“You are….”
“I am Seraph. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Shadow Queen.”
“Yes, yes. And… who is that?”
“User Kim Su-hyun was taken back earlier by User Kim Yu-hyun.”
“…I see. So everyone else must have left by now?”
“All have safely entered. Thanks to that, we minimized the chaos.”
Exhale “By the way, this is the first time I’ve seen a purple portal. So, this is where we go in?”
“Yes.”
“Alright then, I’ll go too…”
“……”
“……”
“……”
“…Hey, don’t you have something you want to say?”
“Huh?”
“Not to me, but to Su-hyun. At least she’s grateful to you, so if there’s anything you want to say, now’s the time. I’ll make sure she hears it.”
“Ah….”
Damn it! That’s not the time to say that!
/ What else? Haven’t you noticed what those two, ‘he’ and ‘Sekraph,’ have been up to lately?
P.S. Wait a minute. Who told you to sneak a peek at the memoir? And you even boldly revealed your name?
/ Nope, not that. Who else? The lewd angel who enjoys a sex life with ‘him’ almost daily. Shortened to Sekraph.
P.S. But just from the initials, I think I know who it is. Didn’t I tell you not to look?
P.S. I’m grateful for what you said back then. Thanks to you, I found the courage to say what I couldn’t in a message.
/ Oh, so you’re in on this too? What if I don’t want to be? For a Sekraph, that’s unfair. If you’re upset, call me whatever you want~.
/ ?
/ These women, seriously! No! Before that, I told you not to read someone else’s memoir without permission!
—Excerpt from Atlanta Mercenary Castle’s 『Shadow Queen’s Memoirs』.
Through narrowed eyes, the trembling pupils blurred into a faint light. The quivering eyelids slowly closed, and the head sagged. At that moment, the faint movement that had persisted ceased completely.
After a while, a pale hand, still trembling slightly, gently cupped the motionless man’s face.
The woman remained still for a long time, barely moving. She only occasionally and carefully stroked his rough cheek, gazing endlessly at the man deep in sleep. As if trying to hold onto the warmth of his cheek against her cold palm.
But the more she wished this moment to last forever, the more cruel time quickened its pace, leaving no room for even an instant…
Suddenly, a dark shadow fell over the altar.
When had he come in? A man in a dark coat stood silently, staring at Kim Su-hyun. It was rare for two users to be in the summoning room together, but Seraph met the man’s gaze without a flicker of emotion.
“I’ve been thinking all the way here.”
Kim Yu-hyun squinted slightly and slowly bent his knees.
“Are we really sure about going through with this? Maybe it would be better to speak up…”
He murmured softly, reaching out to Kim Su-hyun. He caressed her as if handling a finely crafted glass ornament, gentle and precious.
“If I tell you everything later, you’ll probably resent me.”
His voice carried a trace of regret. As if it wasn’t too late yet, as if it could still be undone.
“Maybe so.”
Seraph smiled and nodded.
“But don’t worry. When the message I left starts to play, all the blame will fall on me alone. And…”
He stopped speaking, then wrapped his arms around Kim Su-hyun, burying his head in her hair.
“You may resent me, but you’ll understand… I believe that, no matter when, Su-hyun will understand.”
The angel spoke with more emphasis, then tried to release his arms—but suddenly, a whimper came from Kim Su-hyun, and he froze. Seraph stared blankly at her as she pressed closer to his chest. Kim Yu-hyun gave a wry smile, as if resigned.
“She’s always been like this on Earth. Big in body but young and fragile in spirit.”
“…Is that so? Ah, what about the Zero Code…?”
Kim Yu-hyun noticed the faint tremor in the other’s voice but quietly shook his head.
“We couldn’t find it. Su-hyun probably brought it with her.”
He slipped his hand into Kim Su-hyun’s pocket, then suddenly flinched. Slowly, he withdrew his hand and calmly searched elsewhere.
