CH 175

In the centre of the library, where red books were scattered, Elahah slowly opened his eyes that had been closed while floating in the air. Elohim, who was sitting next to him and reading the red book, quickly noticed that Elahah had paused his recording and opened his mouth. 

“What do you think?” 

“It’s okay now.” 

Elahah, who answered in a drowsy voice, looked at the open book floating in front of him. The book, which hadn’t yet to be coloured, was half filled with open pages. 

“I don’t know the end yet.” 

“Cheon Sa-yeon, what about that child?” 

“He’s got some anticipation, just like us… It’s the first time he’s gone through this kind of thing, he looks anxious.” 

“Um…” 

“El.” 

Elahah hesitated, then he cautiously opened his mouth. 

“If the end of this clash is dangerous…” 

“Then we must find a way to overcome it. Even at any cost.” 

Elohim answered firmly, closed the book he was looking at, and got up. 

“Don’t worry too much and keep watching. I will go see Se-hyun.” 

“…alright.” 

Elahah sighed as if he had no choice but to close his eyes again. At the same time, the page began to write on its own. 

Elohim looked at him for a moment, then turned his back. 

Piii. 

“Um?” 

As soon as the heavy library door opened, something soft tapped his ankle. One of the white children looked up at him and wept bitterly.

“Oh, my. What’s happen?” 

When asked affectionately, this time he bit the hem of his trousers with his teeth and pulled it with a whimper. For a moment, Elohim was puzzled by an action he had never seen before, but soon understood his intention and stretched out his hand. 

“Yeah. Let’s go see him, Fox.” 

Elohim, who was holding the child with the name Kwon Se-hyun gave, made a hasty step toward the first room of the temple. 

Squeak, a dark room was revealed through the crack in the open door. He could see Han Yi-gyeol panting as he crouched slightly on the large bed. 

“Se-hyun-ah.” 

Elohim took one step closer to the bedside and touched Han Yi-gyeol’s cold sweaty forehead with a soft hand. Fox, who had escaped from his arms and came down onto the bed, also rattled its tail and let out a small cry. 

“Huu… gasp…” 

As long as Han Yi-gyeol was still wandering in his dream, he couldn’t hear Elohim’s call and twisted his body with a frown on his forehead. Beneath his disheveled hair, cold sweat exposed pale cheeks and nape of the neck. 

Elohim gazed sadly at Han Yi-gyeol, who was gasping, crushed by the painful dream, but didn’t wake him up. 

The dream that came with the power of candy couldn’t be ended prematurely, no matter how hard it was. If he forced himself to wake him up because he was worried, he could have mental problems. 

Elohim continued to caress Han Yi-gyeol’s face as if cheering him on and silently stayed by his side. There was a thick shadow fell on him as he stood with his back to the light leaking through the half-open door. 

Han Yi-gyeol, who had been wandering in his dream while clutching the blanket with his strong hands, only woke up after a while. 

The eyes that looked through the slowly raised eyelids were very blurry. The tears that had been hanging from the corners of his eyes in accordance with the blinking action flowed down his temples. 

“Se-hyun-ah.” 

“……” 

Han Yi-gyeol’s head, who had only looked at the ceiling and lost in the quiet call, slowly turned to the side. And, 

“Ugh…!” 

Han Yi-gyeol, who found Elohim, was startled and slapped his hand roughly. 

He retreated to the back of the bed as if the opponent in front of him was about to kill him, he glared at Elohim with a wary face. Surprised by the sudden action, Fox raised his tail up. 

“……” 

Looking down at his rejected hand for a moment, Elohim slowly took a step back and waited quietly for Han Yi-gyeol to calm down. 

“Ah…” 

Fortunately, Han Yi-gyeol, who quickly regained his composure, looked around the room and realized that his dream was over. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. 

“El.” 

“Yes.” 

Han Yi-gyeol licked his lips and apologized in a guilty voice. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t do that on purpose…” 

“Don’t worry about it.” 

Han Yi-gyeol hesitated at the gesture to come closer. At that sight, Elohim’s golden eye shone brightly. 

“You are worrying about useless things.” 

Hearing his thoughts, Elohim grabbed the thin ankle with one hand and pulled it strongly. Ugh, with a short scream, Han Yi-gyeol, who had been dragged along with his body, raised his upper body slightly with a bewildered face. 

“Can I be offended if you sweat a little?” (땀을 좀 흘렸다고 내가 불쾌할 리가 있겠니)

“Still…” 

“It’s okay.” 

Obviously, his body was a little darker than usual. Elohim leaned over on the soft bed and leaned his face close to Han Yi-gyeol’s neck. Han Yi-gyeol narrowed his shoulders as his long silver hair brushed against his ears and the nape of his neck. 

“How many times is this?” 

“It was the seventh.” 

“Did you have a difficult dream?” 

“…no, just… a little…” 

As long as he didn’t admit that he was having a hard time, this time around, Han Yi-gyeol just pretended again. 

Elohim closed his eyes. Through the darkness, the thoughts that Han Yi-gyeol was thinking appeared briefly. He was deeply depressed, facing the past he never wanted to recall in a dream. 

A blood-stained knife lying on the yellow slate floor, someone’s shouting, a snake with its teeth exposed in the dark. Fragile images emerged and disappeared. Even after waking up, Han Yi-gyeol was still trapped inside. 

