noveldrama
Chapter 221
Chapter 221
*Run away? Who's running?*
"You are."
*Don't talk nonsense.*
"Then why can't you remember?"
*I don't know.*
"Saying 'I don't know' solves everything for you, huh? Convenient."
……
"Try to remember… that might be the only way to save that person you care so much about—J."
The black shadow moved closer. It was much larger than Sayoung, and in its presence, Sayoung felt smaller and smaller. His once-clear vision blurred and distorted. Pain, long forgotten, resurfaced. Sayoung groaned and lowered his head. His hand, resting on the floor, was grotesquely mangled and twisted. No sound would come out of his mouth. Even the brief moments of breath were painful. The shadow touched Sayoung’s head, which was wracked with pain.
"I'll help you."
……
The voice lazily whispered, almost mocking.
"Retracing memories is a hobby of mine…."
---
Cha Uijae and Yun Gaeul had quickly come to an agreement. Uijae decided to stick with his name, while they would explain that he changed his last name to Yun. After all, it's not unusual to find non-blood-related families after the Day of Change. As Uijae muttered to himself, rehearsing the story they’d concocted, he suddenly looked up.
“By the way, Gaeul, do you have your phone?”
“Oh, no… they took it.”
Gaeul answered dejectedly.
“They confiscated anything that could communicate.”
“I see….”
Uijae glanced at the smartwatch on his wrist. It would be nice if Yang Hyejin realized something was wrong and tracked them down. At that moment, the vehicle engine stopped, and the vibrations ceased. Footsteps approached the container.
The lock clicked, and the doors opened, flooding the container with light. Uijae and Gaeul squinted against the sudden brightness. Two heavily armed men stepped inside, striding directly toward Uijae, guns pointed at him.
“Wait! Hold on!” Gaeul quickly moved in front of Uijae, shielding him with her body and glaring at the men.
“He’s my brother. If you treat him roughly, I won’t cooperate.”
“What? Hey, miss…”
The shorter of the two men scoffed in disbelief.
“Do you even know where you are right now? Do you think you’re in charge here?”
“You brought me here because you want to hear something from me, right? You said someone important wants to meet me.”
"……."
“Touch him, and I won’t say a word. When your boss asks why I’m staying silent, I’ll tell them it’s because of you.”
The shorter man exchanged glances with the taller one behind him. The man at the back lowered his gun.
“…But I’m still going to have to bind him. We’re just civilians, and he’s an Awakener. This is for safety. We can’t compromise on this.”
Gaeul turned to look at Uijae, who gave her a slight nod with a blank expression. It wasn’t a big deal; he could easily break the restraints if necessary. Gaeul nodded in agreement as well.
“…Alright.”
“Alright, hold out your hands.”
The shorter man grumbled as he approached and cuffed Uijae's wrists. The cuffs were thicker and heavier than standard police ones, much like those used by the Awakener Management Bureau.
If they were indeed the same model, that was actually good news. Uijae could break them with his strength. However, the man wasn’t done. He pulled out another restraint—this one attached to a short, thick chain. Gaeul, watching closely, intervened.
“Wait, what’s that?”
“It’s a safety device. Like I said, it’s necessary.”
“How is that a safety device? There’s no need for something like that!”
“We’re not negotiating.”
“Yun Gaeul.”
"……."
“It’s fine.”
Uijae motioned with his eyes to Gaeul, signaling her to back off. There was no need for her to make enemies out of these men. After all, apart from being an Awakener, she was just a regular high school student—not someone trained to handle violence. And no matter how strong the restraint was, it would never be stronger than Uijae's grip. Gaeul bit her lip and lowered her head.
The man made a discontented sound, *hmph*, and strode over, gesturing with his finger.
“Lift your head.”
Uijae raised his head. Rough hands grabbed his neck and fastened a metal collar around it. The moment it clicked into place, something sharp dug into his skin from the inside, though it didn’t pierce the flesh.
‘So they’ve designed it to dig into the skin if necessary…’
The collar tightened around his throat, making it difficult to breathe. Uijae winced and reached for his neck. The man sneered, a threatening edge to his voice.
“Don’t even think about trying anything. We can blow it up at any time.”
"……."
“For your sister’s sake, it’s best if you behave. Got it?”
