Episode 12: The Weight of Memories

The fire crackled softly. Shadows danced against the wooden walls of the small candle-lit room. Naabi sat beside Jae-min, her fingers curled into the fabric of her sleeve, watching him cautiously.

His breathing was uneven, his hands still trembling. The memories had returned—but so had the pain.

"I wish I didn't remember," he had said.

And that single sentence had shattered something inside her.

What was he hiding?

The Silence Between Them

The others had given them space, retreating into the village. Even Greenforest, who rarely left Naabi’s side, had quietly excused himself.

But Naabi stayed.

She waited.

Jae-min sat with his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor as if it held all the answers. His lips parted—then closed. He hesitated.

Naabi took a deep breath. “Jae-min… whatever it is, you can tell me.”

He flinched at her voice.

Then, finally, he spoke.

A Past Wrapped in Blood and Betrayal

"I wasn’t always like this," Jae-min murmured. His voice was distant. Hollow.

Naabi listened carefully, her heart pounding.

"When I was a child, my family lived in a secluded part of the kingdom. We weren’t nobility, but we were important. My father… he was a scholar, one of the king’s trusted advisors."

Naabi frowned. “Then why—”

Jae-min’s expression twisted. Pain. Guilt. Fear.

"One day, the king ordered my father to study an ancient prophecy. A warning about a great power that could awaken if certain bloodlines crossed. My father discovered something—something that terrified him. But before he could reveal it… he was silenced."

A chill ran down Naabi’s spine.

"Silenced?"

Jae-min’s jaw clenched. "Murdered. Poisoned in front of me."

The room felt colder. Naabi’s hands tightened in her lap, but she didn’t interrupt.

"I was taken. Locked away. The royal family didn’t want anyone to know the truth. But… they didn’t kill me."

His voice shook slightly. A dark truth lingered in his eyes.

"They needed me."

The Blood of the Cursed

Naabi’s breath hitched. “Needed you for what?”

Jae-min’s hands curled into fists. His knuckles turned white.

"The curse wasn’t just something that happened to me. It was forced on me. Experimented on me."

Naabi gasped. “What?”

Jae-min exhaled shakily. "The king’s advisor—an old sorcerer—used me as a test subject. He tried to manipulate fate, to see if he could control the curse. But something went wrong. Instead of gaining power, I lost my memories, my emotions… my identity."

His eyes flickered with something unreadable.

"That’s why I forgot everything."

Naabi’s chest ached. Jae-min hadn’t just been cursed—he had been used.

She reached out, carefully placing a hand over his clenched fists. “Jae-min…”

His gaze snapped to hers.

She squeezed his hands gently. She wouldn’t let him go through this alone.

A Heavy Truth

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Jae-min took a deep breath. “There’s more.”

Naabi braced herself.

"The prophecy my father discovered—it wasn’t just a warning. It was a prediction."

"A child of two bloodlines would be born… and that child would have the power to either save or destroy the world."

Naabi felt her throat go dry.

She had read about prophecies before, but this…

She whispered, “Jae-min… was it about you?”

His silence was her answer.

Her stomach twisted.

"They wanted to control you. To make you a weapon."

Jae-min’s voice was barely above a whisper.

"And they almost succeeded."

The Shadows That Still Haunt

Naabi’s mind raced. If Jae-min had truly been a pawn in a larger game, then what did that mean for their future?

Was the prophecy still in motion? Was someone still trying to control him?

She swallowed hard. “Does the royal family know you’re alive?”

Jae-min shook his head. “I doubt it. The sorcerer who experimented on me vanished years ago. Most of the kingdom thinks I’m dead.”

Naabi hesitated. “And… what about the curse? The one that was just lifted?”

Jae-min’s lips pressed into a thin line. “That’s the problem.”

He turned toward her, his gaze dark and serious. “The curse wasn’t just locking away my memories. It was suppressing my power.”

Naabi’s eyes widened.

Jae-min exhaled sharply. "Now that it’s gone… I don’t know what’s going to happen."

A Dangerous Road Ahead

The weight of his words settled between them.

Naabi knew one thing for certain—they were in more danger now than ever before.

If Jae-min’s power truly was connected to the prophecy, then someone would come looking for him. And if the wrong people found him first…

Naabi pushed down the rising fear. She wouldn’t let that happen.

Jae-min must have sensed her determination because his shoulders relaxed slightly.

“…I’m scared, Naabi.”

The honesty in his voice shattered something inside her.

She reached up and gently cupped his face, forcing him to meet her eyes. “Then we’ll figure it out together.”

Jae-min stared at her for a long moment.

Then—

He leaned forward.

Naabi’s breath caught. Their foreheads brushed, their noses barely touching.

His voice was barely a whisper. “…Thank you.”

She closed her eyes. “Always.”

To Be Continued…

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