Chapter 33
Chapter 33
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Experiment Subject Record. (6)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Siwoo carefully scooped Lee Chae-yi into his arms.
His ribs were broken, but he didn't let any pain show on his face.
Instead, he held her with the utmost care, making sure her frail body wouldn't be harmed and that his shattered bones wouldn't shift out of place.
It was a delicate touch, as if he were handling a fragile glass doll.
And the very first thought that crossed Siwoo's mind as he lifted her was how light she was.
That was when it happened.
Kurrr rumble—
The entire building screamed in agony.
The floor shook violently, pipes in the ceiling burst open, and scalding steam sprayed out.
It was no ordinary vibration.
The twisting of the building's framework rang out like it was tearing his eardrums apart.
'Up above.'
Siwoo's blue eyes turned toward the ceiling.
Boom! Kaboom!
A chain of explosions echoed from the floor above.
The vibrations traveled down the walls and vibrated through his soles.
"No way."
A sigh escaped Siwoo's lips.
Cracks like spiderwebs began to spider across the thick concrete ceiling.
Collapse had begun; massive chunks were moments away from raining down like a storm.
'Is there an escape route?'
The floors above were surely filled with rubble by now, and it was doubtful the elevator would function.
What should he do?
Get buried like this, or find another way?
There was no way out of here.
At least not by normal means.
Odds of survival. Chance of making it.
'Choi Min-seok.'
Ironically, he had Choi Min-seok.
The shield wall created by his magic power could withstand the weight of the collapsing building, if only for a moment.
If he could just buy that sliver of time.
'It's possible.'
Siwoo readjusted his hold on Lee Chae-yi, as if he'd made up his mind.
Strength surged into his arms.
"Hold on tight."
'I'll break through.'
Without hesitation, he kicked off the floor.
He sprinted at full speed toward the end of the corridor where Choi Min-seok was.
Dust clouds poured down like a waterfall behind his back as he ran, the collapsing ceiling hot on his heels.
Lee Chae-yi buried her face in Siwoo's chest.
The sound of his heartbeat rang clearly in her ears.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
So fast.
Unlike the calm image of him she'd seen on TV, his heart was pounding like mad.
Was it because his brain and heart were overloaded from dodging falling debris and calculating the optimal path?
In this dire situation, as Siwoo pushed his body to the limit for survival, blood surged through his muscles in a physiological response.
His heart was pumping furiously, doing its utmost.
But Lee Chae-yi's thoughts were different.
She lifted her head to gaze at Siwoo's jawline.
His tightly clenched lips, sweat beading on his forehead, and the deep furrow between his brows.
It was clearly a dire crisis.
Yet.
'He's trembling...'
Her eyes shook.
'Even in a situation like this... he won't abandon me.'
His heart was racing like this.
The pounding from the man holding her and charging through this dangerous inferno sounded like a cry directed at her.
He could have ditched someone like her and fled alone.
But he didn't.
Instead, he held her even tighter.
Careful not to break her, yet refusing to let go no matter what.
'For me...'
Her misconception seeped into her heart.
Even the brief moment Siwoo paused to assess the situation felt like careful consideration to get her out safely.
Thump, thump, thump.
His rapid heartbeat transferred to Lee Chae-yi's chest.
Her heart, frozen with fear, began to heat up with an entirely different kind of fervor.
It was love.
Blind love for her savior.
Siwoo kicked off the railing and hurled his body into the air.
Evasive from the debris, straight toward where Choi Min-seok was.
Into the vast open space of the high ceiling, the two plummeted—no, soared.
In that fleeting instant.
The world in Lee Chae-yi's eyes flipped upside down.
Time seemed to stop.
Or at least, in her senses, it did.
Whoosh—
Fierce wind tousled her hair.
The moment Siwoo's body hung in midair, flames and debris from the explosion above cascaded down like a waterfall.
Crimson inferno enveloped them.
But in Lee Chae-yi's eyes, it wasn't the flames of hell.
'Ahh...'
A landscape that might be hell to some.
