Chapter 127: The Truth Within the Shadows

“They’re late.”

Sa-yoon muttered, awaiting an unknown arrival. If the day of their reunion was to be revealed, they could have at least specified morning or afternoon. It was a remarkably unhelpful prophecy.

Who would appear? Who was this person Sa-yoon was destined to reunite with?

A strange sense of anticipation swelled within Sa-yoon’s chest, even though he had no idea if it would be a welcome face or someone entirely unexpected. ‘No, I shouldn’t hope,’ he resolved, steadying his breath. ‘I might only be disappointed, so I won’t make any assumptions.’

Just then.

“It’s been a long time.”

Among the countless people passing by, one stopped directly behind Sa-yoon. The voice was low and gentle. Sa-yoon, recognizing a familiar timbre, turned around.

“Sa-yoon.”

Behind him stood two figures: the elderly Go Ok-kyung, seated in a wheelchair, and Director Kim Sang-hoo, pushing it. Sa-yoon’s mouth opened in surprise at this utterly unforeseen combination, then snapped shut.

They were certainly welcome people. Director Kim Sang-hoo was indeed someone Sa-yoon had wanted to see, and the prophecy had come true. Yet, why did his heart feel so hollow?

Reading the flicker of uncertainty in Sa-yoon’s eyes, Go Ok-kyung’s eyes crinkled in a gentle smile.

“We have much to discuss. Shall we find a more suitable place?”

The vehicle glided smoothly along the mountain road, heading towards Go Ok-kyung’s villa, a place Sa-yoon had visited once before. The car remained silent throughout the journey.

There were no perfunctory greetings—no inquiries about what had happened, no expressions of concern, no welcoming remarks.

It was as if both individuals knew everything that had transpired, asking Sa-yoon nothing. Sa-yoon, in turn, found himself unable to speak.

He was Airain, with a bounty on his head, and his immediate concern was discerning the true purpose behind their summons. He needed to understand their intentions.

The car, having driven through a suffocating silence, pulled to a stop before a mansion that appeared unchanged by time. Stepping inside, away from the cold exterior, they entered a warmly heated interior.

On a table, a tea set and refreshments had already been laid out.

“Please, help yourself. It should still be warm.”

“……”

A table prepared precisely on time in an empty mansion. To what extent had he been manipulated, dancing in the palm of their hands? If he had been disappointed upon first seeing them, a profound wariness now settled over him.

Go Ok-kyung, as if understanding Sa-yoon’s stillness, smiled and lifted her teacup.

“You seem quite surprised.”

“How much did you know?”

Despite Sa-yoon’s accusatory tone, the two elders remained composed. This very composure heightened Sa-yoon’s unease. He could understand Go Ok-kyung’s calm, given her abilities as a prophetic Esper.

As the one who had prophesied Christmas, she would have seen this situation in her dreams. It wouldn’t be strange if she had known other circumstances beforehand.

But why was Director Kim Sang-hoo here? He had been one of the people Sa-yoon encountered most frequently during his service at the headquarters, a superior who had always kept an eye on him. Sa-yoon couldn’t even guess if he knew about Sa-yoon’s status as Airain, or rather, the truth of him being an Irregular.

“You seem to have a lot to say. And it also seems you’re disappointed that it’s us.”

“That’s somewhat true,” Sa-yoon admitted candidly.

“I didn’t expect you to contact me in such a cryptic way. I spent a long time pondering the meaning of that prophecy. It feels a bit anticlimactic, to be honest.”

“Hoo-hoo-hoo.”

Go Ok-kyung chuckled softly, savoring the warm, steaming tea. Beside her, Director Kim Sang-hoo, who had been silent, cleared his throat.

“Indeed. It must have been very perplexing for you. At the time, there were circumstances that prevented us from speaking to you properly. We had no choice but to wait until everything was ready.”

“Director, no—both of you. How long have you known the truth about Airain?”

The videos uploaded by Airain were widely considered to be expertly crafted CGI. Park Han-woo had edited them to appear that way before releasing them to the public.

Yet, Director Kim Sang-hoo and Go Ok-kyung—these two had realized that Park Han-woo’s channel featured genuine footage of Rain. That’s why they were convinced the video’s owner was connected to Airain and had posted comments calling for Sa-yoon.

This would have been impossible if they hadn’t known that Rain, once fully grown, could speak and think like a human. In other words, they had known the truth about Rain and the secrets hidden behind him for a long time.

“I haven’t known for very long either. It was after you were presumed dead that I learned the truth through Elder Go Ok-kyung. Well, as you know, with her abilities, the Elder had known long before that.”

Though it was a truth unknown to the rest of the world, Go Ok-kyung was a person who could see more than others. Thanks to her ability, she alone knew facts that only a select few at the highest levels of power were privy to. At Director Kim Sang-hoo’s words, Sa-yoon turned his head to Go Ok-kyung.

