Chapter 20

“If I hadn’t killed 42e1dc20d9 them, the military would ea47c2ef4c have eventually come and da00da7ce8 wiped everyone out,” Huikyung adaca34956 said coldly.050f1a3254a0c089

“Selling Esper flesh? That’s a straight 788cb65491 ticket to execution. Even if they hadn’t 8a30235113 been caught, it wouldn’t 33cc3cbc8b have mattered. Esper blood and flesh e2b267b308 are toxic, Jaekani. They’d all have 9f03a9316b ended up hallucinating 92e862c660 and overdosing themselves 10c7245d80 to death—including your aebcdb367c so-called father.”11458cf79a328ee1

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Jaekani shook his c0bc4194da head in disbelief. His father couldn’t have 7917415121 done such a thing. The villagers c0d02feb54 couldn’t have 56929c31f5 done such 400189d038 a thing.89e67d0e4e6a83f3

“Don’t cry 439310978f over garbage.”f11f3c118a0b29ef

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Huikyung said, 94d6c0b2c7 his green 6ee725b5c1 eyes burning dd6e24afd4 as fiercely 068bf1df65 as the 6f997706b0 flames that 53f1c5495b had swallowed 7bb29d676e the village. His gaze 64c49d447b was searing, ed276e8c42 filled with 8fa35169c9 unrestrained fury 36e67f517e and an bac4fa22e3 undercurrent of e34d6f0964 vengeance that 8f87986373 couldn’t be c474afd55a hidden beneath dcf4145e11 his calm bb306c37eb facade.94f0ad9bdb099cd5

“Stop crying and d6337bbf5e think about how 26ea76c956 you’re going to 5d95e7f2ab live. Saying you want 0e4796ac4f to die is 177f9304fa the dumbest thing 086d5ed7ab I’ve ever heard.”5316f9f9cdca253c

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“…Did I…”68478c2d515b1137

Jaekani’s voice wavered, 36c158a5f9 “Did I ever 02d574c713 do something bad fdcf738db4 to you too?”80a2fd00bf18d61a

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Huikyung’s grip on b5428aaed0 Jaekani’s wrists loosened. Red marks lingered where 8037ed278d his fingers had pressed 3c6a9e2326 too hard. He let out a 40466db020 heavy sigh, releasing the ff9bba2ec0 boy’s hands and pulling 76b39f0108 him to rest against f8da267dd5 his shoulder.4ca0bcb63ada1962

“…Esper flesh bc9f5890ad sells for cc2cb9c615 a high 2a89dcff7d price. It probably 88853218c3 didn’t reach fcee85398d you. Most of it was 5155161f95 sold off, and what 0c6f6dc818 wasn’t sold, the butchers 8a1330c5e4 and that so-called council 1a373578cf ate themselves.”942eed0153dd3924

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“You could’ve spared my 73751e31d0 father,” Jaekani muttered, his 4de7529762 voice cracking.2e176b0fbeea6751

“Why would I?” Huikyung’s 4ed292c174 reply was immediate and 1176cdd3d0 final.373e1acb1418ac64

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“How can 4d67d3dc73 you say 541502506d that?”d51c029698acb65b

“He was the one 1338bfa50c I wanted dead the 6b0003333d most. Sparing him would’ve been eb92c3c21c a joke.”b084a545e61afbcf

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Jaekani’s strength e8cb674a09 left him 8c86cc143f as the d3c02a10ea words hit e929b506c8 him like 802e568a7e a hammer. He slumped against 44aa7842aa Huikyung, unable to bf60d508d3 fight back any 6dcee1f0a8 longer. All he could 1f559dd060 do now was 7551dc35f2 confront the truth—the 4683b336ef horrifying reality of 42275aa6bb it all.9b3590345f8d3c5c

Pieces of the 0ee13a0c62 puzzle clicked into 5d061a2bdb place. Huikyung’s seething hatred, 2890b298b7 the secrecy surrounding 98c04c5dce him, the slaughterhouse 31a470a7cc manager’s strange behavior, 393269e77d and even the 4910790169 cryptic things his 6be6d9a6a3 father had said—it 55aca98b74 all made sense 418e9c1be6 now.62d5de22f247ed6a

