“Finally, the situation is becoming clear.”

Alain whistled with amusement.

Since Raumaan shattered the glass at the entrance on the north side – the weakest point – and barged in, the situation in the old building, where the fierce battle was taking place, had slowly begun to shift over time.

At first, the mercenaries Rashid had hired from rebel or guerrilla factions held the upper hand thanks to their unique tactics, but gradually they began to lose ground. Now, the shift in the balance of power was clearly evident.

“……Killing that many people without the situation changing would be odd.”

Christoph muttered while peering through his scope. Alain turned: “Huh?” then burst into laughter as if he had just figured something out.

“Ah ha, Rick’s slaughtering them inside, huh? But why’s he suddenly doing it for free?”

Christoph responded briefly: “No idea.”

“Doesn’t matter, who cares. What about the target? Have you seen them yet?”

“Yeah, but with the situation turning like this, that person will have to reveal themselves soon if they want to escape.”

Christoph didn’t take his eyes off the scope. Next to him, Alain gazed at the building and chuckled softly: “Oh, look at that, everyone’s rushing in now. The back door’s been breached. It’s only a matter of time.”

“Yeah… Aha, there they are…”

Christoph suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed on a spot through the scope.

Faint red silhouettes moving in the dark came into view through the scope. 4 or 5 figures moved together, keeping a certain distance from one another.

A small figure lay in the middle of the group, moving toward the stairs. The others flanked them from the front and back, guarding the individual. Christoph’s gun barrel was aimed directly at the one in the center.

“They’re an elderly person after all, take it easy on them.”

“…Alright… just enough so they can’t escape.”

Christoph murmured indifferently. The moment the figure was centered in his crosshairs, he pulled the trigger.

***************

When Jeong Taeui opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a stark white ceiling.

But before he could blink a few times to realize it was the ceiling, a strong scent of medicine quickly filled his nostrils. The smell had seeped so deeply into the air that he immediately recognized he was in a hospital.

Right after, Jeong Taeui intended to turn his head to confirm his surroundings, but at that very moment, he stopped.

Beside the bed, a familiar face sat quietly, looking at him. He had no idea how long that person had been sitting there.

A face he hadn’t seen in a long time. But no matter how long it had been, that face was deeply etched in his memory.

“…Jaeui-hyung.”

“You’re awake.”

Jeong Jaeui. His older brother, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, spoke gently.

Taeui could only stare blankly at his brother in front of him, then slowly tilted his head while still lying on the bed.

“This is a hospital, right? Why am I here? Was I injured?”

“Do you not remember anything?”

‘Not remember’… wasn’t entirely accurate. As soon as he opened his eyes and realized he was in a hospital, memories of what happened before he passed out started coming back.

He remembered dragging Ilay – who had insisted he was fine – to the nearest hospital. He also remembered that as soon as they arrived at the hospital, an overwhelming drowsiness took hold, and he lost consciousness.

But Ilay was the one who was injured, so why was he the one lying in a hospital bed…? Taeui raised his hand to scratch his head, but as soon as he tried to lift his arm, a sharp pain surged through him.

His shoulder throbbed painfully. Even the slightest movement made his shoulder spasm violently.

Ah, that’s right. It seemed his shoulder was injured… When he tried to adjust his position, his entire body responded with pain, as if every part of him was protesting.

“…! …!!!”

Taeui couldn’t scream, only showing his agony through his facial expression. Next to him, Jaeui calmly spoke:

“You dislocated your shoulder, sprained your ankle, and had deep cuts on your back and neck. Your whole body is covered in bruises. If you look in the mirror, you’d be surprised.”

“I saw earlier that your skin color is anything but normal now.” – Jeong Taeui could only hold back the tears welling up from the pain coursing through his entire body as he listened to his brother murmur those words.

“Uh… But… is it alright for you to be here right now? Weren’t you supposed to be in Germany for the forum?”

