"...What's happening?"
"Kang Sihyun, don't you remember?"
"You don't remember?"
"You're saying you don't remember?"
"Emma!"
Despite his efforts to recall, Kang Sihyun could not remember anything and kept asking his companions and the corpse of Dekumanus in turns, which provoked a particularly violent reaction from the American team. They insisted that he must have hit his head, causing Emma to become frustrated with them. The situation was baffling; what could have happened to make them react so wildly?
The sight of them yelling for Emma, as agitated as bulls seeing red, only deepened his curiosity about the memories he had lost. Had he suddenly awakened some power and beaten Dekumanus to a pulp? The thought was so outlandish that it made him laugh in disbelief. Shaking off the delusion, Kang Sihyun turned away from the sparkling eyes of the American team, finding their intense gaze rather overwhelming.
Not like any fanatic he'd known.
Upon asking Euiheon for help, he was informed by Emma that there appeared to be no physical injuries, suggesting that if there was an issue, it was psychological and that a hospital visit, not a healer, was necessary. Euiheon's intervention quieted the team down.
The relentless American team calmed after over ten minutes of Euiheon's nagging. During their scolding, Jihye sat next to Kang Sihyun, seeking a calm conversation.
"How are you feeling?"
"I feel a bit sore, but I'm otherwise fine. So, what happened?"
"I'm not sure how to say this, but... do you remember anything?"
"Only up to the point where I rushed in because that guy was trying to swallow Haewoon."
"Is that all?"
"Yeah."
"Nothing else? Like maybe you said something?"
"...No."
Though he did shout for someone to save Haewoon, that was strictly in his mind. Pondering over it and then shaking his head led Jihye to wear a troubled expression.
"I don't know how to explain this..."
"What on earth happened? You and the American team both seem off."
"There was a reason for that."
"You had a reason?"
Repeating Jihye's words like a parrot, she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, then took a deep breath and began to explain.
"...I felt like I became someone else?"
"Yes. Your voice and your aura were entirely different."
An incredible energy burst forth from him, and without moving a muscle, he subdued Dekumanus with his voice alone. Such a storyline seemed ludicrous.
Such writing would be criticized in a novel. Curiously, Kang Sihyun examined every detail of Jihye's expression for any sign of discomfort or twitching muscles. Upon noticing her earnest gaze, Jihye burst into laughter.
"You don't believe it?"
"......"
Feeling like he had been caught red-handed, Kang Sihyun's lips sealed shut, a slight flush creeping up his face.
"I'm sorry."
After a brief apology from him, Jihye shook her head.
"There's no need to apologize. I wouldn't have believed it either, had I not seen it myself."
Her voice was firm, reiterating her point. Jihye was attesting that all she had told him was true, that these events had indeed happened.
This affirmation made Kang Sihyun moisten his lips, finding the tale hard to believe yet unable to dismiss it as Jihye was not one to lie, especially in such situations.
Could I really have done that?
As he murmured doubtfully and closed his eyes, trying to recall any fragment of memory, the American team, having heard enough from Euiheon, slowly gathered around him, their movement reminiscent of ants finding food.
"Kang Sihyun, you really don't remember anything?"
"Kang Sihyun, you're amazing!"
"So strong!"
"What a tough guy!"
The last comment came from Sherry. Where she learned such a phrase, Kang Sihyun couldn't guess, but her flushed, excited face suggested she might drag him off to the IRS if given a chance. Euiheon, sensing the same, pulled her aside for what looked to be a second round of scolding.
Dragged away by Euiheon, Sherry seemed both delighted and regretful, unable to engage further with such an intriguing individual.
Watching this, Kang Sihyun turned his attention to the others, his mind racing to piece together the events. But amidst the confusion and questions, one name dominated his thoughts.
"...Where's Haewoon?"
His voice was cautious as he spoke, observing the reactions of his companions. Jihye took him to where Haewoon lay, followed silently by the American team and Jihye.
Euiheon, having returned from his lecturing, broke the silence.
"...After Kang Sihyun lost consciousness, we tried to take care
of Haewoon, but it seems hopeless. He's not breathing. Even though Emma fixed his broken bones, it didn't make his heart beat again."
It was a plain truth.
Everyone present was aware of this reality, including Kang Sihyun. However, Euiheon delivered the news with respectful solemnity, knowing the lengths to which Kang Sihyun had gone to save Haewoon, even losing consciousness in the battle.
"We've tried everything. Skills, potions, trying to wake him..."
Euiheon's voice seemed distant as Kang Sihyun fixated on Haewoon's closed eyelids.
It felt like watching a doctor cover a deceased patient's face with a white cloth, announcing the date and time of death in a detached tone.
The once lively atmosphere, stirred by Kang Sihyun's awakening, returned to silence, a cold reminder of the void left during his unconsciousness.
This silence, this atmosphere, it was filled with acceptance of Haewoon's death while Kang Sihyun was out. Everyone had prepared to let go, had already processed their guilt and self-reproach.
Only Kang Sihyun was unprepared.
"...Should we cremate him?"
Jihye's cautious suggestion came after a palpable silence. She glanced at Kang Sihyun, who sensed that the group had likely already agreed on cremation.
"...Can we wait just a bit longer?"
He wanted to hold on a little more, to keep watching, in case.
What if.
The thought that he had subdued Dekumanus with just his voice lingered; perhaps Haewoon could suddenly come back to life.
After asking for just ten more minutes, his companions nodded in agreement. Kang Sihyun thanked them softly.
The situation felt unreal, thanking them despite the tragedy of a friend's death.
"Haewoon."
"......"
"You've slept enough now."
As the group stepped back to give them space, Kang Sihyun, despite knowing it was futile, tried once more to wake Haewoon. Emma and Jihye approached, likely to suggest it was time for cremation. The ten minutes had long passed.
It felt like a dream.
This moment, saying goodbye, wasn't new, but it felt dreamlike, as it always does with the death of someone close.
Kang Sihyun would likely suffer from auditory hallucinations for months, seeing illusions, startling at the mention of Haewoon's name.
As he hesitated, Emma and Jihye waited a few more minutes.
But that time was brief.
The pyramid shook violently. Urgency gripped them, and Kang Sihyun, realizing he had delayed too long, could not insist further.
As he stepped back, Emma and Jihye nodded, and the group fell silent, bowing their heads in mourning.
Just as Jihye was about to light the fire,
- Shall I save him?
A voice reached Kang Sihyun's ears.
- Do you want to save that child?
The voice, identical to one he had heard before losing his memory, asked if he wished for it.
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