Chapter 489 – Entwined Dreams

-If dawn passes and he does not arrive, explore the vicinity.

“Ugh…! Steady now.”

Ebony, having hoisted the massive form of her mentor, laid him on the bed and mopped the sweat from his brow. Despite the numerous collisions on their way, Lee Si-heon hadn’t flinched an inch.

“Mister…”

A response did not come from him. Ebony, retracting words once spoken, gathered her knees and settled down.

“Won’t you, wake up?”

Perhaps he never anticipated that he would end up in such a state. Clutched in Ebony’s right hand were several crumpled food tickets.

‘… When will he arrive?’

Judging by his murmurs about trials and tribulations, there was a chance that he had willingly plunged into his dream.

There was plenty of water and food, but the question was when he would awaken.

‘…….’

The crown of her head felt somewhat vacant. Was it because she was used to being caressed every time they met? Such a display of affection seemed unbearably trite. She had always despised such demonstrations of affection. Yet, for reasons unknown, she found herself yearning for the touch of others of late.

When together, even a grudging affection takes root. Given their shared bed, she found it hard to avoid even a superficial fondness. Much like the friend she had once dated back in the lab…

‘I… I don’t know either, Mister.’

The attachment associated with their priest-disciple relationship had yet to solidify, leaving Ebony more at a loss to comprehend their current predicament.

‘But… he is not a bad person.’

Ebony, resting her chin between her knees, gazed upon the slumbering face of Lee Si-heon. Somehow, the sight of her sturdy mentor’s face made her feel sleepy.

* * * * * * * * * *

【 Se-Young. 】

A voice echoed.

【 Se-Young!! 】

Suddenly!

Eyes snapping open. In that instant, numerous memories flooded in, tangling Se-Young’s thoughts in a chaotic mess.

“Ouch, ugh!”

Waking with a grimace of pain from the headache, she found herself in a dust-ridden studio. Empty bags of potato chips, bowls of cup noodles with remnants of cold broth. The room was so grimy, it seemed like this is what a room would look like if a person who didn’t tidy up decided to not clean at all.

“Where is this?”
【 Well, one thing is certain… You’ve gotten yourself tangled up in something utterly nonsensical. 】
“Thankfully, you’re here. But more importantly….”

Se-Young, clutching her feverish forehead, recalled the events leading up to her near fainting. Despite the haze clouding her thoughts, the incident remained vividly etched in her memory.

So, she had tried to approach the king using her powers. But then, a sudden radiance had erupted. And the king…

“He… was trying to protect me.”

The king had reached out his large hand, grasped Se-Young’s shoulder, pulled her into his embrace, and hurled himself into the light.

Undeniably, it was an act meant to safeguard Se-young. Reflecting on that instant, Se-young could sense her uncertainties transform into convictions.

“So, it’s true. Yes, it’s true.”

She continued to mutter as if she still couldn’t believe it. Her hands were seized by a fierce tremor.

“Yes, it’s true, it’s true… He’s not dead. He said he isn’t dead.”
【Calm down. 】
“…Just, hold on. Haha. Ah…Really, haha. My hands won’t stop….”

-Drip.

A tear dropped.

“…Seriously. Damn that Lee Si-heon bastard….”

Se-young, laughing almost maniacally, swept her face with both hands.

“Feels so damn good… Ha, haha.”

Her breath was warm. Remembering the slight warmth she felt in the King’s arms, she was consumed by a profound sense of agony and joy. She wasn’t entirely certain yet…

‘No.’

She was almost certain. All her senses told her the man was Lee Si-heon.

Se-young brushed off her shoulder. The area where the man had grabbed her. It was cold yet warm, akin to the sensation of skin heating up when in contact with dry ice. Paradoxically, due to his hand that was even colder, Se-young felt her blood rushing all in one direction.

She waited for a brief moment of euphoria, and then a few minutes passed.

【Have you calmed down? 】

Baekyang spoke. It was good to be happy, but it was time to make a move.

“…Huh.”

Se-young, having wiped her tears, rose from her spot.