Taeui began to feel puzzled as he realized his brother was by his side. He asked while glancing at the clock on the wall, noting that the forum he remembered should be happening at that moment.

Now that he thought about it, wasn’t Jaeui the one who had been kidnapped? Maybe the forum had been postponed, or he hadn’t attended. As Taeui pondered, Jaeui responded after a brief silence.

“You’ve been asleep for a day and a half.”

“…What?”

“I came here yesterday morning, and after attending the forum, I returned. Today is the second day of the forum.”

Taeui was taken aback when his brother mentioned he only planned to attend the first day. He blinked a few times, still confused.

For some reason, despite the pain all over his body, Taeui felt a slight sense of relief, as if he had finally gotten a good night’s sleep after a long time. He nodded absentmindedly, realizing it had been a while since he had rested so peacefully. Ever since he arrived in Dresden, he hadn’t had a chance to truly relax. The stress, along with the injuries, had come crashing down all at once.

“Alright… So the forum wrapped up smoothly?”

Jaeui nodded. Seeing that made Taeui sigh with relief.

“It’s good that everything ended safely… Hyung.”

After the nightmare of the previous night had passed, sitting here now and feeling the peaceful sunlight brought a deep sense of comfort to Taeui’s heart.

Of course, if it was his brother, he probably wouldn’t have faced such horrible situations. But just the thought that Jaeui might have had to endure something like that was enough for him to not want to imagine further.

Jeong Jaeui smiled with a mix of embarrassment and a bit of guilt.

“Yeah, I planned to go in with Uncle, but there was an issue with the documents I submitted on time. The staff member in charge couldn’t figure out why it had disappeared, even though she swore she had processed it. Yesterday, they found it stuck in the gap under a drawer.”

Jaeui added: “If it weren’t for that, I would have come sooner. I’m sorry I couldn’t be here with you earlier.”

“If it weren’t for that, I would have been able to come earlier.” – Jaeui with an apologetic expression, apologized for Taeui having to endure such terrible things on his behalf. But Taeui simply shook his head, saying there was no need to apologize.

From the bottom of his heart, Taeui felt immense relief and happiness that his brother hadn’t faced any danger. At the same time, he realized once again that his brother must have received some special blessing from someone above.

Taeui let out a soft sigh of relief.

But, it felt good.

Even though his entire body ached, sitting across from his beloved brother and seeing that his brother was safe and sound, with his life stable, brought Taeui peace of mind. And he was alright, too—at least for now.

‘A good ending makes everything good.’ – Taeui thought to himself, feeling a quiet sense of contentment settling in his heart.

He was also relieved to hear that the forum had gone smoothly while he slept like the dead. Taeui had vaguely worried that, despite all the trouble Ilay had caused, perhaps he would continue to target Jaeui afterward. But it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Although Ilay’s stomach had been slashed so badly that his intestines had almost spilled out, and he had to tightly wrap the wound with clothing and hold it together until they reached the hospital, for someone like Ilay, killing one or two people in that condition wouldn’t have been too difficult.

…Hmm. That’s right.

Taeui’s eyes suddenly widened as he remembered the gruesome wound that had made him go pale at the sight of it.

“Where’s Ilay?”

“You called for me?”

As soon as he uttered the name, a voice responded immediately, nearly making Taeui jump out of bed.

The room had been so quiet that he had unconsciously assumed only he and his brother were there. So, when a voice suddenly echoed, it genuinely startled him.

When he turned his head toward the voice, he saw Ilay sitting in a chair by the window, flipping through a newspaper and looking at him.

Taeui stared at Ilay from head to toe, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His gaze was so strange that Ilay raised an eyebrow and asked: “Hmm?”

“How are you completely fine?”

“Why are you asking that… because there’s nothing wrong with me.” – Ilay responded as if it was the most natural thing, leaving Taeui wide-eyed in shock.

“No way! Your stomach was ripped open…!!”

“It just took a few stitches, and now it’s healed.”

“…! …!!”

