Chapter 344
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 344
Chapter Title: Hope in the Darkness
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“Ian. Let’s report this as soon as we get out.”
“Yeah. I’ll help, too.”
“I’ll be a witness.”
“If you don’t have a place to stay, you can come to my house.”
Ian Weaver giggled.
He was on Raymond Wish’s back, and Lee Hyunwoo, his face having regained a bit of color, walked beside them. Due to the injury on his leg, Hyunwoo couldn’t carry Ian himself.
“It’s a relief, if you can call it that.”
“I agree.”
Cynthia Lindberg and Jackson Miller, walking behind them, whispered with relieved expressions.
Perhaps because of Ian Weaver’s story, the tense atmosphere had subsided. It wasn’t a pleasant tale, but the fact that everyone had found a new will to live made the two of them feel much lighter.
Raymond Wish glanced at the boy walking beside him. A little color was beginning to return to his pale face. Lee Hyunwoo clutched the hem of Ian Weaver’s clothes like a lifeline.
“It’ll be okay.”
“...Pardon?”
“The building is sturdy, so it probably didn’t all collapse. They’re probably hiding somewhere safe, just like us. If they were near the south gate, they might have been the first to be rescued.”
At Raymond Wish’s words of comfort, Lee Hyunwoo clenched his jaw. Tears welled in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away.
“...Your family too, sir.”
“Yeah.”
Both knew how slim the chances were, but they chose to believe it anyway.
They decided to just do what they could right now.
“Tell me if it gets hard. I’ll turn on my phone’s flashlight for you.”
“I’m okay. We need to save the battery.”
Answering in a slightly trembling voice, Lee Hyunwoo fixed his gaze on the bright spot illuminated by Raymond Wish’s light.
* * *
The dark path twisted and turned.
To head north, the survivors wandered through various places. They hesitated at forks in the road and turned back from dead ends. The theater was dark, and with the audience’s eyes fixed on the screen, it felt as though they too were drifting through the ruins below.
How long had they been walking?
*Vrooom.*
The still-unfamiliar sound of a vibration was heard. The survivors flinched and reflexively looked up.
“Do they still have bombs left to detonate...?”
Raymond Wish listened intently.
Front, back, left, right, below, above.
There wasn't a single direction they could afford to ignore.
“I think it’s behind us.”
“Let’s move forward.”
Jackson Miller carried Ian Weaver, while Lee Hyunwoo walked with Cynthia Lindberg.
Raymond Wish moved cautiously, keeping an eye on their surroundings.
It was then.
As if something had been dislodged, the debris began to collapse like a row of dominoes.
It happened in an instant.
*Craaaash!*
Through the billowing dust and falling rocks, Raymond Wish saw Jackson Miller and Ian Weaver. He saw the pile of rubble about to pour down on them. His body moved on its own before he could even think.
‘I never meant for this to happen. My family is waiting for me...’
Shoved aside by something, Jackson Miller fell forward to protect Ian Weaver as best he could.
‘...You idiot.’
The vibrations subsided, and one by one, they shakily got to their feet.
The rising dust settled.
“...Mister...!”
“Raymond!”
And at the sight that was revealed, the two adults and two children sank to the ground with devastated expressions.
Raymond Wish was lying on the floor, breathing heavily, his lower body crushed beneath a pile of rubble.
“...Go.”
“Just hold on a minute. Right away, right away...”
Cynthia Lindberg fidgeted, not knowing what to do.
After handing Ian Weaver to Lee Hyunwoo, Jackson Miller quickly examined the pile of rubble. Even Jackson, trying to somehow free Raymond Wish, looked panicked.
“...W-we can move it...”
Lee Hyunwoo’s face turned deathly pale as he held the sobbing Ian Weaver with trembling hands.
It felt like a terrible nightmare.
Why?
He had just started to think they could all escape together...
He had just finally been able to talk with Raymond...
*Trickle.*
Sand fell, as if the aftershocks hadn't ended yet.
“...Jackson. Cynthia.”
The two adults, whose names Raymond Wish had called, squeezed their eyes shut and opened them again.
