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Chapter: 28
A filming set packed with cameras, lights, and every kind of production equipment.
In the middle of it stood a young Si-heon.
Then, from the darkness behind the stage, a familiar voice called out to him.
“Si-heon!”
A small puppy came running toward him, wagging its tail.
It was Choco.
His only friend.
His only source of comfort.
But young Si-heon squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away.
“Choco… don’t come over… You can’t. I can’t hug you right now…”
A single tear rolled down his jaw.
“I can’t cry right now… I have to smile… If I cry now, Mom and Dad will…”
His tiny lips trembled.
Unable to understand, the puppy simply wagged its tail and came even closer.
That was when a warm yet resolute voice spoke.
“Don’t suppress your emotions.”
It was Go Yeon-hee’s voice.
Young Si-heon slowly blinked.
And at last, the tears burst forth.
“Choco…! The truth is… I missed you so, so much.”
“I missed you too! I really did, Si-heon!”
The little dog leaped into his arms.
Warm fur brushed against his cheek, and the familiar warmth of Choco’s body reached his fingertips.
The child cried his heart out.
Without caring what anyone thought.
Without holding back a single tear.
“I’m sorry, Choco. I’m so sorry…”
“Hehe. It’s okay! I’m just happy I got to see you again.”
After enjoying their long-awaited reunion for what felt like forever…
Bathed in dazzling light, Choco cheerfully wagged his tail as he slowly walked away.
Young Si-heon wiped his eyes with his fist.
After crying as much as he needed, peace finally settled across the child’s face for the first time.
“…”
A moment later.
Yang Si-heon slowly opened his eyes.
Morning sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the bed in golden light.
He stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time before letting out a slow breath.
His body felt light.
His mind was clear.
He got out of bed and walked toward the window with a faint smile.
He couldn’t explain it, but after having that dream, it felt as though the shackles that had bound him for so long had finally disappeared.
Silently, he gazed outside.
It was a bright, cloudless morning.
‘At this rate… my prophetic dreams might return soon.’
And indeed, his intuition was right.
Only…
No one could have imagined what that dream would contain.
A few days later.
At the foot of a mountain shrouded in a thin layer of mist.
The dawn air was damp and cold.
Thatched-roof houses and stone walls, built as a historical drama set, lay in the dim morning light.
It was near Bukhansan, where the production team of the drama Crimson Love had recently been filming.
“Ready… Action!”
The assistant director’s shout echoed through the air.
Yang Si-heon slowly walked along a forest path.
The hem of his black robe fluttered in the breeze, and the ornamental sword hanging at his waist gave off a soft metallic ring.
As he recited his lines while passing a stone wall, he suddenly stopped.
‘…What was that just now?’
A chill ran down the back of his neck.
The air itself seemed strangely distorted.
It was the lingering trace of spiritual energy that ordinary people could never perceive.
“…”
Si-heon slowly steadied his breathing and closed his eyes.
The surrounding noise gradually faded away.
The camera shutters.
The movements of the staff.
Everything slowly disappeared.
As silence enveloped the world, his sharpened senses converged into a single point, directing him deeper into the forest.
Just then, the assistant director’s voice rang out.
“Cut! Let’s take a short break!”
The lights went off, and the sound of footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Without drawing attention, Si-heon slipped behind the set.
Then he walked wherever the spiritual energy led him.
Step.
Step.
After walking for some time…
Deep within the forest, he spotted an unusually large and ancient tree.
In the center of its massive trunk was a deep knot.
From within the hollow shone the same yellow light as the Myoan Stone necklace Yeon-hee wore.
Slowly.
Almost instinctively, Si-heon reached out.
Even with his height, he had to stand on tiptoe to reach it.
His fingertips brushed against rough cloth…
And something cold and metallic.
Carefully, he untied the cloth.
Inside was a small key, emitting a faint golden glow as though it had absorbed sunlight.
‘A key?’
He instinctively looked around.
No one was there.
Only the wind rustled through the leaves.
His heart pounded for reasons he couldn’t explain as he tucked the key deep inside his coat.
And then—
His vision suddenly darkened, like the ending of a movie.
