Chapter Text
Very little things catch Braun’s interest.
Joining Daydream Company, of course, was originally for the purposes of finding some sort of entertainment in his boring life. It may have been a coincidence to have ended up in their recruitment test, it was still fully intentional to stay afterwards.
But the issue was that he’s spent too long with the company. Now, despite having to face danger on an almost daily basis dealing with Darknesses, things have become far too repetitive that he ends up being disinterested in many things anymore.
He was pretty sure most of his coworkers would talk about his issue too. He was pretty difficult to work with, because he’d only ever cooperate properly when he found something fun in the task.
This time, however…
“Come again?”
“It is a fairly new Darkness, so the manual isn’t complete yet,” the researcher in front of him repeats, looking a bit nervous standing in front of the notorious Assistant Manager of C Squad.
“No, the one you said after that,” Braun crosses his arms, tapping his feet impatiently. The amicable smile on his face felt scarier with his body language.
“Well…there was an anomaly with it recently. The last group that came to enter—only one survived. That guy kept saying there was something weird about the Darkness.”
“And in what way is that?”
“...” The researcher looked behind him, trying to see if any of his coworkers were willing to take over. Except all of them avoided his gaze, busying themselves with even the most boring things like cleaning the desk. “They say there was a new existence there. He killed himself just a few days ago.”
Braun prodded and poked for more information, curious about what happened. He didn’t care much if the researcher was terrified of him. After all, in his eyes, they were just undeserving bastards who would throw the Field Exploration Team into a danger zone for the sake of their “research”.
The only reason he stopped was because the rest of the C Squad finally arrived in the area. The masked squad leader took one glance at him, then at the pale face of the researcher and the people that were wisely keeping clear of them. With a sigh, he wrenches his team member away from his victim, apologizing to the researcher. It was only then that the other Field Exploration Team members from Squad X, who had originally been hiding out of sight in the corner, finally approached.
Braun moves back, now keeping his silence as he stands next to his team member. Lee Seonghae was staring at him with a smile on her face, a little different from the one he wears.
“What?” he asked.
“It’s a little rare to see Mr. Rabbit so interested in a Darkness,” she answers easily. “It felt like years since I’ve last seen this!”
Hm. How perceptive of her to pick up on it so quickly.
He clears his throat, returning her expression.
“That’s right. With such a strange happening in what is supposed to be a decently controlled Darkness, how could I sit still?”
Seeing the two of them interact, Kang Dojun pointedly makes sure to keep a foot away from them. It wasn’t that they’re bad teammates. In fact, these two are highly competent. It’s just their personalities that are hard to get along with!
In a way, they’re like two sides of the same coin. Both are equally difficult.
The squad leader asks for the folder where the known information about the Darkness is, of which a copy was given to each of them, even the X Squad members that came along. Braun already heard most of the information from the researcher anyway, so he just skimmed through the pages in disinterest.
When everyone had been sufficiently brief, they were finally introduced to the way to enter the Darkness.
One of the researchers brought out a fairly-innocent looking box, about half the width of a palm and less than twice long. It was set down gently on a table, then the Research Team all pulled out earplugs from their pockets, covering their ears firmly with a smooth movement. After a brief time of confirmation, they gave the signal that everyone was sufficiently prepared.
The squad leader nodded firmly before stepping forward. He stretched out his hand to the box, opening it without much hesitation.
In an instant, something peeked out.
It was a miniature figure of a person sitting on top of a stand. Judging by the form, it was a man, its head bowed and mostly covered by a white veil. There was a pair of antlers that jutted out from its forehead. One hand motioned towards itself, and the other raised high as if gesturing to the heavens.
Braun hums in appreciation of the craftsmanship. Even as a figurine, it gave off some sort of ethereal aura.
However, he lacked the sufficient time to admire the work better. The sweet tone of a music box flitted through the air, filling the bated silence. The figure slowly spun with the tune, almost hypnotizing in its movements.
