Joon Su, who had watched this unfold, moved toward the baby's bed. The earlier fleeting joy of seeing his daughter for the first time had long evaporated, replaced by a hollow numbness. As the baby cried—her small voice filling the otherwise tense room—he staggered over, his body still weak from the birth, but his resolve was unwavering. He reached down to pick her up, cradling her in his arms. Her innocent cries contrasted sharply with the bloodstained floor and the emotional wreckage surrounding them.
As Joon Su held his daughter, he looked toward Jihoon, who had also shifted his focus back to the child. Their expressions were hollow, devoid of any of the usual joy that should accompany the birth of a new life. The weight of their losses and the horrors that awaited them in the capital loomed large over them.
