931 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The night when the crescent moon blossomed. The seemingly endless clouds felt unusually close. And beneath that, the field spread out, basked the moon, somehow feeling serenely clear. It was such a night. Because the moon was radiant. Because the sky was beautiful. Because the wind was gentle. And. "Isn't it beautiful?" Because I like you. That was a day we would watch the moon together. And that day was today. "Yes, it's beautiful." I wasn't speaking of the moon. If I had to clarify, I was speaking of the night sky. The stars were lavishly spread across the blooming sky. Flowers bloomed in the meadows with life. And in the sky, flowers bloomed as stars. Then, what's blooming on your face? It was a thought I often had, as I gazed into her eyes. "Oh my?" The woman chuckled at my words. "...Time hasn't changed your knack for saying harsh things." "When have I ever said anything harsh?" Thinking about it again, I really hadn't. I looked at the woman, feeling wronged. She, with her signature smile, spoke to me. “They're cruel words.” “…What do you mean?” “The words that you say keep me alive. Such spiteful, cruel words.” I couldn't comprehend. She often said things that were beyond my grasp. And she said them with such a sorrowful expression. “Why are you crying?” I asked as I caressed her white cheek. “I’m not crying.” She replied as she clasped my hand. Her touch was cold. She was always like that. And that's why she often sought comfort in my embrace. Because she was cold, and I was warm. Clinging to me made her feel a bit more at ease. It made living for tomorrow possible. That was what she often said. “Hey.” “Speak.” The woman snuggled against me and pointed at the sky. “What do you see?” I tilted my head back to look at the sky. Was she asking me to describe everything I saw? After taking a quiet look, I spoke. “I see the night.” “And?” “There are stars enveloped by night, clouds surrounding them.” “And?” “And there's a moon rising above.” “And?” “I don’t know.” That was everything I could see. If she wanted more, I honestly couldn’t tell. Listening, the woman rolled her eyes. It was something she did when deep in thought. I watched her quietly because I liked it. “Well, I guess it'll have to be night then.” Abruptly, she said something out of the blue. “What does that mean?” I frowned at her words. “You saw night first.” “...” Wasn't that what you see when you just look up? I was about to say that when, “Then it's decided, I will be your night.” “…What?” “Whenever you see the night, you'll think of me.” “...” “And maybe, just maybe, you’ll recall me when you look at the sky itself.” The night, the sky—what are they? She kept making cryptic remarks. “So just don’t forget about me.” “...” Her words left me staring blankly at her. Perhaps the reason I didn’t dismiss her nonsensical talk was because, for some reason, her expression seemed so sincere. “…Alright.” So I promised. “You will be my night.” I assured her that I would think of her whenever I saw the darkened sky. And that's how the promise was made. “Really?” She smiled at my words. Yet, even as I witnessed that smile, I felt an odd sensation. ‘Why?’ Why are you still crying? I pondered while looking at her eyes that struggled to smile. “I’ll believe you.” I hugged her as she trembled slightly with every word. “Always.” Yet, somehow, holding her didn't feel real. It was like embracing an empty fog—an ephemeral wisp that seemed on the verge of vanishing. If I held her tighter, she might break. If I let go, she might disappear. “…I’ll believe you this time too.” She spoke under the vast sky. “…Yes.” That's all I could reply. For the woman in my arms, it was all I could offer. After holding her for a brief moment. “…Hey.” The woman whispered to me. “Call my name.” “...” Upon hearing her request, I couldn’t help but softly smile. Could such a simple thing be seen as a favor? For her, I could do it endlessly—whether for a moment or eternity—whenever she wished. With such thoughts, I attempted to speak. “...” But for some reason, my words got caught. Her name wouldn’t come to mind. Why couldn’t I remember? In a sudden panic, I looked down at the embrace. “…What?” There was nothing left in my arms. The woman I had been holding moments ago was nowhere to be found. “…What….” What was this? What had I been holding just moments ago? I was certain I was embracing something. Why couldn’t I recall a single thing? In my confusion, I glanced up at the sky with trembling eyes. “...” And all that remained was the empty night. ************ “What on earth is going on with you?” I grasped small shoulders tightly. “What happened?” I looked at her chest. The clothes she wore were torn in various places, and blood was flowing from there. ‘…A sword wound?’ Judging by the state, it was a sword wound. And it seemed quite sharply inflicted. ‘What's going on?’ Where on earth did she get wounded like this? She said there was something to see and then went out, only to end up like this? I concentrated as I checked the Heavenly Demon's body. “…It hurts….” The Heavenly Demon grimaced slightly as she spoke. I retorted in irritation. “Of course it hurts, you crazy fool. Looking like this, wouldn't it hurt?” “…No…my arm...hurts.” "What?" Upon hearing her words, I looked at the Heavenly Demon's shoulder. I realized my hand was gripping her shoulder tightly. As soon as I noticed it, I quickly released my hold. “...” Why was I holding onto her so tightly? I frowned. "…How did you get hurt?" What on earth did the Heavenly Demon do to end up in this state? I couldn't understand, so I asked. "..." But the Heavenly Demon didn't reply. She just stared at me silently. "What are you doing? Aren't you going to answer quickly?" I urged her impatiently, and she tilted her head slightly as she spoke. "Why?" "What?" My frown deepened at her words. "Why ask?" "What do you