Chapter 76

“……What.”

“Anyway, there must be ordinary people trying to leave this village for reasons other than us. Let’s blend in with them.”

“……”

“Let’s go, Costance.”

Leaving through this chaos was dangerous and adventurous. Nevertheless, the reason she pushed her words so strongly was because of the man standing before her.

She wanted to quickly dispel the police’s suspicions and move Costance away from her side.

“It’s too dangerous.”

Costance was cautious.

“But we can’t just stay in the hotel forever.”

Once you leave this village, you’ll be free.

‘You don’t understand NOK-One.’

NOK-One was not only a weapon of destruction but also a device that shattered trust and relationships between people.

Moreover, NOK-One was like a drug that drove people’s psychology into a mire of criticism, contempt, and hatred, and it became a shortcut to leading life into hell.

〈You must live, Benny.〉

Her father’s expression said as much.

“Even if it’s dangerous, we can’t just sit around doing nothing.”

“I’m not saying we should stay long. At least let’s observe the situation for a day……”

“Costance.”

She interrupted Costance’s words. His pupils trembled incessantly. His conflicted and troubled expression grew darker.

“If you don’t go, I’ll go alone.”

She declared.

“Benny.”

He called her urgently. Costance strode over to her and grabbed her wrist firmly.

“You cannot go alone. Absolutely not.”

He was earnest.

“I’m going.”

“……I’ll go too. I’ll go with you.”

In the end, he insisted on stepping into the fire with her.

“Benny, you’re right.”

“……”

“This village is too dangerous. That damned group might cause another incident. If things get tangled, the police will come to verify our identities.”

“……”

“Damn it, I was too short-sighted.”

He spoke as if it was his fault. Costance looked so fragile, as if he would collapse with a single push.

If I left him, how would Costance live? 

Imagining a shattered and broken Costance made her heart waver again.

“But Benny. It’s too dangerous right now…… Let’s leave at dawn.”

“……”

“Please, just concede this much.”

If I had never existed, Costance Orsi……

If only I was not here, Costance Orsi……

Seeing Costance visibly crumble, she blamed herself—not the agency, the government, or anyone else.

***

She couldn’t sleep. The news, playing all day, repeated the same content while reporting the increasing number of casualties as time passed.

Costance kept watch by the window. Whenever she moved even slightly, his shoulders flinched.

“……”

Despite the deepening night, the sound of sirens continued. Tired of waiting, she took out a snack for Irini and fed her piece by piece.

Irini, nibbling on the snack, even licked her hand softly, as if teasing her.

‘If only that day never happened……’

It was when the NOK-One research began to falter.

The government pressured the researchers. Even those who wanted to abandon the project after witnessing NOK-One’s power were forcibly dragged back to their desks.

The laughter that once filled the laboratory vanished completely. Every researcher involved in the project wore an expression of loss.

Rene, Tiago, Sien, and Alres were no different.

Rene, who was always kind and motherly to her, now looked on the verge of tears. Tiago, who used to run to her shouting “Little Miss!” could hardly be heard anymore.

She knew Alres cried every night. Even Sien, who was the strongest among them, couldn’t hold back his tears when he saw Alres crying.

〈Olive…….〉

She was scared too. She couldn’t sleep without holding Olive tightly. Even when she did, she woke up every two hours to check her surroundings.

One night, after tossing and turning, she got up. Her mind, wide awake, told her she couldn’t go on like this, so she quietly opened the door.

The corridor of the laboratory was dimly lit. Even at this late hour, the murmurs of researchers working could be heard here and there.

Her father’s room wasn’t far from hers.

The long shadow stretching before her gave her chills. Tiptoeing, she hurried to her father’s room.

〈Father?〉

Even after knocking, there was no response from inside. Her father often didn’t hear anything when he was focused on something, so she expected this.

When she turned the doorknob, as expected, the door opened.

On the desk, a faint light glowed, carrying her father’s warmth. Holding her breath, she looked around and found traces of her father’s recent presence.

Was he in there?

Unlike her room, her father’s space had a small inner room.

〈Father?〉

The door to the small room opened with a card system. She remembered the card her father had given her. Always carrying it with her, she could open the door immediately.

‘Let’s just check if Father is inside.’

She fumbled for the card in her pocket and held it up to the door. A distinct click echoed.

〈Father? Are you here?〉

Peeking her head through the door, she looked inside.

The bright room showed no trace of her father. The floor was a mess of pencil shavings and eraser dust, evidence of his frequent work in this room.

‘Father isn’t here.’

Having confirmed his absence, she was about to close the door.

〈Meow.〉

At that moment, Olive, the troublemaker, squirmed out of her arms and darted into the room.

〈Olive!〉

She chased after Olive.

No matter how much she called, Olive showed no intention of being caught. After wandering around excitedly, Olive finally stopped atop the desk.

As if mocking her, Olive’s mischievous eyes glinted. She decided to wait patiently without waving her arms.

〈Olive, no!〉

Olive extended her sharp claws and scratched the papers on the desk. Startled, she waved her arms to shoo Olive away and secured the papers.

There were three large sheets.

Examining the strange symbols on the papers, she noticed Olive had torn and scratched the front.

Worried there might be marks on the back, she flipped through the pages until her eyes landed on the last page.

A word stood out, bolded for emphasis.

[NOK-One Blueprint.]

The moment she read the word, time seemed to stop. She didn’t want to know exactly what it was.

She just……

The door opened without warning. Turning her head, she saw her father standing with a stern expression.

〈Ah, Father.〉

Her father’s gaze was fixed on the papers in her hands.

〈……Did you see it?〉

His first words shattered her world.

〈Yes…….〉

Seeing his wavering focus, she answered hesitantly.

NOK-One.

A weapon to protect Toramde.

An object that could destroy someone’s life.

***

〈You told Benny! You showed her that? Are you out of your mind? If the government finds out, they won’t let Benny go free.〉

〈…….〉

〈Keep this a secret. Tell anyone who knows to never speak of it. I’ll warn Benny to be cautious too.〉

〈But if the government already knows…….〉

〈Tiago, don’t think like that.〉

For the next five days, she couldn’t leave her room. The fear of seeing something she shouldn’t have consumed her. Even holding Olive, she couldn’t sleep.

She stayed holed up in her room, receiving psychological counseling. The researchers subtly asked her questions, but she feigned ignorance, pretending not to remember.

On days when external visitors came, she hid under her bedcovers all day, convinced they would take her away the moment they saw her.

After several days, when she finally mustered the courage to leave her room, Sien, whom she often saw, was nowhere to be found. Tiago’s face looked drained, as if he had been overwhelmingly busy.

〈Little Miss. Sien has left. She’s gone far away, outside the lab.〉

Tiago was right. Sien had left the lab. For days, she envied Sien’s return to her hometown, but soon she learned that Sien had hanged herself in her room.

“Meow.”

She had given Irini all the snacks. Burying her face in the pillow, she thought about death in her obscured vision.

If Costance was by her side, she would pass this torment onto him. In truth, her heart was the most precarious.

It wasn’t even a situation where one push would topple her. Her heart was already broken.

If cornered, she was ready to give up everything.

‘Father. Grant me courage.’

The courage to die.

“……Benny, are you ready?”

At Costance’s question, she nodded.

He opened the hotel door.