The whole world was red.

Cha Seohu sat helplessly beneath the blood-red sunset, and the shadows of him and the man lying in his arms stretched out long across the ground.

Cha Seohu blankly looked down at Ryu Sunghyun, who had collapsed while leaning against his chest.

A face with eyes closed as peacefully as if asleep. But his complexion was far too pale, and a line of blood had leaked from the corner of his lips and dried there.

“...Hyung.”

Cha Seohu whispered quietly and lifted his head.

There were countless corpses scattered around them besides Ryu Sunghyun. All the renowned, powerful Hunters had been killed. Among them was the Guildmaster of Yesung.

Cha Seohu’s gaze moved forward. Now, he saw bodies with familiar faces. All of them were Circle Guild members.

The hand holding Ryu Sunghyun’s shoulder tightened. Cha Seohu pressed his forehead against Ryu Sunghyun’s cold, rigid body, lips pressed tight.

[So? After killing me, killing the Guildmaster, killing all of us... you decided to accept the Catastrophe as your family?]

Ryu Sunghyun’s voice echoed softly.

[Did you grow attached after living together?]

A wind blew from behind. The chill sank all the way into his bones, and Cha Seohu closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he was no longer holding Ryu Sunghyun’s corpse.

Pitch-black darkness, where no scenery or objects could be seen. Directly across from Cha Seohu stood two Ryu Sunghyuns, facing each other.

Ryu Sunghyun and ‘Ryu Sunghyun’, identical to a bizarre degree. They were fighting, and all Cha Seohu could do was watch. He couldn’t stop them.

[Because a new ‘Ryu Sunghyun’ has appeared?]

A new Ryu Sunghyun.

The phrase wouldn’t leave his mind. It spun around endlessly.

It was the right expression. It was the cold truth Cha Seohu had deliberately avoided for a long time.

The Ryu Sunghyun of this place was not the same as ‘Ryu Sunghyun’.

Which meant that the ‘Ryu Sunghyun’ he had desperately struggled to protect... no longer existed.

Cha Seohu watched the two Ryu Sunghyuns fight with empty eyes. Soon, one of them deliberately took the other’s attack.

A golden blade pierced through his abdomen. Blood poured out; healing skills failed to connect.

A sense of helplessness climbed up from beneath his feet. It crawled up his body like a snake and swallowed both body and mind.

And then, the ‘Ryu Sunghyun’ who was dying on his knees turned to look at Cha Seohu.

In this space where everything was swallowed by black darkness, only the two of them looked at each other.

[It really was... such a miraculous time, wasn’t it...]

‘Ryu Sunghyun’ smiled gently, cold sweat beading on his face.

[I’m glad... that you’ve found a new life.]

Soon, his body began to break apart into brilliant light.

[That you’ve been living like this. That you’re staying by the side of people who care for you... that you haven’t given up... I’m glad.]

Seohu-ya. You are not protecting the past. You are protecting your new future.

‘Ryu Sunghyun’ closed his eyes peacefully. His body turned into a cluster of light and disappeared without leaving a single trace.

Left alone, Cha Seohu stared into the empty space and repeated the words he could never bring himself to ask.

“If I wanted to give up?”

His hyung had said he was glad Seohu didn’t die. Glad he hadn’t given up.

“If I want to give up, if I just want to die... would you be disappointed in me?”

This wasn’t willpower. It was a pure, instinctive wish.

Cha Seohu still wanted to protect this world. He wanted to stop the disgusting cult that had destroyed the lives of him, Cha Sahyeon, and countless others, and he couldn’t let the S-ranks helping him die.

But on the other side... the desire to just give up and rest—his frailty—also existed.

Cha Seohu’s goal didn’t end with saving this world. He wanted to return to the world before regression and reach the end together with those who had cherished him.

Yet... ‘Ryu Sunghyun’ had told him to protect the future.

And he had told him to keep living in that future without giving up. He had said he was glad—but after seeing all of Cha Seohu’s thoughts, desires, and memories, there was no way ‘Ryu Sunghyun’ did not know what kind of ending Cha Seohu truly wanted.