Tears threatened to fall at the situation that forced such a choice. The corners of Cynthia Lindberg’s eyes reddened as she took a water bottle and some food from Ian Weaver’s bag.
“I’ll leave water and food here for you.”
“...Take it with you.”
“Here! I’m leaving it! So... you have to hold on until we bring back the rescue team.”
Raymond Wish managed a small smile.
But he didn’t answer.
“...Let’s go.”
“But the mister is...!”
Unlike the two hesitant children, the adults moved quickly.
Cynthia Lindberg, with tears streaming down her face, swiftly picked up Ian Weaver, and Jackson Miller pulled Lee Hyunwoo along.
The two children’s gazes remained fixed on Raymond Wish, trapped under the rubble.
Raymond Wish closed his eyes to avoid meeting their gazes. He knew how agonizing the look in the eyes of those left behind could be.
*Trickle, thud!*
A pile of rubble cascaded down between Raymond Wish and the survivors.
“Th-the mister is...”
“Hyunwoo. Snap out of it. Let’s hurry out and get the rescue team. The faster we go, the higher the chances of saving Raymond.”
Cynthia Lindberg said, tightly hugging the silently weeping Ian Weaver. Lee Hyunwoo, his face streaked with tears, nodded with difficulty.
* * *
Cynthia Lindberg held Ian’s hand. Knowing the rear was dangerous, Jackson Miller took up the position at the very back. Lee Hyunwoo, now leading the way, hesitated.
Jackson Miller smiled gently and said.
“I can dodge faster than you with your injured leg.”
“...Okay.”
There was no time to waste like this.
Lee Hyunwoo held the compass.
North.
They had to go north.
As fast as possible.
But misfortune never comes alone.
*Kabooom!*
A bomb exploded quite close by, and Jackson Miller, who had claimed he could dodge faster than Hyunwoo, failed to avoid the cascading debris.
With the passage in front of him blocked, Lee Hyunwoo, unable to even confirm if Jackson Miller was alive, burst into tears. The person who had saved him, from the very beginning until now, had vanished.
He never even got to say thank you, thank you for saving him...
Cynthia Lindberg soothed the two crying children.
Now, she was the only one left to protect them.
“...Let’s go. We have to go. Quickly, the rescue team...”
Cynthia Lindberg swallowed her fear along with her tears.
* * *
Holding the compass, Lee Hyunwoo limped ahead. Cynthia Lindberg followed, leading Ian Weaver.
“Cynthia. There’s no way forward.”
At Hyunwoo’s words, Cynthia Lindberg sighed inwardly.
Of course.
They had been walking for a long time. They might have reached the end of the first basement level near the north gate, or the path might be completely blocked by collapsed debris.
Cynthia Lindberg chose to think positively.
“Let’s go up!”
“...Up?”
“The north side of the first basement level isn’t that big. I think we made it!”
At Cynthia Lindberg’s bright voice, Lee Hyunwoo and Ian Weaver’s faces lit up.
“Really?!”
“Can we get out? Can we save the misters?”
At Ian Weaver’s question, Cynthia Lindberg forced a smile and nodded.
“So let’s go up.”
“Okay!”
When they shone a light, they saw a hole above them.
Lee Hyunwoo slowly climbed up the rocks. The rocks weren’t stable, and he slipped a few times, but he managed to get inside the hole safely.
“Can you move?”
“Yes!”
“Then I’m sending Ian up! Grab him from above!”
Cynthia Lindberg lifted Ian Weaver up. From above, Lee Hyunwoo grabbed Ian’s arms and pulled him up. A small smile appeared on Hyunwoo’s face as hope began to bloom.
“Good job, Ian. Cynthia. You too, quick...”
Lee Hyunwoo reached out his hand. Cynthia Lindberg reached for his.
Misfortune struck suddenly.
The sound of an explosion, now infuriatingly familiar, echoed.
The pile of rubble Cynthia Lindberg had been climbing collapsed. Lee Hyunwoo and Cynthia Lindberg’s hands brushed past each other, then separated.
Cynthia Lindberg slid down.
“...It’s okay, it’s okay! Hyunwoo! Go on ahead!”
“Cynthia!”
Amidst the crumbling debris.
