episode_0384

I walk down the street blankly.

The path beyond the gate led to the upper area that had previously been there.

You walk side by side with Amy, Lane, and Victor to reach the upper area.

The method of passage was the same as before.

Show your citizenship and get permission, and the door will open.

The people in the upper zone acted normally as if nothing had happened, as if nothing had happened.

That was the problem.

It’s midnight now.

That means it’s not time to wake up and get ready for work.

But people acted as if time had nothing to do with it.

People who should have woken up early in the morning to start their day were moving around in the middle of the night.

People in suits wait for the bus.

The sight of that incongruous appearance gave me goosebumps.

Their eyes were empty.

A doll that moves according to given commands.

Dolls that are nothing more, nothing less.

Beyond the closed gate, the screams of people in the lower areas can be heard.

But the door never opened.

The citizenship they possessed could not pass through this gate.

I took out my cell phone.

After re-establishing communication in the upper zone, I called my grandfather.

A short connection tone follows.

I waited for my grandfather with an anxious heart.

And the call was connected.

“Grandpa…?”

At the words I spoke carefully, Amy, Lane, and Victor’s eyes turned to me.

I swallowed hard and waited for my grandfather to speak.

[Jeff.]

But the person who answered the phone was not my grandfather.

A familiar voice, my one and only sister.

It was shine.

“Shine…in?”

[You should call me Unnie.]

Shine said that and let out a small laugh.

My hands start to shake.

no way.

Even though I thought it couldn’t be true, I started to recall my grandfather’s strange behavior.

“You, no way…”

[Jeff, I’ll be waiting at home.]

With those words, Shine hung up the phone.

An awkward silence falls.

I slowly lowered my hand holding the phone.

Amy’s gaze was filled with question.

I called my grandfather, and he seemed to be asking why Shine was answering the phone.

“I think I should go home…”

“Shine, are you coming home soon?”

“Yes.”

Amy nodded at my answer.

I walked down the street and looked around.

The scenery was no different from before, and I began to doubt whether I was dreaming.

In fact, isn’t it possible that nothing really happened?

But the large black tower standing in the distance and the doll-like figures of the people pulled me back to reality.

It’s been a long time since I used public transportation.

You board a large train and pass through numerous gates.

“Oh, she really looks like a doll…”

Rain looked away as if he was having a staring contest with the little boy standing in front of him.

He came to me in fear and clung to my leg.

The brightly shining neon signs were dazzling.

The house that Shine had been talking about was definitely her grandfather’s last name.

I got off the train after a long ride and looked around.

The area where my grandfather’s last name was located remained as neat and tidy as before.

I walked and watched Amy.

For some reason, I felt scared at the sight of her not saying a word since earlier.

Rain also seemed scared of Amy’s appearance and clung to me tightly.

After walking for a while, you arrive in front of the castle.

The house we returned to after a week was the same as before, with its large door wide open to welcome us.

Amy’s pace began to quicken.

I hurried behind her with Rain.

After a long walk, you arrive at the garden.

In the soft moonlight, the flowers decorating the garden showed off their beautiful light, but no one paid any attention to them.

Amy walked in a straight line towards the castle.

Pass through the wide hall and climb the stairs.

It was a familiar place, but somehow it felt unfamiliar.

It seemed like I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, and Rain hugged me tighter.

I picked up Rain in my arms and followed Amy.

Amy headed to her grandfather’s office.

He walks over without hesitation and opens the door.

The door, which had been tightly shut, opened wide with a clanking sound, revealing what was inside.

Shine was sitting in the same seat her grandfather always sat in.

Drinking cocoa with a calm expression.

Shine slowly turned her head and looked at us.

“Long time no see, Mom.”

Shine greeted Amy as if she was really happy to see her.

At her greeting, Amy’s face contorts.

It was a very strange face, neither smiling nor crying.

Even though she would have been happy to see her daughter again after seven years, Amy did not approach her.

“Mom?”

Shine tilted her head as if she found Amy’s reaction strange.

“Where is grandpa?”

Shine’s eyebrows twitch at Amy’s words after a long silence.

Shine’s gaze turns to the side.

I turned my head to follow her gaze and saw my grandfather sitting on one of the sofas.

Amy hurried to her grandfather, looking tired and droopy.

“Dad!”

“I was just asleep.”

Shine said that and stood up from her seat.

I stepped back, startled by her sudden movement, and Shine pouted her lips as if she was disappointed.

“Mom. Don’t you care about me?”

Amy didn’t answer Shine’s question.

She looked around her grandfather’s body, sighed in relief, and got up.

As Shine said, it really did seem like he had just fallen asleep.

Amy started to approach Shine.

Only then did Shine smile brightly and spread her arms as she saw Amy approaching her.

