Chapter 12: The Price of Betrayal

Finding the missing child proved to be no difficult task. Without hesitation, I jotted down the ten-digit number and dispatched a text message. Barely seconds after the message was sent, my phone immediately rang. It was the contact I had been anticipating.

“Yes.”

—What is this?

“Please locate someone for me.”

—…What? A person? Who? Who exactly are you looking for?

“I’ll explain later. For now, please trace the location of that phone number.”

—Listen, without a warrant, that’s illegal. Who on earth are you asking me to find?

“I’m asking you.”

The person on the other end of the line fell silent. The word ‘favor’ emanating from my lips must have been quite a shock, for after a few tense seconds, their voice returned, commanding, “Say that again.”

“I’m asking for your help, Father.”

Instead of an affirmative, I heard a grumbling sound. My father sighed, muttering about how I only ever used endearing terms like ‘Father’ or asked for ‘favors’ when I needed something.

“Will you do it?”

—Haa… Fine. I don’t know what this is about, but I won’t press for details since you clearly won’t tell me. Just handle it, kid.

“Thank you.”

My father, sensing the urgency in my voice, refrained from probing further. Instead, he simply told me to wait a moment, then began conversing with someone, keeping the line open. A minute or two stretched into an agonizing eternity, but finally, the words I desperately awaited reached my ears.

“We’ve located them, but it’ll take some time to get there.”

“Where are they?”

I immediately spun the wheel, heading toward the address he provided. Merging onto a less congested outer road, I pressed the accelerator harder, pushing the car to its limits. Just as my father had indicated, the destination was situated quite a distance away.

It was nearing dawn when I finally arrived at a truly unexpected location.

Stepping out of the car, I was immediately assaulted by the simultaneous stench of putrid fish and rusted iron. Scattered everywhere were various timber and concrete structures, the frayed ends of thick ropes coiled around abandoned boats, and rats and cockroaches scurrying between grimy refuse piles and towering containers. The place, long stripped of its purpose as a functional dock, had dwindled into a desolate, forgotten shell, utterly devoid of human presence.

I sharpened both my sight and hearing. From a considerable distance, the distinct clang of metal and a cacophony of other noises reached me. The source of the sounds was a distant, iron-framed building. As I drew closer to the desolate, empty structure, a pervasive damp and musty odor began to numb my senses.

‘How many were there? Seven? Or perhaps eight?’

As I drew nearer, the sound of voices pierced my ears. It was unmistakably more than one person. I didn’t even have to strain to hear; the exact contents of their conversation became disturbingly clear.

“Hey, that’s not what we agreed on!”

“Promise? Hmm… What promise did we make?”

“Ah, you said to bring the child, and then, hey, you’d give me the medicine—”

The voice belonged to ‘the man’ I knew. Whatever ordeals he had endured, his voice was now severely raspy. He was shouting at someone, his words, more akin to venomous accusations than mere cries, strained and hoarse.

“Medicine? Hmph, yes, I’ll give you as much as you desire. Go on, indulge yourself until you drop dead.”

The unfamiliar voice then issued a command to an unknown individual. The language that followed was not Korean, but Chinese. Moments later, the man I knew let out a piercing scream.

“Aargh! Let go of me! This isn’t what we agreed on, hmph. You… you clearly promised to return the money if I just brought the child! I did exactly as you said… So why… *cough*!”

“I was going to, but then my mind suddenly changed.”

“What?! That’s preposterous…”

“The truth is, our master is an exceptionally fastidious individual, and he explicitly instructed us to leave no trace of evidence.”

“E-evidence?”

“Evidence that your son went to our master. He despises leaving any personal traces.”

“B-but I am that child’s father—”

After that, a long, hollow laugh echoed through the space. The unidentified individual guffawed loudly, sounding as if they were half-mad.

“Hahaha, kek, puhaha! Are there really parents in this world who sell their own children for money? And to complete strangers, no less? Pfft, you became less than human the moment you stepped foot in this place. Don’t you understand? Do you truly believe someone like you could keep a secret for your child? Preposterous. We know your kind all too well.”

“N-no, no. Th-then, f-fine. I don’t even need the money. I won’t tell anyone, just please spare my life. You can take that… that bastard. Do whatever you want with him, alright?”

The man’s voice, as he pleaded for his life, was more urgent and desperate than I had ever heard it.

“Hehehe, so for the sake of your own life, you don’t care what happens to your child? What truly magnificent paternal affection. It’s the finest fatherly love I’ve ever witnessed. Puhaha.”

My steps had led me to a spot quite distant from where I had parked the car. Before me stood a derelict building, seemingly abandoned at the desolate edge of the dock. In the pervasive gloom, a single burning drum barrel offered the only source of light. Inside, a bound man thrashed on the ground, a syringe plunged into his fallen body.

“P-please… I beg you, s-save me.”

“Considering our past acquaintance, I’m genuinely inclined to show you mercy, but regrettably, this particular matter is tied to my own life. Our master is currently quite enraged because of that accursed Guide.”

Scanning my surroundings, I spotted a small figure huddled in one corner. Jaeseong’s face wore a vacant expression, as if utterly resigned to its fate. A bruise marred one cheek, and blood welled on his lower lip, suggesting he had been struck. A surge of fury, like blood rushing backward, coursed through me.

When I had first encountered Jaeseong at the hospital, he had seemed withdrawn, yet his eyes had held a spark of life. Now, that spark was extinguished. Despite the relentless, anxious pounding in my own chest, he sat utterly still, like a corpse.

