The Boundary of Dreams (12)
"…Doesn't he look suspicious at a glance? And you left him alone without reporting it sooner?"
"You noble mages wouldn't understand, but such things happen all the time in the frontier. Science and reason aren't words that suit country folk. We're the sort more drawn to superstition and the uncanny."
At Sehwah's question, the old man gave a hollow laugh as he answered.
"Besides, after he performed such an unbelievable miracle, who cares if he's suspicious or not? The people who received his grace probably wouldn't mind even if he turned out to be a black mage or a calamity in human form."
"…"
"And most of the people here are lowborn with poor backgrounds and little education. The fact that I'm the most educated one, having only finished elementary school, says it all. So it's no wonder no one felt uneasy enough to secretly contact the Public Security Bureau. After all, they witnessed something as absurd as corpses coming back to life right before their eyes…"
"It seems you aren't afraid of them, Elder. Even though the dead have returned and are living among you, you continue to stay in the village."
"How could I not be afraid? It's just that there's nothing I can do about it. Where could I go if I left this village?"
"…Understood. Then where did this so-called healer go?"
"He left through the eastern entrance, so he's probably gone to check on the other pioneer villages connected to that road. But chasing after him now would be pointless. He said he was leaving the eastern region and would never return, then walked out of the village."
"…Tch. What a mess. I knew I should've moved faster."
Sa Jaehyuk muttered with a deeply furrowed brow. They had let the most crucial piece of evidence confirming their suspicions slip away.
"It won't be too late to decide after we check this area first. Elder, where is the burial site where the bodies were supposedly buried?"
Sehwah calmed Sa Jaehyuk and turned to ask the old man.
"There's a communal graveyard on the sunny hillside. It's not far. I'll show you the way."
Sa Jaehyuk and his team exchanged glances and nodded. With grim expressions, they rose from their seats and prepared to head straight for the graveyard.
"Oh my, this is…?"
As she stood up, Ye Jin's eyes widened at something she saw. Her gaze was fixed on a shabby display cabinet beside the dining table. On top of it sat a picture frame tilted at an angle, containing someone's photograph. A girl with brown hair, brown eyes, and cute freckles smiled brightly at the camera. Jin's mind immediately flashed to Lee Hyun. In many ways, the girl looked to be around his age.
"Who is this?"
At Sa Jaehyuk's question, the old man answered.
"My granddaughter."
The old man's reply was somewhat puzzling. Though the house wasn't particularly small, there was no sign anywhere that a young girl lived there.
"…Did this child also…?"
The old man shook his head calmly.
"That child has nothing to do with this incident. She passed away a long time ago after struggling with an incurable disease."
"…Was her body cremated?"
"No. We sent her down the river. That was her dying wish—to become as free as water. She wanted so badly to go to school and play with friends, but I couldn't afford to send her. That's my greatest regret."
At the old man's words, Chaewon looked at the photo with pitying eyes. At the very bottom of the frame was a small, cute line of handwriting.
-21XX, Month X, Day X. A happy moment. Yena.
***
The days in the mountainous region were unusually short. The sun setting behind the peaks cast its final light upon the graveyard. Countless gravestones filled every corner of the valley, as if bearing witness to the pioneer village's history. But this place was no longer one where rest could be found. The soil around many graves had been pushed outward, as though something had forced its way out from within. Rotten, broken coffins lay scattered about, some with their lids open, revealing their contents.
"…Ugh."
"The smell…"
Chaewon made a nauseated face upon seeing the graveyard, while Sehwah wrinkled her nose and muttered under her breath. Sa Jaehyuk walked toward the center of the valley. He counted the gravestones one by one as he slowly advanced.
"…Hah."
Then he stopped in front of one particular gravestone. After checking the name, he let out a cold sigh into the air. He bent his knees and scooped up a handful of soil from the ground. The blackened earth, as if scorched, held no trace of life. Only a pungent sulfur smell stung his nose. And he knew there was only one thing that scorched earth and the smell of sulfur could mean.
Erosion.
"Those damn parasites…"
Sa Jaehyuk ground his teeth so hard the sound was audible. One hand clutched the locket hanging from his neck. He hadn't seen the so-called healer with his own eyes, but what he had seen and heard in this village was already more than enough. The young woman's sudden disappearance and return. The various supernatural phenomena the healer had supposedly displayed—things modern magic could never replicate. These were miracles formed not from refined formulas and theories, but from words—meaning they were Authorities. And now, erosion had begun appearing in the places where she had stayed for extended periods.
He could feel the nightmare he had tried to bury slowly raising its head. It was exactly the same as fifteen years ago. This was supposed to be his final journey to let go of his lingering attachments, yet once again, he had failed to grasp peace.
"…That's enough. Let's head back. There's nothing more to see here."
Sa Jaehyuk left the graveyard without looking back. By the time they returned to the village, the sun had already set, and darkness covered everything. An eerie, supernatural atmosphere filled the narrow, quiet paths. The shadows that had fallen over the alleyways reached their faces, making their expressions impossible to see.
"How did it go?"
The old man welcomed them back to the mansion.
"I think we've finished most of our investigation."
"Is that so? You've worked hard. Come inside quickly. Even so, I can't send guests out at this hour…"
"Elder, let me ask you one thing. Do you happen to know what day it is today?"
At Sa Jaehyuk's question, the old man frowned and thought for a moment.
