Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

I didn’t get far before I was faced with a wall over 5 meters high. That’s when I finally understood why Tae Jae-heon had let me roam free without any restraints. This place was far more expansive and remote than I’d imagined. 

 

The wall seemed endless, and beyond it lay a dense forest. Surveillance cameras and guards were stationed all over, making it hard to move around freely.

 

“What even is this place?”

 

It was a scale that couldn’t have been built overnight. Even I, who had spent over a decade at Nox, had never seen this place before. I turned right to avoid the guards approaching from the distance.

 

With an area this vast, finding Cloud seemed almost impossible. I started to wonder if it might actually be better to just ask Tae Jae-heon to give Cloud back. 

 

But as I trudged past similar-looking buildings with an exasperated expression, I noticed the number of people around me dwindling. Eventually, I reached the end of the asphalt road, where a rusty barbed wire fence appeared, as if it had been there for decades. Beyond the fence stood several red brick buildings, their age apparent. A sign hung on the gate between them.

 

“No unauthorized entry?”

 

I glanced back and forth between the two areas divided by the fence. The stark contrast in atmosphere made it impossible to just walk past. I pushed open the gate and stepped beyond the fence.

 

Though old, the area was surprisingly well-maintained. Following the clean pathway, I spotted a man sweeping the yard in the distance. I approached and tapped him on the back.

 

“Where is this?”

 

“I’m almost done! Just a bit more sweeping, and the yard will— Huh?”

 

The man, flustered and seemingly mistaking me for someone else, began stammering as he turned around. As soon as he saw me, his eyes widened, and he blinked dumbly, his mouth slowly falling open. He pointed a trembling finger at me, shouting in disbelief.

 

“You—you’re…! Kang Eui-jin?”

 

“Yeah, it’s me, Kang Eui-jin.”

 

I was used to people reacting with shock upon seeing me, so I didn’t think much of it. I nodded casually, intending to get straight to the point, but the man waved his hands and stepped closer.

 

“No, that’s not it! Don’t you remember me? It’s me, Chang-shik! Han Chang-shik!”

 

“…We know each other?”

 

All of my relationships were formed within Nox. But I’d never seen anyone named Han Chang-shik there… Wait. Something tugged at the back of my memory, making me furrow my brows.

 

Seeing my expression, Chang-shik seemed to take it as frustration, clutching his chest as if the sheer disbelief would give him a heart attack.

 

“Ah, come on!

Beta Room

! Han Chang-shik! We were in the orphanage—next room over! Don’t you remember?”

 

“Orphanage?”

 

My face turned pale, and I instinctively took a step back. Of all things, I hadn’t expected my childhood memories to surface in a situation like this. Those memories weren’t welcome. They weren’t just unpleasant—they were deeply unsettling.

 

Seeing Han Chang-shik repeatedly thumping his chest with enthusiasm, a faint image of a lanky kid from the past began to overlap with the grown man in front of me. Before I realized it, I muttered under my breath.

 

“Skinny little twig?”

 

“Yeah! You remember me! Wow… I never thought I’d hear that nickname again.”

 

“What the hell did you eat all this time—no, wait. Why are

you

here? This place is Nox…”

 

My mouth fell open in shock, but I quickly snapped it shut. Of course, Han Chang-shik must know. He had to know what had happened—that my actions had led to the deaths of our friends.

 

A sudden wave of fear and guilt made me instinctively take another step back. Yet, Han Chang-shik’s reaction wasn’t what I had expected at all.

 

“What do you mean, why am I here, idiot? I work here, obviously.”

 

He motioned toward the building behind him with his chin, and I caught sight of an old, weathered sign that read

Wolyeong Orphanage

. I stared at him in disbelief.

 

“This place is… an orphanage?”

 

While I stood there, stunned by this completely unexpected revelation, Han Chang-shik grabbed my arm and cheerfully pulled me inside the building. With an easygoing grin, he started pointing things out, explaining with unabashed pride.

 

“This is the dining hall now. Over here used to be the playroom. Oh, and this? This used to be the dorm.”

 

The structure and layout of the building were unmistakably familiar. It was undeniably the orphanage where I had spent my childhood.

 

“How about now? Does seeing it bring back memories? Do you remember that time you got into that big brawl with Gamma Room in front of the incinerator?”

 

“…I never thought this place would still be here. And I definitely didn’t think you’d still be here.”

 

“Heh, well, all the Awakened ones moved to the new wing, and I was the only one left in the old wing, so I just stuck around.”

 

“The

new wing

? What’s that?”

 

Hearing something unfamiliar, I asked with a puzzled expression. Han Chang-shik gave my arm a light smack, looking at me like I was the strange one.

 

“You were the first to head to the new wing, remember? Kang Eui-jin.”

 

“What are you even talking about…”

 

“The new wing. Where the Awakened kids go.”

 

I had so many questions, but before I could dig deeper, an alarm blared from beyond the iron fence, signaling an assembly. It forced me to cut the visit short and leave the orphanage in a hurry. For now, I didn’t want Tae Jae-heon to know that I’d been here—or that I’d met Chang-shik.

 

“Han Chang-shik, stay here until I get back.”

