The young master of the district did not return until half a day had passed since his disappearance. Even when the aide asked where he had been, he remained silent, merely gazing out the window.
Letting out a deep sigh, he leaned back into the seat. Noticing his demeanor, the aide instructed the driver to depart. The car slowly rolled forward, soon leaving the village behind.
As he watched the endless expanse of the wasteland stretch out before him, his thoughts drifted to the “Night” he had encountered. Not only had they willingly revealed themselves—when they had always been so preoccupied with hiding—but they had also disclosed the location of their base. There was no way they didn’t know he was a Shining, and yet they had done so anyway.
The place where the man had led him housed one of the Apostles of the Night. According to investigations, the Apostles were the only ones within the Night who knew the true identity of their leader. For so long, he had searched in vain, only for that very person to step forward of their own accord.
—It is an honor to meet the young master of the district.
The Apostle bowed deeply in greeting. He instinctively reached for his concealed gun but quickly realized that those standing at a distance were thinking the same thing as he was.
Even he couldn’t dodge bullets raining down from all directions. For now, he decided to play along with their little game. He wondered if this was why they had brought him so deep into their territory, where a request for reinforcements would never reach.
—I imagine you must be quite startled by the sudden summons, but I wished to meet you, even if it had to be this way.
The Apostle’s desire to see him, huh. As his mind raced, the only conclusion he reached was that this was a scheme to eliminate a threat to their existence. Though the atmosphere seemed peaceful enough for now, he remained on guard.
—I have something to tell you.
So they had gone so far as to reveal their base just to relay a mere message? It made no sense. Frankly speaking, if he called for reinforcements the moment he left this place, the Night’s forces here would be utterly annihilated.
—Do you trust me? What will you do if I call for backup and return here?
—Regrettably, the leader is not here.
As expected. He had anticipated this, but hearing the confirmation still annoyed him. That meant even if they captured the Apostles and their followers, there would be no clues leading to the leader. In the end, this place was a dead end.
—That’s truly unfortunate news.
Still, he had uncovered their hidden base. Perhaps it wasn’t a complete waste. The moment he left, he would have the Apostles and believers captured. Once their nails were ripped out, their flesh seared with fire, and the pain became unbearable, they would be forced to confess whatever they knew.
—What does Lord Vincent think of humanity’s moon?
The sudden mention of the moon made him frown. He disliked those who worshiped that massive electric-powered fluorescent light as though it were a god, but he found those who sought to destroy it as if it were the embodiment of evil just as irritating.
—Do you truly believe that a Nightless District 1 is normal, Lord Vincent?
—What does that have to do with me?
—The people of District 1 were forcibly robbed of the night by the Shining. And to cover up the fact that they had lost the night, they dressed District 1 up as a paradise on earth. Isn’t that truly terrifying?
So this was all just an attempt at proselytization. Did they really think that if they passionately preached their ideology to me, I would be swayed? How ridiculous. To me, the Night and the Shining were no different.
—Why do you want to become the district governor, Lord Vincent?
—And why should I tell you that?
—Because we might be able to help each other.
—How laughable.
He cut off the irritating words without hesitation and turned his back on the Apostle. The moment he left this place, he would call for reinforcements. Even if he hadn’t found the leader, capturing an Apostle would be enough to keep the master of District 1 quiet for a while.
Unlike Joshua, who had accomplished nothing, he had discovered the base and apprehended an Apostle. No one would be able to oppose him now. All he had to do was make it through the upcoming “District’s Day.”
Once he was appointed the next district governor, there would be no obstacles left. And when District 1 fell into his hands, everything would be over. The completion of the plan he had nurtured for eight years was right before him.
—The district governor will not choose you, Lord Vincent.
His footsteps halted. He turned to look at the Apostle. It made sense for Joshua, another Shining, to be aware of such matters, but what the hell could an Apostle stuck in the outskirts of the district possibly know to say something like that? Suppressing the brief surge of anger, he stepped forward and opened the tightly shut door.
—Do you not realize that you are his only stain?
The moment he heard the word “stain,” he lost control. Without hesitation, he drew the gun he had been concealing and aimed it at the Apostle. Immediately, followers hidden in the surroundings poured out and surrounded him.
—Lower your gun.
At the Apostle’s command, the followers lowered the weapons they had trained on him, but Vincent did not waver. His gun remained fixed on the Apostle.
The Apostle slowly rose from his seat and approached him. In response, Vincent deliberately disengaged the safety and rested his finger on the trigger.
The cold barrel of the gun pressed right against the Apostle’s forehead, but his expression remained calm. Vincent began to squeeze the trigger, inching toward the point of no return.
In the tense moment, as the possibility of a gunshot loomed over them, the Apostle finally spoke.
—The next district governor will be announced on District’s Day, which is coming soon.
By this point, it felt as though everyone except him already knew this news. If not, then there was definitely a rat in the estate. When he returned, he would make sure to track down the Night’s informant and lock them in the underground prison.
—If you truly want what you desire, Lord Vincent, you will eventually need our help.
He had no idea what kind of “help” they were referring to, but he had no interest in finding out. Without another word, he left.
As he passed through that place where the complete night still existed, he navigated the labyrinthine paths, and everything started to feel like an illusion.
Turning back, he attempted to locate the Night’s stronghold once more, but strangely, all he saw were dead ends. Even when he retraced his steps, the result was the same.
It was only after much searching that he finally found an exit. But there, in the sky above, the moon was shining brightly.
The Night had vanished.
—The district governor will not choose you, Lord Vincent.
Bullshit.
Unofficial as it was, there was no doubt that he was the next in line for District 1’s governorship. Of course, there had always been opposition to him because he had been born from an Omega, but once this matter was settled, all those voices would disappear.
The master of the district had also set his sights on this and sent him here for that very reason. Unfortunately, he had not found the leader, but he had uncovered the Night’s deeply hidden stronghold and an Apostle. That alone was more significant than any result he had ever achieved.
For the past eight years, he had pursued only one goal. As long as he became the most superior Shining, just as the district master desired, he would be able to claim what he truly wanted. Yes, everything had been a stepping stone to keep Seo-yul by his side.
“I need to call for reinforcements.”
“…You don’t mean…”
His aide, who had turned to look at him, was instantly convinced upon seeing the unwavering resolve in his eyes. Whatever he had found during the half-day he had been missing, it was undoubtedly something of great significance.
“I will request reinforcements immediately.”
Even after hearing the aide’s response, he showed no reaction. Lost in deep thought, he unconsciously released his pheromones. To disperse them, he threw the window wide open.
It would take several days for reinforcements to arrive from District 1 and begin their investigation of the village. When was the last time he had seen Seo-yul? It must have been over a week at the very least.
He wanted to return to the mansion in District 1 as soon as possible. He had never once considered that place, full of Shining, to be his home. But knowing that Seo-yul was there made it feel almost like a sanctuary.
Once he became the district governor and married Seo-yul, they could spend their entire lives together. He would never have to fear them drifting apart, and being by each other’s side would become the natural order of things. If only the world could be reduced to just him and Seo-yul.
‘Just a little longer.’
The past eight years without Seo-yul had been hell. Only after finally reuniting with him did the stagnant flow of time begin to move again. He never wanted to rot away in the meaningless passage of time again.
‘I miss you, Seo-yul hyung.’
His gaze, which had been fixed beyond the wide-open window, slowly dipped beneath his heavy eyelids. The nausea from enduring that sickening scent had left his body weak.
He had already called for reinforcements—taking a few days to rest wouldn’t hurt.
For the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to let go of the ever-present tension and drifted into a deep sleep.