He carefully avoided touching the armor or lifting the cloak. As he painstakingly searched for the Zero Code at a sluggish pace, Seraph, like a mother bird reluctantly pushing away a squirming chick, finally managed to free his arms.
How much time had passed?
Thirty minutes. Quite a long time just to find a single orb. Finally, when Kim Yu-hyun pulled the Zero Code from the pocket he had first searched, Seraph sat quietly on the altar as always, waiting.
Silence lingered for a moment before Seraph spoke.
“Thank you for waiting.”
His majestic, resonant voice filled the summoning room, as if he had finally made up his mind. It was a clear signal not to waste any more time.
“User Kim Yu-hyun. What about the others returning with us?”
“They’re all waiting outside the temple. They’ll come in as soon as they see the signal.”
“The passage will open soon. The duration won’t be short, but…”
“Yes. I didn’t see it myself, but User Go Yeon-ju said so. They’ve said their goodbyes and are ready. So there shouldn’t be any unnecessary delays.”
Kim Yu-hyun chuckled softly after saying that.
“Some of them secretly hope the Zero Code won’t activate, though.”
“The chance of the Zero Code not responding is low.”
“Oh, really? Honestly, I was hoping it wouldn’t activate either.”
“Because Su-hyun’s wish and ours are the same.”
Seraph continued with a gentle smile.
“As a helper, and Kim Yu-hyun as my successor, we can exert influence, even if indirectly.”
“……”
“More importantly, beyond just opening the passage, Su-hyun herself said she wants to live a happy life—as a human, with human dignity. So as long as our request and Su-hyun’s wish align, there’s no reason for the Zero Code not to respond.”
“…Of course. If it were a request that harmed Su-hyun, she wouldn’t have agreed in the first place.”
Kim Yu-hyun smiled wryly. Then, suddenly, Kim Su-hyun, who had been sleeping soundly, let out a low groan. Both men’s eyes widened simultaneously.
“Oh no, could it be?”
“…It’s much faster than expected. Without the energy of Hwa-jeong, we barely managed to keep her asleep, but because Su-hyun’s user data is so strong…”
Seraph’s voice trailed off. If Kim Su-hyun woke now, all their careful plans would be ruined.
Kim Yu-hyun and Seraph exchanged glances. In truth, preparations had been finished early in the evening. They were just hesitating, reluctant to part.
“This is… really the end…”
Kim Yu-hyun muttered, a long sigh in his voice.
But what more was there to say?
Kim Yu-hyun carefully helped the curled-up Kim Su-hyun to her feet, extending the orb in his hand. Then, looking at Seraph, he spoke quietly.
“By the authority of my succession rights…”
At that very moment—
“…I request activation of the Zero Code.”
The softly glowing Zero Code suddenly blazed brilliantly.
Seeing the response, Seraph didn’t hesitate.
“Request from User Kim Yu-hyun confirmed. 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%. Loading… Approved. Request passed. Code Name Zero is now executing.”
Even as he processed the operation, Seraph’s gaze never left Kim Su-hyun. Kim Yu-hyun held his sister tighter, staring straight ahead with unwavering focus.
Click, click, click!
Not long after, the rusty mechanical sounds began.
Whoosh!
At the same time, the Zero Code slipped from Kim Yu-hyun’s hand, soaring into the air and exploding with radiant light.
Moments later, the summoning room was bathed in a brilliant white glow.
Flash!
A light burst forth, piercing the dark dawn. The mercenary clan members waiting anxiously at the entrance all tilted their heads in unison.
From the temple’s peak, a deep purple light shot upward. The glowing mass surged skyward at a terrifying speed, as if determined to leave no trace behind. Like a comet with a long tail, it streaked across the dim sky and vanished before anyone could blink.
“Looks like it worked. After all.”
Go Yeon-ju muttered to herself, then turned around. Beyond the users still staring blankly at the sky, a group standing slightly behind caught her eye. One of them met her gaze and stepped forward.
“What are you waiting for? The signal’s here.”
Hwa-jeong snapped sharply. Go Yeon-ju widened her eyes, then shrugged and chuckled.
