That so-called peace was nothing more than a ceasefire, and enough time had passed for talks of an alliance to begin.
As if to show goodwill toward his collaborators, Jang Hee-gang dropped a few pieces of information.
That Cha Eun-soo was originally from another world, and in that world, had first met everyone present here through a game.
That Jang Hee-gang himself had responded to an offer from an entity called the system, crossed over to that world, and kidnapped Cha Eun-soo’s soul.
…From the start, the reason Jang Hee-gang chose to share this information was, in truth, to make it clear that he had an entanglement with Cha Eun-soo unlike anyone else here—a connection so surreal it defied reason.
No one failed to grasp that.
In the moment they all kept their silence, each one suppressing a deep, visceral discomfort and shock—
“Why did that system help you get the young master back?”
Shim Tae-seong broke the silence.
“Did it ever tell you why it helped us? What its intentions were?”
“Well.”
Jang Hee-gang replied nonchalantly.
“I have no idea. I didn’t have the luxury to ask.”
“Even when I was dragged before the system, I thought I was just hallucinating, driven mad.”
As much as they didn’t want to admit it, it was a trustworthy answer. After all, he wasn’t the only one who had lost his mind at the time.
“This is seriously fascinating,”
Joo Cheong-gyeong said with a chuckle.
“I wonder… did Eun-soo even see us as real people?”
“If not, that would explain why he left so easily—just quit the game and returned to his world.”
He leaned in, whispering like he meant to stir discord.
“And this system character… I find it suspicious too.”
The laughter vanished from his face.
“Monsters, strange anomalies… Suddenly, the world’s no longer the one I knew. My past feels like it belongs to someone else. And now, somehow, the four of us all work at the same organization, doing the same job?”
The very four people sitting here.
…People who, under any other circumstance, would shudder at even brushing sleeves.
Everyone who had gone through the same bizarre phenomenon kept their mouths shut. It was a silent, mutual agreement.
“I can’t help but feel like this was all arranged. Deliberately. By the system.”
“As if it were saying, ‘Now, play nice with each other.’”
Right.
In a world where monstrous threats could invade at any moment, there were only two choices: destroy each other in conflict and meet mutual ruin, or take a step back, face those dangers together, protect Cha Eun-soo’s safety, and share the burden of guiding.
Given the choice, it seemed obvious they would eventually pick the latter. It all felt orchestrated, as if someone had set this up deliberately.
Arriving at the entrance to his private estate, Cha Eun-hyuk shook off his thoughts. He turned to the passenger seat.
Cha Eun-soo, brought back from Jang Hee-gang’s domain, lay slumped in deep sleep, limp and drained.
He had exhausted himself from crying and apologizing until it felt like guilt was choking the life out of him.
He had already been cornered to the brink by Jang Hee-gang. And then, when faced with someone he thought had come to rescue him, being confronted instead—his sobs, lost and helpless, were heartbreaking.
But Cha Eun-hyuk didn’t comfort him.
Because he hadn’t gotten the answer he wanted.
It would have been better if Cha Eun-soo had said he thought of him as a fictional character. But he hadn’t denied the question.
The fact that he had meant so little to Cha Eun-soo—so little that he could leave without warning—left Cha Eun-hyuk feeling as though the ground had fallen out from beneath him.
Cha Eun-soo had been his everything. But clearly, the feeling wasn’t mutual.
“It’s okay.”
A yearning hand gently caressed Cha Eun-soo’s sleeping cheek.
The dark urges he’d been suppressing surged violently the moment he tasted guiding. It felt as though they would explode.
Even if the bond of family had faded, Cha Eun-soo was still, and would always be, his little brother—his savior.
It didn’t matter if he was the only one who saw him that way.
Despite the tenderness in his touch, Cha Eun-hyuk’s eyes burned with a dark, consuming fire as he looked down at Cha Eun-soo.
***
The right amount of thrill always added a spark to life. Seeing the older brother who had always been so gentle suddenly lash out with an unfamiliar face—it was a surprisingly fresh and enjoyable experience.
It felt like watching a trailer for a movie that seemed like it’d be fun.
With a fluttering heart, I woke up.
I was laid gently upon a canopy bed, its thin blue fabric cascading down like waves.
Blinking, I looked around.
Beyond the wide-open windows, lush greenery stretched out in every direction, and I was alone in a room decorated with an old-fashioned charm that didn’t feel the least bit stuffy.
Just as I was about to sit up, puzzled—
Chara-rang—a clear metallic chime rang through the air.
“……!”
What the hell?
I hurriedly turned toward the source of the sound.
Chains…?