mean, why ask...?" Indeed. Why was I trying to ask? The question was slightly off. It was the wrong question. I should have asked what she experienced, rather than why she got injured. I was about to correct myself and speak again when, "Did you...worry?" "Are you...?" My words trailed off as if something had broken within me. The Heavenly Demon was staring straight at me, asking. I met her violet eyes, and immediately, my entire expression twisted. "Don't talk nonsense." "..." "It's not because I'm worried about your body. It's because I told you not to cause trouble, yet you show up in this state." Right, it's not worry. As I have things to do here, I need to finish quickly. If this damn thing causes trouble, it'll be a problem. That's why. "So just say it properly—.” "You’re worried." "Talk so I can understand, will you?" Why does she interpret things her own way? My anger flared up. Meanwhile, for some reason, the Heavenly Demon had a faintly lifted corner of her mouth, as if she was pleased. That was even more baffling. "Why are you smiling?" "I'm not." "You're not? You’re smiling right now." "I'm not." "This little..." I almost grabbed her by the collar but halted. Her body was in a battered, injured state. “Damn.” Withdrawing my arm, I asked her again at the Heavenly Demon residence. "Stop talking nonsense. Speak properly. What happened?" "..." The Heavenly Demon hesitated as her mouth moved slightly. "Speak quickly." "I went to see someone." "What?" What did she go to see? It was a baffling statement. "Who could you possibly see around here?" Is there someone known to the Heavenly Demon here? It didn't make any sense. And considering she came back injured, it suggests she got into a fight. ‘Which means she fought with someone.’ Who could she have encountered to return in this condition? As the question formed, the Heavenly Demon spoke to me. "It was that person from last time." “…You mean last time." A thought passed through my mind. The Heavenly Demon had gone to capture someone lurking around the Mount Hua Sect. But. "That person was around here too?" "Yeah." "And you ended up like this because you fought?" "I made a mistake." The Heavenly Demon spoke with a hint of indignation. Yes, I think so too. The fact that the Heavenly Demon got hurt was a peculiar thing to me. "I won't lose next time." “…Next time, or whatever...” I brushed my hair back with my hand. A sense of frustration swelled inside. ‘What is this?’ The surroundings of Mount Hua Sect and here too. The continuous discoveries are seriously unsettling. Moreover. "How did you find and approach them?" How did she even locate a watcher? "Oh." To my words, the Heavenly Demon lightly tapped her fist against her palm as she answered. "I found them by following." "...Following what?" "You." "...Me?" "Yeah." "Why?" "Because it's entertaining." "..." What should I do? Should I really hit her? I considered it seriously. "…Anyway... So you fought against the ones watching us?" "No." "What is this? You just said yes…. What?" The Heavenly Demon was pointing at me with her finger. What is that in the middle of the conversation? “What is this about?” “It’s about you.” “What?” “They were watching you.” After hearing that, I turned around. It was Gu Bong in the current situation, looking uncertain about what to do. ‘So.’ The Heavenly Demon’s claim now seems to mean that although she was with Gu Bong, the watcher was only observing me. “How are you so sure about that?” Gu Bong and I had been together continuously. Moreover, I hadn’t even realized since when the tailing and watching had taken place. This leaves me with two possibilities: The Heavenly Demon is lying to me. ‘Or they are incredibly stealthy, enough to remain unnoticed by me.’ Either way, it's worrisome. If it's the former. ‘The Heavenly Demon whom I already distrust.’ If she's outright lying, things become complicated. And if it's the latter. ‘It becomes troublesome.’ If power is being used that I cannot fathom, or the ability is overwhelmingly superior. Just that in itself makes everything complex. ‘Moreover.’ I looked at the Heavenly Demon's body. ‘She’s hurt.’ Though she claims it was a mistake, that doesn’t imply she lacks skill or ability. Who could it be? Which power does it belong to? Thinking of that, one possibility crosses my mind. ‘…Is it my mother?’ A mother unaware of me. Could she be the one pulling the strings? “Tsk….” As I gnawed my thumb, deep in thought over the unfavorable situation. “But.” The Heavenly Demon spoke to me. “That person, something was strange about them.” It was an unexpectedly odd statement. ************** A forest far from the Moonlit Palace. In a dense thicket, a woman reeled and stumbled, gripping the trunk of a tree as she walked. Drip. As she trudged along, drops of blood fell from the woman. The strange thing was, the woman's blood wasn't red, but rather a brilliant magenta hue. “Huff.” The woman finally slumped to the ground, sliding against the tree. “Huuu...hu...” She exhaled heavily, trying to steady her breath. Her ears and tail, sagging down, depicted exhaustion. Then, as if the black mask she wore was suffocating her, she grabbed it and pulled it off. As the mask peeled away, a wave of warmth spread into the air. At the same time, the face that had been hidden was revealed to the world. “Huuu...ugh…” When she hung her head low, her brown hair completely covered her face. And from within those locks. The woman's golden eyes gleamed for a short moment. 3 Comments 3.1 / 80 재밌는거찾아다닐예정 2024.09.20 19:49 신고 Is Gu Yangcheon separated from his mother and the Master of Myriad Worlds? 0 떠돌이동전 2024.09.29 13:12 신고 More importantly, was Wi Seol-ah taken away to have a body made for her, just like Shin Noya, when she tried to disappear last time? 0 연우 2024.10.29 06:00 신고 Who could she possibly be? 0 Only logged-in users can comment. 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