Lee Jun had dragged the weight of the world with every step home. He had eaten in one sitting what he would eat over three days causing his stomach to become distended with so much pressure, making each step an uncomfortable exercise.
The walk home had been an expression of will power as Lee Jun swore he would absolutely not pass out on the street. The wait in the elevator found him fighting against every instinct to simply close his eyes to rest, to sit and sleep in the elevator as he had seen people do before, choosing instead to stagger home, even forgetting to lock his front door.
Through blurred vision, he found his bed and gently allowed himself to crumple upon the bed as an overstuffed heap. He intended to call Yang Rin, yet, within moments of bringing out the cell-phone, Lee Jun was snoring deeply.
He would sleep for two whole days. He would sweat for one.
Public Liaison Officer to the Minister of Health and Welfare Park Ming Su couldn't relax in his allotted area. He had his talking points with him which he was assured were being updated in real time, so he went over them one more time.
'How am I going to let them know we have no idea what's going on?--- The government isn't supposed to not know what is happening right?'
He glanced over to the seated journalists behind the podium, watching a few of them excitedly exchange greetings and whispers. On his side of the podium, the few secretaries representing the various other Health bodies focused mostly on their own data tablets. Unlike him, they didn't have to worry about speaking to the press and taking questions. While the branches they represented were health agencies, it would be the Ministry of Health and Welfare that had overall authority now that the military bodies had mostly ruled out the possibility of the incident being a terrorist attack.
Ming Su felt his digital watch buzz. It was time. He took a deep breath, swallowed a bit of bile then stepped towards the lectern. Park Ming Su would get nervous, he would worry but, he would work and act to the best of his ability despite the storm raging in his heart.
The incessant camera clicks and occasional flashes of photography was the first wave of intensity. Park Ming Su didn't shake. While he hadn't performed a press session of such a scale before, he reminded himself of the principles that had helped him rise to his current position.
He stood before the lectern. The photography stopped as the journalists leaned in close, all sounds seemed muted in that moment as Park Ming Su began to speak.
"Good morning. I am Mr. Park Ming Su, Public Liaison Officer for the Minister of Health and Welfare."
Park Ming Su exhaled softly as he glanced at the assembled journalists hanging on his every word.
"On Wednesday, 27th of August, 2025 at 11:53pm the nation experienced what we are calling an Umbra Event. Between 11:53pm and 11:56pm roughly one-third of our nation's population experienced a complete blackout of all mental activity. There have been reports, from certain victims of the Umbra Event, that they experienced an unusual sound followed by flashing lights of indeterminate colour. This however, has been unsubstantiated, as various audio and visual recordings of the time period display nothing of the sort."
"The Ministry of National Defense has confirmed that this was not an attack by any overt or clandestine organization. As such, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has been coordinating with hospitals across the country to take in as many sufferers of the Umbra Event as well as collateral accident victims."
"Make no mistake, this is a National tragedy. Many of those who lost consciousness were drivers or boat captains as well pilots who suddenly lost control of their vehicles leading to tragic accidents. We ask that you do not blame these unfortunate people. The Umbra Event will be continually studied to find its cause, until then, please remember, no one asked for this. These people may have been in the driver's seat of these tragedies, yet they are also victims as well."
Park Ming Su then looked up, taking a quiet breath as he surveyed the eager journalists. He spoke.
"Questions."
His eyes immediately locked onto Mr. Hongsu. He felt a heat suddenly begin to gather under his collar. Park Ming Su was in for a difficult session, so he dove head first into the difficulty.
He gestured as he spoke. "Yes, Mr. Hongsu Na."
A silver bearded man with horn-rimmed glasses and kinds smiling eyes stood up from the middle row of journalists and spoke, as he did, no other journalist spoke as a sign of respect.
"Thank you Mr. Park Ming Su. My question." Mr. Hongsu's face sharpened suddenly, "Are the tumors discovered to be growing in victims of this Umbra Event, as you call it, endemic to everyone who suffered a mental blackout?"
Suddenly whispers erupted amongst the journalists as well as the other governmental representatives present.
Someone shouted, "what do you mean tumors?"
