It was dark.

  Min-ah thought to herself that whenever the pseudo-religious cult kidnapped her, they always threw her into a dark room. To be precise, instead of "dark," it should be called "absolute pitch black." She was alone in a room without a single source of light. Her hands and feet were bound. Though they hadn't blindfolded her or gagged her, Min-ah felt the crushing weight of her own helplessness.

  She supposed she should be grateful they had provided a blanket so she wouldn't catch a cold—though, of course, it would have been better if they hadn't kidnapped her at all.

  Min-ah let out a sigh and pondered. Why had they put her here? There wasn't much need for deep thought; leaving her alone in the dark was likely a psychological tactic. Those deprived of sight tend to become submissive out of fear, and the people of the Cult surely wanted her to be exactly that.

  However, for Min-ah, that wasn't particularly effective. To her, darkness was something that felt comfortable, even if it was a bit scary. She loved the peace she felt when she turned off the lights to go to sleep. This felt like an extension of that. At the very least, knowing she was alone in this room, she didn't hate the darkness wrapping around her. If there were bugs, it would be a different story, but she sensed no sign of them.

  If that was the case, she could stay at peace in the darkness for a while.

  Of course, Min-ah knew she couldn't stay entirely at ease. Those who imprisoned her could do God-knows-what at any moment. Fear begins with ignorance. The fact that she didn't know what fate awaited her terrified her more than the darkness itself.

  What did the people of the Cult want from her? Were they using her as bait to lure Jihyeon out? Or were they planning to kill her or harm her to gain something else? Min-ah couldn't fathom their objective. That uncertainty made her fearful and anxious.

  If they would at least say something, she might be able to find a clue and deduce their intent. Even a tiny hint could open up countless possibilities. But her captors remained silent. They had knocked her out without a word, brought her here, closed the door, and simply abandoned her. That unpleasant silence continued to grate on Min-ah’s nerves.

  Conversely, she couldn't make a sound either. Since she didn't know what they wanted, provoking them would be dangerous.

  Min-ah couldn't help but lament her ill fortune. Other people lived their whole lives without being kidnapped once, yet how many times had this happened to her? She might end up setting a record for the number of kidnappings—not that she wanted such a thing. Even now, with her life at risk, thinking such things felt a bit ridiculous.

  Still, Min-ah considered it a blessing that she had no major injuries, other than the discomfort of the restraints. If she had been badly hurt, her time here would have been several times more terrifying. However, the lack of pain so far was no guarantee for the future.

  Jihyeon would surely come to save her, but she didn't know when. It wouldn't be hard for them to break her in the meantime. If they decided to turn violent, Min-ah would crumble instantly. After all, she was just an ordinary college student.

  The methods the Cult could choose to destroy her were infinite. A simple act of violence would suffice. One slap. That would be enough for Min-ah to break, feeling the overwhelming difference in power.

  In that sense, the current moment was an unstable peace. The second the door opened and the light flickered on, Min-ah’s fate would be thrown into turmoil.

  Yet, on the other hand, Min-ah thought they were being wise by doing nothing. If she were harmed, there was no telling how terrifying Jihyeon might become.

  Jihyeon will come. Definitely. It was just a matter of how soon. He would surely come.

  If Min-ah were to be hurt or killed, Jihyeon would become a demon that no one could stop. Min-ah believed his hidden, passionate side would lead to a catastrophic outcome.

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  The man who, despite rejecting her heart, always came to help and save her like a prince. That was why Min-ah loved him. No, she still loved him. Jihyeon probably wouldn't fully admit his feelings until something went wrong, and he would likely suffer endlessly over the fact that she had been kidnapped.

  Knowing that side of Jihyeon, Min-ah trusted him. A man who would drive a car all the way there upon hearing the news of her kidnapping wouldn't fail to show up.

  But the problem would be when Jihyeon arrived. This time, he wouldn't hold back at all.

  Destruction. He would likely crush everything with overwhelming power. It was a side of him that couldn't be found in his usual, kind self. In a sense, a berserk Jihyeon would undoubtedly be the most terrifying thing in the world. But Min-ah wouldn't hate him, even if she saw that hidden side of him.

  Because he was getting angry for her.

  That thought made Min-ah feel enchanted. In a way, having the world's greatest man get angry on her behalf made her feel a sense of happiness. Of course, Min-ah had no intention of being foolish enough to get kidnapped just to see that. No, she actually hated this.

