Splash…
Splash…
WHOOM!
Something was floating in the rough sea, occasionally swallowing the seawater.
Shin Yu, who had fallen off the cliff, surrendered his body to the sea.
'Everything got messed up.'
The dark sea and the raging waves formed a scene anyone would fear. However, to Shin Yu, who recognized that everything was an illusion, it just looked like a frozen landscape.
After entering the dream, he obtained a body he had never had since death.
Until he realized this place was a dream, Shin Yu was a genius swordsman with an incredible talent. But when he looked back at himself after becoming aware of everything…
'Pathetic.'He was met with a version of himself much weaker than before.
He had been arrogant.
He thought that if he regained his body, he could become a swordsman capable of achieving anything.
He certainly expected that would happen. However, the future that unfolded was quite different.
He had become a minion of an organization called the Faces and committed murders like a machine.
The drugs he took in exchange for physical enhancement brainwashed him and made his body dependent on them.
'Hyung… at times like this, what should I do?'
Suddenly, he missed his third older hyung, Shin Kang, who had left him inside the labyrinth.
Shin Kang was a man who boldly pushed forward whatever happened, and he wanted to become like his hyung.
But not everyone could become Shin Kang.
He was dragged into the hell Yaksha had experienced and was met with failure.
'Yurim…'
Rather than turning him into a swordsman, the hell Yurim had experienced had made him a murderer instead. His heart had dried up, and soon, the soil of his emotions cracked, preventing anything from growing.
His understanding of the sword was broken, and he felt irritation toward everything, and… he began hating people.
'I see… So that's how Yaksha was born.'
He couldn't endure this hell anymore.
He wanted to end everything.
And as a result, he failed.
- You're a failure… You've failed…
"Shut up…"
Someone who looked exactly like him was muttering to him.
It was a hallucination that began appearing after he took the drugs.
"Ugh…"
Now, he struggled to stay sane without the drugs. The very existence of Shin Yu seemed like it was about to collapse.
Swoosh…
Swoosh…
He walked, soaked in water.
Then, it began raining as if the sky had a hole. It felt as if the saltiness was being washed away from his body.
"Huup…'
As he applied a strong force to his wounds, the bleeding stopped completely—he had the power to tune his muscles delicately.
The drug the Faces had given him had physically enhanced him, giving him strength perfect for a killing machine.
"Those guys are all dead…"
Since the Faces had disappeared, he had become a purposeless machine. If this continued, he would gather dust and cease to move.
'No! I'm not over yet!
A shiver ran through his whole body when he found traces of Seol, whom he hadn't seen in a while.
He thought Seol would be the key to ending all the pain he had been feeling.
But he was mistaken… all because of a girl named Yurim.
Everything was ruined because of her.
- Yes, it's her. Yaksha ruined everything.
"Shut up!"
The hallucination was still rambling about the same thing.
He was confused.
'Those eyes…'
Her eyes that were hidden behind the Yaksha mask…
- You… mustn't… fall…
Her calloused hands were desperately trying to keep him from falling off the cliff.
And her tears…
The droplets falling from behind her mask were definitely not rain.
They were warm… Those droplets held warmth.
He still remembered the days when he practiced alongside Yurim underneath Yoo Hyun when they were young.
- It must be nice, Shin Yu. I want to be as strong as you.
- Why? Aren't you already strong enough?
- No. I will become stronger. I have something I must recover.
Unlike himself, who was intoxicated with power without any purpose or will, she had a clear goal set in mind.
- Seol, my most precious friend.
- Really…? Where is he now?
A somber smile washed over her face.
- He's far away. But I will definitely find him!
Whenever someone asked her about what she planned to do after finding him, she would always mumble a vague answer.
Shin Yu laughed in disbelief at that memory.
Smirk…
It was a refreshing yet longing smile.
- You have to kill her.
The hallucination was urging him not to forget.
"AAAHHH! Please, shut up!"
Whoosh—!
Whooossshhh—!
After having one arm severed, his balance was thrown off. Yet, he still tried to make his sword dance in the rain—just to silence the twisted voice telling him to kill Yurim.
WHOOM—!
He made his sword dance with only one arm.
Like Shin Kang, he was a one-armed swordsman—but he was something else entirely.
Although he reached closer to perfection, he himself became uglier.
Thud…
His sword was stuck in the wet sand.
"Oof… Oof…'
Exhausted, he collapsed on the floor and didn't want to get up.
If he died like this, it might not be a bad ending.
- I will cut you down.
A chilling voice.
The sword art that Yoo Hyun had shown him.
Those words and actions lingered in his mind.
The power of Yoo Hyun, whom he had dismissed as a hallucination, was real.
In a world full of fakes, Yoo Hyun had left something real to him.
As if it had been stuck in his heart, a heavy turmoil pressed into his mind—it inspired him.
"Ah… AAAHHH!"
He grabbed his sword again.
Whoosh—!
Whooossshhh—!
In the dazzling world of the sword, he realized something. A fleeting spark of inspiration struck him.