Cynthia Lindberg disappeared without a scream.
His vision swam, and his heart pounded in his chest.
The warmth lingering on his fingertips made him feel sick.
He couldn't save them. He failed to save them again.
Again, I’m the only one left.
Only me...
Just as Hyunwoo was about to fall into a panic again, a warm presence wrapped around him. He flinched and opened his eyes. There was a child, on the verge of tears with worry.
Not yet.
Meeting Ian Weaver’s eyes, Lee Hyunwoo bit the inside of his cheek. His heart stirred at the sight of the boy, who was scared and sad himself, yet thought of Hyunwoo first.
There was still one person left.
“Let’s go! Ian!”
Now, he was the only one left to protect this child.
“Let’s call the rescue team and come back!”
Lee Hyunwoo said in a deliberately cheerful voice.
Seeing the light return to Ian Weaver’s face, Hyunwoo finally understood how the adults had felt.
* * *
Lee Hyunwoo and Ian Weaver crawled through the passage. Protruding rebar scratched their faces, and their palms and knees were scraped. Exhausted, the two children would crawl for a bit, rest, and then move again.
“It’s blocked...”
The passage, which had been getting narrower, was now completely blocked. They tried to move the rocks, but they wouldn’t budge. To make matters worse, the light from the last phone they had went out.
Darkness.
The darkness that had devoured everyone else had come for them.
Lee Hyunwoo’s body trembled. Noticing this, Ian Weaver spoke, his breathing ragged with exhaustion.
“Hyunwoo. Are you okay?”
“...I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
Contrary to his words, Hyunwoo’s breathing grew ragged. His vision turned black. Seeing Hyunwoo trembling, Ian Weaver nestled into his arms. The narrow passage was filled with just the two of them.
Feeling the warmth, Hyunwoo instinctively hugged it close.
So much had happened, and both children were mentally and physically exhausted.
The two children found comfort in each other’s warmth and began to talk.
“...Hyunwoo. Earlier, Raymond said I could live with him when we get out of here.”
“...Yeah?”
“...You should live with us, too.”
“...Maybe I will.”
Lee Hyunwoo smiled faintly. Ian Weaver’s soft breathing gradually faded.
Song Yujeong, who had been frozen in place ever since Raymond Wish was crushed by the rubble, desperately wanted to confirm if the two on screen were still breathing. Other audience members also leaned towards the speakers, afraid they might miss the children’s breaths.
*-----!*
Just then, a sound was heard.
Lee Hyunwoo’s eyes shot open.
At the faint sound, which didn't even appear as a subtitle, Song Yujeong clasped her hands tightly.
He heard a sound.
He didn't know if it was the vibration from an explosion or a hallucination only he could hear. But Hyunwoo wanted to bring back the warmth that was fading from his arms.
He wanted to save him. This child, at least.
“...So...!”
Trying to shout, Hyunwoo choked on his parched throat.
‘No...!’
His voice wouldn't come out.
His heart sank, but he couldn't give up. Hyunwoo thought for a moment, then raised his right arm and picked up a stone slightly larger than his fist. He fumbled around in the dark.
He found a spot that seemed wide and sturdy. Holding the unconscious Ian Weaver tightly, Hyunwoo struck the spot with the stone in his hand.
*Thud!*
Once.
*Thud!*
Twice.
*Thud!*
Thrice.
His lips were dry and his throat was too raw to make a sound, so this was all he could do, but Hyunwoo didn't give up.
And so, Hyunwoo’s struggle continued.
No other sounds were heard, only the sound of the stone hitting the wall. Hyunwoo would periodically check Ian Weaver’s breathing and then strike the wall again with the stone in his right hand.
*Thud!*
Please.
*Thud!*
Someone’s here.
*Thud!*
There are people here.
*Thud!*
...Help us.
*Thud!*
...Please, save us.
Song Yujeong felt as if she could hear Hyunwoo’s cries. The sound of the stone hitting the wall was like his screams. Her vision blurred with tears. Sniffling sounds could be heard from all around. If this weren't a movie theater, she would have been wailing.
Time, which felt short yet agonizingly long for both Lee Hyunwoo on the screen and the audience outside it, passed by.
