Chapter 5 - Rotation of the Night 5
Rotation of the Night 5
Episode 5
It was true. When asked how they came to be an Outlander, they usually answered how they died.
Suicide was the most common, and at one point, the answer "hit by a truck" was frequent.
And those Outlanders who answered that way all seemed to have faces full of pride.
I didn't know why they were so proud of dying. Unlike some who had the gruesome hobby of playing with Outlanders by asking them questions and then killing them, Baek Yi-hyun didn't ask any further questions once he confirmed that the person was an Outlander.
The Imperial Law stipulated that Outlanders should be killed immediately upon discovery. They disrupt order and break down hierarchy.
Still, Outlanders who crawled out with their own bodies were relatively okay. All you had to do was wait at the exit when the Gate opened and catch them right away.
The problem was when only the Outlander's soul crossed over.
Possession. Usually, they were quickly exposed for their clumsy acting, and the original soul was rescued through the Outlander expulsion process, but a few adapted to this world surprisingly quickly, stole the lives of locals with clever lies, and eventually murdered the original soul.
A long time ago, when the Emperor's beloved woman was revealed to be a Possessor, the matter escalated, and the Order thoroughly closed the relevant Gate, even abandoning the Initial Orb of that route. Since then, cases of only souls crossing over have disappeared.
That was all Baek Yi-hyun knew about Outlanders.
Besides the iron rule that they must be eliminated immediately upon discovery, there was not much information about Outlanders, and it was taboo.
The reason Baek Yi-hyun sent his direct squad to the Gate was not to talk to the Outlanders, but to confiscate the Initial Orb they were carrying, according to regulations.
The Initial Orb was a valuable resource, and the entire galaxy was at war over it.
"Look here."
Jang Seokju flipped through the charts on the tablet. There were three waveforms on the coordinate plane.
One gently undulating red line, one blue line, and the other blue line was almost straight.
"One red waveform and two blue waveforms, right? That means one soul and two bodies. One body is lying in the lab downstairs right now, and the other one is in the other world."
"So, she didn't come here after dying, but her body is alive and well in the other world, and she came here too?"
"That's right. So, the woman's body here now, uh, her name is..."
Jang Seokju frowned. He rummaged through the paper charts next to him. A name roughly scribbled in pen flashed across the pages as he flipped through them.
Baek Yi-hyun pronounced the unfamiliar name, which didn't ring any bells at all.
"Seol Ah-yeon?"
"Ah, that's right. Seol Ah-yeon. The Seol Ah-yeon body here now is like a copy. I don't know how to explain this, it's the first time I've ever seen a case like this..."
"You mean it's fake?"
"Rather than fake... the soul is real, but since the soul can't just cross over here alone, a body was temporarily created. We completely closed the Possession Gate, didn't we?"
Baek Yi-hyun leaned back slightly against the backrest, having been sitting upright.
"Is this possible?"
"It's impossible unless the Order intervenes."
"It's possible if the Order intervenes?"
"Touching dimensions is the realm of God, and the only ones who can contact God are those old geezers in the Order. If those senile bastards go crazy and pour money and time into it, they might be able to create a case like Seol Ah-yeon."
"So, the Order sent a spy to my side?"
"Considering your position, Commander, it's not impossible."
Baek Yi-hyun narrowed his brow.
"The Order went to such lengths to create a spy just to catch me?"
"No matter how much money they spend, it's worth it if they can get their hands on you, Commander."
"Me?"
"Isn't it obvious? You tend to underestimate your position, Commander. Aside from His Majesty, it's no exaggeration to say that you are the most influential person in the Empire."
Jang Seokju sat up straight with an excited look.
"Since we're on the subject, the only reason you were excluded from this draft is because of the Hoyeon family's check. Because you inherited the will of Bana, those rotten bastards..."
Baek Yi-hyun let the flattery that Jang Seokju was spewing flow out of one ear as he lowered his gaze. He looked at the waveforms on the tablet.
Did the Order really send Seol Ah-yeon?
Of course, the fact that the Outlander claimed to know Baek Yi-hyun was not a good thing for him.
Regardless of the truth of that statement, it reminded everyone that Baek Yi-hyun had lost his memory and was of humble origin, having been found in the slums.
But that was it. No matter what Baek Yi-hyun's origin was, whether he was a vagrant or an Outlander, the Empire needed him now.
If he took even one step back from the front lines, the Empire would suffer a crushing defeat in the war.
