The words carried by the spring wind reached me.
I couldn’t say anything in response.
‘What... did she just say?’
Did I hear that correctly?
I heard what Wi Seol-ah said, but it felt as if my mind was rejecting it.
And for good reason.
What she said was simply too absurd for me to comprehend.
“What... what did you just say?”
“...”
Wi Seol-ah made a pained expression as I asked again.
Why she had that expression wasn’t important right now.
I needed to hear it clearly.
“The one who made me return...”
The one who had sent me back to the past wasn’t just anyone.
“You said it was Cheonma?”
The one who had already plunged my life into the depths of despair.
The master of the Demonic Sect.
The one who would soon bring chaos and bloodshed to Zhongyuan.
‘She sent me back?’
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t make sense of it.
“Gu Gongja...”
“Explain it... explain what you mean.”
I grabbed Wi Seol-ah by the shoulders and demanded an explanation.
I must have held on too tightly because I saw her grimace in pain.
Seeing that, I loosened my grip a little.
“...Please, calm down...”
“That’s a bit hard to do. This isn’t something you can just calmly accept.”
“...”
“You know why I’ve been living like this, don’t you?”
You know what I’ve been fighting for all this time.
Barely sleeping, pushing myself to elevate my cultivation.
Relentlessly moving forward, no matter what.
Wi Seol-ah, standing right in front of me, surely knew.
“...Gu Gongja.”
To kill Cheonma and stop the impending bloodshed.
This life was dedicated to that purpose.
Not for myself.
If it had been for me, I would have secluded myself on some mountain, living a life without seeing anyone.
Perhaps that would have been a better life.
The reason I kept struggling like this wasn’t for peace of mind.
It was an apology for those who died for me, and for those who lived for me.
And yet...
“Why... Cheonma?”
Since the day Yeon Il-cheon had suggested that my return was no mere miracle,
I had always wondered.
It seemed as if someone’s will was hidden behind my return.
If what Wi Seol-ah said was true, and it was Cheonma who sent me back to the past,
then does that mean everything I’ve been doing, everything happening to me now, was part of her plan?
The thought made my mind go blank.
“Gu Gongja...”
“Is it true?”
“...”
“Is it true that Cheonma is the one who sent me back?”
I desperately wanted her to say it wasn’t true.
That it was just a joke. That the mood had gotten too heavy, so she was trying to lighten it with humor.
I wanted to hear something like that.
“...It’s true.”
But Wi Seol-ah was firm.
“If it wasn’t me... then there’s no one else in this world who could have done such a thing for you except her.”
“...That’s...”
I bit down on my tongue in frustration.
If it wasn’t her, then only Cheonma could have done it.
That statement carried many implications.
It meant that both Wi Seol-ah and Cheonma weren’t human.
Just like the World Tree, they were beings capable of turning back time for others.
Furthermore...
It also meant that Wi Seol-ah was aware that she wasn’t human.
“...You.”
“I thought you already knew, Gu Gongja.”
“...”
I knew.
I had a faint sense of it in the past, but now I was certain.
Wi Seol-ah wasn’t human.
Reading my expression, Wi Seol-ah smiled.
Was my expression that strange?
“I’m relieved.”
What exactly was she relieved about?
“...Even though you know, your attitude hasn’t changed.”
Her words made me frown.
“Why would it?”
Wi Seol-ah’s large eyes grew even wider for a moment, but she soon covered her mouth, laughing quietly.
“That’s true. What was I so afraid of?”
Her slightly hunched shoulders caught my attention, but
what was more important right now was the conversation we were having.
“So, when you say that if it wasn’t you, then it was Cheonma... that’s just a guess, right?”
“No. It’s a certainty.”
“Why...? Why do you think that?”
Cheonma had died at Wi Seol-ah’s hands.
That was a fact.
And I had died in the underground prison of the Alliance a few days after that.
Cheonma was already dead by then.
It made no sense to say that she had sent me back.
So why was Wi Seol-ah so certain?
Sensing my doubt, Wi Seol-ah averted her gaze and spoke softly.
“Because it’s something we... can’t help but know.”
“...What does that mean?”
“That’s just the way we are.”
The way she said it, that they couldn’t help but know, struck a chord deep within me.
“What exactly are you?”
“...”
“What’s your connection to Cheonma?”
They couldn’t possibly be unrelated.
It was obvious just from looking at them.
It wasn’t just a resemblance—Wi Seol-ah and Cheonma looked exactly the same, like reflections in a mirror.
Aside from the color of their hair and eyes, they were identical in every other way.
You could call it a coincidence or a miracle, but could such a thing really be called a coincidence?
“If you ask what my relationship with her is... it’s hard to define.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s just that... we weren’t supposed to be two separate beings in the first place.”
“Do you really have to make things complicated? You know I’m not the smartest person.”
“...I’m sorry. Please understand.”
Wi Seol-ah smiled sadly as she grabbed my wrist.
My voice had grown rough out of frustration,
and although her touch helped calm me a bit,
it didn’t completely cool my temper.
