, for Gotak's sake too.

How would it feel to still have someone who always stands by your side no matter how many mistakes and failures you attempted?

How would it feel to still have someone who always knows if something's up without having to say anything?

How would it feel to still have someone who always pretends they are strong just to cheer you up despite facing the same fear and despair?

Baku exhales, as if the shadow splinter in his heart is getting bigger as it sinks deeper.

It hurts, because he would never know the answers to these questions.

Still, he remains composed in front of his "son". After all, he is a grown man.

"Your other dad," Baku pauses for a brief moment, before deciding on an answer, "had bad temper." He mentally laughs because out of all lovely things about Gotak that he could've mentioned, he went with that one.

"Was he scary?" Hyunmin innocently retorted, which caught Baku off guard a little. This tiny gremlin is kinda full of surprise.

Baku crouches down to meet his eyes again. "Very," he says with serious eyes, "very scary."

"Scarier than you, Dad?"

"Far scarierㅡwait, I am scary?"

The kid looks down, a little panicked if he blurted something wrong. "Y-Yeah... sometimes..."

Baku chuckles before pulling the kid into a hug. "That's because Dad loves you, my dear," he says, caressing his soft brown hair. "You know that, right?"

The child responds with a nod, digging his face onto Baku's shoulder blade. "Did Dad Hyuntak also scold you like Uncle Sieun and Uncle Juntae every time you work too hard or drink too much?"

"Huh?"

"Or like Minjun Hyung every time you refuse to wash after a long day?"

Damn, Baku never realizes his 5-year-old has already become a very eloquent speaker. His older kids might have taught him reading and speaking a little too muchㅡcan't be blamed, they all adore Hyunmin so much.

"Or like Sㅡ"

"Okay, choop," Baku hushes the kid, piching his two lips with his entire five fingers gently. A little funny how two years ago he still couldn't speak simple words clearly. "What if I get you two scoops of ice cream if you stop asking."

"Three scoops!" the kid negotiated eagerly.

Damn. "No, two."

"Threeeeeeee!!!" Now, he adds some stomps.

"Okay, okay, three, but you go ahead and wait for me at Uncle Juyang's ice cream stall. Cool?" He offers a pinky, trying to seal the deal.

The little kid jumps in excitment as he interwine Baku's gigantic finger with his own miniscule one. "Yay! Yay! Ice cream!" he skips his way towards the aforementioned shop in joy as he leaves the scene.

"Did you see that, Gotak?" Baku converses as if Gotak were there, facing the tombstone. "You remember him, right? The little baby I told you was left on that stormy night four years ago. He has grown into an intelligent little gremlin." He pauses and chuckles. "Well, if you ask me, nowhere close to what I imagine on how my kid would be like because you know I'm not the brightest."

Baku smiles, although pain ensnares his heart. As much as he likes to imagine a countless alternate timelines where he and Gotak could live together merrily, he knows he never told him how he feelsㅡheck, even Baku never realized his feelings after it was too late. And he would never find out if his feelings are reciprocal or not. Still, even as friends, Gotak remained the most treasured person he has ever had.

"I need to go now, Gotak. I have stuffs to do. Continue to watch over me, would you? I will show you how earnest I'm leading my life now. The life that wouldn't even be possible if it weren't for your sacrifice."

He turns around and walks away with mind at peace. Talking to Gotak this way has always managed to do that. Sometimes, even among chill autumn breezes, he would feel warm as if Gotak was really there wrapping him in his embrace, listening to his every word. Of course it's just all in his head, there's no way.

What isn't just in his head is a soft rustling sound coming from his behind, like someone is putting down a flower on his grave. He immediately turns his head, trying to confirm if he isn't hallucinating.

There stands a tall and firm figure covered in all black long cloak, standing next to the tomsbtone. He can't see the full side profile thanks to the covering hood.

"Who are you?" Baku asks, unable to shake away the ominous feelings the eerie aura the figure is emanating, especially on the sacred memorial space where Gotak rests.

But no answers. "Who are yㅡ"

"Just someone who's paying respect to an old acquaintance."

Baku's heart jumps at the answer. Not even about how Gotak had an old acquaintance. But the voice. The very deep voice he swears he knows but his brain keeps drawing blanks.

He inhales deeply before stepping closer, back to the grave. The mysterious man remains stoic, no movement. Just a second before he grabs his arm, the man turns his head and their eyes met.

It was only an instantaneous moment, but Baku shivers at the stare. It was cold, fearsome, and intent, yet expressionless. Though, that wasn't the most terrifying thing about the man. It's the way he escapes Baku's grip by disappearing into thin air, leaving nothing but hints of dark aura lingering in the air.

"Remember my name: Na Baekjin," the man's voice echoes in his head, as if he's speaking directly into his soul.

...

Fuck. He remembers. Too clearly. 

A dark, cramped, damp room.

Flurries of whips and tortures.

And a shattered hope.

A voice that whispered to his soul in that space. The voice that granted him temporary power that only belonged to the darkness to grant everyone freedom. Yes, Baku lost the access to the power a day after the revolt, nor did he hear anything from the mysterious voice ever since.

Until now.

"As we shall met again very soon, Park Humin."