I'm still alive

We hid quietly under the real estate desk and ate the energy bar. And through the light coming through the windows, Detective Kang checked the map that he had brought, and we could quickly locate it. I murmured quietly, drawing the road to Eden with a red pen.

It'll only take two hours to walk.’

Then detective Kang was surprised and hurriedly swallowed the energy bar. Then, he puts his head in this direction and looks at the map. He looked through the map for a long time, and soon finger-pointed at the path I marked.

'Is it that close?’

'Because the snow kept us from coming far.’

It snowed not long after leaving Eden. That's why I was isolated, and I was able to find a rescue signal by accidently. What if it didn't snow that day? These boring eyes, in a way, were all because of the snow. I brushed the snow off my shoes and spat out a small curse.

Detective Kang was looking at the map with a slightly dazed eye, perhaps unaware that Eden would be so close. Heaven, which only felt far away, but he didn't seem to be pleased. I sang Detective Kang quietly, chewing all the energy bars with a lonesome saliva.

'Let's go.'

Upon hearing me, Detective Kang nodded his head, sweeping his face down once with his hands. It took a considerable amount of time to get lost in the road. The distance to Eden was closer than I thought, so if we do well, we may be able to arrive within today. I had to move my steps diligently.

I poked the shaken hot pack into my pocket and quickly got out of my seat. We squashed ourselves out of the cluttered real estate through the biting wind. His body and head were heavy, but his steps were light in the hope of arriving soon.

* * *

I walked for about an hour. The hazy weather was completely clear, and the warm sunshine began to hit us. I looked up at the sky quietly, and enjoyed the sunshine surrounding my face. It was an open road, and there was no shade to hide the sunlight, so we were not in a hurry at this time.

Looking at the bright sun, I had a drossy idea in my head.

Did the old man and the Yongpal brothers head to Eden? Or maybe he's still looking for me? The wounds of the old man and his dragon arm were small. Perhaps if I had been by your side, I would have yelled at you to hurry to Eden, but sadly I was here now.

Maybe they're walking on different paths. But the thought of being in the same sunlight made me feel strangely at ease. I have a strange thought that I hope this sunlight will brighten the way the party is headed.

I'm walking with that kind of mind, and suddenly I can't hear footsteps behind me. I flinched and grabbed the spear and quickly looked back at Detective Kang.

Detective Kang, who was following me well, was stopping for a moment. I tried to call detective Kang out of curiosity, but he made a hurried gesture and signaled me not to make a sound. I noticed he was unusual and quickly shut up.

He listens attentively. I followed him and lowered my posture, and soon began to focus on the sound that came to be heard. The sound of the wind blowing, and the sound of their cries that have always been heard. And, and......... the sound of something limping.

I ran fast and grabbed Detective Kang's clothes and dragged him towards me. Then he started looking for a place to hide from the open. Whoever made the sound, it was clear that it was quite close. I dragged Detective Kang and hurriedly hid by the car.

Detective Kang quickly pulled the revolver out of his arms, as if he had noticed something unusual going on. I didn't stop Detective Kang because it was the only weapon he had. He believed he would behave in moderation because he knew what would happen if he shot.

I breathed out, and clasped the crude spear in both hands. Then I closed my eyes and began to focus on the sound of getting closer. A limp, a limp, a limp. It was like the sound of moving something wet or walking in a swamp.

But the sound that was beginning to get closer was clearly telling us that we were coming in the direction we were. I gently checked behind us through the rearview mirror in the opposite car. And I could find something black coming this way through the blazing sun.

What is it? They don't move like that on a sunny day.

Detective Kang also looked at me with a very nervous look, as if he had found a figure approaching here. I gulped and closed my eyes. Once he was not a normal guy, that was more likely to be a person or another variant.

But one-sidedly walking the streets alone like this? Is he fearless, or is he after us from the start? I chewed my lips and looked everywhere with anxious eyes to shake off complicated thoughts. But at that moment the limp stopped.

Detective Kang stared blankly at me, and I couldn't know the English, so I licked my dry lips for now. Then I turned my head and checked the rearview mirror again. The shadow on the rearview mirror stopped walking, and soon began to swivel its body as if searching for something.

But the wandering didn't last long, and the figure began to limp back toward the car where we were hiding.

I had no choice but to think that I should take the lead. First, he gently stood up from where he had his legs straightened and lowered his position, and walked toward the rear lamp, leaning forward the window.

A limp, and one.

A limp, and two.

