"...Seohu."
That was when "Ryu Sunghyun" spoke. He patted Cha Seohu's back slowly, as if to calm him down. His cheek—slashed moments ago—had already healed completely.
"Are you confused?"
He asked softly, glancing at Cha Sahyeon before turning back to Seohu.
Watching Seohu's pale face and unfocused eyes with a conflicted expression, he continued, directing his words to Sahyeon.
"I understand how you feel. But wait."
Sahyeon's brow furrowed, his green eyes glinting coldly with suspicion.
"Wait? Why should I? I could just deal with you here and get my brother back."
"That won't work. You can't wake Seohu that way. His mind is trapped. You're not planning to destroy his psyche, are you?"
"......"
Sahyeon stayed silent. His gaze flicked to Seohu.
Seohu looked slightly calmer under "Ryu Sunghyun's" steady patting, but when his eyes darted toward Sahyeon, there was still fear and hatred deeply rooted there.
Sahyeon bit his lip. Normally, he would have argued coldly—but not this time.
He couldn't stay composed—not when worry for his brother clawed at him, and those eyes filled with pure hatred pierced him like needles.
His grip on the sword tightened. Finally, with a tense voice, he asked,
"What do you mean, wait?"
A rough wind blew, tossing "Ryu Sunghyun's" brown hair. Beneath it, his complicated gaze met Sahyeon's as he spoke bitterly.
"This hypnosis—he has to break free on his own. So just wait a little. It won't take long."
Both of them turned to look at Cha Seohu, who remained still in his arms like a lifeless doll.
"Seohu."
Cha Seohu suddenly came to his senses. Before him sat a table filled with food—and across from him, Ryu Sunghyun was watching with concern.
Seohu blinked, startled.
'Why am I here? I was just... talking with Hyung in the room, wasn't I?'
"What's wrong? You don't feel well?"
Ryu Sunghyun's worried voice drew curious looks from the guild members eating with them.
"Huh? Is Seohu-hyung sick?"
"He does look a bit pale."
Seohu quickly shook his head under their worried stares.
"No, I just spaced out for a second. I'm fine."
He forced a small smile and picked up his chopsticks—but couldn't bring himself to eat.
He only wet his lips with a sip of water before finishing the meal. When they returned to the guild together, Ryu Sunghyun ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) patted his shoulder lightly and smiled.
"You didn't forget, right? You promised to go home with me after work."
"Ah..."
"I'll just wrap things up and be right there. Go rest in your room for a bit."
Before Seohu could say anything, Ryu Sunghyun walked off.
Left alone, Seohu blinked and began walking slowly. When he returned to his small room tucked in the corner of the first floor, the air felt strangely cold against his skin.
'...What is this?'
Once alone, the unease grew worse.
He couldn't stand still. He paced restlessly. He tried sitting on the edge of the bed, but the nervousness was unbearable, and he stood again.
"What is this... what the hell...""
He muttered under his breath, pressing a hand to his forehead.
Why did he feel so uneasy? Was it because Ryu Sunghyun wasn't here? Or had he finally gone mad?
He didn't know how to escape this growing dread.
Gnawing on his lip, Seohu finally grabbed the doorknob. Maybe if he went out, talked with the guild members, he'd calm down. Or maybe he could ask the Guildmaster for a short break—
Then he froze.
A mirror hung on the wall beside the door.
Seohu looked at it without thinking—and locked eyes with his own reflection.
"......!"
He flinched violently before he could look away.
"Shit—what the—what...?"
His face went pale as he stumbled backward, and the figure in the mirror recoiled in perfect sync.
A mirror—something that was supposed to reflect him exactly. But why...
'The hair... no, the clothes too—they're wrong.'
The reflection's hair was blond, not black. Even the facial features looked slightly different.
And the clothes—Seohu was wearing a simple T-shirt and jacket, but the one in the mirror wore a black turtleneck under a white robe.
'A monster? A mental-skill illusion? Or...'
Knock, knock.
Seohu's breath caught. A neat, gentle knocking came from the other side of the door.
