008. A Turning Point of Fate

I returned home, exhausted after running around all day. No, actually, my body wasn’t that tired. It was my mind. I felt mentally drained.

‘After killing so many people…’

As soon as I entered the house, I headed straight for the bathroom next to the living room. I didn’t even have the energy to turn on the light. I really wanted to take a shower, and today, for the first time in a long while, I was desperate to use the bathtub.

Once the tub had filled up enough, I hurriedly submerged myself in the warm water.

“Hah, what am I even doing right now…?”

In the past, I would’ve said, ‘Ah, this is heaven.’ But now, I was just grieving my situation.

I thought about how the scolding from my boss at work was nothing in comparison.

‘I was so weak back then.’

It had only been four days since I became a monster, yet I had already killed 66 people.

If there’s any consolation, it’s that they were all criminals. Still, the fact remains that I killed people.

Even though I had set a grand goal of becoming an enforcer, I quickly realized that the path ahead wasn’t easy.

 ‘Let’s not regret what can’t be changed. Just keep moving forward.’

I resolved myself again and began planning for the future.

“Finding criminals isn’t that difficult.”

With newfound determination, I felt like I could change the world. Of course, I don’t believe it can be done without any sacrifices. Those sacrifices would inevitably be borne by the ones I need to eliminate.

This world is filled with hatred and animosity. People despise each other, and nations overflow with distrust and hostility.

Young offenders barely receive any punishment for committing crimes, and even those who run someone over or commit fraud are treated leniently by the law in this country. It’s as if the entire society is clinging to the false hope of 'rehabilitation.'

But is that really possible? Can humans truly rehabilitate? I can't say for certain, but unless it’s an extraordinary case, I believe it’s impossible.

‘It’s almost impossible.’

That’s why an enforcer is necessary. Because the law can’t provide perfect punishment.

‘Phew. Let’s get out now.’

I didn’t know how long I had been in the tub, but my skin had become wrinkled.

I walked out into the living room with just a towel around me.

“Wow. I don’t know how you managed to survive like that.”

Startled, I nearly jumped at the sudden voice of a woman. I quickly turned to where the voice had come from. A woman with long silver hair flowing down to her waist was sitting on the sofa. Her pale skin and clear, deep blue eyes sharply stood out. She gazed at me calmly, draped in a long cloak.

“Who are you?!”

“I’ve been here the whole time since you came home earlier, and you’re only asking now.”

 “How did I not notice?!”

“Thoughts are meant to stay inside your head. Saying them out loud isn’t really thinking, is it?”

I had unintentionally voiced what I meant to keep in my head.

“My name is Saeya Aileen Artina, Princess of the Kingdom of Serstia.”

She stood up and added,

“So, how does it feel to have your life turned upside down, Mr. Murderer?”

At that moment, an alarm went off inside me.

‘This woman knows everything I’ve done.’

My heart began to race, and tension spread throughout my body.

“I was only acting to protect my family. I had no other choice, and I tried to do it in the right way―”

 “You didn’t think about the families of the people you killed?”

I was at a loss for words, completely caught off guard. I hadn’t thought about their families.

“To be honest, why should I kill my family for the sake of someone I’ve never even seen? They were criminals anyway, and they’ve killed people too.”

“I know. That’s why, calm down.”

She continued speaking, with her hands behind her back, in a manner fitting of a princess.

“Anyway, I didn’t come here to blame you. I’m here to support you.”

“Suddenly?”

‘But why does this girl keep speaking so informally to me? She doesn’t even look like she’s over twenty.’

 “What’s with that expression?”

 “No, it’s just―”

“Enough. Don’t misunderstand, I’m helping you for my own reasons, not for you.”

 “But why should I help you?”

 “I saw you killing people. I’m a witness to your murders. In other words, I’m a key witness.”

 “Have you not thought that I might kill you right here and now?”

The woman seemed startled.

“W-wait! I have an ability! It could be quite useful to you!”

 “What ability?”

“The ability to see the future.”

“How is that useful to me?”

 “Isn’t knowing the future usually helpful?”

“Can you see the future all the time? Whenever you want?”

“Of course not.”

 “Then it doesn’t seem all that helpful.”

“I-I have pictures!”

She handed me a photograph. It showed me killing a drunk driver.

It wasn’t particularly damaging to me. Even if the police caught me, I wouldn’t stop killing.

“Fine, let’s say you do have an ability. But how can I trust you?”      I asked.

Saeya remained silent and then proceeded to tell me everything she had seen in the future.