The counter down is reduced to match my nod. Detective Kang, who was holding a revolver on one side, is also ready to run out at any time on my signal. I counted three inside. And when I heard the limp in front of me, I ran out to the side of the car and pulled out the window.

And my spear stopped right in front of the target's neck to attack.

Sa, save me...….’

He was a policeman Uhm, crying in front of my window. I had no choice but to stare blankly at him who appeared in such an unexpected situation. His face was full of wounds, and his rather neat police uniform was tinted with black blood. And I couldn't see where I sold a pair of shoes.

The rest of the shoes were full of blood, and that must have been the cause of the limp that was heard earlier. He looked at me with trembling eyes and said nothing but to save me. When I stopped moving, Detective Kang rushed out this way, and soon found policeman Uhm.

'You......'

Kang was also surprised by the sudden situation, so he couldn't keep his mouth open.

We were walking along the open road with little shade. The word was that it was easy to find us around, and police officer Eom, who luckily survived, found us and walked all the way here. I can't say I followed him..... His mental state never looked good.

What followed us might have been the instinct to live.

Eom couldn't control his trembling body as I slowly lowered the window. And as he crept up to me, he grabbed the clothes in my chest and began shouting like a madman.

Save me! Help me!! Take me with you!’

I gazed, blankly, at the policeman Um.

And at that moment I felt something from the tip of my toes to the heart rising up. I really thought I was going to die this time. I couldn't save my precious companions, and I thought I was going to die. Her back was still cold, and Chae-yeon's crying was passing by like a lantern.

Nevertheless, I was determined to shoulder it. And even in scary and frightening situations, I made a desperate effort not to fall down. If I die......... I thought it would be a relief if the party lived even if I died there.

My actions were neither sublime nor glorified. I never thought the action was a sacrifice. Because the old man, the Yongpal brothers......... I threw my whole body to save the party and blocked the alley.

A firm bond, I just stood by great people. And I was ashamed of myself for thinking about living there for a moment.

But this coward in front of his eyes dug his own pit and let innocent people fall into it. Nevertheless, police officer Uhm did not pay the price. He's just saying that he wants to survive and live unconditionally instead of blood-stained atonement just because he's lucky.

I hated myself for almost killing my party to save this kind of tooth. Along with self-hatredness, disgust for Eom began to surge. Everyone would have wanted to live. Those who died on the street would have wanted to live as much as I, and as much as this bastard.

My hands are loosened, and a crude window falls to the ground lousyly. The clanging sound echoes helplessly along the open road. Detective Kang and policeman Uhm's gaze shot out a breath of black dregs on me.

"Ahhhhh!"

Eom, a policeman, shrieks and my hand is covered with silence. I grabbed officer Uhm by the collar and threw him into the car bonnet. My hands were trembling relentlessly with rage, and my expressions were distorted like demons.

You're not crying because you're sorry, are you? You're just crying because you're scared, right?’

Eom couldn't answer, gulping down her mouth, as if she had been stabbed in the right direction. Detective Kang, who was looking at the figure embarrassed, hurriedly grabbed my hand and began to stammer.

Do, Dong-yoon, calm down...….’

Detective Kang held it with all his might, but my body didn't budge. I shook off Detective Kang, who held my hand, and grabbed officer Uhm by the collar with both hands. And asked him with a bloodshot feeling in his tongue.

'Why did you shoot?

I was curious. I warned him like that, and I warned him again and again....... I wondered why, why on earth did you shoot it?

Yeah, I wanted you to answer that I shot to save Detective Kang. I really wanted to hear an answer that would rationalize me because I am a person and I can make mistakes.

I thought that I would rather make excuses so that I no longer detest humans and do not get caught in terrible distrust.

'I, I'm afraid you'll come to me...….’

He was a coward. So he didn't even have the courage to lie to protect himself.

My fist hit officer Uhm in the face crying. The hands clatter, and the arm muscles begin to scream. I was screaming silently in the street. The scream was an apology for an old man who was bleeding from his head, and a concern for a dragon-arm who offered himself to die.

After being hit on the chin by me, policeman Uhm screamed and fell beside the car. Then he clenched his chin with a thud, and began to struggle with pain. Detective Kang, who was looking at the scene, stamped his feet, not knowing what to do, and soon tried to approach police officer Um.

And I said in a hoarse voice, holding a spear that fell on the floor.

Tell him not to follow me. And if you're willing to help, don't follow me.’

My heart is divided. And there seemed to be a stream of red blood flowing through the gap. I grabbed my impoverished heart and raised my face blankly toward the sky. And I thought of the company that was walking on the same ground as me, looking at the sun that was falling on me.

It was heartbreaking.