Despite his current state, the talent bestowed upon him by the heavens seized it.
Swoosh…
Swoosh—!
His sword gradually improved.
"I… just have to do… what I must do."
* * *
Seol and Yurim had buried Yoo Hyun.
Then, they stood up and walked aimlessly.
"Where should we go?"
"Well… anywhere is fine. You choose."
"Me again…?"
"Yes."
Yurim, who no longer wore her mask, strolled across the continent arm-in-arm with Seol.
She was fine with anywhere.
In a world where everything was false, the only place they could belong to was with each other.
WHOOM…
Even while crossing the continent, the ground shook.
The people made of hallucinations tried to perform rituals—some claimed the sky was angry, while others tried to find their own solutions.
Seol and Yurim ignored all that and left.
Finally, they built their own sanctuary on the slopes of a mountain in the north.
They continued to live in the lucid dream.
They knew clearly where they were, and that they were inside a dream.
Regardless, they planned to live in the dream for the time being.
Paf—!
"Ouch!"
A snowball flew and hit Yurim's head.
Winter had come.
A year had passed since that day.
"Are you okay?"
"Of course not… Yap!"
Paf—!
"Agh! Did you put ice in it?"
"When throwing something, you should be mindful of what you’re throwing and not to put excessive strength on your shoulder…"
"You put ice in it, right…?"
"Hehehe… Should we stop the snowball fight?"
"Iyaaaaa!"
"AAAHHH! A monster! Someone, save me! A monster has appeared! Villagers!"
"We're the only ones here!"
For some reason, Yurim and Seol were smiling more than before. Every moment felt new.
After losing Yoo Hyun, she and Seol hadn't cut their hair.
"Shouldn't we put a carrot on its nose?"
"Huh? Wasn't it a button?"
"I thought it was a carrot."
"It was a button! I was taught it's a button."
"Shall we put both…?"
"Let's do that."
They attached buttons and carrots to the nose of the snowman they made together.
"Ugh… It's cold. Let's go inside."
"I knew this would happen, so I lit a fire in advance."
"As expected of Seol! You're the best!"
"Hehe… Say that again?"
"You're the best, Seol!"
"This is strangely rewarding."
Smirk…
According to rumors, the number of missing people had increased.
Since Seol and Yurim were living in the mountains, people from the village who sometimes came to gather firewood would often urge them to be careful.
However, the ones who had to be careful weren't Seol and Yurim.
After all, they wouldn't disappear.
They were one of the few real things in this fake world.
"Hmm…"
Yurim, covered with a blanket, leaned against Seol's lap and fell asleep.
Lately, she'd been falling asleep like this.
'She can't sleep well…'
We dreamt while inside a dream.
She mostly had nightmares.
"Sob… Sob…"
He didn't know what happened in her dreams, but she often cried. He tried waking her up several times, but she said it might be better not to so she could at least get some sleep.
After all, according to her, if she tried to sleep again, she would have the same nightmare.
Swoosh…
I placed a pillow for her to rest her head on instead of my knees.
They were collecting happy memories with each other, but destruction was approaching, and Seol was preparing to face it.
He had taken a step closer to the essence of Darkness and had torn apart his body to the point that even Agras would have been surprised.
He believed that there were still more possibilities for Blood of Origin—and that the key to face Shin Yu lay within it.
Yurim silently stood up, and upon seeing Seol's back, as he immersed himself in training, she disappeared.
Yurim also trained to prevent her body from becoming dull.
They needed to find the light before destruction approached.
Tap…
Tap…
As time passed, along with many new memories, anxiety accumulated.
"Happy birthday, Seol."
"Ah…"
Twenty-four years old.
Seol couldn’t remember the exact moment when he entered the dream, but he hadn't forgotten that he had been with Yurim since they were eight years old.
But now, they had somehow become twenty-four years old.
"Thanks. I didn't realize it was already my birthday."
"Hehe… What have you been thinking about these days?"
"Well… Just various things…"
"You know… I'd like you to tell me."
"About what?"
Yurim softly giggled.
Whenever she smiled, it felt like the snow covering the world was melting.
"How you have lived. What has happened to you."
"But that's not the me of this place."
"It doesn't matter. I'm ready to like the you of reality too."
"Hmm…"
"Come on… tell me."
Seol patted Yurim's head, as she lay on his lap, and chatted.
He told her everything that had happened because she wanted to hear it.
"I see… You've gone through a lot of things."
By the time he was done, Yurim had fallen asleep.
It seemed that she didn't have a nightmare for the first time in a while, as she even made snoring sounds.
A day of an ordinary winter had passed.
Since the winter of that year passed, the collapse of the world accelerated.
It was a natural thing.
'Because the world of Yaksha, its memories… have already ended.'
Yurim should have become Yaksha when the Faces and the Veil disappeared. Her dream should have ended there.
Where they currently were was a forcibly stitched world.
People who had lost their strength appeared, frozen like statues—stiff and unresponsive. The same thing happened with animals and plants.
"Isn't it tough…?"
"Huh? Aah… It's okay."
