Fallen Lightbringers' Return

It all happened incredibly fast. The car approached, with no sign of stopping. It had great intention to do so, with the tires swerving left and right, but it failed to slow down.

The onlookers watched in horror as they were certain something terrible would go down. Jyejin ran forward, but Heeson quickly pulled her back. She would never make it in time. Lee Dojin realized, he could not jump away. Maybe if he was alone, but not with Ji-ah in his arms. He gritted his teeth and whispered into her ear, "Close your eyes for a bit," and held obscured her sight with his hands.

Lee Dojin thought about his Skill again. The system message appeared before him.

[Skill: Cosmic Steps.

Tier B, Level 12.

Just like humans, the world itself was filled with blind spots. Beyond the 3D, there lay another dimension. Upon activation of the skill, the user will see bright points all over the world. Every point is a node connected with another; This movement technique briefly allows the user to hover between two dimensions and traverse through the nodes. By utilizing what the universe missed, the user has become the only being to see beyond dimensions.]

A smile escaped him. He swiped his hair out of his face. "I can't help feeling lucky with this kind of affinity." The wind grew stronger, as the car was just about to run the two of them over.

[Level 10 Evolution: Once a day, the user can latch onto other living entities and likewise guide them through the stars.]

"But I never had a chance to test it," he said, and now the car had been close enough for him to see the dent in its license plate. He activated his skill, with Ji-ah in his arms, and arrived at the star just a meter next to them. The car barely passed without turning the street into a blood-red painting. It drifted, almost hitting the curve, until finally catching its path again, and returning to normalcy. The car quickly winded down the road, but not without the middle-aged driver sticking his head out and cursing profanities.

Kim Jyejin quickly ran towards them. Before Lee Dojin could say anything, she jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly. "You Idiot! How can you be this reckless? I almost lost you," she shouted into his ear. There was anger in her voice, but just as much worry too.

Ji-ah remained in a state of shock, her face white while her jaw stayed slack. Even with her illness, she had never been this close to death before.

A few other students walked forward, having witnessed what just happened. They consoled them, asking if the two of them were alright or if they needed an ambulance, while at the same time congratulating them on the miracle by barely avoiding the car. It seemed like no one knew the truth of how Lee Dojin escaped.

"You piece of shit," Kim Heeson shouted at Il Chunghoo who had been in a daze. It was then that he punched him in the face. A flat, almost dull sound rang out. Il Chunghoos head rocked back, and he stopped his daze and looked at Kim Heeson in disbelief. Heeson, on the other hand, had the face of wrath flushed over him.

Il Chunghoo wiped his lip. He looked at his hand and saw the dark shade of blood on his otherwise white shirt. His eyes turned dark and frosty as if becoming a soulless doll. "You dare hit me?" He spat on the ground—it was red. "You bastard," he said with a low-pitched sound that came from his gut, "You want to die?"

"What's with that face?" Heeson said and laughed. "You almost killed someone, and that's all you have to say? Are you crazy?" He kicked forward, at Il Chunghoo's face.

The boy tilted his head and dodged Kim Heesons leg. "Motherfu—" he was about to scream out, but another fist came flying his face. He caught him by the wrist. "I'm not looking for a fight, right now. I've got better things to do."

Kim Heeson pulled his hand back and retreated. "How can you say that after what you've done?" He grew angry, thinking about how he had pushed Ji-ah. Truthfully, the anger did not only spring from his friend being in danger. No, he also saw himself in Il Chunghoo. That reckless behavior and careless attitude. Yes, if it was only a week ago, he imagined he'd not look too different than Il Chunghoo. But it was Kim Heeson, now. Kim Heeson.

"Alright, alright, I apologize. Stop making a scene," Il Chunghoo dismissed him, and though he said he had been sorry, it sounded more like he could not care any less.

"You're beyond help." Kim Heeson cracked his knuckles, attacked him again. but this time, his fist did not land. Instead, Il Chunghoo deflected it to his side, catching Heeson off-balance and making him stumble. He quickly swung his head around but was met with Il Chunghoos's own fist, squarely hitting his head. He felt his brain jitter, and he fell to the ground, genuflecting and scraping his left knee.

