Rainbow City

Choi Hoeon glanced down at his wristwatch. Standing on a hill where the view of the residential area sprawled out before him, he lowered his gaze downwards. Screams and sirens echoed haphazardly from the place that had been a peaceful zone just a few hours ago. Amidst the chaos, a massive column of fire erupted from the gas station. Choi Hoeon took a deep breath. Satisfaction smoothed his lips.

People started rushing up the narrow hill stairs. When chased, humans instinctively looked upwards rather than downwards. Some of those fleeing urgently urged Choi Hoeon to run, while others ignored him and continued their sprint.

Following the movement of the crowd, Adam also sprinted up the hill. The newly mutated Adams were now incredibly fierce. “Roar!” screamed an Adam as he lunged towards Choi Hoeon, but a bullet piercing his forehead was faster. The sound of a watermelon splitting was oddly satisfying.

Having dispatched one, two, precisely five Adams who stuck to the people rushing up the hill, only uninfected humans remained. Just then, a man with a desperate look reached out to Choi Hoeon.

“Are you from the City?! Please save me! Where should I flee to?!”

Choi Hoeon fired a shot into the screaming man’s head without hesitation. The man died without even realizing why he had to die.

“Hey! What are you doing right now?!”

A man who had arrived late stared at Choi Hoeon in shock. Choi Hoeon casually lifted the man’s sleeve with the barrel of his gun. The bite marks inflicted by Adam were clear on the dead man’s wrist.

“We had no choice to prevent infection. Keep running up. There’s a bus waiting to take you to a safe place.”

“Are you from the City?”

Choi Hoeon shook his head sympathetically.

“We are a group called Eden Sanctuary.”

There were a few more people around, all wary and fearful. Below, screams and roars echoed once again. If another horde came up, Adam would reappear.

“Rainbow City lacks the ability to protect its citizens in emergencies. But we are different. We advocate for the right for everyone to live equally. We all deserve protection.”

Amidst the raging fire and the smell of blood, Choi Hoeon’s voice remained gentle. People were scared of the rebels, but Choi Hoeon’s words held power, and even Adam, the object of fear, was easily dealt with. Going down now would undoubtedly lead to death. Waiting for City’s support, which might never come, was tantamount to risking one’s life.

Had Rainbow City really done everything to save its citizens? People couldn’t affirm that question positively. In desperate situations, Rainbow City failed to provide any reassurance.

“The choice is for the citizens. We don’t force. And the seats on the bus are limited.”

As Choi Hoeon lifted the barrel, the crowd murmured. Bullets were fired towards the bottom, and Adam, who had been about to charge, retreated. The lamppost illuminating the hill’s stairs went out. Even the moon, shrouded in clouds, made the night blurry. Choi Hoeon took out a flashlight from his suit pocket and handed it to a man.

“We don’t know how long we can protect, so move now. You can hide somewhere or join us.”

The man who received the flashlight spoke with a trembling voice.

“If I take this—”

“I’m fine with the dark.”

Choi Hoeon smiled with a friendly impression. The man with the flashlight seemed to have made a decision. He pointed the flashlight towards the direction he needed to run and addressed the people.

“Let’s not vaguely hope for City’s support. We have to survive on our own.”

“But we don’t even know what Eden Sanctuary really is.”

“Survival comes first.”

“Yeah, remember when Adam spread in the Green Zone and City abandoned the area, sending soldiers later for containment? What good is it if we’re all dead by then?”

People started speaking one by one. The man with the flashlight, showing no more hesitation, began to ascend as if he had no choice. Others hesitated, but in reality, they had no choice. Some left, but some started following the man. Choi Hoeon descended the stairs against the flow, holding a walkie-talkie.

“Zone 17 evacuates in 3 minutes.”

Eden Sanctuary stationed buses in the areas where Adam broke out, and A-grade individuals like Choi Hoeon guarded the surroundings. Of course, the man to whom Choi Hoeon handed the flashlight was also a follower of Eden Sanctuary, also known as the Windcatchers. With gloved hands, Choi Hoeon shattered the skull of an Adam chasing a human. Some among them hadn’t mutated, but it didn’t matter anymore, as their purpose had been achieved beyond a certain point.

Major Kwak Soohwan, Doctor Seokhwa. Shouldn’t we start leaving Udo now?