Mr. Hongsu briefly let out an air of smug superiority, before putting on a serious face. "I have access to multiple medical reports." He raised a stack of documents and flapped them about, "basically, multiple MRIs were done. Out of ten direct sufferers of the Umbra Event, we discovered eight of them have developed a mysterious and hard to define tumor. These poor people complain of an intense headache that seems to grow stronger every hour. Are there plans by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to cater to these victims?"
Park Ming Su wanted to roll with the shock. He refused to let his face betray his own surprise, even as his jaw slacked briefly. Reports he had read did mention a few Umbra victims suffering from headaches, but that had been determined to be of no immediate consequence, and with so many case files coming in at once…
Ming Su spoke, "Naturally, t-the Ministry has taken steps to cater to these Umbra victims."
Suddenly, Hongsu spoke over Ming Su, "Can you assure them that directly to their faces?" Hongsu looked behind the assembly and waved to someone who seemed to be waiting for his signal. He then continued, "My friend is suffering from the Umbra Event. His headaches keep getting worse. You're in the Ministry of Health and Welfare, what are you all planning?"
Someone was being wheeled up to the assembly, but immediately, something didn't seem right.
There was a healthy looking man who thrashed and moaned as he was being wheeled towards them.
Hongsu had walked up to the thrashing man with a look of genuine worry.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Is this an Umbra Victim?"
"What spectacle is this?"
Park Ming Su felt his stomach churn for a few moments. He had seen, well, reports and images of Umbra Victims, but this man was truly suffering. It seemed he had been strapped to the wheel chair, yet he thrashed and fought back with increasing ferocity as large colored veins throbbed menacingly along his temple and eyes.
"Mr. Hongsu what is the meaning of this." Demanded the Press secretary who organized the assembly. "Why would you bring an unstable person to a place like this?"
Mr. Hongsu himself seemed genuinely surprised; he looked up to answer when suddenly with a mighty groan of pain and frustration, the wheel-chairman suddenly burst from his seat bellowing a crazed roar. He was still partially strapped to the wheelchair, yet he swung it around maniacally causing iron to slam into Hongsu and other unfortunate people around him. The man kept clutching at his head with his free arm, while weeping, cursing and gibbering unintelligibly.
Park Ming Su was rooted to the spot watching the scene unfold. He noticed the panic and terror of the journalists as the assembly was thrown into complete disarray. Mr. Hongsu lay in a heap as he had taken the first swing of the wheelchair straight to the face.
Security had finally emerged. They had pulled people away from the crazed man and had formed a ring that was closing in around him. Suddenly, the wheel-chairman began to gurgle and choke, he staggered forward just a few steps before suddenly collapsing, he cried out in fury, "curse you Gye-." His words caught in his throat then he went still.
Ming Su took a few moments to realize that security guards were urging him to exit the place. He had not moved an inch since the matter began.
He whispered, "No," he cleared his throat then spoke loudly, "No. Get emergency services here, Now! People are injured." He shouted out more instructions before noticing a guard approach the crazed man.
"Hey there be careful!" Ming Su shouted.
The guard was startled but didn't stop, he checked for a pulse and then called back, "He has a pulse. Eh? Argh!"
The guard had pulled his hand away. The crazed man was rapidly getting hot. Abnormally hot. Impossibly hot.
The guard stepped back as he saw steam rising from the body of a man who moments ago was brought in on a wheelchair. Then he heard the mumbling.
"Useless! Parasites! Thieves!"
All activity around the journalists slowed and stopped as the man rose slowly from the ground. He now towered over the guard before him, yet still seemed to be growing taller and wider.
The journalists snapped back to reality at once. Dozens of phones or cameras snapped to action, immediately broadcasting the phenomenon before them.
The initial guard backed away from the towering man. He had not drawn his attention, as the crazed man now repeatedly smacked at his own head, mumbling angrily "Parasites! Bastards!"
Being so close, the guard got a clear look at what was happening. The crazed man had undergone an inexplicable transformation. Corded muscles now twined across large beefy arms, his chest stretched as small bony spikes jutted out of reddened flesh across his shoulders. Even the man's skin changed texture, becoming more rough and leather like as its color changed to a reddish-purple.
"You Parasites!" was all the crazed man screamed before leaping into the air and disappearing from sight, his voice taking on a truly monstrous cadence.
Hongsu stared wide-eyed at the direction the crazed man had leapt. Realization gripped him and he whispered in panic while trying to stand, "He's going home!"
"Arrest that man!"