The Order went to the trouble of creating a case like Seol Ah-yeon just to smear him with the stigma of being an Outlander?
It didn't make sense at all. The Order was cunning, but not stupid. They never did anything that would lose them money.
Baek Yi-hyun raised his eyes.
"...Even during that ridiculous pursuit mission. If it weren't for you, Commander, we wouldn't have just been shot down, the entire crew would have been drifting in space dust... Do you have anything to say?"
"Is the torture chamber open right now?"
"Are you going to use it? If she was sent by the Order, she won't open her mouth easily to ordinary torture, so we should try another method..."
"The key."
Jang Seokju quickly opened the drawer and took out the card key. Baek Yi-hyun took it and stood up.
At the same time, he thought of Seol Ah-yeon. If those mournfully wet eyes were really acting, he wondered how far a person could imitate emotions.
He turned to leave, then suddenly stopped. He looked back at Jang Seokju.
"Then what about the other side?"
"Yes?"
"What's the state of Seol Ah-yeon's real body in the original world?"
"Well, since her consciousness is here, she's in a coma in the other world."
Jang Seokju added casually.
"A vegetable."
* * *
Dreams mixed in confusion.
As always, the last was the fire scene where Baek Yi-hyun died. Even in the dream, Baek Yi-hyun didn't open his eyes, and only I survived again.
With the damn heat rushing over my back as I hugged Baek Yi-hyun, I finally woke up.
My vision was blurry. When I blinked, I saw an unfamiliar metal ceiling.
I gasped and abruptly raised my upper body. As heavy things trailed along with my arms, the clanging of metal echoed loudly.
I checked my body first. Thin metal wires were attached all over my arms and legs.
I grabbed a few of the wires on my arm and tore them off. The lines fell off, leaving faint marks on my skin.
"I only did the examination."
I was startled and looked to the side.
Baek Yi-hyun was standing tall right next to me. A jet-black uniform and coat, boots dirtied with dirt and blood. Except for the slightly disheveled hair due to fatigue, he was exactly as I had first seen him.
I tensed up and looked up at him. It was just me and Baek Yi-hyun in the vast silver laboratory, which seemed to be made entirely of metal.
How much I had wanted to be alone with him. I wanted to tell him everything where no one was watching.
Whether your weakness that only I know is still valid here. What kind of relationship we had, and how much I missed you.
Whether you really don't remember me, or if you're pretending not to remember because of circumstances.
But as soon as we were alone, it became clear. A cool face looking down at me silently. A gaze that fell cleanly without any emotion, as if looking at an object.
The natural sense of intimidation that had become ingrained in him from being in a position to control others for a long time, rather than arrogance.
This person doesn't know me.
I took my eyes off Baek Yi-hyun and lowered them. I lowered my legs from under the examination table and removed a few more of the wires attached to my body.
Baek Yi-hyun tapped a machine next to him. The wires attached to my arms and legs all fell off with a whoosh.
Amid the cold sound of metal wires hitting the floor, I had to decide.
There was only one clear fact in this strange world.
Those who crossed the Gate were treated as less than human.
I realized this harshly in the transport ship moving from the Gate to the battleship. The soldiers called us Outlanders and controlled us, ready to kill us at any moment if the order was given.
Here, Outlanders are worse than bugs.
Then I was disadvantageous to Baek Yi-hyun just by existing.
To claim that I knew Baek Yi-hyun was the same as claiming that Baek Yi-hyun was also an Outlander. That was never good for Baek Yi-hyun.
It was a big mistake to act like I knew him when I first saw him. If the Baek Yi-hyun in front of me was not the Baek Yi-hyun I knew, it was an act of dragging in the wrong person, and if it was the Baek Yi-hyun I knew but he just didn't remember me, I had to be even more careful with my words.
I was out of my mind and couldn't make a rational decision. I didn't want to be Baek Yi-hyun's weakness. I really didn't want that.
It would be a disaster if I begged Baek Yi-hyun to save me by mentioning our relationship and caused him trouble.
In the past, Baek Yi-hyun had saved my life. I owe him a debt. I couldn't block his path, let alone repay him.
The decision was not difficult. I would survive. I was prepared to endure somehow, even though it was daunting because I couldn't expect Baek Yi-hyun's help.
I raised my eyes. Our eyes met. Baek Yi-hyun's face was still unreadable. Solid and cool. But it was okay. It had to be okay.
"I..."
I had to draw a line.
"I think I mistook you for someone else."
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