Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1069

Chapter 1069

A quiet stillness hung in the air between them.

Time seemed to stretch as they held each other’s gaze.

For a long moment, neither of them made a sound—they only looked.

Or perhaps it was not that long at all.

It likely lasted only seconds, yet the weight of the moment made it feel like an eternity.

Saaaaa.

With Taechon’s disappearance, the residual dust spiraled outward, drifting upward into the night before being consumed by the shimmering aurora.

Then, as two moons gradually aligned, casting their combined light down upon the two figures—

“…Ah.”

Yehwa was the first to break the silence.

What could she say? Where should she even start?

For a brief second, she was paralyzed by the uncertainty.

How had he said that name?

Had he remembered?

Had the curse of forgetting finally been broken?

A whirlwind of questions overwhelmed her, pulling her into a sea of hesitation.

And then—

“Yehwa.”

“……!”

It was Gu Yangcheon who spoke, his face a mask of weariness.

“Is that your name?”

“……”

Hearing his question, the intense focus in Yehwa’s eyes slowly eased.

There was a flicker of relief that he had spoken, but with it came a painful realization.

To him, her name was still just a word.

**********

‘Remember just one thing.’

After all the decisions were finalized, my ancestor spoke to me.

‘When you go back, you must say one word.’

What word? I didn’t understand, so I could only look at him blankly.

“Yehwa.”

A sound that felt oddly familiar left his mouth.

Yehwa?

“Yehwa,” he said again.

I had heard that name somewhere before.

Yes, it was a name. Someone’s name.

I found myself unconsciously whispering the syllables, then turned to him, confused.

“What is this? Who does that belong to?”

Whose name could it be?

At my question, my ancestor’s eyes grew shadowed, and he answered softly.

“It belongs to a pitiful soul.”

“A pitiful soul…?”

“Yes. A name that no one will recall.”

“What in the world—”

“Do not ask more than you need to. Just remember it. If you refuse, I cannot honor your ‘choice.’”

“……”

In the end, I had to agree.

It wasn’t a difficult task.

All I had to do was speak a single name.

It was a simple, easy instruction, so I nodded.

If that was the price, I would pay it.

I accepted, and when I opened my eyes, the name left my lips of its own accord.

“Yehwa.”

Just two syllables.

A voice formed through half-consciousness, spoken from a body aching with pain.

And right after—

A surge of darkness rushed in.

Was it night?

I thought it had been night before I blacked out.

Making that assumption, I tried to open my eyes.

‘It’s cold.’

A strange, deep chill clung to my whole body.

Where was this feeling coming from?

How could it be so cold—so utterly dark?

Something wasn’t right.

This was no ordinary night.

Still disoriented, I scanned the area.

Squelch.

A faint, wet sensation registered under my feet.

Water.

Cool, shifting water washed around my ankles.

Uneasy, I looked ahead.

Where was this water coming from?

Following the current back to its source, my eyes landed on—

A massive gate.

An enormous black gate, seemingly forged from iron, stood partially open.

From within it, a torrent of water was pouring out.

‘What is this?’

What was this water?

Just touching it filled me with a hollow, weightless feeling.

Fighting to clear my head, I looked forward again—

And then I saw.

A figure stood alone in the current.

Swaying as if on the verge of falling—yet perfectly still.

As I watched that solitary form—

Swish.

The woman standing in the water turned toward me.

Our eyes met.

The moment I saw the deep sadness in her gaze—

“Yehwa.”

Clank.
Rattle.

The instant I spoke, a sound like a lock engaging echoed around us.

Then, the darkness withdrew.

Stars exploded across the sky.

Under the brilliant light of the aurora, the world returned.

“……”

The darkness was gone.

No—

It only appeared that way.

What I thought was fading darkness was, in reality, moving.

It now cloaked the woman’s body.

Ssssshh—.

Shadows wreathed her form like living flames.

Looking closer, the outline of her robe seemed to melt into the surrounding dark.

What was that?

Beyond its strange appearance, her violet eyes, fixed on mine, shocked me into full awareness.

‘Cheonma.’

It was Cheonma.

Though distant and altered in shape, she was undeniably Cheonma.

“Is your name Yehwa?”

Suppressing the unease that rose just from looking at her, I asked.

“……”

There was no reply.

Cheonma only stared, her eyes widening slightly before settling back into their usual expression.

Disappointment.

Even without sharp intuition, the meaning of that look was clear.

Why did she seem so let down?

‘Yehwa.’

What was the importance of this name?

