#103. The Place He Returned To (5)
—
Beyond the curtain was the hospital ward.
*Zzzt—*
Under the dim white lights.
The air was thick with dust mixed with concrete powder.
“Ugh… *hic*…”
“Hyung-nim… It hurts… *sob*… It hurts so much…”
Every time the injured moved, the rusty frames of the beds creaked.
Some had lost a limb.
Some had festering wounds.
Some had skin that had turned blue, as if decaying.
“All of them were hit by magic. I’ve administered first aid, but… without a proper doctor…”
Collin spoke in a bitter tone.
It wasn’t that there were no doctors or people with medical knowledge in the sector.
It was just that the opposition, which controlled the overwhelming majority of the occupied zones, had secured all of them.
Even if a doctor did arrive, it was questionable whether they could save these people’s lives.
Anyone could see that the wounds here were fatal.
“Can magic… heal injuries this severe?”
“There’s a possibility.”
Collin asked cautiously.
Ray, looking at Veronica as she moved through the beds with a shocked expression, responded.
The red-haired girl’s *vessel* was filled with far more concern than she usually held for the unfortunate.
‘The power of magic is sometimes proportional to emotion.’
Ray had identified three factors that determined the strength of magic.
The emotions involved.
The amount of mana used.
And the caster’s level of proficiency.
Most of Veronica’s *circle* was filled with white mana—the core element of healing magic.
Moreover, through repeated use of healing magic recently
—though the main cause was usually a certain boy who treated his body like a race car tire
—her proficiency had greatly improved.
Emotion. Mana quantity. Proficiency.
She might not have reached the maximum in all aspects, but it was certainly a level that couldn’t be ignored.
So Ray was curious.
‘If Veronica were to use her full strength in healing magic, how effective would it be?’
Just then, Veronica’s white mana began to surge.
“You should close your eyes.”
“Huh? What do you—ugh—?”
Collin, who had been bewildered by Ray and Philip casually donning sunglasses from who-knows-where, was suddenly blinded by the overwhelming light.
*Fwaaaah—!*
“W-wait, what is this—?”
Collin, squinting in confusion, soon noticed the change and fell silent.
As the light gradually faded, the groans of the injured grew fainter.
And when the light had completely disappeared and Collin opened his eyes, he was left speechless.
The festering skin had returned to normal, the swelling in the wounds had subsided, and the bleeding
—previously soaking through bandages without pause
—had stopped.
Though it wasn’t a complete recovery, the improvement was undeniably visible.
*Haaa—*
*Hooo—*
The agonized expressions of the injured had eased, and their breathing had become steady.
“This is magic…”
While Collin remained in shock, Ray stood up.
He moved quickly and caught Veronica as she collapsed.
“I did well, didn’t I?”
She looked up at Ray with an exhausted smile.
Her *circle* was completely drained.
The immense concern that had filled her *vessel* had also significantly lessened.
“Hurry up and tell me I did well.”
She pinched the back of Ray’s hand.
She wanted acknowledgment, to confirm the worth of what she had done.
Ray looked down at his hand, feeling the dull pain, and replied calmly.
“You did well.”
While thinking that now he could push his body even harder in battle.
A satisfied smile spread across Veronica’s face at the praise.
Ray helped her back to her seat.
*Slide—*
Then, as he closed the curtain, he spoke.
“Now we can talk, can’t we? There’s no need to move elsewhere.”
Beyond the curtain, only the sound of peaceful breathing remained.
—
—
–
“I never knew healing magic could be this powerful. Especially since I’ve never seen enemy mages use it.”
Collin spoke in awe.
Ray thought this was only natural.
The type of element stored in a *circle* seemed to depend on the mage’s disposition.
Those with a strong sense of care and compassion tended to store white mana.
It was hard to imagine criminals living with such emotions.
‘Not that it’s impossible for them to have white mana in their mana-circles.’
The elements stored in a *mana-circle* reflected the person’s disposition at the time the *circle* was formed.
A person who had once been kind-hearted could still possess white mana if they had created their *circle* during that period.
Of course, even if they used healing magic, it wouldn’t be very effective.
One of the factors that amplified magic’s power was emotion.
Someone who had long abandoned compassion and care wouldn’t be able to use healing magic effectively.
“Niles-hyung was like a father to me.”
Collin, having recovered from the shock of the magic, began his story.
“He thought on a different level. I could hardly believe we were only a year apart. Even Brook… that bastard… probably thought of him as a father, at least back then.”
Niles, Collin, Brook.
The three of them had all been orphans of the streets, originally meeting as rival gang leaders.