“You knew that truth and remained silent all this time?”

To think they had known Airain was unjustly framed, and that countless Rains and Irregulars had died in the process, yet they had simply conformed to the system. Sa-yoon’s voice inadvertently rose, causing Director Kim Sang-hoo to frown.

“Calm down, Sa-yoon. This isn’t such a simple matter, is it? And unlike you, she’s not exactly in a comfortable position…”

“I will explain.”

Setting down her empty teacup, Go Ok-kyung stopped Kim Sang-hoo and looked directly at Sa-yoon.

“You are right. I ran away. I knew the truth, but I lacked the courage to change it.”

Go Ok-kyung took a deep breath, her eyes clouding over.

“To offer an excuse, at that time, I was overwhelmed simply by caring for those around me.”

In the past, Korea had endured a dark age without a proper Esper headquarters. Young Rains, falling like hail, had destroyed half the country, and with only a few A-class Espers capable of responding, they struggled immensely.

While Rains could be encountered as sentient beings once they matured, their larvae were a terrifying natural disaster for Korea. With the proliferation of Rain larvae, national highways connecting to Seoul were cut off, and the provinces were slowly decimated.

At that time, the Esper Alliance was already capable of controlling Rains. They had also built their reputation by casting Rains as villains. Despite their power, the Esper Alliance ignored Korea.

Korea was not a nation worthy of their alliance; it was merely a sacrifice destined to fall after a desperate struggle, serving only to spread the ill repute of Rains.

In such a Korea, Go Ok-kyung was the first S-class Esper to awaken.

It was an era where friends who had laughed and chatted just yesterday were dying, and families’ lives were constantly threatened. As the first S-class Esper to emerge from such a desperate situation, Go Ok-kyung had to employ every available means to compensate for the insufficient combat power.

Under those circumstances, Go Ok-kyung knew the truth but had to turn a blind eye. Due to the nature of her prophetic abilities, she had become aware of the Esper Alliance’s corruption, but the Go Ok-kyung of that time had no room to resist. She was already struggling just to save the people right beside her.

She could only silently grit her teeth, vowing to someday take revenge on the Esper Alliance.

As Go Ok-kyung’s quiet explanation continued, Sa-yoon’s agitation subsided.

“I see…”

“But this is merely an excuse. I have lived by ignoring many truths under the convenient guise of looking after my own.”

Go Ok-kyung offered a wistful smile.

“And the reason I could only give vague prophecies and not the clear truth when we first met…”

Go Ok-kyung shifted her gaze, tilting her head slightly to look at the mansion’s ceiling.

“This villa is riddled with cameras. They are for monitoring me, someone who knows too much. The room where we met was no different. That’s why I couldn’t offer any specific advice.”

“Surveillance… cameras?”

As Sa-yoon followed Go Ok-kyung’s gaze, he noticed a small, black, circular lens on a picture frame, disguised as a decorative item. Once he became aware, other cameras came into view. Walls and ceilings were dotted with them, leaving no blind spots.

Sa-yoon instinctively pulled his mask deeper and lowered his voice.

“Is it alright to speak so freely now?”

“The time has come. A subordinate who blindly follows you has risen to a considerably high position, so please tell them to handle this footage for us.”

She was referring to Kim Chae-jun. It was footage that even Director Kim Sang-hoo, who had held the position of director, couldn’t manage. However, Kim Chae-jun, now a close aide to the Vice Commander, could easily take care of it. Go Ok-kyung knew everything, including the fact that Kim Chae-jun had remained at the headquarters for Sa-yoon’s sake.

“Just how much do you know?”

“Hmm, perhaps we should move? It seems faster to show you directly than to explain.”

At Go Ok-kyung’s signal, Director Kim Sang-hoo stood and took hold of her wheelchair. Sa-yoon followed in the direction the wheelchair moved. Opening a shabby door in a corner of the living room revealed a long corridor.

It was a secretive space with no windows and dim lighting. Slowly walking down the dark corridor, Go Ok-kyung spoke.

“I briefly told you about my past earlier, didn’t I?”

“Yes.”

“When I was young, I had many worries. It was a situation where I had no choice but to.”

“I think… I can understand what kind of situation that was.”

“I appreciate your understanding.”

Though Go Ok-kyung spoke briefly to make it easier for Sa-yoon to comprehend, her past had been harrowing. No matter what measures the young Go Ok-kyung took, there seemed to be no future for the nation.

The future she could prophesy was not long, and no other S-class Esper had emerged even by the time she reached her fifties. What would happen when she retired? Could the remaining people sustain this declining nation? Such worries often kept her awake at night.

Yet, she was tormented by the reality that she had to sleep to prophesy, and those days continued.

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