"Tell me, child. Do you really wish to die ?" A soft voice echoes in Jin Seok Yoon's mind. It was a distant memory which had resurfaced once again. But Jin Seok wasn't sure why it had resurfaced. Was it perhaps due to his strong will to live?
"Step back." The voice was of someone he trusted. Someone who was very close to him. Someone he trusted. "Take my hand and I'll help you become strong."
Ah.
'I still can't let go of my past, can I ?' Jin Seok thought as he continued to sink in the soft matters below him. He couldn't open his eyes. He felt weak and his body ached terribly. Was he in a hospital? He should be. Is there someone beside me? He thought as he felt someone's warm hand clutching his cold one. His fingers twitched.
How long had it been?
How long had he been asleep?
Was everyone else all alright?
Are the other survivors safe?
Questions flooded his mind as his eyes fluttered before opening. His surroundings were bright. It took him some him to adjust his vision before he shifted his neck towards his left. He quietly observed his surroundings.
A hospital. He was in a hospital. Does that mean that they managed to rescue us? What happened before I passed out?
Oh.....Right.
Jin Seok Yoon sighed softly as he remembered the moments prior to him blacking out. He and some other survivors were sucked into a hidden dungeon. The others were quite injured so he had to use his abilities to the point of exhaustion. Well, at least he was sure that everything was fine now. He lifted his free hand with some difficulty before ruffling the other person's hair.
It was a young girl. His only daughter but not his only child. Lee Yeonhwa. She was currently fifteen years old. Yet, she had already achieved many great achievements. Being an S-rank at such a young age was no easy feat. Jin Seok removed his hand from her head which was resting on his bed as he tried to get up. Lee Yeonhwa immediately woke up as clasped his hand tightly.
".....Dad?" She called out weakly as she frantically rubbed her eyes and him sit up comfortably. "Are you feeling fine? Any Discomfort? Wait- Let me get a doctor for you."
"Hwa-ya" Seok called out in a gentle voice. "It's fine. I'm fine. Calm down. How long has it been?"
Lee Yeonhwa sat next to him, still holding his hand as she spoke. " You were unconscious for 3 hours. You accidentally ended up over using your abilities."
"What about the other survivors?"
"Everyone else is fine too." Another voice came through as someone entered the room. It was a tall man with fair features.
"Haejin Hyung." Seok mumbled with a faint smile. Sung Haejin. Although not related by blood, him and Seok were brothers like no other. A true family. His brother and daughter were very precious to him and the only family he had. In this world at least.
"Did you rest well?"
"Yeah.."
"Yeonie." His warm tone suddenly turned slightly cold. Which could only mean one thing.
"Did you cause trouble again." I mumbled in her ear.
"What?! No?! I don't know what happened this time. I swear!" She whispered back in my ear.
Hyung broke into a smile. Not a happy one. He was pissed.
"Ahem-Ahem." Sung Haejin pretended to cough as he moved towards us. "You're grounded for a week."
"What?! Why?!" She screamed loudly in an irritated tone.
"Do you really want me to say the reason in front of Seok-ah?"
"No..." Yeonhwa mumbled in a low voice, afraid of being found out.
"Did she do something wrong?" I asked with some curiosity.
"Yes. and it's because you always let her have her way. Do you know she signed up for---"
"Uncle Haejin !!" She cut him off before he could finish. But her reaction was enough for me to deduce what had happened.
"Hwa-ya. You did it again didn't you?" I gave her a skeptical look and she appeared even more suspicious as she fumbled her fingers nervously. "How many times do I have to tell you this? I know you like training and going into dungeons but... You should've told us before signing yourself up for another."
Sung Haejin looked at her for a mere second before he walked towards them and ruffled their hair. He let out a long sigh before sitting by Seok's side on the bed and crossing his arms.
"Are you feeling fine now?" He asked in a gentle tone filled with worry.
"Yes. I'm fine, Hyung."
"Yeonhwa." He said softly." We're not trying to stop you from becoming a hunter. We just want you to be safe. I know you really really want to go in a dungeon but you really need to learn the theory before going in there."
"But..." Yeonhwa looked down sadly.
"It's fine, Hyung. Yeonhwa. Me and Hyung will take you to your first dungeon after your birthday."
"But it's next year."
"Yeonhwa.You're still way too young." Haejin scolded here lightly.
"You both promise?" She said holding out her pinky finger.
"Promise." Haejin replied as Seok made a promise with his pinky finger.
"Also... You won't me grounded." Jin Seok said with a faint smile.
"Seok!!" Haejin said in an annoyed tone.
"Yay!!!" Lee Yeonhwa bolted out of the room after smirking at Sung Haejin, who looked annoyed.
Seok chuckled as he rested his head back against the hospital bed again.
"Gosh.. What am I going to do with both of you."
"Hyung."
"Yeah?" He replied turning his face towards me. Seok was using a serious tone this time.
"Have you ever heard of
" No..." Hyung frowned at my question. "Is it a constellation? I've never heard their name before."
"Do you think they are a new constellation ?"
"What?" His brows furrowed. "No that's absurd. The rules of the system clearly state that No constellations can participate 2 years after the Great Purge. Not to mention it's been 10 years ever since. It's way too late."
"That's exactly what I'm thinking. It can't be someone from..." Seok glanced at Haejin with a particular look. He didn't need to say anything more. Sung Haejin knew exactly what he was suggesting.
"Maybe..." Haejin hesitated for a while before continuing. "We should ask Mujin-ssi about it?"
"Mujin-ssi?" Seok's face twisted in confusion. Hasn't that guy been missing for like three years?
"Right.. Sorry, I forgot to tell you." Haejin rubbed his neck. "I recently received some important reports. Mujin-ssi is alive but...."
"But?" Seok gulped nervously. He could feel a huge headache coming already.
"He's in another world apparently."
"Huh?" Seok stared at him with a dumbfounded face. It took me a moment but he eventually was able to register those words in my mind. Although It wasn't the first time he had heard something like this.
Has it been a normal person they would've laughed at the ridiculous sentence but not Seok; Afterall, he was a victim of this phenomenon himself. He knew this experience first-hand better than anyone else.
"What? How did you know that? Did the awakened management bureau make up a story?"
Hyung sighed. "Wow. I can't believe it. But then again. I have the proof right in front of me. Anyways. It was the director himself."
"Really? I thought you were at odds with him." Jin Seoj looked at Haejin suspiciously. Was this a prank?
"Work and private life are different matters." He pulled out a thick envelope from this inventory mid-air and handed the documents to Seok, who quickly but carefully skimmed through the documents and tried to verify their legitimacy.
The documents detailed numerous things. In summary, The Bureau suspects that the hunters who have been disappearing in dungeons are being teleported to another world. or rather worlds. Only a few hunters managed to end up in the same world. Some of these hunters have managed to contact them back using their communication abilities. However, not everyone can contact them back due to their lack of abilities. Many of the hunter's status is unknown. The government isn't even sure if they are dead or alive.
But the most noteworthy thing is the fact that not only hunters are disappearing. Dungeons and rifts have also greatly reduced in numbers. Researchers believe that there could be a correlation between both the situations.
"Huh.. that's interesting," Seok said putting the papers back in his inventory.