章 11: Old
"The golden dog tag from military service. Hunters of today don't have it."
At first, he thought it was fake.
However, Siwoo soon found out that it was the real thing.
It bothered him a little that the name had been erased, but it did not change the conclusion that it was genuine anyway.
A first-generation hunter.
Siwoo, unable to hide his excitement, couldn't wait for her to open her eyes and look up the number on the tag.
By the way…
Sadly, there was no personal information left that could be of any help.
30 years had passed since the first generation was active, and at that time, hunters and ordinary people alike died very often. There were too many casualties to count the missing. There would be a lot of missing information.
Even if information about her remained, it was probably the Korean Hunter Association that was keeping it. Even if he was an S-Class, Siwoo had no right to inquire about it at will.
"My name is Shin Siwoo. May I ask for your name?"
"… I am…"
Eunha, who had slowly moved her lips, stopped talking.
'… My voice.'
It didn't come out.
Even when she moved her lips, her voice didn't come out as she wanted it to. Eunha put her hand on her neck with a strangely stiff face.
Then, a scene from the past flashed before Eunha's eyes.
[Firstly, do not mention the 13th divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness'. Secondly, I ask you to give me your name.]
[Literally, it means that your name is mine, and you can no longer use it.]
'The restrictions the cat said. You… were you talking about this?'
Eunha found a pen and paper lying on the table. She quickly went over there and took the pen.
"…"
Her hand didn't move when she tried to write her name. It was as if she was bound by an invisible chain.
In front of the stiff Eunha, Siwoo shrugged his shoulders.
"… I see. You still can't easily believe what I'm saying. I understand."
How could he gain her trust? Siwoo pondered for a moment, then rummaged through his pocket and pushed the screen of his phone to her.
May 12, 2031. That was the date displayed on the screen.
"… What is that?"
This time, her voice came out as expected. Eunha touched her neck and stared at the square machine that Siwoo held out.
"A phone. It's a cell phone."
Eunha narrowed her eyes. The design was different from the cell phone she knew.
In front of her still doubtful face, the news was shown.
<○○ Daily> May 12, 2031
As Eunha stared at the news, her eyes began to shake.
If today really was May 12, 2031, it meant that she had been locked up in the gate for 30 years and 2 months.
'No, that can't be true.'
It was true that she had been locked in the gate for a long time.
Although she had given up on counting the date halfway through, Eunha was arguably certain. It couldn't have been as long as 30 years.
Was the passage of time different on the inside and outside of the gate? A place where phenomena that couldn't be explained both scientifically and with common sense occurred. That was the Unknown Gate.
Even so─.
"I'm… 53 years old?"
If 30 years had passed, Eunha would have turned 50 now. It was ridiculous.
Eunha hurriedly turned around and stood in front of the full-length mirror that was in the room.
She looked the same as before she was locked in the gate.
The only difference was that her clothes had changed from a military uniform to a dress, and her hair was longer than before.
"I understand that this must be very shocking. It's the first time this has happened to me as well, so I also can't believe it."
Eunha with agitated eyes. And Siwoo, who watched her quietly.
In the room where the white curtains fluttered, a heavy silence fell as if cold water had been poured on it.
Eunha, who had kept her mouth closed for a while, slowly raised her head.
"… I want to see it with my own eyes."
It wasn't a story that could be easily trusted unless you checked it yourself.
***
In a running car.
Siwoo, holding the steering wheel, glanced towards the passenger seat.
Eunha was silently staring at the scenery through the window. It looked very strange, and it wasn't just because of her dress.
It was as if she had just fallen out of the sky. She had an expression like that.
"…"
The scenery outside, changing so quickly that the eyes couldn't follow, was quite different from the appearance of Seoul that Eunha knew, even at a glance.
Arriving at their destination, they parked their car in a suitable place and got off.
In the unfamiliar landscape, Eunha turned the corner in a direction her body remembered.
It had to be there.
'… No.'
Eunha stopped in her tracks.
It was a shantytown where refugees who had lost their homes after the Gate Incident would go. It was also the place where Eunha last lived.
The address was unmistakable.
However, there were no traces of the house where Eunha inhabited. Only commercial buildings and dazzlingly bright signs were flashing.