At first, I didn’t want to believe her. But in the end, I couldn’t help but believe.

She already knew that I was going to kill the drunk driver, and she showed me a picture of that very scene.

She told me in precise detail where I had been and what I had done. She even revealed things about the future.

The phenomenon called the ‘Rift’ that brought her here, and even the ‘Tower of Immortality.’

As I listened to her talk about the future, tears began to fall down my cheeks. Before I knew it, I was crying uncontrollably. I cried endlessly.

The future she revealed to me was completely different from what I had imagined.

***

Kang-hyuk Lee had to clean up the mess in the hallway. He called for the remaining members of his organization, but only those he could trust.

“Did we mess with someone we shouldn’t have?”

After moving all the bodies through a secret passage, they were cremated.

“You’ve worked hard. Make sure no one leaks a word about this incident.”

“Boss, what do you plan to do now?”

One of the members asked after they had finished the cleanup.

“We need to catch that bastard.”

The subordinate hesitated.

“I know. It’s humiliating, but he’s too strong for us to handle alone. That’s why we’ll bring in others.”

“Others…?”

“Tiger, White Panther.”

“What? Do you really think they’ll move? They’re our organization’s rivals.”

Kang-hyuk Lee responded while dialing a number he wasn’t familiar with.

“If we warn them that they’ll either hunt or be hunted, they’ll move.”

‘Cheol-su Kim is now our common enemy.’

“Hello.”

The voice on the other end of the phone was rough, like the growl of a wild animal.

“It’s been a while, Tiger, Dong-hoon.”

***

The funeral hall was silent. After the few remaining mourners had already left, Yu-na Lee was left alone. She stared blankly at the empty space, unsure why she was still there.

She had lost everything. Literally, she had lost everything she once had.

At that moment, the door opened, and men dressed in black suits quietly entered. They didn’t look like mourners. Their sharp eyes seemed to be searching for something.

“Are you Han-su’s daughter?”

Yu-na had no idea who they were or what they wanted. A deep sense of unease swelled in her chest.

“Who are you?”

She barely managed to speak.

“We’re your father’s coworkers.”

They didn’t look like coworkers at all—more like gangsters. There was no awkward smile, no warm words.

Yu-na already knew her father wasn’t an ordinary man. He had lots of tattoos and a rough appearance. But this was the first time she’d seen someone who worked directly with her father.

“Did your father say anything before he died? Anything suspicious in his behavior?”

Their questions felt strange and uncomfortable to Yu-na.  She didn’t understand why they were asking or what they meant.

“No.”

They didn’t seem pleased with her answer but didn’t ask further. Without a word of condolence, they left.

Two days later, after the final funeral rites were completed, the silence turned into a sense of desolation.

She stood at the entrance of the funeral hall, pondering.

‘Where do I go now? Is it okay to return home?’

No, she couldn’t go back home. Even if it had been cleaned, she could never live there again.

‘How could I live there? I don’t want to go back.’

She never wanted to see the place where her family had been murdered again. The memories were too vivid, too painful.

Yet, there wasn’t anywhere else that came to mind.

She briefly thought about her boyfriend, but she didn’t want to show him this side of herself.

It was then that a man, dressed in a neat suit and with an entirely different aura from the thugs who had come days ago, appeared.

“You must be Yu-na Lee, right?” The man’s voice was calm and gentle.

This man didn’t seem like he was here to pay his respects either.

Yu-na didn’t have the strength to respond and just stared blankly at the man. She had barely eaten for days, and her body felt heavier and heavier.

“I’m Geonu Lee, from the Universe Special Investigation Bureau.”

He handed her a business card. After a brief moment of daze, Yu-na took the card he offered.

‘Universe Special Investigation Bureau.’

It sounded familiar, but her mind felt completely blank.

“We’re recruiting investigators. Would you like to join?”

Yu-na exhaled shortly. She was too tired to even talk.

Geonu observed her reaction and quickly added,

“Of course, it’s not a job anyone can do just because they want to. You’d have to be qualified.”

“Why should I apply?”

Yu-na’s voice unintentionally turned sharp.

“Because we need to catch the criminal.”

Yu-na’s breath seemed to stop for a moment. The word "criminal" echoed loudly in her mind.

“What did you say? Did you just say ‘criminal’?”

Geonu slowly nodded.

“We’ve been handed the authority to investigate. The investigation will begin soon.”

Geonu paused for a moment, looking into Yu-na’s eyes before continuing.

“If you want to personally capture the criminal, apply. As an investigator, you could arrest the culprit yourself.”