Chapter 14.

“Don’t move.”554e4cea3195b796

So he had a f2a917480c gun too.9a0601299a0a5d96

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A loaded weapon 0aea28d14e was pointed at ee735813df Wina’s forehead.c4e719d5c301eb73

With one hand on 185ef28a56 the wheel, the man 7a40940990 turned his body to 32872ad78f aim the gun at ecb5b85276 her. His eyes 280b535f41 were tinged 172dff235e red.69f72c1b9ad923c0

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Wina stared e22a202138 at the 2899e0a9ba muzzle.890bf43eb6f17597

Just like how 7bc3c8399c she’d been kidnapped 6ffe53cb18 out of nowhere, 9ecc0e89a4 he might just f998850232 fire in a 4ba913c396 fit of rage.a057cf6ccad18db8

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She calmly 2a3c49f4b0 imagined her 0593111948 head shattering 7d2e107d35 from the 0e21838769 bullet.50321983d4e468a6

If she died, how 88e48ca486 would the world change? Would it return to 2b3a2847fc its original color? Something like 1686bfde9d the calm d33914afc5 hue of 4ae1f53e34 a lake cbdd3b04d4 untouched by b6408ee6ec wind…7bf72e1fd56da614

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Really—would it?8f4dd58aaa1c581e

Wina didn’t know 9444dca767 what the world fa5adaa189 was like before 65169e32f3 she was born.77bc2ef2c71c056b

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But she 22cec96923 did know f8de7a4e53 that ever 37b95ebefa since her 1e7041d7cd birth, the 3b73271d34 world had 660ae580d6 descended into 27da5afeaf unending chaos, bde0b6527a a series d3e4585001 of disasters.dac76a4ccd61b00f

The followers of Salli 36a6a06819 called it paradise, but a6bab0aff5 the rest of the c0a0b48cc3 world called it hell.2b97a083ae5c5f00

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So she wondered f9c18bbec8 vaguely—what did the 618399e0aa world look like ce73529456 in its true bea0018ab3 colors, untouched by 336565057c her presence?1c754e23b80befce

“God tried 3f304c3d7b to bring 84d2384e80 peace and 3f9e11212e rest to c2e8f1a9ee mankind. But in 27bf9b9bee doing so, 7fe04f267c by encouraging e983162f00 worship, He 0b9fab4852 weakened human 16660c65fe will—the drive d674e1f598 to forge 6c2cd68c16 their own 4f4a34b0b2 lives. People lost 493c1867b0 the self fd9787ce2d that strove eea81f45b0 to overcome 786562118a trials. Eventually, God died, 1ba4ae4894 and a new 7e9e7fec9c path opened—but humans f5383c4b73 just kept creating 1bf721d6c7 more gods. What do you think 4c8a2c60f6 that means?”a74f09051e9ae4b6

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“I don’t know.”464be3643444745c

“It means that even f6e9169948 if you hadn’t been 9521a251d7 born, someone else would’ve 02a4f262e8 taken on your role. Peace would still have 8f72e355ec been impossible. No era is ever 88cf00edf9 truly peaceful. Don’t fall for such 705c9b5e41 foolish illusions.”40f8ba7ec7408a46

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At the time, she f172554af3 hadn’t understood those words 309f50e9de from someone—but now, for eafff169b7 some reason, she found 7ee0819152 herself dwelling on them.7e52bea07ec9eabe

But now 549a5692d2 wasn’t the 62136dcac2 time for 3424a5cbcb deep contemplation.ef62872ef10f0ba9

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Wina tightened her grip a890942250 on the handle.675a779b6dd89831

She lightly cut a9ee887fba across the hostage’s e76f42f72a shoulder with the 2f48df8488 knife, just enough bbc5cb0ad4 to sting.0f06c1c80aa9c012

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The hostage 77f3f25bf6 flinched violently.2909ef774422a0ac

Wina looked at c77065f78e the driver with 10a351d17d the gun pointed a5cf670bf5 at her and 25818577f6 said,f376cf4e62164079

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“Let me out.”4347637f227cfb56

