A walked forward and touched the door. Suddenly, he heard a loud bell ringing. The hands on his watch began spinning rapidly anticlockwise. A covered his ears, but the sound grew louder and louder."My head is goin… going to… explode… ahhh…"He couldn't even stand and fell to his knees. After the bell rang 14 times, A opened his eyes and found himself in a new, quiet, and completely different place. Flowers were everywhere, but this area felt entirely different from where he had first met K."This place is different… My head still hurts," A muttered, still holding his head.He slowly stood up and began wandering around. "Why is this place so quiet? These flowers…"A looked at them: lotus flowers blooming near the pond, lavender lining the walking path, and white lilies filling the rest of the space."Is this another game of K's? I'm tired of it. Why do I have to endure all of this?"A sat under a beautiful tree, took a few small breaths, and tried to hold back his tears."How long… do I have to do this? I can't run anymore."He looked down at his hands.Meanwhile, K was still sitting with the Executioner."I'm thinking about how far A has reached now," K said.The Executioner replied in a frustrated voice, "What do you mean he ran away? Do you even care about him? If he dies, then what are you going to do…?"The Executioner went silent. K stared at him and said, "Why the silence? Come on, speak up. I think I'm here because someone opened a void under my feet. Oh, and how can I forget—I ended up here just because someone was desperate."The Executioner turned his head in the other direction. "Oh, I think he didn't go too far. Oh, K, look at the flowers over there. I planted them last week. Look how beautiful they are." He was clearly trying to change the topic.K kept staring at him. "Oh, is it you saying that? Are you really trying to change the topic now?"The Executioner took a deep breath. "Fine, I accept my fault. But it's all because of you. I asked you before to let me meet A."K lay back on the grass. "Still the same. I told you before—he is not ready yet."The Executioner spoke in a deep voice, "How much time does that useless human need to prepare for the meeting?"K replied calmly, "Humans need time to adapt. That's why they survived two world wars and other disasters. I hope he will be ready soon."The Executioner pulled at his chains, then stopped. "Well, what am I even thinking?" After a pause, he asked, "So, are you still thinking about that girl, K?"K didn't react. His voice remained calm. "Yes, I still think about her. But in my memories, I only recall her words and…"K went silent.Meanwhile, A heard footsteps. He quickly hid behind the tree. He saw K walking with someone he didn't recognize. A peeked out and saw a girl with K. He went completely silent. He noticed that K looked completely different now—his eyes were blank, devoid of any emotion."So why did you bring me here?" the girl asked, stopping and speaking in a soft, calm voice."Just to tell you the real meaning of life," K replied in a plain voice."That is just a short time in this world. Who even cares about it? No one can decide how they are born, and no one knows how they are going to die."A peeked again and noticed K was still wearing a wristwatch. Shocked, A checked his own watch. "How is this even possible? He gave that watch to me. Wait… his face looks a little different now. Did I just see his memory? Or did I time travel to the past?"While A was thinking, K continued, "Human life is worthless. They have to die one day. If you come and help us, we will be able to create a new world."The girl turned and looked at K with a gentle smile.Meanwhile, with the Executioner, K said, "I don't remember how she smiled. Not even how she looked."The Executioner laughed. "Well, that's expected for a person who holds a dream. Of course, we are brothers. I know how much you changed after that meeting with her—almost like some kind of magic. And then you trapped me here and started doing experiments to prepare a perfect candidate to present to the Master. But you failed 21 times, and here we are with Project 22."Meanwhile, A remained hidden behind the tree, listening to the conversation.The girl spoke softly, "You still haven't learned it. Human life is a precious gift. Don't waste it, K. Look around this beautiful world. How does it feel when there is no war left?"K replied in a plain voice, "You know that war never ends. Humans are going to die because of the horrible things they have done and the damage they have caused. They have no feelings, no love, no care, no responsibility toward anyone. They are just creating a mess which my brother and I are trying to fix."The girl continued gently, "I understand the damage they cause, but you both have no right to kill all of them. It doesn't change anything. It only makes things worse. Just think about it, K. Ask yourself—is this the right way? If you really wa…"A suddenly heard loud bell rings. He covered his ears in pain as the hands of the watch started spinning again.Meanwhile, with the Executioner, K said, "So, did you really think she left forever?"K, still lying on the grass, replied calmly, "I don't know. I don't even want to believe in false hopes."The Executioner leaned back. "Why do I even ask you questions like this when I already know the answer? It's been years since she left, and you still chose her path, leaving me behind in these chains."K spoke in a slightly deeper voice, "You know why you are here. In reality, I am just tired of this." He lifted his arm and looked at the blood on his hand. "I just need rest from everything. I want to return to the past—when I had everything, when we had everything. I…" For the first time, K hesitated. "I just want more time with her."The Executioner looked at him. "You don't even know what this feeling is."K took a breath and continued, "It's just like… I don't know how to explain it. But when I was with her, I just wanted that moment to never end. But now I…"The Executioner turned toward a dead flower. "I still remember that day—the first time I saw tears in your eyes when she left."Meanwhile, A slowly lowered his hands from his ears. He peeked and saw the girl holding K's hand while K cried."Please don't leave me. I can't change this world alone. Please stay," K begged.The girl smiled and said, "You are strong. You can do it on your own. I played my role here. Now it is time for me to leave." She gave K the mask. "Remember this: when you finally think you are going to succeed in the plan, wear it."K's tears fell onto the ground as he held the mask. The girl's body turned into flowers and was carried away by the wind.A watched as K remained on his knees, crying while holding the mask tightly against his chest. A wanted to step out and help him but knew it was better not to interrupt.K's voice was half-broken and low. "I promise… I will make our dream come true. A better world. A world which we all sacrificed for."Meanwhile, with the Executioner, K was still looking at his hand. "This mask came with a cost."The Executioner looked at him. "I know. The cost is the memories of her—the price you paid for the dream. Fascinating. We are all sacrificing everything for those who never give us any appreciation. I remember that day. For the first time in my life, I saw you crying."K didn't speak."I remember how you held that mask close to your heart," the Executioner added.K finally spoke, "Love has different meanings for everyone, and I never understood what that feeling was. On that day, I felt… was it really love or just attraction?"The Executioner placed a hand on his shoulder. "It really has different meanings. But nowadays, love has lost its meaning. For humans, it has just become a game—just attraction like a magnet. It works until the attraction is there. When it ends, it becomes nothing."K replied calmly, "Humans change their love like clothes these days, always trying to find a better one and leaving behind the ones who actually care for them. And what do they have in the end? Just crying, pain, and regret. When they lose their attractive charm, they decide to settle with a person who can only love them. How foolish they are. They waste their youth on this and want stability in old age."The Executioner asked in a low voice, "Do you really have no memory of her left besides her words?"K went silent for a few seconds, then spoke in a calm but slightly sad voice, "I can't forget her words. This world will only change when…"Meanwhile, A heard the bell ring again. This time it was much louder. He covered his ears, but blood started coming out."AHHHHHHH! My ears!"After the 22nd ring, he found himself in front of the same massive iron door."My… my ears…" He no longer felt pain now, but there was blood. "This door…"A stared at the door.
— END OF CHAPTER 17 —