The faint moon that had been hovering over Choi Hoeon’s head was completely obscured by clouds.

“Deploy troops to the locations where the situation is assessed first. As it’s an emergency, even up to the rank of Major should go to each site, and commanders on-site must report directly to the battalion commanders.”

The Second Master hastily finished speaking and put down the handset. The situations from various locations were streaming into Mother’s server in real-time.

“Major Kwak Soohwan, you are to gather the troops in Jeju with Major Lee Chaeyoon immediately and return to Seoul.”

Unlike Seokhwa, who was seriously monitoring the situation, Kwak Soohwan seemed uneasy.

“Why do I have to go?”

“What?”

The Second Master slammed the desk with his hand.

“You!”

“I believe I’ve mentioned before that I don’t care if Rainbow City falls. Dr. Seokhwa, whom I must protect, is safe here. So why should I go?”

“Because you’re a controller! No matter how much you resent the City, your position remains for the benefit of Rainbow City! Do you think I wouldn’t know that you prevented the Controller’s demotion by aligning with the First?!”

“Oh, you’re moving as expected.”

He seemed like he was going to hit his neck. Kwak Soohwan made a gesture of pretending to cut his throat.

“Have there been instances of Adam appearing simultaneously in various areas before?”

Seokhwa asked calmly to the enraged Second Master.

It wasn’t entirely nonexistent, but it had to be seen that there had never been an incident of this scale before.

If there were simultaneous appearances of Adam, it meant someone transported Adam to each zone deliberately. Even if it was the Eden Sanctuary, they wouldn’t have had the resources for this scale of operation. Seokhwa found this suspicious.

“Major Kwak Soohwan, if you don’t comply with my orders, you’ll be handed over to the military police for disobedience.”

Despite Kwak Soohwan’s outstanding abilities, he was still a soldier of Rainbow City. If he didn’t follow the orders in an emergency situation like this, he would undoubtedly be subjected to a military trial.

“I’ll go with Major.”

“You’re on Udo.”

Kwak Soohwan also tried to assert himself for once. Seokhwa hadn’t intended to accept Second Master’s persuasion in the first place, so he shook his hand.

“Think about it carefully, Major Kwak Soohwan. Why do you think I recommended Dr. Seokhwa for candidacy? It means I’m willing to accept that you, whom Dr. Seokhwa trusts, might not be very agreeable to me. So, you can trust me a little more. At least I’m someone who seeks reform without shedding blood.”

Second Master was a moderate reformist, and First was a privileged faction seeking a dictatorship. Logically, Second Master would be better than First, but Kwak Soohwan didn’t see the need to choose either side. Both sides were destroying themselves, as he had envisioned. Second Master, whether knowingly or not, was trying to infuse new blood, Seokhwa, into their system.

“Let go of the idea of using Dr. Seokhwa for political purposes. Otherwise, find another immune and set them up as a puppet.”

“We don’t need another immune. I’ve clearly stated my reasons.”

Kwak Soohwan shook Seokhwa’s hand as if to say there was nothing more to hear. Seokhwa, who had no intention of accepting Second Master’s persuasion from the beginning, also shook his hand.

“Leave Dr. Seokhwa in a safe place. Even if you’re not afraid of Adam, it’s tough to protect someone while fighting.”

“I’ll determine the safe place. Why should I trust you?”

“At least I won’t harm my own genetic offspring.”

Kwak Soohwan tilted his head in disdain.

“Let’s believe that nonsense. But aren’t you trying to use the fact that my child would inherit my genes as a bargaining chip? If not, why didn’t you reveal it until now?”

There have been times when Mother asked if I was curious about my father. Honestly, I was curious about who my biological father was. But even if I didn’t know, that was fine. Because Mother’s love was so great that there was no empty space in Seokhwa’s heart. But now, the Second Master claims to be his biological father.

Seokhwa tightened his grip on Kwak Soohwan’s hand. It wasn’t out of anger or admiration. He simply felt nothing. He was just a genetic father, and there was no emotional connection. Instead, Kwak Soohwan, who was sharing warmth with him, felt much more like family. That’s why Seokhwa held Kwak Soohwan’s hand tighter. Whether he interpreted that action differently or not, Kwak Soohwan whispered in Seokhwa’s ear.

Ignore it, it’s nonsense.

“I couldn’t reveal it to protect Seokhwa safely. When the time comes, I’ll reveal it and consider him as my successor.”

