1. From Reality to Dreams – A Strange Place
That night, Lee Hyun-do lay in bed staring at the ceiling.The buzz of alcohol still lingered, but his mind wouldn't settle.
📩 [Promotion Result: Failed]
From the moment he read that email, one thought kept looping in his head:
"The strong are the ones who endure to the end."
Those were Lee Young-ah's (Ian's) words.She was always the practical one.But strangely, her words clung to him like a hook lodged deep.
"…Am I still dreaming, even now?"
He murmured into the silence.But there was no one there to answer.
And then—
The moment he closed his eyes, he was back there.
2. A Place Strange Yet Familiar
When he opened his eyes, he stood in the center of a dark expanse.
Black fog pooled at his feet.There was no sky above.
Yet—this place felt familiar.
"…Here?"
He took a step forward.From the distance came the sound of footsteps.
A silhouette emerged from the fog.
He froze, breath caught in his throat.
"Long time no see, Captain."
That voice…
Ian.
But the figure before him wasn't his wife, Lee Young-ah—It was Ian, his comrade from the battlefield.
She—or whatever she was—walked toward him with quiet purpose.
3. On the Border of Dream and Reality – Who Is She?
She was smiling.But something about her eyes felt… off.
"Ian?"he asked, cautiously.
But she shook her head.
"No.""I am the Ian you knew—…and I am not."
The words stirred something strange inside him.
She took another step closer.
"You still don't understand.""Where you are."
His mind tangled further.
"…I'm dreaming right now, aren't I?"
But she shook her head again.
"Are you sure?"
She raised her hand and tapped his chest—just a light touch.
In that instant—
Reality shuddered.
4. The World Where the Law of the Strong Exists… and Reality
"The strong are the ones who endure to the end."Her voice was soft but steady.
"But… you still don't understand what being strong really means."
She waved her hand, and the darkness split.
From within that fog—
his past self emerged.
A man holding a sword,fighting against overwhelming odds.
Damian.
"…This is…"
He muttered in disbelief.
But she only smiled faintly.
"It's time to choose, Captain.""The strong are the ones who survive—"
Her voice echoed.
"—Even here."
5. And Then—Darkness
The world shook again.
The vision of Ian,of Damian with his blade raised,of the battlefield and the office,of dream and reality—
All of it collapsed into blackness.
***
Chapter – "In Reality – What Does the Law of the Strong Mean?"
1. Waking from the Dream – A Quiet Reality
At some point, Hyun-do opened his eyes.Shadows from familiar patterns drifted across the ceiling.Dawn had already broken, and the room was awash in the faint blue light of early morning.
For a fleeting moment, the visions from his dream returned:The black mist.Ian's gaze, unwavering as it bore into him.
"…The strong are the ones who endure until the end."
Her voice echoed in his head.He exhaled slowly and turned his head to the side.
2. Watching His Sleeping Wife
Lee Young-ah (Ian) lay beside him, her breathing soft and steady.Her face was peaceful, sunk deep into slumber.
His fingertips trembled faintly.
What does the Law of the Strong even mean?
In the world of strength he had once known, there was no wife. No child.But here, in this reality, there they were.
Did becoming strong mean that kind of life was impossible?What was the point of being strong — and who, exactly, was he supposed to be strong for?
He watched her for a long time, then quietly got up from bed.
3. In His Child's Room – What Is "Real"?
He pushed open the door gently and stepped into his child's room.On a small bed, the child slept soundly, breathing in tiny, even breaths.
Hyun-do leaned against the doorway and just watched.
What is real?
Once, he had lived by the Law of the Strong.He had to survive. He had to endure to the end.
But if there was no one left at the end of that road… what meaning did that law hold?
He slowly stepped further into the room.The child's little chest rose and fell under the blankets, and in her arms she clutched her most beloved teddy bear.
The peaceful scene triggered a sharp memory.
A wasteland soaked in blood and dust.The day he finally felled his last enemy and stood at the summit — and found that all that remained in his hands was the cold weight of a sword and the suffocating taste of loneliness.
