...
We went down the escalator in silence. The hospital was spotlessly clean, with a subtle scent of antiseptic mixed with the soft perfume of the flowers arranged along the corridor. Chae Jinyoon's room took up almost half the floor, a luxurious and highly protected space. In addition to a magical barrier that surrounded the entire room, three mercenaries guarded the entrance.
They were no ordinary security guards. They stood firm, with implacable expressions, and the weight of their presence was similar to that of mid-ranking heroes.
As soon as we approached, one of the mercenaries, a robust man with obvious muscles and a sharp gaze, greeted us with an unexpectedly warm smile.
"Welcome, miss."
Chae Nayun blinked, surprised by the friendly approach.
"Oh! Good afternoon!"
The man then looked away from me. His appraising gaze roamed my body with restrained curiosity.
"Is he coming with us too?"
Nayun nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
The mercenary narrowed his eyes before letting out a light sigh.
"Um. He'll need the president's permission..."
"I'll give him permission."
Nayun crossed his arms.
"My father is traveling on business and won't be coming today anyway."
The man hesitated momentarily, but eventually nodded.
"Kuhum. Right!"
He opened the door and let us through, accompanied by the doctor who was guiding us.
As soon as I entered the room, I was seized by an intense concentration of magical power. The room was meticulously clean, and a soft scent of roses floated in the air, mixing with the ethereal presence of the sister, which permeated the space.
On the wall opposite the bed, a masterpiece oil painting added a touch of color to the room, contrasting with the coldness of the medical equipment around the bed. Photographs of Chae Nayun and Chae Jinyoon were scattered around the room, recording memories of happy days.
Nayun walked forward, hesitating. His gaze wandered around the room, absorbing every detail, every memory recorded in that space.
Then my gaze found Chae Jinyoon.
Lying on the bed, he was tilted at a 25-degree angle, supported by pillows and life-support machines. His pale skin contrasted with the long strands of hair that fell loosely over his shoulders and down to his chest. Once neatly trimmed, they were now long and disheveled, showing the time he had spent in a coma.
He looked like a sleeping man, but the truth was much worse.
He wasn't just sleeping.
He was incubating.
His body breathed rhythmically, but something was growing inside him, expanding like a silent plague. An invisible but inevitable process. When it was over, he would be reborn.
But not as a human.
But as the devil himself.
Nayun took a deep breath next to me, trying to pull himself together before turning to the doctor.
"Can you come out and leave us alone?"
The doctor hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded.
"If you need anything, I'll be around."
As soon as the door closed, the room fell silent.
"Shall we begin?"
I asked, stepping forward.
Nayun nodded, but before she did anything, her gaze turned to the corners of the room.
"The cameras."
She frowned as she noticed the little glowing dots on the walls.
"Don't worry."
I said calmly.
"To the camera, it looks like we're just talking."
"Huh? Really?"
"Yes. I know how to create illusions too, you idiot."
"Oh! So what the camera is seeing isn't us, but illusions of ourselves? Only acting normally."
She smiled, pleased with herself for having understood.
"..."
Isn't that exactly what I said?
I sighed, shaking my head.
"Huhum, Nayun. Exactly that."
"See? I'm clever!"
She puffed out her chest, proud.
"Of course, of course..."
I said, turning my attention back to Jinyoon.
Now that the cameras were no longer a problem, it was time to get started.
I approached the bed and felt the slight coldness around Jinyoon's body. Nayun was still holding my hand tightly, and her fingers were intertwined with mine.
I lightly touched the pre-external region between Jinyoon's chest muscles.
It felt strange.
To an ordinary touch, her skin felt cold and inert, like that of someone who had been asleep for a long time. However, when I activated my magic eyes, the truth unfolded before me.
There was something there.
Something alive.
A pulsating, insidious presence, like invisible roots spreading out and enveloping its heart. It wasn't visible to the naked eye, and no medical examination could detect it. It was like an astral parasite, an entity that expanded in silence, waiting for the right moment.
"I see..."
I muttered, narrowing my eyes.
"So that's why no one could figure out what was wrong with him."
"Couldn't you?"
Nayun asked, her voice slightly shaky.
I pointed directly at the center of Jinyoon's chest.
"Here it is... the Devil's Seed."
She opened her eyes wide and gasped for breath.
"But, Theo, can you see it?"
I turned my gaze to her and pointed to my eyes, which glowed a reddish hue.
"Yes, I have very special eyes. You could call them Magic Eyes."
Nayun was visibly surprised to notice the sparkle in my eyes.
"Nic... Cof!"
She coughed, trying to disguise the compliment that had almost escaped her lips.
"Does that mean you can see things that no one else can?"
"Exactly."
I nodded, refocusing on Jinyoon.
"I see the corrupted sister. I see her form, her flow... I see everything."
Nayun squeezed my hand tighter. Her thoughts were racing through her mind, but she just took a deep breath and agreed.
"If you can see it, then you can do something about it, right?"
I kept my finger on Jinyoon chest, feeling her weak and irregular pulse.
"That's why I'm here."
But before I could continue, a stream of demonic energy began to emerge from his body.
"Theo! Look out!"
Nayun instinctively pulled my hand away, stepping back as the black aura expanded, menacingly.
"Calm down."
My eyes glowed brighter. And then, in an instant, all the demonic energy disappeared.
Nayun blinked, still confused. She swept the room with her eyes, searching for a logical explanation for what had just happened, but all she found was the disconcerting stillness left in the air.
"Did it stop...?"
She asked, still with a slight tremor in her voice.
"Yes."
I said calmly, keeping my hand firmly on Jinyoon's chest.
"I suppressed it."
The demonic energy recognized my presence.
It saw me as a danger.
Nayun heart was still beating fast, and her chest rose and fell unevenly as she tried to catch her breath. Her gaze, once full of hope, now bore a trace of fear.
"What was that...?"
She muttered, clenching her fist close to her body.
"The Devil Seed was trying to defend itself."
She swallowed and looked at Jinyoon again, her eyes shining with a mixture of disbelief and anguish.
"Does that mean that the seed has a conscience?"
"Not yet."
I replied, watching the invisible ripples of corrupted mana that were slowly gathering inside Jinyoon body.
"Let's say that was just a defense mechanism. But..."
I stopped for a moment to analyze the subtle flow of energy.
If there was no interference, the seed would continue to grow stronger, devouring every fragment of Jinyoon human essence until there was nothing left.
In the future, she would awaken with full consciousness.
And when that happened, he would no longer be the same.
Unless I destroyed her now.
"Don't be frightened by what I'm going to do."
"..."
Nayun turned to me, not understanding.
Her eyes shone with a spark of confusion and anxiety, as if she was trying to decipher my words before I had even finished them.
Instead of answering, I just let a slight smile tug at the corner of my lips. Then, to complement my words, a white light engulfed Jinyoon body.
...