HIF 8

Please Believe Me

A moment of silence filled the room.

Three pairs of eyes were fixed on the person who had collapsed weakly into a seat with a pale face.

Park Yul urgently checked the fallen person’s breathing, and Min Joo-hyuk carefully laid him on the bed.

Raen jumped up and stood frozen, silently taking in the scene. Even though the red light of the sunset filled the room, the fallen person’s face looked alienly pale.

“His breathing is okay. Thankfully, it seems he just fell asleep.”

“Still, I’m worried, Park Yul. He looked a bit unwell from the first time I saw him…”

Park Yul’s calm voice and Min Joo-hyuk’s slightly trembling voice could be heard. Raen couldn’t say anything.

He was confused. Everything had happened so suddenly. Where did it go wrong? Why? He couldn’t even tell.

Raen slowly replayed the events so far in his head.

◇

It was the time when the sunset was painting the sky red.

I had finished the investigation with Song Ha-gyun and Teleported back to Ledeo. The thick scent of flowers spreading in all directions stung the tip of my nose.

This time, we had gone to one of the distorted places. Places like a forest where it was always night because the sun never rose, or a desert where it never stopped raining.

“Ha-gyun, we only recognized that those places were distorted after we made the Hero’s Oath.”

“…Yeah.”

“There must be a reason, but why can’t we find any clues?”

“…I don’t know. Still, we have to keep looking.”

Except for the Heroes of this era, no one recognized that those places were strange. But even with repeated investigations, what we could find out was limited.

Lost in thought, I moved my feet. It was quick to pass through the garden and reach the front of the building.

“Are you going straight to the lab?”

“…Yeah.”

“Your last injury hasn’t fully healed yet, has it? Ha-gyun, aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”

“I’m fine. …Raen. What about you?”

“I have some data to look up in the library.”

“…Okay. I’ll go then.”

Song Ha-gyun nodded and immediately disappeared inside the building. Staring blankly at the empty space, I suddenly thought of the person who was said to be newly arriving. I bit my lip tightly.

‘Seon Yi-han, was it? He must be here by now.’

It hadn’t been long. Hearing the news that a new person would suddenly join us, I felt anxious.

Why now? For what purpose? Even this forced joining was unprecedented. I didn’t welcome the idea of another variable in a situation where everything was uncertain.

So, I thought I should meet Seon Yi-han before going to the library. I needed to know what kind of person Seon Yi-han was and why he had come.

‘I heard he’s sharing a room with Song Ha-gyun.’

I quickly moved my feet inside the building. The Robe I had deeply pressed down on swayed slightly in the blowing wind.

◇

“Raen! You’re here?”

As soon as I entered Song Ha-gyun’s room, I heard Min Joo-hyuk’s voice welcoming me.

And the person sitting leaning against the bed came into view. He was entrusting his body as if buried in a fluffy pillow, with a white blanket covering his knees.

He was all white. The loose clothes he was wearing, and his skin, which was so transparent that it looked pale.

The red sunset poured into the room. In it, clear blue eyes, as cold as ice, were quietly shining. His gaze was directed straight at me.

‘What is that?’

It was Mana of the same color as those eyes. Vividly blue Mana was swirling around him like a whirlwind. In the room where the sunset light was falling red, only that person was shining blue.

“Raen, hello. I’m Seon Yi-han.”

Seon Yi-han introduced himself in a trembling voice. Seon Yi-han’s slender Adam’s apple fluttered. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. From the blue light that was threateningly tightening around that area.

Mana is visible so clearly? Moreover, I had never seen Mana in this form before.

The entire thin-looking body was wrapped in faintly shining Mana. It was ambiguous whether it was inside the body or outside. It seemed to be hanging halfway in between.

‘But how?’

Seon Yi-han said he had lived in the temple. Those who live in the temple have no Mana. So, there was no way Seon Yi-han would have Mana.

Is it Divine Power? No. I couldn’t feel anything even from the High Priest. All I’ve ever sensed is Mana. So, that must be Mana. It’s just a form I’ve never seen before.

But even in that form, is there nothing wrong right now? Faced with the unfamiliar sight before me, I hurriedly opened my mouth. At that moment, Leader cut me off firmly.

“Stop, Raen.”

Leader was always the one who made the right choices. Unlike me. So, it was right to follow Leader’s words.

But not now. This wasn’t something to be easily dismissed. The undulating blue light was wrapped around his delicate neck as if strangling it. I fixed my uneasy gaze there.

I was the only one here who could see Mana. Usually, it’s natural not to be able to see Mana. But I have a high Mana sensitivity, so I sometimes see the flow of Mana.

So, I couldn’t just let this go. I had to find out what the situation was. The moment I faced Leader and opened my mouth,

“…Please.”

A small voice, as if it would disappear, rang out quietly. It sounded somehow desperate, and my head turned quickly in that direction.

