I opened Sung-min's location and my mouth dropped, along with the towel I was using to dry my hair.
Sung-min should be close to the crack by now, right?
Then why in the world was he across town? An entire hour drive from here!
Just why was this happening?
And then, the ground began to shake.
Tremors everywhere.
I had to hold the door frame so I wouldn't fall.
The tremor went on for a while and then calmed down, leaving blinking lights that finally stabilized but I knew it was far from over.
It seemed like a simple Earthquake, and other places would conclude it as such, but there was no way a residential area next to a crack would assume that such a tremor was from a normal Earthquake.
It definitely had something to do when the crack and I... I screwed up. No, I messed up.
I was careless.
Anything could happen and it just did.
After two more tremors, gradually worse than this first one, the crack would widen enough to release the fire dragon, and then...this entire area would be melted to the ground. And that included me.
I stumbled toward the table, grabbing my phone with trembling hands. My eyes were glued to the map, Sung-min's dot steady across town where he absolutely shouldn't be.
"What the hell are you doing over there?" I hissed, my heart pounding against my ribs.
I had to do something. I mean, I couldn't exactly do anything to stop it on my own but I could do what I had been planning all along.
Yeah, screw suspicion.
If I die, it's over.
At least, I can gloss over it as a coincidence due to the Earthquake and earn his trust again.
Before another tremor hit, I needed to be out of this building and very close to the crack.
So that once I send Sung-min an SOS, even if he takes about 30 minutes to get back, if he abandons his car and flies at top speed, then he'll make it in time before the place is razed to the ground.
I quickly grabbed my jacket, fumbling with the zipper impatiently, sweat beads popping on my forehead despite the cold creeping through my body. The fearful cold.
I shoved my phone into my pocket and bolted for the door. By the time I got out of the building, I saw the sky that looked like doomsday was upon us.
Thin red lines sprawled all over the sky like spiderwebs, hovering over the old construction site that was constructed to house the crack and keep people from going near it.
And the cracking lines in the sky just showed how far the connection was expanding.
I wondered this back then but... What the hell are the guys watching the crack doing?
Why didn't they inform HQ about the crack when it gave so many signs before the dragon appeared? Why didn't anyone stop it?
It was as if they were relying solely on Sung-min just because he had the opposite attribute but that didn't make sense.
And what didn't even make more sense was how Sung-min was away from the crack despite being assigned to it.
Back then and now, there was a reason why Sung-min couldn't be near the crack.
A reason why there were so many casualties.
A reason why he was hated more and more.
What if...? I clenched my fists. What if all this was done on purpose and there was actually someone targeting Sung-min?
I turned around.
It couldn't be, right?
I started heading in the opposite direction.
I mean, cracks aren't man-made, so they can't be caused by human jealousy.
But then I paused, stopped in my tracks, and tilted my head.
Though they can't be formed by humans, they can be intentionally ignored even when disaster strikes.
There's no way Sung-min wouldn't have been able to reach this crack, even if he was an hour away from this place, if he had been notified as soon as the disaster struck and he hurried back.
In my last life, by the time he arrived, everything had been burned to the ground, and there was nothing left to save.
No single life. Even the buildings had melted into a pool of lava.
And from the widened cracks came forth devil beings.
It was as if... Sung-min had not been notified on time on purpose so that he could be hated more and more.
And... The most likely person behind this was the one who assigned him another job when he had already been assigned to patrol this place.
Who the hell was that bastard?!
I gnashed my teeth in fury. So, all of this hadn't been a coincidence after all.
There was someone after Sung-min. Someone who wanted him out of the picture.
While I had a few beings in mind, I couldn't picture anyone for certain since they could very much be manipulating others.
First, let's sabotage their little plan and get Sung-min here.
Whoever it is... my eyes darkened in hate... I won't let you succeed this time.
I sent the SOS, but I couldn't be sure it would be enough. They might be jamming frequencies like this so how about this?
I called his phone.
If I called and it didn't go through then it was going to be a huge disaster.
"Come on, Sung-min," I muttered under my breath, almost like a prayer as I but my thumb. "If you don't get here soon, I'm going to do something reckless."
And knowing myself, I probably meant it.
The first rang but he intentionally cut the call. Ah, if he did then that means he would be able to look at my message.
Maybe he was with someone and couldn't pick up.
So, I sent a message.
["There's something strange with the crack close by. And there are red lines in the sky. I think there's going to be an outbreak."]
Good, if he saw this, he'll at least try to look into it.
I hope he does.
I looked up at the construction building housing the crack.
Ah, did I have to go there?
Yes, it was reckless and dangerous but I needed to see how much time we had left.
It was 10 pm right now and in my last life, it seemed to have opened around 10:39 or so.
They were making speculations since there were no survivors to testify.
So, it would likely open up earlier, and when that happens, we're all doomed.
I gulped and then my face crinkled. I was going this far for Sung-min. Risking my life. Not the first time but... He'd better get his ass right here if he knows what's good for him.
I'm not sure I have nine lives to spare.