I didn’t want to ruin this unexpected reunion by losing my composure.
That’s the only reason I held back.
‘So it really was Cheonma who sent me back.’
If what Wi Seol-ah said was true,
then that had to be the case.
But I still had questions.
Even putting aside the fact that Cheonma had the power to do such a thing,
there was still the issue of the World Tree.
The World Tree, which had ruled this world, was imprisoned in a false reality after sending Yeon Il-cheon back in time.
Its very existence and any trace of it had been erased.
If Cheonma had truly been the one to send me back,
then...
‘Why does she still exist?’
Who was the Cheonma I had seen just the other day?
Could she somehow have avoided punishment?
‘And most importantly...’
If she had such power, why didn’t she send herself back?
Why did she send me?
Moreover, from what Wi Seol-ah said,
Cheonma could do it, but she couldn’t.
‘Does that mean...’
Was Cheonma stronger than Wi Seol-ah?
It was something I had thought about idly before.
The Sword Saint was strong.
Though I had never fought her directly, I had seen enough of Wi Seol-ah’s strength at her peak to know how powerful she was.
She was strong.
So strong that I would have had no chance of winning if we had fought.
‘But Cheonma... was Cheonma weaker than the Sword Saint?’
If someone asked me if Cheonma, the being known as the Heavenly Demon, was weaker than the Sword Saint,
I wouldn’t be able to answer.
That being seemed to be on a completely different level.
That’s why, when I heard that Cheonma had died at the end of the final war,
a part of me had felt a deep sense of peace, but also... doubt.
How could Cheonma have died?
“The more I learn, the more questions arise.”
Just when I think I’ve figured something out,
the world throws another secret at me.
“It’s as if the world is waiting for me to unravel these mysteries.”
“...”
Wi Seol-ah remained silent in the face of my frustrated words.
“Do you have to do this too?”
“...Gu Gongja.”
“You said you don’t hate me. You said you were sorry. Then...”
“I’m sorry...”
Wi Seol-ah apologized to me once more.
“I want to tell you everything you’re curious about... everything I know.”
“Then just tell me.”
“...”
If she knew, if she wanted to tell me,
then she could just tell me.
What exactly does this damn world want from me?
What was Cheonma’s intention in sending me back? She could tell me everything.
Yet everyone seems to stay silent just when I’m about to find out.
“Just...”
“I don’t have much time left.”
“What?”
The words I was about to force out died in my throat.
“What did you say?”
Wi Seol-ah’s face twisted into a bitter smile as she saw my reaction.
Not much time left?
“What do you mean? What do you mean you don’t have much time left?”
“...I don’t have enough strength left to tell you everything you want to know. What I said about Cheonma was my limit.”
What was she saying?
Even more than what she had said about Cheonma, this wasn’t making sense.
Not much time left?
“...I’m sorry... for not being able to tell you more.”
“Wait... what are you talking about? Are you saying you’re going to disappear?”
“I’ve already lasted longer than I should have. I can’t push this body any further.”
Wi Seol-ah had mentioned earlier that she was borrowing the body of the present Wi Seol-ah.
“...Then, what about the girl who was originally here?”
“I put her to sleep for now. She’ll find out everything eventually, but it’s not something I want to tell her right now.”
“Does that mean... you’re really going to disappear?”
“...”
“Answer me!”
Wi Seol-ah didn’t respond, but
I could read the answer in the silent smile on her face.
Suddenly,
Wi Seol-ah’s hand touched my cheek.
It felt cold.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen you make that face.”
What kind of expression was I making for you to look at me like that?
“I’m glad... to see you like this.”
“How much time do you have left? A few years?”
“...”
“If not that, then a year? A few months?”
Surely she had at least a few days left.
If even that wasn’t true...
This was too cruel.
“Gu Gongja...”
“When you said I’d regret it earlier, is this what you meant?”
“That’s not it... I didn’t think you’d regret this.”
“Then what could be more regretful than this?”
Wi Seol-ah flinched at my words.
“Would resting inside the body help? If so, then go inside right now.”
“...I’m sorry.”
“Please... stop apologizing and tell me what we can do.”
I wanted to scream, but I held back.
I didn’t remove her hand from my face.
I just kept looking into her trembling eyes.
What kind of expression was I making right now?
Whatever it was, I knew it wasn’t a calm one.
Wi Seol-ah smiled again as she looked at me.
“Stop smiling... what are you smiling about in this situation?”
“How could I not smile?”
Her hand moved across my cheek,
as if caressing it.
“You’re worrying about me.”
“...Should I curse at you instead?”
“We’re this close. And you’re letting me touch your cheek.”
“...”
“Do you know?”
Damn it, her smile was so beautiful it left me speechless.
“This was my dream. More than world peace. This... this is what I must have wished for.”
Her voice trembled.
“How could I have not realized that?”
“Then you should still be able to... if you don’t disappear...”
At my unthinking words, Wi Seol-ah’s eyes curved even more, her smile deepening.
“That would be greedy.”