Eunha saw a tree with a white ribbon next to it.
The tree, which had been called the 'Tree of Hope' among refugees, had grown more than twice its height and looked down at Eunha.
'One day, when this sapling grows much bigger than the shack here, I hope this nightmare of reality will end.'
On the day the seedlings were planted, someone's earnest prayer was still vivid in Eunha's mind.
"Can you believe me now, sunbae?"
Eunha, who stood in place, didn't show any change in her expression. She only clenched her fists very slightly.
The sun was slowly falling behind the building that seemed to cut through the sky.
Eunha's black hair fluttered. The smell of blood was carried by the wind and reached Siwoo's nose. It was a smell that normal humans didn't have.
Eunha didn't move in place for over an hour. As the white moon hung over the darkened sky, Siwoo, who was slowly getting used to the smell of her blood, glanced at the time.
"Shall we go back?"
She fixed her gaze on the pine tree and licked her lips slightly.
"… Where?"
Where the hell was she supposed to go? She had already lost her home twice.
Siwoo, who stared at her expressionless face, turned his back.
"Why don't you go to my mansion first and finish the rest of your story? There must still be a lot of things we want to ask each other."
The black eyes fixed on the pine tree moved slightly. Eunha glanced at Siwoo's back.
… There was no other choice.
***
She couldn't sleep.
The caretaker who had cleaned her room brought new sheets, pillows, and even pajamas that were just the right size.
But Eunha didn't change her clothes and just sat across the table.
The clock on the wall showed 2:30 in the morning. She moved her gaze to the window. The moonlight she encountered for the first time in years was very cold, to the point where her heart froze.
Only the sound of the ticking clock could be heard in the silence.
A yellow message window popped up in front of Eunha, who was still like a doll.
Ding!
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' appears in the shadows.]
It was the first message window that appeared after Eunha left the gate. It would've been nice, but…
Prior to its appearance, there were many things that Eunha wanted to ask the cat.
"… Is this what you meant by taking my name?"
In the dark room with no lights on, Eunha touched her lips.
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' is reading the mood.]
[It says that it was a constraint at the time of the contract, and now avoids your gaze by saying that it is not an area where it can do anything.]
"…"
Eunha quietly stared at the message window. Yes, it was strange for her to argue with the cat.
The cat clearly mentioned the restrictions, and it was Eunha that accepted the contract. During the time she was locked in the gate, Eunha was not in a position to make her own demands.
So at this point, it wasn't really something the cat needed to deal with.
"… This."
Eunha took off the tiara she was wearing and held it close to the message window.
Then, as if projecting the cat's reaction, the message window vibrated loudly and… It started to fade as if running away. Eunha raised her eyes sharply.
"Don't avoid me. You had this, right?"
The yellow message window that was caught by the neck did not respond. Eunha opened her mouth again.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
The cat should have known how long Eunha had been searching for the fifth Named monster.
In the end, the fifth Named monster did not exist. The last item was owned by the cat, not a monster.
Eunha would be lying if she said she didn't feel betrayed. Because she was locked in the gate for a long time, Eunha had thought of the cat as her only companion.
So, she wanted to know why. Eunha waited for the yellow message window to pop up with a subdued expression.
After a while, a message window cautiously popped up.
[The divine beast "Cat Wandering in Darkness" begins grooming itself vigorously.]
The cat said.
[I was going to give you the fifth item someday. However, there was an unexpected external intrusion, so there was no choice but to hand it over faster than planned.]
"Why didn't you give it to me earlier? You knew I was trying to escape the gate."
[The divine beast "Cat Wandering in Darkness" blinks slowly at you.]
After a while of silence, a ding sounded once more.
[I wanted you to hang out with me because you're the only family I have.]
Family. At that word, the lips that were about to utter another sentence stopped. Come to think of it, the cat was calling Eunha 'unnie'.
Since when did the cat think of Eunha as family? When they were playing together in the Unknown Gate? When she defeated the monsters and returned to the hut to grill meat? When they had small conversations right before they fell asleep?
Eunha didn't know. However, 'since when' wasn't important now.
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' begins to tremble, saying that the outside is dangerous, scary, and that everyone seems to hate it.]
