An alternate universe

Ch-29

'Sometimes you say with conviction you can't live without something, you haven't known anything different, but once the change sets in you realise you have already forgotten to miss the old ways'

-DS

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He slid his thumb across the picture displayed on the phone for the millionth time,
which he had been doing for the past few hours without realising how numb and lost he actually was.

The night had grown dark in a silent sea, giving way for the monsters to rise from the deep, reflecting within his own mind.

How could it be? It was the face of the same girl, the same lips that had willingly met his own, uttering such words of affection and care that never felt fraudulent, never felt any less than sincere.

Her actions had been loving and deeply caring as well, she had saved him on multiple occassions by shielding him not just in body but words as well, how could that all be staged?

His fingers tightened around his phone, growing white and cold.
A familiar ache was gathering in his heart, tearing it into two, this was trust and its consequences?

The office blurred with moisture for a while as his eyes gathered a memory of all the promises that were burning, sending waves of pain on the shores of his very existence.

In a few seconds his mind was ignited with every moment he had spent with her, from her first greeting to his last goodbye.
Was it all a lie?

All this time he had been trying to find the real daughter of his enemy without any knowledge that Tsetseg was the answer, a key he realised he never wanted to touch or unlock.

An overwhelming feeling of dread and hopelessness was spreading in his entire body, pulling him out of numbness and throwing him in an arena of flames.

It was even worse than when he had found out he was abandoned by his parents.

Was all she did was spy?
Even when she smiled?
The warm care, the sweet eyes?

Was that all an act?

With trembling hands, he played the video of her rescuing the kids from fire.

She was Gang namsoon, the only puzzle he hadn't been able to solve, the only link that was missing, by his side all the time making a  fool out of him.

The sheer amount of wickedness shown by Hwang gum joo and her daughter crippled him for a moment.
No wonder that woman was so flippant, she had sent her daughter as a spy.

They had talked about morals and second chances, those hypocrites.

The glimpses of hatred that he had seen in Tsetseg's eyes were not a myth then.

With a searing pain he corrected himself in his mind, it was Gang namsoon not Tsetseg anymore.

His own heart burned with rage, consuming his raw emotions for a while.
How couldn't he see this before?
Was he that blinded?
It was his fault afterall, he had trusted too much, without questioning anything.

He was ready to leave everything behind for her, enchanted by her false promises of change and a second change.

Surely it was a good thing that this blindfold was finally removed from his eyes.

Still he found no solace.

'Mr Yoon, prepare all the documents we have to register the antidote business'
He instructed his secretary on a call.