The Law of the Strong had given him victory,but at the end of that victory, there was no one there.
He lowered his eyes to his hands.
These hands that had once gripped a sword and spilled blood…
Now pulled up his child's blanket, gently, all the way to her chin.
The soft fabric under his fingers pushed away the memory of that cold steel.
Strength wasn't about standing alone at the top.
It was about this — protecting this fragile warmth, this quiet breathing.
4. In Reality – What Must I Do?
He walked back into the living room and quietly brewed coffee.Outside the window, the sun was already rising.
📩 [Promotion Result: Rejected]
He glanced down at his phone.The email from the day before still stared back at him.
The rules of the company.The system of promotions.The law of this "reality."
For a while, he had thought all of this was just another version of the Law of the Strong.
But in this world, the strong weren't simply the ones who climbed to the top.They were the ones who endured — the ones who stayed — for someone else's sake.
He drew a deep breath.
"I have to be strong."
"But not just to survive alone anymore."
He turned his eyes toward the window.Sunlight was slowly flooding the city.
And in that light, he felt it —He finally knew what he had to do.
***
Chapter – "A Day Off – When Dreams and Reality Become One"
1. A Quiet Day – A Father's Ordinary Morning
It was a rare holiday morning.Lee Hyun-do sat on the couch, sipping his coffee while the morning news droned on in the background.
"…With warmer temperatures today, families are expected to crowd the city's parks and amusement grounds…"
From the kitchen, Lee Young-ah (Ian) called out, busy plating breakfast for their child.
"So, what's the plan for today?"
Hyun-do glanced toward her voice."…I don't know. Maybe we could go to the park?"
At that, the child burst out of the room, a wide grin lighting up their face.
"Really? Dad, can we go to the playground?!"
Hyun-do chuckled softly.It felt like any other ordinary day.
But for some reason, today felt different—as if something unseen hovered just beyond the edges of the morning light.
2. At the Playground – A Familiar Sense of Déjà Vu
The park was alive with weekend energy.Children ran laughing between slides and swings; parents lounged on benches, keeping watch from the shade.
Hyun-do sat beneath a tree, quietly watching his child climb up the tall slide.Each laugh, each jump from the swings filled him with a simple, content warmth.
And yet—an odd unease crept in.
"…I've seen this before."
The thought struck like a whisper.
The playground.The bright sunlight.The exact angle of the swings in motion.
And then—
"…In a moment, the child will fall."
He muttered it under his breath, almost unconsciously.His hands clenched without thinking.
3. When a Dream Bleeds into Reality – A Miraculous Reaction
A sudden scream shattered the air.
"Ahhh!!""Watch out!!"
Hyun-do's head snapped toward the slide.His child had lost their balance, tumbling from the top.
For an instant, the world went white.
This… this is the moment I saw in my dream.
There was no time to think.His body simply moved.
In a blur, he lunged forward—and caught the child perfectly, before they hit the ground.
4. Are Dreams and Reality the Same?
For a heartbeat, silence fell over the park.The parents stared.The children stopped mid-play.
Hyun-do stood, holding his child, his heart hammering in his chest.
"This isn't… just coincidence."
He could feel it—the strange, familiar echo of something he had already lived.
He tightened his arms around the child, letting out a slow, shaky breath.
What I dream… becomes real?
5. That Night – Questions That Won't Fade
Back home, after dinner, the house had gone quiet.Hyun-do stood by the window, gazing at the night sky.
Moonlight spilled softly across the floor.
He kept replaying the moment in his head.The fall. The scream. The way his body had reacted.
Was it just luck?Or had the dream been a warning—no, a glimpse—of reality?
Lee Young-ah (Ian) padded softly into the room.
"What are you thinking about?"
He turned to her."…Just… dreams."
She tilted her head, curious."Did you have some strange dream again?"
He couldn't bring himself to explain everything.
But one truth pressed heavier than the rest:
The line between dream and reality is starting to blur.