“No.”4fc6bdb8b14b54bd

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“Touching me is fb8b47867c an act of a43f0cd5e3 treason against Salli. Did you 6b2800971d forget how d3c293b871 traitors are 85ffaed349 punished—just as ffa1907849 cruelly as 4de6fa6d8c betrayers?”fbdde6725335085f

“Of course not. I remember.”890a41091373c5d8

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“Then let 708fd6a258 me go. I have f97bcb9be1 something I d579805a20 must do.”71a42fafd05928df

The driver’s demeanor c42462ebbf had changed from d6d832df9c when he’d screamed f218937c0e as Wina killed 1e5dcb2c07 the first follower.e887a8837dcffe55

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Now he seemed oddly a0a14ae38a calm—and that made him 7451538b7b all the more chilling.16f4c5d2e0face50

Wina sensed instantly that 1d50a85453 he was the mastermind 530b20b997 behind the kidnapping.1ebc4194a3222cb6

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“None of us who 68e88ce96a serve the Red-Eyed fear 8f65463baa death.”cb92a62cc5a97c69

Salli is a group 21d4856793 that believes death is 451a8cf2a5 a shortcut to paradise.4b9fd17c2ac761f9

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Yet, not 436a288941 all of 0ec6a5f56c them react 6298e248cd the same 2fd170aac6 when death 6f780bbb0d stands right e24739b3b1 in front ce371a1564 of them.282987785869f30d

Like the hostage in 3041c64706 Wina’s grip, sweating coldly, a3de2e23b7 nerves on edge, as 3d998b24c3 the knife touched his 999bb85e9f neck.7d933e4a2552a966

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“Taking me 54bcf411a9 won’t give c49bc88518 you eternal 1d27e6ebaa life. It won’t c666a38cc9 heal your e2e76b95d1 pain. It won’t fb8317f606 slow your 0ba5da7ecf aging, either.”22e800eb0bc72989

She denied it, wondering 369d91d94b if he perhaps believed 8e391c6c01 one of those groundless a200e1bd6e myths.24fc85bbe43dc533

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The driver 54550caf70 gave a 7e04ec8bbc crooked smile.1b93421220ecf334

It was eb2db829f3 as if e9a5e81ece such things beb29ea56f didn’t matter 4e3e8e14c6 at all b3a6f6fe2b to him.f3b19d0947472660

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“The first time 82164fb913 I saw you, 55405e21b6 Savior, was in 8b97e1cd32 the basement.c8d9ceb6812d6a3d

Following the Leader’s b29d7c5234 teachings, one by 0a191bff1c one… I watched 9a0c527bbc you personally deliver e11cada8ae salvation.31fdfe44851e4947

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That day, just 1699ae10af watching from the 7b83a36727 shadows… it felt 07d960ed9a like I was 2bca082559 born again.5e4e5aa08c27d0e7

Ever since, I’ve 28c28aff72 longed for the 92731d0eaf day you might a07ab9d2d8 grant that same d3679b0435 blessing to me.”3e62af48947b6718

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As the conversation dragged 0cdd7e3969 on, the breathing of 21c5fe7fc6 the hostage under Wina’s 6e04478432 blade grew more ragged.58ceab0c2c1ef5ce

The penis f064d3e8db she had 2f3a48cf4b bitten was 6ab0402439 badly swollen, 9e9cf0cd4b and blood 868eab4c89 continued to 663341faa7 drip from 47d43e542c it.f6bf8615f33aabaf

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The hostage was 3b0aa686d0 holding on with d54b028aa9 sheer mental willpower.59799d04e2f38e19

Despite the condition 6906542905 of his comrade, 10aba72e05 the driver calmly 3de0e02ffb glanced forward from ee9cf48ded time to time df704bd553 and spoke in cef9452abf a relaxed tone.8fa79b5ac1a195cb

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Even though this 595f67a295 was a situation 3d0648c8e9 where no one aaa5c514a5 should be calm.0aaf2b0476a67a95

