"...huff....huff..."
Kim Rok Soo was having trouble breathing. How could he not when there was a deep wound in his abdomen.
'...How did this happen?'
He was observing his surroundings. His eyes were empty as he takes in the scenery in front of him. His team members were on the ground bleeding; the ground was tainted red and all he could see was Death.
Kim Rok Soo himself was covered in blood. He tryed saving them but he failed again. And he's the only survivor again.
He's eyes started to blurry as he wonders how this situation happened and in his mind a record started playing.
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Today was his day off. He was lying down on bed and didn't want to wake up as he could finally relax, even if only for a day. But not all wishes come true.
'As axpected being a slacker is the best.'
Bang. Bang. Bang
Someone was knocking the door.
'How loud.'
He will never open that door. Why? Becouse he could alredy feel a bad omen over him.
'Why do I have the chills?'
His instincts were never wrong and this reinforced his resolve to never open that door today. So he ignored It.
'They will leave sooner or later'
Sadly he had underestimated them. The knocking didn't stop, instead It was getting louder.
BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.
Kim Rok Soo was irritated.
'It went on for 15 minutes. It's surprising that the neighbors didn't come to complain... Why they didn't?'
If the neighbors came they would have stopped. Unluckily for Rok soo there was no one at home today as there was a festival nearby.
"...aaaah"
Sighing he started to get up to open the door. He alredy knew who it was, the only ones that would be this disrespectful are them.
Kim Rok Soo opened the door ready for the headache.
"Sir, you are up!"
"I told you that he was awake punk."
Agent Jung So Hoon and Assistent Leader Kim Min Ah.
"Can you stop calling me punk? Sir please do something."
"I call you punk because you are a punk. Punk."
They started bickering between them as soon as they saw Kim Rok Soo.
'I have an headache... *Sigh*'
They were always like this but when it comes to work they are the ones that Rok Soo trusts the most.
'More important what are they doing here?'
Today was Rok Soo day off but the two of them should be at the Company to work especially Kim Min Ah that would be buried in Kim Rok Soo work as he isn't there.
'Let's just ask them. Even throught I have a bad feeling about this'
"So why are you here?"
As soon he asked the other two stopped bickering. They looked at Rok Soo and started smiling. Rok Soo could feel it. He won't be able to slack off today. Nothing good happened every time those two smile like that.
"Sir we asked to have the same day off as yours."
Said Jung So Hoon with sparking eyes.
Rok Soo couldn't bear to look at those eyes.
"Team leader we are here to pick you up."
Kim Min Ah went to the point. This is why he likes her. She doesn't beat around the bush. But Rok Soo was confused.
'Why are they coming to pick me up? To go where?'
There was no reunion or any sign of a monster attack or anything else.
Seeing the confused look in Kim Rok Soo face Min Ah and So Hoon wanted to force him out of the house and making him come with them. But they couldn't as their team leader was in his pajamas and with bed hair. So instead they entered the house taking advantage of the opening.
"Sir you should dress up we'll be waiting."
"That's right hurry up."
Rok Soo still confused of how they intruded his home as if it was theirs raised a eyebrow and couldn't help but think.
'Those punks.'
But he didn't hate it. After his Hyungs died he had lost everything. He started to avoid people and also his colleagues. He gave up on other relationships other than employe and boss. Only few people knew Kim Rok Soo well and now Min Ah and So Hoon were the only ones that would be this open with him. And obviously he couldn't refuse them.
'Let's just change'
***
After changing and being kidnapped Rok Soo found himself in the festival near his house. It was a festival for celebrating the nth anniversary of the restabilization of this city.
Rok Soo had been draggend around by Min Ah and So Hoon until they stopped at a resturant for lunch. Rok Soo was tired. Even if they only walked around for some hours he was mentally tired.
'They are grow up and have families to take care so how come they have all this energy?'
"Sir what do you order?"
"Everything is fine."