Taeui wanted to shout that such a thing was impossible, but his body was in too much pain to react strongly—though, of course, his pain couldn’t compare to what Ilay had endured. But the truth was, Ilay looked completely normal, as if that wound really had only needed a few stitches.

But it didn’t make any sense. Now, although this sounded strange, for an ordinary human, Ilay’s condition shouldn’t have been possible.

That day, just looking at his wound had made Taeui’s head spin.

Yes, as soon as the beam of the flashlight shone on them in the pitch-black night, Taeui had finally seen Ilay and turned pale.

The stench of blood was so strong that it made Taeui feel nauseous, and he assumed it was because of Raumaan standing right in front of him – after all, when Taeui looked at Raumaan, the man’s entire body was drenched in blood, with no part left unscathed, making him resemble a corpse – but blood was also flowing from Ilay’s stomach like water.

The wound on his stomach was a deep gash, as if it had been sliced open by a sharp blade, and you could even see his intestines through the cut. The pressure from his abdomen made it seem like his guts were about to spill out, yet Ilay casually held them in with one hand, pressing both his intestines and his abdominal skin together, while with the other hand, he wiped the blood off his knife onto his clothes. Watching this scene made Taeui feel like he was living in a gruesome horror movie.

Even though Ilay was in that state, he had insisted he didn’t need to go to the hospital, but Taeui couldn’t listen and had dragged him here no matter what.

After dragging Ilay to the hospital and pushing him into the emergency room, Taeui had collapsed, so exhausted that he almost fainted. He sat there in a daze, unable to take his eyes off the horrifying sight of injured people and the bodies (reserves) being brought into the emergency room one after another. Perhaps because this hospital was the closest, Taeui had witnessed that terrifying scene until he finally passed out from exhaustion.

“……”

Reflecting on it, in that half-conscious state, Taeui remembered that when they shone the lights into the building to pull out the injured, he had heard someone trembling as they whispered about the gruesome scene inside. They said that the rooms throughout the building were scattered with bodies, each marked by horrific wounds, as if they had been slashed by a sharp, serrated blade. That horrifying sight lingered vividly in the mind of the person murmuring.

Because most of those bodies were of the occupants of the building – the rebels and guerrillas from the Middle East whom Rashid had hired as mercenaries – the person responsible for killing them all was apparently being praised for their work. Taeui also faintly recalled overhearing someone complaining that it was insane to reward someone so terrifying – someone who had killed people in such a brutal and horrific manner. It was all so absurd.

“……”

Jeong Taeui groaned softly and furrowed his brows.

A sharp and serrated blade…

Corpses scattered throughout the building…

A terrifying person who slaughtered so many in such a horrifying way…

Even though Taeui hadn’t heard the name of the fearsome killer before he passed out, he seemed to have a gut feeling about who it might have been.

“This really is a twisted situation… no, it’s more like ‘blessing in disguise’ ” – Taeui thought to himself.

He briefly considered whether he should thank Rashid, the one who had hired the guerrillas to kidnap him, because in this bizarre turn of events, Rashid didn’t seem to be responsible for the massacre. But Taeui quickly brushed off the thought, as he had no idea where Rashid was and no desire to find out.

“Oh, right. Taei.”

Ilay suddenly spoke, as if he had just remembered something, causing Taeui, who had been lost in thought, to lift his head and respond:

“Huh?”

“While you were asleep, Christoph dropped by and said to send his regards.”

“Huh? Yeah, okay… But why does it sound like he’s sending a farewell message, as if we won’t see him again?”

Taeui found it a bit strange and tilted his head in confusion. Ilay, flipping through the newspaper, replied nonchalantly:

“Ah, maybe he’s busy with the exit procedures, so he doesn’t have time to come back here. You might see him one more time before he leaves.”

“Huh? Where’s he going?” – Taeui asked, wide-eyed, feeling like everything had changed in the blink of an eye.