"Let's see, it's January 7th. Time sure flies…"
Sa Jaehyuk squeezed his eyes shut. The date the old man mentioned was long before he had even received the tip from the Intelligence Directorate.
"Listen, Elder."
"Why do you keep calling me? We don't know what might happen to you out there, so hurry inside…"
"Isn't it about time you rested?"
"…? Well, it is late, but…"
"You know very well that's not what I mean, Elder."
"What are you…"
"I checked the gravestones at the burial site earlier. There was one with your name carved on it."
"…"
From behind Sa Jaehyuk came the sound of his team members swallowing hard. Then an eerie wind brushed past their ears.
"…H-Huh? Th-That can't be…"
The old man's entire body began to tremble. He looked down at his hands as if only now realizing, stammering as he spoke. The moment awareness returned, the illusion shattered. The pioneer village they stood in was already in the middle of the underworld. What had been here until moments ago weren't people, but rotting flesh and brittle bones. Someone had defied the laws of nature to keep them here. They had been conversing with phantoms the entire time.
"Th-That can't be… Keck, kuhk…"
The old man grabbed his own throat with both hands and coughed dryly. His mouth could no longer speak human language. It was a wonder they had been able to converse at all until now. His vocal cords had long since rotted away.
"Kahak… Kak…! Clack…!"
"…Farewell."
With the greeting, a flash of light split the air. The blade that had been at Sa Jaehyuk's waist was now in his hand. With a soft thud, the old man's head fell to the ground. Sa Jaehyuk immediately sliced it vertically. A hollow laugh escaped his lips as he examined the inside. None of the evidence that should have been present if the old man were a ghoul could be found. There was only empty void—no mycelium filling the brain white, no mushrooms that should have sprouted two or three from the back of the neck.
In truth, this was the expected result. What ghoul could converse so coherently with humans and even submit a report to the Public Security Bureau themselves? The old man's only mistake was believing he was truly alive.
Sa Jaehyuk turned his gaze to the table where he had sat with the old man earlier. One of its legs was on the verge of collapsing from rot. The refreshments on the plate were thin finger bones, and the blackened liquid in the chipped teacup had been rotting for who knows how many years. The only intact item in that place was the photograph of his granddaughter.
"…Chaewon. Sehwah. Jin."
"…Yeah."
At Sa Jaehyuk's words, his team nodded and stepped outside the mansion. Then, accompanied by bright red flames, the screams of hell began to echo in his ears. The only mercy they could offer was to return them to their rest.
-Why, why are you doing this all of a sudden…!
-What, what for…! Kuhk…!
-Clack!
-Boom!
The pleas of the dead, who didn't even know they had died, continued one after another. The sound of bones rolling across the floor grew loud. The roar of the old building collapsing in flames spread in all directions. Sa Jaehyuk paid it no mind and fell into thought. Two questions troubled him. If the witches had already reemerged long ago, simultaneous chaos should have broken out across various regions by now. Moreover, their direction shouldn't be wandering the outskirts like this—they should have been heading toward densely populated major cities. That was their instinct, etched into their very genes. Though their behavior was completely different from fifteen years ago and gave him a headache for a moment, he soon stopped pondering. He didn't need to understand the witches. He only needed to do what had to be done before his eyes.
"…How many?"
He asked his team when they returned after some time.
"…Fifty-four. Same as the number of gravestones."
"Good work. Where's the nearest unit from here?"
"Probably the 33rd Mountain Brigade. It's several days away, though…"
At Chaewon's reply, Sa Jaehyuk clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Cutting it close. Chaewon, go there and request support. Use my name or the Black Lotus name—do whatever it takes to bring troops. And thoroughly blockade all routes leading to nearby major cities."
He began issuing orders to his team.
"Jin, Sehwah. You two return to the capital immediately. Attend the Supreme Council, explain the situation, and convince the councilors to issue an emergency decree. The eroded soil should serve as evidence. Those idiots. Even after I told them…"
"Th-Then what about you, Oppa…?"
At Ye Jin's question, Sa Jaehyuk answered immediately.
"Obviously, I have to follow the witch's trail. I can't leave them alone. I don't even know what they're plotting this time. So…"
"What nonsense is that!! How could you do that alone…!"
"You know what I mean. It's too dangerous. You all should hurry back…"
Sa Jaehyuk's firm words were cut off by Sehwah, who grabbed his collar tightly. She looked at him with an expression that seemed ready to cry at any moment.
"…You promised… you wouldn't do this alone again…"
"…"
Sa Jaehyuk found himself at a loss for words and looked around. Chaewon and Ye Jin's expressions weren't much different from Sehwah's. He sighed inwardly. For today, he had no choice but to agree with the public's assessment of them. They really were foolish—and at the same time, pitiful women.
"…Sorry. I misspoke. Let's go together. First, let's send a raven at least."
"…Okay."
Sehwah finally released his collar. The team members each blew their whistles to summon ravens, then sent them flying back into the sky carrying letters and items. Sa Jaehyuk looked up at the sky visible between the collapsed mansion's roofs. What came to mind was a boy wearing a mask. A poor child swept up in the waves without even realizing it.
"…Tch."
Originally, he had planned to submit his discharge papers after this journey. He had even thought of stopping by the capital to check on how Lee Hyun was doing. But it seemed he still had work left to do.
"That kid… I wonder if he's found himself a girl yet…"
His voice echoed hollowly.