From what was once called a mansion, but now resembled something else entirely, a pitch-black beam erupted from its massive maw.
It shot out like fire, leaving burns on the gaping mouth as it expelled flames beneath it—much like a flamethrower ejecting bursts of fire.
In the blink of an eye, the black fire that spewed out dispersed and greedily consumed the bodies of those fleeing, their forms scattering like soldiers in retreat.
Though others were spared due to the dispersal, the sight of people being warped by some crimson force brought an indescribable horror to those already trembling with fear of the unknown.
“K-rrh, K-aa, Kheek….”
The humans touched by the crimson fire did not burn like they would in an ordinary blaze—in fact, being consumed by this fire seemed far worse. The transformation, as their forms twisted and lost all traces of humanity, was far too grotesque to watch.
Crunch, crunch, creak.
With a final scream, the man’s body snapped like a sugarcane stick, his frame bending grotesquely, rendering it unrecognizable as human.
And there was no one left to judge or comprehend what had happened, so the man’s transformation into something unrecognizable was quickly forgotten.
…If they couldn’t escape this, they’d meet the same fate anyway, and so remembering the fallen was an ambiguous luxury.
After all, someone had to live to remember.
Amidst the chaotic retreat, some still maintained composure. Among them were the group that had been observing the mansion from afar while others launched attacks—Hwang Bo-yul and her companions.
As she looked upon the “breath” being discharged, Hwang Bo-yul muttered solemnly, “Something seems off.”
“…You’re right.”
The man standing next to her also wore a serious expression. Though deploying Lime had seemed logical, there was evidently a problem—it even seemed like the situation had worsened since deployment.
But then again, there was no brilliant plan to counter it either.
Even after taking several hits, the monstrous thing had remained intact. Bringing in larger, more destructive weapons seemed equally futile.
Perhaps pulverizing the enormous entity in one fell swoop might work, but the mansion’s sheer size made it impossible to implement.
…Moreover, using something that destructive wouldn’t just ruin the area—it would obliterate it, with consequences spiraling out of control. Even under normal circumstances, hiding such devastation might have been possible, but now? Amidst the chaos, it seemed highly unlikely.
That’s why they had deployed Lime, after all. The situation had deteriorated to the point where the existence of the Singularity might need to be revealed publicly—as some groups had speculated. While the phenomenon on the Korean Peninsula had been contained with the help of Lime and the Foundation, the situation was escalating elsewhere.
Some occurrences—like the Horsemen or the Loch Ness Monster—had been disguised as long-standing myths, but deeper investigation revealed them to be Singularities.
‘…Should we consider ourselves lucky it didn’t start with us?’
…Or, perhaps if the Singularity inside the beast’s belly had chosen us, it would’ve been our turn.
The man sighed at the grim prospects. Though they were cornered, his sigh felt premature.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette he’d told others he’d quit. Hwang Bo-yul glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.
“You quit, didn’t you?”
“When should I smoke if not now?”
“…You haven’t quit, have you?”
“No, no. This is truly for stress relief—on serious matters, I really quit.”
With that flimsy excuse, he lit it and took a deep drag, his cheeks slightly hollowing as he inhaled. Exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, he spoke quietly.
“You’d better head back while you can. I have to…”
…deal with what I must.
Seeing the determination in the man’s eyes, Hwang Bo-yul’s expression shifted sharply. His gaze held a weighty decision—an acceptance of leaping into the inferno.
Realizing the location of the ground beneath her feet, she grew pale and her voice rose.
“You can’t possibly…”
“See? You’re too perceptive for your own good. Cough, cough!”
Pretending to emphasize his recent abstinence, the man coughed. Perhaps it was an attempt to distract her, but it did nothing to soften her rigid expression.
Acknowledging this, the man gave a bitter laugh, crushed the cigarette underfoot, and continued more earnestly.
“You’ve guessed the gist, so there’s no need for explanations. You should head back. And on your way, please inform our side.”
“I already know, don’t I? Besides, if it’s truly as I suspect—”
“There’s no need to say it aloud.”
The man cut her off, staring deeply into her eyes. Despite his efforts to dissuade her, the stubborn look on Hwang Bo-yul’s face was unmistakable. Giving up, she shook her head and spoke again.
“I’ll stay close. I trust Lime inside.”
“…Do you.”
It was clear that Hwang Bo-yul would not listen, so the man, sensing the lack of time, quickly abandoned any attempts to persuade her.
‘She’s as obstinate as ever…’
As he mused, he fished through his coat and retrieved a large cylindrical object. It was a signal flare designed to redirect the creature’s movement. Given its retaliation after the mansion’s transformation into some strange beast that fired crimson beams, this strategy seemed feasible.
His plan was simple:
If they couldn’t stop it, and the revealing of the Singularity to the world was inevitable,
‘…does it have to be here?’
He aimed to guide the beast across the sea. Though the feasibility of this was uncertain, wouldn’t trying be better than doing nothing? He could only hope the creature would follow.
If, as Hwang Bo-yul had guessed, Lime was still holding out inside, perhaps this would make even more sense.
This thought gave him a faint glimmer of hope. After all, this was the one who had captivated the sharp and perceptive woman so completely—what if it was truly possible?
Thinking this, the man felt encouraged and began to run, his fit frame moving quickly despite his age.
While optimism was fine, it was always prudent to prepare for the worst.
Leaving behind the troubled Hwang Bo-yul, he sprinted toward his planned direction.
Reaching the area still under assault by crimson beams, he aimed and fired a signal flare at the beast.
Whiiiiiiing! The shrill sound echoed as a red flash blazed before the creature, resembling fireworks exploding in its face.
“Please work…please…”
With another fervent prayer, the man fired another flare.
His wish seemed to come true. The beast, which had been targeting others, now turned sharply toward the man. As its gaze met his, he could feel the chilling unknown that paralyzed his breath.
Suppressing his fear, the man fired another flare straight at its monstrous face.
With a sharp Whiiiiing sound, the beast’s face was shrouded in flashes of light. Now, it fully turned its enormous bulk toward him.
Moments later, unfurling enormous wings, the beast surged forward with unnatural speed.
The man, momentarily elated that the plan was working, nearly froze in panic as the beast rapidly closed the distance.
Realizing he didn’t know the beast’s parameters of movement and knowing the importance of distance, he spat and ran.
There was a saying about joining your opponent when you can’t win. He thought this was selfish, but it was the best course of action.
Was this patriotism? Who could say?
Maybe the beast would take a liking to the sea and retreat into its depths.
Regrettably, the man’s grandiose plan faltered as the creature swiftly caught up. Even if he flailed and ran, how could he outrun something much larger than a house?
With one hop, the creature could close the distance.
Stopping as the shadowy bulk loomed above him, he accepted the futility of continued escape.
“Haa… haa…”
If only I’d quit sooner…
But who knows.
Breathing heavily, the man tilted his sweat-drenched face upward at the looming beast. It yawned widely, as if bored, while gathering the same light that had warped the others earlier.
Watching closely, the man swallowed hard. Knowing full well it was pointless, he nonetheless fired his flare into the beast’s gaping maw, a desperate move that might fool wild beasts.
He merely hoped the creature would charge at him in anger.
The flare’s flash illuminated the beast’s dark throat. Anticipating nothing, the man observed with calm eyes.
Yet something…
…strange happened.
The man stared in disbelief.
Was it actually working?
He was dumbfounded.
What unfolded before him was truly incomprehensible.