“…Where is this place?”
【I think… it’s definitely not inside the tower. 】
“I figured that much.”

She could tell just by glancing around. There were no games or computers inside the tower, unlike in this room. It appeared she was drawn in by the light, into that ‘sweet dream.’

Would Lee Si-heon be alright? She was worried, but she had her own problems to contend with.

【This ‘Sweet Dream,’ it’s odd. If this is indeed a dream… the contracted spirit shouldn’t be able to enter. 】
“Are you suggesting it’s reality?”
【 …If so, the problem becomes much bigger. It means the tower has almost simultaneously interfered with both the timeline and the dimension line. That’s an impossibility, even with my abilities. 】

Her frustration had nearly subsided. Se-young, having risen from her seat, dusted herself off and surveyed her surroundings.

‘…Wait.’

When she spread her hands, she couldn’t feel any magic.

【It’s true. A world without magic… Ah. 】
‘Do you have any leads?’
【For starters, exiting this room might be a good idea. 】

Se-young left the rundown studio.

-Squeak.

She opened the door. Escaping the stifling, musty place… far from being refreshing, Se-young’s face wrinkled in response to the thick smell of smog. The countless microscopic dust particles suspended in the air and the tiny harmful particles escaping from factories created an environment too brutal for any living being.

‘A dream, right?’

The sense of reality she perceived bestowed upon her the illusion of having descended into this world. Se-young squinted her eyes as she gazed upon the city’s nighttime panorama.

The landscape was more subdued, the buildings lower and noise more plentiful than the South Korea he was accustomed to.

Understandably, there was no hint of magic to be detected.

‘But there are cars… and planes.’

Se-Young tilted his head in confusion upon seeing an orange light in the sky. The idea that these metal vessels could move without magic was baffling.

– Thud, thud.

At that moment, he noticed a man in the distance, making his way towards this humble, derelict studio apartment.

“…?”

The man was slightly taller than Se-Young, with dark circles under his eyes. But the unique aura emanating from him was all too familiar to Se-Young.

“…Lee Si-heon?”

He was approaching. Se-Young’s body stiffened. Standing rigidly at the door of the studio, he watched as Lee Si-heon drew nearer and began to ascend the stairs.

“Hey, you.”

There was something markedly different about him. But what exactly?

Se-Young stuttered, unable to locate the right words, as Lee Si-heon climbed the stairs and came within inches of Se-Young’s face. Lee Si-heon silently opened the door and stepped into the studio.

“…What?”

Was he being ignored?

【From his perspective, it seems you’re invisible.】
‘What do you mean? Why? This is just a dream.’
【It’s similar to my abilities, but it’s a bit different. A power that exists on a higher plane than the one I wield… Initially, time isn’t distinct from space. Hence why the tower of time and dimensions are intertwined.】

Baekyang, who had been murmuring incomprehensible words, posed a question to Se-Young.

【Do you know about parallel worlds?】
“I’m aware.”
【You cannot distort the past to alter the immediate reality… Se-Young, it seems like you have been transferred to a different point on the timeline.】
“What?”

Is that even possible?

【Considering the absurd power that I wield, there could be… even more. I didn’t expect the king to manipulate dimensions to this extent.】
“So, you’re saying we can’t return to reality?”

It was a possibility. Se-Young’s mind ran cold at Baekyang’s words. He had just begun to understand, and now he couldn’t return?

‘That can’t be.’
【Calm down. Remember, Lee Si-heon didn’t see you just now? That means the link between dimensions hasn’t disintegrated yet.】

There are those who have managed to awaken from the ‘sweet dream.’ They are merely a minuscule minority.

‘…Okay.’

Se-Young accepted this reality, took a deep breath, and composed himself. Regardless of how time flowed in this world or the other, he had to strive for the most positive outcome.

【Let’s find a way. Slowly.】
‘Do I, do I have something to do?’

There’s nothing he needs to do right now. Having fallen headlong into this dimension, what could a mere hunter possibly do? Baekyang, who had been silent for a bit, spoke to Se-Young.

