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Something is wrong.

I already knew that the Reincarnator had taken the fish. Eileen told me.

But the fact that it came out here…

I quickly turned my head to look at the water’s surface.

What floated on it were countless corpses.

[Critical: 0 times]

Of course, when you really need a critical, it’s nowhere to be found.

– Crash…

The building began to tilt, and I heard screams in the distance.

“Damn it.”

At this rate, we might really all die. What is the Isolation Team and everyone else doing?

– Thud…

As the building started cracking and terrifying sounds echoed, a white-haired figure brushed past me and reached out.

At the same moment, the fish was pushed back, and slender hands grabbed my waist.

“That’s dangerous.”

Jang Chae Yeon looked at me with her eyes slightly narrowed.

She seemed angry.

“I knew Chae Yeon would come.”

The grip of Jang Chae Yeon’s hand around my waist tightened for a moment and then loosened.

“…You believed me.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll forgive you.”

“Thank you.”

– Bang!

Due to Jang Chae Yeon’s strength, the fish was pushed back and slammed against the outer wall.

Soon after, Song Ah Rin and Yu Da On ran up beside me.

“Do you know how scared I was thinking I was really going to die?”

“A-Rin really came running with a terrifying expression.”

Song Ah Rin gasped as if she was about to lose her breath, while Yu Da On didn’t break a sweat.

– Bang!

While Jang Chae Yeon was pushing away the fish, I began to share information with the two who were catching their breath.

“Jae Heon, you don’t look so good.”

Yu Da On looked at me with concern.

“I’m just having some bad thoughts.”

This situation didn’t seem like it was going to resolve itself easily.

“Song Ah Rin, what is a reality check?”

The only reality check I knew was waking up to find out if it was a dream or not.

“It’s a bit different from what you know.”

Song Ah Rin muttered as she brushed her hair aside.

“What he does is a bit more professional.”

“Professional?”

“Everyone looks different, you know.”

“…That’s true.”

“There’s no such thing as an ‘identical me’ in the world. Just like the fake you we saw in the art museum, even if it’s you and me, we have unique points.”

“So, even if I had two of me, it would still be subtly different in facial shape or manner of speaking. Something like that.”

“Exactly. And that old man can catch that better than anyone here.”

“How?”

“If I knew that, I’d be the head of the Management Team.”

I roughly understood what they were talking about.

“Got it.”

– Bang!

As I heard something crash far away, Jang Chae Yeon stepped back and spoke to me.

“It seems like there’s a limit to pushing with strength. Time seems to be stretched, should we run?”

“…”

I stared intently at the fish.

The fish, flailing while colliding with the wall, opened and closed its mouth.

“…I think we should head to Gangseo Branch.”

“The floor is flooded… do you think the subway will work?”

It didn’t seem likely that we could get to Gangseo Branch in just three steps like before.

“Let’s go.”

Without taking her eyes off the fish, Jang Chae Yeon replied.

“Are we taking the subway?”

“Seems like it.”

I looked around.

It seemed like everyone had fled, but where did the Isolation Team and those people go?

A sense of foreboding refused to fade.

“I’m going.”

As Jang Chae Yeon took one last glance at the fish and stretched out her hand, a thud echoed as something hit the wall, and she quickly turned her body around.

“Let’s go.”

At her command, we started running inside the Management Agency.

During our dash through the corridor, we didn’t see anyone.

It was as if everyone in the branch had fled all at once.

“…There are too few people.”

I didn’t think I was the only one who thought that.

Song Ah Rin bit her lip as she looked around.

“Did they all vanish together? Where could everyone have gone?”

“…There’s still a smell lingering.”

Yu Da On muttered as she closed her eyes and sniffed.

“The aroma of perfume and cosmetics. But… it all feels like it suddenly disappeared from somewhere.”

“Disappeared?”

“Yeah. Like someone evaporated while walking down the street.”

“…”

“…”

Song Ah Rin and I exchanged glances.

“This way.”

How long did we run? Jang Chae Yeon pointed toward a door with a rusted handle and looked at us.

“This is one of the subway entrances.”

What do you mean there are entrances that don’t exist?

As I opened the door, the familiar sight of a subway station appeared before me.

Above, water was overflowing, but here, it was like another world with not a single drop flowing.

“There’s no one here either…”

“It’s not that there are no people.”

In response to Song Ah Rin’s murmurs, Yu Da On calmly replied.

“People didn’t come here in the first place. There’s no scent of any perfume or cosmetics.”

“…”

The feeling of unease intensified.

– Clunk…

Soon, the subway arrived with a mechanical voice echoing.

<The current Gangdong Branch is non-operational, so it will not stop. This is Gangdong Branch.>

The train doors opened.

There was no one on the train.

“…”

Slowly, I boarded the train.

<Heading to Gangseo Branch.>

With a clattering sound, the subway started moving.

“…”

Silence ensued.

No one opened their mouth.

The moment I dared to speak, the anxiety felt like it would become a reality.

<Gangseo Branch. There is currently no pedestrian traffic at Seoul Station, so please proceed comfortably.>

With the mechanical voice, the door opened.

