Chapter 101
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: True Nightmare
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Thud!
"…What is this place now?"
When Se-bin came to her senses, she was already inside a small room. The only furnishings were a plush-looking leather sofa and red curtains. Se-bin rubbed her neck, where the handprints stood out vividly, let out a sigh, and used her shadow hand to pull back the curtains. Behind them was nothing but a pure white wall.
Beep beep beep—
With the sound of a siren, the red curtains began to rise slowly, like the opening of an orchestra performance.
Light poured onto the white wall, and soon a fairly vivid image appeared.
A slightly yellowed white wallpaper, a cuckoo clock with no intention of entering the house, a cute little succulent plant next to the television. It was an ordinary family home that reeked of everyday life.
"Ha."
Se-bin stared at the scene and let out a hollow laugh. It was the house she'd lived in long ago. These were nightmares she'd endured dozens of times already.
Thud.
At that moment, flesh slapped against the floor. She turned to see a young version of herself looking up at her. Even though those fierce, determined eyes were so much like her own now, Se-bin didn't hesitate to thrust Yeong toward the child.
"What are you planning?"
"I'm going to give you a true nightmare."
"…You already know these kinds of nightmares don't work on me anymore?"
Se-bin spat the words coldly. Ever since her awakening, the very emotion of fear had vanished from her. No skill could shatter her mind or make her afraid.
Crunch.
The young Se-bin gripped Yeong's blade hard. Bright red blood trickled down the edge, splattering onto the floor with a drip-drip, a few drops hitting her face. Those delicate, childlike features—painted on like with a fine brush—clashed horribly with the dark crimson blood.
But Se-bin had no intention of pulling back the sword. Instead, she shook it ever so slightly, digging the wound even deeper.
The young Se-bin didn't so much as blink and kept talking.
"Yeah, I know. Probably nothing in this world can scare you."
The young Se-bin finally released her hold on Yeong. She glanced down at her blood-soaked hand, then slowly raised her index finger.
"Except for one person."
Slash—
Se-bin twisted her wrist to horizontalize the blade and sliced right through the young Se-bin. The child's body melted into a sticky black liquid, bubbling and boiling on the floor. Se-bin plunged Yeong into the puddle and growled through clenched teeth.
"What did you do to Ji-ui?"
"Nothing at all. She's my one and only childhood friend too."
The black liquid slithered toward the red curtains and slipped into the image. It filled the living room floor before reforming into the young Se-bin, who turned to stare at Se-bin.
"I'll show her the side of you she doesn't know. That's what really scares you."
Clang.
Yeong clattered to the floor. Se-bin's shadow thrashed wildly, rippling threateningly as if it would shred everything in the room. She glared at her younger self while clamping a hand over her mouth.
Se-bin slowly chewed over her own nightmare.
How raw will it look? Can she even read my thoughts? What if Ji-ui sees my true feelings and gets disappointed in me?
"Urk."
Tension made Se-bin dry-heave. To her, that childhood friend was the only one who could stir any reaction in this body stripped of fear by force. Overwhelmed by the sudden raw emotion, her heart pounded in unpleasant bursts.
"What would Ji-ui do if she knew what kind of person we really are?"
Boom!!
Se-bin slashed Yeong across the entire space. A massive rupture echoed as the area went pitch black for an instant before snapping back to normal. The young Se-bin watched and giggled like any kid her age.
"If I had to guess."
"……."
"Ji-ui would be disappointed in us… and eventually leave us."
Thud.
Se-bin dropped to her knees, staring blankly at the image.
She felt utterly alone. Just like that moment when she'd first learned of her parents' deaths on the news—abandoned by the world itself.
Please don't leave me alone.
Creak.
Then the front door of the house in the image swung open. Ji-ui stepped inside. The young Se-bin sat primly on the sofa, gazing at her.
"No."
Se-bin murmured, reaching out over Ji-ui in the projection. But Ji-ui slipped right through her trembling fingers and walked toward the young Se-bin.
The moment Se-bin's true nightmare began.
Cha Do-yun Hunter and Han Jin-woo Hunter would handle Choi Min Hunter's nightmare, while I took Se-bin's. We needed the Gourmet's Fork to destroy the nightmare's core anyway, so all they had to do was secure Choi Min Hunter's position.
That's a huge win in itself.
After ushering the two into Choi Min Hunter's nightmare, I positioned myself at the entrance to Se-bin's.
Click.
Pushing the Gourmet's Fork into the hole produced a metallic screech as the door swung open.
"Uh, um……."
Se-bin's nightmare was utter darkness, like the void of space. The ground was covered in unidentified clumps stuck together.
Descending cautiously with The Bird That Hears Daytime Talk, I started to make out what those clumps were. Jagged arms and legs protruding, hair completely soaked in black liquid. It didn't take long to realize they were human bodies.
