Chapter 121.1

Chapter 121.1

The deafening roar of the engine widened Seoryeong’s eyes. Kia, who had oscillated between pleading and fury as though he would confine her forever, suddenly shifted his demeanor.

In a flash, he shook off his priestly robe and stood up.

With a noticeably lighter expression, he freed her from the chains and led her all the way to the top of the spire.

Her hair whipped wildly in the gusting wind, clinging to her face, while the dragonfly-like propellers spun rapidly overhead.

The helicopter, painted in ashen tones, stood with its sliding door wide open. Gripping Seoryeong’s arm, Kia escorted her to the aircraft, its body trembling as if ready to take off at any moment.

“Let go! Where are you taking me now?” she demanded.

“You’re leaving,” Kia replied.

“…What?”

“Go back to Korea. Open your eyes wide and find your husband, Sonya.”

“…”

“That’s the only way I can save you.”

The spinning propellers generated a strong wind that made her stagger. Just as she thought he was finally letting her go, there was no mention of the remaining crew.

Afraid of being separated from them, Seoryeong dug her heels into the ground and glared at him defiantly. Despite the howling gale, Kia’s eyes gleamed sharply as he murmured, “Follow your instincts.”

Something small and hard pressed into her palm—a piece of plastic, no larger than the tip of her finger.

“It’s a film tracker. You can stick and peel it off like a sticker.”

“…!”

“You only get one chance.”

His crisp voice, tinged with amusement, seemed to spur her on, almost as if testing her.

“Kim Hyun is close to you.”

“…!”

Amid the deafening noise of the propellers, Kia’s words were clear from the shape of his lips. She held her breath, her brow furrowing. Even as she recognized it as one of Kia’s distractions, her heart pounded erratically.

Close? How close?

As she tugged at him for answers, Kia merely drew his lips into a thin line, signaling he wouldn’t say more.

“Kim Hyun is near me? That’s ridiculous…”

She had assumed Kim Hyun, a black-ops agent who had never been caught, was somewhere far away, still serving his country. But now…

Dust and debris whipped by the propellers stung her cheeks. Clenching the cold piece of plastic in her hand, she resolved herself. One last time, Kia clasped her hand, offering a prayer-like farewell.

“Leave hope in the grave. When the day comes, you will call, and I will answer.”

His eyes, closing and reopening deliberately, fixed on her with weighty meaning.

Suddenly, bang! The spire door slammed open. In the brief chaos as her disheveled hair obscured her vision, then cleared, Seoryeong froze, her body stiffening.

A man limped into view, dragging one leg behind him. The first thing that caught her eye was his forehead, slick with blood and grime, followed by his cracked, pale lips, which were dry and torn.

Shards of metal embedded in his body, blood-drenched clothing sticking to his skin—she couldn’t tell whose blood it was. His uniform was a mess of red stains, and his hands were soaked. As his military boots scraped the ground, they left streaks of crimson in their wake. He was a horrifying sight, with not a single unscathed part of his body.

“Ah…” A wave of unidentifiable emotion surged through her, as if something was overturning within.

He carried a long rifle, the kind Ki Taemin often used, tucked under one arm. His limp wasn’t just severe—it seemed one leg was almost entirely useless.

Yet his eyes, blazing with murderous intent, remained locked straight ahead.

That unyielding stride sent Seoryeong’s heart plummeting. But when their eyes met, like two magnets snapping together, time seemed to stop.

His crumbling gaze etched itself into her memory like a photograph, and a torrent of emotion crashed over her, flooding her chest.

From that moment, Seoryeong’s mind went blank. Without realizing it, she shoved Kia aside and dashed toward Lee Wooshin, her legs instinctively propelling her forward.

But Kia grabbed her mid-stride and shoved her firmly into the helicopter, slamming the sliding door shut before pounding on its exterior.

Her body collided with the hard metal seat as the helicopter began to lift off, the engine’s roar growing deafening. Her ears felt like they were being crushed.

“――!”

Seoryeong banged on the glass, her gaze fixed on Kia, who waved at her with flapping arms. Behind him, Lee Wooshin stood grimly, aiming his rifle at Kia.

However, the fierce wind and his unsteady balance caused the barrel of the rifle to sway uncontrollably. Even from afar, Seoryeong could see his knee trembling violently, his eyelids blinking sluggishly, as if he could collapse at any moment.