Chapter 393 – The Cornus Tree (完)

A crimson stream babbled along the mountainside.
Not a trace of sunlight could be found, yet the surroundings were illuminated as if by street lamps.

At the edge of the mountain range, situated at the highest point in the world.

I lay in the red river and abruptly jolted upright.

“…Cough, cough!”

My hair entwined in my fingers, I was carried along by the current.
Blinking, I closed and opened my eyelids. With both hands, I rubbed my chilling shoulders.

“……”

Shivering.

My body trembled uncontrollably.

“Whoa… Damn it.”

A barrage of curses escaped my lips.
My bluish lower lip hadn’t closed for a while now.
I could taste blood in my mouth.

“I almost bit the dust.”

After getting closer to my daughter, I had been trying not to use harsh language.

Given the situation, my mouth becoming coarse was an automatic reflex.

Just a moment ago, my chest constricted and my heart stopped. It was an incredibly brief period, lasting only about three or four seconds, but I felt as if my breath was choked and my insides twisted.

If I stopped, I would die. So, I ceased resting and rose once more.

The spiritual realm. It could have been a mere dream, but it was unmistakably extraordinary.

The once pitch-black space now unfolded into a vast world. Emerging from the damp mud, I had no choice but to spend a considerable amount of time ascending the towering mountain at the center. Over a month had passed, measured in time. I prayed that this period would not be equivalent to that of the real world.

“So… somehow, I managed to reach the summit.”

I encountered countless lunatics on my journey thus far. Most of them were me, and the sensation of being killed by myself was far from pleasant.

I lifted myself from the river and headed towards the peak of the mountain.

A tree anchored at the pinnacle of this world.

– Salang~ Salang~!

Upon encountering me, it sways its branches like an excited puppy.
It’s astonishing that such a parasite exists, one that siphons away my very thoughts.
Grasping the trunk and giving it a firm tug, the startled creature flails its branches in haste.

“Who are you?”

As I traverse this world, I’ve come to realize that its landscape is a montage of images I’ve seen at least once before.

From the hills behind my childhood home to the arboretum, schools, and beyond.
It feels as if all the memories stored in my mind have been extracted, jumbled, and assembled into this single place.

In that case, I must have laid eyes upon this tree at some point as well.

“But I’ve seen trees more times than I can count…”

I search my mind for any connections we may share.

A sapling from the hillside behind my house that shaped me into who I am today.
And one of its offspring.

In this world, there exist the World Tree of Healing, Mary, the World Tree of Time, and so on. I agree that there are some not-so-bad relationships intermingled as well.

‘Yet, it’s quite unusual for them to be all alone at the top.’

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

A young tree gathers its branches into a circle and starts to box. Its punches land on my palm, but they don’t hurt at all.

I brought my fingers together and flicked the tree.

*Crack!*

The sound of my fingernails striking the bark reverberates.

“Screee!”

The tree grips its forehead, wailing, “I’m dying, I’m dying!”

“Pieeenn…”

The sorrowful crying is so intense that even onlookers might feel embarrassed.

However, it was a voice I had heard at least once before.

“…Shiba?”

This world is the manifestation of an image I once saw.

The sounds, smells, and tactile sensations were all familiar, having been experienced at least once before, making adaptation relatively easy. It was enjoyable to reminisce about the past, thinking, “I was in a place like this back then.”

‘Then this one is…’

Shiba in her childhood. The image of young Shiba, rolling up cotyledons and playfully boxing, flitted through my mind.

Now, Shiba had grown quite well, becoming a rather large sapling in her own right. Looking again, the resemblance was striking.

With a mix of trepidation and hope, I extended the back of my hand. The weeping tree’s expression brightened.

– Pit, pit!

As if to ask when it had been hit by a flick, the tree approached, its branches nimbly rubbing against the back of my hand. It felt as though I was looking at our own Shiba.

“…”

– Beep?

The only tree planted at the highest point in the spiritual world. Perhaps it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that it represents what I cherish most at the moment.

Seeing the tree with its leaves wrapped around my index finger and twirling, the tip of my nose couldn’t help but feel a twinge.

Now that I looked closer, the soil where it was planted seemed devoid of nutrients and rather coarse. The leaves appeared extremely dry, as if they hadn’t received enough water.

“…Shovel.”

As I turned my head, there it was—a shovel, as if someone had placed it there. Nearby, I also found a pickaxe and a watering can filled to the brim with water.

‘Now that I think of it, didn’t I used to grow some trees a long time ago?’

It was a distant memory.

Holding my mother’s hand, we went to the arboretum and requested a tree that was scheduled to be discarded. We then planted it in our front yard. I grew attached to it and took care of it every day.