Hyunwoo’s strength seemed to be fading as the sounds grew weaker.
Just then.
*Trickle, trickle.*
Sand began to fall.
Hyunwoo’s face filled with despair. It was a learned, conditioned fear.
It’s going to collapse.
Hyunwoo dropped the stone in his right hand and hugged Ian Weaver tightly. His body trembled as he held the boy.
I’m scared.
So scared.
I’m really... so scared.
It was hard to even breathe properly.
The audience shared this conditioned fear. Every time sand or dust trickled down, walls had collapsed and people had disappeared.
As slightly larger stones fell onto the huddled Hyunwoo’s dark hair, everyone held their breath. Seeing Hyunwoo curled up and trembling in fear, it felt as though their own hearts had stopped.
It was then.
[Survivor found. Survivor found.]
A deep voice was heard.
...!!
Song Yujeong clenched her fists. If she were at home, she would have been cheering at the top of her lungs.
She could feel Im Yena moving in the seat next to her. The theater, unable to make a sound, seemed to buzz with excitement. A cheer that couldn't be voiced was palpable.
Hyunwoo, who had flinched violently, slowly raised his head at the voice. He could see something moving through his blurred vision.
He saw light.
‘Ah...’
Tears streamed down Hyunwoo’s face. A wave of relief washed over him, and he felt like he could lose consciousness at any moment.
The sounds of the rescue team moving could be heard. The sounds of them clearing away surrounding debris and securing a path filled the air. The space was filled with sound. Not the dying sound of a stone, but sounds full of life filled the theater. Tears of emotion welled up.
[Are you conscious? We’re getting you out now.]
Clinging to his fading consciousness, Hyunwoo gasped for breath as the passage widened and began to move. It was narrow, but he could move.
[You shouldn’t move right n--!]
When a small hand and arm, different from the boy’s, appeared from below him, the rescuers were momentarily speechless.
[...Two survivors! Bring another stretcher!]
One of the rescuers, seeing the small, twitching hand, came to his senses and shouted urgently, his voice trembling.
A rescuer carefully pulled the unconscious Ian Weaver out of the hole and held him. Then, Lee Hyunwoo came out.
The rescuers were at a loss for words at the sight of the two rescued children.
Under the bright sunset glow, the audience too fell silent. It was a sight they hadn't been able to see in the dark underground. The sight of Ian Weaver, with no serious injuries, and Lee Hyunwoo, covered in wounds, brought tears to their eyes.
[...Call an ambulance, quick!]
They didn't know what their relationship was, but they could feel the boy’s heart, which had tried to save the child at all costs. The rescuers’ movements became even more careful.
A rescuer standing next to the stretcher carrying Lee Hyunwoo felt a tug and turned to his side. Lee Hyunwoo, who had seemed unconscious, had faintly opened his eyes.
The rescuer smiled gently.
[The child is okay. He just fainted. We’ll take him to the hospital by ambulance right away...]
Despite his pale face, Lee Hyunwoo’s gaze was more intense than anyone’s. He moved his lips. The rescuer stopped talking, bent his knees, and leaned in.
“...D-down... below...”
A faint voice was heard.
“...There are people.”
...!
The rescuer gasped, his eyes trembling as he looked at Hyunwoo.
Hyunwoo continued with difficulty.
“I-it took about 30 minutes to crawl... Her name is Cynthia, Cynthia Lindberg...”
A parched voice was heard.
“And from there, south for 10 minutes... w-west for 5 minutes...”
As Hyunwoo continued without stopping, Song Yujeong covered her mouth.
A wave of awe washed over the audience.
“...His name is Jackson Miller.”
...Truly, one could only feel reverence for this boy.
The rescuer took a deep breath and gestured. Someone quickly turned on a recorder. The rescue team became busy.
“And,”
Hyunwoo closed his eyes, took a ragged breath, and opened his mouth.
“from there, east for 5 minutes, south for 15 minutes... east again for about 15 minutes... south for 5 minutes... his name is Raymond Wish.”
Lee Hyunwoo truly wanted to save everyone.
Seeing Hyunwoo gasping for breath, tears streaming down his face, the rescuer spoke.
