Chapter 237
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 237
Chapter Title: Return
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Hearing the story, Tul Natra, his face drained of color, spoke in a sigh-like whisper.
“…There’s no way.”
“What?”
“There’s no way… to restore a body that has already cracked.”
At Tul Natra’s devastating words, Bel Natra quickly asked, her voice trembling as if grasping at straws.
“What about the Red, the Red Timestone?”
“The power of the Timestone that Jin absorbed is a higher-tier power, so even the Red Timestone won't work. Bel. You know this, too. The Red and Blue Timestones are mere fragments of the 'Timestone'.”
At Tul Natra's words, Bel Natra finally buried her face in her hands. Shadowman, too, stared out the window with trembling eyes. His tightly clenched fists shook with restrained force.
Just then, a warning siren blared.
A scientist, who had been darting his eyes around, tapped on his keyboard and spoke.
“Uh… the last generator seems to be near here.”
Tul Natra, who had been staring at the floor, lifted his head.
“I will go with you.”
The wormhole generator was installed in Central Park. The appearance of Tul Natra sent a stir through the Natra people.
At the arrival of the three, Jin Natra smiled. Half of his face was covered in black, branch-like patterns. The branches near his chin were cracking, leaking a pure white light.
“I told you.”
“That I would take ‘everything’ precious to you.”
Tul Natra’s eyes wavered violently.
“And ‘Jin Natra’ couldn't be left out of that.”
Lee Miyeon and the audience, who had been thinking *no way, it can't be*, found their mouths agape.
Who could have possibly imagined someone would risk their own life for revenge?
“Choose.”
Jin Natra beamed.
“Is it me? Or is it Earth and Natra?”
The answer was already decided.
That’s what made the choice all the more cruel.
With every word from Bel Natra, the audience finally realized that all of this had been Jin Natra’s plan.
It was hard to even be surprised anymore. Just how much of this did he calculate?
He smiled, bright and pure, like the innocent Jin Natra from his childhood who knew nothing.
“Father. Are you going to make me unhappy this time, too?”
“Shadowman. Are you not going to save me this time, either?”
“Bel. Are you going to abandon me again?”
Every word from Jin Natra pierced the three of them to the core. A heavy sense of guilt washed over them.
“Now. Choose.”
Vwooom!
Smiling brightly, Jin Natra placed both hands on the wormhole generator.
As the final wormhole formed, Jin Natra’s shadow swelled in size. A tangible, wave-like shadow swept over Central Park. The three fled from the shadow as it surged forward like a tsunami, overturning trees and terrain.
And so, the battle began.
Jin Natra's shadow, which had been staining the ground black, shot up like an awl and pierced through the spaceships.
The ships flying in the air were frozen in place. Boom! Craaash! The sounds of exploding spaceships echoed.
Shadowman, Bel Natra, and Tul Natra leaped across the ships and overturned trees, desperately trying to stop Jin Natra, but the difference in their power was starkly clear.
Kooong!
A massive vibration shook the area, and a scientist remaining on a ship shouted.
-It's a precursor to the collision!
There wasn’t much time left.
Watching the still-hesitant Shadowman and Bel Natra, Tul Natra was the first to move. Biting his lip, Tul Natra’s attack was the first to strike Jin Natra's body, which was already cracking from his inability to control the absorbed Timestone's power.
Following Tul Natra’s lead, Bel Natra also attacked Jin Natra. After being struck several times, Jin Natra unleashed the power of the Timestone. The black cracks on his face spread. A pure white light streamed from between the black fissures.
The pure white light and the shadow met, transforming into one enormous shadow. A colossal wave of shadow crashed down upon the three.
Quickly retreating to the top of a spaceship, the three charged toward Jin Natra once more. This time, Shadowman’s attack found its mark.
Craaaash!!
But against Jin Natra, who wielded the power of the Timestone, they were no match. The vibrations from the wormhole grew stronger, and as their attacks failed to land, the three grew frantic.
Here, once again.
