The Madwoman

“Rebecca, you have to live righteously.”

“What does living righteously even mean?”

“Just put your hand on your chest. If there’s no shame, you’re doing it right.”

“I put my hand there and there’s no shame. Guess I’m living righteously.”

“Rebecca, you secretly ate snacks earlier, didn’t you?”

“Ah… you caught me.”

“Still no shame?”

“There is.”

“A lot?”

“Just a tiny bit?”

“Yeah, that much is fine.”

“Lee Han, do you have a lot of shame?”

“Huh. Looks like I do.”

“Even though I forgave you?”

“Yeah.”

“Cheer up! I’ll be ashamed right along with you.”

“Thanks. Seeing you gives me strength.”

Go. Don’t go.

Go. Don’t go.

Like a girl in love plucking petals from a flower, I squatted down and flipped a coin.

The time was eleven in the morning.

One hour before noon—the time that inscrutable woman had told me to meet her.

No matter how I thought about it, going was the right choice.

I couldn’t just ignore a major threat like someone who knew my true identity.

But at the same time, I really didn’t want to.

It wasn’t like I was going to kill her to shut her up, and she never gave straight answers anyway. So why bother?

…Honestly, more than anything, the atmosphere around her made me uncomfortable.

That relaxed attitude. The way she smiled like she knew everything.

Just thinking about her face made my head spin.

Damn it. What am I even thinking?

Anyway, I hated that vague feeling of being unable to refuse her words. I hated feeling like I was being led around. That’s why I didn’t want to go.

“Ugh… guess I don’t have a choice.”

Might as well see it through, whether it turns out well or not.

I washed up, combed my hair, sprayed on some cologne, and then… what should I wear…

“What the hell are you doing, Lee Han!”

She’s my enemy.

I should be as threatening as possible!

I slapped my own cheek hard while looking in the mirror.

You’re not some teenage boy from Eclipse—you’re a two-thousand-year-old True Ancestor!

What kind of pathetic display is this at your age!

Don’t let her sway you!

Well, I’m not exactly a teenage boy anymore either, but let’s just move on.

“Is she some kind of succubus?”

It felt strangely unpleasant to show any weakness in front of her.

They say the demon army has succubi that can charm humans.

If that’s the case, I had no choice but to go all out.

**

The woman—Seon—was standing gracefully in front of the fountain in the square, waiting for me.

At least she had arrived first, so this was my win.

Current time: twelve-oh-one.

This should be enough.

Time to head out… wait, where is she going?!

“Hold on!”

“Oh? You’re here. I figured you weren’t coming even after the appointed time, so I was about to leave.”

“It’s only been a minute! How can you just leave…!”

“Weren’t you hiding somewhere long before that?”

“!!!”

I had used my best stealth techniques—techniques respected in my line of work—and she still saw through them.

She really wasn’t an ordinary woman.

“Pfft! Your reaction tells me I was right. Ahaha, boys your age are all like that.”

“…You were testing me.”

It was humiliating.

Boys my age…

She kept treating me like a child.

“How old are you, anyway?”

“Oh my, are you sulking?”

“No. I’m not sulking, it’s just that you keep treating me like a kid…!”

“Sorry. I was just happy to see you.”

I hated how she always left me with nothing to say.

“I’m not teasing you. I’m probably older than you, right?”

“How would you know how old I am?”

“You just became an adult this year, didn’t you?”

…That was true, publicly speaking.

But she looked about the same age as me. Older?

“Now that you’re done sulking, let’s go buy you some clothes first. I can’t stand looking at what you’re wearing anymore.”

“I told you I’m not sulking!”

Ah, no.

These shabby clothes were part of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my strategy!

**

The sun was beginning to set.

We sat on a bench, each holding a hotteok we’d bought from a street stall.

The woman stared at the pastry with wonder, then took a bite and made a face of pure bliss.

The sunset dyed the world in its own violent red.

She, too, was bathed in that crimson light.

As she sat on the bench quietly observing the passersby, her profile was breathtakingly beautiful.

Even the most ordinary scenes seemed to sparkle inside her eyes.

“What exactly are you after?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“You suddenly called me out and we’ve just been fooling around all day.”

“So, was it not fun?”

“…”

“If it wasn’t, I’m sorry. It was one of my wishes.”

“It wasn’t bad.”

It reminded me of the time I’d enjoyed a festival with Rebecca.

Today wasn’t a festival, but… we’d gone shopping, eaten, and wandered around the city streets. Wasn’t that similar?

“I’m glad it wasn’t bad. Another one of my wishes just came true.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It means your feelings matter too.”

This woman acted strangely affectionate toward me.

Almost as if I were a long-forgotten lover.

That would be impossible unless I’d been hit on the head with a hammer and lost my memories.

Of course, it wasn’t a memory I had experienced myself… or was it?

Still, I was certain I didn’t know her.

But was there any need to ignore this kindness?

“So when are you going to answer my question?”

“Right. That was the deal. Since I received something, I should give something back. Ask away.”

“What were you doing at the mansion yesterday?”

“I followed knowledge.”

“…What knowledge?”

The woman pulled a dagger from her pocket.

A deep, vivid red dagger.

Yet the blade didn’t carry the eerie crimson of blood. Instead, it seemed to hold a burning passion. Strange characters were engraved upon it.

The hilt hid a golden pattern embossed within that brilliant red.

It had quite an antique design.

“I got it there. I’ll give it to you.”

“To me…?”

“You’re an assassin, aren’t you?”

“…”

Assassins didn’t use flashy weapons like this.

But considering all the mental anguish she’d caused me, maybe this was fair compensation.

I quickly slipped it into my coat before she could change the subject.

