Several blinks out of the absolute darkness and Kim Sunggyu had already felt the edge of frustration creeping in. He felt his stiff body began cracking and relaxing as he gradually took in the view that had opened up as soon as he’d looked around. Of course, of ing course he would be in a dream again. Kim Sunggyu didn’t understand why it had even surprised him at all.

Everything was familiar, in the sense that he knew he had been there, in his past dreams. The vast, deserted greenland; the unmoving trees and bushes, and then, unanimously standing in the midst of the eeriness, was the one building he’d seen from the eye of the typhoon he was once trapped in.

It was all just too similar, too familiar. The only difference was the obvious absence of the heavy blizzard that used to surround and cage him in. It was oddly peaceful, maybe a tad too peaceful that he began to question why was it so.

He tried squinting his eyes, looking for any signs of life, had also tried straining his ears to listen to his surrounding. But the meadow was vacant of life, so dull and so still, like an abandoned graveyard.

He stepped around, turning his body but there weren’t much to see other than the building and oh, that’s an odd tree right there, he’d thought briefly but had only shrugged it off, shifting back his vision to the building.

There was a fleeting thought that told him that maybe he should’ve gone in there, to explore, and maybe the answer to all of these was hiding in there all these time. It was the only standing building after all.

But there’s also another thought that had held him back, an instinct that he’d long lost along with the Eye. He knew that deep down; it wasn’t the right place, that the answer wasn’t buried there in the building. It didn’t really make any sense, yeah but then again, it was a dream after all.

Yet, that instinct had only led him back to the only odd thing left in the desolate land. The tree.

His eyes went back to it immediately, and they widened in unspoken wonder when he noticed that the tree had suddenly grown twice its initial size, bluish-green deep water isolating it from human approach. What had taken his attention since the beginning though was the tree’s leaves, they were brick red, heavily hanging off their huge branching trunks as the soft breeze rocked them melodiously, and yet he’d barely felt any wind grazing his skin at all.

The Red Tree, although humongous and slightly intimidating, was oddly enchanting. The tree itself was of dark brown, a beautiful contrast against the red leaves that swayed as if they were dancing to an unheard tune. A soundless tune that tugged at his heart, as if it was calling him to take a closer look at the Tree.

The call was even stronger when an impressive rush of gust had carried a few of those beautiful leaves in Kim Sunggyu’s way. His eyes naturally trailed the leaves, watching as they danced their way to him, around him as the wind slowly faded into just a soft caress against his cold cheeks, almost gone.

Gravity should have pulled the leaves down, the way all nature would do as the gentle breeze had finally faded. Yet they didn’t, just kept on floating and twirling around him as if they were delivering him a message; come to me.

And Kim Sunggyu wasn’t alarmed, just curled a small smile, a little fond, as he took his first step towards the Red Tree.

The sight of the Tree grew bigger and even more daunting the closer he’d gotten to it, had looked even more majestic as the colour burned a deeper shade when he was this close. But as he approached the edge of the deep-water, the green lake that separated him from the Tree, the smell of nostalgia began wafting through him, though barely for a second. His forehead wrinkled into an inquisitive knot, wondering why he’d felt that way towards the strange Tree.

He was a little cautious then, but the ringing alarms in his head was damp in comparison to his dominant feeling of wanting to be closer to the enchanting tree, wanting to bath beneath the shade of its ample red leaves. So he threw the remaining cautions out his window and just let his legs follow where the leaves were encouraging him, closer and closer—

Until he had to halt his advance, frowning at the deep lake that’s forbidding him from reaching his Tree.

The pirouetting leaves had kept on urging him forward, though the edging still easy despite a little demanding then. Yet Kim Sunggyu just couldn’t see any mean to cross the lake, the water so deep that he saw nothing but darkness beneath the green surface. But it was a dream, and a dream almost always had its way in their world, liked to play with the dreamer a little too much too, when the leaves – or so he’d thought – had given him a firm push against his back.