“I can’t put my child on the experimental table. If he’s just a defective product who can’t even be considered as a successor.”

“You still haven’t sent him away even though he’s of age. Do you think I wouldn’t know what you’re hiding? Because he lacks intelligence? Well, he’ll understand once he goes to the Learning Center. If there are any usable corners, they should be thoroughly utilized.”

It was a dream and a past episode from the day when fever ran high due to Adam.

“I really think I know. I understand very well why Senior Kwak and Senior Kang made such choices. I will never impose sacrifices on my child. Rainbow City? How great does it have to be to sacrifice for it?”

“Jinyeon, I’m glad we don’t execute you for treason. End the video.”

Senior Kwak and Senior Kang.

Perhaps Seokhwa didn’t even know that they might represent Kwak Soohwan’s parents. Seokhwa didn’t precisely remember the voice of the person his mother was talking to. But it was probably the Second Master.

“Second Master.”

Seokhwa finally opened his tightly shut mouth.

“I’m not suitable as a successor. I’m just as you said, a defective product.”

Before Second Master could react with a frown, Kwak Soohwan pulled Seokhwa closer.

What defective product is Dr. Seokhwa? He’s a premium product. No, he’s the best. Even without saying a word, it seemed like Kwak Soohwan’s true feelings were conveyed.

“Dr. Seokhwa.”

Perhaps due to his age, Second Master’s eyes no longer held any traces of firearms. Fortunately, Second Master didn’t refer to him as his son.

“Find another person as the successor. I’m not worthy of it.”

“Dr. Seokhwa’s worthiness is sufficient. It’s a waste for him not to be a Master of Rainbow City.”

If there were a perfect ally in the world, it probably wouldn’t be like this. Seokhwa felt both reassured and afraid that without him, he might be overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of loss.

“Don’t forget that we created you. Kwak Soohwan, you were able to have everything because of our technology.”

Second Master was angry, but he didn’t raise his voice.

“Is that technology you’re talking about called fate? If you had seen my brother, you wouldn’t say such nonsense.”

“Your brother is a child born of love between your parents. But you’re not.”

Kwak Soohwan was turning his words around, saying that Kwak Jihwan was a child born directly from his parents’ relationship, while he himself was born as a result of an experiment.

“Do you know?”

Kwak Soohwan’s words were right. Seokhwa admitted it too. Whether it was Choi Hoeon or the Second Master, it didn’t matter if they were his biological brother or his father. Moreover, he didn’t even think that Second Master had loved his mother. If he had, he wouldn’t have threatened to execute her.

“I’m just one of the experiments that the Master talks about, aren’t I?”

Seokhwa glanced reflexively at Second Master’s lower body, which was paralyzed, then looked away.

“I’ll go.”

“Is that saying you’re giving up being a citizen? Then you two will be chased for life. You want to make a cure, don’t you? Are you really willing to give up on that?”

“No. If the Second Master withdraws his designation of me as a successor and does not disadvantage Major Kwak Soohwan, I will remain as a citizen of Rainbow City.”

“Dr. Seokhwa. Is it really so difficult to become my ally?”

“Yes.”

Seokhwa’s clean answer made Kwak Soohwan smile. That’s how it should be, Dr. Seokhwa. Kwak Soohwan grabbed Seokhwa’s hand and urged him to go.

“Go up and help with the situation, but don’t dare entertain any other thoughts. I know exactly where you live anyway.”

Second Master couldn’t tolerate Kwak Soohwan’s challenging attitude any longer.

“What do you want, Kwak Soohwan? Do you want to try being the Master?”

“Will you order me to?”

Perhaps Second Master also deduced his inner thoughts because he remained silent.

Feeling no longer valued here, Kwak Soohwan walked with Seokhwa. Seokhwa struggled to keep up with his stride but diligently followed. Despite being able to rush ahead, Kwak Soohwan matched Seokhwa’s pace.

“Do you really want to?”

“Sex?”

“Master.”

“If you want it, will you order it yourself?”

Seokhwa closed his lips as if to say he didn’t have that power.

Now that it had come to this, Second Master would likely withdraw more, making the fight with First likely to become a drawn-out battle. However, fully siding with First and openly discussing Second Master’s weaknesses wasn’t easy. Second Master didn’t seem to have any apparent weaknesses. That’s why First spread false information.

