Between Reality and Illusion

Chapter 46 - Between Reality and Illusion

Darkness swallowed him whole.

Hyun's breath came in ragged gasps as his body tumbled through the void. The golden warmth that once surrounded him had disintegrated into fragments, like shattered glass slipping through his fingers.

Then—

A sharp gasp tore from his throat as he jolted upright. Cold sweat clung to his skin. His hands trembled as he clutched at the unfamiliar fabric beneath him. A hospital bed. Monitors beeped steadily beside him. The scent of antiseptic burned his nostrils.

His gaze darted around the dimly lit room, and then—

Yuna.

She was sitting in a chair beside him, her face pale, her eyes red-rimmed with exhaustion. Her fingers were curled around his wrist, as if she had been holding onto him for dear life.

Hyun parted his lips, but his throat felt raw. "Yuna…?"

Her head snapped up. Relief and disbelief warred in her expression. "Hyun! You—You're awake!"

His mind was a whirlwind of fragmented memories. The dream, the second chance—it had all felt so real. But this…

This was real.

Tears welled in Yuna's eyes as she reached up to touch his face, her fingers barely grazing his skin. "I thought I lost you."

Hyun's chest tightened. His mind screamed at him to say something, to assure her, to ask what had happened. But before he could form the words, the door creaked open.

A figure stepped inside.

Jiyeon.

Hyun's pulse quickened. The same woman he had seen in his visions now stood before him, her expression unreadable.

"You shouldn't have woken up," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Yuna stiffened. "Jiyeon, what are you talking about?"

Jiyeon's gaze locked onto Hyun's. "Everything you saw—it wasn't just a dream."

Hyun's fingers curled into the sheets as dread settled deep in his bones. If the dream wasn't just a dream… then what was it?

And more importantly—what was coming next?

Chapter 47 - The Weight of Truth

The silence in the hospital room stretched, thick with unspoken words and the weight of something too heavy to name.

Hyun's fingers twitched against the sheets. His heartbeat was still erratic, a ghost of the panic that had gripped him moments ago. He met Jiyeon's gaze, searching for an explanation—something, anything—to make sense of what she had just said.

Yuna's grip on his wrist tightened. "Jiyeon, stop being cryptic. If you know something, just say it."

Jiyeon sighed, stepping closer, her expression unreadable. "Hyun… you were never meant to wake up. This reality, this moment—it wasn't supposed to happen."

Hyun swallowed hard. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Jiyeon's voice was quiet, but firm, "that the life you've been living—the second chance you thought you had—it wasn't a dream." She took a deep breath. "It was real."

Yuna's breath hitched beside him. "That doesn't make sense. He's here now. He's awake. If that life was real, then what is this?"

Jiyeon hesitated for the first time. Her eyes flickered toward the door, as if expecting someone—or something—to be listening. Then, barely above a whisper, she answered, "A fracture."

Hyun felt the weight of that single word settle in his chest. A fracture. A tear between two realities.

He shook his head. "No… no, that's impossible."

Jiyeon pressed her lips into a thin line. "Then how do you explain the memories? The visions? Why does everything still feel like it's slipping through your fingers?"

Hyun exhaled shakily. He didn't want to believe her. But deep down, in the part of him that had been unraveling ever since he first woke up, he knew she was right.

The past he had lived wasn't just a dream.

And now, the consequences of that truth were beginning to surface.

Yuna turned to Jiyeon, desperation creeping into her voice. "Then tell us what we're supposed to do. If this reality is breaking, how do we fix it?"

Jiyeon's gaze darkened. "That's just it." She looked directly at Hyun. "You can't fix it. The only thing you can do—"

A sudden knock at the door cut her off. The three of them froze.

A voice, low and unfamiliar, called from the other side.

"Jang Hyun-jae, we need to talk."

Yuna stiffened, instinctively moving closer to Hyun. Jiyeon's expression became unreadable again, but there was a flicker of something behind her eyes—something dangerously close to fear.

Hyun swallowed. Whoever was on the other side of that door wasn't just here for answers.

They were here for him.

Chapter 48 - The Visitor

The air in the hospital room grew heavier, thick with anticipation as the knock echoed again.

Hyun's pulse pounded in his ears. He exchanged a glance with Yuna, whose grip on his wrist was now tense, her fingers digging into his skin. Jiyeon, however, remained eerily still. Her eyes remained locked on the door, as if she already knew who stood on the other side.

"Who is it?" Hyun called out, his voice betraying none of the unease gripping his chest.

A beat of silence. Then—

"Open the door and find out."

Hyun glanced at Jiyeon, but she didn't move. Yuna's nails lightly scratched against his skin, a silent plea for caution. But something inside him pushed forward. He had spent too much time grasping at half-truths, at shadows slipping through his fingers.

It was time for answers.

Slowly, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. His knees wobbled, but he ignored the weakness. Step by step, he made his way toward the door, his breath shallow as he turned the handle and pulled it open.

A man stood in the doorway.

Tall, dressed in a dark suit, his sharp features were unfamiliar, but the look in his eyes sent a shiver through Hyun's spine. It was the look of someone who knew more than they let on.

The stranger's gaze flickered over Hyun before settling on Jiyeon. "It's been a long time."

Jiyeon's shoulders stiffened. "Not long enough."

The man smirked, but there was no warmth behind it. "You should've told him sooner." His eyes shifted back to Hyun. "We don't have much time."

Hyun clenched his fists. "Who are you?"

The man took a step forward, his presence commanding the space. "Someone who's been watching over you for longer than you realize."

Yuna stepped between them, her stance protective. "Watching? For what?"

The man exhaled, as if weighing how much to say. "For the moment you woke up. The moment the fracture solidified."

Hyun's stomach twisted. "The fracture… What does it mean?"

Jiyeon finally spoke, her voice quieter than before. "It means… the timelines are no longer separate. And if we don't act fast—" she hesitated, meeting the man's gaze.

His expression darkened. "Then neither reality will survive."