Chapter 72
Of course the face looked familiar. It was the robe I’d seen during those sleepless, wandering nights at dawn—and the voice I’d heard so often.
“Skyil? Ah… you’re that kid I saw back then.”
“…”
“Didn’t expect we’d meet like this.”
That was exactly what I wanted to say. Who would’ve thought I’d run into him here—the man who doted on his wife so obsessively it was almost exhausting?
If I had known, I wouldn’t have thought so well of him that day.
“Not only was it a surprise to learn that the one I bumped into at dawn was in Peyton’s group, but now here you are ruining my plans. Who would’ve guessed?”
As I stared at Rang, Peyton lightly tapped my shoulder and whispered into my ear.
“How do you know Rang? And what’s this about Skyil?”
“No time to explain.”
If we lingered here any longer, Ollie would show up. And if that happened, what would become of Peyton…?
Sophia forced down her anxiety and opened her mouth, eyes fixed on Rang.
“Move.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to pass.”
“And what are you going to do if you pass? Got someone important to meet?”
When I tried to sidestep him, his steps mirrored mine, blocking my way again—his unpleasant smile tagging along.
“What was that guy’s name again… Wheel?”
“You mean Ollie?”
“Ah, right, that’s it. Going to meet him?”
At that familiar name, Peyton’s eyes widened—but not with hope. He knew Rang too well. The very fact that Rang knew Ollie’s name was enough to spell disaster.
“…What did you do to Ollie?”
Finally, Peyton stepped in front of me, shielding me, and demanded an answer.
“Nothing much. Just killed the woman who was with him and pinned it on you. That’s all.”
That insane bastard!
Leon’s voice suddenly shot through my mind, making me flinch in shock. Peyton must have mistaken my trembling for fear of Rang’s cruelty, because he pulled me closer, hiding me behind his back.
More importantly…
It was exactly as I’d suspected. The reason Ollie had been desperately searching for Peyton was Rang. After all, a man blessed with the power to save lives wouldn’t kill someone and earn a vendetta—that made no sense.
“How could you…!”
“But Peyton, you weren’t the one I was talking to.”
Rang’s gaze slid past Peyton and landed on me.
“Funny, isn’t it? Peyton shouldn’t be here for several more days. He wouldn’t have wasted all that magic just to come to this village, especially when it wasn’t even his destination.”
“…”
“So clearly, he was rushing for a reason. But Peyton’s not the type to figure something like that out on his own…”
Trailing off, he shoved Peyton aside and strode toward me, his hand shooting out to seize me by the collar and hoist me up.
“You’re the one pulling the strings, aren’t you?”
The air vanished from my lungs. Partly because of his grip on my throat—but mostly because of his gaze. It pressed down like a slab of ice, suffocating, crushing.
“How does someone like you end up meeting Peyton?”
“…Let go.”
“Sure. I don’t have much time for you anyway.”
His hand released me. Only when his gaze left did I gulp down air, hacking and coughing. Peyton’s large hand rubbed my back, his eyes filled with worry.
“…I’m sorry.”
The hushed apology barely reached me before a chilling command cut through the air.
“What are you waiting for? Finish it.”
“…Sir Rang.”
“Wheel, do I look like I’m in a good mood?”
Wheel’s lips pressed tight as he glanced at Rang’s crooked smile. Then he drew his sword.
“Wait—what are you—!”
Before I could finish, his blade flashed, and the head of a passerby tumbled to the ground, blood splattering the dirt.
“Aahhh…!”
“R-Run!”
That single cry plunged the entire village into chaos. Wheel’s sword darted after the fleeing villagers without hesitation, and the more he cut them down, the deeper they sank into panic.
People shoved each other, trampled friends, scrambled over bodies in blind terror.
“RANG!” Peyton’s voice ripped through the madness like a raw wound.
But the man it called didn’t even glance his way. Rang simply gazed up at the sky, calm as though he were checking the weather.
While Peyton shouted, I lunged forward and grabbed Wheel’s arm.
There was nothing else I could do. I’d never learned enough combat skills to overpower him, nor did I have the experience to outfight him.