“Our master has been bored for far too long. He waited for a very, *very* long time. It’s been four years since we disposed of that wretched bastard, and every day since then has been like treading on thin ice for us. It was utterly terrifying. But then, finally, *he* appeared! Hahaha, a ten-year-old Guide, such an extraordinary Guide! Do you know how elated I was when you blabbed about such a crucial detail? I was certain our master would be pleased. Finally, the heavens have bestowed upon me an opportunity—an opportunity for me to earn his recognition!”

“Ugh, p-please…”

“Don’t concern yourself with your child. Our master will cherish him every night. In fact, he’s waiting with bated breath even now. He, who had always been indifferent to other Guides we brought, has finally! Finally shown interest! Our master is waiting for your son!”

Everything transpiring within was laid bare through the conversation between the two men. If a Guide was needed, it undoubtedly involved Espers, yet no one visible appeared to be one. I meticulously scanned for any psychic types, but my senses confirmed that only ordinary individuals were present.

The boisterous Chinese man, perhaps intoxicated by his own excitement, continued to prattle on about his ‘master’. Even though the man, who had clearly lost his mind, was beyond hearing, he endlessly recounted details like the master’s peculiar tea preferences and his latest interests.

“Our master will take exceptionally good care of your son. In truth, our master himself endured terrible abuses from his own father in his childhood, oh dear, have I said too much? Anyway, are you even listening? You haven’t died already, have you? Hahaha.”

The Chinese man, who had been speaking with a madman’s cackle, swiftly altered his expression and gestured to another figure positioned behind the bound man. Without delay, the figure plunged yet another syringe into the man’s body. As the thicker, medicinal needle pierced his wrinkled skin, the man immediately shrieked, thrashing desperately. His emaciated frame, struggling futilely against its predicament, presented a truly pathetic and pitiable sight.

The torture, however, did not conclude with mere needles. Several other individuals present brutally stomped upon the unconscious man’s body. *Crunch.* The sickening sound of flesh being pulped and bone fragments detaching filled the air.

I merely observed the man’s wretched demise. Though his appearance was deplorable, it stirred neither pity nor sorrow within me. I refused to feel sympathy. Instead, I considered this pathetic, miserable end to be the man’s rightful consequence. I harbored no desire to feel compassion, as one human might for another, toward someone who had inflicted far more heinous acts upon others.

Consequently, I did nothing. Instead, I remained still, biding my time. My intention was to retrieve Jaeseong once the situation had settled.

But then, an unbelievable spectacle unfolded before my very eyes.

Thud, thud.

Jaeseong slowly rose to his feet and began to walk towards a single spot.

Everyone, startled, ceased their brutal assault and watched as Jaeseong’s small feet carried him forward. His steps halted before the bloodied, prostrate man.

“What’s this? Are you going to say your final goodbyes? It’ll be useless to speak now. Still, if you have any last words, utter them. What else could there be besides curses, anyway? Hehehe.”

No matter what the man standing before him uttered, Jaeseong’s expressionless face remained utterly unchanged. He knelt, then reached out with trembling hands to touch the prostrate body.

Jaeseong did not offer a farewell. Nor did he utter a single curse.

“I… I’m sorry…. I was wrong….”

His slender shoulders trembled uncontrollably. His emaciated arms clutched the fallen man as he repeated the same words over and over. A sudden torrent of emotions—fear, anxiety, despair, agony, sorrow, pain—swept over Jaeseong all at once.

Among them, sorrow was the most unwelcome, and even more agonizing was the absence of hatred within it.

“P-please, save him.”

This time, he pleaded towards the others. Transparent tears streamed relentlessly down his pale face. Seeing this, the Chinese man’s face crumpled like discarded paper. And my own face, witnessing everything, mirrored his expression.

‘Why?’

‘Why are you sorry? What have you done wrong?’

I had thought that a man no better than trash deserved to die. I believed him to be a worthless human being, with no right to exist in this world. Therefore, his suffering evoked no sympathy from me. I had no desire to help him. I intended to pretend I hadn’t seen anything.

But then, Jaeseong wept.

I found myself utterly unable to ignore those tears. In hindsight, nothing had gone according to my plan from the very beginning. I couldn’t resist anything. Whether this feeling was an obsession with a Guide, or compassion for a vulnerable being, it didn’t matter.

I could no longer stand by idly.

*Crash—!

I struggled to maintain my composure. Though his heart was rotten enough to make me vomit, he was still, ultimately, a human. I couldn’t just shatter him all at once like the monstrous creatures I usually dealt with.

I unleashed a small, remaining spark. The windowless building was instantly plunged into darkness—a darkness only I was accustomed to. With a dull thud, dust swirled from all directions. Each movement produced a hollow clanging sound from the steel walls. A faint headache settled in every time the musty odor pricked my nose. The enclosed factory building was, quite literally, the worst possible location.

There was no need for unnecessary movements. Planned actions were sufficient. My opponents exposed their weaknesses too easily and crumbled just as swiftly. It was a fleeting, almost anticlimactic moment.

Even as groans of pain and labored gasps echoed from various directions, Jaeseong clung tightly to the prostrate man. In the midst of it all, his shining black eyes in the darkness continued to disorient my heart.

Jaeseong was still crying. I couldn’t understand why he was sad. Why he was weeping for that man.

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