Chick 352
by Cristae352
Joorim, having hurriedly escaped the snowy plain, stared in disbelief at the scene before her.
Her child, beating a fully grown adult to a pulp—it was nothing short of shocking.
A jumble of thoughts clouded Joorim’s mind as she stood amidst the crumbling remains of the dungeon, lost briefly in contemplation.
Is my child this way because of my parenting?
As Kabaron’s screams rang out and she hesitated, the tremors from the collapsing dungeon caused Groo and Bailach to stumble and lose their balance.
The ground quaked violently, cracks widening by the second. The imperial city was toppling, thunderous booms echoing in her ears. Ashen dust, whipped by fierce winds, filled the air.
Everything was rushing toward the final collapse.
In the chaos, Kabaron broke free of Bailach’s gravity and darted backward.
“……!”
Bailach tried to stop him, but Kabaron was a step ahead.
A triquetra gleamed in his gaze, and Bailach froze in place.
“It works.”
Kabaron muttered with a mocking sneer curling his lips.
He hadn’t escaped from Kabaron’s control entirely—was it only because he had been in contact with the witch before that it hadn’t worked?
If that was the case…
Kabaron turned his attention to Joorim and Groo.
He saw Joorim steadying the swaying Groo and clicked his tongue.
Deciding that he couldn’t use his strength while she was in contact with the witch, Kabaron swiftly concealed himself.
As Bailach felt his body return to his own control, he searched for Kabaron, but the man had already vanished.
Meanwhile, the exit gate stood open right beside them.
Joorim, seeing it, didn’t hesitate to tuck Groo under her arm.
“Ah!”
Groo squirmed, but was no match for Joorim’s grip.
How is Dad here?
Is he here to scold me?!
‘It makes… sense!’
But I can’t go back like this!
‘I have to get the witch’s eyes back… huh?’
As Groo looked around at the collapsing surroundings, she realized too late that Kabaron had disappeared, and her face crumpled in distress.
“Ah, nooo!”
“What do you mean, ‘no’?”
“I haven’t found the eyes yet!”
“Quiet! Do you even know where you are?!”
“Hing! That’s, um…”
Groo had all sorts of excuses.
We were just looking for a good camping spot together—that’s how I got here.
It’s not like I wanted to come here.
But before she could start her litany of excuses, Joorim headed toward the gate.
Bailach and Mephisto, in the forms of hamster and bird, hopped onto Groo.
Joorim growled,
“When we get home, you’re going to be in so much trouble—”
But her words were cut short.
The moment she stepped through the gate, a small stone rolled into the toe of her shoe.
‘…The smell of blood.’
Reflexively, Joorim blocked Groo’s line of sight.
Groo struggled against the large hand covering her eyes, but Joorim paid no mind and looked up.
On the twisted steel frame of a half-collapsed building stood a man in a black suit.
Dangling from his grip, limp and unconscious, was Gidan.
A groan escaped Joorim.
“…Brother.”
Chapter On Ijo
The street bore the traces of a devastating battle.
Shattered concrete, scorch marks from flames, a heavy, acrid air thick with blood and dust.
A broken streetlamp had toppled over, and beneath it Jin Siwon and Sergey lay sprawled.
Watching their motionless forms, Joorim’s gaze quivered—then stiffened at the sudden sound of coughing.
“Cough, cough!”
Bloody foam escaped Sergey’s lips. Jin Siwon, startled by the noise, twitched a hand.
Joorim’s stiff shoulders eased just a little.
‘They’re still alive.’
Only then could she breathe again, her chest burning for air.
A metallic tang from the 99th floor seemed to fill her mouth, squeezing her insides.
Her heart thudded violently.
Joorim muttered under her breath, sounding like a groan.
“…Brother.”
At that moment, long, narrow eyes turned toward her.
On Ijo’s body, streaked with blood and dust, bore the marks of fierce battle.
“…I didn’t think you’d make it out.”
He admitted to himself that he had underestimated Joorim.
On Ijo looked down at his hand. Gidan was breathing shallowly.
These were the ones who’d rushed in to save Joorim after realizing she’d been captured.
“Since you got out by yourself, all their effort came to nothing.”
He uttered with a rueful sigh.
“Uncle?”
He froze for a split second.
His pupils trembled at the sound of his daughter’s voice calling to him.
“Uncleee—!”
Groo, her eyes still covered, called out again to On Ijo in an exuberant voice.
Not wanting Groo to see the ruin before them, Joorim held her tightly in his arms.
Groo squirmed and shook her head as Joorim kept pulling her in close.
“Groo! Daddy and I are looking for a good camping spot together!”
On Ijo’s brow knotted, the feeling akin to being choked.
Finally, Groo managed to pop her face out.
But her eyes still blocked, she smiled brightly.
“So, just go and come back early.”
On Ijo could say nothing.
Her innocent words slashed through the air.
For a split second, as Joorim’s hands relaxed, Groo took her chance and quickly lifted her head up.
The soft, smiling coral eyes met the world outside for the first time.
“…?”
Groo glanced around the ruined street.
A chill ran from her toes to her scalp.
A sense of unnaturalness she had never felt before.
Groo turned her head, slowly—agonizingly slowly.
‘Mr. Hongsam? Sergey?’
Jin Siwon and Sergey lay bleeding and unconscious.
Groo’s mouth hung open, dazed.
“Don’t look.”
Joorim tried to shield her from seeing the scene.
But Groo desperately dodged his hands, pulling them away from her eyes.
“On Groo!”
Half crying, half yelling, Groo choked out his name.
“No!”
Joorim’s shoulders slumped at that voice.
Then Groo spotted Gidan, still gripped in On Ijo’s hand, and cried out.
“Dani!”
At that moment, On Ijo stared blankly at his hand as if possessed.
As though he’d grasped something he absolutely shouldn’t, his fingers slackened and he let go of Gidan.
Gidan collapsed to the ground.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
Wracked with coughs and convulsions, Gidan lay heaving on the floor.
His thin coughs faded into the darkness as his chest just barely moved.
On Ijo instinctively checked his daughter’s face. The face that had been smiling so serenely just a moment ago was drained of all color.
On Ijo wiped his face with a dry hand.
The blood wouldn’t come off—it only smeared further across his pale skin.
“Princess… Dad…”
He stammered, rubbing at his face with the back of his hand.
But the more he wiped, the redder the blood spread around his features.
His brow furrowed deeply.
“Your dad, it’s just that—”
He struggled, desperate to explain the situation somehow. But the frightened coral eyes pierced him like knives.
“It’s just…”
How could he explain this to her?
How could he make her understand?
That he hadn’t meant to kill them?
But that he’d planned to kill them all?
Just moments ago, he’d been strangling Gidan with his own hands.
And now, it was as if Groo’s eyes were strangling him.
If he could just not see those fearful eyes, maybe he could explain everything, step by step.
If only she didn’t look at him with such frightened eyes.
It was then. At that moment, Joorim moved first.