“So that’s why you came here looking like death?”

“No one’s answering their phone, so I just left.”

“And the police?”

“Esper Yeo Myung-hwon told me not to escalate things and to wait….”

Gu-young wasn’t wrong. They could do nothing. Jin Su-hui let out a deep sigh and pressed her fingers to her temple. She could only imagine his frustration and helplessness, but anger still bubbled up inside her.

“For now, I’ll figure out a way to meet Yeo Myung-hwon. Stay with me.”

As a staff member, Su-hui had better chances of meeting Myung-hwon. Gu-young obediently nodded.

“We’ll wait until he finishes his duties on the stage and comes down. That’ll be our chance.”

Su-hui glanced toward the stage, calculating the timing. Soon, Yeo Myung-hwon’s name spread like wildfire among the crowd.

“Looks like he’s here.”

Even in a sea of people, Yeo Myung-hwon stood out. He towered almost a head taller than everyone else. His solid build showed even through his clothes, and his face, contrasting with his imposing physique, carried an almost ascetic quality.

His expression revealed no emotion. Even those standing at the front, who had likely attended the meeting room with him earlier, fell silent and gazed at him in awe as he appeared.

“Hello, I’m Yeo Myung-hwon.”

His firm voice resonated through the microphone. As everyone held their breath and focused entirely on him, explosions shattered the silence.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Explosions erupted like fireworks, going off simultaneously in multiple locations. The sudden terrorist attack threw the crowd into chaos.

“Ahhh!”

Su-hui instinctively grabbed the arm of a nearby civilian and pulled them along.

BOOM!

“What… what is this…!”

Kwak Seong-gwan, yanked to the ground, started to protest but stopped when he saw the floor he had walked on moments ago, now charred and crumbling. He swallowed hard.

“Thank you… but what on earth…?”

“It looks like a terrorist attack.”

“What?!”

Seong-gwan jumped. A terrorist attack? Of all the bad luck, this ranked worst.

“Stick with us. If you get caught in that crowd, there’s no way out.”

Su-hui quickly assessed the situation and gave instructions, to which Seong-gwan nodded vigorously. Being in a less crowded area allowed them to respond quickly and avoid injuries, but the densely packed areas fared differently. Dozens of people lay on the ground, injured by the explosions and flying debris.

“They’re trampling over the injured without a second thought.”

Gu-young rushed toward the fallen. Left alone, they wouldn’t die from the explosions but from the panicked crowd trampling them.

He could have searched for Myung-hwon now, but he couldn’t ignore the injured right before him.

**

The bodyguards near the stage quickly escorted their charges out of harm’s way, but civilians fended for themselves. Unsure where to run, people pushed and shoved each other in confusion. Amid the chaos, another bomb detonated.

BOOM!

Some ability users working as staff for the assembly tried controlling the crowd, but failed.

Yeo Myung-hwon silently observed the hellscape unfolding before him. He hadn’t triggered these explosions.

To some, his inaction might seem cold-hearted, but he felt relieved that the explosions bought him more time. Showing hesitation or doubt about Yeo Ji-woong’s proposal would have signaled weakness. He had agreed to speak last on stage, believing Ju-eon’s situation would resolve by then.

“Any updates?”

“I received word that he’s been rescued, but…”

Trailing off mid-sentence never boded well. Myung-hwon frowned at Seo Yun-jin’s troubled expression.

“And?”

“They lost contact shortly after.”

“So you don’t know where he is now.”

“No. But since we haven’t received any further updates, it’s likely…”

“This attack. Who do you think is behind it?”

Myung-hwon interrupted Yun-jin, his voice calm but heavy with restrained anger. His energy, volatile moments ago, seemed slightly settled. Yun-jin carefully considered his question. Typically, AGT orchestrated such attacks, but this time, AGT had ordered Myung-hwon to execute the attack. AGT had no reason to organize this one. Could Congressman Yeo be responsible? Yun-jin shook her head. The congressman wouldn’t recklessly initiate a terrorist attack.

The only reason AGT could order the attack on Myung-hwon was because of Woo Ju-eon.