There was only a brief feeling of dizziness. The next moment that he blinked, he was no longer standing inside of the company, but in what seemed to be a clean and open hallway.
“...”
Braun takes a calm look around the place. The design seemed to be traditional in the way that he'd see in those older Korean homes. The paint and colors of the place seemed rather muted as well, not daring to use any other color that strays too far from the original shade of the wood that was used.
Most importantly, he was alone.
No matter where he looks, neither of the two squads that came with him was anywhere to be found. But this did not cause him a sense of alarm. Instead, he relaxes slightly, knowing that this was how this particular Darkness starts anyway.
Recalling the manual, it was easy to know what was happening. This was a Darkness that is triggered by listening to a certain music box. Upon being dragged into the world inside it, the person would usually be assigned a random role in the setting. There are unpleasant options that he'd prefer not to get.
As for Braun, he was a little unsure of what he was yet. But seeing as he could freely move anywhere, he was certain he didn't get assigned to the role he disliked.
He brushed off the invisible dirt from his shoulders, noting with amusement that his usual dark suit was replaced by traditional Korean clothing. For a moment, he wondered if this was appropriate. After all, he wasn't born in this country.
I suppose that's not what's important right now, he mused.
Anyway, the rabbit mask was still firmly attached to his face, so it didn't matter too much.
The problem was that, for some reason, there was barely anyone around to guide him to what he was supposed to do. He wonders if the others had an easier time with it, since some roles were pretty straightforward that you'd know as soon as you enter the Darkness.
And then finally, he heard it.
“...Hey, you.”
Suppressing visible joy at finally finding a hint, Braun turns to the direction of the voice with a well-practiced smile on his face.
“Yes?”
The person who called out to him stared sourly at the cheerful expression that he wore. He seemed to be an old man, with a receding hairline that was already turning gray, and a face with age wrinkles here and there.
“Why haven't you gone to the Saint yet?”
Saint?
The use of such a word made him raise an eyebrow inside his head. However, aware that someone from the Darkness was observing everything he did, he kept his expressions under perfect control, a special forté of his.
“I think I lost my way.”
“Tsk. Kids are useless. Follow me.”
I'm not much of a kid at this age, Braun thinks in amusement to himself.
Still, knowing the other person was like this because of how long he's supposedly lived, he didn't point it out anymore.
He followed without saying anything more after the person who was leading him to whatever role he was assigned to. During the trip, Braun allowed himself to mull over the new information.
A Saint.
Perhaps this was the new existence that caused the anomaly.
Previous exploration records from when it was being tested by other groups showed that there was definitely no such personality in this Darkness. That's why it had been a cause of alarm when the last group was almost completely wiped out because of something that wasn't there before.
Was this the new existence that those people were blabbing on about?
He noticed when they were getting close to their destination.
Somehow, there are now more people lurking about. A quick glance around made him notice that one of the X Squad members also ended up in the same space where he was. Through their masks, said person made eye contact with the elite team member for the briefest moment, before quickly adjusting his eyes away out of fear.
How timid.
The old man stopped in front of a sliding door, turning back to him with a blank expression.
“Come quickly. The Saint must be attended to.”
Hm.
Would I be turned to ashes if I come in unprepared? He wonders to himself. There are, after all, no records about the Saint. He couldn't be sure about their temperament.
But everyone else was already growing restless, so he slips into the personality of an obedient follower and bows his head quickly. Afterwards, he went up to the door and made his presence known.
“Saint-nim.”
…
There was no response at first.
No one reprimanded him for what he was doing, so he assumed it was right.
“I've come to attend to you.”
At that moment…
The air seemed to have chilled uncomfortably. There was a sense of someone watching him from every direction, peering into his every being without care for his personal boundaries.
The sudden feeling made his body freeze as an involuntary effect, as if it immediately felt that there was nothing that could be done under such a presence. The people behind him quickly fell to their knees, faces pale with cold sweat running down their temple.