“Oh my, telling me to go as soon as I see it. How heartless.”
“Just wasting time. What, are you going to hug and cry together or something?”
“Want to?”
“No way. Maybe if it were Kim Soo-hyun, but even then, it’s iffy. Besides, we’re not exactly close, are we?”
Hwa-jeong scoffed coldly, as if the idea was too ridiculous to even consider. Yet Go Yeon-ju didn’t feel outright rejection in her tone. It wasn’t a harsh dismissal; it was more like, “We’re fine, so don’t worry about us—just go.”
“Ha, haha. B-but isn’t it a bigger deal for those of us who have to go back?” Shin Sang-yong chimed in awkwardly.
“You’re going back five years, right? And the portal recharges and opens again in five or six years. So, you’ll have to wait the full five or six years, but on this side, it’s at most a year?”
“…Shin Sang-yong, I get what you’re trying to say, but getting all choked up like that doesn’t exactly make it convincing.”
Shin Jae-ryong cut in gently, clearly tired of the rambling.
“Still, it’s not entirely impossible,” Gehenna stepped forward.
“Isn’t it a strange coincidence that the timing lines up perfectly? From our perspective, we might even see the portal open again the moment this situation ends. Really.”
She gave weight to Shin Sang-yong’s argument, folding her arms as she looked at Go Yeon-ju.
“Well, good luck. He’s a difficult guy, so I’m sure you’re in for a rough ride.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you forget all about him in five years.”
“Hmm? If you’re not going to stay in that world forever, you might as well have some fun while you’re at it.”
“Maybe you should worry about how you’re going to comfort your adorable, heartbroken daughter first?”
Go Yeon-ju shot back without batting an eye. Gehenna faltered for a moment, then the two women burst out laughing together. Shaking her head, Gehenna’s voice softened.
“Let’s leave the seeing-off here. Just… please make sure you come back in one piece. I’m counting on you.”
Go Yeon-ju said nothing, but a wink was all the answer she needed to give.
That was it. The farewell had already been said, and the signal had come. There was no shortage of time, but dragging it out wouldn’t help.
In the end, only one thing remained.
“Tell Kim Soo-hyun! If he breaks his promise, he’d better be ready to die!”
The user in his forties disappeared into the temple, leaving behind a screaming Vivian.
As everyone rushed forward in a chaotic stampede, Go Yeon-ju calmly took control, meeting Kim Yoo-hyun’s expectations. Upon reaching the portal, she lined everyone up and began sending them through one by one, keeping at least a few feet between each person.
The summoning chamber was originally designed for just two occupants: an angel and a user. It wasn’t meant to hold dozens at once. This wasn’t just to prevent overcrowding—it was also because some clan members were expected to resist entering the portal willingly.
“Uh, sister, I…”
“What are you doing here? You’re coming back anyway.”
“But…”
“Then do you want to stay? If you don’t want to wait, you can stay here. Is that what you want?”
Go Yeon-ju coaxed and reassured the hesitant users one by one. After about an hour and a half, everyone had finally been sent inside. With the long line gone, the temple’s dark corridors fell into an eerie silence.
Before entering last, the final woman looked back. Having already passed through the long hallway, there was nothing left to see. Still, Go Yeon-ju suddenly grimaced.
“Seriously, what a handful this guy is!”
With that one remark, she stepped into the light.
Emerging from the portal, Go Yeon-ju saw a violet portal she’d never seen before, glowing at the center of the summoning chamber. And sitting alone on the altar was a beautiful angel.
Go Yeon-ju spoke.
“You’re…?”
That night.
The sky over Atlanta flashed forty-two times before dawn.
…Well, to be exact, forty-three times.
Forty-two clusters of purple light shot up into the sky one after another, followed by a single cluster of blue light that fell onto the temple’s rooftop.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
After the epilogue, there will be about two side stories planned.
Side Story 1 is Ansol’s diary (a recounting of events in the modern world in diary format). Side Story 2 will cover the whole plane five years later. :)