Ryu Sunghyun had returned.
He forced his ragged breathing under control, his eyes trembling.
'Hyung.'
Another polite knock echoed.
In the mirror, his reflection stared straight back at him, face ghostly pale.
Cold sweat trickled down his chin.
Seohu—
No, I—
"Ha..."
—I already knew. It's time to go.
The other me in the mirror gave a sorrowful smile.
"Seohu?"
Ryu Sunghyun's voice came through the door. My hand on the knob trembled violently.
...I wanted to open it.
I wanted to forget everything and greet him—go home with him.
Tell him I'd had a terrible nightmare, act like a child, and fall asleep in his arms.
"But... I can't."
The Ryu Sunghyun waiting beyond this door wasn't real. That peace would only be an empty death that gave me nothing.
My shaking hand slipped slowly from the knob.
"Seohu."
As his voice and knocking continued, I turned away from the door.
I faced the mirror.
When I closed my eyes and opened them again, I was wearing the same outfit as my reflection.
Power I hadn't felt a moment ago surged through my body—the strength of an S-rank dealer.
I didn't know how long I'd been trapped in this memory, but there was no more time to waste. My teammates were in danger—including the real Ryu Sunghyun.
I already knew how to get out.
I reached out, and the item appeared in my hand.
The small hand mirror Chronos had given me.
As soon as it materialized, the knocking outside grew harsher—as if this false world was trying to keep me trapped.
But that violent sound only helped me let go of my last hesitation. Whoever was outside wasn't Ryu Sunghyun.
Without a moment's doubt, I opened the hand mirror.
Crack!
The mirror reflected me and the room around me—then a deafening shattering noise exploded in my head.
A long fracture split across the mirror's surface, and darkness flooded my vision.
As the sensation of falling swallowed me, I closed my eyes.
The first thing I felt was a cold wind brushing across my face.
The second—a strong arm wrapped tightly around my waist. Then, the warmth of a body holding me close.
"Ugh..."
My head throbbed from the aftereffects of escaping the mental trap. I pressed my forehead and slowly opened my eyes.
My vision was blurry at first, but as I blinked several times, a familiar voice reached me.
"Hyung."
"...Sahyeon?"
The headache eased slightly. Ahead of me stood Cha Sahyeon, black wings of shadow spread wide behind him, his expression desperate.
"Hyung, are you awake? Do you... recognize me?"
He must have realized I'd been caught in a mental-type skill. Of course he did—it was Sahyeon.
"Yeah. I..."
I started to answer, still unsure of my situation, when the arm around my waist tightened. I stopped speaking.
I lowered my hand from my forehead and slowly lifted my head.
And in that instant, everything froze.
Soft brown hair falling loosely over gentle eyes.
A mouth curving in a faint, bittersweet smile.
A face etched into my memory—aged two years but achingly familiar.
Everything stopped. My thoughts, the cold wind on my skin, even my awareness of the team around me.
I couldn't not recognize him. I'd just seen another "Ryu Sunghyun" moments ago.
I stared blankly at the man holding me, then whispered in disbelief.
"Hyung...?"
"Yeah."
The reply came immediately.
"It's me, Seohu."
Ryu Sunghyun smiled a little wider, the corners of his lips lifting, his eyes softening warmly.
That voice—it was exactly the same as in my memories.
Or rather... it was the voice that had been fading from my memories for too long.
Even after regression, I'd spent time with Ryu Sunghyun—two whole years—but they weren't the same.
I'd refused to accept it for a long time because it hurt too much. But it was true. The Ryu Sunghyun of this world and that Ryu Sunghyun—were different.
And the one standing before me now was him.
Realizing it, my heart began to pound violently.
Countless questions flooded my head—how, why, what happened—
But the words that escaped my mouth were entirely different.
"Is it... really you?"
Something hot rose in my throat. My eyes burned.
"Really? It's really you, Sunghyun-hyung?"
Ryu Sunghyun looked at me with aching sorrow, then pulled me tightly into his arms.
"Yeah. It's me. Really me."

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