Upon leaving the corridor, Lee Chaeyoon and the butler were in the living room. She looked pale for some reason.

“Hey! Did you hear the news? Is it true?”

“Yeah. Let’s get back.”

Approaching, the butler handed Kwak Soohwan a walkie-talkie.

“After going to Jeju Airport, you need to move with the Jeju forces.”

Using an airplane meant that this situation was undoubtedly serious.

“It’ll take some time to prepare the passenger ship here, at least.”

As the butler glanced at his watch, Kwak Soohwan spoke up.

“Can you give me the fuel here? And are there any spare jet skis?”

“There might be a few for leisure use at the beach.”

Leisure use, now even the laughter didn’t come easily. Come to think of it, the curtains were drawn, indicating that the first-level security had been lifted.

Over there, the parents were playing with the kids as if they weren’t interested in what was happening on the mainland. Looking out the window with his forehead against the glass, Seokhwa felt a strange resentment.

“Dr. Seok.”

As Kwak Soohwan called from behind, Seokhwa slowly turned around.

“You’ll get a bruise on your forehead.”

With his large hand, Kwak Soohwan stroked Seokhwa’s forehead, which had already dried.

“It might be a hindrance, but I’ll go with you. I’ll hide well in the shelter.”

Of course, leaving him on Udo would be safer, but the truth was that Kwak Soohwan felt more uneasy when he couldn’t see Seokhwa with his own eyes. Who knows, someone might hold a grudge and spread the Adam virus on Udo. In that case, the safest place in the world was by his side.

The butler was ready to go to the coast where Kwak Soohwan’s jet ski was.

“When you arrive at Seongsan Port, there will be a car waiting to take you to the airport.”

Before the butler finished speaking, Kwak Soohwan headed straight out of the mansion. Lee Chaeyoon and Seokhwa followed, and Kwak Soohwan took the driver’s seat. Lee Chaeyoon seemed slightly stunned compared to usual. Seokhwa, sitting in the back seat, realized that she was quieter than usual.

“Major Lee, about the controller—”

“It’s a secret anyway, so I decided not to ask.”

Kwak Soohwan stepped on the accelerator. It took only a few minutes to reach the darkened coast. As they raced down the quiet road at top speed, Lee Chaeyoon nervously spoke up.

“Adam has emerged even in our parents’ zone. Our parents can’t even fight.”

“Anyway, we’re top priority for protection. We probably have a bunker at home.”

“But I’m still worried. I heard from the butler that it’s a level 1 emergency.”

“Then let’s sneak into the parents’ zone as soon as we land in Seoul.” “This guy, is he a soldier moving around like a warden?” “Anyway, if they breach up to your house, this city is doomed.”

So the tone was reassuring.

While the two were bantering, Seokhwa was pondering and organizing the curious points in his mind. It was about the reason for Adam’s simultaneous emergence.

Who brought Adam here, or did Eden invade each zone and inject people with the Adam virus? Or…

Tap, tap, Kwak Soohwan’s arrival snapped Seokhwa out of his thoughts. He pulled out something resembling a bulletproof vest along with an oil drum from the trunk. As Seokhwa descended to the sandy shore, Kwak Soohwan properly fitted him with a life jacket instead.

“Should I drive?”

“No, you’ll ride behind me.”

Kwak Soohwan went over to where his jet ski was placed and refilled it with fuel. On the other side where surfboards were laid, there was a jet ski for Lee Chaeyoon to ride.

“Major Lee, I’ll give a brief explanation, you’ll figure out the rest when you ride it. No reverse, so if you need to go back, make a big circle.”

Pointing at the jet ski handlebars, Kwak Soohwan vaguely explained to Lee Chaeyoon how to handle it.

“Are you kidding? I’ve ridden a jet ski before, you know?”

“Then that’s fortunate.”

After filling up the fuel, Kwak Soohwan tossed the empty drum onto the sandy shore. Seokhwa knew what a jet ski looked like but had never ridden one himself. As he stood still behind, Kwak Soohwan pulled the jet ski into the water. When the water reached his calves, Kwak Soohwan lifted Seokhwa onto the jet ski. With the body wavering, Seokhwa quickly climbed on.

“Are you holding on securely?”

