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I was trapped.

Being unable to step outside the building made me feel as good as confined.

This raises a question.

Who? And why?

Who has imprisoned them?

* *

“Alif lam meem saad.”

Ominous events were occurring on a ship that had stopped floating above the sea.

A ship that was meant to be in the water.

A ghost that was meant to be in the water.

With both rising to dry land, it was certainly an unusual affair.

“…For indeed, my Lord has prohibited all that is unclean, be it manifest or hidden, and forbidden sin and wicked crimes, and He has forbidden you to liken God to anything that He has not bestowed, and you have been forbidden to speak of God concerning what you know not. O you who engage in that which is taboo and defiled, who do not revere and obey your Lord. According to the word of God, you will go into hellfire together with the past peoples before you, and the new generation will hear curses upon those who have gone before, and they will witness God’s wrath, causing punishment to take form in a deluge upon the ship. You will burn in the pit.”

Jinseong chastised the water ghosts that deceived people to lure them into the water and devour them.

“They fold their hearts, hoping to hide themselves from God, but even if they adorn themselves, He knows all that they conceal and reveal. Truly, He knows what is in the hearts. Therefore, in the name of the merciful and compassionate God, you are commanded to speak truthfully with naught concealed and to demonstrate an attitude of reverence and obedience to Him. Alif lam ra. This is uttered from the scripture wherein the word became flesh.”

Speaking incantations to carve the ghosts into resembling humans.

Chanting incantations to fashion the ghosts’ vocal cords to emit human voices.

Amplifying the water ghosts’ ability to deceive the people.

Thus, these evil spirits could temporarily enchant humans like wicked spirits.

“Now, go.”

Ding-dong.

Jinseong shook the bell to send the water ghosts off the ship.

Kill those who ought to be killed, and save those worthy of salvation.

* *

Have you ever seen a day blanketed in thick fog?

Fog resembles the very thin, transparent wings of a cicada.

Yet if it layers upon itself endlessly, it becomes as translucent as any cloth and thick enough to be discerned by the eye.

Dense fog is just that.

Ungraspable, thin, and transparent fog overlapping, obstructing sight completely.

It’s as if one has entered a sheer white smoke rising from a fire, turning the surroundings hazy, with only the humidity trapped in the fog perceptible in the nostrils. The moisture tinged with smells penetrates the nose, hindering the detection of other scents and obscuring the source of sound.

It blocks vision, renders the sense of smell meaningless, and disrupts hearing.

Thus, on a foggy day, even a local can lose their way, and a skilled guide must prepare to risk their life. The hunter, usually in pursuit of prey, finds himself turned into prey, while a navigator finds himself adrift in the sea.

This fog was just that.

Fog that suddenly rose after the earthquake.

This dense fog, emerging from the ship, made one even suspect it was set ablaze.

Yet, it bore no scent of smoke, wasn’t hot, and instead was laden with moisture akin to sea mist — something they had witnessed countless times.

Suddenly rising in the dead of night.

Indeed, what an ominous and strange phenomenon.

Moreover, even more bizarrely, this fog seemed to have an essence that shattered all electronic devices.

The CCTV at the outpost was nothing but a source of noise, while the walkie-talkie crackled with static. Furthermore, it was evident that the walls of the outpost had begun to collect droplets, and the ground, which had been dry moments prior, now appeared damp, like the earth after rain. Even the grass growing beside the outpost exuded vitality, appearing quite pleased to absorb moisture.

This was no mere fog; it felt akin to a rainstorm cascading upon the land in a manner resembling smoke.

“Damn it, the night vision isn’t working… I can’t see that damned ship. I can’t go check up close… What a hassle.”

And within that fog shivered frightened people.

Two were stationed at the outpost.

The first to spot the ship and, seeing it was about to crash, were the first to brace themselves for impact.

“If we had bolted when that weird smoke started, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Damn it. What kind of wealth and power do we think we’re enjoying here…?”

They had clearly seen this fog bilowing from the ship.

Fog that rose after the ship collided with the island?

It couldn’t be anything ordinary.

Common sense suggested it was likely some kind of military smoke screen or a fog produced by a chemical reaction.

Because of this, they hastily donned the gas masks kept inside the outpost.

They didn’t want to sip on whatever this fog or chemical essence was and die in agony.

“Since we can’t leave anyway… let’s just stay. Going back would get us in more trouble. It’s better to just give the impression that we did our duties while waiting.”

However, contrary to their expectations, this fog posed no harm whatsoever; it was merely mist rising from seawater.

