"MAAAAAA!!!!" Jaehyun shrieked, hurrying towards the house, now reduced to nothing more than a sinkhole filled with rubble.
Iseul reacted quickly, grabbing his arms before he could get any closer. "Let me go! MAAA!!!" Jaehyun struggled to break free, crying out for his mother.
"It's not safe," Iseul said, her face expressionless, as she pulled him away from the sinkhole and hugged him tightly. She didn't want him to see any more.
"No! Let go of me! How can you be so calm?" Jaehyun rebelled, breaking free from her grasp and yelling. He was shocked by her composure; their mother might be gone, yet she remained as cold as a psychopath.
"Because she's dead. There's no point in letting you jump into danger too," Iseul replied, tightening her grip on his arm. There was no chance their mother could have survived such a calamity. The sinkhole had devoured their entire house, even parts of their neighbours.
The only way their mother could have survived was if she had been outside the house, and that was highly unlikely. Iseul's priority now was keeping Jaehyun safe. Once he was secure, she could think about what to do next. Despite the magnitude of the disaster, the neighbourhood was eerily empty—not a single soul in sight.
"Nuwa," a voice called out from behind her, sending chills down her spine. Talk about timing. Iseul instinctively turned around, shielding her brother behind her back. Just as she feared, this time it was no longer a dream or an illusion—it was real. He was here.
Somehow, a character she had created in her mind was now standing in front of her. As she thought about it, everything began to connect.
The sudden appearance of a sinkhole exactly under her house was too much of a coincidence. She knew there was nothing beneath her house that could have caused it, but she couldn't say the same for Ryong's presence. The one who had inherited Adam's Ale. Creating a sinkhole was child's play for someone with his power.
"Jaehyun, can you go to Alice Noona's house and ask them for help?" Iseul asked, keeping a watchful eye on Ryong. If he was indeed Ryong, it was best for Jaehyun to stay away. No matter what, she had to keep him out of danger.
"Our goddess, let this humble creature offer his tribute to you," Ryong said, kneeling with one arm across his chest. His long bluish-silver hair flowed down his shoulder.
"Noona…" Jaehyun, perplexed by the conversation, called out to her. Who was this man, bowing in front of her? This was the wrong time; their mother was still in that sinkhole.
Iseul took a deep breath, trying to make sense of the situation. Jaehyun was her responsibility, and this was her doing. No matter what, she had to protect him. She turned to face her brother, guilt washing over her.
It was all because of her. If she hadn't wished for her mother's death so fervently, this might never have happened. Even in the end, she had acted like a selfish brat.
"Do you trust Noona?" she asked, squatting down to face him as she patted his head. This was her responsibility, as long as he trusted her. Jaehyun gulped, taken aback by her sudden question, but he had no one else. He nodded.
"Then do as I say, okay?" Iseul explained with a patient smile.
Jaehyun gasped softly, surprised by her tenderness. Iseul had always been cold towards him. She was the perfect child, always at the top of her class, popular among friends, and never hesitant to speak her mind. He could only admire her from afar. Every time he tried to get close, she pushed him away. If only he were better, maybe she would have praised him a little.
"Jaehyun, go now," Iseul urged, pushing her brother towards the alley while she faced Ryong.
Ryong remained kneeling before her, his front bangs hiding his blue eyes. He was exactly as she had imagined him—the ideal character with her personality traits. If he was kneeling before her, it only meant he needed something she possessed. But what could it be? Yeouiju?
"Our divine goddess, we have finally found you. It is time for you to return and rule the world you created. I, a mere peasant, can no longer control it," Ryong declared, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he stood.
Iseul frowned, swallowing her fear. This was exactly like the arc she had planned to add to a future plot—the same dialogue, only it wasn't directed at her but at another character, Mei, the mother and creator of all dragons.
"Does it ring a bell, my goddess?" Ryong grinned, and in the blink of an eye, he had already pinned her to the street, slowly strangling her.
He moved so quickly that Iseul didn't even see it coming. She was at a severe disadvantage. If Ryong hadn't killed her yet, it only meant he needed something from her.
"What do you want, Ryong?" Iseul asked, not struggling, knowing it would only add to his enjoyment. The more she struggled, the more he would torment her. She remained calm, staring into his dark sapphire eyes.
"Heh. As expected from our goddess. I want your heart and your little brother's heart," Ryong replied with a gentle smile as if asking for something as trivial as candy.
Iseul gaped at the absurdity of his request. The monster she had created had come back to bite her. Her mother had always been right—she should never have written that book. If she hadn't, her mother would be alive, and Jaehyun wouldn't be in danger.
"Noona…" Jaehyun's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned towards the sound, and from the corner of her eye, she saw her brother thrown to the ground, heavily wounded.
"Jaehyun!" Iseul cried, trying to push Ryong away, but with her strength, he didn't even budge.
"Are you refusing my offer?" Ryong smirked, watching her struggle to get up. "Let me make it more interesting," he whispered, glancing at the green-haired woman standing nearby.
"Mai, kill the boy first," Ryong ordered, grinning as Iseul's face turned ghostly pale. This was turning out to be far more entertaining than he had anticipated.