Threads of Destiny

Chapter 15: Threads of Destiny

Hyun had always thought that if he just held on tight enough, if he just willed it hard enough, the memories would come flooding back. But now, he was beginning to realize that fate wasn't that simple. The more he tried to remember, the harder it became—as if something, or someone, was deliberately keeping him in the dark.

The more he tried to remember, the harder it became. Each fragment felt like sand slipping through his fingers—visible for a moment, then gone before he could grasp it.

The pain was relentless, an invisible force keeping him from uncovering the truth. It wasn't just a physical ache—it was something deeper, something primal, as if the universe itself was warning him. Some things were not meant to be remembered.

But the worst part wasn't the pain.

It was Yuna.

She was slipping away from him, bit by bit. Every moment she spent with Rey, every shared laughter and stolen glance, it was as if she was being rewritten before his eyes. The Yuna he knew, the Yuna who once belonged to him, was fading.

Or maybe… she had never truly been his to begin with.

One evening, Hyun found himself outside the university's music hall. He hadn't planned to come here, yet somehow, his feet knew the way before his heart could admit it.

Through the open door, he saw Yuna sitting at the grand piano, her fingers moving effortlessly over the keys. The melody was familiar, hauntingly so. A song from his past life.

But it wasn't just the notes—it was the way she played, the way her fingers danced over the ivory keys as if guided by something beyond memory.

His breath caught in his throat.

Yuna couldn't possibly remember… could she?

Before he could step inside, Rey appeared beside her. He leaned in close, whispering something that made her smile—a soft, secretive smile. Hyun felt his chest tighten, the déjà vu slamming into him like a tidal wave.

It wasn't just Yuna.

She was slipping away, like a song he once knew but could no longer hum.

Rey had been there too.

His head throbbed as another vision surged forward—this one clearer than any before.

A stormy night. A desperate chase. Yuna's tear-streaked face.

And Rey—standing in the shadows, watching.

The realization hit Hyun like a bolt of lightning.

Rey wasn't just another person in this life.

He had been there before.

And he had played a role in Yuna's fate.

The question was—was he here to change it?

Or repeat it?

Chapter 16: Echoes of the Past

Yuna had always believed that life was meant to be lived in the present, yet lately, she found herself haunted by a past she didn't remember. There were moments—fleeting, fragmented—where emotions surged within her without reason, where a sense of longing wrapped around her like a bittersweet melody.

And more often than not, that feeling came when she was with Hyun.

She couldn't explain it, but there was something about him that made her heart ache. He looked at her with an intensity that unsettled her, as if she were the answer to a question he had spent lifetimes asking. Yet, she barely knew him—or at least, that's what she told herself.

Then there was Rey.

Unlike Hyun, who was distant and complicated, Rey was effortless. He had a way of making her laugh, of making her feel understood. With him, there were no tangled emotions, no weight of something unspoken pressing down on her. It was easy, and for once, Yuna wanted easy.

But fate was never kind.

Lately, Hyun had been acting strange. His presence lingered at the edges of her life—watching, waiting. His gaze carried a silent desperation, as if he was fighting a battle she couldn't see. It scared her.

Then one night, everything changed.

Yuna had been walking home from a late-night study session when she saw him. Hyun stood beneath the flickering streetlight, his expression unreadable. The shadows stretched around him, making him look almost ethereal—almost unreal.

"Yuna," he called softly, his voice laced with something raw. Something fragile.

She hesitated before stepping closer. "Hyun? What are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you," he admitted. "To make sure you're safe."

A chill ran down her spine. "Safe from what?"

For a moment, he didn't answer. Then, with a quiet sigh, he said, "From the past. From things you don't remember."

Her heart pounded. "What are you talking about?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small—something that made her breath hitch the moment she saw it. A ring. Simple, elegant.

Familiar.

Her vision blurred, and suddenly, she wasn't standing on the dimly lit street anymore. She was somewhere else—somewhen else. A flash of white fabric. The echo of a promise whispered in the dark. A hand slipping away from hers.

She gasped, stumbling back as reality came crashing in.

"You're remembering, aren't you?" Hyun's voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried the weight of a thousand unspoken words.

She looked up at him, eyes wide with fear. "Who… who are you to me?"

Hyun swallowed hard. "Someone who once swore to protect you. Even if it meant losing you."

And in that moment, Yuna knew—

Their story wasn't beginning.

It was continuing.

And Rey… he was part of it, too.

Chapter 17: Fractured Reality

Hyun couldn't shake the feeling that something was slipping through his fingers. The more he tried to hold on to the fragments of his past life, the more they seemed to shatter like fragile glass.

He had spent countless nights tracing the memories that came in flashes—of Yuna, of promises made in the dark, of pain that still lingered in his chest. But now, in this life, everything was different.

Yuna wasn't his.

She was surrounded by new faces, new experiences, and one of them was Rey.

Rey had quickly integrated into Yuna's life, effortlessly filling the spaces that Hyun had once occupied. He was charming, dependable, and—most frustrating of all—undeniably good for her. Hyun could see the way Yuna smiled when she was with him, how she laughed so easily.

Yet, there were moments. Brief, but undeniable.

When their eyes met across the lecture hall, when her fingers brushed against his by accident, when she hesitated before answering Rey's questions about their plans. As if, deep inside, she felt it too—that echo of something unfinished.

But every time she tried to remember, she would wince as if in pain, as if her own mind refused to reveal what had been lost. And it killed Hyun to see her struggle.

One evening, as the autumn leaves scattered across the university courtyard, Hyun found himself watching Yuna from a distance. She was sitting on a bench, engrossed in her notes, unaware of the way his world revolved around her.

"You should talk to her," a voice interrupted his thoughts.

Hyun turned to see Minji, one of his closest friends in this life. She was leaning against the tree beside him, arms crossed.

"She doesn't remember," Hyun muttered, gripping the straps of his bag. "And every time she tries, she gets hurt."

Minji sighed. "Maybe that's the point. Maybe some things aren't meant to be remembered."

He clenched his jaw. "Then why do I remember?"

Minji didn't answer. Instead, she gave him a knowing look before walking away, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

That night, Hyun made a decision. He wouldn't force Yuna to remember. If fate had given them another chance, then he would earn her love again, slowly, naturally—without the burden of the past.

Even if it meant watching her drift closer to Rey.

Even if it meant breaking his own heart all over again.