Seokhwa already had both arms tightly wrapped around Kwak Soohwan’s waist. It was regrettable that he couldn’t feel Kwak Soohwan’s body temperature due to the life jacket.

“I’m going to go really fast, should I tie you with a strap?”

Seokhwa nodded in agreement with the idea. Kwak Soohwan tied the long strap from Seokhwa’s life jacket around his waist several times. Seokhwa, who had been thinking about tying his wrists, crossed his hands tightly around his belly.

“Major Lee, do you see that fire over there?”

As the engines of the two jet skis roared to life, the sound of the engines swallowed the waves. Looking out from here, there was a prominent light from the lighthouse in Seongsan Port.

“Just head straight toward that fire!”

Before Kwak Soohwan finished speaking, Lee Chaeyoon fearlessly started riding her jet ski. Following the path she had taken, the strong waves made Kwak Soohwan’s jet ski wobble. Seokhwa, prepared for possible seasickness, clenched his lips tightly. Kwak Soohwan also started driving the jet ski with determination.

As they traversed the waves, with Lee Chaeyoon keeping her distance and cutting through the currents, Seokhwa slapped Kwak Soohwan’s back and looked at the rippling waves. It was a bit scary because nothing could be seen under the black surface. The grip around Kwak Soohwan tightened even more. The seawater, carried by the wind, began to splash on his face. Seokhwa, who had never ventured out to sea despite living on Jeju Island, found this moment of venturing into the deep sea with Kwak Soohwan like a dream.

“Dr. Seok, are you okay?”

Kwak Soohwan’s voice was intertwined with the sound of the waves and the engine.

“I feel great.”

Although Seokhwa’s voice couldn’t reach him, the sensation of his cheek against Kwak Soohwan’s back reassured him, and he increased the speed. Despite the urgency of the situation, he wished the distance to Seongsan Port was a bit farther. Seokhwa relying on him with his entire body felt good. However, the light from the lighthouse was rapidly approaching.

Come to think of it, when in agony, time seemed to pass slowly, but when in joy, it flew by in an instant. Perhaps it was the relativity of time. For Kwak Soohwan, this moment felt like a fleeting moment. He wondered how great it must have felt to perceive it as fleeting. Laughing at himself, he undid the strap.

Kwak Soohwan got off the jet ski and dipped his feet back into the sea. When he reached out his hand, Seokhwa, unlike before, obediently leaned against him. As they walked out of the water towards Seongsan Port, several soldiers in uniforms came out to greet them.

Among them, a man at the front saluted.

“Except for Lieutenant Lee Cheon-heon from Jeju Army Center, 121 personnel are assembling at Jeju Airport.”

Kwak Soohwan walked alongside Seokhwa with the door open to the jeep.

“Give a brief report on the current situation on the mainland.”

He addressed the lieutenant following him. He gestured for Seokhwa to go first with the jeep.

“According to the report that came in ten minutes ago, suddenly healthy individuals started behaving like Adam in various parts of the city.”

“Any peculiarities in specific zones?”

“None. It was random, not confined to particular areas. Also, Adam occurrences in the Green Zone didn’t start today. They have been happening since a week ago. They’ve been spotted several times since then, but all were terminated. What’s strange is the testimonies of witnesses claiming that they were perfectly fine before turning into Adam.”

Kwak Soohwan grabbed the door of the jeep as if to say, “What nonsense is this?” and turned around.

“Could it be transmitted through the air?”

“We… don’t know for sure.”

“It’s impossible for it to be transmitted through the air.”

Seokhwa interjected abruptly without getting into the car.

As Seokhwa eavesdropped on their conversation, he pieced together the missing puzzle in his mind.

The vaccine distributed by Eden contained parasites. Moreover, Senior Oh Cheong-woon, despite being infected with the Adam virus, was able to speak human language. It might not have been because of the incomplete cure. Senior Oh, infected with the Adam virus, might have been gradually turning into an Adam over a long period.

In the process of investigating the vaccine distributed by Eden, Seokhwa had found anomalies. Amidst this, he was bitten by Adam, leading him to head to the 21 Violet Center thereafter. However, it was evident that the malaria parasite contained in the vaccine was in a dormant state.

From this, Seokhwa formulated a hypothesis. The vaccine spread by Eden likely contained the Adam virus with an incubation period.

Seokhwa urgently looked at Kwak Soohwan.

“We need to stop the vaccine distribution.”

“What?”