Eventually, the moment of truth arrived.
Both Kim Gyeong and C stood before the giant circle drawn on the ground in a substance resembling black ink. As always, the Witch of Immortality could not be read. Her entire form was shrouded in a writhing, shadowy mist that obscured every thought and feeling. No form of perspective, whether from first person to third, could pierce that impenetratable barrier that she had ultimately created.
On the other hand…
[It's time,] C said simply. [Time for you to leave this world.]
"Ah. Guess so."
Despite the place having no concept of time, the passage of it felt swift.
Kim Gyeong recalled the moment he first arrived in this world of white: how fear had driven him to run at the sight of C, who had looked like the embodiment of evil itself; how he had stumbled blindly through the emptiness, unsure of what to do or where to go.
He remembered the countless hours spent honing his Ki, the countless failed attempts at controlling two elements, then three, and the bitter lessons learned from each misstep.
And most of all, he remembered the time he had spent with the mysterious C. Despite appearing as nothing more than an uncanny shadow, he had grown fond of his unnatural companion.
Ten years.
Over that span of time, it would be an understatement to say that Kim Gyeong had merely grown close to C. She had treated him in a way no one else ever had, and perhaps no one ever would, as an equal. In response, he had inevitably grown attached to the peculiar witch of darkness.
Ten years was a long time.
Even if the passage of time held little meaning for her, it meant everything to him. He had spent a full decade by her side, getting to know her, sharing his story with her. His despair. His happy moments. Things that he hadn't even told his parents or any body else for that matter. The history of his utterly mundane life, and the loneliness that came with such an unremarkable existence.
He remembered all of it because it was coming to an end.
It could not be helped.
Kim Gyeong had always known this day would arrive. He knew he would leave this place, the world to which he had devoted the past ten years, honing his Ki Control. At the very least, he had mastered it enough to open the gateway and escape.
Still, he felt conflicted.
[Have you heard about the River of Styx?] C, who had been unusually quiet for a while, suddenly asked without looking at his direction.
Gyeong was a bit startled by the question before he regained his composure and shook his head.
"No, I haven't."
[It is said to be the boundary between life and death,] C continued. [A river no soul may cross twice.]
Kim Gyeong listened in silence.
[In the old myths, the dead were guided by the ferryman Charon across its waters, leaving everything behind. Their memories. Their regrets. Their attachments. Once they reached the opposite shore, there was no returning to what they were.]
She paused.
[However, there is a certain brave soul who crossed that river in order to save his lover. His name was Orpheus. Ah, yes... Orpheus. A man who descended into the Underworld for the sake of love.]
Kim Gyeong's gaze lowered slightly.
[Through song alone, he softened the hearts of gods. Hades himself permitted Orpheus to lead his lover back across the River Styx.]
The shadowy mist around her stirred faintly.
[But there was a condition.]
C turned, though her face remained unreadable.
[Orpheus was forbidden from looking back at her until they had fully crossed the river.]
Gyeong already knew how such stories ended. Even so, he opened his mouth and asked:
"Did he make it across the river with his lover?"
The answer he received was surprising.
[He did.]
Kim Gyeong blinked.
"What?"
C's stoic gaze seemed to change, becoming more soft. The shadowy mist that veiled her form slowed, settling into something almost tranquil.
Then she said quietly:
[In most tellings, Orpheus fails. He looks back. His doubt outweighs his faith, and Eurydice is lost forever.]
She lifted one indistinct hand.
[That version is repeated because it is comforting.]
Kim Gyeong frowned slightly.
"Comforting?"
[Yes. It teaches mortals that loss is inevitable and that longing is punished. Once something is taken by death, it must remain so.]
Her unseen gaze returned to him.
[But stories have different alternatives and change depending on who reads them. Make sure to remember this. It's rather important.]
"So you're saying there is another ending?"
[And in it, Orpheus does not turn back. He trusts the promise given to him, even when doubt claws at his heart. He crosses the river without once looking behind him. Following that, both him and Eurydice leave the Underworld together. They even went ahead and had a son in the end, living happily ever after.]
Did such an happy ending exist?
Needless to say, Gyeong was doubtful but kept that question to himself. He knew what she was trying to and although felt it was pointless, he decided to play along for the meantime.
He lowered his head, staring at the black circle etched into the ground.
Frowning, Kim Gyeong asked,
"What am I supposed to do now? Input my ether into the circle, right?"
C did not answer right away. She walked a slow arc around the formation, the black ink beneath her feet rippling faintly with each step, before stopping and turning to face him. Both of her hands were clasped behind her back.
[You've grasped the basics,] she said at last. [Under normal circumstances, all you would need to do is pour your essence into the circle.]
She tilted her head slightly.
[However, this place is… peculiar. A closed world. To escape it, we require a method just as unusual.]
Her voice grew measured.
[You will need to guide the aura of the Five Elements in sequence, weaving them together to open a gateway to the Mercury Sea.]
Kim Gyeong stiffened.
"But I can't control all five at once. Would that even work?"
A faint trace of amusement seeped into her tone.
[That will not be necessary. In fact, if you could manipulate all five simultaneously, I would find that far more frightening.]
"I see…" He let out a small breath. "So this is goodbye, then."
[Ahh~ what's with that expression?] C teased lightly. [Why do you look so gloomy? Do you truly hold me in your heart that deeply?]
Kim Gyeong hesitated for half a second before answering.
"If I said yes… would you come with me?"
The air fell quiet.
[You already know why I cannot do that,] she replied.
"…Yeah."
He scratched the back of his head, forcing a crooked smile.
"That's really a shame."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Both were thinking of things that did not need to be said.
However, it was C who broke the silence.
[Kim Gyeong.]
His breath caught.
Did he mishear?
This was the first time she had ever called him by his name. Ten years, ten whole years of shared memories, and yet she chose this moment, the day he was leaving, to speak it aloud.
Was this her own way of saying goodbye forever?
He clenched his jaw, forcing the sudden tightness in his chest down, and managed to answer.
"Y-Yes?"
[You should get going. I have done my best to align the coordinates with your world's current time, but the window will not remain open for long.]
She continued evenly.
[In other words, if you do not leave now, you will miss your chance and remain trapped here.]
"…Is that so? I understand."
[Then go on. Input your essence into the circle. Quickly, quickly~ You don't have a lot of time~]
"I get it. You don't need to repeat yourself."
Kim Gyeong stepped forward until the black circle lay just beneath his feet.
The ink rippled faintly, responding to his presence, as though recognizing the essence it had been waiting for all along. The air around the formation grew heavy, dense with expectation. He could feel it; feel how easily he could end this. All he had to do was input his Ki and that would be the end of it.
He raised his hand.
Then he stopped.
Ten years.
The word echoed in his mind with a weight far greater than time itself. Ten years of white silence. Ten years of effort, failure, growth. Ten years of conversations that had begun as necessity and ended as something dangerously close to companionship.
He lowered his hand.
Behind him, C seemed to notice something and asked,
[Is something the matter? Are you really going to waste time like this? If you don't leave, you'll get trapped here. Do you want to spend the rest of eternity in this place?]
She was trying to push him to move, but her efforts were in vain.
Kim Gyeong remained utterly still, like a statue carved from ice.
He lingered for a moment, gathering his wandering thoughts, then turned to face her. His eyes held a resolute, unwavering certainty.
"I'm not going."