XXII

The day has come, Yongsun knows that today they are going to send a special operations unit to infiltrate an enemy base. She overhears a couple of soldiers speaking, saying the mission is: «damn near impossible, but if they succeed, the war might as well be declared over.» Yongsun does not smile, does not let herself hope that the soldiers participating in the mission will return or that the war might end.

She remembers her theory, uses it to calm herself, chants it like a mantra over and over in her head until the pain fades, until her breathing steadies. Yongsun realises, after a while, that it is raining, she hears the pitter-patter against the walls of the infirmary, the tent rustles in a strong gust of wind. 

Later that day, after the special operations unit has left the base, Yongsun learns that Wheein is in the unit. Yongsun slumps down on her cot, drawing her knees close to her chest. She rocks back and forth as the bullets draw closer, hoping that Wheein will return along with the rest of the unit.

Yongsun completely withdraws from the world of mechanics and madness and into herself, holding her own hand till her knuckles turn white, she bites down on her bottom lip, tasting blood, willing herself to not cry. Yongsun prays that this is not how the world ends — this is not how the world ends — this is just a beginning, it must be, has to be. You see, in-between the beginning and the end there is a moment in life (never mind how long) that tears the body apart, is so painful that only the Theory of Life and its idea, its principal, can protect the individual from reality.