In the middle of the bleached wood, the bright green trees are turning darker and bluer, maybe because of the season's coldness around the Southland. Killa has missed the fall phase in Zealand. She mostly focused on Eamon and projects, and the last leaf that fell must have been when she punched Yeongho in his office almost a couple of weeks ago.
Killa goes up the hill to meet a person who has left the old memories behind. Climbing on the light brown walking path, which is mixed with almost dried grass. There is a lot of cut wood around. Killa looks up and around and sees all the views down. She feels like she's big up here and also small at the same time.
"Master?"
Killa turns around to see the man and smiles right away. "You are getting buffer, Zad."
"Master," Zadkiel approaches her with a pleasant face.
"You still call me master," she says,
"Then what else should I call?"
"How are you?" She asks after looking at his eyes. That has a scar through the black eyepatch on the left side.
"I'm doing well, as you can see," he says happily. Killa feels his presence seems delighted.
"Is it normal for someone who lives here without neighbors and still trains themselves like this?" She asks with a teasing sentence.
"Hehe, you know me so well." He chuckles a little and looks at his lady's face. Her smile doesn't smile at all. "So what happened?" He asks, and she looks at him. "You come to see me."
"Is it strange?"
"Your face..." he says lightly and walks closer to her. The height and the thickness between them are clearly obvious. He can see that her health is falling. "Tell me, master, what is it?" Zadkiel knew something had happened, not only because of the unexpected visit but also because he had sensed it since he saw her.
Her eyes gaze at him softly and gently, time after time, from the first day he was with her until this day. "I don't want to take this life from you, Zad. If you don't feel right, you don't have to..." She says, and Zadkiel listens to her quietly. "I'm going back." She is being more specific. Zadkiel is stunned but not showing much. "You owe me nothing, so if you...choose to follow my path again, I don't want you to think it because of the life debt." She looks directly at the eye patch and slightly touches it. "I ask you because I want you to be by my side—no one else can replace that position."
"Yes, master..." he says gently,
She slowly lowers her hand, "No second thought?" she asks.
"Do you think I've been training for what?" He walks closer to her.
"Are you sure?" she asks him with a feeling of sorry curiosity. After what had happened to him, she really didn't want him to face that past anymore. She's ashamed of asking him to join her, but he is one of the most trusted people she has.
"Yes," he slightly holds her hand,
"Thank you, Zad."
"My pressure, my master Killa," and he pulls his hand back after the light skin touch.
Zadkiel walks her to the car down the middle of the hill and notices Joonwoo is waiting.
'Master must recruit him as well,' he thinks inside, trying to show no expression.
"There is one more thing," Killa pauses, "About your eye...I can help you if you want."
"I'm okay with this, but if you think it's a problem when I work, I can—"
"That's not a reason. You decide I support you no matter what," she says, lightly curling her lips.
"Thank you, Master, and..." he looks at her, "I'm glad to see you."
"Me too," Killa says, grabbing his hand, rubbing his rough and tough skin on his palm, and pulling her hand away.
Joonwoo stands there, watching them talk, and thinks Killa and Zadkiel's relationship is very impressive and stronger than just loyalty between a Master and her henchman. Their bond is something no one can come between.
So what will it be like right now?
Joonwoo and Zadkiel can't imagine the plan and plot she's setting secretly in her mind. Something horrendous has happened to her, and Zadkiel, the man who rode and died with her, knows something has broken her soul. Joonwoo, who has known just a bit of the news, is everywhere in Zealand. Nothing came from her mouth, and he didn't even dare to ask about it. No matter what it is, the two of them are ready and prepared to take whatever it might bring since they choose to be with her, stand beside her, and follow her back now and in the future, even if she's going back to the past, but surely she will carry something that the past can collide.