Seon Yi-han had his head slightly lowered. The vivid blue light had already faded dimly.

“Yi-han-ah?”

Leader carefully placed his hand on Seon Yi-han’s back. Then, he stroked his dry back as if to soothe him and called his name again.

“Yi-han-ah, calm down.”

The light that had enveloped Seon Yi-han completely disappeared. Only then could I properly see Seon Yi-han’s appearance.

The sunset coming in through the window was pouring down on Seon Yi-han as if pressing down on him. Underneath it, his pale face looked somehow burdened.

His downward gaze was shaking finely. The hand holding the blanket tightly didn’t seem to have much strength, but it seemed to be trembling.

Seon Yi-han, who had taken a sharp breath, opened his mouth urgently.

His voice was unstable and fragmented between his rapid breaths, as if he was in a hurry but couldn’t speak well. His fingertips were turning white. The sight of him looked somehow desperately fragile.

Leader and Min Joo-hyuk next to him spoke calmly, but he didn’t seem to hear anything.

Small beads of sweat flowed down Seon Yi-han’s slender, white neck. Seon Yi-han, who had been catching his breath, slowly raised his head. Then, he opened his mouth in a tearful, choked voice.

“…Please believe me.”

The end of that gaze was directed at me.

It was a deeply sunken gaze. My heart sank for some reason.

His eyes, which seemed somehow out of place, seemed to be rummaging through distant memories. They seemed to contain deep despair. As if it was over. As if it couldn’t get any better.

“Hey, Seon Yi-han.”

Min Joo-hyuk called Seon Yi-han’s name and sat on the bed. Seon Yi-han’s body gradually tilted with the weight shifting to the side. Min Joo-hyuk hurriedly grabbed his shoulder and firmly supported him.

His eyes, which had been shining blue as if detached from the rest of the red-stained room, were slowly closing. Those eyes captured my image until the very end.

Seon Yi-han’s last words, desperately uttered, were to believe him, but his gaze was close to resignation.

Seon Yi-han, who had been gasping for breath, closed his eyes completely as if he no longer wanted anything. His long eyelashes gently fell.

I snapped back to my senses. The thought process that had briefly stopped quickly resumed. Without thinking further, I burst out of the room.

‘I can’t use Summoning magic right in front of him.’

I couldn’t be sure if what I had seen on Seon Yi-han was normal Mana. I closed the door and hurriedly used Summoning magic. The voice chanting the magic trembled.

I snatched the small paper bag that floated in the air and violently reopened the door.

I unfolded the paper bag and held it to Seon Yi-han’s pale lips. Seon Yi-han matched his shaking eyes to mine. He had a very bewildered expression, as if he hadn’t imagined it.

Even though it was natural to get help if he was in bad condition.

And perhaps, I might have been the one who caused it. No, it was probably right. Was the problem that I spoke in a rash, accusatory tone? Or did I touch a trauma?

Of course, that wasn’t my intention. I just, simply wanted to ask. But what my intention was didn’t matter. What mattered was how my words were heard.

I bit my lip tightly. Should I have asked later, as Leader said?

Seon Yi-han’s eyes seemed slightly wet. His round eyes, widened in surprise, seemed as if he hadn’t expected anything. The tips of his fingers seemed to be turning cold.

“Huk, haa…. Heu….”

Seon Yi-han slowly inhaled and exhaled. The paper bag in his hand repeatedly swelled and deflated.

Leader gently stroked Seon Yi-han’s back, helping him to catch his breath. Min Joo-hyuk firmly held Seon Yi-han’s shoulders, supporting his weakly staggering body.

Seon Yi-han’s breathing gradually stabilized. His finely trembling body also calmed down.

“Ah.”

At that moment, Seon Yi-han’s eyes widened as he let out a short exclamation.

And then, he collapsed.

◇

“Raen.”

I heard Leader’s voice calling me as if to soothe me. My mind, which had been lost in thought for a long time, returned to reality.

Seon Yi-han was lying down, covered as if buried in a large blanket. He was quietly exhaling even breaths.

“It seems Yi-han is a bit more stable now. But…”

“I’m sorry. I was too hasty, Leader.”

I couldn’t say anything. It was my fault. It was something that could have been asked later, as Leader said, but I had asked the question first because I was in a hurry.

“It’s not something you need to apologize to me for.”

Leader looked at me calmly, as if telling me to apologize properly when Seon Yi-han woke up. Of course, that was what I was planning to do. Of course, being forgiven was another matter.

I didn’t want to start the relationship off on the wrong foot. Listening to him earlier, it seemed that Seon Yi-han didn’t know much about that Mana-like thing either… Did something happen at the temple because of that?

When I nodded firmly with a dark expression, Leader relaxed the atmosphere and smiled gently. And he slowly continued.

“So, Raen. What did you see?”

My body trembled for a moment. A red light briefly flashed in Leader’s eyes.