Il Chunghoo stood in front of him, crumpling his arm sleeves up. He stepped on Kim Heesons chest and sighed. "Is that it?"

"Fuck off," he shouted and lifted his arm, though Il Chunghoo quickly kicked his hand away, which then started swelling.

The boy with a buzzcut squatted down. He looked at Kim Heeson. "Why are you acting so high and mighty." He grabbed Kim Heesons hair. "When you are this weak?"

Kim Heeson felt a vein pop on his forehead. The blood rising up painted his face red. Anger and shame clouded his mind. 'You are weak'. There were no words he abhorred more than that, yet he could not disagree.

"Stop it," Kim Jyejin shouted from afar. The two fighting boys realized they weren't alone and both snapped their heads toward Ji-ah. Il Chunghoo clicked his tongue and stood up. He patted his jeans and went away, but not without leaving a, "You got lucky, bastard." He waved his hand, he took a quick glance at Lee Dojin; A cocky smile, as if invincible, appeared on his face. "Oh, and yeah, I just remembered. Yes, I know a Do Jiwoon. What are you going to do about it?"

Lee Dojin did not comment. Rather, he turned his attention back to Ji-ah and helped her up. She came to her feet, wobbling, but managing. Her expression though seemed disconnected, or maybe in shock.

Kim Jyejin asked worriedly. "Are you alright, Seungsengnim?"

Ji-ah shook her head. She let out a wry smile. "It's fine, just a little stumped."

"That guy is unbelievable," Kim Jyejin said, angry and frustrated. "We should report this to the police. I'll ask my dad too. I'm sure he can do something about this." She clenched her fist. "Dojin, what do you think?"

"No, really, it's fine," Ji-ah intervened. "I will be fine."

"Are you sure," Kim Heeson asked from the side. He had a bruise on his cheek, but nothing too serious. The only thing wounded was his pride. "Guys like that, they won't ever learn if you don't go to the extremes with them. Trust me, I speak from experience."

The teacher laughed lightly. It had a sad tone to it. "I know that." She looked at Lee Dojin and asked if he was fine. "Still, stuff like that, you'll have to learn and let it go. Making a scene won't lead us anywhere."

"But Seungsengnim," Kim Jyejin yelled out. "That's not how it should go? Where's the justice in that? You almost died!" She could not understand why Ji-ah would carry such a defeatist stance. She had always been a stubborn girl, which came to be obvious whenever she protected Lee Dojin, but she hated when things would not go her way. Thus, she could not help ask, "Are you really going to let people walk all over you?"

"Yes." Her reply came instantly. "Jyejin, I don't know much about you, but I can tell. You haven't seen the ugly side of this world. Even someone like you, who has more than others, will one day have to face the barriers that come with life. And me? I have nothing. All my life is just barriers. You'll have to learn to brush stuff like this aside."

Kim Heeson felt his heart sting. Her words resonated deeply within him. He put his hands on Jyejin shoulder. "If she says to let it go, just let it go."

"What's wrong with you? Aren't you frustrated?" She shot at him.

His grip tightened. "I am. I am aggravated." He grit his teeth. "But there's nothing we could do." For now, that was—he said in his mind. At the same time, he glanced at Lee Dojin who had yet to say anything.

"Actually, that is not true," Lee Dojin muttered.

Ji-ah tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"You do have something. Conviction. At least for now."

"Oh shut up," Ji-ah said and snapped. She couldn't believe her own words, but they still flowed out, like a dam broken at its hinges. "Conviction. Conviction. That's goddamn pointless if you have nowhere to put it into!"

Lee Dojin walked to the intersection and picked up his bag. "Then I'll give it to you, a place to focus your conviction." He brushed the stones away. "A place for your anger, frustration, and depressions." He smiled at Ji-ah, and his words at the hospital flashed into her mind. "I promised after all."

Lee Dojin had seen enough. He completely understood. The Ji-ah now was not the one in the future. But she was bound to be, if things continued that way. The Mother of Ravens was a curse only he could break—and he knew how.

He'd show her the world within the Mirage.