 

“Where would I even go? I live here. You can come find me anytime.”

 

“I’ll be back tomorrow, so wait for me! And if you tell anyone you saw me, you’re dead.”

 

“Haha, got it, got it. Go on, already!”

 

“I’m serious. Dead serious.”

 

It was a warning, meant for Tae Jae-heon’s ears, but Han Chang-shik took it as a joke. He grinned and pretended to bow his head to the ground, boasting about how tight-lipped he was.

 

***

 

I walked with a scowl on my face, eyes fixed straight ahead. My head was so filled with thoughts that I had no room to notice the stares around me or the CCTV cameras.

 

“…The orphanage.”

 

Han Chang-shik didn’t know that the deaths of our friends were my fault. No, more than that, he still believed they were alive. He thought they were out there somewhere, working as hunters for Nox by now.

 

“Please… please save Seonjae. I’ll do whatever you say from now on. I’ll make all the potions you need, just don’t—”

“I told you, didn’t I? If you successfully make the antidote, you won’t die. But… it seems you’ve failed again.”

 

The crushing weight of guilt pressed down on my chest.

 

Lost in thought, I hadn’t noticed a shadow falling over me until I looked up. There, standing in front of me, was the secretary, his face barely concealing his irritation.

 

“What do

you

want?”

 

“Don’t tell me you were actually thinking of running away.”

 

“What nonsense—”

 

As I responded, my eyes caught sight of the massive steel gate and the towering wall behind him. Only then did I realize I had walked, absent-mindedly, all the way to the entrance.

 

“I’ll be reporting this directly to the Guild Master.”

 

“It was a mistake.”

 

“That’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard. Shouldn’t you at least

acknowledge

you’re a traitor to Nox by now?”

 

The entrance was heavily guarded by high-ranking hunters. And the reinforcements arriving from all sides were clearly all Awakened as well.

 

‘So escaping through the main gate is out of the question.’

 

I peeked beyond the slightly open gate and caught a glimpse of a wide road. On both sides, the trees grew thick, forming a dense forest.

 

Of course. Judging by the orphanage’s location, I can guess roughly where we are now. Still, I never thought the area around the orphanage would have changed so much…

 

“What’s the deal with Tae Jeheon’s family estate? Why did he come here? What about Nox headquarters?”

 

“That’s not something you need to know.”

 

Realizing that I wasn’t paying attention to him, the secretary’s face flushed with frustration. He barked orders to the hulking guards standing behind me.

 

“Take him back to his room!”

 

In the end, I was dragged back to the room, my arms held firmly by the guards.

 

“Please relax until the Guild Master arrives.”

 

“How am I supposed to relax when this is so uncomfortable? I’m not running away. I just wanted to look around!”

 

“We’ll bring you your dinner.”

 

The door slammed shut with a loud

bang

. The situation was even worse than before. The door was locked, and Baldy was now standing there like a watchdog, glaring daggers at me.

 

He seemed utterly betrayed by the fact that I had tricked him earlier. His piercing glare made it clear he wouldn’t miss even the slightest movement or breath I took.

 

“Hey.”

 

“I’m staying within 5 meters to guard you. I won’t leave.”

 

“Fine, do what you want. But sit down while you’re at it. Your staring is making me uncomfortable.”

 

He gestured toward the sofa on one side of the room before walking over to the window. Perhaps he had been briefed by Tae Jeheon, as the window was open, but three guards were stationed below, keeping watch.

‘How am I going to get out tomorrow…?’

I was lost in thought, trying to figure out how to move those guards when the dinner cart arrived. It had been a while since I had skipped a meal, but strangely, I wasn’t hungry. I mean, who could eat in a situation like this? It wouldn’t even be human to do so.

Not even glancing at the food, Baldy stepped up behind me and spoke.

 

“Dinner is here.”

 

“I’m not eating.”

 

“The Guild Master specifically ordered that you eat.”

 

“So what? You eat it yourself.”

 

He hesitated for a while, looking awkward, but eventually, realizing I wasn’t going to eat, he pushed the cart back toward the door.

 

I ignored him and rested my chin on the window frame, staring blankly at the sky.

 

The thought of returning to Nox alone was suffocating. On top of the already unbearable situation, the two planets hanging in the sky seemed to press down on me. This was all because I had lost my constellation.

“

Damn it…

”

 

I risked my life when I ran from Tae Jae-heon. Now, what do I have to risk to escape?

 

***

 

When I woke up to the sensation of someone stroking my hair, I found Tae Jae-heon next to me. The moment I met his dark, piercing eyes, it felt as if I had returned to the past, to a time before I betrayed him. It felt like the events of the last few months were just a long dream.

 

‘If this were a dream, it would be nice. Damn it.’

 

Tae Jae-heon, still staring at me, didn’t stop his hand from moving. Slowly, he spoke.

 

“You’re not going to sleep anymore?”

 

“I was going to, but you woke me up.”

 

Despite his stroking, which seemed to shift rhythmically depending on his mood, I had been ignoring it and had managed to sleep well. But now, whether it was because of Joo Ho-hyun’s body or simply because it had been so long, I couldn’t sleep at all.

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