Shadowman's shadow played its part. While the three drew Jin Natra’s attention, Shadowman's shadow snatched Jin Natra's ankle and sent him flying.
Craaaash!!
Shadows erupted from Jin Natra as he was buried in a building beyond Central Park. The force was more terrifying than the shadow that had been revealed at Gyeongbok Palace.
Even as Jin Natra regained his senses and slowly rose, the undulating shadow showed no signs of being absorbed.
Tul Natra bit his lip.
In the end, Jin Natra’s body couldn't handle the Timestone's energy.
The Timestone’s energy, threatening to burst out and tear Jin Natra’s body apart at any moment, was being held in check by his own shadow. Like a full-body bandage, Jin Natra’s shadow was tightly wrapped around him.
Even in that state, Jin Natra rose and charged at the three. His power was overwhelming, almost too much for them to handle, but fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—their attacks were beginning to have an effect.
Jin Natra was already struggling to control the Timestone’s power raging within him. He was moving through the agony of his body being torn to pieces.
“Aaargh!!!”
At Jin Natra’s pained roar, his sister Bel Natra, his father Tul Natra, and the hero Shadowman made their move.
Bel Natra’s spear through Jin Natra’s right shoulder—
Shadowman’s shadow through his right thigh—
And, Tul Natra’s sword through his left chest—
pierced him.
Bel Natra’s hand, holding the spear, trembled violently. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Jin Natra before her. Her clenched jaw quivered. Tears blurred her vision.
Shadowman, who had been holding Jin Natra to aid Tul Natra’s attack, supported Jin Natra with a trembling hand as he began to collapse, his strength failing. The lightness of Jin Natra’s body made his throat burn.
Tul Natra, who had driven his sword into his son's chest, aiming for the heart for the sake of the greater good, was already weeping, his face a mess of tears.
As Jin Natra’s breathing faded, the wormholes that had filled the sky began to shrink. The noisy wormhole generators also ceased their movements, their energy source gone.
Only after all the wormholes had vanished from the sky did the three weapons piercing Jin Natra turn back into shadows.
With the weapons supporting him gone, Jin Natra’s body collapsed toward Shadowman and Tul Natra.
“William!”
“Bring the healing capsule!”
“Jin! Stay with me! You can’t lose consciousness!”
Cradling the falling Jin Natra in his arms, Shadowman gently laid him on the ground. While Tul Natra gave orders to the Natra people, Bel Natra quickly administered first aid.
Jin Natra, who had been watching them with a dazed expression, slowly closed his eyes.
His face was peaceful, as if he had drifted off to sleep, or was nestled in his mother’s arms.
***
Watching Jin Natra, who was clinging to a thin thread of life inside the healing capsule, the therapist spoke.
“We must remove the Timestone that Jin-nim has absorbed.”
“How?”
The audience, who could finally see Jin Natra’s face up close in the still scene, rather than in the chaotic action, clapped their hands over their mouths at the sight of his face, cracked all over like a porcelain doll.
“We need Your Majesty’s shadow. It’s likely that the shadow you gave to Jin-nim, along with the shadow passed through the forced succession, is what has prevented his body from collapsing until now.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“An Earthling’s body absorbs shadows indefinitely. A Natra’s body can only absorb a certain amount. Your Majesty’s shadow has been blocking the ‘Timestone’s power’ that Jin-nim’s body was trying to absorb.”
The treatment room fell silent.
“…If you transfer more of Your Majesty’s shadow to Jin-nim, his body will become similar to that of a Natra. Then the remaining ‘power’ that he cannot absorb will be expelled.”
If they gathered that and took it to the underground temple, Natra, too, would return to its original state.
“Then does that mean William can never live as an Earthling again?”
At Shadowman’s question, the therapist shook his head.
“After that, we can use the Red Timestone to turn back time. The Timestone works on Natra people as well. However, there are two problems.”
“Problems?”
The therapist couldn’t bring himself to look at Tul Natra, his expression reverent.