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Huikyung sighed 4966222b74 again, deeply. He hadn’t 6cd3231df2 wanted Jaekani 4e2819b92d to know 739ccc7d62 the truth aa5c6efa08 about the fb5ba5187a village. He’d held back, even ece1c15d6e when he had the eaa4affae8 chance to reveal it. When he’d knocked 0c3f238519 Jaekani unconscious earlier, f83ed05ce4 he had hoped 22537ff5fe to shield him 095e39fa8e from this knowledge.462c7c735f306be4

If Jaekani were 626b04042b to feel betrayed, 7c4ff578cb better it be 90499ea8bb by one person 2fe1fd013b than by the 87d73765b7 entire world. It was a 168239e17b twisted form of c8e3dadc39 mercy, a way ba2bcaf3b1 to ensure Jaekani bf66775d48 survived by clinging 2c86e505c4 to anger rather 94a1024d56 than despair.e5e3571f431f1fd0

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“Your father exploited you, 6e6cf0ebd8 Jaekani. He abused and 0f18598799 used you.”d12fe8bcceeede48

But the water f9f365c422 had already spilled. The truth 87448047a1 was out, 4b75053274 and there fcfa9faa9e was no b15a9fc350 going back 5c97b2d497 now.784db169dbbbe29b

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Huikyung continued, his 96d0f5686e tone turning bitter. “Your father saw d5f7a9e0c6 you as nothing 4ee672cfe6 more than a a0f1132781 candle—to burn yourself 8730d581ab out for others, e33d2bb727 for him. He didn’t care.”ee270608d1b23855

“You don’t know anything 114602afa6 about him,” Jaekani snapped.a9bebf1b1194f9db

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“Don’t I?” Huikyung’s green eb57f2e41b eyes narrowed. “Your father told me 8019c02722 himself while he was 711db6b7e1 carving into my side.”90feaca850e7ec49

Jaekani froze, horrified.7d684f6349a392d1

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“He said, ‘Feed 15b823c77c a stray dog 06f9780023 a few scraps, 38a76a08c2 and it’ll guard eaaf33b893 the house for 1cf79465bd you. This one cleans, cooks, 1204517dec and works for me 9e1904187f without complaining.’”fc18e4eac3e46ddb

Jaekani felt b50a2a7ede a sickening e2f85743a9 jolt of b58bb5417e recognition. His father had often be2ad52a65 called him a “little fd3ac3d363 pup,” always with a 63990154ab mocking undertone.a28bb6f0490c3f85

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“That’s not 223a7a742f true,” Jaekani 614ae99df5 whispered.277b69546cd544d5

But deep down, he 8a2d050e18 knew it was.e4fc47bd1e1170ea

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“Even if he wasn’t c7e233887f much, my father was bda4528028 still better than nothing,” 9126d25429 Jaekani muttered, clinging to a0f90ea7b8 his crumbling image of 600162921f Jaebad.204f83c3927952d9

“Is that the 02f86a3590 bar for parents? That they’re ‘better b6978f17aa than nothing’?” Huikyung d511688f33 countered sharply. “You’ve given bd41a75353 up far a9347d5007 too much bc545e792d just to 2f758d1be2 keep believing 9fda4ca3cc that.”2ed8a5ed648f317f

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Huikyung slowly 28ebfd67b7 set Jaekani 3eea6d33b6 down. The wind had 6625cee44a calmed, and the 158e5b50be sun now fully 79682378ed illuminated the destroyed e448145764 village. Jaekani squinted against the fc4730af95 brightness as Huikyung brushed 035b26a45f the ash from his 0e301464d9 cheek with clumsy fingers.08e2bc2d530b1000

“You can live well, ec67ce0caa Jaekani,” Huikyung said softly.daf02c49a1b95f5f

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The boy nodded 294bee0e89 mechanically, not truly d02c223750 believing it but 16ca88543e finding himself swept 3e14e70b82 up by the 51152c9374 finality in Huikyung’s d3271874bc voice.0b15e929e3e8753a

“You’ll be fine.”97a6758c19390826

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“I’ll be fine.”652c9b0250c4c086

“Don’t die. Live well, Jaekani.”1272017ea35bbb24

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…What?e113ac31a82d249d

Jaekani’s head, which had 30f9c7d391 been nodding obediently, stopped 775bce8190 abruptly. He snapped b60aff256c his gaze 3d9298ee32 upward as bdd4c7f6c0 if the 64b9413b65 words had 0c4a72f695 physically struck 0ab66676b5 him.46896cb133aa8187