Before he knew it, Kim Sunggyu had already stumbled in his steps, taken by surprise, as he heard the splashes of water first before he felt them soak his shoes. He blinked his eyes in awe as he saw himself standing above the lake, tilted his head down to see how he’d even managed to do so. Though he didn’t really see anything out of ordinary except for his own rippled reflection. It was as if there was a glass made just beneath the surface of the water, holding him up, hidden behind the darkness of the water.

He just laughed a little then, felt so stupid and played with for a second. He had shaken his head, laughing at himself as he turned his head around to reprimand and possibly thank those adorable leaves for the rough hint but what met him instead was what made him so stupefied.

He’d met eyes with someone, or rather, a split mirror image of himself, a younger version, maybe—

What.

“What the hell?” He’d cursed under his breath, a little spooked. But his mirror self had only smiled instead, blinking as if it was actually alive. Sunggyu had to flatter his eyelashes a little, rubbed his eyes too, just in case. But the other him was still there, solid and very much breathing and alive, had even chuckled at him too, probably for being so flabbergasted and deadly confused. And it was odd. Too odd.

“What—“ He started and failed to finish his thought. Honestly, he couldn’t even conjure any thought at that point, too confused with the odds of seeing himself in the flesh.

“Kim Sunggyu.” The other had echoed out, his voice similar but with a tinge of a difference to its tone and intonation. It was weird and godly, as if there was a ringing echo to its voice. Sunggyu fluttered his lashes, flustered upon the first sound of his voice.

“Y-yeah, that’s me. I, uh, I guess?” He stuttered out, and his mirror image barely had his eyebrows raised, amusedly staring the other down at his fumble of identity crisis.

“Is that, supposed to be a question?” The other had questioned, definitely amused if the hint of his smirk was anything to go by. Sunggyu was still confused, honestly, but there was an air of familiarity in the way the other was talking to him despite the godly voice, and Kim Sunggyu couldn’t help but feel himself relaxing around him, didn’t even realise that he did until he had begun sputtering things that he wouldn’t normally say, in his normally sassy self.

“Uh, I mean, Kim Sunggyu could be you too, you know? I mean, you look, just like, me.” Sunggyu addressed, “which is weird by the way,” he added, his hands gesturing at the other clumsily.

His mirror image though, had only annoyingly cluck his tongue at him and shot him a challenging look instead, and Sunggyu had almost wanted to deck his head for looking so ing rude.

“Excuse me, what?What was that look for? I’m ing older than you!” Sunggyu scolded, though the scolding bore no effect as soon as he had pouted his lips. The other scoffed as if he was mocking him, but he shook his head and motioned his head at him instead.

“Why don’t you look at me more closely?” He tested, an odd mystery lacing his words. Kim Sunggyu could only tilt his head confusedly, tiny eyes finally narrowing into even thinner slits as he scrutinised the other from head to toe and back to head, looking for what the other wasn’t really trying to hide. It was barely noticeable, yet distinct enough that he’d recognised it when he tried harder to see it.

“Oh,” He’d softly mumbled then, mind a little boggled as he took in the difference. “You, you don’t have my scar. And your skin and ears, they’re, they’re weird.” Sunggyu had aptly described, blinking as he continuously stared at said, uh, pointed ears. Yeah, they were pointy and the pinna was adorned with the company of exclusive earrings. The whole of his skin was a tinge of greyness, and they were even more beautiful in contrast to the faint red that began swirling just beneath both of his ears and traced down the side of his neck before they disappeared beneath the collar of his ancestral dress. It was hard to take his attention away from the beauty of the other’s uniqueness, but it was raked from him anyway when the person himself had cleared his throat and called him out on it.

“Way to be rude, Sunggyu. My ears and skin are not weird. But good to know that you still have your brain and eye intact after all.” The other not-him had replied, a smirk gracing his lips and Sunggyu was actually a little offended at the remark.

