Confronting the Past

The next morning, Hayeon woke up to find the space beside her empty. She brushed her hand over the bedsheets, where Ksenia's warmth still seemed to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠linger, and let out a deep sigh of longing.

Ksenia and Lilia were already fully geared for battle, preparing to depart just as they always did. Ksenia’s hair gleamed brilliantly, catching the morning sunlight. Standing there, they looked like goddesses marching off to war.

Ksenia gently stroked Hayeon’s hair, offering a reassuring smile.

"We'll be back before you know it, so don't worry too much. Make sure you eat well, and don't slack off on your training, okay? I'm going to test you when I get back. If you haven't improved, I'll have to punish you."

Hayeon tried to force a smile, but she could only press her lips together and give a small nod. Already, a hollow ache of emptiness bloomed in her chest. Unconsciously, she clutched the hem of Ksenia’s clothes. The thought that even this warmth would soon vanish brought tears welling up in her eyes.

"If you're worried about getting bored alone, why not head to the Adventurer's Guild and take on an easy quest? Delivering herbs or running simple errands. With your skills, you can easily handle those. Just don't overdo it."

"And no matter what, never go outside the designated safe zones. Especially the high-risk areas near the city walls—don't even think about going near them. Got it? You know exactly what I mean. Don't go getting yourself captured like an idiot again," Lilia said ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠firmly, driving the point home. Her tone was blunt, but it carried a deep, genuine concern.

After one final check of their weapons, the two waved goodbye and stepped out the door.

"I'll be back soon. Be a good girl until then, my fiancée," Ksenia's playful voice echoed down the hallway.

The door clicked shut, plunging the room into a heavy silence. Hayeon stared at the empty space for a long time before sitting by the window and letting out a long sigh.

In the end, all I can do is stay behind and wait. Powerless to do anything... She's heading into such a dangerous place, and I'm... just a burden.

A wave of helplessness washed over her. But she quickly shook her head, wiping her damp eyes with the back of her hand.

"No. I can't just sit around doing nothing. When she comes back, I want to show her that I've gotten even a little bit stronger. I don't want to be a burden anymore."

She stood up. Changing her clothes and securely packing the sword and shield she had received yesterday, Hayeon carefully prepared to head out.

In the small courtyard of the lodging, she practiced her stance, swinging her sword over and over. Just as Ksenia had taught her, she regulated her breathing, lowered her center of gravity, and focused all her awareness on the tip of her blade. The sound of her sword slicing through the air grew noticeably sharper. Sweat trickled down her chin. Though still clumsy, her swings now carried a weight and resolve that had never been there before.

Just then, the middle-aged woman from the neighboring room poked her head out of her window.

"Oh my, look at you working so hard all by yourself, young lady. You're much tougher than you look. Where did that handsome lady go, leaving you all alone?"

Flustered, Hayeon bowed her head.

"Ah, hello... Eonni... she had to go far away for a guild quest."

"I see. If anything happens, run straight to the tavern and call for help. Don't go doing anything dangerous, alright? And make sure you eat properly." Hayeon smiled faintly at the woman's warm words.

Two days passed in this manner. Every morning, Hayeon did some light training, and in the afternoons, she stopped by the guild to take on easy requests. Delivering shop goods, finding lost cats—they were quiet, ordinary days. Yet through it all, she gradually grew accustomed to the rhythm of the city and the atmosphere of its people. She no longer slouched her shoulders, walking the streets with newfound confidence.

At night, she would sit on her bed, gazing at the lights outside the window, and whisper to herself.

"Ksenia-eonni, Lilia-eonni... you're doing well, right? Please don't get hurt, and make sure to come back safe. I'll be waiting."

On the third day, Hayeon was passing through a quiet alleyway on the outskirts of the city, heading back to her lodgings after finishing a simple supply delivery mission.

"Hayeon?"

A low, familiar voice called out from behind her. She froze in her tracks, completely paralyzed. It was a voice she had wanted to forget—a voice she thought she had forgotten.

When she turned around, Luo was standing there. He looked gaunter and more haggard than before, his eyes trembling with a bizarre mix of obsession and madness. The moment he spotted her, his face twisted into an expression of ecstatic triumph, as if he had just conquered the world.

"It really... is you. Hayeon, my Hayeon...! Do you have any idea how long I've been searching for you?!"

Hayeon instinctively took a step back. Her hand naturally drifted toward the sword at her waist.