“He decided to go to Saudi Arabia. Apparently, he’s been hired by Al Faisal’s private military to train their soldiers, but I don’t know the full details. They say Al Faisal is quite fond of him, though why that is, I couldn’t say.”

“That old man seems to have a thing for beauty, judging by how he attracts his wives… maybe that’s why Christoph is so favored.” – Ilay’s casual remark left Taeui blinking silently for a moment.

Something, something about this felt strange.

“I see… so, we won’t be seeing him for a long time.”

“Well, it doesn’t seem like he plans to stay there long. I asked if he’d return here or to Dresden, and he went quiet for a moment before muttering: ‘Maybe, once in a while.’ I don’t think it’ll be too hard to meet him again.”

“But from now on, we won’t be seeing each other as often as before.” – Ilay gave a sardonic smile, as if he was content with that.

Taeui nodded and mumbled: “Yeah, that’s true…” but a strange, indescribable feeling lingered in his heart. He wasn’t quite sure what it was.

If he didn’t see Christoph for a long time, he thought he might feel sad. But it wasn’t just sadness. There was a tinge of regret, yet at the same time, he had the sense that this was a good thing for Christoph. And when he thought about it, if he really wanted to meet him, it wouldn’t be difficult at all. That realization eased the sense of regret.

This feeling was hard to explain.

…Yes. It was like watching a rusty wheel on a cart, long stagnant, finally screech and start rolling again.

…What was this? It wasn’t sorrow.

Perhaps it was even a little joy. Still, there was some faint regret lingering in his mind, but he also felt relief.

“Yeah, it’s fine. I think it’s a good thing.” – Taeui smiled, murmuring to himself.

Christoph will be alright.

A strange yet certain feeling rose in Taeui’s heart, as though he had no logical reason for it, but he believed it nonetheless, and he let out a soft sigh of relief.

Ilay quietly observed Taeui before suddenly smiling faintly.

“Seems like you’re in a good mood.”

“Yeah, I guess… Yeah. Not bad at all.”

Taeui smiled.

“Saudi Arabia, huh. Although I can’t go there, it’s not too far, so that’s good.”

“If you want to go, you could manage once every few years.”

Ilay spoke as if granting a grand favor, causing Taeui to shrug.

“Yeah… but it’s a bit of a hassle, with all the paperwork needed to leave the country. So, probably just occasionally.”

Even though Taeui was an internationally wanted criminal, he often moved freely within Germany and rarely traveled abroad due to the complicated logistics involved.

As Taeui mumbled “occasionally” with a hint of regret, Ilay glanced at him. Then, after a moment of thought, Ilay spoke:

“Come to think of it, your warrant might be lifted soon.”

Ilay said it so nonchalantly that at first, Taeui didn’t fully grasp what he meant.

“Huh?”

When Taeui asked again, Ilay folded the newspaper and tossed it onto the table before standing up. He slowly walked toward the empty bed next to Taeui – Taeui carefully watched every movement, once again doubting his memory of Ilay being gravely injured, as Ilay seemed to be moving perfectly fine – and continued:

“Although it wasn’t my intention, because I dealt with a few troublesome individuals, Al Faisal said he would personally reward me. So, sooner or later, you’ll be pardoned.”

Taeui stared at Ilay in disbelief. He wouldn’t be an internationally wanted criminal anymore.

In truth, being wanted hadn’t caused him too many inconveniences up to now, but the thought of being free from both practical and legal constraints brought a sense of relief.

He smiled brightly and asked: “Really?” But Ilay looked at him with a sharp, cold gaze before adding in an icy tone:

“However, Raumaan opposed the decision regarding you.”

Taeui’s smile froze instantly on his face.

“…Why?”

The smile had disappeared, replaced by deep furrows between his brows. He couldn’t understand why Raumaan would oppose his pardon.

The thought of Ilay – who had torn Raumaan’s body to shreds with a knife, rendering him unrecognizable – receiving a pardon while Taeui himself did not struck him as absurd. His frown deepened as he pondered, while Ilay’s gaze grew colder and sharper.

