#22 Farewell
When Suo Haozhu opened her eyes again, she was alone.
Suo Haozhu pushed herself up and brushed the dirt from her knees. She walked slowly forward.
In the middle of the dusty, abandoned warehouse stood the man she had desperately searched for. Bound to a chair, his blood-soaked body showed no sign of movement.
Papa's body, slumped in the chair, had gone completely cold.
Suo Haozhu carefully lifted his face with both hands. Seeing his pallid features drained of all color, she let tears fall in heavy drops.
"Papa...."
He was a bastard, but he was the only one who had ever taken care of her. A bad man, but still. He was still the only papa Suo Haozhu had ever known.
Suo Haozhu pulled him onto her lap and hugged him tight.
She didn't care that his blood soaked into her clothes, or that the chill of his corpse sent shivers down her spine.
She whispered into his cold ear.
"Does it hurt?"
There was no reply, but Suo Haozhu kept talking to him.
"I know you were no good, Papa. I know you were just using me."
How could she not know?
The more she did as he asked, the smaller Suo Haozhu herself became, while the monster of the Red Sand Society grew larger.
"But you were still precious to me. You saved my life, Papa. You were the only one who ever said I was needed."
No one else had ever told Suo Haozhu she was needed.
The villagers had called her a witch for her strange powers—a girl who deserved to die—and nearly beaten her to death. Papa was the one who saved her. He gave her his family name and called her his daughter.
And he whispered that she was needed.
Unlike everyone else in the world, only Papa had ever said she was needed.
"Papa, that person probably didn't need me either. They must have hated me for being a monster."
Suo Haozhu whispered to him.
What the hell? They killed Papa and just left. Why? Why kill Papa and leave me here?
"It would have been better if they'd killed me too. Or... or...."
An image flashed in her mind, and Suo Haozhu's lips trembled.
If instead of abandoning her like this, that person had reached out a hand to her.
Maybe she would have taken it.
Suo Haozhu pressed a hand to her aching heart.
She had been a fool.
To trust that person.
He was cruel.
He made her look forward to tomorrow, made her want to remember it.
Then gave her the cruelest tomorrow of all.
Papa was gone from Suo Haozhu's tomorrow. That man was gone too. Nothing was left.
No—there was one thing.
"Papa."
Suo Haozhu slowly opened her mouth.
"Do you want revenge?"
Again, no answer—but she felt like she knew it anyway.
The Papa she knew would never forgive the one who did this to him.
He'd want her to hunt that bastard down and make him suffer just like this.
"Me too."
Suo Haozhu felt the same. She wanted revenge on that man who abandoned her like this. She wanted to shatter him, hurt him, take and bury everything he held dear.
You turned my tomorrow into hell—did you think yours could be happy?
"Got it. I'll make it happen. Since he killed you, Papa, he has to die too. That's right, isn't it? That's justice."
To go after them, she couldn't lose her memories. She had to hold onto them.
"I'll find him. No matter what."
Wherever he was, whatever he was doing. She'd track him down.
And make him pay for today.
[I'll be waiting.]
"Yeah. Wait for me."
Now, revenge against that man was all that remained in Suo Haozhu's tomorrow.
That night, another god spoke to her.
Would you trade today's memories for a deal?
Suo Haozhu shook her head firmly. She couldn't forget—not now that memories she absolutely had to keep had been born.
With the Red Sand Society business fully resolved, we decided to head back to Korea. Our ride: a ship.
Han Seohyun's face went pale as a ghost when he heard. He begged me,
"Can't you really just knock me out?"
"Hmm. For the whole three days?"
"Yes."
At Han Seohyun's plea, I called over Kim Jaeho.
Han Seohyun's face lit up with a smile as Kim Jaeho's fist sent him tumbling backward.
And so, three days passed.
We made it safely to Korean soil and went straight to find Baek Dosan.
"Beyond expectations."
I shrugged at Baek Dosan's words.
"I keep my promises."
"Good. Where should I send the kids?"
"There's a ranch in New Zealand."
I gave Baek Dosan the details. He stared at me in surprise after my long explanation, then nodded.
"Someone there will take proper care of them, right?"
"Yes."
"Prep will take about three days. Stay at the place we've set up in the meantime."
Three days.
Not short, not long.
Time enough to prepare our farewell to the kids.
Before that, I called Kim Jaeho over.
"You wanna go too?"
He tilted his head at my question.
"Where?"
"New Zealand."
I hurriedly added,
"With the kids."