"...Why are you here? How did you..."

"I've been looking for you. Constantly. Ever since you abandoned me and got dragged away by those bastards, not a single day went by without me thinking of you. My only thought was that I had to win you back."

He approached slowly, like a predator cornering its prey.

"That day, you whispered your love for me in my arms. It's time to return to where you belong. I'll fix everything. Those bastards defiled you, but it's fine. I'll make you forget all of it."

"Stay back!"

Hayeon raised her hand to keep him at bay, but Luo closed the distance in an instant, grabbing her wrist in a vice-like grip.

"No. I'm never letting you go this time. You're... mine. You were mine from the very beginning."

"Let go."

Hayeon spoke in a low, icy voice, suppressing her rising rage.

Luo let out a manic laugh.

"I won't. What can you possibly do on your own without me? You're still just a fragile little thing who needs protection. I'm the only one who can keep you safe."

Hayeon took a slow, deep breath, closed her eyes, and opened them again. There was no longer any fear in her gaze—only cold contempt and fury.

"Sure. You're right. Back then, I couldn't even hold a sword properly. I was utterly powerless, even when I was being trampled by a man like you."

"But now..."

Suddenly, Hayeon's knee drove upward like a flash of lightning.

CRACK!

Her knee slammed squarely ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into Luo's groin.

"Aaaaaagh—!!!"

Luo's face instantly drained of all color. Screaming in agony, he clutched his crotch with both hands.

Hayeon twisted her wrist free and took a step back.

"Now, I can at least handle a piece of trash like you."

"Ha... Hayeon...! How dare you... to me...!"

Luo staggered and collapsed to his knees. He looked up at Hayeon with eyes full of pain and betrayal.

Hayeon looked down at him with utter disdain, then turned away as if nothing had happened. She let out a sigh—a sigh of relief, as if she had finally cast off a ghost of her past.

Without looking back, she quietly walked toward her lodgings. Her heart was pounding wildly, but her steps did not falter in the slightest.

If it were the old me... I would have run away screaming. And I would have tried to rely ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on someone else again.

But things were different now.

Now, I can fight back with my own strength!

On the path illuminated by the crimson sunset beyond the alley, Hayeon's shadow stretched out far longer and prouder than before. She was growing, bit by bit. Becoming someone who could protect herself, relying on no one else.

A system window materialized before her eyes.

The moment she returned to her lodgings late that night, Hayeon felt a profound sense of loneliness wash over her alongside her relief. The room she stepped into was empty, and Ksenia's absence weighed heavily on her like a physical force.

She placed her sword on the table and sank limply onto the edge of the bed. Luo's despicable face, his agonizing scream, and the dull impact that had reverberated through her knee replayed vividly in her mind.

She undressed and headed to the bath Ksenia had prepared for her. As the warm water enveloped her body, the muscles that had been stiff with tension finally began to relax. Her face was reflected on the steaming surface of the water.

When I first came to this world... I was nothing.

Splashing water over herself, she recalled the despair she had felt when she first dropped into this world. A strange world, a strange body, and the utter helplessness of being unable to do anything but take the abuse. Facing Luo again had vividly resurrected the memories of that day she so desperately wanted to forget. His hypocritical kindness, his twisted obsession, and his coercive touch.

The me back then... was practically dead.

But today was different. She had shaken off his hand of her own free will, and she had inflicted pain on him with her own strength. It was the beginning of her revenge, and a perfect break from her past self.

"...I'm going to change."

Pausing mid-wash, she looked at the mirror hanging on the bathroom wall. Standing in the reflection was a woman who, though still somewhat foreign, was gradually becoming familiar. Her eyes were bloodshot with adrenaline and simmering rage, her lips tightly pressed to endure the lingering humiliation, and her face bore the look of someone swallowing back a torrent of suppressed emotions. It was no longer the face of a helpless victim.

Yet over that resolute face, a deep loneliness soon cast its shadow.

"Ksenia-eonni..."

As she whispered to herself, her shoulders trembled slightly. She wanted to be strong. But at the same time, spending the night alone in this vast, empty room was terrifying. She missed Ksenia's warm embrace and gentle voice so desperately it ached. Her resolve to grow stronger clashed with her fragile desire to find comfort, leaving her deeply shaken.

Leaning her forehead against the mirror, she quietly closed her eyes. The road ahead was still so very long.