Chains were connected from the canopy above to both of my wrists. The leather that wrapped around them felt soft—perhaps the inner lining was made of a different material. Only now, after seeing it with my own eyes, did I begin to register the sensation.
Not even when I was kidnapped had I been bound like this. I nearly let out a gasp of admiration.
Wow… Hyung…
My heart pounded wildly.
The chains weren’t taut and looked long enough that I could get out of bed and walk around—though it would likely only be within the confines of this room.
As I sat there, staring blankly at my wrists, he appeared through the open door. He made just enough noise to be noticed—clearly intentional. I gasped and looked up, startled.
“How are you feeling?”
“…Hyung.”
I looked at him, tension laced in my gaze. He walked toward the bed without hesitation. Normally, he would’ve stopped cold the moment I showed the slightest discomfort. But not this time.
As the distance between us closed, I instinctively shuffled back. My back hit the headboard.
With one trembling hand, I grasped the cuff around my other wrist.
“Hyung, this is…”
“Do you like the room?”
He cut me off, seating himself casually on the bed.
“I got some advice from Eun-se.”
My eyes widened at the sudden mention of Noona’s name.
“She was wondering why, in a house where I live alone, I suddenly started remodeling a room that wasn’t mine.”
His familiar hand gently patted my head.
“Even if I’d said your name back then, she probably wouldn’t have known who you were.”
“It’s strange, isn’t it? Your body, your name—it’s all still you. But you’re not family anymore.”
His tone was dispassionate, as though certain I wouldn’t be hurt by the topic. As if he believed I wouldn’t long for the family I’d discarded myself.
Maybe he thought I no longer had the right to.
…Or maybe, just like he’d convinced himself I meant nothing to him, he believed he meant nothing to me.
His oddly colder demeanor, laced with even stronger obsession, made my nose sting. I shut my tear-filled eyes tightly and then opened them.
“Let me go.”
I gathered both wrists and held them out, trying to summon whatever courage I had left. After everything, I’d believed I’d finally been rescued—yet now, here I was again. It was hard to believe this was real.
And even harder that it was Hyung doing this to me.
“You know you can’t escape.”
“……”
“…You’re even lying now.”
His short murmur shut me up. That shadowy gaze pierced through me like a blade.
His strong hand grabbed the chain. A sudden yank pulled my body forward. Hyung brought his lips close to my cheek and whispered,
“What do you think it’ll take for these to come off, Cha Eun-soo?”
“……!”
“Think carefully.”
His voice quivered slightly, as if the guiding had begun to flow through. And yet, with tremendous restraint, Hyung pulled back.
Even though his eyes were teetering on the edge of sanity, he still held himself back.
I realized instantly what he meant.
My Hyung… has leveled up, huh?
He looked down at me, gauging whether I’d fully understood the implication behind his words.
And just as he wanted, shame slowly crept across my face.
The resonance I’d felt when we touched—it had been awful. So I already knew: Hyung was in desperate need of guiding right now. I even thought, maybe I should give myself to him—to make up for all the pain he’s endured.
But… something about the stillness in him terrified me. Like a deep, unmoving abyss.
So instead, I just repeated the apology I’d already poured out once before—like someone trying to buy time.
“I… I’m sorry, Hyung.”
It sounded more like a stalling tactic than genuine remorse.
“I’m sorry…”
Tears welled up again as I grabbed hold of his sleeve. Hyung’s eyes followed the motion, and his dark brows twitched slightly.
That wasn’t the right answer.
“……”
That was the end of his reaction.
He stared at me for a moment, then stood up. He turned toward the door.
Startled, I scrambled off the bed in a panic.
The chains followed smoothly, trailing behind me like flowing water.
“Wait—Hyung…!”
I ran barefoot across the cold, hard floor and threw my arms around him from behind.
“Don’t go. Don’t leave me behind.”
Just moments ago I’d been scared of him, yet now I was clinging to him like a lifeline—an unstable mind trying desperately to hold on.
In the end, it was Hyung who had saved me from Jang Hee-gang. If I were separated from him, the fear that I might be dragged back at any moment would devour me whole.
It was natural for him to be angry. He had every right to be. It was my fault. And if there was something that could ease that anger—it had to come from me. It was my responsibility. My burden to bear.
Slowly, Hyung turned to look at me. His gaze scanned my face, where every one of those thoughts was clearly written.
And on his once-expressionless face… flickered a vivid glint of satisfaction.
He liked seeing me so anxious and clinging to him.
In the past, I might’ve felt disgusted with myself for acting like this—but now, not at all.
There wasn’t even the slightest trace of guilt on Hyung’s face. Not even a speck.
He really has changed.
I swallowed a smile of satisfaction myself.