This can't be the start of Se-bin's nightmare.
As I drifted closer, a thick, metallic stench assaulted my nose—something I hadn't noticed in midair. There were so many corpses piled up, I couldn't even set foot on the ground.
I landed a short distance from the mound, where black liquid sloshed around my feet.
Up close, the pile of bodies loomed even larger. It looked less like the aftermath of a battle and more like a one-sided slaughter. Holding my breath, I examined one of the faces.
Splat.
My legs buckled instantly.
"Se-bin-ah."
Her curly hair was matted in clumps from the dark red liquid, her always-pristine coat shredded to rags long ago. The arm that used to hack monsters apart with Yeong hung limp, and those ever-sparkling eyes had lost all their light.
It's a dream. Just part of Se-bin's nightmare. Get it together.
Whirr—
The Gourmet's Fork yanked my crumbling mind back to focus. It zipped behind the corpse pile and thudded into something.
I stood slowly and slapped both cheeks hard. Sharp, stinging pain spread across my tender skin. If this had been the real Se-bin, the fork would've pointed straight at her. Tearing my eyes from the mound, I dashed toward where the fork had flown.
Screech, screech.
The Gourmet's Fork was scraping against a green iron door. I grabbed it—shuddering at the eerie sound—and twisted the knob, shoving the door open.
"A… house?"
It was an ordinary family home. Worn wallpaper held a broken cuckoo clock, and a small succulent sat beside the television.
As I slowly turned to take in the whole living room, something caught at the bottom of my vision.
A child with short, curly hair. A tiny kid who couldn't touch the floor even sitting fully back against the sofa. Her firmly pursed lips gave her a stubborn look, and her round, soft cheeks glowed with spring sunlight.
I knew this child.
"Se-bin-ah."
It was young Se-bin.
The fork wasn't reacting, so she'd clearly already passed the childhood part of her nightmare. Ignoring me completely, young Se-bin stared blankly at the television.
A news anchor's voice leaked from the TV.
—The S-Rank Gate in San Francisco, USA, exploded around 1:30 p.m. local time. Monsters overran a nearby large shopping mall, with casualties approaching 4,000. This is reporter Lee Jae-yeon.
The screen split in two, showing the anchor alongside a reporter clutching a microphone. He stood in front of a building reduced to its skeletal frame.
—I'm reporting live from the San Francisco S-Rank Gate explosion site. The gate has dissipated about 80%, but cleanup efforts are facing difficulties.
—What about the people in the shopping mall? What's the rescue situation like?
—The building collapsed during the gate explosion, hampering rescue operations, and bodies are still being discovered. Since it happened on a Saturday afternoon, there are many family victims.
—Are there any Korean casualties?
—A couple in their 40s on a business trip have been confirmed dead, and a Korean student identified as B has suffered severe injuries.
The reporter and anchor continued gravely. I knew exactly what this gate explosion had stolen from Se-bin. Glancing at young Se-bin, her face showed no emotion as she fiddled with the TV remote.
"…It's because of me."
Young Se-bin murmured. She switched off the TV and curled up on the sofa, burying her face in the corner. Soon, her small back began to shake irregularly. I reached out toward it.
Thud.
I'd expected my hand to pass right through, but warmth met my palm. I bent down and pulled her fragile little back into a hug.
Uneven breaths and tear-soaked mumbles burrowed into my ear. Most of it was self-directed curses.
"I should've begged them not to go on the trip. Shouldn't have asked for a birthday gift on the way back. Mom and Dad died because of me. It's all my fault. I should've died."
Her voice, steeped in guilt, ended in horrific self-loathing. I squeezed my eyes shut and hugged her even tighter.
"It's not your fault, Se-bin-ah. None of it was your fault."
I wished she'd curse the heavens instead. But Se-bin kept tearing herself apart. Blood from her shredded heart turned to tears, soaking her soft cheeks.
When I opened my eyes, the young Se-bin in my arms and I were being sucked into a black shadow. The Gourmet's Fork plummeted with us. As we fell somewhere deeper into Se-bin's nightmare, a young man's voice and a woman's alternated.
"Ah, so something like that happened to Se-bin……."
"Yes. So much happened all at once, and with the environment changing too, it'll take some time for her to adjust."
"Don't worry, Se-bin's aunt. We'll guide her with care."
"Thank you so much, teacher."
It was Se-bin's aunt talking to her elementary school homeroom teacher. After losing her parents, Se-bin had been raised by her aunt. By sheer coincidence, her aunt's house was right near ours, so Se-bin and I ended up at the same elementary school.
An incredible stroke of luck, even now...
"The best luck ever."
"…Huh?"
The Se-bin in my arms suddenly turned around, looked at me, and spoke. Tears still brimmed in her eyes, but the corners of her mouth curved up happily.
Caught off guard, my mouth hung open in bewilderment as my vision flooded with white.