TDWAD 15

Chapter 15

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  Monsters without exception display severe aggression and are deemed extremely dangerous.

• Some witnesses report experiencing hallucinations in which their vision is covered in blue light.

• The Disaster Response Headquarters strongly urges citizens to avoid dangerous areas and evacuate to a safe place immediately.

• Currently, the regions where “rifts” have formed include Seoul, Goyang, Suwon, Daejeon, Dangjin in South Chungcheong Province… Breaking news continues to come in. The rifts— they’re spreading nationwide!

“…It was real.”
Seo Hye-jin clutched the front of her shirt over her pounding heart.
If she didn’t hold it like this, the fear made it feel as if her heart would burst out of her chest.
“Why can’t I get through…? Do-yoon, you’re okay, right?”

“Ugh…”
Siren kept gagging.
On the discarded smartphone screen, videos uploaded from various countries played one after another—
The destruction and slaughter committed by the monsters emerging from the rifts.
English, Japanese, Spanish, Hindi, French…
Screams and cries echoed in different languages.

“If you couldn’t handle it mentally, you should’ve stopped. Isn’t the situation obvious enough by now?”
“I-I can’t take it anymore…”
So she did have a delicate side after all?

“Calm down and take a deep breath.”
At Do-yoon’s advice, Siren grabbed the passenger-side handle and shouted,
“What are you babbling about? Just drive straight! I’m gonna puke to death here!”

Thud!
The vehicle jolted so hard his heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

“Whoops, hit a rock.”
“Waaah! Slow down!”

Do-yoon didn’t lift even a toe from the accelerator, regardless of her misery.
The freight truck roared down the asphalt.
Soon, the southbound Gyeongbu Expressway would turn into a parking lot.
They had to get out before that happened.

“Even without a license, I know this isn’t right. Did you pay someone off to get yours?”
“Nope. I don’t have a license either.”
“…?”

The speedometer needle easily passed 200 km/h.

“W-wait, did you find me because you needed someone to join you in a murder-suicide?”
“Relax. I’m the best driver even without a license.”
“What kind of insane— Fine, since we’re at it, tell me. You really weren’t trying to kill me back then?”
“If I had, you’d already be knocking on hell’s door and through immigration.”
“Hmph, so it wasn’t a mistake? You didn’t end up joining New Humanity by accident and now you’re trying to cover it up?”

“Didn’t the cops tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“The place you were found.”
“They said… in front of the ER. Ah?”

Siren’s eyebrows shot up.
Now that she thought about it, it had been odd.
If it was Hyun Do-yoon who carried her there, the pieces fit.

“No, wait— that makes even less sense. Then you never had a reason to stab me in the first place.”
“If it had ended with a lion’s roar.”

Do-yoon’s gaze turned icy.

“You wouldn’t have learned a damn thing.”
“What lesson?”

He had wrestled with whether to put her name on New Humanity’s purge list.
In previous cycles, she had never grown into a massive tumor.
But in this 13th cycle, she might cause a catastrophic incident.
That possibility had to be cut out at the sprout stage.

“You people… especially you, need to have it carved into your bones.”

Do-yoon released the steering wheel and suddenly grabbed her wrist.

“H-hey, let go!”
“…That there are no other options.”

Crack!
Her bones and joints bent unnaturally, sending a sharp wave of pain through her.

“Ahh! S-stop!”

When he let go, Siren glared at him, wide-eyed.
They were on the same side now, and yet he had no qualms about twisting her wrist.

“Urgh… What the hell?”
“A little sprain like that will be healed by the time we get out, with your regeneration.”
“That makes no sense! Why don’t you take any damage— no, wait.”

She closed her eyes.
Ignoring the powerful presence in the seat beside her,
she expanded her sensing range to the size of a city.
From Seoul’s direction, she felt five blinking dots.
Three seemed fine; two were strangely weakened.

“…Why only five? No, that can’t be…”

A cold, choking dread wrapped around her throat.
A human immune to mental domination.
The only member free from the restrictions.
Her breath caught.
Truly—
there were no other options.

4:30 a.m.
By the time they got off, it felt like they’d just come off an F1 track rather than an expressway exit— her head was spinning.

They arrived at the dimly lit plaza in front of Busan Station.

“Blaaaargh!”

While Siren emptied her stomach outside the passenger seat, Do-yoon began unloading the freight.

She returned with a pale face.
“What should I do?”
“Bring people to carry this stuff.”
“Can I use my ability?”
“You planning to politely ask them otherwise?”
“…I thought you didn’t like my power.”

Do-yoon shrugged.
“In an emergency, you use emergency measures. We’re short on time.”

With her mental domination active, passersby began mindlessly hauling the cargo from the truck.

On the plaza’s electronic billboard, breaking news continued to stream:
The rift phenomenon was occurring indiscriminately across the country, and an emergency evacuation order had been issued nationwide.
Busan, however, hadn’t had its first gate open yet, so people heading toward the station were still few.

KTX platform.

Han Yeon-ha watched with curiosity as people carried boxes.
She had never seen anything like it—
and every one of them…

They’re all like robots.
Blank expressions, mechanical movements.

Well, it is early morning.

As she pushed through them, a sudden flash filled her vision.

“Ah!”

A man shoved through recklessly, sending her sprawling.
Strangely, no one reacted.
Even the station staff ignored her, focused only on moving the boxes.

…What is going on?

It was possible, she supposed. On a day like this.
But for not a single person to even glance at her was odd.
As if she had become invisible…

“Excuse me.”