A common phenomenon merely capable of confusing human senses.

Though oversaturated with moisture, it was just that.

A fog that would corrode with prolonged contact was mercifully the lowest level of danger.

But the inherent risk that this fog carried was what was harmful.

“…Help us…”

Shapes concealed by the thick fog began to stir.

They entered the fog, cloaked in shadows, and vibrated their carved vocal cords to produce sound.

This voice held an innate power to draw people’s attention, creating an oddly sticky and slimy sensation despite the moisture of the fog.

“Do…please–”

Was this what it felt like when echoes spread through dense fog?

Sounds colliding here and there.

Thus, lost in direction, the sound ricocheted from every side, entering the ears of the people.

The sound fragmented, making it tough to infer its origins, leaving them puzzled about its source.

Somehow a haunting melody.

But layered with a palpable urgency.

A sound that made ears involuntarily prick up and lean in.

The very moment their attention was caught, the sound gradually grew louder.

“Do—please—”

As if the volume was subtly increased.

Incrementally, it honed the senses of the listeners.

Thus, the sound became clearer over time.

And eventually, it lodged itself distinctly in their ears.

“Help us—!”

A cry so steeped in urgency, capable of making one lose rational thought.

“What, what? Hey. Did you hear that?”

“Yeah. I heard it… They’re asking for help…”

A precarious situation.

The urgency buried within that brief statement.

The two, standing guard, were thrown into disarray by those words.

And starting from their confusion, the voice transformed, ringing out starkly in their ears.

“Save a person—!”

“Help us!”

“Help! We need help!”

Screams for life.

Cries for aid.

Voices pleading for assistance.

“Oh, this is insane….”

Look at the earnestness woven within that plea.

It felt genuine and pressing, like someone drowning, crying out for air.

Listening to such words made one feel compelled to rush toward the sound and provide rescue.

In fact, the recruit beside Sergeant Kim Yi-chang seemed ready to dash off in a moment’s notice.

Had Sergeant Kim not been right there, that recruit would have rushed towards the sound without a second thought.

No, had he been a cop from the get-go, he might have launched straight to save them.

Police are meant to save lives and maintain order.

But he had been a soldier.

In military life, obedience to orders is fundamental.

It meant functioning within set limits without acting on impulse, gladly accepting every role as a part.

Right now, his duty was to guard.

He had to safeguard this outpost.

That was his assigned mission.

‘This damned…’

Slacking off?

Yeah. He did.

But he wasn’t outright shirking duty.

He was at least protecting the outpost, showing no desire to stray from it.

That was his role; that was the mission laid upon him.

Moreover, it was an emergency now.

He had to hold this ground.

But if he followed that voice…

If he went to rescue those people…

“Hey.”

Sergeant Kim Yi-chang pondered it over and finally made up his mind.

“We need to stay on guard here. Understand?”

“…Yes.”

While still in his gas mask, he asked the recruit.

As if he sensed the implication in the question, the recruit answered in a subdued voice.

“Even if someone’s in danger, we’re not the ones to save them. We’ll signal an emergency and get a rescue team out here to handle it. How vital is it to keep guard? Isn’t that right?”

“…Yes.”

From the curt response leaked discontent.

Sergeant Kim Yi-chang couldn’t help but smirk at the recruit’s answer.

“If we’re soldiers, holding this line is our duty. Those people will be helped by the rescue team or someone else later.”

“Yes….”

“However,”

Puff!

Sergeant Kim Yi-chang paused mid-sentence and slung his gun over his shoulder.

He then smacked the recruit’s back, snapping him to attention.

“We’re cops. It’s only right that we save people, right?”

Creak.

He slowly opened the outpost door and stepped outside.

“If they ask why we’re off duty, we’ll just say we were out rescuing people. I mean… we’re not gonna get court-martialed and sent off to military prison. Probably just some scolding and a pay cut… That’s hardly a heavy price for saving a life.”

His choice was clear: to save a person.

“Well, what I’m gonna receive anyway, it won’t hurt to get a bit more. Let’s go.”

Sergeant Kim Yi-chang pushed through the thick fog with the recruit, heading off to save lives.

『 …For He created the heavens and the earth in six days and sat upon the throne over the waters to test whether you act righteously. Those who endure in faith during hardship and practice goodness when blessed will receive a great reward, for that is paradise. Those who hold faith, do good, and are humble before the Lord shall inherit paradise and gain life. 』

Their choice was made.

They would soon discover what lay at the end of that choice.

 

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