Ah
Ohjin looked at Ha-euns back gradually becoming more distant.
No.
His two arms pressed on the ground.
Chewing his lips, he gathered all of his remaining strength into his arms.
However
Thud!
Kugh!
The two arms helplessly gave up.
Blood started to drip out of his nose after his face slammed onto the ground.
Dont go
Ohjin sorrowfully stretched out his hand to Ha-euns back.
Next, he tried to get up by putting strength into his legs, but it seemed like his Achilles tendon was ruptured, as he couldnt feel any strength entering his legs.
You mustnt go.
He recalled his memories from six years ago.
The way she shivered from the unfamiliar darkness on the hospital bed He couldnt let himself abandon her inside of that horrendous darkness once again.
Ohjin.
Ha-eun bit her lips as she slightly turned her head around to look at Ohjin. With the Dragon Bead placed close to her left eye, she continued.
Ill call people from the Association to take Ohjin away. Giving my eyes comes after that.
Hmm. But how can I trust that the only thing the Association members will do is take him away?
I can call them after we leave this place. If you still cant trust me, why dont you just give up on the Dragon Eye?
Ha-eun waved the Dragon Bead dangerously right in front of her eye. If it strayed even 1cm off, the Dragon Eye would burn and disappear.
Cheon Doyoon was able to realize that she wasnt bluffing without much difficulty.
Holholhol. What a confident child. You are very much to my liking.
His wrinkly mouth tilted up as he nodded his head.
Very well. Call the Association to take away the Lightning Wolf after we leave this place.
Alrigh
Bang!
Cutting off Ha-euns words, a dull sound rang out in the empty lot.
Dont be fucking ridiculous.
Ohjin?
Stagger
His shaking legs stepped on the floor. However, his body powerlessly fell to the ground moments later.
Blood leaked out of his cut wounds and soaked the dry dirt ground.
Oh-Ohjin!
Ha-eun quickly approached Ohjin.
Due to how ruthlessly he was cut, his clothes were drenched in so much blood you couldnt even recognize their original color.
Y-You son of a bitch!
She gave Cheon Doyoon a sharp look and chewed her lips, but she couldnt let herself get blinded by the rage and attack him.
Ha-eun
Ohjins muttering voice could be heard.
Ha-eun closed her eyes tight and got back on her feet.
Holholhol! Such a touching sight! Just what kind of existence is this child to you to make you so desperate?
Cheon Doyoon looked down at Ohjin with ridicule filling his eyes.
Ohjin barely held on to his fading consciousness and thought about Cheon Doyoons question.
What kind of existence is Ha-eun to me?
Argh, uh.
Crawl, crawl
He wretchedly crawled to Cheon Doyoon.
It was a dreadful and pathetic sight
Huff! Huff! Huff!
but it didnt matter.
No matter how dreadful or pathetic he was
Even if people pointed fingers at him for having no parents
Even if he was beaten up for no reason
If he had her
He could endure it. He could withstand it.
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He could take another step forward.
Because, to him, she was the first thing that
Ah, uh, ah.
He dragged his unmoving legs across the ground and crawled over to Ha-eun, who was standing still.
* * *
* * *
Was it because he had lost too much blood? Memories so old and faded that he didnt know when they took place anymore suddenly crossed his mind.
-Youre the new kid, right?
A young girl with maroon hair.
The girl who was basically the leader of the orphanage children extended her hand to him with a bright smile.
-Your name is Ohjin? What does it mean?
She confirmed the words written on his name tag with her poor Hanja skills.
The name he hated to death.
-Ohjin()? No way, doesnt this mean dirty dust?
Thats right.
He didnt even know how his parents looked, and all they had left him was the name Ohjin, which meant dirty dust.
It was a name that couldnt be more dreadful and cursed that explained what his parents thought of him.
-So what?
Thinking about it now, that stupid, insignificant name wasnt even that important, but he had replied like it was a sensitive topic for no reason.
-No, theres no specific reason why I asked you I was just curious because you never talk.