– Clunk…

After we got off, the subway continued back into the darkness.

It hadn’t picked anyone else up.

“…Let’s go.”

“The fact that there’s no pedestrian traffic at Seoul Station… doesn’t that mean we shouldn’t go?”

In response to Song Ah Rin’s anxious murmurs, I replied.

“But we have to go.”

We need to get to Gangseo Branch.

At the very least, the Branch Chief should know what’s going on.

As we climbed the stairs,

– Splash.

With the sound of splashing water, I stepped down into a puddle.

“Everyone, be ready.”

If this was a heavy rain incident, there must be people who have passed out.

Jang Chae Yeon and Yu Da On nervously scanned their surroundings, while Song Ah Rin walked ahead with an expressionless face.

“It’s okay.”

If I kept walking forward without saying anything, she finally spoke.

“They’re all dead.”

Countless people lay sprawled on the floor, soaked through.

They seemed to be sleeping peacefully, eyes closed.

Not a single translucent window hovered above anyone’s head.

The sound of rain was nowhere to be heard.

As we ascended the stairs, bright sunlight poured over our faces.

The ground was still thoroughly soaked.

“Over there!”

At Yu Da On’s urgent voice, we looked ahead.

A woman was struggling to stand.

One of her arms was completely torn off, and her hair was drenched in blood, making it hard to tell if it was red or brown.

One of her legs was twisted beyond function, and as she dragged it along, she desperately walked towards somewhere.

“Branch Chief…?”

Abruptly, her steps halted.

“…Ah.”

Her closed eyes opened, revealing red pupils staring at me.

“Ji, Ji. Kim Jae Heon…”

“Branch Chief!”

The Gangseo Branch Chief smiled weakly at me.

I hurriedly ran toward her.

[Name: Lee Ha Neul]

[Age: 268 years]

[Specialty: Indestructible]

[Talent: Indestructible]

[Background: Having been on the verge of death, she is finally at peace. It’s selfish, but this time she doesn’t need to be the one to make the decision after witnessing the devastation.]

[Weakness: Please remain still.]

“Are you okay?”

“I told you… not to look at people like that…”

“Please, don’t talk.”

Every time the Branch Chief spoke and smiled, blood trickled down her lips with a dull thud.

“Wait a moment, let’s treat your wounds—”

“Shh.”

As she touched my lips with her finger, she began to breathe hard, speaking on.

“Only one, person can, survive.”

“Branch Chief, what do you mean…?”

“You know, right?”

Her eyes calmly gazed into mine.

“You saw, it.”

“…”

The world where Yu Da On had become a vessel.

The already opened door and the monsters awaiting arrival, as well as the Branch Chief who was nowhere to be seen.

[The door has opened for the last hope of humanity.]

The phrase floated in my mind.

Why is it that it’s called humanity’s ‘last’ hope?

As if it suggests that everyone must die, leaving just one person behind for the door to open…

“Don’t tell me…”

At my words, the Branch Chief weakly smiled.

“You have to, choose.”

“…”

“You can’t take… your comrades back.”

“If one person remains…”

The Branch Chief’s gaze shifted toward Yu Da On.

“But…”

“…”

“Who’s here?”

She looked into my eyes.

“That person must not… be the one who remains… cough!”

Sputtering blood, she whispered.

“May I… please ask you?”

Her desperate eyes pierced into my soul, and I could only nod.

“…Understood.”

It was all I could do for her, just to give a nod.

“…It’s okay.”

She smiled softly and extended her finger that had been on her lips to gently stroke my cheek.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Her hand, which had been endlessly caressing my face, began to lose strength.

A calm smile hung on her face.

“I, tried so hard.”

“…You’ve done well.”

“Hehe…”

Like a child, the Branch Chief smiled and looked up at the sky.

“This time… I can rest. I’ll do better next time.”

“…Please leave it to me.”

Hearing my words, the Branch Chief smiled brightly and gently caressed my face like someone longed for.

I couldn’t tell whether her gaze was directed at me or something beyond me.

“Everyone…”

“…”

“This, is my…”

She murmured and closed her eyes.

“I can, see…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence; her hand dropped to the ground.

Behind me, three people approached quietly.

“…She’s dead.”

“…I know.”

In response to Song Ah Rin’s words, I could only reply like that.

“The situation is…”

Taking a deep breath, I began to explain it to Jang Chae Yeon.

Only one person must survive for the door to open.

And the person remaining besides us.

“So, only one person must survive and return.”

After finishing my words, I looked at someone.

With black hair and an innocent expression tinged with confusion. Eventually, that confusion transformed into fear.

“I, I don’t want to.”

Yu Da On’s voice trembled in response to my gaze.

“But Jae Heon can remain.”

“Da On. You can’t…”

“I can’t, I can’t be alone. Please…!”

Desperately, she took my hands.

“I, I can’t do this alone…”

“…You won’t die.”

Blocking her words, Jang Chae Yeon spoke, causing Yu Da On’s expression to crumble.

Holding my hands, she bowed her head.

“But, still. I can’t leave Jae Heon behind…”

She shook her head repeatedly, unable to finish her sentence.

“…”

Silence was the only thing left in the room.