Why had my ancestor insisted I say it?

“…Who are you?”

The one nobody remembers.

The one called pitiful.

I wanted to ask.

Who are you, really?

As if hearing my thoughts, Cheonma curled her lips into a thin smile.

“There is nothing more meaningless than expectation.”

Her voice was steady, her words clear as she spoke with a dry smile.

“And yet, knowing this, I continue to expect.”

No matter how much time passes—

It only shows that I am still weak.”

Ssssshh—.

The flickering flames on her shoulder robe grew more intense.

“How did you know? No, you wouldn’t need water, would you?”

Cheonma spoke as if something had just occurred to her, addressing me.

“It must have been him inside you, telling you. If that was out of consideration, I’d thank you, but tell him not to do it again.”

“……”

It was a bizarre feeling. The more I listened, the stranger it became.

The more I saw her like this.

I could sense it, and I understood.

“……You.”

The being before me now—

“Cheonma.”

This was not the naive woman I had come to know in this life.

This was the Cheonma I had known in my past life.

As this realization dawned, a faint smile touched the woman’s lips.

“Yes, that’s enough.”

“Enough? What does that mean? What happened? What are you?”

The Cheonma from my past life.

Facing her, I was certain. This was her.

Her presence was utterly different from her current self.

A mix of alluring charm and sheer arrogance. Coupled with the overwhelming aura of a supreme being, radiating impossible power.

“There are times when it is necessary not to know.”

“……What nonsense. That’s not what I asked. What are you, truly?”

I said, my face twisting. The body from which the words came felt hollow.

A broken vessel. It seemed it hadn’t been properly restored.

“Why did you make me reincarnate? No, did you have memories from the beginning?”

Did she recall my past life? If so, why had she pretended otherwise?

And what was the reason for bringing me back?

Cheonma responded with the same dry smile as before.

“There was no other way. That is all.”

“…No other way?”

There was no choice but to reincarnate me?

Her words made my face contort further.

It wasn’t even an excuse worth laughing at.

“That’s not a reason.”

“You reincarnated me because there was no alternative?”

What kind of ridiculous justification was that?

“What do you want from me? What is your goal?”

I had heard it from my ancestor.

When my fate was twisted, Cheonma was the one who had the greatest hand in it.

This was no accident, but destiny, my ancestor had said.

Cheonma knew everything and had guided me toward that choice.

I couldn’t comprehend it.

“……Why?”

Why did you do this?

What was your intention behind it all?

I asked again and again, but Cheonma’s response never changed.

Just a dry laugh and a detached expression.

Even so, I didn’t stop.

“Fine. Whether you changed my fate or not, I’ll accept that. But.”

I glared at Cheonma.

“How do you know me?”

You said your name was Yehwa.

That seems to be Cheonma’s name, but—

‘I know this.’

I felt I should know Cheonma’s true name.

Not exactly, but it felt like I was supposed to know it.

But I didn’t. I didn’t know, yet I felt I should.

This contradiction was deeply unsettling.

‘Why don’t I know?’

Why didn’t I know this?

Not knowing felt maddening.

It put me on edge.

I frowned and spoke again.

“Do I know you?”

“……”

Cheonma closed her eyes at the question.

A silence passed.

“Well…”

Cheonma’s voice was soft.

“Everything you ask… I cannot answer.”

She shook her head. With each movement, the haze in the air seemed to thin.

“You must remember for yourself. Otherwise, I can tell you nothing.”

“……Then who will answer it? Who will tell me what I don’t know?”

Cheonma merely smiled without replying.

Then, she spoke.

“By the way…”

She said something entirely unrelated to my question.

“There’s not much time…”

Though her tone was calm, there was a faint tremble beneath it.

“Would you call me once more?”

“What?”

What did she want me to call?

I didn’t think for long.

Asking for such a thing now, saying she had no time—it was absurd.

What was she talking about?

I was bewildered, my face twisting in confusion.

But strangely, my mouth formed another word.

“Yehwa.”

Two simple syllables, spoken quietly.

“Mm.”

At my voice, Cheonma responded.

“Thank you. I missed you too. See you later.”

“What…?”

Just as I began to speak, suddenly—

Thud!

The oppressive energy surrounding Cheonma vanished, and she fell.

“……!”

I lunged forward and caught her before she could hit the ground.

In that moment—

Rrrrrrip!

A sound of tearing fabric filled the air as someone emerged from a rift in space.

“……”

A woman with brown hair, silent.

It was Yarang.