A sight that could spell the end of life for others.
To her, it looked like an entirely different world.
'Beautiful.'
Red embers fluttering as they burned.
Those scattering sparks were spring cherry blossoms.
Pink petals adorned the air, dancing on the wind.
Crash!
Ceiling lights shattered, glass shards raining down.
It was like a starry galaxy in the night sky.
Twinkling star-dust blessing their fall, sparkling as it fragmented.
Gray dust clouds became mystical mist enveloping them, and crumbling concrete turned to a shower of flower petals.
Reality was hellish chaos in a collapsing building, but her love-struck brain reframed it all as paradise.
The world was red, sparkling, dazzling. Enough to bring tears.
'I want him...'
Amid that dreamlike flower storm, Lee Chae-yi looked up at Siwoo.
Like a movie scene, time crawled.
His gaze was fixed downward.
Even his noticeably furrowed face was too perfect.
The world crumbling.
Heaven and earth splitting.
His unshakable form gave Lee Chae-yi conviction.
'This man won't abandon me.'
Never. No matter what, he'll protect me.
The moment that certainty hit, the suppressed desire in her chest erupted.
Simple admiration?
Survival instinct?
No, this was probably her personal greed.
'I want to be with this man... more.'
I don't want to die.
I never want to leave this warm embrace.
I want to keep hearing his heartbeat.
In that momentary suspension defying gravity.
Her heart thrashed not with fear, but bursting excitement.
Memories flashed like a montage.
'I'm an Awakened too...'
[Don't you feel wronged?]
'Save me... please...'
'Kill me... just kill me...'
Miserable past.
Days staggering, yearning to be chosen.
Agonizing hours screaming like a beast on the experiment table.
"If only... I'd been chosen by him too."
The salvation she'd craved so desperately was right here.
She looked at Siwoo before her eyes again.
"Han Siwoo..."
Siwoo cradled her head against his chest.
To shield her from the impact of the fall.
Everything touched her heart.
'I want to live with this man.'
Her heart pounded wildly.
Blood boiled in her veins.
That heat forged into fierce resolve.
I hate just receiving.
I hate just being protected.
I especially hate being a burden.
'He can't get hurt because of me.'
'I don't want to be baggage.'
'I want to protect him.'
Me too. Me too. I want to be useful to him too.
The torrent of emotion awakened something dormant deep within.
An unknown power source etched deep inside vibrated.
The throbbing that began in her chest rose to her throat.
Her broken vocal cords began to resonate.
Beyond her gaze, a massive shadow loomed over Siwoo's back.
A house-sized concrete slab from the ceiling, wreathed in flames, hurtled toward him.
Siwoo didn't see it, focused on landing.
Below, Choi Min-seok was suppressing Red, but too far away.
This way, Siwoo would get hurt.
Because he was shielding her.
Protecting her meant he'd take the hit instead.
'No.'
Instinct screamed warning.
And instinctively, she knew.
What she had to do.
Just before Siwoo's feet touched down, her gripping his clothes.
Her knuckles turned white.
Her face turned toward the falling debris over his shoulder.
Her throat burned hot.
Lee Chae-yi wrapped her arms around Siwoo's neck, burying her face near his ear.
Then twisted her head toward the obstacles and opened her mouth.
Her damaged vocal cords regenerated as purple magic condensed in her throat.
Her eyes dyed violet.
"Disappear."
Kwaaaaaah—!!!
A blinding white sonic wave burst from Lee Chae-yi's throat.
The instant her voice reached it, the massive concrete slab shattered midair.
Not physical impact—sound waves decomposed the matter.
Flames were pushed back, debris pulverized to dust.
Like cherry blossoms in full bloom.
A beautiful, deadly re-awakening.
⚠️ SYSTEM WARNING ⚠️ [Target's potential has broken through the critical point.] [Target temporarily unleashes their potential.] A red system window appeared before Siwoo's eyes.
He looked down at Lee Chae-yi in his arms with startled eyes.
She was breathing raggedly, gazing up at him.
As the heavens parted, the two faced each other.