“The first is… when time is reversed, the part of Your Majesty’s shadow that Jin-nim absorbed will disappear.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
Even at the therapist’s words about losing most of his shadow, the king of Natra, Tul Natra, answered without a moment’s hesitation. He was willing to give his own life to save his son.
“And the second?”
“He has suffered a great shock, so it is uncertain if he will fully regain his consciousness… He may have lost his memories.”
At those words, the expressions of the three darkened. Shadowman looked at Jin Natra lying in the healing capsule. He might lose his memories. Shadowman remembered Jin Natra’s bright smile.
*But those weren't good memories for William.*
Sometimes, it was better to forget. Tul Natra and Bel Natra thought the same.
Perhaps this was the right time.
After watching the three silent figures for a moment, the therapist opened his mouth.
“Then I will prepare a one-year Red Timestone at once.”
“No.”
Tul Natra looked at Bel Natra.
Nodding at her father’s gaze, Bel Natra, her eyes full of tears but with a gentle smile, held something out.
“Ten years. This was the largest Red Timestone I could find.”
A gem as red as a heart, nestled in a box, sparkled in the light.
The screen, which had been focused on the Red Timestone, slowly faded to black.
The audience held their breath, waiting for what would come next. If it ended here, they would storm the Marine Company offices. The audience's eyes, gleaming murderously, stared intently at the black screen. After a silence that felt like an eternity, a sound flowed from the speakers.
Thump, thump.
The sound of someone walking was heard. The camera slowly pulled back. What was thought to be a black background was the back of Shadowman, Mac.
Music began to play.
It was a soft, gentle piano melody.
Shadowman, seen only from behind, was walking, holding something precious. With each steady step, two small feet in sneakers with short legs dangled back and forth.
Ah.
Lee Miyeon, Park Seongah, and the rest of the audience clapped their hands over their mouths.
The camera, which had been filming Shadowman from behind, slowly panned to the side. A child could be seen, sleeping with his head resting in Shadowman’s arms. The child wore a serene smile, his cheeks flushed red as if in happiness.
Shadowman, patting the sleeping child as he walked, stopped in front of a house.
It was the home of the couple who had never even considered moving, hoping their lost child would return.
*Sniff.*
The sound of someone crying could be heard. As if in sync, Lee Miyeon’s eyes also reddened. But she never took her eyes off the screen. Even with her vision blurred by tears, she didn't want to miss a single moment.
Shadowman carefully set the child down next to the front door. Then he placed a teddy bear beside the child. The bear, ‘William,’ was something Jin Natra had cherished, but it was worn enough to clearly show that a different amount of time had passed for him than on Earth.
Tul Natra had gifted the child sneakers, hoping he would grow up bright and strong.
Bel Natra had gifted the child a sweater, hoping he would stay warm.
Shadowman, hoping the child would make new memories,
“I hope you get along with this friend, too.”
gifted him a new teddy bear.
After placing the clean teddy bear next to the child, Shadowman stood up. He gazed at the child’s peaceful face and opened his mouth.
“…Sorry I’m late.”
Shadowman pressed the doorbell and left.
Ding-dong.
-Yes, I’m coming.
The camera followed Shadowman. The sound of the front door opening was heard.
Bel Natra and Tul Natra, who had been waiting anxiously by Mac’s car, stared intently at Shadowman’s back.
Their eyes were filled with sorrow, joy, longing, and a deep wish for the child’s happiness.
-…William! My baby!
Shadowman, Mac, turned to look back.
The camera focused on the scene.
The child who had lost his parents long ago nestled into his mother's warm embrace.
Warm sunlight settled over them.
***
The child blinked his eyes open. Someone was in his vision, still hazy with sleep. There were three people, and he heard one of their voices.
“Jin? Jin. Are you awake?”
“No…”
It was a young voice, thick with sleep. The people in his blurry vision stopped moving. The child smiled innocently and said.
“William is William…”
“Right… William.”
At the sound of a dependable man’s voice and a gentle patting hand, William drifted back to sleep. A faint voice brushed past his ear. It sounded like someone was crying.
“…This time, I’ll make sure to take you to your mom and dad.”
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