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‘Don’t die. Live well?’ 364bd45ddd How could 57fc61a3d2 he say 5269dcbd35 that after 50b62e9bb5 destroying everything—after f4ced0d85d killing his 364faf3103 father and 23c494f7da leaving no 187f22556b one behind? Did he really believe d544836622 such a thing was 516d189bfb possible?1314e6a2b80fb0fc

“Stay healthy,” cca711a843 Huikyung added b838e79997 casually, the 644e3dfba1 tone unmistakably ff8f89df6f that of 3a0b93eda7 a farewell.d04165c194929aa2

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That dismissive, 92a453eac5 lighthearted attitude e9c89621da broke something aad3b60885 in Jaekani. It snapped him b0f6ef2be6 out of the 7a35945d06 trance of shock 6e5b840f91 he’d been in, 1ce0a595f3 forcing him to 8452252bfc confront the surreal, 89dcb8ef35 unbearable reality.a76ffabaa954cae1

“What does 7a52540d0d that mean?” 5a2c3468be Jaekani demanded, 71dc93a5fb his voice 084b26ed55 shaking.e417cb245ba9a5e0

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Huikyung hesitated, 8e2c3b1f2b caught off a13a9d6934 guard by 0618065a61 the sudden 9cd453edb0 intensity in f60bb8b052 the boy’s 218ad91416 gaze.8fcea2f7e2376619

“You’re smart. You’ll figure it 7fbf8fc0f2 out,” Huikyung said, b51d001a9f faltering slightly.145c2074fdc541d8

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“You’re not… You’re not 441b6d0b15 just going to leave, 1bd819a091 are you?” Jaekani’s voice 01929ed8d2 cracked. “You’re not leaving f95c841264 me here like 162e87f281 this, are you?”8777a2a33bb11402

Huikyung, uncharacteristically at 44cbabaaef a loss for 8fc72ac999 words, stammered as b15ba8ecbc if searching for 319cde6cf0 a way to 62ed7642ab deflect the question.e7d17e0db058ff28

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“Take you with me? Do you even know who I am or where I’m going?”6e1ed5e3b6d1fc2c

“What does it matter who you are? To me, you’re already a traitor, a murderer, and a piece of trash!”6aacc409410d13ec

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“Exactly! So why would you want to stick with a traitorous, murderous, trashy bastard like me?”fe0e94698d825553

Jaekani’s voice trembled 6a222049dc with outrage.675e275fd4ef991f

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“Then what? You leave me behind in this burning wreckage and expect me to survive a week on my own? What about me? Do you even care what happens to me? You burned down my village! You killed my father! You’ve destroyed everything!”d6edf1164d52ab63

“Did you not hear a word I said? Your father butchered me alive—right in front of me! He used one of those massive slaughter knives! And yet I’m the bad guy? Your father’s the victim, and I’m the trash? Fine! Go back home, then! See if I care! Go and die there!”58b739517b78ddd9

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Huikyung’s voice 8a2ffeafdc rose to 837b1cf1cb match Jaekani’s, 00d3d561af frustration bleeding 387b4490fb through his 012cb06fd4 words. He couldn’t a67df80fe6 hide his 3efec8868a irritation, and 3d1834536e Jaekani’s indignation 713d799d88 only fanned 80874ca80d the flames fb507a6d6c of his f76482daa3 anger.43bf75e0191feb07

“No!”e5a45060ebda1d07

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“Then what the hell do you want?!”00c641a758da3747

“You owe me a family!”2c3cea4ca43ddc79

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The declaration hung 45b67d908e in the air, 3dfd57a395 heavy and hot. Between sharp 3fc233c151 breaths, Jaekani’s 7a56ff5135 fury spilled 91e965342e over like 08fb225134 molten lava, 76dd70e2b7 scorching everything b7e85ea169 in its 2b0827c878 path. He didn’t care about c68baee099 the damage—it was already a87fcdd287 too late to stop.02e419d4768118c9

“I trusted you! You were the first person I ever trusted! And this is how you repay me?”bc10a58e5eaa6313

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“Congratulations, then! If this is your first betrayal, you’ve had a pretty cushy life so far!”1014f6032b430692

“Look at my size and tell me that again! Teaching betrayal to a kid barely tall enough to reach your chest—real impressive!”4e6b124cccf654ce

