Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"Hae Jin, promise me you'll come back," a voice whispered—soft, familiar. He couldn’t see who it belonged to, but he recognized it immediately.

It was his voice.

That man.

Eleven years. It had been eleven long years.

"Hae Jin," another voice called. Laughter followed—gentle and bright. A woman’s laughter. Her laughter. He recognized it without knowing how. He just did.

It was strange, all of it. Strange and confusing.

But the strangest part? He liked hearing it, liked them. The sound of their voices made something inside him stir. He felt warm. Happy.

Once again, he was in that dark space. No lights. No glowing visions of them. Only darkness.

He was alone. And yet… he wasn’t.

And this time, he wasn’t afraid.

Maybe because he could hear them. Maybe because they were with him, even if only in voice.

"I love you, Hae Jin. I'm not lying, I really do," the lady’s voice echoed, wrapping around him like silk.