Kalyven, Damascar Avenue
After winning the confrontation against Philip, Byeol tried to return to Haneul and Nuri as quickly as possible — even though his body could no longer keep up with the urgency in his mind.
Philip had brutally beaten his abdomen and ribs.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
As he approached the center of the avenue, where the three of them had split up, he spotted Haneul staggering toward him.
Both of them carried the fresh marks of battle on their bodies — and the weight of exhaustion in their eyes.
"How are you, Haneul?"
"Fine, considering the circumstances... I managed to bring him down, at least for now. But we need to hurry."
Haneul had resorted to his Expansion Technique.
Kreig had charged toward him, furious and determined to destroy him.
But the moment the power was activated, the nails embedded in his back expanded inward.
The flesh split open.
It tore apart.
As if his body were nothing but rubber, each nail violently expanded, ripping through skin and muscle in every direction.
The sound was raw. Wet.
Pools of blood spread across the scene.
"And what about you, Byeol? Did you manage to defeat him?"
"Not only did I beat him... I also got us a new toy to train with."
There was pride in his voice. A dangerous gleam.
He felt unstoppable — as if, for a few moments, he had reached a level above everyone else.
Haneul cut that feeling down without hesitation.
"Don't get too full of yourself. This isn't a game."
He paused briefly, his expression firm.
"One mistake... and all the effort you've put in will mean nothing."
Byeol didn't respond.
He knew he was right.
"Come on. We need to move."
Haneul was already thinking ahead, putting together a plan.
"We gain nothing by staying here any longer."
He took a deep breath, assessing the situation.
"None of us are at one hundred percent. So let's be quick and efficient."
"I agree..." Byeol said, clutching his abdomen as he tried to contain the pain.
"Link directly to that bike. Get close without drawing attention."
Haneul subtly pointed toward it.
"As soon as you see an opening, accelerate toward the soldier. Drive right past her... and I'll handle the rest."
"You're grabbing Nuri?"
"Exactly. I'll take her up to that building."
Haneul's eyes shifted toward the structure ahead.
"After that, Nuri and I will head straight for the station. It's about two kilometers from here."
Byeol frowned.
"And me?"
Haneul didn't hesitate.
"Deal with your own shit."
"What?"
"Just don't bring anyone in our direction. And make sure you're in Savira by tomorrow morning."
He paused briefly.
"I'll meet up with you with the Luminosity Stone."
Byeol let out an irritated sigh.
"Fuck..."
They separated without wasting another second.
Byeol moved cautiously, pushing the bike by hand to avoid making noise. Every movement required effort, but he couldn't afford to fail now.
Further ahead, Nuri and Hedera were still locked in a dynamic confrontation—a true game of cat and mouse.
Nuri slipped between attacks, avoiding the vines that sprang up out of nowhere while using her ocular power to burn them.
Little by little, her attacks were beginning to break through Hedera's defense despite her opponent's impressive agility.
At one point, Nuri managed to get close enough.
The movement was quick and precise—almost instinctive.
She delivered a throw that resembled a judo projection, slamming Hedera to the ground.
The soldier slid across her own vines, using them to cushion the impact.
That was when the sound of an engine cut through the air.
Even though she wasn't injured, the timing was perfect.
Byeol suddenly appeared, speeding straight toward Hedera.
She reacted instinctively, bracing for impact—but he didn't attack.
He drove right past her.
For a brief second, their eyes met.
No words were exchanged.
None were necessary.
Byeol's expression said everything.
Provocation. Challenge. Contempt.
"You bastard... you think you're getting away?"
The next instant, Haneul made his move.
Taking advantage of the distraction, he grabbed Nuri and activated the grappling hook he had acquired in Kalyven's market.
In one fluid motion, both of them were pulled to the top of the building.
"Sorry, Nuri... but we really have to go."
Without wasting any time, they began running across the rooftops toward the station.
Down below, Hedera stood motionless for a moment.
Divided.
Her instincts told her to finish her fight.
But logic pointed toward the main target.
At that moment... she had to choose.