“What do you think the reason is?”

“…Why?”

Taeui couldn’t figure it out, and the wrinkle on his forehead deepened further. But then he noticed something unsettling in Ilay’s narrowed, icy eyes as he looked at him.

“How did his tongue taste?”

Ilay’s quiet words left Taeui momentarily confused about the ‘tongue’ he was referring to. He muttered internally: ‘Tongue? What tongue?’ But the moment the realization hit, his face paled, frozen in fear.

“…….That…….that definitely wasn’t my fault…….”

Taeui’s words stumbled out, though he knew it was the truth—it wasn’t his fault. But it wasn’t the innocent, puzzled look of his brother sitting nearby that caused his faltering speech; it was the cold, snake-like gaze of the terrifying man before him.

No, but just as he stammered, Taeui realized: It really wasn’t his fault.

Suddenly, his expression shifted, becoming cold and resolute. He stared straight into Ilay’s chilling eyes.

“From the start……. who was the one who mistook me for someone else and chased me down to kill me?”

Taeui glanced at his brother, who was quietly listening to the conversation, and quickly adjusted his words carefully. Ilay only looked at him silently, as if there was nothing to defend about the matter. After a long pause, he muttered softly, almost as if speaking to himself:

“Yes……..I almost hurt you…….I–.”

The whispered words hung in the air, silencing Taeui. He had nothing more to say.

…Yes, it had indeed almost happened.

At that moment, a fragment of memory from the nightmare when Ilay had been chasing him suddenly resurfaced, bringing back the sensation of being hunted during those tense and dangerous moments.

In that instant, Taeui truly believed he could die. He didn’t want that to happen. Not because he feared death, but because he absolutely didn’t want to die at Ilay’s hands—especially due to Ilay’s mistake.

“Luckily, that didn’t happen.” – He added with a faint smile – “So don’t mess with the lucky ones anymore.”

Ilay silently gazed at him, then slowly nodded.

“Yes……. that’s something I don’t want. No, I don’t even want to think about it.”

Ilay shook his head a few times, as though even recalling it made him uncomfortable. Then, with a short sigh, he lay down… on Taeui’s bed, despite his own being empty right next to it.

“It’s cramped.”

Taeui grumbled, frowning, but Ilay responded casually:

“Then climb on top of me.”

“What am I supposed to do on the body of someone who just had their stomach torn open?!”

“A few stitches, and it’s fine.” I- lay mumbled, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, in response to Taeui’s angry glare. But eventually, Taeui gave in and lay down beside him. The moment he did… he could still feel the piercing gaze from his brother.

“Ilay… he actually likes physical contact more than you’d think…” –  Taeui said awkwardly, but after the words left his mouth, he felt like he’d said something unnecessary, so he fell silent.

Jaeui didn’t respond, only looking at him quietly for a while. Then, suddenly, Jaeui stood up.

“……Alright. Rest up. I’m going to Raumaan’s room for a bit.”

“Raumaan is in this hospital too? That’s… uncomfortable…” – Taeui muttered under his breath. He realized that the scheduled meeting with Raumaan before the forum had been missed, and he nodded slightly. But then, out of nowhere, a thought flashed in his mind.

…Wait a minute.

Taeui’s eyes widened.

Sudden thoughts flooded his mind. As he recalled that horrifying night, the shameful memory he didn’t want to revisit, Taeui realized that what had happened back then wasn’t something he should have had to endure in the first place. At that moment, Raumaan had clearly been after his brother――.

Suddenly, he felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. Taeui jolted upright, intending to call out to Jaeui, but Jaeui was quicker and spoke first.

“As for you, Taeui, you don’t need to worry about him opposing your pardon.”

“Wait――what?”

His brother’s sudden words made Taeui tilt his head in confusion and look up in surprise. After a brief pause, Jaeui continued.

“Regardless of the outcome, Raumaan was injured while trying to save me. Just because he wanted to invite me to join their research institute, he went to great lengths, even though I’m not particularly special. So, I feel that refusing him forever wouldn’t be right.”