"Do your teeth hurt…?"
"A bit…?"
"I'll go find something else."
"But it's snowing…"
"It's okay. I'll be back soon."
Twenty-five years old.
"Happy birthday, Seol!"
"Thanks!"
She was especially more affectionate and I felt especially more grateful.
In a world where everything was collapsing, only we were fine—no, actually, that wasn't the case… We were also collapsing.
"Seol… Ki… Kill me…"
"…"
"Even a bit of my suffering will make everyone more comfortable. I'm Yaksha! You already know that!"
"Yurim."
"Please, don't call me Yurim! I'm Yaksha…"
Grab…
Seol hugged her.
"Sob… Sob… It's painful, Seol."
"It's okay. I'm here, beside you."
After she stopped crying, Yurim leaned against Seol and asked.
"Hey… could I ask you?"
"What…?"
"What choice will you make in the end…"
"Wouldn't it be better to hear it later…?"
"I wanted to prepare my heart."
"Then…"
Seol placed his hand on Yurim's head and said.
"Yurim, I've made a lot of choices to come this far."
"…"
"I always prided myself on making the right choices."
And then, I shook my face.
"But this time, I'm sure of it. I will forever regret whatever choice I make. So…"
And then he smiled.
"Not choosing is my choice."
"You idiot… Shin Yu will be angry."
"Let him. I'm not scared."
"Liar."
"Did I tremble a bit?"
Yurim muttered.
"We're going to lose… Shin Yu is stronger than anyone."
"I've spent my life fighting relentless battles—always against dangerous opponents. Yet now… against Shin Yu, I don't have confidence. But this time, I'm not fighting to win."
His gaze toward Yurim showed no wavering.
Just like Yoo Hyun when he was alive.
"I'm fighting to protect."
Yurim hugged him and cried silently.
Seol and Yurim burned like candles. Their flames flickered weakly—like wicks on their last legs—before eventually fading out.
They struggled to build more memories and prepared for the impending destruction.
The deadline for Seol’s choice—and perhaps even his death—was drawing near.
"Happy birthday!"
Twenty-six.
"It's my birthday already…?"
And thus, winter came again.
Winter came, then went, and the process of another winter came.
"I did it…!"
At around that time, Seol made a great discovery.
He realized that by merging Blood of Origin and Darkness, he could accomplish something.
Perhaps the fight with Shin Yu wouldn't be so one-sided anymore.
Whir…
And thus, winter came again.
On his twenty-eight birthday, Seol received a visitor.
Whir…
A blizzard hit.
"Right… it's winter."
Seol was shoveling the snow-covered yard.
From afar, someone's figure was vaguely visible.
Seol carefully put down the shovel, changed his clothes, and came out.
Oof…
Oof…
It was a man with a frozen beard. He wore a plain coat and only had one arm.
In the middle of a stopped world, the broken man was moving.
"Welcome…"
"Seol, long time no see. So, you've been waiting for me."
"Yes."
"…"
They stood silently.
"You look cold. How about a cup of tea?"
Shin Yu shook his head.
"No… let's start right away."
Snow fell.
And Shin Yu's eyes were visible.
"Did you stop taking the drug…?"
Smirk…
Shin Yu’s eyes were clear.
It was the familiar feeling of Shin Yu that Seol knew.
"It's thanks to Master and Yurim."
"Then…"
- Kill her…
Shin Yu lied.
He was still having hallucinations.
However, he mastered how not to pay attention to it.
"Regardless, nothing has changed. I will kill Yurim."
"…"
"Now, it's your time to choose. Seol, what's your choice?"
"…"
Seol briefly closed his eyes and said.
"I will protect Yurim."
It was what he had decided since the very beginning.
Fate doesn't give you a choice.
And the girl who was caught in such a fate took the stage.
Step…
Step…
"Yurim…?"
"Yurim!"
Yurim walked through the snow toward Seol.
"Yurim… what are you doing?"
"Is that the path you chose, Yurim?"
"Yes…"
Yurim had a mask over her face—a mask that was smiling grotesquely—the Yaksha mask, which was also called a cursed mask.
It didn't matter how far Yurim threw that grotesque mask. It always returned to her side even though she hadn't worn it since that day.
"Yurim! Take off the mask!"
Yurim shook her head at Seol's words.
"I wore this mask on my own."
"What…?"
Yurim looked at Shin Yu and said.
"Shin Yu, I put on the mask again."
"Because you're Yaksha…?"
"To protect what's precious to me…"
Yurim carried the sword left behind by Yoo Hyun and placed her hand on its scabbard.
It seemed that it was giving her strength.
"Although the mask always brought me suffering, this is my choice."
With her hand on the scabbard, Yurim said.
"If you're trying to take something from me… you better put everything on the line."
"…"
"If not, I will take everything from you."
"Did you choose Yaksha?"
A path she chose herself…
She smiled while wearing the mask.
"Even if I'm wearing a mask, I'm still Yurim."
However, the smile on the mask no longer looked grotesque.
Shing—
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