Behind Byeol, countless vines began erupting from the ground at incredible speed, rushing toward him. They were more fragile than the vines she had used against Nuri, but they made up for it with terrifying speed.
Byeol realized immediately—he was going to be caught.
With what little strength he had left, he raised his hand and opened a portal in front of him.
The next instant, the vines wrapped around the bike, and the combined momentum launched him forward. Byeol was propelled at tremendous speed, passing through the portal before the plants could completely restrain him.
On the other side, he chose his resting room. Instinctively, he aimed for the couch... but he was moving far too fast.
The impact was inevitable.
He crashed into the upper part of the couch and was thrown into a piece of furniture filled with books and manga, which scattered across the room from the force of the collision.
One of the books fell directly onto his face.
Its cover showed a black knight wielding a gigantic sword.
For a brief moment, everything went silent.
...
"Where are we going?" Nuri asked.
"We have to keep running. About a kilometer from here there's a subway station... we're heading toward Savira."
He paused, catching his breath.
"From there, we need transportation to Vireya. We have to leave this state. Do you have family? Somewhere you can go?"
"My sister is hiding in the state of Mykareth."
"Then we can try contacting her through the Holo. We can meet halfway."
...
Byeol slowly began to get back to his feet.
The fall had been brutal—significantly increasing the damage to his body.
"Ahhhh—"
He couldn't hold back the scream, letting out the tension that had been building inside him.
Silence once again filled the room.
He sat down again for a moment with his eyes closed.
A brief thirty seconds.
Nothing more.
Breathe. Recover. Reorganize himself.
Then—
"Alexa... play some music."
A soft melody began to play. A light, relaxed tune with notes that evoked the beach... something similar to reggae.
Byeol stood up.
With his eyes closed, he began moving to the rhythm of the music. His steps were light and natural — as if his body knew exactly what to do.
No one would have believed what they were seeing.
He approached the table.
He poured himself a glass of whiskey, dropping a few ice cubes into it before filling the glass. All of it... without ever stopping dancing.
'Let's take a little shower.'
When he was alone, Byeol allowed himself to be just that.
Himself.
The kid who used to dance with his grandmother.
He sang with her... laughed with her... and even with so little, in that tiny place, they had been happy.
...
Nuri and Haneul arrived at the station.
They searched for the correct line and headed toward the ticket machines. Two tickets were purchased through ocular identification.
Around them, several blind people stood in lines.
They asked for help.
Some simply wanted to visit family members. Others were trying to find friends. Small gestures, simple needs... yet inaccessible.
Some people helped.
Many others walked by indifferently.
Not everyone carried the same empathy. Not everyone was willing to look at someone else's problems.
Nuri and Haneul boarded the subway, heading toward Savira.
...
Meanwhile, Byeol had already showered and changed into clean clothes. There was no time to rest.
Standing in front of the Holo, he analyzed the city's map.
He needed to decide his next move.
He knew Mikena's dobermanns could be close to his Illuminescence points.
He could only keep five active at a time.
Between the two points closest to the highway leading to Savira, there were two options: one near the sea with direct access... and another farther inland in a mountainous area.
Byeol thought for a moment.
'Here, they'd take longer to get there...'
His eyes shifted to the other point.
'But the smell of the sea breeze might confuse the trail.'
A decision.
'Let's go with this one.'
He opened the portal and moved forward without hesitation.
This time, luck was on his side.
The dobermanns and the police had already reached the point by the sea.
Byeol appeared in a small village. He knew there was a biker group there.
He moved quickly.
He grabbed one of the floating scooters and headed toward the motorcycle club.
By the time he arrived, it was already late afternoon.
The light was fading. The atmosphere... neglected.
The bikers were already drunk at that hour.
'Perfect.'
Byeol observed the place until he found an opening.
He went inside.
He chose an impressive model—powerful, well-equipped... complete with a helmet.
Without hesitation, he put it on.
He started the engine.
The rear wheel spun out, kicking up a cloud of smoke that slowly dispersed into the warm evening air.
And in the very next instant—
He shot toward the highway.