[Don’t worry. We’ll go get them right away.]
Only then did Hyunwoo’s hand, which had been clutching the rescuer’s clothes, let go. On the screen, Lee Hyunwoo’s relieved face was shown as he was carried on the stretcher.
The screen slowly faded to black.
Sniffling, Song Yujeong wiped her tears with a tissue Im Yena had given her. She thought the movie was ending, but then she saw a glistening light within the darkness.
It was the reflection in Raymond Wish’s eyes as he lay on the ground.
...He’s alive!
At Raymond Wish’s appearance, the audience stirred as if they all shared the same thought. At the silent cheers, the sniffling Song Yujeong couldn't help but let out a weak smile.
He didn't know how much time had passed. It was fortunate his lower body was wedged between the rubble. If he had been crushed, he would have bled out by now. He was bleeding a little, but it wasn't a fatal wound.
“...Wonder if they made it out okay?”
Raymond Wish gasped for breath, his face weak.
Honestly, he didn't know. Explosions and collapses had continued even after they left.
It was then.
A pure white light shone down on the rubble pinning Raymond Wish. Lying face down, Raymond didn't notice it.
But he heard the sound of a rolling stone. After a period of quiet, he flinched, thinking another collapse was coming, and his gaze shifted in that direction.
A hole the size of a fist grew larger.
Simultaneously, Raymond Wish’s eyes widened.
[Victim located. Victim located.]
A rescuer holding a flashlight walked towards Raymond Wish.
[Raymond Wish.]
Hearing his name, Raymond Wish stared blankly at the rescuer.
[Are you Raymond Wish?]
As if they had come specifically to rescue ‘Raymond Wish’ from among the many survivors, the rescuer’s voice was filled with conviction. Raymond Wish, without thinking, nodded with a dazed expression.
* * *
-Hyunwoo! Oh, my Hyunwoo!
On the FinePad screen, his bandaged mother and father appeared. Seeing his parents were okay, Lee Hyunwoo, who was receiving emergency treatment in the ambulance, stared at the FinePad with teary eyes.
“Mom... Dad...!”
-Our son! You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?
Lee Hyunwoo nodded repeatedly.
Because there were many tourists at the Galleria Mall whose identities couldn't be immediately confirmed, the rescue team was actively using video calls to identify survivors.
As Hyunwoo was talking to his parents, a rescuer ran over.
[Cyn-Cynthia Lindberg, rescued!]
[Jackson Miller, rescued!]
The rescuer, in a voice filled with disbelief, delivered the news of the rescues to Hyunwoo.
And,
[Raymond Wish, rescued!]
Only then, finally feeling at ease, could Lee Hyunwoo burst into tears.
The camera slowly pulled back.
The image of Hyunwoo crying with joy grew smaller, and the ambulance he was in slowly shrank.
Slowly, the surrounding environment came into view.
The collapsed Galleria Mall, dozens of ambulances and fire trucks, people and rescue dogs moving busily, and survivors being carried on stretchers to ambulances.
An orange sunset illuminated the ground.
* * *
The theater lights brightened slightly, and the ending credits rolled up the screen.
[Lee Hyunwoo played by Lee Seojun]
[Lee Hyunwoo’s Father played by Kim Jongho]
Familiar names slowly scrolled upwards.
Even after the movie ended, no one left their seats. Louder sobs than during the movie could be heard from all over the theater.
Song Yujeong and Im Yena were also sniffling, wiping their tears with tissues. Their eyes were already swollen.
“I’m definitely watching this again.”
“Yeah. I’ll have to bring tissues next time, too.”
The ending credits finished, and the screen turned black.
As the post-credits scene began, the audience members who had been chatting animatedly with their companions fell silent in unison. It was a frightening display of unity.
* * *
On a wide desk.
In the center, a letter envelope and stationery were visible. And next to them were many photos.
A photo of Cynthia Lindberg hugging her grandmother tightly.
A photo of Jackson Miller at his daughter’s birthday party.
And a photo of Ian Weaver smiling brightly with Raymond Wish’s family.
No.
*Scratch, scratch.*
A neat hand holding a mechanical pencil moved across the stationery.
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