The ruler… was astonished.
Because he felt something…
pulling him.
At first…
he thought…
he was being dragged deep into the earth.
But—
in the next moment…
he felt himself being pulled downward…
into water…
with no end to its depth.
---
Then—
in a flash—
he found himself…
in the sky.
---
Before his eyes…
a strange sight appeared.
A person…
bound in chains…
all over his body.
---
Above his head…
a crown.
Bleeding…
dripping…
onto his body.
---
A body…
made of deep darkness.
No features…
as if…
he were nothing but a shadow.
---
And above him—
was Kim.
Looking at him.
---
The ruler rushed forward—
and passed through Kim.
---
But—
nothing happened.
---
Kim took no damage.
Instead—
the ruler…
was the one who began to bleed.
Blood…
black as night.
---
He fell.
But—
before he could touch the ground…
he froze.
---
Chains…
bound him in the sky.
---
His eyes widened.
"How…?"
"Does he… reflect damage?"
---
Kim spoke in a cold voice:
"Why… didn't you help them?"
"While you… were their guardian?"
---
The ruler frowned.
"Why are you talking… about such trivial things… here?"
---
Kim murmured:
"Trivial…?"
---
His face…
had no features.
Dark.
But—
his eyes…
returned.
---
They were torn.
Bleeding…
white tears.
---
The ruler trembled.
"What… is this madness?!"
---
Kim said:
"Silence."
"Your trial…"
"will be carried out… by me."
---
A scale appeared…
in the sky.
Above them.
---
The ruler scoffed:
"Judge me…?"
"You… are a demon!"
"You killed innocents… children… women!"
---
A mouth appeared…
filled with sharp…
dark teeth.
---
Kim said:
"To be judged by a demon…"
"who knows true faith…"
"is better…"
"than to be judged by an angel…"
"who follows false faith."
---
"No matter how much I am tainted by darkness…"
"it is part… of my justice."
"But you…"
---
He pointed…
to the chained entity.
---
"I know… what your position means."
"To be a king…"
"a shepherd… a guardian…"
"is a heavy burden."
---
"You must be…"
"the one who leads them out of darkness."
"not… the one who pushes them into it."
---
"To be a king…"
"means you walk the dark paths… alone."
"To find the safe way…"
"and then… guide them to it."
---
"But you…"
"forced your people…"
"to live in darkness…"
"so you could find your path."
---
"Why…?"
"Why didn't you protect anyone?"
---
"I know…"
"no one is perfect."
"But—"
"couldn't you… protect even one person… at least?"
---
"Why… did you leave them in hell?"
---
"I… am not like you."
"My killing…"
"is better…"
"than letting them live for years…"
"in hunger… poverty… and weakness."
---
"Why didn't you give them peace?"
---
"Do you think…"
"what I did… is evil?"
---
"No…"
"It is better…"
"for them to die…"
"and curse you…"
"than to live."
---
"I accepted…"
"to become their darkness…"
"just… so they could survive."
---
"I don't care… about the weight of my sins."
"I will bear them… all."
---
Suddenly—
the burden…
on that chained entity increased.
---
It began to bleed…
from its entire body.
The chains…
tightened further.
---
The ruler…
panicked.
"Who… is that?!"
---
But Kim ignored him.
And said:
"Another burden…"
"leading me to ruin."
---
Then he looked at him:
"What kind of torment… shall I give you?"
---
The ruler was terrified.
Unable to move.
Unable to use his power.
---
The scale…
was completely black.
---
Nothing to measure.
---
The judgment appeared:
"This person…"
"does not need a scale."
"Because…"
"he possesses… no good deeds."
---
Kim began to cry.
"Tell me…"
"what should I do with you?"
---
"Shall I torture you… for millions of years?"
"Or kill you… quickly?"
---
"No…"
"I won't grant you an easy death."
---
But—
why…
was he crying?
---
"Why…"
"don't you see them…?"
"Why… don't you feel… their pain?"
---
The ruler looked behind him—
---
And froze.
---
Everyone who died…
appeared.
---
Spirits…
ghosts.
---
Some cursed him.
Some…
begged.
---
But—
what broke Kim…
---
was a little girl.
---
She stood there…
beside them.
---
Begging…
for him to let her go.
---
Silence.
---
Absolute…
silence.
---
Kim spoke in a dead voice:
"This… is the one who abandoned you."
"And I… am the one who killed you."
---
"Don't you want…"
"to kill him?"
"And me… as well?"
---
The little girl said:
"No…"
---
"I don't want to…"
---
"If I show him hostility…"
"he will make us suffer."
---
"I… don't want to suffer again."
---
"Please…"
"let us go."
---
"You are strong…"
"If you want to help me…"
"then let me leave… me and my mother."
---
"I don't want… my mother to suffer again."
"We've had enough… pain."
---
Kim fell silent.
---
Then—
slowly…
he returned.
---
He smiled.
"Don't worry…"
---
He removed the chains…
from the ruler.
---
He fell to the ground.
---
Then Kim said:
"This is the judgment."
---
"You who exploited others…"
"and left them in darkness…"
"to claim the light…"
---
"You will die…"
"by their hands."
---
Then he said to the spirits:
"Don't worry…"
"He is now… powerless."
---
They rushed toward him.
---
With terrifying speed.
---
Kim…
created weapons for them.
---
The ruler…
could not resist.
---
They began…
to tear him apart.
---
Revenge.
---
But—
he did not die.
---
He looked at Kim.
---
Kim said:
"Do you think…"
"I would let you die… like that?"
---
"Taste this pain…"
"until you lose… your mind."
---
Years passed…
---
Thousands…
---
Five thousand years…
---
Torture.
Endless.
Without death.
---
But—
---
Kim fell.
---
The ground…
shattered.
---
The world…
collapsed.
---
He looked around.
"Is… this… my limit?"
---
He began to fall.
---
Into the void.
---
With no one…
to save him.
---
But—
what saddened him…
was not this.
---
But—
---
that he…
could no longer see.
---
"Did I… lose my sight…?"
---
"Or…"
"did my tears…"
"steal it from me?"
---
A person…
who lived his life…
in hell.
---
Waking up…
to pain.
---
A life…
empty.
---
A smile…
became a death sentence.
---
"Why… was I destined… to be miserable?"
---
"Damn it…"
---
"I just…"
"wanted…"
---
"to be… beside my mother."
---
"Was the distance… short?"
"Or… was it long?"
---
"I hope…"
"you are okay."
---
"Maybe Mary… will find a way."
---
"Death was always… for them…"
"And hell… was for me."
---
"Is… this the end?"
---
The fog thickened.
---
Blending…
with his tears.
---
Then he screamed—
---
"Mom…!"
---
"Don't worry…!"
---
"No matter how long it takes…!"
"No matter how far the distance…!"
---
"I will return…!"
---
"I will bring you back…!"
---
"We will live… together…"
"far away from everyone…"
---
"Just… wait for me…!"
---
"I…"
"won't be late…"
---
"I will come back to you…!"