In this moment, the best I could manage was to hold him back—at least a little. Anything, anything at all!
“Peyton Sel Meria.”
Rang’s voice rolled out then, wrapping around Peyton’s name like chains.
“Get her off Wheel. Do nothing else—just that.”
It was an absurdly simple order. Yet Peyton’s strong hands pried me away from Wheel without hesitation.
“What the—”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Really, truly sorry…”
“Let go of me! What’s wrong with you?!”
“No… I can’t… I’m sorry…”
“Grandfather! Peyton!”
I screamed his name, but the harder I fought, the tighter his grip grew.
“Loud little thing.”
“….”
“As long as she’s breathing, that’s enough. Quiet her down.”
At Rang’s cold command, Wheel’s blade swung at me without a shred of hesitation. Steel kissed my shoulder, biting shallowly before sliding past—only because Peyton yanked me hard into his arms.
“No! Wheel, not her! Anyone but her!”
“You really are stubborn.”
“…Wheel!”
Tears clouded Peyton’s eyes, spilling through his teeth in broken breaths. But Wheel only spoke in an icy, merciless tone.
“Do you know how many I’ve killed for you already?”
“…I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
Peyton’s endless apologies lit a fire in my chest. Was any of this really his fault?
Should he be the one apologizing?
“…Why are you apologizing? Did you order the killings? No! It wasn’t you!”
“L-Leon…”
Peyton just stared at me, eyes wide and empty, as I turned my fury on Wheel.
“You’re the one obeying! Why shove the blame on someone else?!”
“You speak like someone who doesn’t understand how deeply these commands bind us.”
In his crimson eyes, for a fleeting moment, there was something like sorrow.
Then I noticed the villager creeping up behind him, axe raised high.
“Whether we want to or not…”
Wheel let out a short breath, releasing his sword.
It danced on its own—soaring through the air like a living thing—before plunging straight into the attacker’s heart. The blade ripped free, arced back, and coiled around his waiting hand.
With a flick to shake the blood off, he looked at me again, calm as ever.
“Once our name is called, Rang’s orders cannot be disobeyed.”
I wanted to scream that such a rule was absurd—but I couldn’t. Not after remembering Peyton clutching me tight, chained by the same command.
There was something between Rang and these men—something I couldn’t touch.
It’s okay.
Leon’s voice brushed against my mind.
You can give up. It’s fine.
“….”
I’ll tell you how to wake up from this dream.
The voice was steeped in resignation, in a fate that couldn’t be changed.
Just die. If you die, you’ll wake up. That’s all it takes…
I knew that feeling all too well. I’d reached that same dead end once, surrendering everything when the end refused to change.
But not now.
Not this time.
Even if the ending stayed the same, if I could change myself along the way—then maybe the next ending would be different.
“I’m done with that. Done giving up.”
At the very least, I would do everything I could.
Without thinking, I hurled myself at Wheel again, clutching his arm and throwing all my weight into breaking his balance as I shouted—
“Drop the sword, Wheel!”
A strange light flickered in his unyielding eyes.
He saw it. For a split second, that boy’s eyes burned with the same color as Rang’s.
Was that why?
Why his fingers slackened on the hilt—why he didn’t summon the sword back when it hit the dirt.
The blade lay lifeless on the ground, its will gone, just like its master’s.
As I stared down at him, ready to demand why he hadn’t fought back, he spoke first.
“…How did you command me?”
How should I know? He was the one who suddenly obeyed.
“And why did your eyes change color?”
The words tumbled out, nonsensical to me. Changing eye color was Peyton’s quirk, not mine.
“You’ve been strange from the start. Not magic, yet you knew about our plan before it happened…”
“….”
“What are you?”
I clamped my mouth shut. I couldn’t admit Leon’s presence. And I had no lie prepared.
A chill wind swept in before I could answer.
“Guess I won’t be hearing that answer.”
He was right.
“The time for a catastrophic miracle has come.”
Because beyond the horizon, a wall of water was tearing through the sky.
