The lingering echoes of the fierce final battle clung to Min-gu's mind, refusing to dissipate. Everything was ruined... Amidst all the horrifying sights, Min-gu alone had survived. But rather than relief at his survival, a sense of utter futility permeated his very bones. All that he had so desperately tried to protect had vanished in an instant, reduced to ashes. This cruel reality plunged him into a deep despair. He no longer knew what to do or where to go. The light of hope seemed to have been extinguished long ago.Eventually, Min-gu dragged his heavy feet forward, embarking on a journey without destination. He simply walked wherever his feet led him, trying to distance himself as much as possible from this desote reality. His body was utterly exhausted, but he couldn't stop. To halt would mean facing the overwhelming despair that threatened to engulf him. His empty gaze remained fixed ahead.He lost track of time. He couldn't even guess whether it had been days and nights without rest, or even longer. His legs had grown numb and swollen, but he didn't stop. Like a broken machine, he simply moved forward. His body was reaching its limits, and even his mind was becoming hazy. The surrounding scenery felt like fleeting, blurred afterimages.As he walked aimlessly, the signs of people gradually disappeared. The bustling sounds ceased, and artificial structures vanished. Instead, deep green forests and rugged mountains kept him company. Sometimes he climbed steep mountain paths, and sometimes he walked along rough valleys. His body became battered and bruised, but ironically, in the surrounding silence, he began to feel a faint sense of peace. At least here, the nightmarish reality that tormented him seemed absent.When his body finally reached its breaking point, he spotted a pce to rest in the distance. In the middle of a vast forest, a dipidated old cabin stood all alone, seemingly on the verge of colpse. He cautiously opened the door, and with a creaking sound, it felt as if the door would fall off, but the moment he stepped inside, an unexpected coziness enveloped him. Min-gu was immersed in a deep peace he hadn't felt in a very long time. Here, it seemed that no worldly worries or the heavy responsibility of saving as many dying people as possible would surface. Min-gu finally y down his weary body and decided to take a deep rest. However, the one drawback that bothered him was the difficulty of finding food. As expected, Min-gu mostly slept without eating properly. After several days of rest, growing weaker, a stranger came to the cabin.The weight of utter loneliness, felt so keenly as he wandered alone through unfamiliar nds, pressed heavily on Min-gu's shoulders. The sudden appearance of a warm hand and kind eyes before him seeped into his parched heart like welcome rain. The unfamiliar feeling of relief was as intense as discovering a ray of light in a long darkness. But at the same time, a wariness towards the stranger lingered in a corner of his mind. How on earth had he found him? Could there be some hidden motive? This man didn't seem ordinary. Min-gu, caught in a whirlwind of complex emotions, hesitated to speak for a moment. His gaze carefully scanned the stranger's face.However, the moment he met the stranger's intense yet utterly sincere deep gaze, the shadow of doubt that had clouded Min-gu's heart slowly began to dissipate. His unadorned, clear, and warm eyes felt as comfortable and trustworthy as meeting an old friend. The desperation of no longer being able to bear these painful memories alone, and a faint hope that this man might understand his story, moved Min-gu's heart. Eventually, Min-gu cautiously unlocked the tightly closed door of his heart and decided to pour out all the pain and despair he had experienced, as well as his deep ?? about how to live in the future, in a trembling voice. His story continued te into the night.The man listened silently to Min-gu's long and painful story for a long time, not uttering a single word until his st trembling confession ended. He simply looked at Min-gu with eyes filled with deep sorrow and compassion. In the man's silence, Min-gu felt an even greater comfort. He felt that the man was not judging or evaluating his story, but simply fully understanding and empathizing with his pain. In Min-gu's tired and sorrowful eyes reflected in the man's gaze, what truly surprised the man was his appearance, as if he were struggling in a bottomless swamp of despair. The man closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly lost in deep thought. Unfathomable complex emotions flickered across his face. As a heavy and awkward silence filled the cabin, Min-gu cautiously tried to break the silence and asked the man in a low voice."If you don't mind... would you tell me your story too?"After pondering deeply for a while, the man spoke."I... don't really have anything to say. I should probably rest now. Perhaps... this might be my final resting pce as well."Just as Min-gu, feeling puzzled by the man's meaningful words, was about to ask again, the man suddenly started cleaning the cabin, as if he instinctively knew this was a pce he would stay for a long time. As Min-gu y near death from starvation, the man stayed by his side and began to take meticulous care of him. The man diligently found food and provided Min-gu with warm meals, and he cleaned and tidied the dipidated cabin so that Min-gu could sleep comfortably. However, Min-gu, trapped in the depths of despair, did not recover easily.Thanks to the man's devoted care, Min-gu's weakened body gradually regained strength. A faint flush returned to his pale face, and his tightly closed lips occasionally showed small movements. And finally, when Min-gu woke up from a deep sleep and looked at the man with clear eyes, they left the cabin together. Under the warm sunlight, their steps towards the gently flowing river were light as a feather.In the river, fish with silvery scales shimmered in the sunlight, swimming leisurely. The clear blue water was like a living jewel box. As if accustomed to it, they each unfolded their fishing rods and cast their bait, and before long, the fishing lines began to twitch. With skillful teamwork, as if they had been together for a long time, they quickly filled their basket with fish. Carrying the heavy basket carefully back to the cabin, bright smiles appeared on their faces for the first time in a long while. Looking at the abundant fish, they looked forward to a hearty dinner for a change.While preparing dinner, Min-gu sat silently by the fire, carefully observing the man. The man's ceaselessly moving hands were skilled, and although he wore a bright and comfortable smile on the surface, Min-gu did not miss the fleeting look of unfathomable sadness in his eyes. His expression, as if lost in deep thought, would appear momentarily and then quickly disappear. But the man made no effort to reveal his inner thoughts. Min-gu simply stayed by his side in silence.As the golden-brown grilled fish was pced on the table, a delicious aroma filled the cabin. They sat side by side by the fire, feeling the warm glow, and had a hearty dinner for the first time in a long while. The tender fish melted in their mouths, and a peaceful aura surrounded their faces under the soft light. Feeling full and satisfied for the first time in a long time, they fell into a deep sleep that night. The remaining fish were carefully hung in the smokehouse behind the cabin, where the rising smoke would infuse them with a delicious smoky fvor overnight.The next morning, as bright sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window, Min-gu woke up first. The backyard, where the fish they had carefully smoked and stored the night before should have been, held only an empty smokehouse and a shattered wooden box. The delicious smoked fish they had been looking forward to all night had vanished without a trace. The wooden box that had contained the fish was in a terrible state, as if it had been forcibly torn apart by a tremendous force. Large footprints were scattered all around."It seems like a bear did this. Looks like a pretty big one. We'll have to keep a much closer watch on the surroundings and prepare from now on."The man said calmly, looking at the broken box. A slight tension could be heard in his voice.After that day, whenever they went hunting, they always carried sharp spears and sturdy bows. When walking through the forest, they constantly scanned their surroundings, trying not to miss even the slightest movement or sound. They moved quietly, trying to muffle their footsteps, but bear tracks continued to be found throughout the forest. Torn animal carcasses and scratch marks around the cabin, as if made by thick cws, amplified their unease. As the darkness in the forest deepened at night, they remained on edge, reacting sensitively to even the smallest sounds.