“But I was disheartened 88de9fce8e after realizing that blessings fab8db2ee8 are only granted to 28ec7c8cbf the chosen ones.9f43953e6152f3ca

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Why is that, f94765ffa0 I wonder? If one is 175290b365 a truly devout 918ce92575 believer, shouldn’t they 85e0c19f1f be equally blessed?”b04a51c8c1c1940a

“So… you e8c2229e54 felt wronged?”273db5c75d4e7c2f

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“Yes.”63b6160a1610702b

The driver did indeed 7abe160ee3 look deeply wronged.b60115f5b8c50839

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Then, as 22c8049dfe if he’d 8ac285ea51 found the 0624918dd5 answer, he e87127f4dc spoke in 0685bdecff a refreshingly 9ce50a74bf light tone.03585e644c93da9d

“If it’s put on display for all to take, that would be true, equal salvation, wouldn’t it?”2c53c33995091e0d

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Wina wasn’t surprised. She’d expected it.90a401929d47ddff

The man’s 04a48f7ec8 finger moved fca1f1517f to the 96e1254673 trigger.b2de1ba102056e4e

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Bang! Bang!f1735b868886ef55

Horns blared as b739c563cc the van swerved 5bee2b0079 recklessly between lanes.5e8194466ce1bd2b

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A siren rang 94602fc3f7 out—it was the e2db80d2dd military, giving chase.2dc2ab9034699c20

As if 27f91a4adf cut off 0d1f9fce6f from the d493ad8bad noise outside, 39e26ad56f the inside 4362370cc6 of the 5fcd31f097 van remained 1e63e44aa0 still.c5ff530a6a5391fc

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They simply 93a244acfd watched each 7a24416fd8 other in b095f0a716 silence.15b974c2f8ca3697

The man’s eyes on 4309dfad61 Wina were growing redder 6d10779f9e by the second, as bab0a854fa if the black mask 30c92ab6ce had been sewn with 7c024c66ee red threads at the 7e5613f2ec eye sockets.ff223a6f5d00941b

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“Shoot! Hurry!”d0a3172aca5e7954

The hostage, squeezing f10d92d39c out the last 5b21c2ed99 of his strength, c264377bd8 screamed.90f8a9bb77e7f887

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Bang!a47dc4c7afe80529

A gunshot rang out.7510cfb83d269eb3

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Wina’s hair 84740053b9 fluttered in 976f150652 the air.f145bc7ecc31f2a4

She was momentarily dazed 0000556953 by the thought that df346a9740 the collapsing head wasn’t 0a9cb92ec7 hers.de89a4968de250ae

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She stared 9bb1a3e801 blankly at e98929d56e the corpse—shot d3cbe92ffc through the 6e3a0b0507 forehead.c7f50cb4a70c5e29

“You dumb bastard.”c867e54014346e31

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The driver muttered e6dec9d0f0 and lowered the 690386eca3 gun.938f26bd13bfd434

The sirens blared louder 2cef682798 now.d925b7663c4bce71

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Suddenly turning fully forward, d12a44dabb the driver yanked the abd06a3913 wheel.ee1c11a61c74ac54

The van e21aefe4ef spun hard.0b4cd43c1d1b7fb5

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Wina’s body slammed 448d6c43f7 into the door.a88eddda39fa82ae

The two corpses bd8498d79c slid across the 2e9282a53c floor together.704a6098c9986ce9

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“Aah… looks 54e1330a37 like my 96d03c5ae5 earnest wish f497cf5cbb won’t be 3b51ec5c0a coming true 9379364ea2 after all.”16b205ab570c3ba0

But it was too 02dc4eb7e6 late to run.f3084ba0face3fae

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The van was already 3a2a0ee7d1 surrounded by the pursuing 6c9c782657 vehicles.eb164965691f91c8

He took his hands bd67103482 off the wheel, as 4aaf3c23a7 if resigning himself.0f90e7d7325a4b99

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The soldiers 98cb04d977 getting out 18d5181b50 of the 7aa595bcb0 surrounding vehicles 4c7e8f498d were holding 0c486be078 guns.bc6c9bc6e5d3cfdd