“…!”
Si-heon jerked awake.
The vehicle jolted beneath him.
He quickly realized he was inside a moving van.
Cold sweat covered his forehead.
“Si-heon, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”
His manager turned around from the passenger seat.
He shook his head.
“N-No, hyung. It’s nothing.”
His heart was still racing, but he forced a smile onto his lips.
Looking out the window, he thought,
‘That wasn’t just a dream.’
Even now, he could vividly feel the texture of the key in his hand.
The fingers brushing through his hair trembled slightly.
There was no doubt about it.
His prophetic dreams had finally returned.
Late that evening.
A tense atmosphere filled the first floor of Baekmyodang.
“…”
I stared intently at the old diary resting on the waiting room table.
Beside it lay a silver key.
Alfred also wore a serious expression as he tapped the key with his front paw.
“So… you’re saying Mr. Si-heon found this while filming?”
“Yes.”
Yang Si-heon leaned forward from the sofa and looked at me.
“To be precise, I had a prophetic dream about it. So I went to the filming location beforehand… and it was really there. That key.”
“Mr. Si-heon… where exactly was that place?”
My voice trembled slightly.
“It’s near here. Inside the knot of a huge tree in Bukhansan.”
“…!”
Alfred and I exchanged startled looks.
The moment I heard it, I knew exactly where he meant.
It was a place my mother used to take me to often when I was little.
‘Then… does that mean Mom was there right before she died?’
My mother’s body had been found on a mountain slope in Gyeonggi Province, far from here.
There had been no signs of foul play.
Her death had been ruled an accidental fall.
Furthermore, CCTV footage and transportation records showed that she had left Baekmyodang alone and traveled by public transportation.
The police had therefore closed the case as a simple voluntary disappearance by an adult that ended in an accident.
‘That’s why I’ve blamed Mom all this time.’
But I had never imagined she had hidden a key near that place before she died.
Why had she left?
And what was hidden inside this diary?
“Then… let’s open it.”
Si-heon spoke quietly.
With trembling hands, I picked up the key.
Just then—
Bang!
The clinic door flew open.
It was Baek Eun-ho.
He looked as though he had rushed over without stopping, breathing heavily as he shouted,
“Teacher Go, you found the key?”
“Ah, yes. Mr. Si-heon brought it just a little while ago.”
The moment I finished speaking, Eun-ho’s gaze shifted to Si-heon.
His eyes instantly turned sharp.
Cold.
Piercing.
He made no effort to hide his blatant hostility.
“What’s this guy doing here so late at night?”
Why was he reacting like that?
Embarrassed for some reason, I laughed awkwardly.
“Well… Mr. Si-heon found the key, so he personally brought it over.”
“Then he’s done what he came for. Get out.”
Eun-ho’s voice was dry and razor-sharp.
Unlike me, who was startled, Si-heon simply smiled brightly.
“It’s been a while. You’re as energetic as ever, Mr. Eun-ho.”
“You’ve never cared about other people’s business. Why are you suddenly acting like we’re close?”
Eun-ho sneered.
Si-heon merely shrugged.
“Ms. Yeon-hee isn’t just anybody. She’s my precious attending physician.”
He turned toward me with a gentle smile, as though asking for confirmation.
“Isn’t that right, Ms. Yeon-hee? You said I could come see you anytime—day or night.”
“Huh? Ah… yes… I did say that.”
It felt like he’d put special emphasis on “anytime.”
Must be my imagination.
At that moment, Eun-ho’s expression froze.
His eyes became even colder.
Hop!
Scurry!
Unable to endure the atmosphere, Alfred hurriedly jumped off the table and hid.
Eun-ho looked ready to curse Si-heon out, so I quickly changed the subject.
“Alright, alright. Let’s stop that and open the diary first.”
Still frowning, Eun-ho folded his arms and stepped aside.
Si-heon simply watched me calmly.
After taking a deep breath, I carefully inserted the key into the lock.
Click.
The sensation at my fingertips was smooth.
The key fit perfectly.
Flash.
With a gentle golden glow, the lock released.
As everyone’s attention focused on the diary, I held my breath and slowly opened the first page.