“Leave my brain alone.” He had pouted and the other had actually laughed, eyes crinkling into small crescents and his head tilted along the lilt of his laugh. It was odd. The laugh was odd, like, he’d heard them somewhere. It was a weird thought to have when this was their first time meeting and talking to each other. But the sound of his laughter was just so familiar, and so calming and there’s already an odd twinge in his chest, as if he felt oddly nostalgic watching the other laughing so freely when he shouldn’t even be in the first place.

And that was when it finally clicked, the first piece of puzzle to another.

“Wait. You’re— you are that person outside the blizzard, aren’t you? The one in my dream?” He’d asked, a little breathless, only because the other him was smiling then, the smile a strange mix of being a little fond and a little sad as Sunggyu finally realised of that fact.

The other had only given a subtle nod, as if that had answered all of his questions. But they hadn’t. And Kim Sunggyu frowned. There were so much he was thinking of, wanted to ask, wanted to know the answers to, but there wasn’t a single question that could sum them all up and Sunggyu, he was just so so desperate for them.

So in the end, he’d barely asked a simple question of “who are you?” Not knowing how else he could start the arrays of questions that had been swarming his mind all these while.

Sunggyu’s mirror self smiled at that, as if he’d already expected the question and he pushed himself down to a sit underneath the shade of the Tree, pulling Sunggyu with him as they settled down on the grassland.

“I have no name,” He’d begun. “All I know is that we’ve been addressing ourselves as a Cursed Being ever since long time ago.” He answered, looking far ahead just as a small red leaf fell and swayed against his cheek, as if it was consoling a pained heart. The other gave it a small smile, an appreciating look on his face.

“A Cursed Being?” Sunggyu deadpanned, eyebrow raised as if it was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. Because it was, when his mirror image had seemed so human, despite the ears, the skin and the faint red tattoo. They deserved a name of their own.

“You really don’t have any name at all? Uh, should I name you then? I mean, it’s kinda weird to talk to a, nameless person.” Sunggyu cringed at his own words, but the other had only seemed fond for a moment, eyes shifting to the humongous tree for the longest second. Sunggyu followed his trail of sight; his eyebrows pinched tight when he’d noticed that the tree had changed. It wasn’t by much, just that, the tree seemed a little older, the bark was paler instead of its stark dark brown, and the dark red leaves seemed to shrink and diminishing as they talked.

It was peculiar, but he couldn’t ponder on the thought longer than a second when the other had spoken, ripping his sight away from the tree.

“Well, if you insist, you can call me Donghyun.” The other—Donghyun, had said and the name had Sunggyu blinked, a little surprised. The name was too common for someone who had claimed to be as miraculous as a Cursed Being.

“Donghyun?” Sunggyu repeated, brows furrowing, bemused. The other had only shrugged his shoulders, nonchalant although there was a curl to his lips as he watched Sunggyu taking in the name.

“It’s a name I received from a friend of mine longtime ago.” Donghyun had still answered the unasked question. You had a friend?Sunggyu had wanted to ask but lost his chance when Donghyun had curtly shifted the topic.

“So, any other questions, Sunggyu?” He’d asked, a hint in the undertone of his question and Sunggyu understood. He still had lots and lots of unanswered questions, and he didn’t know how much longer will he be there, in the dream, with Donghyun.

“Why?” He started, swallowing nothing down his throat as he watched the way Donghyun had perked an eyebrow at his too-short-of-a-question.

“Why were you there?” Sunggyu continued, but shook his head instantly. “No, why are you here? In my dream? Now, before. In all of them. Why are you always there?”

“It’s for a lot of reasons, Sunggyu.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” Sunggyu frowned, getting a little frustrated at the clipped, mysterious answers. Donghyun seemed to notice his frustration, but he didn’t really offer anything more than a simple reassurance.