I watered it myself, and before my relationship with my father deteriorated, I had grown quite a few plants. My father, too, had a deep interest in growing trees in his own way. Often, rare trees and plants found their way into our home.

Only now did I realize that one of the reasons behind it was bribery.

Anyway, a child like that grew up, was bound to a tree, and found themselves in another world. It’s preposterous. Carefully, I lifted the sapling, ensuring its roots remained unharmed.

Performing a successful transplantation is difficult, with a high chance of failure unless carried out by an expert. There are many factors to consider, after all.

‘Just as it was originally.’

It’s best not to plant it too deeply. I searched for a spot where the soil was alive and relocated the tree there.

The task was challenging, but with the proper equipment at hand, it was completed swiftly.

– Beep, beep!

Seeing the sapling flourish made the effort worthwhile. I sat down, observing the young plant absorbing the earth’s energy, and smiled wryly.

Leaving its original place behind… to grow anew.

“Is it right for our Shiba to journey to different soil?”

The ignominy of inheriting King Mokryeong’s power weighed on me. I’d taken some precautions, but the possibility of being targeted always loomed, and I remained ever vigilant.

Another father.

Even if not until…

“…”

Perhaps realizing that its face had darkened, the sapling extended a branch toward me.

“What’s wrong?”

I reached out, letting my fingertips touch the branch. To my astonishment, the magical energy from my body started to be absorbed by this unremarkable sapling.

-Beep.

The branch twitched as if urging me not to let go. After waiting a bit longer, the sapling began to grow into a respectable tree.

I recalled a memory in my mind, and as I turned back to look at the tree, my eyes widened.

“…”

My trembling hands paused for a moment.

Once more, when the once pitiful being took on a human form, I couldn’t help but gaze at them in awe.

“…You.”

The woman’s white hand grasped my wrist, the dizzying sensation of her embrace enveloping me.

The exhilarating touch was so enthralling that memories and consciousness vanished as if torn away in an instant.

* * * * * * *

“My daughter.”

From the woman’s parted lips, a faint voice emerged. The young woman, with her vibrant beauty, had her hair turned white in the blink of an eye. Sansuyu tightly gripped her hand.

Behind Sansuyu, Seong Ji-ho silently observed.

“My vision is failing for a moment, can I hold you?”

“…Yes.”

Not a single tear flowed from Sansuyu’s eyes. As the experiment began to progress somewhat, a sorrowful emotion brushed the lips of the woman who embraced Sansuyu with a subdued expression.

The woman’s hazy eyes could hardly discern her young daughter.
If not by sight, then by touch.
Cradled against her ample bosom, Sansuyu felt so light and fragile.
The woman’s fingernails grazed Sansuyu’s back.
Her mother’s hand trembled.

It was the first time she realized that her mother, who had always concealed her emotions so well, appeared different.
Yet, Sansuyu could only display a puzzled reaction.

“Mother?”

She let her sadness trickle from her fingertips.
As much as possible, the part of her that Sansuyu could directly see was the ever-dignified visage of her mother.

Even in the face of a summer typhoon and thunderous roars, Sansuyu remained unshaken.
The eerie sight of her vision being momentarily painted white might have been frightening.

“Sansuyu.”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember what I told you?”
“I remember.”
“Never neglect your studies. I ended up like this because I didn’t use my head properly. Heh heh.”

Tap tap, she patted her back.
No parent exists who does not love their child.

It was a marriage she hadn’t wanted, but she adored her own child immensely.

Silently listening, Sung Ji-ho discreetly turned his head.
A faint sob could be heard.

“Mom, is your mind not well?”
“Well, it is. That’s why I’m here… Hmm, wait. I misspoke. Since I was able to come here, I gave birth to our daughter, right?”
“Then…?”
“It seems Mom’s mind is good after all. And that’s how our daughter came to be. Hehe.”

– Zzzzt.

The conversation between mother and daughter continued even in the darkness of the room, as a bolt of lightning temporarily cut off the electricity.

“And don’t skip meals while looking after our staff.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
“You need to find another good person and live happily. Actually, that’s the most important thing.”
“Why?”
“It’s because our Suyu hasn’t experienced love yet. The happiest time in life is when you’re in love with someone else.”
“Love?”
“Suyu, do you love Mom?”

Sansuyu didn’t respond. She was exceedingly honest.

She and Seong Ji-ho knew it was because of the experiment.

Sansuyu, who was fidgeting with her hands, spoke with her eyes tightly closed.

“I’m not really sure what it is…”

The woman’s lips quivered for a moment. Her expression almost distorted. Nonetheless, she eventually returned to a smiling face.

“Mom loves breastfeeding.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”

The woman continued to repeat that it was fine, then hugged Sansuyu and shook her shoulders.

