Honbul: Flame of the Soul

Seonoh had already won several rounds.

“Another checkmate.”

He smiled brightly, clearly in high spirits. After spending the entire day playing janggi with Elder Yoon, he hadn’t even noticed night falling. Completely absorbed in the game, the nightmares that had plagued him seemed to melt away. In fact, he could barely remember them at all anymore.

Outside, the sun was setting. It was almost time for dinner.

Elder Yoon, who had been preparing the meal, stepped out for a moment to buy groceries.

Left alone briefly, Seonoh sprawled on the floor with the miscellaneous spirits, reading a book together with them. Then suddenly—

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A violent pounding shook the front gate.

There was no way his grandfather would knock like that.

Someone else had come.

Normally, Seonoh might have peeked through the curtains or slipped outside to look, but today he remained where he was, calmly focused on his book.

“Hey, Seonoh.”

At that moment, Sisi, coiled around his wrist, spoke.

“I wasn’t planning to interfere, but I guess I have to.”

“Huh?”

“Things are getting pretty dangerous.”

“Dangerous? What are you talking about?”

“Are you really okay with this?”

Seonoh blinked down at Sisi.

“Are you really fine living like this?”

“...What do you mean?”

“I’m asking whether this cramped little garbage heap is truly your sanctuary.”

Sisi narrowed its eyes flatly and flicked its tongue.

“Do you think you can stay safe here forever?”

“Grandpa told me not to go outside. I’m going to listen to him from now on.”

“What a waste of the mark of hometown...”

Clicking its tongue as though genuinely pitying him, Sisi muttered,

“You coward.”

Still staring at his book, Seonoh nodded quietly.

“Yes. That’s right.”

“I am a coward.”

***

At last, Jaegyeom’s eyes flew open.

The vines wrapped around his ankles were gone.

Freed, he immediately kicked through the water toward Yoon Taehee.

The man remained trapped in a peaceful sleep from the past, his face calm and utterly serene. Jaegyeom grabbed him by the collar and shook him hard, but Taehee didn’t open his eyes.

Jaegyeom turned toward the turtle nearby.

Though they couldn’t speak underwater, the turtle seemed to understand the gesture immediately. Just as he had done earlier to Jaegyeom, the turtle bit down firmly on Yoon Taehee’s ear.

But no matter how long they waited, Taehee still didn’t wake.

“M-master...! I think this man has stopped breathing.”

At the turtle’s words, Jaegyeom’s eyes widened violently.

“...What?”

He shoved the turtle aside and began slapping Yoon Taehee across the face over and over.

No.

No, this can’t happen.

Wake up. Wake up already.

Desperation twisted Jaegyeom’s face as he shook him frantically, Taehee’s head snapping from side to side. Blood spilled from Taehee’s split lips, blooming through the water like black ink.

Just as Jaegyeom raised his hand again, he suddenly froze.

...What if this bastard didn’t want to wake up?

The thought crashed into him without warning, and his eyes trembled.

Maybe Taehee wanted to remain asleep here forever.

Unlike Jaegyeom, who could never die, maybe Yoon Taehee wanted to forget everything and let his life quietly end inside these happy memories.

Jaegyeom would survive no matter what happened to him anyway.

But maybe leaving Taehee here peacefully was better for him.

If he woke him now...

wouldn’t that just be selfishness?

What if Taehee hated him for dragging him back awake?

Wouldn’t he be tearing him away from a happy past and forcing him back into hell?

Did he even have the right?

Maybe...

maybe I’m destroying your paradise.

The strength slowly drained from Jaegyeom’s raised hand.

Looking down at Taehee, he gently brushed the cheek he had struck so many times.

“...”

After hesitating for a long moment, Jaegyeom slowly backed away. He kicked upward through the water and finally broke the surface.

“Ghk—! Cough!”

Water spilled from his mouth as he gasped for breath, wiping at his eyes.

“Are you really going to leave him behind?”

The turtle climbed onto Jaegyeom’s shoulder after surfacing beside him.

“...”

Jaegyeom said nothing.

His breathing gradually steadied.

After taking one deep breath, fully filling his lungs, he dove back underwater.

He swam straight toward the sleeping Yoon Taehee.

Grabbing Taehee by the nose, Jaegyeom leaned down and pressed his lips against his.

Then he breathed the breath of today into Seonoh of the past.

Come back.

Back to this hell.

I’m sorry.

I know this is selfishness, but I have no choice.

I need you.

If I want to end this life, then I need you.

And I made a promise to Jeongju and Mesan too.

I told them I’d bring you home.

So I’m going to wake you.

I’ll wake you up and ask when you’re free.

In my tomorrow, you existed.

So I’ll drag you into my today.

After breathing life into Yoon Taehee, Jaegyeom immediately swam downward.

Yoon Taehee’s sword rested at the bottom of the lake.

Waiting.

Jaegyeom seized the scabbard and pulled at it, but it only rattled uselessly, refusing to open.

Closing his eyes, he muttered softly,

“Hidden Weapon. Strange. Piercing Heaven and Earth.”

The sealed scabbard unlocked.

Jaegyeom slowly opened his eyes.

A flawlessly honed blade gleamed as it emerged.

His gaze remained steady as he examined the sword.

What he needed to do was simple.

He had to return Yoon Taehee’s name to him.

He had to return “Yoon Taehee” to Yoon Taehee.

Jaegyeom focused his mind and poured spiritual force into the sword.

At once, the previously still water began to churn violently.

Bubbles erupted everywhere as though the lake itself had begun to boil.