“It will, soon. Why don’t you ask me another question?” He’d changed the topic instead, and Sunggyu had a feeling that the answers he’ll get would still be a puzzle he had to piece himself, but maybe, some was better than nothing at all, right?

“Why were you outside of the blizzard at that time?”

“Because I’m not meant to be in there with you.” See, Sunggyu had almost scoffed, another puzzle piece.

“I, I wanted to call for you, in that dream. I, I didn’t want you to leave. It’s weird why I felt that way.” When I don’t even know what or who you are then, he didn’t say. “And, and you left me.” He sounded so small at that, knew that it was ridiculous to feel that way towards a stranger in a dream, but he’d still felt betrayed and alone then, and it was grating him for not knowing the reason he’d felt like that.

“That’s because you’re meant to let me go, Sunggyu.” Donghyun replied, and Sunggyu noticed the way the former was frowning, clenching his teeth as if it was hard for him to even say that. But—

“I don’t understand. Why do I need to let you go? Who are you,Donghyun? What do you have anything to do with me?”

“Sunggyu, you lost The Eye. But The Eye, is not yours to begin with. It’s not returning back to you, it’s parting ways.”

“Wait, what do you mea—“ And a sigh cut his question short, a deep, bitter sigh out of the other’s lips. And then a smile, the same mix of fond and sadness hidden behind its curl.

“You’ll understand, Sunggyu, once you remember.”

“Remember what?”

“The childhood that you had forgotten. There’s a lot more for you to remember and we don’t have much time. Also, he’s waiting for you.”

“Who’s waiting for me?”

“The one you’d forgotten.”

And in a blink of a second, it’s all about the darkness again.

Bright. The sky was awfully bright compared to the darkness that had engulfed him just seconds ago, Kim Sunggyu had thought as he’d let open his eyes. And the first thing that he saw was the soft, blue sky and the patches of white clouds scattering around to shield some of those bright, warm sunrays from scratching his skin to a burn. Then he’d looked up a little, and, ah, the Red Tree. It’s ample red leaves gifting him an extra shade from the harsh sunlight.

The weather was hot, though the breeze was a nice contrast of cold to his skin. It was a cosy weather for him to take a nap as he lay there on the cold grass. The leaves from the tree above him rattles to a sound as a particularly strong breeze swept through, a melodious noise to lull him to sleep, but—

Oh, . The tree, Donghyun.

Sunggyu had thought out loud, wanted to sit up and look at the tree that had nicely shaded him from the sun more closely, looking for said male.

But his body didn’t move, not even a twitch of muscle. He tried moving his arm but nothing, tried moving other parts of his body and still, nothing happened. It was just his chest breathing low and even, a total difference to his harsh beating heart as he realised that he was paralysed.

What’s going on?

“Hey, Gyu! Wake up! You lazy old man! Wake up! Let’s play!” Sunggyu almost had a heart attack when he’d heard a loud, pitched voice exploded very close to his ears, a tiny hand shaking his shoulder as if to “wake” him up when he’d been wide awake for quite a while. Sunggyu then looked up, had wanted to complain that he wanted to but he just couldn’t really, and that he’s not an old man.

But the words never really formed on his tongue when instead, his eyes caught sight of a small boy, probably six or seven years old, looking down at him eagerly as if waiting for him to come to, whom actually had oddly looked like— a little Nam Woohyun.

Kim Sunggyu had wanted to grab for him, had wanted to ask what’s happening to him but then, out of the blue, he’d suddenly leapt up instead, brushed the red leaves off of his body and shouted,

“Yah, Hyunnie! Wait for me!”

And oh,that was when he realised; he didn’t have any control of his own body.

“Hyun! Wait up!” He heard himself whined loudly, his voice shrill and squeaky as he sprinted off, tailing behind a running and giggling Woohyun. All without him doing so, not at his consciousness at least. It was as if his body was moving on its own, as if it had its own soul. And he was very close to freaking out, just so so close when—

“That’s Nam Woohyun, when he was eight years old.” He heard Donghyun spoke, and Sunggyu almost felt like crying when he’d heard the familiar voice.