“Still, I’ve read it in a book. It’s said that if there’s at least one person who loves you right before you die, it’s a happy life…”

Sansuyu, not wanting to disappoint her, tried her best to speak her mind. In doing so, her words were like a sharp spear to the woman, who hadn’t even heard her daughter say she loved her. Embarrassment flashed across Seong Ji-ho’s complexion, but instead, the woman smiled through her tears.

“Then our daughter is living a happy life because her mother loves her?”

With a laugh, she cradled her daughter in her arms.
Sansuyu did not know, but after that day, she never saw her mother again.
She should have said that she loved her.
In Sansuyu’s life, where she wasn’t even allowed to harbor a shred of regret, mother and daughter were ultimately separated at the boundary of this world.

…

Her own face, reflected in the mirror, was just like her mother’s face in her memories.

The man in her embrace gasped for breath, and after a brief moment, it returned.
When the faint sound of breathing resumed, Sansuyu clutched her heavy chest and drew in ragged breaths.

“Ha… ha…”

She thought he was leaving…

Tears streamed continuously from Sansuyu’s saddened chin.
Her hands, clasped in prayer, trembled as the dried tear stains remained on the man’s cheeks.

A mental struggle.
She was overwhelmed by the urge to tear open her own chest with a sword.

Anxiety and stagnation weighed on my thoughts.
A sensation of everything receding away from behind my ears.
Only now do I realize that I am left alone in the world.

“Kahak… Haak.”

My breath stifled, and my swollen lungs showed no signs of shrinking.
Discomfort. In the damp, neglected room, mold had flourished.
I yearned to move my legs, but they felt paralyzed once more.

Upon reflection… I haven’t eaten in quite some time.
It’s due to Lee Si-heon’s incessant preparation of porridge.

Blood vessels burst in my eyes. The hands that had been praying unknowingly separated, and two fists pressed firmly against the side of the bed.

– Thump.

The sound of my heart reverberating in my head.
My throat tightened, leaving me unable to speak properly.

– Thump, thump.

Blood rushed to the tips of my head, my breath choked and airways constricted.
Once more, Lee Si-heon’s breathing grew fainter.

“I…”

A single word, uttered between clenched teeth.

“Don’t leave me behind…”

She couldn’t understand why she said this, but the desperate voice echoed throughout the room again and again. Sansuyu slowly raised her head, leaning against the wall and covering her face with her hands.

A sensation she had never felt before surged one after another, and something seemed to tear through her mind and burst out. Yet, she didn’t open her eyes.

…

Time passed, and silence filled the space. Sansuyu stopped crying and released her grip on Lee Si-heon, staring blankly. Red marks lingered around her eyes. Come to think of it, Sansuyu had cried when her secretary passed away too.

– Flinch.

At that moment, a sudden gesture. Trembling as if convulsing, Sansuyu grabbed Lee Si-heon’s shoulders.

“Si-heon…!”

In a flash, her eyes opened wide, and his blank black pupils scanned the surroundings. A considerable amount of time had passed; her throat felt constricted, and she was hungry. Even her muscles might have weakened substantially.

Seeing Sansuyu’s furrowed brow before him, Lee Si-heon instinctively reached out and embraced her neck.

“…What’s the matter with you? Are you alright?”

It seemed that a significant amount of time had passed, and Sansuyu was likely exhausted. Her condition had worsened too much to simply assume that was the case.

As he extended his hand to comfort her as he usually would, Sansuyu brushed it aside and pulled Lee Si-heon into a tight embrace instead.

This person, until the very end…
Unaware that they had died and been revived, they continued to worry only about themselves. Asking if everything was okay as soon as their eyes opened. Sansuyu’s defenses crumbled at the sight of their concern, even though they themselves were far from alright.

“…Ah, ugh… sob…”

As if expelling something from within, a choking sound echoed in her mouth, and eventually, a loud wail of sorrow filled the room.

And now, it became visible.
In this chillingly blue world, there were hues of flesh, orange, and light green. The natural colors that spread out filled the room and soon reached out to the world beyond.

Submerged in that warm hue, Sansuyu shed tears and her nose ran.

For a moment, Lee Si-heon reacted with a “Why are you like this?”, but soon a sly smile appeared and he patted her on the back.

“Our Suyu doesn’t know love yet. The happiest time in life is when you’re in love with someone else.”

Sansuyu understood the emotion.

“I should meet another good person and live happily.”

That single phrase, which she could confidently say to her departed mother, was deeply ingrained in her heart and echoed repeatedly. It was the first time she truly grasped the meaning of tears that weren’t cold.

Joyful, or heart-stirring. Beyond novelty, in a different light. As her emotions transformed with each passing moment, Sansuyu’s voice, emanating from her throat, grew ever louder.

Continuously, all the way until morning.