Eunha and the cat were in a state where their souls were bound by a contract. Therefore, when Eunha left the gate, the cat couldn't stay in the gate either.
Eunha glanced at the vibrating yellow message window. Although her knowledge of cats was limited, she had heard somewhere that cats were territorial animals.
"… Don't be afraid. It's okay."
As she murmured involuntarily, the yellow message window that had trembled like an aspen suddenly stopped moving.
Seconds after that.
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' carefully asks if you have ever hated it. Its golden eyes look very sad.]
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' donates 100,000 coins to you as an apology. Would you like to put it in your inventory? ᐅ Yes / No]
Eunha, who had been thinking about something else for a while, turned her gaze back to the yellow message window.
Since it was just a text, the shape of the cat couldn't be seen, but it was as if it was really there.
Eunha, who was staring at the message window, opened her mouth and spoke in a calm tone.
"Whatever the outcome, it won't change the fact that I was able to get out of there thanks to you."
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' pricks up its ears. The triangular ears move happily.]
"But, I'll still take this."
Eunha pressed the 'Yes' button that appeared in front of her. She didn't know where and how to use the coins yet, but she thought they would be useful someday.
[You have obtained 100,000 coins!]
A fanfare rang out in the quiet room where moonlight shone.
That night, Eunha had to suffer from loud gossiping until she fell asleep.
***
A few days had passed.
Siwoo gave a room to Eunha, who was physically and mentally traumatized. He also said that he was, to some extent, responsible for her passing out.
Siwoo, who said he wouldn't ask for details until she was willing, really acted accordingly.
He certainly didn't seem like a bad person. Although their first meeting was like that, he seemed to genuinely care for Eunha.
In the spacious room he had given her, Eunha sat on the bed and stared blankly out the window. The distant cry of a baby bird could be heard in the distance. In the piercing sunlight, Eunha turned her head.
The feeling that 30 years had passed gradually grew stronger, and what came after that was a feeling of emptiness.
A booklet as thick as a dictionary came into Eunha's field of vision. Lying on the table, it was—.
'Just in case you're curious.'
It was handed over by Siwoo yesterday afternoon.
<A copy of the First-generation Hunter Roster (1997~2007)>
Below that was the seal of the Hunter's Jurisdictional Association.
He said to burn it in moderation if not needed, but Eunha left it on the table.
She lightly touched the first page of the list with her index finger, then put it back on the table. Eunha's sunken black eyes fluttered faintly.
'Friend.'
The cat told Eunha that she was its only friend.
Eunha had a friend. A friend who fought for a better future during training camp with her. Even her colleagues, who had each other's backs inside the gate.
Their present appearances must've been drawn somewhere in that thick book.
It took a full day to open the first page of the list. Using the faint moonlight instead of the fluorescent lamp, Eunha carefully opened the list.
Page 113 was the page where her hand stopped moving.
<March 26, 2001 – Namdaecheon Stream, Yangyang, Gangwon-do, C-Class Gate>
That was the day. The day Eunha was trapped in the gate.
· Cha Eunha – Deceased
The name of Eunha, who was the squad leader at the time, was at the top. It seemed that she was known to the public as dead.
Locked in the gate, she was stuck inside for several years, which was 30 years outside. Her decision to die must have been forgotten.
Eunha's black eyes slowly traced down the column.
· Song Habin – Deceased
· Park Gyuyeol – Deceased
· Kim Seongmin – Deceased
She turned the page again, ignoring the faces, voices, and expressions of her colleagues that were flashing in her mind.
· Choi Jeongi – Deceased
· Kim Gyuchan – Deceased
· Lee Yeonhwa – Deceased
Biting her lower lip, she turned the page again.
· Choi Jiyeong – Deceased
· Yang Sky – Deceased
· Kwon Hyeju – Deceased
Just by looking at the names listed, the nightmarish memories of that day were vividly replayed in front of her eyes.
Her hand gripped the list tightly, leaving deep wrinkles on the page as if tearing the paper. She didn't want to see it anymore.
The moment she was about to bite her lower lip and throw the list away, a name located at the bottom of the page came into view.
· Baek Yijun – Survived
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