Oh, thank god, you didn’t just leave me here. Wait, that’s really Woohyun?

And , why I am running? And why is my voice like that? It doesn’t sound like mine.

“That is your voice, when you were nine years old.”

Are you telling me, I’m trapped in my old body?

“Yes. You’re basically experiencing and seeing whatever the child you is seeing.”

I didn’t know I could be this active. I thought I had always been the lazy one.

“Time changes people. You used to be so cute, Sunggyu.”

Shut up. Now tell me, where is the child me taking me to?

“Wherever your memories had been.”

So this is—

“Your forgotten memories.”

Why did I forget them again in the first place?

Sunggyu calmly waited for a reply as he let his own body run in his kid pace, yet Donghyun had only kept his lips mum, was probably refusing to answer his question.

Oh, now you’re playing a Sherlock Holmes game. Fine. I’ll just see where this goes. You’re such an annoying little —oh , oooff!

The clumsy kid in him had tripped a foot against a root embedded on the ground, had fallen down so hard against it as he felt himself scrapped at his knee and palm. He could already feel the pain shooting up as he sat up and saw the wounds, bleeding and dirtied.

What?! Am I supposed to feel his pain too—oh no no no, don’t cry! , I’m crying but I’m also not crying! What should I do? And don’t laugh at me! I really don’t—

Sunggyu felt the tears pooling behind his eyes before he’d let them roll down his cheeks unwillingly, wailing and crying loudly, not so much shameful for letting out such an obnoxious sob despite being the older kid. And he’d seen, through his tear-shrouded vision, that the smaller Woohyun had heard of his obvious wailing, had stopped his run almost immediately before he’d sprinted back for him, concerned.

“Yah, Gyu! You’re always so clumsy!” The other reprimanded him as if he was the older one, had kneeled in front of him as he took a look at his wounds. But Kid Sunggyu had just kept on crying, sobbing and hiccupping as if the world was about to end.

Jesus Christ. I didn’t know I was this spoilt before.

“Here, let me blow on it. The pain will go away.” He heard Kid Woohyun said just before he blew soft, warm breath against the hot, bleeding wound. Kid Sunggyu was starting to calm down, only little sobs and hiccups leaving him as he watched the way Woohyun was diligently blowing air to soothe his pain away.

Once he’d heard the sobs waning, the small Woohyun finally looked up and grinned, almost proudly.

“See? Not so painful anymore right? Chungha noona taught me this secret!” He’d told the other genially. “Sheesh, you’re such a crybaby, Gyu.” Woohyun shook his head as he saw tear stains on the elder’s cheeks, a grin marring his look as he took it to himself to wipe Sunggyu’s tears away with the hem of his shirt.

And Kim Sunggyu pouted, both the Kid and Himself, for being babied.

“Not a baby.” The Kid him had grumbled, wiping his snots away by himself.

Yeah, definitely not a baby.

“You are. Your mom said you’re still a baby and that I had to take care of you.”

“But I’m older than you!” The Kid him retorted; had crossed his arms against his chest as he tried to make himself seem tougher.

“Your mom also said, adults like to be babied too so age doesn’t matter.” Woohyun giggled at the blush that seemed to flame into Sunggyu’s cheeks.

What did my mom teach these young children?! Oh my god!

“Whatever. Let’s go.” Sunggyu had said, willed to hide his embarrassment as he pouted his thin lips again, and grumpily swatted Woohyun’s hands away when he had offered, moping.

“I don’t need your help.” Sunggyu had grumbled, even tried to shoot the other his toughest glare but Woohyun had barely waved it off, beaming even brighter as he grabbed and held Sunggyu’s hand despite the latter’s protest.