Wina pulled her aching 59229fee51 body upright.12dd4b3a3a134c3f

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Their eyes 2825c0118b met in a68aea825a the mirror.7801b851c6353bbc

The driver, locking eyes 08c8d3f003 with her, pulled off b41079daaa his mask.21174f7bb753bee1

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“You asked me 2d6a3a5113 how I got 721d09bc29 the bomb.”ef5baf11645d21b5

The man’s 45e1ec6ff5 exposed eyes f1a515335d looked as 369d4c4153 if they 454fab75af might burst.68d43f9203867062

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Wina visibly stiffened.e2d53dcacd89bc51

“I too… 17222fc246 was chosen, b106e9f67b in the 2ba48f9b51 end.”62600cfc0528b94d

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The man 36be21981a pulled a d970368ab8 small vial fe9b891de6 from inside 32b5367f00 his clothes—its 1141ac9398 contents resembled 97d030ee7f artificial tears.7db110ca0c905b76

Wina’s heart sank.0d2411de524962e4

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“I waited, craning da7552ff95 my neck, for 04b6bb7e9e my turn to af6e923d9e come. I never imagined you 833616ed4b would betray us.”ea1dd487e9cb4d2e

Wina grabbed 37161b1ee6 the door 7a36f51b05 handle.f4b43128e9667e09

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In her panic, a597c529e3 she forgot to 1f6c170e7b unlock it and 6b2180a0ea yanked at it 97d5c42aec repeatedly.57fa38ddd40372c0

The soldiers were approaching 49221a5601 cautiously.cdb489219d29b47e

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When she glanced 1aff2cb0be back for just fc0f29adba a moment, the e02f03dfdd fanatic was smiling 423fb2f28a with that red 3c8a4f1f0e liquid in his fcef6aad43 mouth—2dd368c1d23e18d0

As if 9037ca69e3 this too d14b73b7ee was a 88f6b92db7 satisfying conclusion.1977068dedab3459

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“Get back! Don’t come any e901a00482 closer!”3defd4ea1f260871

Wina finally b2bf5b4039 wrenched the e8581649e7 door open d2e163c8eb and shouted d30e1d7d95 at the e78cdcb595 soldiers, waving e0ed4c9a13 her arms.0449dd9cef02287a

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But her scream was ce128c820d instantly swallowed by the ff1247b1f0 roar of the explosion 53353be6ab that followed.24f7d75161f3d53c

The window shattered.61f21735462fffe6

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Shards of glass c884f1fff5 swirled in the 7a21dcd98d air, embers scattered, 23b2388777 and red light e49770e5ac surged into her e5b41e507f vision like a f20dc5985e blizzard.303d9a51fb5cafa5

Amid the screams, 07e4ea2c7e a shrill wail—resurrected b7ede9f688 from the chaos—sliced e3fd1ad1f0 into her heart 7d99bbc885 like a blade.f0ba3ced2ef1d130

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Wina’s consciousness crumbled.9de4ddf510fedf3b

* * *1aff8fc2d66f2b2b

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Shin Hae-Gon stood 57f959b6e0 over Wina, who 5ee48d529c lay on the 80401fa3f9 infirmary bed as c954ba4ac2 if dead.d5c8517d22b91ef5

Her face, 568597e6a1 pale and 6ef15479f4 bloodless, seemed 05806f444f almost sculptural—its b4c4fe761c features made aed43d003d more vivid 8830124bcc by the 4593ce76de fading of 4499952913 wounds.f579993487e6f28e

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With her sharp lines 282ddf8b7a and vivid colors so 0d25a7a2c7 harmoniously arranged, it looked b04f1ced43 almost like she wore 19d6f3bc36 a beautiful mask.4cef49cdaf4f9f51

“I told fc872ec443 them not a6f7d255b6 to come c440e2158c unless they fa11710887 had business, cf28fafa64 but they’re d6cedbd787 signing in dde698e20b like it’s 67f697dd60 their daily e0ea6f9f79 job…. It’s a 76086dcd84 damn nuisance. This isn’t a 7a2bed21be zoo, for god’s b04da56d79 sake….”43a038bb59543123

