Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1049

Chapter 1049

Of course. Here is the paraphrased chapter:

«One day.»

It was an ordinary day, no different from any other.

«Is there a day when night doesn’t come?»

It was a day filled with idle chatter and questions that held no purpose. A day for counting the stars as they emerged in the darkening sky.

Then, out of nowhere, she would utter words that were hard to comprehend, statements that could make anyone frown.

Whenever I heard her speak like that, a single thought always crossed my mind.

«She’s saying something strange again.»

I would think that much, and then no more. It was always the same.

A night where the stars had vanished.
A sky from which the sun had gone.
A land where the forest was no more.
What remained after the sea had disappeared.

Sometimes her questions were about these concepts that held no meaning and could not be understood.

I assumed this was just another one of those days.

«A day when night doesn’t come.»

When day fades, night always arrives. Even if there are nights when the stars are hidden.

«Well, I don’t think so.»
A day without a night could never exist. That is what I believed, and what I told her.

«Really?»
«Really.»

She smiled, seeming pleased with my response. Her struggle to hold back that smile was so endearing that, without thinking, I bent my fingers and gently stroked her cheek.

Feeling the touch, she turned her gaze to me.

«So that’s your answer.»
«Don’t you agree?»

She shook her head at my question.
«I don’t know.»

It was a vague reply. If it isn’t that, then what is it? What else could it possibly be? The notion of a day without night was nonsensical, yet she had proposed it with such ambiguity.

I did not ask her «why.»
I had received answers like this many times before. And every time I had tried to press further, I never received a proper explanation.

«I see.»

For the moment, that was the best response to allow us to move on.

Thinking that, I turned my eyes back to the sky. It was a night rich with stars and dominated by the moon. The full moon was at its peak, and the cloudless, clear sky served as a perfect backdrop for the gathered luminaries. It was what anyone would call a beautiful night.

As I watched the night in silence, the woman spoke again.

«Then.»

She began another thought. I looked toward the sound, curious about what she would say now. I watched with interest. It probably wouldn’t be much different from before, I thought as I gazed at her.

«If… I disappeared, what would you think?»

«….»

The moment those words reached me, my mouth closed. This was a question I had never heard from her before.

I had heard questions about the sun, the sky, the moon, the stars, the forest, and the sea disappearing. But to ask what would happen if *she* disappeared… This was entirely new.

The effect of her words was a prolonged silence.

«….»

I stared at her wordlessly. What did she mean by this? I tried to decipher her intention, but nothing came to mind. And that was the issue. I could not figure out the purpose behind her words.

So, after a long and quiet observation, I finally spoke.
«What do you mean?»

What was the meaning of saying such a thing? Despite my face feigning nonchalance, I lowered the hand that had been caressing her cheek and instead grasped her wrist.

It was cold.

As I slowly felt her wrist and asked my question, she smiled.
«What’s with that reaction? It was just a question.»
«If it’s just a question, then don’t ask it. It’s not something I want to hear.»
«Really? Alright.»

Hearing my words, she nodded as if she understood and turned her head away. After that, she never asked me a question like that again.

That should have been enough.

I thought so, but was it truly enough? Why had she said such a thing to me? It wasn’t until some time had passed that I came to realize. But in the end, I forgot that, too.

And so, nothing remained for me.

**********

My heavy eyelids lifted. My blurred vision slowly cleared, revealing an unfamiliar ceiling.

“…Cough.”

I cleared my throat and forced my upper body to rise. My body protested with aches and groans as I moved awkwardly. With great effort, I scanned my surroundings. It was a small room that carried a faint, dry scent.

“What is this?”

Where am I? I tried to stand up to get my bearings, but—

*Crack-!*

“…!”

A sharp pain lanced through my chest, and I collapsed, clutching my heart.

*Gasp…*

The agony was terrible. This was no ordinary pain; it was a deep, internal anguish.

“Ugh…”

*Thud-! Thud-! Thud-!*

My heart hammered wildly against my ribs, feeling as if it might shatter. When I tried to move, my muscles also screamed in protest.

‘What’s going on?’

It felt like my whole body was being torn apart. My regeneration should have been working at full capacity, yet my recovery was painfully slow. The main problem was my heart itself. It wasn’t functioning correctly—perhaps a vessel inside had cracked, preventing it from working right.

“Ugh…”

I forced myself to move through the pain. Understanding the situation was my priority.

‘Why am I here?’

Why did I wake up in a place like this? I tried to recall what had happened just before.

