Chapter 66

The rain showed no sign of stopping. Curled up under a large tree, she shivered violently from the cold. Her clothes, soaked through with rainwater, gave off a damp, unpleasant smell, and her shoes, with their soles torn off, were useless.  

It had been hours since Irini disappeared, leaving her alone. The night grew deeper, and the mountain was now completely engulfed in darkness. Only the sharp sound of rainfall pierced through the silence of a place where even the moonlight had hidden itself.  

Rainwater fell incessantly. Slowly, she got to her feet and stared blankly at the spot where she had fallen.  

It was unbearably cold. She wanted to die out of fear, but strangely, the biting wind and stabbing cold that pierced her skin made her feel alive. It was as if this sensation was urging her not to give up and to keep going.  

She walked slowly. Her whole body ached as though it had been beaten. Every movement sent a dull pain deep into her bones, and small groans escaped through her lips with every step. But she had to cross the mountain.  

Clenching her teeth, she began climbing back up the slope where she had fallen. The rain-soaked ground was slippery, forcing her to press her toes firmly into the earth to avoid falling again. By the time she had climbed halfway up, the fear of slipping made her brace herself against the ground with both arms.  

〈Are you all right?〉  

She remembered that day. The day the NOK One experiment succeeded for the first time, every researcher who came to the lab wore dark, shadowed expressions.  

When she cautiously asked questions, Tiago, Rene, and Alres forced smiles.  

〈No, we’re not all right.〉  

It was Sien who poured cold water on the situation. Always dependable, Sien put down his utensils.  

〈Is that truly a weapon meant to save Toramde?〉  

Sien directed his question at Rene.  

〈…….〉  

〈That’s a weapon that threatens humanity. It’s also a weapon that will destroy the very land we live on.〉  

〈Sien.〉  

〈I don’t understand how Director Rene can be so focused on the research, knowing that. You saw it with your own eyes, didn’t you? One attack evaporated that deep, vast ocean. And that wasn’t enough—it reduced the surrounding area, even faraway places, to ashes…!〉  

〈Sien!〉  

At Rene’s shout, Sien stood up, carrying his barely-touched tray. Many incidents had occurred at the lab, but this was the first time the atmosphere had sunk so low.  

She was overwhelmed by the mood and simply felt scared. Unable to eat, she only stirred her spoon aimlessly in the air.  

Her father hadn’t eaten for days either. She could vividly picture him holed up in the lab, working alone. She worried that he might collapse from hunger, so she also stood up with her tray.  

〈Little Miss?〉  

〈Benny.〉  

Tiago and Rene looked at her blankly. Without answering, she put down her tray, grabbed two pieces of bread from the container, and ran to the farthest room in the lab.  

It was the “Do Not Enter” room, but she had entered it several times before—like when Olive had barged in and torn up some documents.  

Using an ID badge someone had dropped, she bypassed security and entered the main lab. At the center of the lab was a large, round structure. Its metallic surface was painted in bright white letters that read “NOK-ONE.”  

Nearby, large monitors and cluttered desks were scattered haphazardly around the lab. Her father’s desk was undoubtedly the messiest, the largest, and the most chaotic of them all.  

The lab was empty. She glanced around and began checking the rooms deeper inside. In one of them, sparsely furnished and with chalkboards covering every wall, she heard the sound of chalk scraping.  

Her father was filling the chalkboard with dense equations, his hands covered in chalk dust. She couldn’t tell what the equations were for, but they were clearly significant, and she stared in awe, her mouth slightly open.  

〈…….〉  

Her father was focused. He didn’t even notice her standing at the door as he filled the board, his eyes sharp and intense. Hoping for even a brief conversation, she quietly placed the bread she had brought on the table and left.  

That was all she could do.  

“Father…”  

After climbing the mountain with great difficulty, she sat down immediately, her strength completely drained. She couldn’t move anymore. With dirty hands, she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a piece of bread, placing it into her mouth.  

It was far too little to satisfy her hunger. Still, that small piece of bread comforted and soothed her.  

The sweetness spread through her dry mouth.  

“…Hic.”  

She thought of her father eating this same bread alone. The weight of the sins he had to bear was so heavy that it suffocated her.  