  The fear from the moments her life was threatened still haunted her. Min-ah didn't know how many more nights of sleep paralysis she would experience, remembering when the previous Leader kidnapped her.

  A nightmare. This was a nightmare. A nightmare she wanted to wake up from as soon as possible.

  "I wish he'd come quickly..."

  Min-ah muttered in a tiny voice. Waiting is hard. She waited more fervently than anyone for Jihyeon to arrive soon.

  A hospital emergency room.

  Lee Young woke up there. Beneath an unfamiliar ceiling, she was receiving an IV drip.

  "Haaa..."

  Once she grasped the situation, Lee Young let out a sigh. Min-ah had been kidnapped, and she had fainted from the shock. Now she was lying in the hospital, apparently brought to the ER from Min-ah’s house.

  "Tch..."

  Lee Young clicked her tongue, feeling a surge of anger. Her life had been ruined by the enemies in her class, and she had been wounded by many things. She was in a position where she had nothing left to lose.

  To her, Min-ah was one of the two saviors who had rescued her life. Even if she spent her entire life trying to repay that debt, she never could. But Lee Young had no power. She had no power to protect Min-ah, nor the power to protect herself. She had collapsed in fear like a fool, and now she was in this state.

  "If only I had a Tool..."

  Lee Young muttered, biting her lower lip. Jihyeon wanted her to live a normal life and stay away from Tools. But for someone who had already used a Tool, a normal life might be impossible.

  This was especially true for Lee Young, who had used a sniping Tool. Although she had forgotten much of her memory from that time, she still had some recollection of the Tool she had used. If she had been able to use a Tool, perhaps Min-ah wouldn't have been kidnapped.

  Of course, with Lee Young’s combat ability, she might not have been able to defeat the kidnappers. But she felt it would have been much better to die fighting for Min-ah than to be a helpless version of herself who couldn't even try.

  "Damn it..."

  Curses began to slip from Lee Young’s mouth—expressions of frustration and rage. Particularly, her anger toward her own weak, wound-covered self turned into a stream of ceaseless profanity.

  But no matter how much she spoke, nothing changed. Moving right now wouldn't change anything either. In an unbearable state of depression, Lee Young could only sigh. All she could do was pray fervently for Min-ah’s safe return.

  Lee Young closed her eyes and prayed. Jihyeon would likely go to save Min-ah. He would surely defeat the kidnappers in style and rescue her. Since Jihyeon was nearly omnipotent, it would be possible.

  But if I were the one kidnapped, would Jihyeon save me as much as he's saving Min-ah?

  The sudden thought made Lee Young’s eyes snap open. It quickly turned into despair—a groundless sense of hopelessness.

  "Ahahaha..."

  She didn't know what she was thinking at a time like this. But when the thought occurred to her, Lee Young began to laugh in spite of herself. Anxiety, worry, and jealousy.

  As expected, she was jealous of Min-ah. Even though she thought she would give her life for her, knowing that Jihyeon would save Min-ah made a spark of jealousy bloom that she couldn't stop.

  Her laughter gradually grew louder. But soon, it turned into sobbing. She wept as if wailing. Lee Young couldn't control her own emotions.

  She was still afraid. Still scared. Yet, she was resentful. And angry. But on the other hand, she couldn't stop the jealousy.

  Countless complex emotions shifted rapidly, making Lee Young laugh and cry. This extreme emotional fluctuation, unlike anything she had ever experienced, soon exhausted her.

  Yet, Lee Young didn't try to calm herself down. She simply let herself go with the flow.

  "Student, are you okay?"

  Had a nurse heard her laughter? She pulled back the curtain and entered. Seeing the tears streaming down Lee Young’s face, the nurse looked at her with pity.

  But Lee Young didn't answer. No, she couldn't. At most, she could only nod her head. It was unavoidable; she couldn't even control her own feelings right now. As myriad thoughts bloomed and vanished, Lee Young suffered within the extremes of her emotions.

  For now, she had to think only of recovering in the hospital. Lee Young couldn't even move a single finger properly.

  "Ahahahaha... What is this..."

  Lee Young laughed maniacally again, then sobbed. Amidst a wave of self-loathing, she continued to cry and laugh. Those emotional swings tortured her until she finally closed her eyes from exhaustion.