He spread his arms out like before, as if asking for a hug.

Crack-!

But what Amy gave me wasn’t a hug.

At the intense sound, my eyes opened wide.

Rain, who was in her arms, also flinched, seeming surprised by Amy’s actions.

Shine touched her cheek with trembling eyes.

He looked as if he couldn’t believe what was happening to him just now.

“Do you know what you did…?”

Amy spoke to Shine with a tearful face.

Her hands were shaking.

It was Amy who slapped him, but somehow she looked more in pain.

“Uh… Mom?”

Shine didn’t answer Amy’s question.

He kept caressing my cheek.

It seemed like Amy didn’t want to admit that she had hit her.

“Shine!”

“Why, why did you hit me…? Didn’t I do a good job?”

“What on earth do you think of people? Do you have any idea what kind of people are out there right now?”

At Amy’s scream-like yell, Shine took a step back.

She didn’t seem to understand why Amy was angry at her.

“I, I… The people outside are bothersome…”

“Interrupter…?”

“They’re interrupting the happy hour. They’re bad people. They’re putting Jeff in danger.”

Shine turned around, caressing her cheek.

She kept opening her mouth.

He denied reality with an expression of disbelief, as if it was wrong of Amy to hit him.

“Why did you hit me? I created the world that Jin wanted, and I made everyone listen to me, so all the people with abilities were free…? What Mom wanted wasn’t that different from what Jin wanted, right?”

Shine, who returned to her grandfather’s seat, took out a bundle of pure white fur from under the chair.

The rabbit ears that had popped out shook gently.

“Jin, what do you think? Huh? Tell me quickly. I have to tell Mom that I did well.”

Shine poked and urged Rabbit Jin.

The big rabbit Jin jumped down under the desk, perhaps because he couldn’t stand the poking hands.

“Jin! If you do that, I won’t give you food!”

Shine was angry at Jin running away.

He even banged on the desk.

Shine, who had been so angry, slowly shook her head and opened her mouth.

“Hmm. Mom. I did a good job. Grandpa said he thought so too.”

“Jin…?”

Amy’s gaze turned to the rabbit that had fallen to the ground.

Her gaze was trembling.

But Shine continued talking regardless.

“My grandfather always said, “What has no ability is worthless.””

I could understand what Shine was trying to say.

I now recall the images of those people buried beneath the city.

“So I got rid of it. My grandfather was strangely angry, but anyway, I created the world that everyone wanted, right?”

bang!

Shine said that and then banged on the desk hard as if she was angry.

The desk cracked with a creak as it hit her hand.

He shouted loudly, as if he couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Why!!! I did a lot of good things!!! I gave everyone what they wanted!!! But why!!!”

Shine started crying.

He touched his cheek and began to shed tears as if it was painful and as if he could not bear the pain.

Shine’s gaze turns to me.

“Jeff just gets mad… He doesn’t recognize my efforts… He’s a bad brother.”

Shine, who was looking at me, soon turned her head away.

Her gaze turns to Amy.

“Mom got angry too, she hit me… I did a good thing… but she didn’t praise me… She’s a bad mom.”

Shine didn’t grow up.

It was still the same as 7 years ago.

In a world where only dolls, cut off from the outside world, existed, she worked hard alone.

Thinking of me and Amy, and making everything happen.

I was deeply moved by the sadness, disappointment, and anger I felt from Shine.

My tears began to flow, too.

As if responding to Shine’s emotions, tears fall.

Knock knock- tears fell and soaked Rain’s head.

“I was expecting it… like a surprise gift… I was going to surprise you…”

Shine muttered in a small voice and lowered her head.

At that moment, a black shadow began to appear behind her.

The shadow that flowed out like an overflowing stream began to transform into large wings.

Kukukung-!

As soon as Shine’s wings grew, the building began to shake.

Amy reached out to me, seemingly embarrassed.

I reached out to her too.

As the building collapsed, the wings that had grown on Shine’s back spread wide.

Dozens, even hundreds of pairs of wings cover the view.

Your gaze is stolen by the huge wings that seem to cover the entire world.

“, you have to change. Not a bad mother, but a good mother. Not a bad younger sibling, but a good younger sibling. ”

An ominous sensation tickles my nerves.

I threw Rain, who was in my arms, to Amy and ran towards Shine.

It was a movement close to instinct.

Shine’s body, curled up between the large wings, enters the arms.

I hugged her with all my might so as not to let her go.

At that moment, Shine’s voice was heard.

“Come on in.”

An ominous feeling engulfs my whole body.

I was startled and raised my head.

Shine’s gaze looking down at me.

She was smiling brightly, as if she had caught what she had been waiting for.

The wings spread behind the back begin to move.

Flutter – Countless feathers fluttered, enveloping me and Shine.