She let out a soft laugh when she saw me.

What the hell.

“You. What exactly is our relationship?”

“We’re people who saved each other’s lives.”

“Do you always have to answer in riddles?”

“Sorry. It’s because I’m bound by causality.”

“Bound by causality?”

“Have you ever heard of prophecy?”

Prophecy.

They said there was once an era when people called prophets walked this land.

Real prophets—not the con artists I’d seen at the Moon Festival.

“I’ve heard there were some plausible swindlers.”

“Is that so? That’s not entirely wrong. You could see them as one giant group of swindlers. Still, because their hearts were pure, we don’t call them swindlers.”

The woman looked at me as if she were about to tell an interesting story.

“In an age of brilliant darkness, a man who had fallen into despair for some reason became the first prophet.”

“There’s even a lineage for that?”

“Why do you think a man who had fallen into despair became a prophet?”

“To prevent any more despair in the future? If you can see what’s coming, you can avoid it.”

“That would have been too pure. Because he had despaired, he spent his entire life looking up at the sky, searching for a reason not to despair, yearning for hope.”

What is this?

Is this some kind of predetermined answer game?

“Finally, the first prophet uttered his last prophecy of joy toward the heavens and fell into eternal sleep. His disciples fell into chaos.”

“Shouldn’t they have been happy?”

“No matter how much they searched the heavens, all that remained was despair. Yet they had heard a prophecy of hope. What would you have done?”

“If they were that pessimistic a group, they would have desperately tried to interpret the prophecy.”

Of course, if it were really me, I wouldn’t have done anything.

Nothing ever changes anyway.

Rash actions only bring unnecessary consequences.

“They suppressed their fear and became messengers themselves, burning their lives to let people know that hope still remained. They wandered endlessly. The despairing sang songs of hope to the people.”

“So what does this have to do with the causality you mentioned earlier? Are you a descendant of that prophet or something?”

“Haha, want to hear more?”

Her—Seon’s—face was far too radiant.

“Ah, yes. A prophecy is merely a fragment of observation regarding greatness. Those who believed their own prophecies had caused a dark future to come true began to fall silent in self-loathing. Those who believed their prophecies had caused a bright future began to whisper hope without end.”

Seon sang.

“But eventually, all the prophets fell silent. It was because they had realized the end of the world.”

By now, the sunset’s final throes danced across her face like a dying gasp.

“Eyes that had always looked toward the heavens now turned to the ground, which meant futility. But the final prophecy remained in their hearts. That is the power to defy fate. O you who have realized causality, I shall tell you my prophecy of hope, so please remain silent!”

A solemn grandeur settled over Seon’s face as the sunset shimmered and faded.

“This shall be my final prophecy. Remember it. And engrave it in your hearts.

O you who know the secrets of the world, I beg you—please ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠remain silent.

The end is not the end, for hope stands by your side.

Because there is an end, there shall soon be a beginning, so do not despair.

An endless night shall fill you completely.

An endless night shall fill the world completely.

Be strong.

Be stronger than anything.

In the endless darkness, your breath shall prove your existence, so do not doubt.

In the endless darkness, light shall stand by your side, so do not be lonely.

As long as you remember the light, the light shall return.

As long as you remember the light, the light shall not be extinguished.

O you! Even if you lose your way, do not worry.

The light shall guide your path.

When loss grieves for loss and thus loses loss itself,

The darkness shall lift,

And life shall return to this world.

Remember—hope is by your side.

And once more, my final plea: O you who know the secrets of the world, I beg you—please remain silent. Beware your own causality!”

After spouting those incomprehensible ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠words, her mouth disappeared into the darkness.

Her face resembled that of a prophet.

“…?”

“Do you understand now?”

“No. I’m even more confused.”

“It means that those who have realized the prophecy must remain silent, wary of causality.”

“You talk plenty, though.”

“I can decide for myself which parts require silence.”

…Was this woman messing with me?

“So you’re just going to do whatever you want.”

“That’s right.”

“You crazy woman…!”

“Whoa, whoa. That’s enough. I’m sorry too. But I did give you a gift.”

“…I never asked for it. You called me out like you were going to tell me everything, dragged me around all day, and then…”

“That makes me a little sad to hear. Alright. I’ll do something else for you instead.”

“…Like what.”

There it was again.

I couldn’t bring myself to treat this woman—who was clearly toying with me—with the harshness she deserved.

Whenever it involved her, I became strangely lenient.

I didn’t want to be like this…

Suddenly—

She pulled me into a hug.

“You must have gone through a lot. I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner.”

“…You’re not going to tell me anything, are you?”

“Nope. But if I had known you’d cry like this, I would’ve come much earlier.”

I could have easily pushed her away…

But the fact that I couldn’t made me furious with myself.

Fuck. Do we really have some kind of relationship?

“What would you know? My life wasn’t bad.”

“I know everything.”

Seon gently traced the back of my neck with her fingers.

What is she doing?

Was the hug supposed to be the gift? It felt pretty shameless and cheap.

“While I wasn’t looking, you put on something bad. It’s been bothering me for a while.”

“Something bad?”

“Yeah. This thing on your neck. I can’t do much else, but I can at least remove this. Be careful from now on.”

Click.

The shackles of subordination.

The thing that had been with me for the past thirteen years.

The deeply engraved brand of a slave vanished in a burst of flame.

“See you next time. I hope you’ll like me a little more then.”

Just like last time—poof.

She disappeared without a care for the crowd around us.

I was left alone.

“Hah… haa… haaaah.”

The shackles were gone.

The oppressive force that had bound me vanished.

But what came over me instead was…

“That… crazy… woman….”

It was hard to breathe.

Fear.