Then, the android raised its arm as if guiding us, palm outstretched, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Seo Ji-hyuk and Yoo Geum had already moved out of the way, almost as if they were waiting for it.
The man immediately opened fire at the place the android pointed to. "Ah! Are you crazy?! You're shooting at the displayed jewels too!" I trembled, covering my mouth with my hand. It seemed that the other cult member had the same thought.
"Have you lost your mind?! Each of these jewels is worth more than your life! You could hire you ten times over and still have enough to hire you for your past and future lives!"
A sharp female voice pierced my frightened ears. Really, that expensive? The man seemed to mutter something in response, but I couldn't hear it. Then, footsteps sounded. It seemed that several people were moving to find and kill us. What should I do? What should I do? Baek Ae-young handed me a pistol, and I took it, trembling and unable to make a sound.
Baek Ae-young held the submachine gun she had taken from Tyler, and Shin Hae-ryang waited with the gun he had taken from the third underwater base. Shin Hae-ryang didn't seem tense at all; he looked as calm as if he were resting on a park bench. How can someone be like this? Aren't you scared?
The two of them waited in silence. I began to pray that Seo Ji-hyuk and Yoo Geum wouldn't be found. Seo Ji-hyuk can't use one of his legs; is he hiding well? What about Yoo Geum? Yoo Geum can't even shoot a gun. Baek Ae-young furrowed her brow and wiped the sweat from her cheek with the back of her hand. What should we do? Baek Ae-young asked Shin Hae-ryang in a voice as soft as the wind. Her expression clearly showed her willingness to engage in a gunfight, even at a 9-to-2 disadvantage. She seemed to think that the three of us, who didn't have guns, must be very high-ranking members.
I respected both of their judgments. It wasn't 9-to-3 because it was obvious that I couldn't fulfill my role as a gunman. I might be able to shoot, but that was it.
I thought they would have a long discussion, but Shin Hae-ryang and Baek Ae-young only exchanged their opinions once. Shin Hae-ryang frowned and nodded, indicating that there wasn't even time for that. Yes, that's right. Seo Ji-hyuk and Yoo Geum must be about to be found. We can't expect such luck again.
Baek Ae-young told me where to hide. She instructed me to shoot, hide behind the jewel, shoot again, and hide again, emphasizing that I must hide well. The place where I was to hide was behind a deep blue jewel, similar in color to the lapis lazuli Shin Hae-ryang had shown me earlier. I stroked the jewel in front of me with my bare hands, praying that this smooth jewel wouldn't be damaged by bullets. Okay, I'm ready. I asked Shin Hae-ryang, holding his shoulder.
"What's the signal to start?"
"The sound of gunfire. Think of it as killing them all."
"If we don't shoot, we die. Don't die!"
"Don't get hurt."
With that, Shin Hae-ryang and Baek Ae-young, armed with automatic rifles, ran to hide behind other jewels and then moved forward. The cult members were heading in the direction they had just been, and I focused all my attention on gripping the gun that felt like it might slip out of my hand. Baek Ae-young and Shin Hae-ryang's backs soon disappeared from my sight. A few minutes later, gunfire erupted. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Ah! Ah! Ah! Choke! The screams of people echoed.
Two unarmed cult members began to move back toward the central exhibition hall. They were an elderly woman with white hair and a man with black hair, both adorned with white jewels all over their bodies. The woman wore an incredibly ornate outfit, with earrings, a necklace, bracelets, rings, a belt, and a tiara, looking like a model in a jewelry photo shoot. She was running as fast as she could, all her jewelry made of diamonds. The man, upon closer inspection, was wearing a dark green gemstone belt and a green necklace.
I was hiding behind the displayed blue jewel, aiming my gun, but they hadn't noticed me yet. The armed members hadn't reached this side yet. If I was going to shoot, now was the time. Thoughts raced through my mind in an instant.
What if these people are innocent?
What if they are hostages, like the people lying outside, held by the armed members?
What if they die unjustly and pitifully because of me?
What if they can just let us go quietly, like that person named Brown?
What if this cult doesn't actually kill people, and what's around the elevators is just paint?
What if everyone around me is lying?
How could I bear the deaths of these two people?
What if their parents, children, family, lovers, and relatives seek revenge on my family for their deaths?
What if their bodies appear in my dreams every night?
What if I am overwhelmed with guilt and regret every day, crying over the fact that I shot them?
My mind was reeling from these thoughts, and I realized that my brain was coming up with every possible excuse to avoid pulling the trigger. I don't want to shoot. I don't want to shoot! Why? Why? Why! Why do I have to shoot people! I'm happy fixing people's teeth! I'm the one who's happy removing cavities, not killing people!
'Think of it as killing them all.'
Shin Hae-ryang's words came to mind. I pulled the trigger several times, but the sensation in my fingers felt distant. The first time I pulled a trigger, it was incredibly heavy, and I realized for the first time how much force was needed. The sound of gunfire was deafening. It wasn't until I heard the loud bang in my ears that I realized I had fired the gun.
When I came to my senses, I had shot at two people. The woman with silver or white hair was lying face down on the floor, and the man with black hair had fallen backward, hit in the leg. The woman lying on the floor seemed almost inhuman, like a mannequin had fallen.
Every time the man tried to get up, blood splattered on the floor. He screamed in pain, unable to rise due to the gunshot wound in his thigh. I stood there in a daze, seeing that he had no gun, and then quickly hid behind a large, pink, stone-like jewel nearby.
A few seconds later, someone started shooting at the jewel where I was hiding. Bang! Bang! Bang! I screamed and lowered my head even more. I was supposed to shoot and hide, then shoot again, but I didn't have a good opportunity to shoot again. I could feel bullets raining down on the place where I was hiding. I was afraid of getting shot in the head. If he keeps shooting at me, when am I supposed to shoot?! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The gunfire was making my ears ring.
"Elizabeth! Beth! Beth! Ahhhh! Beth! Get up!"
The man, hit in the leg, kept calling out the name of the woman lying motionless on the floor. Beth! Come to your senses! Get up! During this time, gunfire and screams were heard from all around, mixed with the man's cries.
If my memory serves me correctly, I shot three consecutive shots at the woman's chest and shoulder, and two shots at the man. The woman was running down the central aisle toward me, so I shot her to make her fall, and then shot the man who was running behind her. It seemed that only one of the two shots had hit the man properly. What should I do now? Is the woman definitely dead? If she's not, can she be saved with immediate first aid? What about the man who is still alive? What about me, hiding here?