A hand appeared in front of her.
She looked up at the man.
Short-cropped hair.
A firm yet warm expression.

“Are you okay?”

She took his hand and stood.
“Ah, thank you…”
“Please be careful.”

She gave a small bow of gratitude and boarded the train.

One minute before departure.
When the automatic doors opened, passengers’ eyes turned in that direction.

Hey, twelve o’clock.
Really? You’re checking out a girl in this situation? …Whoa.

She looked like she’d stepped right out of a fairy tale.
A beauty they wouldn’t forget for days.

Then, seeing the man behind her, the male passengers sighed.

Huh?

Han Yeon-ha, too, felt a faint twinge of disappointment.
It was the man who had offered his hand at the platform.
As they say, people flock to their kind— the handsome and beautiful came as a set, it seemed.

The couple approached and sat across from Han Yeon-ha.

“Oh? We meet again?”
“Ah, yes…”

As Do-yoon and Han Yeon-ha exchanged nods, Siren whispered,
“What, you two know each other?”

We know each other well— and there’s a lot more to learn.

Hearing the telepathic message, Siren glanced around.

Forgot my voice already?
“You?!”
Now you’ve ruined the point of telepathy. Great, she’s going to think I’m a freak from the start.

The train departed.

Silence hung in the air.
Siren seemed lost in thought, Han Yeon-ha stared down at her neatly folded hands.
Do-yoon leaned his head against the window, watching the scenery whip past.

Then, the black tunnel mouth approached.

Clunk.
The interior dimmed as the train entered.

Do-yoon broke the silence.
“You saw the news?”
“Me? Oh, yes… sort of.”
“With all that chaos in Seoul, why are you heading into the fire?”

After hesitating, she spoke.
“My family and friends are all in Seoul…”
“Aren’t you scared?”
“Of course. I’m afraid of when I might lose my sanity. But being alone scares me more…”
“That’s unusual.”

It wasn’t mocking— his eyes showed understanding.
But something in that look pressed a button in her heart.

“D-don’t most people feel that way? In times like this, you want to stay close to loved ones.”
“Maybe so. Hmm… Don’t you think it’s oddly empty today?”
“Sorry?”
“Even for the first train, there’s barely anyone. Know why?”

He looked around.
“A mass of cancellations.”
“Ah, that explains it…”
“I’m not criticizing. Seeking safety is human instinct.”

Do-yoon’s lips curled.
“Which makes this all the more perverse. To commit such an act against descendants who overcame instinct.”
“…What?”
“This tunnel is 23 km long.”
“…?”
“At normal speed, you’d be out in under 5 minutes, but it cuts under the city, so it takes around 10.”
“What are you talking about?”
“But hasn’t it been well over 10 minutes now?”

“…!?”

She stiffened and glanced over her shoulder.
Outside was still pitch black.

June 2, 2017.
Today would be remembered as one of the most shocking days in human history—
The official appearance of the first gate.
The dawn of true new humans, “awakeners,” bringing seismic change to the world.

And now—
an incident no less staggering was being written into history.

The first recorded paranormal phenomenon in South Korea— maybe the world.

Do-yoon stood and sent Siren a telepathic message.
Follow me.
“H-huh?”

Memories from a previous cycle came vividly to mind:
After Busan-to-Seoul KTX train 002 entered a tunnel, it vanished as if it had evaporated.

Tunnel Vanishing.

This random phenomenon had thrown Korea’s railway transport and logistics into paralysis and panic.

It was one of the reasons he had come to Busan in person.
The other was…

Knock knock.
He rapped on the engineer’s cabin door.
A flustered voice came from inside.
“A-a public announcement will be made soon! Please just wait…”

Do-yoon glanced at Siren.
She used her ability.
“Hey, mister inside? Forget that— open this.”

Click.
The door opened, revealing the cabin.

“Eh? W-why did I…”

Do-yoon stepped past the confused conductor to the controls.

“Siren.”
“Yeah?”
“Go back and watch Han Yeon-ha.”
“Han Yeon-ha?”
“You saw her— the girl sitting across from us.”
“Oh, that small pale one? When did you even introduce yourselves?”
“When you weren’t there. Don’t let a single hair on her head be harmed. On this train… no, in all of the southern region, she’s the most important person.”

While they talked, the conductor seemed to regain his senses and spoke firmly.
“Sir, please leave. If you keep interfering, you can be punished under the Railway Safety Act.”
“Come on, you can feel it too— that we’re screwed.”
“What… what are you talking about?”
“Why hasn’t the tunnel ended? Why’s communication dead? What’s control doing?”
“H-how do you—?”
“I’ll answer all your questions at once.”

[Activating ‘Toy Repairman’s Tool Belt (S)’.]

His third skill choice, after [Guardian’s Sword] and [Great Library of Memory].
He’d spent 66,666 points for this very moment.

Do-yoon opened his palm.
A small flashlight appeared—
painted in pastel green and yellow.

“…?”

When he switched it on, a cheerful melody played.

“What is this, a toy? What are you doing?”

“Just watch.”

Annoyance flashed in the conductor’s eyes.

But the moment he looked into the tunnel darkness lit by the beam—

“Hiieeek!”

He stumbled back.
The scream froze in his throat.
His knees buckled, and he collapsed awkwardly.

Hundreds of black, skeletal hands.
They crowded every inch of the front window— corners, center, top, bottom, frame—
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump—!
Pounding the glass like mad.

“Well? Understand now?”
“N-not at all…”
“I do. So relax.”

Do-yoon’s lips curled upward.

“…A phenomenon explained is no longer worthy of being called a phenomenon.”