“Every day was a battle for survival. It couldn’t be helped. On the streets, the moment you show weakness, you get devoured.”
Philip nodded in understanding.
The long war’s victor had been Niles, and the factions were unified under him.
“Brook and I resisted at first. But it didn’t take long for us to realize that Niles-hyung was different from us. After that, we followed him sincerely.”
From then on, the three had stayed together.
They had formed an organization to realize Niles’s ideals and had run tirelessly toward that goal.
And just as everything was on the verge of success…
“…That incident happened.”
Niles was attacked by remnants of an enemy gang and fell into the Elton River.
They searched, but not even his body was found.
Months passed, but the man they had followed for half their lives never returned.
“Outwardly, we all denied his death. But deep down, we knew. He had been carried away by the river, to a place we would never find him.”
*Bang—!*
Collin slammed his fist down.
The glass covering the table cracked.
“But that bastard Brook… that son of a bitch… Now it all makes sense. How he immediately opposed our old policies after hyung disappeared, how he’d been strangely obsessed with building his own faction from before—it was all connected.”
The blood dripping from his knuckles went unnoticed.
His *vessel* was boiling with rage.
“He planned this. Or maybe we were just fools. We may have clashed over ideology, but we never imagined he would turn against his own comrades.”
Brook had secretly brought in outside forces and launched a surprise attack on their supporters.
Caught off guard, the loyalists were slaughtered and driven into the streets.
“More than half of us died that day. Killed by those who had been our comrades just the day before.”
Blood dripped onto the map spread across the table.
A red trail followed the drawn lines of the city’s streets, like a river of blood.
“Once again… I formally ask. Mage, will you help us?”
Collin’s earnest plea.
Ray glanced at Philip and Veronica.
“I’ll go with your decision.”
“That’s right. You’re the leader.”
They left the choice to Ray.
Ray had said himself that he hardly felt emotions.
But from what he had heard, Niles seemed like a mentor.
‘Isn’t it kind of like how I look up to my grandfather?’
In a way, it was a form of respect.
He believed that Niles must have held a special meaning for Ray.
Yet, when Ray was given the choice, his reaction remained lukewarm.
‘Am I missing something?’
He still didn’t feel any particular urge to help Collin.
What lingered in his mind, however, was the regret and attachment Niles had shown when talking about Sector 46.
Regret and attachment.
He hadn’t understood them before, but now he did.
Whenever sorrow surfaced, those two emotions always accompanied it.
「If only I had run a little faster.」
「If only I had arrived at the underpass sooner.」
「If I had… then maybe Niles and the children under the bridge wouldn’t have died.」
When something was left unfulfilled in the past.
That was when regret and attachment appeared.
‘Niles left something behind in Sector 46.’
That much was certain.
But no matter how much Collin talked about Niles, Ray still couldn’t figure out what that ‘something’ was.
Was he overlooking something?
Had he failed to catch an important detail?
“Can I give you my answer by tomorrow morning?”
“Yes, of course!”
At Ray’s response, showing he would at least consider it, Collin’s face brightened.
Afterward, Collin gave a brief explanation of the current war situation to help Ray with his decision.
“If you need anything while you stay here, just let me know. There are hardly any stores open in the streets, so it’ll be faster if we retrieve things for you instead of you going out yourself.”
The group left the office with Collin.
Outside, members of the organization had gathered like a flock of birds.
“So Niles-hyung was really alive? Then why didn’t he ever come back?”
“And those kids…?”
“I’m telling you, that white-haired kid might really be Niles-hyung’s son. He even has a similar vibe.”
“Bullshit. You just said it yourself—he has white hair.”
“Hair color doesn’t always come from the father’s side. Ah! Hyung-nim! You’re here!”
All eyes turned toward them.
Dozens of pairs of eyes focused on Collin and the group, but most of them landed on Ray.
“Hyung-nim, what exactly—”
“I’ll explain once, so listen carefully. Make sure to pass it on to those who aren’t here. We don’t have the luxury to gather everyone from the patrol teams and guards just to explain.”
Ray casually interjected.
“Can I look around the hideout?”
“Huh? Ah, of course! Your quarters are upstairs, but I’ll give you a proper tour later.”
Collin nodded politely, and the group stepped away.
“I’ll move our car in front of the hideout. Since we’re staying here until tomorrow morning, we might as well.”
“It’s not dangerous since it’s close by, but just in case, I’ll go with you.”
Philip and Veronica exited through the opposite side of the building.
After watching the two leave, Ray turned and walked between the concrete pillars.