Braun takes a breath and tries to keep himself steady. His head was quickly taking notes of every sensation, keeping in mind all that is necessary about this supposed saint.
Finally, he hears a response.
[ Come in. ]
He thinks the old man beside him was about to kick him in. However, Braun moved before it could be done, sliding the door open carefully since he received permission anyway. He takes a step inside the room and sets his gaze forward.
A single figure sat at the center of the room. Braun recognized him immediately.
It was a pale figure, skin smooth as a porcelain doll that contrasts with the midnight of his hair. He was motionless like one too, but he breathed and looked up at the newcomer very much like the living.
The figure was similar to the image in the music box. The antlers, the white veil, even the ethereal aura, which was faint in the object, was more pronounced in the situation. He recognized this because the figurine left quite a stark impression in his mind.
If he were to raise a hand, it could be a close replica…
The Saint's eyes found his, and he suddenly felt that suffocating feeling again.
This time, he recognized a feeling that itched from within him. It was quiet, and not very obvious at first. But Braun is well-attuned to himself that he immediately pinpointed that strange, sudden feeling of glee despite there being nothing to be so gleeful about.
[ What is it? ]
He speaks rather casually, Braun adds to his list of observations as the Saint turns his eyes away as if disinterested. In an instant, the feeling vanished like a lie.
How truly strange!
He wonders: would it be too much if he attempts to see just how casually this saint could be? Or was it too early to try to do so? There was a strong urge in him to find out, an interest that was growing a tiny bud.
Well, Braun wasn't notorious for nothing. The fastest way to find entertainment is to seek death itself.
“I was awestruck by Saint-nim's beauty,” he says with a charming smile.
Does that work in Darknesses? Perhaps he will find out.
Much to his amazement, the Saint's perfect expression twitched ever so slightly, like he wanted to grimace.
What a fascinatingly human response.
A Darkness acting so expressively after a blatant display of power? What a strange one indeed.
[ Having a glib tongue makes little difference. ]
“Is that so?” He asks rhetorically, smiling easily. “Shall I attend to Saint-nim now?”
[ I didn't know they'd send an audacious man this time. ]
“Whatever are those words for? I'm simply doing my duty to you, oh virtuous Saint.”
[ Loud. ]
At that moment, he felt another unnatural occurrence.
There was an urge underneath his skin, like he wanted so badly to tear off the mouth from his face. Braun tilted his head, a little perplexed, but it almost felt like his mouth refused to move.
That feeling of being watched doesn't exist, but my body is forcing me to be quiet.
It was clear that some limits have been reached with regards to the Saint. Therefore, Braun made his way out of the tightrope, cleaning the room instead and helping with whatever is needed of him during that short period of time.
The Saint didn't say much. But he knew when that person was looking. After all, it was hard to ignore the growing giddiness in his chest that seemed to come for no reason, as if his body knew to be instinctively happy when his gaze cast upon him.
What a strange experience, really.
The old man who brought him there seemed a little surprised when he came out, though Braun couldn't figure out the reason for this. He gets sent back in again and again to the Saint afterwards, which is terrible for him, judging by the uncontrollable joyful emotions that seem to burst from him after every meeting. Braun knew it was a form of contamination, and he had to get out quickly before it got too bad. A meeting in the Fox Counseling Room is definitely in order when he comes back.
Strangely enough, the Saint seemed to be aware of his effect on the person attending to him. He lessened the conversations more and more, even holding back from looking his way. Braun doesn't understand this act. It was strange for Darknesses to be subversive to contaminating humans.
Perhaps…there is a method they could use here.
He also finds the other members of the team that came into this Darkness with him. Lee Seonghae and that person he saw previously were given a role similar to him, serving as members of the cult that seemed to worship the Saint. He was told that the squad leader and the rest, on the other hand, were kept in a room somewhere in this massive house, treated as guests and given what they needed at the moment.