“Nuh-uh, Gyu will always need my help.” Little Woohyun had told him. And they were just words spoken by a little boy, whom probably hadn’t meant for them to sound so meaningful, but as Sunggyu recalled all the moments he’d had with the elder version of Nam Woohyun, he couldn’t help but felt like those words had sounded so close to home.

And god, how he’d missed him, had felt guilt gradually crawling into his mind as he reminded himself of all the harsh words he’d said to the other just before all of these had happened—

Wha—

Suddenly the trees and the bushes began fading, melding and moulding into a weave of molten colours, the scenery swirling around into absolute nothingness, his head spinning with the sudden onslaught of everything until he realised that he was already on a boat, on the lake, with Kid Woohyun, in a different setting—or time, he couldn’t really tell.

What, just, happened?

“Your memories aren’t chronological, nor does it make any sense because it’s your childhood memories. Distant memories tend to have flaws and what I’m showing you was what I gathered from your memories.”

So now, we’re at a different set of memories?

“Yes.”

We have more memories together?

“Yes, a whole of childhood memories, Sunggyu. It will be endless if I showed you everything.”

I do?

“Gyu,” Little Woohyun had called, gathering his attention back. His voice sounded sad and sombre, and his look was a mirror to his tone too. “My family is moving away.”

The news he’d broken was too sudden, and too unexpected that it had caught him off guard, both him and his child self.

“You, you’re leaving me behind?” He heard himself talking, voice stuttering in a supressed quiver and Woohyun nodded, was chewing on his bottom lips too, guilty look showing obviously on his face.

“Stay!” Sunggyu had almost screamed out, anger clouding his vision as blood rushed to his head. He hadn’t thought that he would feel what the child him was feeling emotionally, but he did. Oh, he did. He’d felt the child’s anger seep through him, melding into his own as his chest felt heavily constricted. God, he hated being left behind, and he hated it even more when it was Nam Woohyun who’d be leaving him behind.

“I, I can’t, Gyu. I can’t stay. I’m sorry.” He apologised, but Sunggyu didn’t want any apology. All he wanted was Woohyun, just Woohyun, with him, beside him, forever.

“No, you have to stay!” The elder boy had yelled, stomping his feet as he willed the tears to stay at bay. “Or you can stay with me. My mom wouldn’t mind!” He’d suggested, the idea sounded so relevant and so intelligent that he’d beamed in hope. Hoping that Woohyun would have thought the same but—

“But I’ll miss my mom. I’ll miss Chungha noona and my dad.” Little Woohyun had mumble, his eyes are already glossy from the unshed tears, whether it was because he had to leave Sunggyu behind or at the thought that he’d missed his family if he stayed, Kim Sunggyu couldn’t possibly know.

“But, Hyunnie,” Sunggyu whined, lips quivering, “we won’t be able to see each other if you leave. Canada is far, right? I won’t be able to see you.” He felt the telltale of his tears at the corner of his eyes, threatening to fall.

“We can exchange letters! I’ll send you a postcard every month, I promise.” Child Woohyun had told him, eyes hopeful as he offered his little finger.

“But it’s not the same! You won’t be here!” Sunggyu smacked the hand away, Woohyun’s face a mirror of a broken heart as he felt the sting of the slap on his hand.

“But I have to, Gyu. I have to go with my family.”

“And you promised that we’re gonna be together forever. You lied to me.” Little Sunggyu had cried, tears already bawling down his flushed cheeks.

“I’m so sorry, Gyu.” The other apologised, tears falling down quietly as he brought his hand to wipe Sunggyu’s tears away.

“No! I hate you. I hate you!” Sunggyu had yelled his heart out, swatting the other’s hand off.

“Gyu—“ Woohyun tried to reach for him again, wasn’t going to give up on making the other understand but, but Kim Sunggyu was a stubborn stubborn child. The more Woohyun was trying, the more he’d wanted to push the other away.