“So what if it’s greedy? Everyone lives with greed.”
She had probably lived her whole life without greed.
That was the life of the Sword Saint.
So why not live with a little greed now?
That’s what I meant, but Wi Seol-ah just shook her head.
“...That would be a regret of mine.”
She said as she slowly withdrew the hand touching my cheek.
“I’ve already been greedy. At one point, I even thought about taking over this girl’s body.”
“...”
“Could you tell me to do that?”
I couldn’t bring myself to speak the answer that rose up in my heart.
The idea of the Sword Saint completely taking over the body of this life’s Wi Seol-ah.
In some ways, it might have been possible since they were essentially the same being.
But could I truly say that she should become this life’s Wi Seol-ah?
I couldn’t answer.
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to say it.”
“...That’s...”
“That’s why I’m glad. I’m glad you’re that kind of person.”
“...You.”
“This life belongs entirely to her. I have no place in it. That’s why this moment with you... it’s a regret of mine.”
Wi Seol-ah took a step back.
“My regrets are slowly fading.”
“...Regrets?”
“Wondering what it would have been like if we had met differently. What it would have been like if our lives had been just a bit different. Those regrets are fading because of her.”
“...”
“I know how hard you’ve tried, Gu Gongja. That’s why... I have these regrets.”
She must have seen how much effort I put into changing from who I was back then.
“That’s why I can’t stay here any longer.”
“What does it matter... even if you don’t interfere, you could just watch.”
“I can’t. And even if I could... I’d start wanting to feel that happiness for myself.”
Two more steps separated us.
I took a step forward to close the distance.
But I couldn’t.
“…!”
A faint light began to emanate from Wi Seol-ah’s body.
A sense of dread filled me.
For some reason, I couldn’t take another step toward her.
******************
The woman looked at the man.
Even as her vision blurred, his face stood out sharply.
The man shouted.
“You…! Wait a moment!”
His face showed confusion, as if he couldn’t comprehend the sudden situation.
It was rare to see him like this.
Today, she had seen many expressions on him for the first time.
That made her happy.
Suppressing the emotions swelling inside her,
the woman spoke.
“I didn’t want to say goodbye like this. I knew there wasn’t much time left… and if possible, I didn’t want you to notice.”
Because all of her actions,
her very existence, might become a burden to him.
That was her reason.
“…But still, seeing you so happy in these final moments, I’m relieved.”
The karma of defying fate and twisting cause and effect had weighed upon her soul.
And now that she was disappearing, she knew she would face punishment for it.
The woman was deeply afraid of that.
But she didn’t show it.
She looked into the man’s eyes.
His face was a mess. Were those tears in the corners of his eyes?
No, probably not.
She had never seen him cry.
‘No, wait… didn’t he cry when she died?’
When Ma Geomhu had died, hadn’t he shed tears?
Even in this moment, she felt a small pang of jealousy rising.
Recalling that, the woman spoke.
“I’m not really in a position to ask you for anything… but I have two requests.”
Even as she spoke, the man was desperately trying to move.
It was painful to see his struggle, but he wouldn’t be able to move.
This was the world’s way of fulfilling its karma.
The fact that he could even witness this process with his own eyes was remarkable.
“Please take care of this child… with all the love you couldn’t give me.”
She didn’t add that last part.
She didn’t want to burden him with those words.
Her second request…
“…Please call her by her name.”
The man, who had been trying to force his body to move,
Gu Yangcheon, froze.
Not once—
Not even once had Gu Yangcheon ever called anyone by their name.
That applied to himself and to everyone around him.
Why he did this, no one really knew.
If she were to guess,
perhaps it was because he didn’t want to keep anyone close enough to call by name.
Just like her,
he was a man who was deeply afraid of things.
Even knowing this, her request felt selfish and shameful.
But given the moment, she thought it was a request she could finally make.
Still, by asking only for this child to be called by name and excluding all the other women,
that was the last bit of selfishness she allowed herself.
Paaas...
She felt herself crumbling.
Not her body, but her soul.
This must be what it feels like for a soul to disappear.
So this is the sensation of a soul fading away.
What would remain after she was gone?
Probably nothing where he would be.
‘That’s... quite sad.’
Even in this moment, that thought made her smile.
She still had regrets.
There were so many things she hadn’t been able to say to him.
She hadn’t even told him how much she missed him.
And most importantly,
she hadn’t told him the most crucial thing.
That she liked him.
That she dared to love him.
The woman couldn’t bring herself to utter those few words.
She knew what kind of emotions those words would evoke in him.
She swallowed them down, imagining the pain those words might bring him.
This was enough.
‘I’m sorry to you.’
It was an apology to the younger self sleeping within her.
There were so many things she had wanted to tell her younger self.
But it seemed there wasn’t enough time.
At the same time, she felt a little envious.
Of her younger self, who would live a life with him that she had never experienced.
With that thought, the woman closed her eyes.
Then—
CRACK—!
A tearing sound erupted.
A warm hand appeared, pulling her into an embrace.