Clutching the bag to her chest, she bent over. She needed strength. She had to endure.  

‘How far can I go with this forced courage?’  

***

Costance had just passed the lakeside, his vision obstructed by the rain and the pitch-black darkness. Gritting his teeth, he pressed on through the rain-soaked path. When he saw the blocked road ahead, he slammed the steering wheel in frustration.  

Even when he tried to reverse, his lack of driving skills worked against him. The wheels, already stuck in the muddy ground, sank further as he carelessly tried to move backward, leaving the car completely stuck.  

Costance swallowed a curse as he stepped out of the car.  

“Damn it.”  

The blocked road led to the base of a mountain. Staring at the mountain, Costance recalled the map he had seen earlier. A small mountain range below the river—this must be the place.  

Uneasy, Costance scanned the desolate mountain. The pouring rain drowned out all sounds, making it difficult to sense any signs of life—or even the presence of animals.  

Opening the car door, he grabbed a flashlight, tucked it under his arm, and stuffed the map into his pocket. After gathering his belongings, Costance approached the mountain’s entrance and carefully checked for footprints.  

‘Nothing.’  

If someone had come to this mountain by car, this would be the only path to climb. However…  

Costance shone his flashlight toward the lakeshore, checking for any sign of a boat. The weak beam of light only revealed a small portion of the lake.  

Climbing an untraveled mountain was dangerous—especially in heavy rain.  

‘If Vivi climbed this mountain…’  

Costance didn’t want to think about it. Checking the time, he turned toward a small village on the left and began walking.  

“Meow.”  

A familiar cry froze Costance in his tracks. His heart sank as he stood still, his body stiffening.  

“Meow.”  

“…Irini?”  

“Meow.”  

“Irini…”  

The sound of Irini’s cry echoed through the mountain. Without hesitation, Costance turned and walked quickly toward the direction of the sound.  

“Irini!”  

Soon, Costance spotted a patch of white fur hiding beneath a tree. Even in the darkness, the cat’s bright blue eyes shone clearly—it was Irini.  

“Meow.”  

Holding Irini in his arms, Costance frantically scanned the area.  

‘Vivi!’  

Vivi was here.  

Somewhere in this mountain, Vivi was here.  

“Vivi!”  

Costance called her name desperately.  

“Vivi!” 

His voice cut through the rain, but no response came. Growing more anxious, Costance held Irini tightly and began searching the area.  

Whenever he heard the wind from deeper inside, he ran to check. When the sound of rain grew louder behind him, he turned and checked the same spot five times over.  

“Irini…”  

Vivi was nowhere to be seen. Feeling despair, Costance looked at Irini, who might know where she was. Irini, with her innocent eyes, looked back at him and cried softly.  

“Damn it! Damn it!”  

Costance felt like he was losing his mind from the anxiety. 

Where was Vivi? Where could she have gone?  

Then, he noticed a tree. Beneath it were footprints—small ones, clearly belonging to a woman.  

“…….”  

Following the footprints, Costance’s heart froze as he reached a steep incline. He bit down on the flashlight in his mouth and began climbing the mountain.  

“Ugh!”  

Even as the rain made the path slippery, Costance used all his strength to maintain his balance and keep moving.  

A faint scent reached him.  

“Vivi…”  

Costance was certain it was her scent.  

When he finally reached the top of the incline, he held his breath and looked ahead. In the pitch-black darkness, one figure stood out, faintly illuminated.  

Wet hair. Small hands. Pale skin, but with redness on her shoulders.  

Costance, who had been forcing himself to remain composed, felt something snap within him.  

What was this feeling?  

Relief?  

The moment he confirmed with his own eyes that Vivi was alive, Costance felt like he could finally breathe again. At the same time, an overwhelming pain swelled in his chest, tightening it unbearably.  

Costance’s heart ached fiercely. He couldn’t tell if the water running down his face was rain or tears.  

“Vivi…”  

Slowly, Costance approached her.  

His light.  

The one person who, by her mere existence, could untangle the knots in his suffocating chest.  

After what felt like an eternity, Costance and Vivi’s eyes finally met.