Uijae nodded silently. The man then pulled out a black cloth.
“Both of you are wearing this. If you don’t want to, I’ll blow your eyes out. You can still talk without eyes, right?”
"……."
“If you understand, nod.”
Gaeul glanced nervously at Uijae. Uijae nodded again. The man roughly tied the black cloth over Uijae’s eyes, securing it tightly. They were going through an awful lot of trouble. The man grabbed the chain attached to Uijae’s collar and yanked him to his feet. In the distance, Gaeul let out a small squeal. The man must have noticed Uijae tensing up and mocked him.
“You sure do worry about your sister. Don’t worry, I’m just helping her walk since she looks a bit shaky.”
"……."
“Walk straight! Don’t stagger.”
Another man kicked Uijae in the back. Should he balance or should he fall? Two choices ran through Uijae’s mind before he quickly made a decision. The best option here was to fall.
*Thud!* Uijae collapsed onto the ground, face-first into the dirt. The dry scent of dust filled his nostrils. Without missing a beat, he grabbed a handful of the ground beneath him—rough dirt, sand, and small stones scratched against his palm.
‘…A mountain? An open field? Maybe a construction site?’
Just then, a scream rang out from behind him.
“AAAH! F*ck!”
“What’s going on?”
“M-my foot… it’s broken, f*ck! What the hell is this guy made of, a rock?!”
‘Serves you right for kicking someone like that.’
He had it coming. Uijae ignored the man’s cries and shifted his gaze beneath the black cloth. Thankfully, faint light filtered through the fabric. They were outdoors… Were there trees? They hadn’t traveled far, it seemed.
"AAAHHH!"
The man who had kicked Uijae kept screaming. The other man clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“Damn it, you idiot. How many times have I told you not to attack Awakeners?”
“F*ck! We should just kill them! These freaks aren’t even human!”
“Shut up. Hey! Get this guy to the medical team.”
A couple of footsteps brushed past Uijae. The other man grabbed the chain around Uijae’s neck and tugged again. They were really treating him like a dog. Uijae staggered to his feet. Something cold and round pressed against his back.
“Keep walking straight.”
"……."
The rough texture of sand and gravel underfoot gradually gave way to smooth cement. The smell of sand was replaced by the pungent scents of disinfectant and bleach.
It seemed like a large space, as voices echoed from far away. Phrases like *Management Bureau movements… J… the Rankers…* could be heard, though the details were too far to make out clearly. Uijae wanted to listen more carefully, but the gun prodding into his back made it impossible to stop.
After walking for what felt like a long time, a chime sounded, and the doors slid open. The man behind him jabbed Uijae in the back with the muzzle of his gun.
“Take three steps forward and stop.”
"……."
An elevator? He heard a button beep. *Thud*, the doors closed. The elevator moved. It seemed to be descending. After what felt like an extended period, the man jerked the chain around Uijae’s neck.
“Follow me.”
‘Yeah, yeah.’
Uijae scowled, surveying his surroundings despite the blindfold. The lights were bright enough that he could make out a vague outline of the area through the black cloth. White floors, white walls, white coats—people moved about busily. And there were metal cages everywhere. Behind the bars…
*Rattle rattle rattle!*
Someone was furiously shaking the bars of a cage, growling like a beast. A person in a white coat sighed loudly, as if annoyed.
*Did someone forget to administer the sedatives? Was it you? It’s acting up again.*
*What should we do?*
*What do you mean? Isolate it and pump it full of drugs. Knock it out…*
The door handle turned. *Creak*—the door opened, and the man grabbed Uijae’s collar, dragging him inside. The man muttered.
“Don’t try anything funny.”
It’s time to speak up. Uijae blinked under the blindfold and looked around. In front of him was a rectangular room with iron bars. Beyond the bars, there was nothing visible. Perhaps there was a one-way mirror installed?
“What about my brother?” Uijae asked.
“He’ll meet the leader.”
“Will he be returned safely?”
“If the conversation goes well.”
“And how long do we have to stay like this?”
“Until your brother finishes his chat.”
The man suddenly grabbed Uijae’s head and slammed it against the wall so hard that the back of his head banged against it. Then, with a *click*, the man connected the chain to the wall and removed the blindfold.