They were just like Kim Jaeho. They'd understand him better than anyone and could become his family.
"Why ask?"
"Stay here, and you're stuck with us forever. Might not be able to back out later. Once you're tied to Beltsmets, that is."
Keeping Kim Jaeho with me was selfish. If there was a better place for him, sending him there made sense.
Kim Jaeho asked,
"Why spare that girl?"
"Huh?"
"Her. Coulda killed her."
The unexpected question made me blink. Han Seohyun, sure—but Kim Jaeho?
As I blinked, unsure what to say, Kim Jaeho spoke.
"I like it here."
Answering before I could even reply. I narrowed my eyes.
"For real? You could be way happier with them."
"Fun here."
"Way more dangerous. Could die."
Kim Jaeho just nodded eagerly, like a kid. My conscience pricked. Was it really okay to let him choose this?
Still, he wasn't going. That was a relief for me.
"Tell me if you change your mind."
Three days left before sending the kids off.
While we were in China, the kids had been staying in a two-story house Baek Dosan arranged.
They'd calmed down a lot in just a few days.
"Uncle!"
"Waaah!"
The kids clung to us, refusing to let go. Even Number One, who seemed so composed. Honestly, I hadn't expected him to be so affectionate.
Maybe they sensed our farewell drawing near.
"You guys get along okay with those uncles?"
"Yeah. Except the food sucked."
"Not as good as mine, huh?"
"No, yours was yummy."
Lies. I had zero cooking talent. But hearing it anyway didn't feel bad.
"Can you tell us what you were doing?"
The kids crowded around me like I was about to read a fairy tale. I cleared my throat.
"Not that exciting."
Han Seohyun yelled at me with a fed-up look.
"You made an enemy! That girl punches me in my dreams every night."
"Girl? Punching?"
"Hey, don't say weird stuff to the kids—get inside quick!"
I clamped Han Seohyun's mouth shut. He glared as he headed back in. Number One, sitting beside me, asked,
"Where are we going? You can at least tell us that."
"New Zealand. Great place. And a really good person will take care of you there."
"Might not be."
"Hm."
Number One's worry was valid. Kids who'd been captured and experimented on.
"Don't stress. If they're bad, we'll come rescue you."
I meant it.
I wasn't planning to forget them completely after sending them off.
I'd check in now and then to make sure they were okay.
"Ideally, you'd forget us and just live happily. Better for your lives."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Tch."
True. Hard to fully forget the ones who pulled you from hell. But we were villains from here on. The fonder they were of us, the worse for them.
Sensing what I was getting at, Number One said firmly,
"Don't even think of saying we're the bad guys. What matters is you didn't treat me bad."
He added,
"Know what those people said? They said they were doing it for the world."
The world needed more Awakeners, so this was for the greater good. Bullshit like that, while torturing kids.
So the kids realized.
The good and evil the world preached didn't matter.
"We're too young to join you. Don't wanna be a burden."
Number One scowled in frustration. I didn't know what to say, so I just patted his shoulder.
"So don't forget us. Never forget. We'll come find you when we're grown."
More people wanting to track me down later. Should I be glad... or scared?
Time flew. Kim Jaeho shook his head at my final question. He was staying with me.
And farewell arrived.
I waved as the ship carrying the kids sailed into the distance.
Be happy.
They'd lived such hard lives—I prayed from the heart that ship would bring them greater happiness.
On a hill overlooking vast green plains stood a beautiful house built of blue bricks.
Blending perfectly with the scenery, like something out of a fairy tale. Inside lived a man called the white angel.
With every hair on his body snow-white, he prayed to God as always. He'd attended seminary before awakening, and even after, he lived devoutly.
Even to a silent God, every day.
As he prayed, a voice called from behind.
"Dominic! Come here."
Following the man's call, Dominic found about ten children lined up. He tilted his head at the sight.
"Oh my."
Who knew where they'd come from. What surprised him was the mana emanating from every one.
Dominic knelt to examine them. The kids, looking somewhat sullen, eyed him up and down.
"Why were these children brought here?"
"No idea. Someone just dropped them off and ran."
"Anyone who can explain?"
Silence at Dominic's question. No English speakers? As he wondered,
A boy with glowing green pupils caught his eye.
Did he read my mind?
Another might have been startled or scared by the ability, but not Dominic.
What a precious gift.
Dominic extended a hand to the boy.
Will you tell me how you got here?
Dominic burst out laughing at the boy's boldness.
"No helping it. This must be God's will."
And so, the man who would later be called the "Savior" took in the ten children.