-The Darkening Path
After dropping Cheon Dan-bi and Ren off at the herb shop, I headed home.
A night street. A quiet silence fitting the darkness that had once again arrived settled inside the car.
Only Gil and I were in the car, but neither of us said a word.
I was trying to sort out my thoughts regarding the situation created by the series of events.
Perhaps I was thinking about other things first because I didn't want to sort out my thoughts about Gil's mistake right now.
'Where should I start, and how should I untangle this?'
The conflict between races was like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.
When life didn't go their way, people blamed the immigration of other races, and even when black magicians ran amok and committed acts of terror, they would absurdly claim it was because of other races.
Among them, zombies were the other race placed in the most vulnerable position.
Homeless people living on the streets, dirty, smelly, staggering about and doing nothing.
Whenever there was an excuse, people would detest zombies.
'I've given them fodder. And to think this is a result no one intended.'
Thinking about the zombies and Gil left a bitter taste in my mouth.
But if I could just guide public opinion well in the current situation, I felt I could shift the hatred toward zombies into an issue about the Golden Apple.
The zombies had plainly shown that suddenly changing one's vitality could bring about unexpected results.
The Golden Apple is a product that artificially enhances vitality.
A sudden increase in vitality could be just as dangerous as suddenly losing it. No, perhaps even more dangerous.
Even a race with extraordinary regenerative abilities like zombies had shown abnormal behavior due to the instability caused by changes in vitality.
There was no guarantee that humans would remain unscathed either.
The Golden Apple was a forbidden fruit unparalleled in its danger.
Inside my head, the logic flowed naturally like this, but the problem was that the masses didn't particularly like logic.
How many people would try to carefully examine and understand the delicate issue of vitality fluctuation, instead of the immediate and instinctive hatred toward zombies?
The answer was pessimistic.
'For now, I should probably announce the fact that it was Banahaim who released the mutated pigeons, the test subjects, onto the streets. I have to make sure the arrows of people's anger fly in the right direction.'
Once I had sorted out my thoughts to that point, the direction to move forward became clear.
What remained was Gil. Naturally, my thoughts flowed to the problem of Gil.
Gil had violated a command so self-evident and absolute for a magician.
No one else, not even the team members, had noticed, and it was still an incident unknown to anyone, but it wasn't something I could just let slide.
Yet a thought was subtly rising in my mind not to report this incident to the Bureau.
'Why? Because they're my team member?'
Perhaps that was part of it. But it didn't seem to be solely because of that.
'Because they're still a teenager?'
Maybe. But it wasn't only because of that either.
'Because it's Gil?'
Only now did my heart affirm it.
Yes. It was because it was Gil that I didn't want to report this incident to the Bureau.
I couldn't wrap it up in any other words or make excuses. It was because it was Gil.
Because it was Gil, whom I had resolved to protect and look after, I didn't want them to receive punishment from the Bureau. I wanted to take responsibility myself. I wanted to resolve it myself.
I did wonder if this thought was correct, but my heart had already made its decision.
'I'll take responsibility. I'll set Gil straight myself.'
In the meantime, we arrived home.
I parked the car in the alley and went up to Gil's room together.
Gil's room was a mess.
It was obvious at a glance how desperately Gil had rushed out after receiving Yu Jae-seon's phone call earlier.
Gil's worry for the zombies was revealed in the overturned shoes, the blanket pushed all the way out to the front door, and the cup lying on the floor with water still spilled from it.
Gil hurriedly tidied the room.
If only their heart could be tidied up just like the room.
"What made you do it?"
Soon, Gil, who had finished cleaning up, sat down facing me.
This time, hoping my voice wouldn't sound too stiff, I asked calmly.
"I'm not sure. It wasn't that I had some plan and decided to do it. I was just using magic on people without realizing it."
Gil answered, fidgeting.
They kept their head down. They weren't meeting my eyes.
I was looking at Gil, but I didn't tell them to lift their head.
"You used mind magic on ordinary people. You know how serious a problem that is. Of all things, it had to be mind magic."
This time, no answer came back.
"You were trying to control other people according to your will. Mind magic is a terrifying thing. The victims don't even know they're being affected. Moreover, you activated it very secretly. So secretly that even Cheon Dan-bi and Ren didn't know. The fact that you did so means you knew very well that it was the wrong thing to do."
At this point, I hoped Gil would admit their wrongdoing and beg for forgiveness. No, I expected they would.
But Gil showed an unexpected reaction.
"No. The ones who did wrong were the magicians who burned the zombies to death. The zombies' abnormal behavior was caused by the test subject pigeons. And yet they choose this moment to burn the zombies alive? Why must they do that? The people at the restaurant were no different. They all chimed in saying all the zombies should be burned to death. How can they say such things?"
What Gil was saying right now wasn't the problem.
