Episode 11: Echoes of the Past

The wind was cold. The night sky stretched endlessly above them, but the shadows of the collapsing chamber still clung to their skin.

Naabi sat beside Jae-min, watching him carefully. His breathing was slow, steady—but there was something different. The way his eyes moved, flickering as if lost between reality and a dream.

“Jae-min?” she whispered.

He turned his head towards her, blinking slowly.

“…Who are you?”

Naabi’s heart dropped.

The Aftermath of the Curse

The group froze. The words hung in the air, heavy and sharp.

Joon-woo was the first to move, stepping forward. “Jae-min, stop messing around.”

Jae-min stared at him. His gaze was empty, detached. “I don’t… know you.”

Naabi felt a chill creep down her spine. No. This couldn’t be happening.

Min-kyu crouched beside her. “Wait, maybe he’s just confused.” He snapped his fingers in front of Jae-min’s face. “Do you know where you are?”

Jae-min’s eyebrows furrowed. He looked around at the rocky hilltop, at the crumbling ruins behind them. His fingers dug into the dirt, as if grounding himself.

“I…” He hesitated. His lips parted—then closed again.

Naabi reached for his hand. “Jae-min, it’s me. Naabi.”

He looked at her, his eyes searching hers. For a moment, hope fluttered in her chest.

Then—

He pulled his hand away.

Naabi’s breath caught.

“I don’t remember,” he whispered.

The world tilted.

Memories Lost

Silence wrapped around them, thicker than the night air.

Joon-woo exhaled sharply. “The spirit did something to him.”

Greenforest’s jaw clenched. “She lifted the curse, but she took something in return.”

Naabi’s fingers curled into her palms. Why did it have to be Jae-min?

Min-kyu rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, let’s not panic. Maybe it’s temporary.”

“I hope so,” Seo-jin muttered, arms crossed. “But if it’s not, we need a plan.”

Jae-min was silent, staring at the ground. As if he wasn’t part of this conversation.

Naabi swallowed past the lump in her throat. She had to stay strong.

“Then we help him remember.”

Joon-woo nodded. “Agreed.”

Greenforest studied her for a long moment, then spoke softly, “We will. But for now, we need to move.”

The ground beneath them was still unstable. The ruins behind them had barely settled. It wasn’t safe here.

The Journey to the Hidden Village

The group moved carefully, stepping over fallen rocks and uneven ground. The journey was long. Hours passed in silence, only broken by the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant hoot of an owl.

Naabi stayed close to Jae-min, watching him. Every step he took, every glance he gave—it wasn’t the same.

The man she had known, the man who had fought beside her, was gone.

Would she ever get him back?

Greenforest must have noticed her expression because he gently nudged her shoulder. “Don’t lose hope.”

Naabi sighed. “It’s hard not to.”

Greenforest hesitated, then reached out and lightly squeezed her hand.

Naabi stilled.

“Hope is what keeps us moving,” he murmured. “Don’t let go of it yet.”

Her heart skipped.

She didn’t pull away.

A Village Hidden in the Fog

By the time the sky began to lighten, the group finally reached their destination—a hidden village nestled deep in the hills.

Mist curled around the wooden houses, and lanterns flickered in the early dawn. It felt like stepping into a different world, one untouched by time.

The villagers watched them carefully as they entered, but no one stopped them.

“They know us,” Joon-woo murmured.

Min-kyu nodded. “This place has always helped travelers.”

Naabi took a deep breath, letting the calmness of the village settle her nerves.

Then, a voice called out.

“You look like hell.”

A woman in a dark blue hanbok stepped forward. Her eyes sharp, her presence commanding.

Greenforest smirked. “Good to see you too, Haneul.”

She crossed her arms. “What trouble did you bring this time?”

Joon-woo exhaled. “The kind that needs answers.”

Haneul’s gaze flickered to Jae-min.

“…I see.”

She turned on her heel. “Follow me.”

A Risky Ritual

Haneul led them to a small, candlelit room. The air smelled of herbs and ink. Strange symbols were painted on the walls.

Naabi shivered. This was no ordinary healer’s home.

Haneul gestured for Jae-min to sit. He did—hesitantly.

“I can look into his memories,” she said. “But there’s a risk.”

Naabi’s stomach tightened. “What kind of risk?”

Haneul’s expression darkened. “If I force it, I might unlock something else. Something buried.”

Silence.

Jae-min’s fingers curled into the fabric of his sleeve. His hesitation was clear.

Then, he looked at Naabi.

“…Do you think I should do it?”

Her heart ached.

She wanted to say yes. She wanted him back.

But at what cost?

She took a shaky breath. “It’s your choice, Jae-min.”

His gaze lingered on hers for a moment longer.

Then, finally, he nodded.

“Do it.”

The Dive into the Unknown

Haneul moved quickly, placing her fingers against Jae-min’s temples.

The room hummed with energy.

Naabi held her breath.

Jae-min’s eyes fluttered closed. His body tensed. Then—

A sharp intake of breath.

His entire form jerked violently.

Naabi reached for him, but Greenforest stopped her. “Wait.”

Jae-min’s head snapped back—his lips parted in a silent scream.

And then—

Memories flooded the room.

Images flickered in the air. Moments lost to time.

Jae-min as a child, laughing in a sunlit field.

A hidden chamber, dark and damp. A voice whispering in the shadows.

Blood. His own blood. A curse sealing itself onto his skin.

Then—

A final memory.

Jae-min, standing in the middle of a storm.

A woman in white, her hands cupping his face.

"You will forget, my child. You must forget."

A sudden, piercing scream.

And then—

Darkness.

The Awakening

Jae-min’s body lurched forward. He gasped, eyes wide, chest heaving.

Naabi grabbed his shoulders. “Jae-min!”

His gaze locked onto hers.

And for the first time since the curse was lifted—

Recognition filled his eyes.

“…Naabi?”

Her heart leapt. “You remember?”

Jae-min exhaled shakily. His hands trembled.

“…I remember everything.”

A beat of silence.

Then, softly—

“I wish I didn’t.”

To Be Continued…

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