It had been a gently delivered request.

Do not come back. Live on in this new world, the world you will protect.

How was he supposed to accept that? He felt lost.

“......”

In the darkness where nothing could be seen, Cha Seohu quietly closed his eyes.

***

When he opened them again, a familiar ceiling entered his view.

A room in the district where he had grown up. Staring up at the dark ceiling, Cha Seohu slowly sat up.

His palm touched the soft blanket. Only then did the memories before he fainted return.

The moment he stepped out of the Rift, under the midday sunlight, Silverlight’s Blessing had dissipated, and his Supporter-level body couldn’t withstand the exhaustion and shock.

Cha Seohu pressed his hand to his forehead and began to look around—

“Hunter Cha Seohu.”

A low, calm voice came from close by.

Clack.

Ryu Sunghyun poured water from a bottle into an empty cup.

Seeing Ryu Sunghyun hold it out to him felt strangely unreal, and Cha Seohu blankly looked up at him.

“Drink. You slept for over half a day. Your throat must be very dry.”

“...Thank you.”

Cha Seohu obediently took the cup and drank. His throat really was parched.

When he emptied it, Ryu Sunghyun naturally took the cup back. Even though Cha Seohu had just had water, something still felt like it was burning inside him, and he glanced around for no reason.

Moonlight spilled softly through the window. Other than Ryu Sunghyun, no one else was in the room.

As if reading every thought in his mind, Ryu Sunghyun explained:

“Everyone is resting. Seo Representative, was it? He gave us rooms so we could rest. I also received treatment from a healer.”

“Ah...”

Only then did Cha Seohu realize he hadn’t healed Ryu Sunghyun.

He had been so focused on ‘Ryu Sunghyun’ that he hadn’t checked the real Ryu Sunghyun’s condition. Even after waking up, he hadn’t asked if he was alright.

A wave of guilt and regret surged up, and he couldn’t bring himself to meet Ryu Sunghyun’s gaze.

Seeing Cha Seohu lower his head, Ryu Sunghyun let out a short sigh.

“...I didn’t say it to make you blame yourself. I was just telling you what happened.”

He sat down on the chair beside the bed.

A brief silence followed. Cha Seohu swallowed dryly and stared only at his own hands on top of the blanket.

In moments like ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ this, Cha Seohu always acted the same way.

He would babble nonsense, divert the topic smoothly, or make excuses about the teammates and slip away.

He avoided uncomfortable topics and hid his inner thoughts and secrets.

And he could get away with it only because Ryu Sunghyun and Kwon Taehyuk understood him.

Aside from Cha Sahyeon, with whom he shared some mutual secrets, the two of them knew only a fraction of who Cha Seohu really was. Even so, they always helped him, never prying or pressuring him.

But this time was different.

Cha Seohu didn’t need to hear it to know that Ryu Sunghyun would no longer let him run away.

“Hunter Cha Seohu.”

“...Yes.”

At least the voice coming from Ryu Sunghyun was gentler and calmer than the fears swirling inside Cha Seohu.

“You promised me, didn’t you? That once we got out of the Rift, you would explain everything.”

“......”

“Do I need to wait longer?”

Cha Seohu’s shoulders flinched.

“...That...” 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

He barely opened his mouth, but the rest of the words wouldn’t come out.

Seeing him frozen stiff, Ryu Sunghyun sighed quietly.

“Hunter Cha Seohu. In my opinion... no matter how long you wait, your heart won’t become any more at ease.”

“......”

“If waiting would truly make things easier for you, then I could wait as long as needed. Truly. I would let today’s events rest and stay by your side until you were ready.”

Ryu Sunghyun reached out cautiously. With his hand, he gently lifted Cha Seohu’s chin.

Facing him eye-to-eye, Ryu Sunghyun gave a faint, soft smile.

“But... that’s not it, is it?”

“......”

“Hunter Cha Seohu. Before you tell me your secret... tell me this.

What are you afraid of?”