-You dont need to make an effort to pay attention to me.
As he coldly turned around, the girl scratched her head with a perplexed look and continued.
-Uh um. Ohjin no, since it seems that you dont really like that name
While she was lost in thought, her eyes suddenly shone as she clapped her hands.
-Little bro! Yeah, Ill call you little bro!
-
His chest palpitated from it for an unknown reason.
-So why are you up here? Are you also avoiding that damn director bastard?
-Thats
They were on the rooftop of the orphanage that consisted of four floors. The entrance was supposed to be shut tight, but it was left open for a couple of months due to the directors carelessness.
-
He didnt go there to avoid the director.
Unlike the girl that always stood up to the director, he was quiet. All that happened to him was getting slapped on the head now and then when he was unlucky.
Despite that, there was a reason why he secretly went up to the rooftop while enduring the risk of getting scolded.
-Its because this is my secret hideout.
After finding out that the rooftop wasnt locked by accident, he had started to decorate that place as a secret hideout that was only meant for him.
Though it was a shabby hideout made out of only disposed cardboard boxes and wood planks
For the boy who had nothing
For the boy who didnt have any parents, relatives, and not even friends
That place was the very first thing he could call his.
-Kyahaha! What kind of secret hideout is this?
-
The young girl exploded out in laughter as she clutched her belly.
He couldnt do anything but lower his head to hide his reddened cheeks.
Thats right
Even though he said it was his secret hideout, he knew the truth.
The truth that the rooftop wasnt truly his.
The truth that not a single thing in the world belonged to him.
He was at a young age where most couldnt memorize the multiplication table properly, but that was the one thing he was certain of.
-Hehe. Im just kidding. Hmm, so this is your secret hideout?
-N-No.
-But didnt you say it was before?
The girl smiled playfully and approached him, her hair swaying like flames. Her appearance was beautiful to the point that it put him in a daze and caused him to unconsciously gulp.
-Lets see if its a secret hideout, you wont let just anyone in, right?
-Y-Yeah.
He avoided the girls gaze and clenched his fists.
Even even if mom and dad come, I wont ever let them in.
Was it just the childish vindictiveness of a child? Even if his parents came looking for him one day, he vowed that the last thing he would do was let them into his secret hideout.
-Really?
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The girl smiled bitterly while looking at him speaking with his fists clenched.
Thats right
The girl and the boy already knew
They realized it before they had even memorized the multiplication table
The fact that by no means would their parents come back to look for them.
-Then what about big sis?
-Huh?
-Will you let me in?
The girl asked as she put on a pretty smile that was like gems.
-Big sis?
-Since Im two years older than you!
-
-I can do what your mom and dad arent allowed to do, right?
-Uh? Y-Yeah.
After hearing the reply that came in the heat of the moment, she took a big step into the shabby hideout.
At that moment, she took a step into his worthless life
-Hehe. Since Ive come in, you need to think of me as your big sis forever, alright?
The girl smiled brightly.
Thinking about it now, the words she said probably had no special meaningthey were probably just words she had said playfully in the flow of the moment.
In fact, she probably didnt even remember she said those words in the past.
However did she know that single line that childish brief joke would be the biggest salvation that came to him?
S-Stop it, Ohjin!!
Huff, huff, huff.
Exhaling breath mixed with blood, he pressed against the ground with his trembling arms.
Ah, ugh.
Ohjins body screamed as it exceeded its limit.
It creaked, twisted, and cried out that it shouldnt be moved anymore.
-Ring!
[Warning. Your body has been harmed to the extent that it cannot maintain mana.]
[Your mana is going out of control.]
[Entering the Overload state!]
[Entering the Unstable state!]
Shut up.
He didnt care if his body broke down.
He didnt care if his body was destroyed.
If he could stand up this one time, he didnt care if he couldnt stand up ever again.
Please.
He slammed his fist down at his shaking legs.
Please move.
For the first time in his life, someone he wanted had appeared.