Yun-jin scanned her surroundings. Team 1, specializing in offensive operations, had encountered AGT more frequently than anyone else. The attack style looked familiar. It cornered people, pushing them into panic.

“This… style… no way.”

Yun-jin’s eyes widened. Myung-hwon nodded, answering her unspoken question.

“Yeo Han-ol.”

“Then does that mean someone from Congressman Yeo’s side has taken Ju-eon again…?”

“If Ju-eon were in Yeo Ji-woong’s hands, Yeo Han-ol wouldn’t have come here.”

Someone like Yeo Han-ol wouldn’t tolerate having his possession taken by Yeo Ji-woong of all people.

“So at least for now, neither side has Ju-eon.”

Yun-jin finally sighed with relief. Myung-hwon glanced at his still-silent phone before lifting his head.

“Let’s focus on resolving this situation first.”

**

‘I’m so disappointed in you.’

Kang Yun-jae smirked bitterly, recalling Yeo Ji-woong’s words. He couldn’t understand how someone expressed disappointment without having expectations in the first place. Despite attributing countless achievements to Yeo Ji-woong, Yun-jae had always been nothing more than a slightly useful pawn to him—nothing more, nothing less.

He realized this far too late.

How many days since his capture? They wouldn’t kill him immediately, as doing so would arouse suspicion toward Yeo Ji-woong. For now, he would remain alive, though his life would likely worsen beyond death for the foreseeable future.

He didn’t mind. He had wanted to die for a while anyway.

Since Ju-eon left, Yun-jae felt an enormous void in his heart. He drowned himself in alcohol, finding solace in the illusion that it filled the emptiness. Drinking until his limit provided his only path to sleep, however brief. He questioned such a life’s meaning.

Ju-eon’s lingering traces still haunted him, tormenting Yun-jae.

“Crazy b*stard.”

Even now, he stared at Ju-eon’s name on his phone screen until it darkened. He resented Ju-eon for leaving so coldly, but the memory of his retreating back filled him with crushing guilt.

Where had it all gone wrong? When had his greed grown so monstrous? Yun-jae covered his eyes with his arm and sighed deeply.

He needed to pull himself together and find a way back into Yeo Ji-woong’s favor. The fact that he hadn’t been killed or stripped of everything yet meant he wasn’t entirely discarded. Even if things wouldn’t return to normal, this offered his only chance for survival. He knew this rationally, but that was all. Knowledge didn’t translate into action.

BUZZ.

His phone vibrated. The screen displayed a number he hadn’t seen in a long time. Yun-jae flipped the phone face-down on the floor. No one had forced his choices. What he thought was the best decision simply led to the worst outcome.

Everything started when he entered a special agency as a civilian through a program for ability users. Having nothing, he wanted success. He knew no better. At first, he took Congressman Yeo’s hand. Catching the attention of someone powerful seemed reasonable. Yeo Ji-woong appeared good on the surface. For someone as naive as Yun-jae back then, Yeo Ji-woong manipulated him easily.

That began the sponsorship, giving wings to Yun-jae’s genius.

‘My sons are nothing but troublemakers.’

‘I may not be enough, but… I’ll try harder.’

‘You’re more than enough.’

The initial descent into the abyss tasted sweet. The serpent’s fruit proved so delicious that he ignored the malice glinting in its eyes. Thanks to Yeo Ji-woong, who even supported his family, Yun-jae focused entirely on his studies.

During that time, he met Yeo Myung-hwon and Woo Ju-eon. He couldn’t understand why Myung-hwon, with his wonderful family and lover, seemed so dissatisfied with life.

Still, things remained fine then. At that time, no ambition burned brighter than his thirst for knowledge.

Only when the anomaly appeared before him did he realize the truth. Returning home, his pregnant sister greeted him. They weren’t particularly close due to their significant age gap.

“Oh. You’re back?”

The moment they met, the reality he had ignored while immersed in his experiments came crashing down. Standing at the entrance, Yun-jae dropped his bags and asked, hoping for an answer proving him wrong.