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Huikyung blinked, momentarily at 2c81b8be32 a loss for words. Jaekani’s logic twisted 6ee51a66d9 itself in knots, ea3e716744 but the boy’s ee3076d84b sheer audacity left 28c78cfcbd him speechless.899287b77ba9b23b

“You lied to a kid, a ten-year-old! And now you’re going to leave me here to rot? After telling me not to die? You have no shame!”a650c3f2e7d3eae1

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“…Hah.”19fad8d9e103e42e

Jaekani wasn’t even ten—he 1bbe200b95 was thirteen—but he wasn’t f32b72003e going to let technicalities dd1d0cc295 get in the way ebad18247d of his argument. In a world where 5d0eb8cbfb size and survival mattered 1621f5d723 more than age, who 994feb3a00 cared about facts?3f4149c1df2485e5

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“I didn’t ask for your life in exchange, you useless bastard! You’re worth less than the ash you’ve left behind!”f471fd7d71aed4e8

Jaekani’s voice cracked, his 2a76f697db eyes turning red with 15aa878f52 unshed tears.b3bfa5b725859c85

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Here we go cfab7c9bb1 again, Huikyung thought 775d6427a3 with a sigh.65fd8cdb62cc261b

Crying during 74a4248626 a fight? That’s cheating.ce6e1db2ff85fd94

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“You’d think I told you to save the world or something,” Huikyung muttered, helpless against the storm of emotions Jaekani hurled his way.bf2f6cb2b2645120

Jaekani glared at him, 4425b980c7 tears streaming freely now. Despite his defiance, ab4ef980ac his voice carried 32f2727eee a hint of 9bdb580f97 desperation, barely veiled 336a681ef7 behind his angry 5bc840c4b4 words.0c3a9d13b4fd8598

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“You’re impossible!”ba9e892815311c6c

“And what exactly do you want me to do?” Huikyung finally asked, his voice quieter now, deflated by Jaekani’s relentless accusations.75e70e8ae8c572d8

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“I don’t know! Maybe you should’ve thought about that ‘before’ you killed my father!”72032f83e3539c4d

The tears 73b8bef0c1 came harder, 9698464e93 and Huikyung 7b9e611737 rubbed the e8599c24e3 bridge of 0bafacddc7 his nose, a7ea7af194 feeling the 7cc844c9d2 last of d93c98c29d his patience 91a2f8e8ac dissolve.70c46bc4bc7cb73b

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“Stop crying, kid. A creature might think you’re a well-seasoned piece of tofu and go for a bite.”6c668a78d5ee8b72

“Do you have to phrase everything like that, you bastard?” Jaekani snapped, his glare sharp enough to cut through steel.aee8d08c6790c185

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“It means stop bawling,” Huikyung said with a sigh, his tone exasperated.330f3c93a5089191

Jaekani stared da4f8e7a47 at him, 258d138263 his teary bf6b7ed7c7 eyes narrowing. A thought 7d4e69e7dd struck him—a b8e9b1a52d moment of ba6966e3e9 clarity amid 80fb97a17d the chaos.e483781b2c1ff929

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This was his chance. Whatever he 20f14b18ed asked for 4fdb5e6f87 now, Huikyung 4446fd86dd would have d22b53bcac to grant 5f9cc5e871 it.1ab9fd72c637d05f

But what could he 6238bafae5 demand? Telling Huikyung to 9d483c527b bring his father f63d51cd90 back or undo c77b388774 the destruction was 0e0b1c23b2 pointless. Wishes like that were 9f515c052f impossible. If he was going 2c38eab9f5 to make a wish, 7194fde57b it had to be b276adb3c2 feasible—something Huikyung couldn’t easily 9828c97d01 walk away from.aa609b075032525d

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“Take responsibility for me.”256298f626feaa08

The words 35802e665e were quiet f1b4311fb8 but firm.55cc9f69efbc12c0

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Huikyung’s gaze f822ca6166 flickered, his 4c58219ce7 frustration briefly 998f0205e3 overshadowed by cde9283aab confusion.385849e790220754

“What did you just say?”ef7990baed02d6cb

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“Take responsibility for me,” Jaekani repeated, his voice unwavering.f1520f26b93dcb5b

“Stay with me until I’m an adult. You owe me that much.”250b8eb90f2b2895

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