Braun clicked his tongue and expressed his sympathy for their unfortunate situation. Although it sounded good, he knew that the reason for the good treatment was because they were lambs awaiting slaughter, to be sacrificed away. It was written so in the incomplete manual that was handed to them previously.
Lee Seonghae seemed to have been very interested when he told her about the experience and effect of staying around the Saint. She easily traded the information that she picked up while exploring around.
“The people who went before us—They were sacrificed, they say,” she says in a casual tone, as if she was just talking about the weather. “Although some of them were given cult member roles, they were grabbed and thrown to the fire when they tried to leave the Darkness the normal method. It was the day that this ‘Saint’ appeared, if that thing could be called that.”
“I see,” Braun answers thoughtfully, looking out into the distance. There were some members with their hoods pulled up to hide their faces, passing by without even glancing at them. The finishing team member that joined them remained silent, glancing around nervously. “Now we have to think of how to get out safely.”
Lee Seonghae hesitated for a moment, blinking owlishly in his direction. Then, she tilts her head.
“You have an idea?”
A short laugh came from the other person, his teeth almost glinting as he did so. “Have you ever seen a humane Darkness?”
“Huh?” She seemed even more confused. “Are you saying that the Darkness is a good one?”
There was a smile.
“Maybe.”
She catches on quickly. Lee Seonghae seemed to have perked up after hearing his answer, a determination in her expression.
“If the Saint is truly a good kind of Darkness, then we might be able to do something.”
He was planning on focusing on exactly that, too.
Braun didn’t mind being the person to take the initiative. After all, he was more than happy to come here in the first place. He was also the person that constantly gets to see the Saint, regardless of how confused the other members of the cult looked whenever he comes back intact. He still didn’t know the reason for that, actually. Maybe they expected him to simultaneously combust as soon as he was done with his duties?
Nevertheless, he didn’t hesitate either the next time that he came to attend to the Saint.
There was one oddity when he came in, though. The Saint wasn’t sitting on the usual spot where he usually is. Looking around the room for a short while, Braun’s eyes stopped on the shadow behind a six-paneled silk screen.
His eyebrow quirked up slightly. What is the Saint doing there?
However, there was no need to ask. The shadow shifted, as if recognizing his presence. And that same, echoing voice reverberated softly around the room.
[ You will soon die. ]
“...”
Now, that wasn’t something that he expected to hear as soon as he entered.
[ Overindulgence has never led to good things. ]
Does the Saint see him even from behind the screen? Braun wonders briefly, before responding, “I don’t understand.”
[ You feel strange things, do you not? Every time you come to meet me, you lose a little of yourself. ]
He really is aware of the contamination. But right now, is this Saint, who is part of the Darkness, warning him about it?
Why would he? Is there some trickery behind it? Or was it really the kind of anomaly that he was?
Hah. If he was such a kind person, it makes little sense why the previous Daydream workers were sacrificed when they attempted to leave.
“Will I die soon, then?” Braun asks, a little amused. “The next time I come here, will I lose myself?”
He waited for a response for a bit. But the shadow remained motionless, as if the Saint was just staring at him motionlessly.
He remained still for a while, still expecting an answer. But there was still none, so he decided to go about what he was originally supposed to do.
At that moment—
[ Not quite. ]
“...Yes?”
[ Another one—no, two more visits. And after that, you will be gone. ]
Well, that was good to know. Braun ignores the sudden loud pounding of his heart and the heat that suddenly rises in his body as the feeling of being watched comes over again. It was difficult to tell if it was his exhilaration of being brought close to death, or just a natural effect of having the Saint look upon him.
“Are you telling me to leave, Virtuous Saint-nim?” he asked again, the corners of his lips twitching up.
[ That’s right. ]
“I understand.”
He says this, but he had no intention of leaving so quickly. First of all, the Saint already confirmed that he has a few more chances to spare before he inevitably dies. Secondly, an attempt at leaving might cause the cultists to go mad, throwing every sacrifice and other members into the fire once again. It doesn’t really sound like a successful trip for him.
