The Weapon Genius: Anything I Hold Can Kill-Chapter 88: A Familiar Stranger

The door creaked open, slow and deliberate, the dim light from inside casting a soft glow over the figure that stepped out.

Echo barely had time to process before instinct took over. His breath caught in his throat, his body moving before his mind could catch up. His steps were quick, desperate, his hands gripping onto the familiar form like she’d disappear if he didn’t hold on tight.

A laugh, breathless and relieved, escaped him. "You’re alive. Thank god."

Eunhe tensed slightly at the sudden contact, her body stiff in his grasp—but she didn’t push him away. She didn’t say anything.

Jin and Joon exchanged glances, eyes flickering between Echo and the woman in front of them. Neither spoke. Neither knew what to say.

For a moment, everything felt like it was falling into place—like something that had been lost had finally been found again.

Echo pulled back just enough to look at her, his expression open, a bit unguarded in a way that he usually wasn’t. He took in every detail—the same sharp yet tired gaze, the same posture, the same features down to the way her hair framed her face.

There was no doubt about it.

This was her.

He let out a shaky chuckle, rubbing a hand over his face before grinning. "I can’t believe it’s you—I never got to thank you." His voice was light, but there was something genuine in it, something raw.

"If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead back in that building."

She still didn’t respond right away, but she was listening, her expression unreadable.

Jin took a step forward, his own gaze lingering on her, something careful behind his eyes. "I owe you an apology."

Her focus shifted to him, but she didn’t speak.

He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Back then... we left you behind." His voice didn’t waver, but there was weight to it. "I thought it was the right call at the time, but—I’m glad you made it here."

Silence stretched between them for a few moments, the weight of unspoken words settling in the space they shared.

Then, something subtle in her expression shifted.

Her gaze flickered past them and landed on Yewon, standing just behind them, watching the interaction without interfering.

Then, at last, she spoke.

"Commander," she said, her voice even, calm. "Who are these people?"

The air changed immediately.

Echo’s smile faltered. Jin’s brows furrowed. Joon tensed beside him.

There was no hesitation in her tone. No flicker of familiarity in her gaze.

Echo let out a short laugh, though it was forced this time. "...What?"

Jin studied her closely. No. That didn’t make sense.

She looked the same. She sounded the same. She even carried herself the same.

There was no way they were wrong.

Jin frowned, arms crossing over his chest. "...Eunhe. That’s your name, right?"

She blinked, and for the first time, her expression shifted slightly, as if surprised. "...That’s not my name."

Jin’s expression darkened slightly. "Then what do you call yourself?"

She hesitated for just a fraction of a second before answering, tone neutral. "Seohyun."

Something in Echo’s chest tightened.

No. That wasn’t right.

He shook his head, stepping forward again, though this time he didn’t reach for her. "That’s not—" He exhaled, trying to steady himself. "We worked in the same building before all this happened." His voice was calmer now, more measured. "You were on the sixth floor, I was on the third."

Her expression didn’t change.

Echo continued, his words carrying the weight of memory. "We used to run into each other in the break room, remember? You always got that same brand of canned coffee, even though you said you hated how bitter it was." He huffed a small, humorless chuckle. "You said you only drank it because it was the cheapest option in the vending machine."

Still, nothing.

Jin exhaled sharply through his nose, tension settling deeper in his shoulders. "We worked at Miryang Pharmaceutical. Same company, different departments."

Nothing.

No flicker of recognition. No hesitation.

Just a steady, even stare.

"I don’t remember any of that."

Echo’s stomach twisted.

Jin clenched his jaw. Joon folded his arms, watching her carefully.

This wasn’t right.

Before anyone could press further, Yewon finally stepped forward, speaking in a measured tone.

"If she says she doesn’t know you, then that’s that."

Jin’s gaze snapped toward her, brows furrowing.

Yewon’s expression was calm but unwavering. "There’s no point in forcing a connection that isn’t there."

Jin’s hands curled into fists at his sides, but he didn’t respond right away. He could argue. He could keep pressing.

But what would be the point?

The Eunhe in front of them wasn’t budging.

And for all they knew... maybe this really was just a coincidence.

"...Right." Jin exhaled, forcing himself to step back.

Echo was still watching her, something unreadable in his expression, but after a moment, he sighed, stepping back as well.

His voice was quieter now. "...Sorry. Guess I just got my hopes up."

Something about the moment felt off. Wrong.

But if she was standing there saying she didn’t know them, then what could they do?

Echo let out a small, humorless chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. "I never got to properly thank the person who saved me."

She tilted her head slightly before finally responding.

"I’m sorry. That wasn’t me."

Jin’s stomach twisted, but he said nothing.

Yewon, sensing the tension, finally spoke again, her tone more matter-of-fact now.

"Eun—" she stopped herself. "Seohyun’s been working non-stop. Healing takes a toll, and you’re not her only patients."

She gestured toward the hallway behind them. "There’s a medbay just down the hall. Wait there. She’ll tend to you when she’s ready."

Jin exhaled slowly, casting one last glance at Eunhe—Seohyun.She didn’t meet his gaze.

Without another word, Yewon turned, already heading down the hall.