“Huh?”

“I think if I agree to his invitation and mention your pardon, he won’t refuse.”

“Wait, hyung…”

‘How could you agree to something like that?’ – Taeui stammered and reached out as if to stop him, but Jaeui smiled gently and shook his head.

“No, I’m not going to the research institute just because of you, so don’t worry. This has nothing to do with you. I’ve been turning down their invitations for a long time, but they’ve always been polite and persistent, so I feel a bit guilty and grateful. That’s why I think I’ll go there for a while.”

After saying that, Jaeui waved and left the hospital room, not giving Taeui a chance to respond.

Taeui could only watch in a daze as his brother’s figure disappeared, internally lamenting: “No… he’s not that kind of person, hyung…” But his whispered words never reached Jaeui.

Taeui stared blankly at the hospital room door, looking as though he was on the verge of tears. He mumbled, almost like a plea for help – “Hyung… no, that’s not right…” – but no one heard him. Ilay was lying beside him, silently watching him with an amused look.

While Taeui remained lost in thought, Ilay suddenly reached out. His muscular arm wrapped around Taeui’s waist and pulled him in tight, but Taeui was still distracted and didn’t react. Even as Ilay’s hand ventured further, eventually brushing against his lower abdomen near his groin, Taeui remained oblivious.

Taeui remained lost in thought until Ilay suddenly lifted him up and sat him down firmly on his lap. Taeui was startled, his eyes widening in shock as he looked around in panic.

“I’m seriously worried about my family’s future, and you just have to keep interfering!”

“I’m just saying that your worries are pointless.”

“Just because you’re not part of my family, you think it’s fine to say that…!”

“Why don’t you try thinking about who it is you’re really worried about?”

Ilay’s calm words hit Taeui like a sharp realization, and he froze, staring blankly at him.

“Even if they forced your brother into that man’s bed without letting him lose a single hair, do you really think your brother would be in danger?”

“…Well, when you put it that way, it does sound true.”

Taeui hesitantly nodded, though he still felt uneasy. His discomfort lingered, and he lowered his head, his face resembling that of a dejected puppy. Seeing that expression, Ilay clicked his tongue and sighed.

He reached out, gently cupping Taeui’s face and pulling him closer, brushing his lips with a soft lick. Then, he tenderly rested Taeui’s head against his chest, lightly patting his back in a soothing motion.

“No matter what happens, everything will be fine in the end, so what are you so worried about?”

Ilay’s soothing voice flowed like a lullaby in Taeui’s ears, the sound vibrating gently through his chest where Taeui’s head rested. Surrounded by the familiar warmth, voice, and touch, Taeui’s body gradually relaxed, feeling a sense of calm wash over him.

Everything will be fine.

Those words echoed clearly in his mind.

As he thought about it, Taeui felt that perhaps it was true.

“Yeah… that’s right.”

Taeui exhaled softly and murmured to himself.

“Everything will be alright. It will all be fine.”

Just like now, despite all the challenges and upheavals, he could still welcome a peaceful and fulfilling new day.

As Taeui obediently rested his head against Ilay’s chest, feeling the warmth from him, he gently rubbed his head against it. It seemed like Ilay was chuckling from above, the sound of his cheerful laughter reaching Taeui’s ears pleasantly, making him laugh as well.

****************

“Wait… Hold on, I shouldn’t be lying on my stomach like this, your… your stomach!”

“It’s fine.”

“What’s ‘fine’ about this?! What if it tears open?! Let go, I want to get off!”

“If it tears, I’ll just stitch it back up.”

“I said I want to get off!”

“Hmm… Then how about I lie on top of you?”

Soon, Taeui’s panicked protests turned into a quiet mumble: “It’s all the same either way!” before he sighed, muttering under his breath: “Fine, I’ll just stay on top of you then…”

[Passion: The end of Diaphonic Symphonia]