Ripples spread across the surface.

Then the ripples expanded farther and farther until they swallowed the entire lake.

A massive vortex spiraled around the sword in Jaegyeom’s hand, growing larger by the second.

Jaegyeom swung the energy-filled blade horizontally toward the lakebed with all his strength.

CRASH—!

The invisible force exploded downward like lightning.

A deafening roar shook the entire cavern violently. The tremendous impact split the lakebed apart, carving open a gigantic fissure like a cliff tearing through the earth itself.

The bottom of the lake collapsed sideways.

And finally—

the cave itself began to crumble.

***

At some point, the pounding at the gate had stopped.

Lying on the floor reading, Seonoh quietly turned another page.

Rustle.

Then—

Rattle, rattle.

The doorknob shook violently, as though someone outside was trying to force open the locked door.

The ghosts in the room huddled together fearfully in the corner.

An inexplicable terror crawled over Seonoh too.

Dropping his book, he hugged the ghost beside him tightly.

“I-I’m scared...”

Then Sisi asked from his wrist,

“Why?”

“What are you scared of?”

“Because I don’t know what’s outside.”

Seonoh’s shoulders trembled.

“Maybe... maybe it’s him out there.”

“Him?”

“Grandpa said he would come someday.”

Seonoh’s voice shook.

“He’ll take everything away from me. He’ll ruin everything.”

“...”

Sisi listened quietly with its eyes closed.

“Seonoh.”

Its voice softened slightly.

“If this place is your paradise, and you’ve decided to stay inside this cramped garbage heap forever, then from now on, every time the wind rattles the windows even a little, you’ll spend your life trembling in fear.”

“...”

“There’s nothing you can do in this dump except wait for the day Yoon Wonjoong finally comes back to his senses.”

“Are you really okay with that?”

Seonoh couldn’t answer.

“Maybe it really is him outside that door, just like you said.”

Sisi flicked its tongue slowly.

“What’s ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ waiting beyond that door might be your fate. Your misfortune. Your downfall.”

“And you’re terrified of the terrible things that could happen.”

“...”

“You’re afraid you’ll regret opening it.”

“Isn’t that right?”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

Seonoh clutched his head tightly.

“Stop talking.”

But Sisi continued mercilessly.

“That’s right. You might spend your whole life regretting opening that door.”

I never should’ve opened it.

“But the opposite is true too.”

“You could spend the rest of your life regretting not opening it today.”

“As long as you keep that door closed, you’ll never know what’s really waiting outside.”

Sisi let out a mocking laugh.

“Do you understand now?”

“That’s what regret is.”

“No! It’s all my fault anyway...!”

Seonoh screamed and grabbed his head harder.

“So just stop already!”

In agony, he snatched up the discarded book and began reading aloud in a trembling voice, trying desperately to drown Sisi out.

“T-Teo wanted to go to the sea... to the emerald-colored sea, and...”

He hurriedly flipped the page.

Something was wedged between the pages.

A photograph.

Someone soaked in blood, drawing back a bowstring.

Seonoh stared at it blankly.

“W-what is this...?”

Without thinking much about it, he flipped the photo over.

There was writing on the back.

Have you ever seen a stuffed genius?

“...”

Seonoh’s eyes slowly widened.

Then suddenly, the letters blurred.

His vision swam violently.

His breathing turned ragged.

A splitting pain tore through his head.

Grabbing his forehead, he doubled over.

...Have you ever seen a stuffed genius? I’m happy. At a time like this, even love feels pleasant. By the way, how old are you? How does it feel to be stuffed, Jaegyeom? I don’t think I’d enjoy it very much myself. I staked my undying life on this. I’ll help you win. Let’s destroy the Office of Narye. And if I quit, would you finally like me? Everything started the moment I met him. It felt as though the world was giving me a clue—that it was you, that I should follow you. He truly was a harbinger of ruin...

Seonoh shot upright, clutching his ears as veins bulged across his neck.

“No...!! No!!”

Even with his ears covered, the voices continued raging through his mind.

Strange voices.

Familiar voices.

“Go away!! I said go away...!!”

Seonoh staggered in circles before slamming himself against the wall.

Then—

BANG!

The door shook violently again, as though it would burst apart.

Half crying, half grimacing in pain, Seonoh stumbled toward it and glared at the door with trembling eyes.

“Why are you coming for me?”

No answer came from outside.

“Who are you?”

In the end, Seonoh reached for the doorknob.

And opened the door.

The instant it opened—

a torrent of water exploded inward like a collapsing dam.

Freezing water flooded the room, smashing apart the walls and ripping away the ceiling.

From the ground to the sky, the entire world was submerged beneath water like a gigantic aquarium.

A massive whirlpool devoured everything.

Swept away by the current, Seonoh desperately clung to a utility pole.

“Seon...oh...”

Turning his head, he saw the water ghost being dragged away by the violent current.

“No!!”

Seonoh released the pole and reached toward the ghost desperately.

His fingertips nearly touched it.

And at that exact instant—

a voice he didn’t recognize thundered through his mind.

—Yoon Taehee!

Seonoh’s eyes flew open.

The first thing he saw was rocks crashing into the water like meteors.

The cave was collapsing.

The entire landscape was crumbling apart.

Below him, the earth split open.

Above him, enormous boulders rained down.

Seonoh was being dragged into the vortex.

“Yoon Taehee!”

But amidst the collapsing world, someone was reaching toward him.

“Taehee——!”

And in that moment, Seonoh finally understood.

What had been waiting beyond the door all along—

was love disguised as fear.