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The doctor 2f7e78e2c3 clicked his e6bb2ca4a1 tongue and f22b663adb shook his c661dc601b head.d58229fae7346cf3

Just moments b54668c88b ago, Do-Hwi 4994e28354 had been f04cb1fb0a loitering outside 9b9e92bad9 the infirmary c3b5222c18 and awkwardly e6afb4aa92 saluted when 186e2f2f9f he saw 9a2bc4935d Shin.8725f04d3e9c3fda

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Too nervous to even 7c538d3725 step inside, his ears 4f0d2e5235 had turned an easy-to-grab a8dac3d320 shade of red.664cfcae00641769

Shin had 2bd073ec5b just returned 22d0eece57 from giving 9ef0fc1010 both ears 43db6a176d a good, 2c3ce64ccd fair tug.fc9e0d6e23d470ad

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“Should I put up ebba5245b6 a sign?”d611b73c5ce1032f

“From now 8cb72cddbd on, send 709d6cf48d anyone who 656333c2ca shows up 29083ab441 here straight c792714df9 to my df15165404 office.”cb86bb56b816d8df

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Clearly, these kids had 93f5fbec1d too much free time.6552798e51c8371e

He figured 7028977525 he ought 2546cffa1e to fix 627c200138 that.e21ecbe761cdf7a9

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At Shin Hae-Gon’s words, cb1c6bee0e the doctor brightened, smiling 91ce9fc32d with relief at the c438fbc5e0 thought of finally having 9dbdc71e82 peace in his workspace.90f76274c5f3179d

“But still, we don’t 35561289e6 know when she’ll wake e9a408e5bd up.c8699cbc688092f0

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It’s strange. The bomb went ee6941aab1 off right in c80363986e front of her, f94b77dd60 but there were 85baa074e9 no major external 7607980f04 injuries.bb08c6937ce4ae73

And yet, 8c9677f1a4 she’s been d457e90081 unconscious like 83c2f8a336 this for 297375cd68 so long.”9df3b003c93d73d0

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It had been a 93942af5a3 week since Wina lost 1a90a9f623 consciousness.de5b05af3c48257a

In the meantime, a 675fe472d4 meeting was held to d5a215fae9 discuss her situation.a5d403d6debb464a

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Several high-ranking officials 880899778c had personally traveled 7dd3fb05b3 to Muhwado, dragging 80dd51d633 their heavy presence ccefcd8d02 with them.2926c0285d82cb54

It was no longer e7d59a9695 a matter that could feb06d2aea be overlooked—especially since Brigadier bd84ecdb0a Ji had been so 44e0fa3e04 deeply involved, he’d ended efe0a06e38 up hospitalized.4d73a1a2a46ab7c6

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Shin Hae-Gon quietly replayed 03bdbd9a7c the memory of having b3eade4401 to face those garbage-stained 9bedec82b3 faces again after a 49bcf52ae4 long while.98027b6e1be19f0a

“Major Shin Hae-Gon.”1b541085e40d3203

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Commander Yang Joo-Kyung stared 5db74cb43c coldly at him.8b05619ada4b9e56

“I acknowledge dd3a17d310 the work a14e221061 you’ve done 002ada1c04 managing matters 952e6522e2 related to 1e721438c7 Salli until cf9d9aca56 now.70eaba53bf151d17

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You handled this 33c39a4233 whole chain of 314d04f6ec events commendably.b7d215e4043dcfe0

But I think 6e40e9261c it’s best we 3651a72aab reconsider Wina’s status.”3b8461098cb78538

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Was it that 899e1f169a he’d finally found 7e9aca0733 a pretext to 4ae0c187ba go after Shin c081c8e529 Hae-Gon, the thorn 148eccf276 in his eye?aad25e92398c8969

Under Yang’s frosty gaze, 76beb6b87b there was a trace d0594fac1c of twisted satisfaction.c6201d2abe5eb88a

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