There was a long moment of silence as he tidied up the room. The Saint wasn’t a particularly messy person in the first place anyway, so he didn’t take very long. There’s minimal things inside the room, much less anything that could serve as some sort of personal belonging. It was almost as if there was no one living inside.
Just as he was about to leave, Braun turned to the screen again and asked the question he’d been meaning to ask.
“Do you want to leave, Saint-nim?”
…
He waits impatiently, his body tense. He doesn’t know what kind of reaction that he will get from the being in front of him, if he would be offended or whatnot. And suddenly—
A surging feeling crashes on to him. As if his very existence was being peered upon, overturning him from his insides and turning it out. A sickening feeling crawled from underneath his skin, but his throat felt itchy, like someone was tickling him, trying to rip out giggles and laughs from his mouth—
And there were whispers. There was a voice in his ear, which he didn’t understand well at first until he gets exposed to it long enough—
iwanttoleaveidontbelonghereiwanttoleaveidontbelonghereiwanttoleaveidontbelonghereiwanttoleaveidontbelonghe—
…
And the whispers turned to shrieks. An agonized moaning that seemed to split his head in two, begging, begging, and begging to be freed—
…
And then it all fell silent in an instant.
(As if it never happened.)
[ That’s a funny question. ]
Braun stumbles out of the room, feeling as if he was just tossed in a microwave and left tossing and turning, boiling under the heat. He almost collapsed when he got out, cold sweat dripping down from his forehead.
Still, there was a wide smile on his face, and his eyes were shining with an almost intense light.
He got the answer he wanted.
That Saint—whatever he was—he truly was an anomaly. No, it might be more apt to call him a tumor.
And tumors, well…It’s always better to get rid of them.
He still comes the next time, even when he was warned to leave. The Saint was still sitting behind the screen, as if he knew that Braun would still be coming the next time.
[ Again. ]
“Yes,” he answers, smiling like he almost didn’t die the last time he had been in this room. And then he did the same routine that he’s been doing since he first came into this Darkness.
The Saint didn’t say anything more after that, remaining as still as a statue once again. For a short moment, Braun wanted to see the kind of expression that such a person was hiding behind the silk screen. But he shook off this urge, knowing he might die if he exposes too much of himself to the other.
He starts an idle conversation, like it was a normal thing. He talks about what he usually does when he isn't at work, just loitering around the streets of Seoul and visiting various places.
It was an attempt to pique the Saint’s interest, trying to get him to yearn to leave the Darkness he is trapped in.
At the end, Braun stands by the door, still with that million-dollar smile on his face.
“Of course, as a loyal follower, should the Saint ask, I will gladly take him outside.”
[ … ]
“Tomorrow will be my last day to visit. After all, the Saint-nim told me I will die soon.”
There was still no reply. So he lowers his head as a wordless farewell, and slides the door shut behind him.
One more chance. There’s just one more chance left.
Lee Seonghae stared at him curiously on their way to one of the rooms where the squad leader was kept. There was a question bubbling in her, he could tell. She just seemed to be trying to figure out how to ask it.
Only when they stopped in front of one of the doors and slid it open did she speak what was in her mind.
“Why are you insistent on bringing the Saint with us?”
The squad leader, who had just taken the tray of food that they’d delivered to him, almost dropped what he was holding. He looked at his team members blankly, already figuring out what they were talking about.
Braun only smiles innocently.
“I was enchanted.”
“I see.”
Lee Seonghae accepts his answer easily, nodding. She must’ve fairly understood his point, since she was also a little similar when it came to good people. However, the squad leader didn’t seem too happy.
“Are you thinking of bringing a Darkness outside its domain?”
“That’s not quite right, squad leader,” he answers charmingly. “In the first place, the Saint is an anomaly. He didn’t initially belong in this Darkness. He even expressed a desire to leave.”
There was a frown on the other man’s face. “Hypothetically speaking, if we did manage to get him out, then what’s next?”
