After the group meeting ended, I followed Ahn Hyun's lead and immediately checked on Ahn Sol's condition. Seeing her sleeping peacefully on a laid-out bedding stirred a pang of pity in me. I placed my hand gently on her forehead and checked inside. As expected, her magical energy was tangled. It wasn't severe—given time, her body's natural restoration would fix it—but I decided to help her along.
"It'd be better if someone stayed to watch over Sol during the night."
"I'll do it," Ahn Hyun offered immediately.
I shook my head. Outside the window, night had already fallen completely. Ahn Hyun's eyes were filled with exhaustion. Everyone had likely drained much of their mental strength today. He was holding out by willpower alone—but if it affected tomorrow's actions, it would be a problem.
"You look exhausted. Go get some sleep. I'll stay with her for now."
"You're not going to sleep, hyung?"
"Later. Let the girls rest fully tonight, and we'll take turns. I'll wake you up when it's time to switch."
"Oh, a shift. That makes sense... Then I'll leave Sol in your care, hyung."
I simply nodded in response. Ahn Hyun staggered out of the room, closing the door behind him. There were still things I wanted to ask, but seeing him barely resisting the urge to pass out, I figured I could save it for later when things were calmer. Besides, I had some thinking to do myself—especially about the trap points and everyone's attitudes.
First, though, I had work to do.
After making sure the door was firmly shut, I calmly roused my magical energy. Like ripples across still water, a faint reddish aura began to flicker around my right hand. I gently placed it over the center of her chest and carefully infused magic into her.
Since I was already helping, I figured I might as well offer some extra service.
Fixing severely backflowing or twisted circuits is painstaking work. But simply calming down overdriven magic and untangling minor disruptions was easy. As my pure flame-attribute magic entered her body, Sol's body twitched slightly.
Magical energy varies depending on the individual's nature. Sol's energy felt kind and bright, tinged with pure white light. At first, my overwhelming energy startled hers into confusion, but I continued to embrace and soothe it as gently and sweetly as possible.It's okay. I'm here to help. Good girl. Stay calm, I whispered silently through my touch.
Gradually, her magic recognized my intent and began flocking eagerly toward mine, seeking comfort. I carefully massaged through her disrupted circuits, smoothing and healing as I went. Seeing her magic cling and nuzzle like a spoiled child brought a smile to my lips.
By the time I finished, a soft blush colored Sol's face, and she looked peaceful—as if having a pleasant dream.
There was one little snag, though. When I tried to pull my magic back, her internal energy clung stubbornly, refusing to let go, almost begging for more affection. I had to gently pry myself free, finally exhaling deeply.
About an hour had passed.
What should've been a quick fix took longer since I went into such detail and even boosted her vitality a little. But it was worth it.
Satisfied, I stretched out with a big yawn and flopped down nearby.Might as well rest a little too.
I don't know how much time passed. A subtle creak at the door made me open my eyes. Darkness had thickened outside.A sturdy figure peeked inside—meeting my gaze directly.
Neither Lee Yoojung, with her short hair, nor Kim Hanbyul with her shoulder-length hair—it had to be Ahn Hyun.
"You can sleep a bit more if you want," I greeted calmly.
He didn't answer at first, just stood there, staring at me.A full minute of silence passed before he finally spoke.
"No... I couldn't sleep anyway. I was too worried. Hyung... How's Sol?"
"She's much better. She should be able to get up by tomorrow. No need to worry too much."
"Really? Thank goodness... Hey, hyung..."
He hesitated, words catching awkwardly in his throat.I waited patiently, sensing that something was weighing on him heavily.
Finally, Ahn Hyun spoke.
"There's something I want to talk to you about. But... not here."
"Of course. Shall we head up to the rooftop?"
"Yes."
He definitely hadn't slept much either. So much weighing on his mind—Sol's condition, everything else. His voice was filled with sincerity.I got up without hesitation.
In the living room, Lee Yoojung was asleep, hugging a blanket. Hanbyul wasn't visible—probably sleeping in another room.Careful not to wake them, I unlocked the door quietly, and Hyun and I slipped out, climbing the stairs to the rooftop.
The cool night air cleared my mind instantly.We stood there for a while, staring out over the pitch-black city, saying nothing.
It was Ahn Hyun who broke the silence first.
"Hyung... this city is so quiet."
"Yeah. Suspiciously so. But we can't let our guard down."
At my words, Hyun gave a bitter, self-mocking smile.I had a rough idea of what he was feeling but decided to let him open up on his own.
"When I look at you, hyung... I really think you're amazing."
"Me? Come on, I'm just another person like you."
"No, it's not like that. That's not what I meant."
He shook his head firmly, three times.His face was clouded with frustration and helplessness.I held my tongue, listening.
"After you left today... I realized a lot of things. When you were with us, it felt like we were really... together. Like we could survive if we stuck together. Maybe you didn't feel it, but I believed it."
"I felt the same."
"But I was wrong. After you left, I couldn't lead them properly. Sol got hurt. Sol almost... almost didn't make it. And I'm sure you noticed the tension between Yoojung and Hanbyul, right? They fought. Over whether to save you or not."
Pain crossed Hyun's face, but he kept talking.
"The worst part... was realizing I couldn't do anything. I couldn't stop them. I couldn't make a decision. The best I managed was stumbling forward, offering to go myself."
"..."
"If you hadn't shown up, I'd still be drowning in it—tomorrow... can I do it? Can I lead them? Struggling under the weight. Honestly, I even thought... maybe dying would be easier."
"Hyun."
I tried to cut in before he spiraled further, but he shook his head fiercely, signaling he needed to get this all out.
"But then you came. Like a miracle. And you know the first emotion I felt when I saw you? Not gratitude. Not guilt.It was relief.Because you were back.Because you could fix everything.Because you're always calm. Always steady. You're different from us somehow. I don't know how exactly... but it's different."
Hearing those words made something stir in me—but I kept my expression neutral.
Seeing him finally slump his shoulders, spent, I spoke quietly.
"Mind if I say something? It won't be long."
"Say as much as you want, hyung. I'm listening."
Smiling a little, I approached and placed my hand gently on his head.Hyun looked up at me, startled.
"It's okay to feel that way. It's okay to want to lean on someone. Honestly, I'm glad."
"Glad?"
"Think about it. Back in the forest—you weren't like that troublemaker. You didn't try to boss everyone around or force your will. You listened. You trusted. You pulled everyone's ideas together. You didn't dominate—you cooperated."
"..."
"We're all here to support each other. You don't have to carry everything alone. Even if something goes wrong, it's not your failure alone—it's ours. Together."
"But…"
Hyun tried to protest, but I raised my hand lightly, signaling him to let me finish.
"You think I'm impressive, sure. But I think you're impressive too.Bringing Sol all the way here. Always taking action when it counts.Just like Sol leans on you, it's okay for you to lean on me too.Or on Yoojung.Or on Hanbyul.You said it yourself once—all five of us working together to escape.But then you acted like relying on others was wrong.It's not."
I hadn't meant to say this much—but once I started, I couldn't stop. I had to make sure he understood.
"Burden? Responsibility?We'll carry it together.Just do what you can.That's enough."
"Just... what I can do…"
"Yeah. That's enough. We'll do the rest. Because we believe in you too."
The cold night breeze brushed past us again.Hyun stood silently, digesting my words.
And after what felt like the time it would take to drink a cup of tea,he lifted his head.
The lost, unstable light in his eyes was gone.
In its place—was the heavy, steady gaze I had seen the first time we met.
And for the first time tonight—Ahn Hyun looked truly, deeply relieved.