Since their words were exactly what they always thought, it was hardly surprising that they were shouting and arguing.
The problem was that while shouting and arguing, Gil was emanating concentric mana waves.
As if trying to attack me.
"What are you doing now...?"
No, they were really attacking.
Whether it was intentional or not, whether they were even aware of it themselves, Gil's mana waves carried mind magic, just like before.
Moreover, this time the mana waves weren't approaching stealthily. They surged fiercely like a rapid tide.
Gil kept speaking with their head down.
"They use zombies and discard them, hate them arbitrarily, and now they're even burning them alive! Isn't that wrong? Why is that being overlooked? Zombies are citizens too. So why are they treated that way!"
Words that struck true to the heart.
Truly, treating zombies that way was absurd.
It was unjust and evil of humans to hate zombies who had done no wrong.
Hmm... wait.
Of course, it wasn't that I disagreed with this thought, but this deep, welling empathy springing forth like a fountain was not my own.
I was being assimilated by Gil's mind magic even now.
'This won't do.'
There was no other way. I had to stop Gil.
Gil was so focused on a single thought and emotion right now that they didn't even know what they were doing.
Their thoughts and emotions had ignited into will, driving their magic.
"Gil!"
I shouted their name and raised my mana.
I hoped Gil would come to their senses at my call, but that didn't happen. Rather, the pupils of Gil, who had raised their head, had grown even darker.
It wouldn't have been difficult to erect a barrier and block the mind magic. But this was no longer a situation that could be resolved with just that.
I too had no choice but to use magic on Gil.
But I didn't want to respond to mind magic with mind magic. I didn't want to control Gil's soul.
I invoked pressure magic and began to squeeze Gil's concentric mana waves from the outside.
Gradually, Gil's mana waves contracted, and eventually the pressure was applied even to Gil's body.
"Ugh... Magician, why are you...? Please release this."
Gil groaned and pleaded.
Gil's pupils, which had been dilated until moments ago, now trembled as if swaying in the wind, their strength gone.
The pressure magic had properly taken effect. Gil's mind magic crumbled away.
In the end, I had subdued Gil with magic.
Of course, unlike using magic on ordinary people, this was permitted.
To subdue a magician who had crossed the line and was running rampant, there was no choice but to use magic.
But I couldn't help feeling distraught over the fact that I had subdued Gil with magic.
It felt as if a corner of my heart was bruising.
I folded my emotions away and spoke to Gil.
"You just used mind magic on me too. Did you know that?"
"What? Me...? Did I really do that?"
"Yes. You did."
Gil's pupils shook even more.
As expected, they had been rampaging without even being properly aware of it.
As I slowly lowered the intensity of the pressure magic, Gil coughed.
"Gil, you've become a dangerous magician now. Your thoughts and emotions have reached the point of igniting into will and activating magic. You're turning dark. Do you want to become a black magician like this?"
"Me... a black magician? Ah, no. No."
The path to becoming a black magician isn't limited to borrowing power from the demon realm.
Anyone who loses the balance of their mind and runs rampant becomes a black magician.
Because darkness like that of the demon realm can fill a human heart as well.
When a white magician falls into darkness, they walk the path of a black magician.
"So get a grip! If you can't control your own will, you're not a magician. If you cross the line and run rampant, you'll soon find yourself on the path of darkness."
"I just... wanted to help the zombies. I wanted to take their side."
Gil looked at me with still-shaking eyes.
Their gaze hadn't cleared up yet, but that was fine.
Because they were looking straight at me. Because they weren't turning their head away to avoid me.
"I understand how you feel. But your obsession with zombies is eating away at you. Just because your intentions are pure doesn't mean all your actions come out right. Actions are judged as actions."
"Did I really use mind magic on you too?"
"What's more problematic than using it on me is using magic on ordinary people. I might notice and be able to respond, but ordinary people are victimized without knowing anything."
"I understand. I won't use magic on ordinary people again."
"You were trying to change other people's thoughts to match your will. How is that any different from those who incite hatred against zombies?"
"...I was wrong."
Only now did those words finally come out. Words admitting their own wrongdoing.
A long sigh escaped me without realizing it.
Admitting wrongdoing was only the beginning, and to prevent this from happening again, a firm resolve to break down their obsession and control their own thoughts and emotions was necessary, but I decided to leave it at this for now.
Because Gil looked utterly exhausted.
When I completely released the pressure magic, Gil collapsed right there with a thud.
"Rest now. Get plenty of sleep first, and then train while looking inward. Don't go outside for the time being."
"Yes, I understand."
Leaving Gil, who had answered with eyes closed before I knew it, alone, I went up to my room.
'Is it over?'
I wanted to believe it was resolved now.
That Gil wouldn't run rampant again. In that moment, I believed so.
But it didn't last long.
Soon a new wave surged in and swept Gil away once more.