Braun laughs again. “I’m sure those researchers would be thrilled if it happened. They could figure it out themselves.”
And that was the truth. In fact, they might even get extra points if they bring back a potential asset to the company. Director Cheong might find some use in the Saint, knowing the kind of person that she is.
Besides, taking the Saint with them allows Braun to observe him a little longer. That strange, human-like Darkness that displayed more care than most people in Daydream ever would.
He didn’t have much expectations for the last time he was set to visit. In fact, Braun was expecting that he would have to risk it just to get the Saint out of the silk screen of which he was hiding himself behind. However, the moment he entered the room, there was a figure that charged at him.
There was a soft, cold grip on both his arms. A face inched slightly forwards towards him, eyes glinting with a sort of desperation that took him aback.
The ethereal glow of power that always seemed to engulf the Saint had gone away. He cast aside the veil that covered the upper part of his face, revealing midnight dark hair that almost seemed soft to the touch. If it wasn’t for the horns on his forehead, he could’ve been easily mistaken for a human.
Braun was still a little stunned. He’d evenly met the Saint’s eyes, but he didn’t feel the oppressive feeling that he always struggled against whenever he was being watched.
[ Out. Out. Out. Out. ] The voice, however, was still the same. Not quite human. [ Get me out. You promised you could. Get me out. Get me out. ]
…This was the most he’d seen the Saint forgoing his usual dignified appearance. In fact, he almost seemed a little…frazzled.
The hands gripping at him loosened. The Saint crumples in front of him, a helpless expression on his face. He grips at his hair, seemingly pulling in frustration.
[ I can’t take it anymore. I can’t do it. I’m not supposed to be here. Get me out, get me out. Out, out, out… ]
He almost sounds mad.
Like he’d lost his mind.
“Saint-nim—”
[ You have to get me out. I can’t do it anymore. ]
I DON’T WANT TO LOSE MORE OF MYSELF!
…An unprecedented situation.
Braun didn’t think it would be the Saint who would come begging to be let out first.
[ Can you do it? Can you do it? You can't do it? You can't? Did you lie? ]
Most alarmingly, however, was firstly the smoke that was looking beneath their feet.
It doesn't make sense. It was as if it was coming from thin air when there was no original source to begin with. The gray fog slowly rises, covering most of his feet in a speedy instant. It left a numb feeling on where there should be something.
Oh.
It might be pretty serious.
Of course, he'd thrown away the suggestion of getting the Saint out because it seems like it would be beneficial for them. However, it seems that it worked too well.
So much that failing to do so might as well lead to his death.
“Naturally, it's possible,” he hurriedly says, glancing nervously down at the floor.
There was a slight change in his feelings when he saw the smoke pause for a moment and recede. While he was the kind of person who sought after entertainment, he wasn't very keen on dying in the process.
“But I'm curious,” he continues. “Will it be okay? If I stay too long with you, won't I die? Saint-nim said this, didn't you?”
[ … ]
The hands that held on to him loosened slightly.
[ …No. ]
Braun regards him curiously. He had an inkling as to why the response was like that, judging from how the usual oppressive presence was gone, but he still asked.
“No?”
[ That cursed veil…I took it off. ]
So it really was the veil.
Braun had some guesses at that point. It was likely that the Saint wasn't originally a saint nor originally a Darkness. That would explain why he was more humane than what he's encountered so far. However, being forced into his very own “role” as a figure of worship into the cult must've contaminated him so badly.
The fact that his means of speech wasn't like that of a normal person indicated that he's far removed from a human now.
There was also the possibility of other things contributing to this contamination. He didn't think much of it, though. Because he could see the smoke slowly starting to rise again, the impatience of the Saint finally running a little thin.
Hah. Or could it be called impatience?
Remembering the expression on his face previously, Braun wonders if it is more apt to call it desperation.
Why would someone who was clearly treated well in the Darkness be terrified? If there is a way to die, this one is probably the kindest, because you won't even realize it.
Making a split second decision, Braun smiled widely and decided to break one of the rules of Daydream Co.
