That night, Kang Jae-min couldn't sleep either. It was nothing unusual, just restlessness and a lingering tension he couldn't shake off. He laid in bed, staring at the ceiling as his mind replayed the events of the day over and over again.
At first, Ha-rin collapsing and then, her voice with that name, "Your Highness." The thought of it made his jaw tightened. "…Ridiculous." He fidgeted.
But then, it didn't feel ridiculous at all, but rather felt familiar. Too familiar that he couldn't comprehend. With a quiet exhale, he closed his eyes. The moment he did, silence swallowed him, teleporting him into a different world.
Cold air brushed against his skin and the faint scent of smoke lingered in the night. Jae-min's eyes opened slowly but he was no longer in his room. The moonlight stretched across a wide palace courtyard and the ground beneath his feet felt different. Solid, ancient and real.
Instinctively, his breath stilled. "What is this…" His voice sounded the same, yet, no longer his. He looked down and froze immediately. The clothes he wore were ancient; a royal hanbok.
It was designed with layers of dark silk and embroidered robes which flowed around him, heavy with authority. His heartbeat quickened.
"No…" He heard the footsteps echo towards him, rushed and desperate. "Your Highness!" The voice called, clear and familiar. His head instantly snapped up. That's when he saw her. She stood several steps away. Breathing unevenly.
Her hair partially undone with a few strands clinging to her face. Her eyes were desperate and terrified, yet, unwavering.
"…Arin." The name effortlessly left his lips without thought or hesitation. She froze for just a second and then rushed toward him.
"You must leave, now!" she said urgently, grabbing his arm. "There's no time…" Her voice trembled on but before she could finish, a sharp sound cut through the air, fast and precise.
She gasped; her eyes slightly widened with her hands holding onto the protruding blade in her stomach.
"Arin—!" Jae-min's eyes widened. Just like that, the dream shattered. He abruptly sat up, breathing hard. His face dump in cold sweat as his chest rose and fell unevenly.
The room was dark and silent. But his heart couldn't slow down. His hand instinctively moved, tightly gripping the bedsheet. "What was that…" It wasn't just a dream and he knew it.
It was as if the past was calling, or trying to tell him something. He could feel it, the weight, fear, urgency and even, her. "Arin…" He whispered the name again, but this time, it didn't feel unfamiliar.
Although the night was longer than expected, morning finally came. Ha-rin stepped into the office, trying her best to appear normal. But nothing about her felt normal. Not after yesterday and that vision. Her thoughts were still tangled and her chest tight. Yet she forced herself to focus and work. That's all there was to think about, she told herself.
"Good morning." She greeted, her voice barely steady. Jae-min was already there, standing by the desk, she noticed. He intuitively turned at the sound of her voice.
And for a brief moment, recognition dawned on him. Not of her but of a deeper feeling which had been buried away for centuries past. He wanted to hug her and tell her, but no, it best she recovers them gradually. He told himself. His expression was mild yet composed.
"You're early," he said. His tone, calm and controlled. But his eyes lingered on her longer than usual.
"I couldn't sleep well," she admitted. The words slipped out before she could stop them. Jae-min's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Neither could I." Silence followed, brief but heavy. Ha-rin faintly frowned.
"…Did something happen?" The question naturally came without a thought. Jae-min didn't answer immediately, instead, he stepped towards her. Slowly, with each step measured. Until he stood right in front of her. Too close than necessary.
Her breath slightly hitched, "What are you—"
"Have you ever seen it from the other side?" He abruptly asked. Her brows furrowed.
"…What?"
"The dream," he said quietly. "Have you ever seen it… as someone else?" Her heartbeat quickened.
"…No." A lie. Or maybe, something she didn't fully understand yet. Jae-min studied her face carefully as if searching for something or anything at all.
"…I did." The words were quiet but carried weight.
Ha-rin's eyes widened. "What?"
"I saw it," he continued. "The courtyard, the night and the attack." Her breath caught. Two different people having the same dream. Is it coincidental or there's a meaning to it, she wondered.
"And… she was there." He said, trying to hint her memories. Her gaze immediately fell into his, confused and lost.
"Who?" Ha-rin's fingers tightened slightly at her sides. "Did he really see her?" She thought to herself. Jae-min's gaze didn't waver.
"Arin… she was standing in front of me." The words landed heavily. "She called me—" He stopped, his jaw tightened. "…and told me to leave."
Ha-rin felt her chest tighten. It was that same scene with the exact moment. She had seen it too.
"That's not possible," she whispered. Jae-min didn't respond, because for once, he didn't have an answer either. Their fate had just crossed once more.
A knock interrupted them, before either could speak further, the door opened. Seo Do-hyun stepped in.
"Good morning." He said, his tone was light and polite. But his eyes carefully moved between the two of them, observing and calculating. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
Jae-min instinctively stepped back, creating a distance. "What is it?" Do-hyun smiled faintly.
"I thought I should inform you both." He paused; his gaze briefly shifted to Ha-rin. "The artifact from yesterday had been moved to the private archive."
Ha-rin stiffened slightly. "The… artifact?" she asked and Do-hyun nodded with a yes. His smile lingered.
"There's something unusual about it."
Jae-min's expression hardened. "Explain."
Do-hyun's eyes darkened just a fraction. "It reacts."
"Reacts?" she repeated, her breath tensed.
Do-hyun nodded slowly.
"To people." He slowly added, his gaze remained fixed on her. Intentionally. "Especially those… connected to it."
The air in the room grew heavier. Jae-min's eyes narrowed. "…What are you implying?"
Do-hyun smiled, calm and careful. "Nothing." He implied but the meaning was clear. He already knew or at least, he suspected enough. "We'll examine it today," he quickly added. " and this time, together." His gaze didn't leave Ha-rin.