*Step.*
─Shouldn’t we just shoot them? Thinking about what those bastards did with magic…!
─Hold back. Once they regain consciousness, we’ll interrogate them. Hyung-nim said so.
*Step.*
─Bring that thing down when you go up to the warehouse.
─Which thing?
─You know, that thing.
*Step.*
─Hey, over there.
─Ah, the ones Collin-hyung brought in earlier…
Cement fragments crumbled under his feet.
Muted conversations filled the surroundings.
Not everyone had gathered to listen to Collin’s speech.
The rest were scattered throughout the hideout, tending to their tasks.
“……”
Despite the grim situation on the battlefield, the atmosphere here wasn’t as heavy or bleak as one might expect.
If anything, the air inside this concrete space carried a sense of calm and camaraderie.
Some were playing cards at a table or arm wrestling, and occasional laughter could be heard.
But their true emotions differed from what was shown on the surface.
Their *vessels* were filled with fear and helplessness.
*Tock— tock— tock—*
Ray paid it no mind and kept walking.
He was searching for whatever Niles had left behind in Sector 46.
*Tock— creak—*
*Tock— creak—*
He moved up and down the stairs, inspecting every corner of the building.
‘Collin said this was the first hideout where the three of them gathered their forces.’
After forming their organization, they had relocated their base, but the three had occasionally returned here to reminisce.
‘I thought I’d find something…’
*Tock— creak—*
*Tock— creak—*
Eventually, after scouring the place without success, Ray descended to the first floor.
“Thank you so much for healing Jecker!”
“Really, thank you. If it weren’t for the mages, Collin-hyung wouldn’t have made it back.”
“W-well, technically, we weren’t the ones who saved him…”
Ray spotted two familiar figures looking flustered as they were surrounded by men.
Broad-shouldered figures.
Faces that looked like they had never socialized a day in their lives.
Even though they weren’t hostile, their sheer presence was overwhelming.
“Ah, over here!”
Philip pointed at Ray.
As the group’s attention shifted toward Ray, Philip and Veronica sighed in relief.
“Mage-nim, thank you for saving Collin-hyung!”
“I heard Niles-hyung lived in Sector 50.”
It seemed Collin had already shared the full story about Niles.
Emotions of sorrow, longing, and regret surged within the *vessels* of the organization members.
Perhaps to avoid dragging down the mood, they suppressed the explosion of emotions within them.
‘…But their anger is much smaller than I expected.’
As Ray casually continued the conversation, he noticed something.
“…If it weren’t for those Heatherbone bastards, Niles-hyung wouldn’t have fallen under the bridge.”
Collin hadn’t told the members about Brook’s betrayal.
Why?
Revealing the truth would surely ignite even more rage against Brook.
Ray didn’t understand the reason, but he figured Collin must have his own thoughts, so he didn’t bring it up.
Outside, the sun was setting.
That evening, the group ate with the organization members, played cards, and talked about Niles, their shared connection.
“You learned how to fight from Niles-hyung?”
“He never taught us, saying we wouldn’t be able to use it properly anyway.”
The members were eager to hear about the life their leader had lived before his death.
And they treated Ray’s group like old friends.
“But seriously, aren’t you Niles-hyung’s son?”
“This bastard is still clinging to that idea.”
“I’m telling you, he has the same vibe! You remember when Niles-hyung was around Ray-nim’s age? He was calm and collected, just like him.”
“Yeah, but after he became an adult, his personality changed a lot. He started noticing women.”
“…What?”
“I still remember. The general store’s Mary, Serena from the brick house on 12th Street, Julia from the market stall, Kaylee from the shoe factory, and…”
“Mrs. Februn from Februn’s Bakery.”
“What?”
“He dated seven women at once. When he was nineteen.”
“That was legendary.”
“Hey, who knows? Maybe once Ray-nim becomes an adult, he’ll be the same. Unlike us, he actually has a decent face.”
“…What?”
Veronica’s head snapped back and forth like a ping-pong ball, her eyes wide with shock.
“Damn it! Ray-nim! You’re using magic, aren’t you?!”
“How can you win every single time? It’s like you’re reading my cards!”
“Ray-nim, have you played poker somewhere else before?”
Philip, watching Ray win hand after hand by reading their emotions, had the look of someone who had just discovered a goldmine of a business opportunity.
Ray, realizing he had more questions about Niles, asked,
“Where is Collin right now?”
“Ah, hyung-nim? He went up to the rooftop for some fresh air.”
And that was when Ray realized—
There was still one place in this building he hadn’t searched yet.