"Then let's order kimchi jjigae and tteokbokki and after those something sweet for the team leader."
Min Ah ordered without even asking if it was okay but they didn't have any objection.
After lunch they separated as two of them have to go to their family, after all days off are hard to come by.
While returning home Rok Soo stopped by a library he didn't know why but there was a novel that caught his interest it was titled, '-The Birth of a Hero-' a fantasy novel with swords, mages, princes, dragons, assassins and more. He bought all the volumes.
Arrived home he plopped on the bed and started reading the first volume of the novel. He was too tired for changing, anyway tomorrow he needs to go back to work.
He read until it started to be dark outside, if it wasn't for his phone ringing he would have read until he fell asleep. He grabbed the phone as fast as he could, because he knew that they'll call him only in serious situations especially during his day off.
"What happened?"
-Team leader we have a problem a group of monsters is coming toward the city, they are already in berserk state and are moving at hight speed.-
"How many?"
-800.-
Rok Soo paused at the number. There were groups of monsters that arrived at 200 or 300 monsters but there has never been a group of 800 before. And plus they were already in berserk state without provoking and at their peak?
'Something is weird'
"Call all the teams and mobilize all the forces, request help from the others companies, I'm coming."
-Wait team leader! We are requesting help from the others companies? We can't do it without the consent of the higher ups.-
Requesting help from others companies was complicated. Every Company had their interest and most of them would run away instead of facing danger. But the group of monsters was directed toward the city that took them many sacrifices and effort to restabilize. But it's only a group, even if it is large the numbers of enemies are limited.
Kim Rok Soo was confident of kill all the monsters but there was something that didn't convince him, as if his instict was warning him to be careful.
"Do it. Think of it as insurance. It's only for security, I have a bad feeling."
'And that feeling is never wrong'
He didn't say the last part but the one on the other line caught it. He become more serious and responded.
- Yes team leader. -
___________________________________________________
In the end he was right.
'...sigh'
He sighed mentally. He knew that he will die soon. His wound was really deep and only an healing ability user could save him. But it didn't seem that the situation will allow that.
'Most of the companies have already fled'
He wanted to laugh. They haven't changed, everyone only thinks of escaping while humanity perishes by the hands of the monsters and the ones that fight against them are too few. He knew that this world was beyond saving. But he tried his best and he wasn't alone, all the people in his Company had the same objective that's why they could trust each other without internal conflict. It was a Company born for this fight monsters and saving people.
But now it seems that such a Company will cease to exist from today. Rok Soo didn't know what to feel anymore. Everyone called him an emotionless bastard but who knew him well understood. He wasn't emotionless, that was only his face that had always his stoic expression. In reality he suffered more than anyone else whenever someone died especially when his Hyungs died. He was devasteted someone even started to call him a cursed bastard.
'Am I really cursed?'
Rok Soo wasn't so stupid to not notice, especially with his cursed ability that he has. Thanks to his ability he become someone that couldn't forget even if he wanted.
He's able to record everything that he sees with his eyes but it wasn't limited only on images but also the feeling and sensations that he felt will be recorded. So even if he didn't want to admit it he would stop avoiding the argoment.
'It seems that everything that I cherish dies. What a terribile curse. Ahaha...'
He noticed when his Hyungs died so he started avoiding people, but while he was working at the Company and his employees continued to try to get close to him the thougth of 'Maybe I am wrong' was the only rope that could save him. But what happened today just confirmed it; he was really cursed.
'Why am I cursed? What did I do wrong?'
Little did he know that it wasn't his fault but of someone else and that what happened to him was becouse he was influenced by the other person. But Rok Soo continued to blame himself until he arrived to a decision.
'I will never cherish anything again. EVER.'
He had fallen into despair again. And this time he didn't want to get out.
Then he started to lose consciousness.
He was dying.
"I am sorry child."
'Who? Sorry for what?'
These were his last thoughts before losing conscience.
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