“No!” He’d screamed even louder this time, pushing Woohun away with quite a force he hadn’t known he’d possessed, and it backfired, because they were on the boat, and the boat was already rocking unstably before—

.

“Gyu—” Woohyun managed to shout before he’d tipped over the edge.

“Hyunnie!” Sunggyu’s eyes widened in fear, his tiny hand had tried to grab out for the other but it was just a second too late, always a second too late.

Oh god.

“Woohyunnie!” Sunggyu had cried out, anxious and frightened as he saw his best friend struggling to breath. His hands flailed all over, was trying to reach out, to save him, but the boat was floating away against the wave and the flailing, and Child Woohyun was still drowning despite the rundown life jacket he’d put on.

No, please.

“Help! Help! Hyunnie— Hyunnie is—!” Sunggyu had screamed, louder, harder, so hopeless, and so helpless, only able to watch Woohyun slowly fading under the water while Kim Sunggyu was drifted further and further away from the drowning boy.

Until one fortunate stranger had heard his cry and had dove into the water to save the younger. Sunggyu’s boat was already so close to the lake’s shore so he’d deftly jumped out of it and sprinted all the way around the lake to get to the other. The stranger was pulling Woohyun up against the shore and the latter was thankfully coughing his lungs out, water spluttering out as he tried to take a breath again.

“Hyunnie, Hyunnie! I’m sorry! God, I’m so sorry!” Sunggyu cried, already wrapping his arms tight around the younger boy, face buried deep into his neck as he let his tears soak the other’s shirt further.

“This ing life jacket is ing torn.” They’d heard the stranger curse, voice so venomous as if he was waiting to snap on someone. “And how come did they let you kids row the boat without any adults? What the are they doing with the safety of the public? A rundown lifejacket? , they need some ing verbal and written complains.” The other continued, face flushed red in anger before he’d finally shifted his focus back to the children, looking more concerned than angry then.

“You okay, kid?” His voice softened for a bit.

“Y-yes, thank you, sir, for saving me.” Woohyun said, shivering a little from the cold.

“Good, ‘cause I’m going to be scolding you now. What the hell were you thinking? Riding a boat—“

Wait, isn’t that—

“Yes, that was when you had that vision, during your trip in Jeonju.”

So, so that was little Woohyun whom I saw drowning when I was drowning there myself?

“Yes.”

But I don’t get it. Why show me all these? What’s the meaning behind it? What does our past memories together had anything to do with me, with you?

Donghyun hadn’t given him any form of answer, but he didn’t have any need to, because the next memories he was brought into, was already enough of an answer.

The man, the boats and the deep lake had already faded by then, the green of the water and the trees whiting out before a similar yet different picturesque landscape had slowly fallen into place. The same enormous trees, the same trifling bushes and the same stray flowers were growing wildly around, a matching lake emerging again in the centre of them all, though there was a different shade and feeling to them then.

And yet one tree had exceptionally stood out.

The Red Tree.

Only then did Kim Sunggyu just realise, that he had been perching on one of the Red Tree’s upper branches, glaring down at a very worried looking child Woohyun, whom had had his neck craning up to look at him, so fearful.

“This was where it all began. And this will be where it all ends.”

What—

Hi, uh, hello? Sorry for not updating this as soon as possible. Tbh, I was in a slump. :(

I've written this chapter so many times, but it always turned out so so bad, that I cringed and even hated it.

I almost wanted to give up on it, actually. But, wow, those comments, to learn that there are people waiting for the end,

for coming back so many times despite that,

encouraging me on,

I had to power this through. 

So here I am, with the latest chapter.

And I know this is supposed to be the last one,

but god, it was too freaking long of a chapter, I had to split them up to parts.

There will be probably one or two more parts, depending on how much I would edit, delete and add, lol

But the rest is already there, just need a lot more editing until I'm satisfied with how it ends.

p/s: also, I've had a short epilogue planned, but there are two versions and I can't choose. Would you want to read them if I post both of those here?