A hand reached out to his face, touching the edges of his mask and pulling it off. It came away easily enough, and before the Saint could understand what he was doing, he'd already moved the rabbit mask from his face to the other person's.
It doesn’t fit very well. The antlers bumped awkwardly against the ears of the rabbit, which was the reason why the Saint had to reach out a hand to keep it there. He doesn’t seem to understand why it was done.
Well, Braun hoped it could buy them some time, allowing the cultists to not recognize this person’s identity quickly. But the outfit he wore was too obvious, so it might not work. Still, when he’d seen the smoke lessen slightly, he decided that it was fine keeping it on.
The handsome face of a foreign man smiles back down at the Saint. For a moment, there was no response, so he took the free wrist of the other person and swiftly made their way out of the room.
[ No. ]
…Huh?
Just as he said that, there was the sound of burning in the air. The wrist he was holding slipped free from his grasp.
Braun turns around in confusion. There, he saw the Saint staring at the doorway, the only thing dividing his room from the outside world. Glancing down further, he sees the source of the burnt smell.
The hem of the Saint’s clothes have burnt off, along with the ends of his toes.
“...” Braun looks up, exhaling. “Saint-nim, can you not leave?”
There was a slow blink, long lashes resting against the revered being’s cheeks.
[ Not of my own two feet. ]
Interesting.
Even without the veil, which was undeniable the source of his contamination, he still has no freedom to go. And he probably knew it as well, considering that he tried to warn Braun about it.
Still, Braun was good at looking at context and finding loopholes in it. This one, too, is no challenge.
He strides back inside.
“Then, would the Saint-nim mind if I get a little…well…physical?”
[ … ]
The other person stared wordlessly back at him. The rabbit mask hid most of any possible visible emotion.
For a moment, Braun wonders if the Saint would've felt more indignant had he not been as contaminated as what he apparently now was.
There was still no answer, but there was no refusal either. So he took it just as he wanted to interpret it.
With a solid motion, Braun leans down and swings an arm behind what he assumed was the Saint's legs, and the other on his back. He buys some effort into his arms and carries the man in what most would call a bridal carry.
He thinks he felt the Saint tense up slightly, but it didn't matter. He turned his attention back to the door and started to run out with a very important person in his arms.
At first, he thought the Saint had held his breath. But when they'd crossed the doorway and nothing happened, it was released as if it'd never happened.
“What—”
The very moment this had happened, a massive tremor shook the entire place. He almost stumbled from the suddenness of it. Conscious of the person he carries in his arms, he stabilized his balance quickly, glancing at the cracks on the walls that rapidly started to spread.
That didn’t look very good. It felt as if the place might collapse soon. Was taking the Saint outside his room really such a grave thing?
Not that it was his problem now.
Braun bolts his way across the corridor, laughing to himself. The cracks around the walls expanded as well, the starting point from the room and now seemingly following them. There were quite a number of devours walking around everywhere. The moment they'd made sense of what he was doing, they'd started to shout after him and give him a chase.
“Blasphemy! To get so bold as to manhandle the Saint! Burn him! Offer him as sacrifice to Ireum-nim!”
“After him! Quick!”
“Be careful! The Saint is held hostage!”
He feels the hold on him tighten slightly. Braun glances at the person in his arms, blinking in surprise when he smelled something metallic close by. His eyes shifted slightly until it caught sight of something red coming from the Saint’s ears—Was that blood?
…Was this a good idea? However, the Saint wasn’t saying anything at all, so it should be, right?
He settles for smiling brightly instead.
“Seeing as we're out of the room now, does Saint-nim, perhaps, want to run by himself?”
The Saint’s lips tightened momentarily.
He opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment, something got in the way of where Braun was heading to.
The old man whom he met during the first time stepped in his way, glaring ferociously at the audacious person who stole the Saint. Braun, who did not have a mask to hide his face, equally stared back without caring much about the situation. From under his feet, the cracks had finally reached him. The tremor grows slightly stronger. It was enough indication for him to know he doesn’t have enough time to dawdle around.