【In a different dimension, Lee Si-heon… Don’t you want to see him?】

Frankly, it was a tempting proposition.

Lee Si-heon was astonishingly hideous when we first met. The transformation he underwent was so drastic that one could not help but surmise that he had succumbed to the scalpel of aesthetic surgery a hundred times over.

But what if this had been the product of Lee Si-heon’s deceit?

‘Could this be his true visage?’
【 Indeed, it seems so. 】
‘…The imp. Why was he untouched?’

I had observed him earlier, and he had seemed rather lacking in self-confidence. Perhaps that was the reason.

His arrival here implies a purpose. As Se-Young, once again gripping the door handle, stepped inside, she found Lee Si-heon collapsed on the floor.

“Fainted at the doorstep?”
【 He must have been exhausted. It would be wise not to disturb him too much. Doing so might weaken the connection to this dimension even more. 】

Se-Young, sitting on a bed laden with dust, crossed her legs and studied the unconscious Si-heon.

“…Can’t I move him to the bed?”
【 No, you can’t. 】
“Understood.”

Even though he was a stranger in a different dimension, she couldn’t help but feel pity for him. There seemed to be no magic here, nor any hunters for that matter. Judging by his attire, he appeared to be a simple corporate employee.

“We’ll just have to watch and see.”

But first, there were some things to verify. After rummaging through Si-heon’s things and extracting his wallet, Se-Young checked his identification.

“Lee Si-heon. Yes, that’s right. Twenty-seven years old…”

Perhaps it was time to investigate the house. There was no risk of being caught, so why not explore as much as she wanted?

Honestly, she felt justified in doing so. He had been neglecting himself for years. A part of her wished she could give him a good ribbing.

【 Are you sure that’s alright? 】
“Hmm, did he graduate from a prestigious university? I wonder what his grades were like.”

At least he had a diploma, indicating that he hadn’t wasted his life entirely. Se-Young recognized the name of the university.

“So, despite the dimensional differences, there are some similarities.”

On a whim, she decided to search his computer. The website names were strikingly similar.

Trever was akin to Naver. MokTube resembled YouTube. However, NamuWiki remained identical.

“Huh?”
【 What is it? 】
“Nothing. Just amusing.”

As Se-Young sifted through the computer, she stumbled upon a covert file, causing her to chuckle as she scanned the titles.

“This one has a penchant for stockings, it seems.”
【 ……. 】
“What’s this… Tree, daughter? Tofu?”

The remnants in the trash folder did not concern her too much. It’s a common preference after all.

Se-Young, nodding to herself, proceeded to scrutinize his search history. The more she saw, the more she found herself laughing.

“Western content? Mesh stockings… Blonde women?”
【 Se-Young, perhaps it would be best not to pry into personal matters. 】
“And what’s this… It resembles a cartoon that our little star watches. There’s even adult content for it… Can’t replicate that, can I? Why are the eyes so large?”
【 ……. 】

Se-Young’s spirits had returned. If the real Lee Si-heon had been present, he might have died of embarrassment.

Baekyang, suppressing a cough, made an effort to divert his gaze from the spectacle.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

It’s a force beyond comprehension. The moment I saw the light and confirmed the potency of its intense density, the thought struck me.

Even if it could be evaded, the subsequent issue persists. I harbored a sentiment to confront the trial, rather than avoid it.

‘But could it be…’

As if echoing the events three years prior, I hadn’t anticipated undergoing such a dimensional shift again. Partly disheartened, I gazed upon the woman resting in the crook of my arm.

The past I had ventured into once three years ago, the youthful mentor that I parted ways with after our meeting.

“…Hmm.”

Cheondo, who had been adorably stirring in her sleep, opened her eyes and smiled sheepishly.

“Have you woken up? Executioner? No, I mean…”

‘Ah…’

From the disarrayed pajamas of Cheondo emanated the gentle fragrance of ripe peaches.

“Now, um, my husband… it was you.”

Don’t do this.

‘Please.’

I clenched my eyes shut.