And, for now, they had no choice but to move forward.

The hallway was quiet as they walked, their footsteps muffled against the worn floors. The air still carried the faint scent of antiseptic, mixed with something heavier—something like exhaustion, like the weight of too many people passing through these halls looking for salvation.

Echo was the first to step into the medbay, his usual energy noticeably subdued. The room wasn’t anything special—just a few makeshift beds lined against the walls, supply crates stacked in the corners. A few blankets were folded neatly on a chair, but aside from that, the place felt... empty.

Jin sat down on the edge of one of the beds, running a hand down his face. "Well." He exhaled sharply. "That was... something."

Joon leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "I don’t buy it."

Echo sank into a chair, staring at the floor, his jaw tight. "Yeah. Me neither."

Hanuel looked between them, frowning slightly. "So you really think that was the same person?"

Jin scoffed. "I don’t think—I know." He gestured vaguely, his tone edged with frustration. "Same face. Same voice. Same ability."

Doyun leaned back against one of the crates, considering. "She might not be lying, though."

Jin glanced at him. "What?"

Doyun shrugged. "I mean, think about it. If she really doesn’t remember you, then that means something happened to her. Something that made her forget."

Hanuel nodded, tapping her fingers against her arm in thought. "We don’t know what kinds of abilities people are awakening. Memory manipulation could be possible."

Echo’s brows furrowed. "Yeah, but... then why?" He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "If someone did mess with her memory, what would be the point? Why erase something like that?"

Areum, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. "It could be self-inflicted."

Everyone turned to look at her.

She shrugged. "There are a lot of reasons someone might not want to remember something. Maybe she chose to forget."

The words settled uncomfortably in the air.

Jin exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Either way, we’re not getting answers now."

Joon clicked his tongue. "Yeah. And pushing her is just going to make things worse."

For a moment, none of them spoke. The only sound was the quiet hum of the lights overhead, the occasional distant noise of people moving through the building.

Jin exhaled, his fingers tapping against his knee. "Alright. We need to talk about what comes next."

Joon leaned back against the wall, his gaze sharp. "Yeah. The plan was to hit hard, take control, and make sure we had enough to bring back." He glanced at Jin. "But things didn’t exactly go the way we expected."

Areum sighed, resting her chin in her hand. "The fight with their ’generals’ was more trouble than it should’ve been."

Doyun scoffed. "That’s because they weren’t just some nobodies. That wasn’t luck or desperation—they were trained."

Hanuel nodded, lowering her voice slightly. "And they weren’t the only ones. Even the people here aren’t just surviving. They’re... structured. Organized." She hesitated. "Like us."

A beat of silence followed her words.

Jin’s expression didn’t shift, but his fingers stopped tapping. "That’s a problem."

Joon clicked his tongue. "Yeah. If we’re talking about survival, we need resources. And if we were struggling before..." He exhaled sharply. "We’re going to need another plan."

Areum looked at Jin. "We could scout for another area. One that’s easier to take."

Doyun nodded. "Somewhere less fortified. Maybe a supply cache that isn’t under strict control."

Hanuel tilted her head. "Or another settlement with weaker defenses."

Echo had been quiet this entire time, his eyes fixed on the floor. But at that, his fingers curled into his sleeves, and his jaw tightened.

Something about those words settled wrong in his stomach.

Jin noticed his expression first. "Echo?"

Echo exhaled slowly, pressing his palms together as he leaned forward. "...I don’t know if I can do that."

Joon frowned. "What?"

Echo licked his lips, choosing his words carefully. "This fight... I rationalized it. I told myself it was payback. That we were taking from the people who took from us." His voice dropped slightly. "But they weren’t the ones who hit us first. We started this."

Hanuel shifted, her brow furrowed. "We needed to."

Echo nodded, but his expression was troubled. "Yeah. But what if the next place we go is just like this? What if we’re the ones showing up, hurting people who are just trying to survive?"

The room was quiet for a moment.

Joon clicked his tongue, crossing his arms. "That’s war."

Echo shook his head. "Is it?" His voice wasn’t angry, but it was firm. "We’re not fighting a war. We’re trying to live." He gestured vaguely. "We can’t just—decide someone else’s life is worth less than ours because we’re stronger. That’s not survival. That’s conquest."

Areum exhaled. "So what? We just let others take what we need instead?"

Echo hesitated but shook his head. "I don’t have an answer. I just—" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don’t know if I can do that again. Not to people who didn’t deserve it."

Jin was watching him carefully, expression unreadable.

Doyun finally broke the silence. "So, what’s the call then?"

Jin exhaled sharply, leaning forward. "We go home."

Joon raised a brow. "Just like that?"

Jin nodded. "For now, yeah." He glanced toward the door. "We already got what we needed from this fight. If we stick around too long, we risk them turning on us again."

Hanuel hesitated but eventually nodded. "Makes sense."

Echo leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah. That’s... probably for the best."

Joon sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Fine. We go home."

The room settled into a quiet lull, the weight of everything they’d been through lingering in the air.

And then—

A soft knock on the door.

Everyone turned.

The handle twisted, the door creaking open just slightly—

And she stepped inside.fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