“You…” The cultist was definitely livid, that one was for sure. “You will suffer in a thousand hells for this disrespect…”
“Terrifying,” Braun responds with a laugh, glancing underneath to make sure that the floor won’t collapse under his feet. It seems steady enough, for now. “But I will have to decline.”
From behind him, the cultists who had been giving chase had caught up. They didn't seem to notice how the space was collapsing behind them. They'd surrounded him and the Saint, staring at him with dead, almost obsessive looks, like they wanted to tear him to pieces.
In his arms, the Saint looks around wordlessly. Then his hold loosened, a nonverbal way to ask for Braun to let him down.
So he did.
Bare feet met the cold surface of the hallways. A figure who’d been kept locked inside the room takes a step, looking like he’d collapse at the slightest blow of the wind. The blood in his ears continued to drip, staining the purity of the fabric’s shoulder and collar, but there was not even a single flinch in his movements.
Why was it like that? Was him bleeding related to why the Darkness was slowly falling apart?
The devouts who'd witness the Saint move felt as if their knees were about to buckle and collapse, the urge to kneel down strong. The old man before them looked at him with a reverent look on his face. Braun's expression twitched slightly at the sight.
How unpleasant.
Smoke pooled on the floor again. But this time, it kept clear of Braun's feet and headed straight to the cultists.
[ Get out of my way. ]
…
There were strangled sounds at first.
Honestly, it was impossible to tell what was going on. The smoke has quickly risen high enough to cover everyone around them. Only the sounds of people suffering inside the smoke echoed.
Braun looks around curiously, watching the shadows writhe and collapse around him. He also hears somewhere behind, a distant sound of pillars collapsing. But the Saint only walked on calmly, step by step, the smoke shifting to give way to his path.
[ What are you doing? ]
“...!”
[ You must lead the way. ]
Oh, that's right.
He picks up his pace, walking in front of the one who held his rabbit mask. The smoke made sure to shift away from where he was going, clearing free once they'd gotten past the section where the cultist who attempted to capture him had been.
They silently walked across the building, until he'd reached the end of the land. There, he spotted the familiar figure of the people who'd come with him, waiting by what looks like a temple gate.
“Mr. Rabbit!” Lee Seonghae greeted him, easily accepting the fact that he'd taken off his rabbit mask and handed it to the person behind him. Of course, her eyes curiously drifted to the side, but she didn't ask more questions. “What’s happening? Why did the place start collapsing? Have you succeeded?”
The squad leader was looking at the Saint behind him, as if he couldn't believe his attempt actually worked. The other round-off members simply looked confused as they glanced amongst themselves, not knowing what happened.
There was a loud sound in the direction they’d just come from. Braun smiles brightly, like there was nothing bad happening.
“So can we…leave now?”
“Is it okay? Won't the cultists come after us?”
Braun chuckled at the questions and gave a confident response.
“They won't.”
He was sure that most who'd tried had already fallen victim to the smoke. Besides, even if the remaining ones do, the Saint will stop them from getting in the way again.
All that was left was to cross the gate to get back to the company.
He turns to the Saint, who was already looking back at him.
He seemed paler than he had been previously. The blood already stained a good amount of the upper half of his clothes, but it was either he didn’t care about it, or he was too lightheaded to think about it. Braun observed the figure for a while.
“Can you still move well? Shall I carry you again?”
…
This time, there was no response.
He assumed that was an answer in itself. He shook his head like he was exasperated, but the smile didn’t leave his expression.
“Then, we're getting out now.”
Said person slowly turned his gaze ahead, to the massive red gate that looked over them. For a moment, Braun wondered what was going through his mind.
Still, he didn't say anything.
So instead, he'd held out a hand again and waited patiently for that admired figure to take the wordless offer.
It was the ticket to freedom.
Naturally, there had been no hesitation.