“Ah.”

It came back to me instantly. Right.

“That bastard… the crow.”

I had been fighting the crow. It had suddenly drawn in all the surrounding vitality, its form transforming. I was locked in combat with it when—

“…Yarang.”

Yarang had appeared to save me. She had come through a dimensional rift and engaged the crow.

And then—

“…”

Yarang had been hurt. After that, my memory failed me.

What exactly happened? Gritting my teeth against the pain, I stepped outside the room. And then I realized where I had been lying.

“This place…”

It was unfamiliar, yet held a strange sense of familiarity. The feeling came from the certainty that I had been here before.

This was the space inside the Magyeong Gate that Cheonma had opened. The very one I had seen previously.

Which meant…

“Ugh.”

Ignoring the pain, I stepped onto the floor. My confidence grew as I recognized the scene from before.

The small pond. The garden, slightly imperfect yet beautifully arranged. Even the field outside the dwelling. Everything I had seen previously was still there. So, I walked toward the field.

After a short walk, I emerged onto the field and looked toward the valley. There, I saw the person I had been searching for.

Two small figures were crouched by the water.

“…”

I approached them. As my presence became known, one of the figures, with light brown hair, glanced in my direction.

Our eyes met, and she froze.

‘As expected.’

Her face, now unmasked, was exactly like the one I knew. How could I not recognize her, when even her golden eyes were identical?

“..Divine Sword.”

I spoke quietly, but there was no change in Yarang’s expression. My mother had told me. She said Yarang was created using the soul of the Divine Sword.

However, the eyes that looked back at me held no emotion.

“…You.”

Was she okay? She had definitely taken a blow meant for me. Yet, Yarang showed no signs of injury.

I felt a wave of relief, but then—

The other person beside her turned to look at me.

It was Cheonma.

She stared at me with her characteristic purple eyes. Their faces were exactly the same. The only differences were the color of their eyes and hair. Otherwise, they were identical.

I froze for a moment, even though I had already known this. Seeing them side-by-side made the resemblance startlingly apparent.

‘No matter how you look at it.’

This wasn’t just a simple likeness. There was definitely a connection between them.

The question was…

‘Then what about the Blood Demon?’

The Blood Demon had called Cheonma her daughter. If the Divine Sword and Cheonma are connected…

‘What about Wi Seol-ah?’

Doesn’t she also have ties to the Blood Demon?

I frowned.

‘But, the Divine Sword killed Cheonma in the past life.’

Even if she has ties to the Blood Demon, the hero who killed Cheonma to save the world was the Divine Sword. Did that mean there was some connection with the Blood Demon after all?

Turning these thoughts over, I asked Cheonma directly.
“What’s going on?”

Why are Yarang and I here? That was my question.

Cheonma stared at me silently before replying.
“I brought you.”
“…How?”
“Because it was dangerous.”
“…”

I didn’t need to ask who was in danger. It was obvious. Remembering the situation made it clear.

‘So you saved us and brought us here.’

That must have been what Cheonma meant.

Then…

“What exactly is this place…?”

I began to repeat the question I had asked before, but—
“That’s not it.”

Cheonma interrupted me. What?
“What do you mean…?”

Suddenly, it’s not it? I tilted my head, and Cheonma’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.
“You said something else, didn’t you?”
“Wha—what nonsense—”
“Thank you.”
“…!”
“You should say it like that.”
“…Hah.”

I let out a frustrated sigh. Thank you? Me? To Cheonma? Thank you for saving me? I glared at her in disbelief, but her expression was utterly serious.

“…”

She stared at me, then glanced away slightly and said.
“…Thank you.”
“Mm.”

Hearing those words, Cheonma nodded. I suppressed another sigh. What was I even doing?

I scratched the back of my neck. My heart still ached. The pain wouldn’t subside. I pushed it down and looked back at Cheonma.

What should I ask? Should I ask again what this place is? Or should I ask something else? The conversation had stalled, and my next question became unclear.

I thought about it as I looked at Yarang and Cheonma standing together. Perhaps the most important question had been decided from the start.

“Hey.”
“Mm?”

I asked Cheonma.
“…What’s your relationship?”

What exactly are you two to each other? Without any pretense, I asked directly.

“Younger sister.”

Cheonma answered without a moment’s hesitation. Her pale finger pointed to herself.
“I’m the older sister. She’s the younger one.”
“…”

I wiped my hand down my face after hearing that.
Damn it.

The truth I had hoped was not real had just become my reality.