After looking at him for a while, Elohim opened his eyes and placed his hand on Han Yi-gyeol’s chest. Thump, thump, he could feel his heart beating rapidly. 

“El?” 

“You will have to keep dreaming from now on, but it seems very difficult.” 

“There’s nothing I can do.” 

“Hold on a little longer. However, after filling it up seven times, the energy has definitely grown.” 

“Is that so?” 

Because of Elohim’s actions as he spoke with his lips pressed to his ear, he felt his breath clearly. At that tickling sensation, Han Yi-gyeol grabbed the blanket and slightly turned to the other side. 

Even though he knew it clearly, Elohim continued to explain it without caring. 

“I don’t know how many more dreams will come during the remaining period, but at this speed, it’s not bad.” 

“Yeah…” 

“I’m telling you because you seem worried, Se-hyun-ah. There is no need to be impatience because your dreams come slowly.” 

Han Yi-gyeol lowered his long eyebrows and nodded his head. Only then did Elohim, who raised his upper body again, asked with a soft smile. 

“Looking at the condition, I don’t think you can sleep more this way.” 

“Probably so.” 

The place where Elohim was was occupied by Fox who quickly approached. Fox with its front paws propped up on Han Yi-gyeol’s stomach, which was half-lying, fluttered its rich tail. 

“How about having a drink?” 

Han Yi-gyeol, who had been awkwardly stroking its ears and neck whether Fox liked it or not, gave a slightly startled expression. 

“Do you have any alcohol?” 

“Of course. There’s nothing but red wine.” 

Red wine. At that word, Han Yi-gyeol thought as he swallowed his dry saliva. 

‘It’s good, but if you drink a lot, you can get drunk again…’ 

Han Yi-gyeol, who drank a lot and forcibly suppressed the desire to sleep soundly, glanced at Elohim’s eyes and answered. 

“If it’s just one cup…” 

“Okay. I’ll prepare it for you, so wash up and go out.” 

Finally, Elohim, who touched his cheek, left the room. Han Yi-gyeol, who was left alone, took a deep breath while holding Fox, who was still standing with his stomach as a pedestal. 

Piik! 

Fox in his arms for the first time bit his hand softly as if to let it go. He approached first and hit him. Han Yi-gyeol was dumbfounded but meekly let Fox go. 

* * *

Four days had passed since the clear team entered the gate of the newly appeared D45 Area. Around the entrance, some broadcasting station officials and Roheon Guild staff were waiting for the clear team who didn’t know when they would come out. 

Kim Ji-ho (김지호), who had been wandering around the safety line that had been put on in case of any doubt, yawned with a bored expression. 

He was an employee of Roheon management department and he stood by the clear team to take over the recording papers written by the measuring ability throughout the gate process. 

“Do you want to drink coffee?” 

Of course, he couldn’t wait 24 hours on his own, so he took three shifts with the staff of the same department. 

At an early hour when the darkness of dawn had receded and the sun was just rising, Kim Ji-ho took the paper cup that an employee handed out from the tent after waking up. The smell of the coffee mix coming up with the hot steam was intense. 

“But I’ll sleep in 30 minutes, would it be okay for me to drink coffee?” 

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You have to drink this to survive the remaining 30 minutes. If you lean your head right now, I think you will fall asleep right away.” 

“You’re exaggerating.” 

The staff laughed lightly at what he said while waving his hand. Someone came into Kim Ji-ho’s view, who was carefully drinking hot coffee. 

“……?” 

A tall man with a black hat and a deep jumper hat draped over it was walking towards the gate staggeringly. Kim Ji-ho, who was caught off guard by that uneasy walk, stared at the man for a while and then tapped the arm of his colleague who was standing next to him. 

“Hey. Do you see that man over there?” 

“Huh?” 

“No matter how you look at it, doesn’t he look like a normal person? I think you drank alcohol.” 

Only then did the employee who turned around and saw the same place as Kim Ji-ho, scratching his beard around his mouth. 

“Well. To me, what is that, it looks like a person from the broadcasting station. The N channel guys are coming today. Isn’t there PD?” 

“Is it?” 

“Yeah. He wears it like that every day. Haigo, he’s gloomy. Just don’t mind him.” 

While Kim Ji-ho and the staff were chatting, the man walked nonstop and reached the safety line before they knew it. Kim Ji-ho, looking at the opponent again from a close distance, noticed that the skin exposed under the hat was almost grey.

Tick, ​​tock. 

Not only that, but a strange sound was also heard. What? Clock’s seconds sound? 

“You must not come here!”

The bodyguards who found the man belatedly approached him quickly. Kim Ji-ho, feeling something strange, took a step back without realizing it. 

“Please leave now.” 

“Take it out!” 

The guard grabbed his arm at the man’s action as he slowly opened his mouth, not backing down despite the warning. It was then. 

Beep, beep, beep. 

A sharp warning sound rang out and a pure white light leaked from the man’s mouth, which was strangely wide. Kim Ji-ho, who reflexively raised his arms to cover his face, was shoved by the hot energy and strong shock. 

Kwaaang—! 

With the sound of an explosion that shook the ground, everyone near the man was thrown out in shock and the fire spread rapidly. The front of the gate turned into chaos in an instant due to the blood and screams of those engulfed in the explosion.