For the last time in his life, someone he wanted to protect appeared.
In his life that was dark like a starless night, she was the only thing that shone.
Ohjin?
Looking at Ha-eun, who was looking at him with shaking eyes
Bang!!!
Uaaaaahh!!!
he got up as he roared out.
He firmly stepped on the ground and straightened his back.
Huff! Huff!
Exhaling out ragged breaths, he took a step forward in her direction.
Even though he staggered and stumbled, he didnt fall.
Ohjin why? Why wont you give up?
Why wont I give up?
Was that something a woman who was trying to pull out their eyes to save anothers life should say?
You entered someone elses secret hideout as you pleased so youre not allowed to go out now.
What? Wh-What are you talking about?
Did she forget about it?
Well, it doesnt matter. Even if she did forget I still remember.
Holholhol!! To think that youd get up in that state!
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Cheon Doyoons ridicule-mixed voice could be heard.
However what changes now that youve gotten up?
Things wouldnt change easily.
The thing about the matters of the world was that, even if you endured, it wouldnt be resolved on its own. Even if he did manage to get back on his feet, the gap between him and Cheon Doyoon still remained distant.
However.
There was a method he had thought up.
Im certain that bastard said that the Dragon Eye is used to control the mana contained within the Dragons Heart.
In that case, there was a possibility that the Dragon Eye had the power to control not only the mana inside the Dragons Heart but also the mana of the dragon vein.
Whatever happens from now on, dont ever move.
Wh-What are you planning to do?
I dont have time to explain.
Ohjin carefully put his hand next to her left eye.
Rumble
The black clouds that flowed out of the tip of his fingers gently covered her left eye.
Kyaaa! Wh-What is this?!
Stay still.
Controlling the Black Heaven meticulously so that she wouldnt get hurt, he absorbed a tiny bit of the Dragon Eyes power.
And then
Owoooong!!!
the dragon veins mana that had quietly coiled itself within the black clouds slowly raised its neck.
-Ring!
[You have achieved part of the conditions needed to unlock Heaven Unfolding.]
With the sound of clear bells ringing in his head, a line of text appeared in front of his eyes.
[ ]
The unidentifiable letters were the ones written in the explanation of Heaven Unfolding.
Ohjin raised his head and looked at the letters.
He didnt know why, but it felt like the meaning of the unidentifiable letters was flowing into his head.
Slowly opening his mouth, he recited the chant that flowed into his head.
Through me, you pass into the garden of lament.
With the chant that rang out ominously
Ah.
the sky opened.
Crack!! Crackleeee!!
The blue lightning that wrapped around Ohjins body gradually lost its color and faded black.
The blood that wet the ground turned into black clouds and was sucked back into Ohjins body.
As if he had drunk an elixir, the cut wounds all around his body quickly disappeared.
Wh-What?
Cheon Doyoons body flinched as he looked at the blazing black lightning.
An unidentifiable, ominous feeling pressed down on his body.
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
His teeth shivered noisily.
Not even being confronted by a North Star had caused him to feel that much immeasurable fear.
What is this
Cheon Doyoon looked at Ohjin with an expression of fear.
Crack! Crackle!!
With his entire body wrapped in black lightning, Ohjin looked up at the sky with hazy eyes.
For some unknown reason, despite being able to feel the bright sunlight burning his skin, the sky he looked up to couldnt be any darker.
The sky is too dark.
Looking up at the blue sky without a single speck of clouds, he asked with a somewhat rapturous voice.
Isnt that so?
T/N:
Through me you pass into the garden of lament. is a reference to the Italian narrative poem The Divine Comedy (Divina Commedia), Inferno. (And the garden of lament is probably from Lost Ark)
Through me you pass into the city of woe:
Through me you pass into eternal pain:
Through me among the people lost for aye.
Justice the founder of my fabric moved:
To rear me was the task of Power divine,
Supremest Wisdom, and primeval Love.
Before me things create were none, save things
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Eternal, and eternal I endure.
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.