Isolde's perspective
Lucy and I talked that night about a past life he carried with him. I didn't want to acknowledge that he'd been such a terrible person, or even that he'd once been someone ordinary, but it didn't matter. I'd already decided to support him, no matter what past he bore. After all, he was my brother, and nothing would change that.
He was mine, and I wasn't going to take it back. But that same night, I was forced to face something I'd never imagined—something I hadn't anticipated. That very night, not long after we went to sleep, something happened.
I woke up in a completely unfamiliar place, with two adults by my side. Their gazes were warm, filled with a affection I'd only ever felt with Lucy or my parents. But in that moment, I couldn't comprehend what was happening.
"Little one… Your name will be Nayeon-Seul. Kurogami Nayeon-Seul," the woman in front of me said.
The man, dressed in a white coat, added in a professional tone:
"The delivery was complicated, but ultimately successful. We'll take her to the delivery room now for tests to make sure she's completely healthy."
"Alright," the woman replied.
I didn't understand anything. Everything felt out of place. My movements weren't my own, as if I were trapped in some kind of dream, unable to control my own body. It was as if everything was beyond my reach, incomprehensible, yet strangely vivid.
The next shift was abrupt, like everything blurred and then snapped back into focus in a different scene. Now I was standing in front of the two adults from before. The man was smiling at me.
"Come on, come here, little one," he said, with a smile that might have been comforting if I could only feel it.
For some reason, my body obeyed and walked toward him. Though I couldn't feel it, I knew I was hugging him, just as my mind dictated. The man lifted me up again.
"That's it! That's my girl. You're pretty smart for your age."
"Sweetheart, don't make her walk, it could be dangerous," the woman warned, her voice laced with concern, but it didn't quite reach me.
"Haha, sorry, I just wanted to see if she was really that clever. I can't believe she's walking so well at just seven months." The man set me down, leaving me with that same sense of absence.
"Alright, let's eat. The food's ready, or it'll get cold."
"Okay…"
Once again, the scene dissolved into a blurry interval of time, shifting to another moment, like an endless sequence. It was as if everything was in constant transition, yet so real. Though I couldn't feel anything, my eyes couldn't stop taking in the details. And despite being unable to experience the moment, an uncomfortable yet strangely satisfying sensation took hold of me.
Now, I was in what seemed to be a crib, and the woman in front of me was feeding me with a spoon. Though I couldn't respond, I accepted the food without resistance.
"Is it tasty? Well, I guess so. You're devouring this honey. You're just like your dad."
I didn't know how to react. I didn't even understand what those words truly meant, but a sense of unease grew inside me, as if everything had a hidden purpose I wasn't yet aware of.
And just as the woman brought another spoonful of honey to my mouth, I woke up with a jolt. It was like falling down stairs: the kind of fall where your body reacts before your mind catches up. My eyes snapped open in a panic, as if fear had slammed an emergency button in my chest.
"Issy? Can you… get off me, please? You're… suffocating me," Lucy's voice came muffled, almost faint. I looked down, and there he was. Or rather, I was crushing him.
I scrambled off immediately, clumsily.
"Sorry. It's just… I had a weird dream."
"A weird dream? Well, I guess we all have those. I had one yesterday."
"Yeah? What kind of dream, Lucy?"
"I was dreaming that I told you all about my past life and…"
"No, that was real."
"Oh…"
"…"
"So, what kind of dream did you have? Giant octopuses? The Kraken King dragging you to the bottom of the sea to be piranha dinner?" He grinned, with that teasing look he only used when he was trying to cheer someone up. He knew I was uneasy. And he was trying, in his own way.
I didn't blame him. So, as if I could convince both of us that I was fine, I gave him a fake smile. Just that.
"No. It wasn't anything that creative. It was more… strange. It was me. Or something like me, but different. Like I was a baby. But I'm not sure it was really me. And the weirdest part? I didn't feel anything. I was just watching. And yet… it felt so real. Do you think that's normal?"
Lucy blinked, thoughtful. As if his thoughts had to dig through his own memories to process what I'd just said.
"Memories?" he asked, tilting his head.
"I don't know. They didn't feel like memories. And how did you jump to that conclusion anyway?"
"I don't know," he echoed. "I guess my own memories led me there. But, Issy… are you sure they didn't feel like memories? You said it felt like you, but also not you. That's weird. Really weird. Maybe it was just a dream with a different flavor."
"You really think so?" I asked. Not because I doubted him, but because I doubted everything.
Maybe he was right. Thinking about it wouldn't get me anywhere. What I'd seen was vague, confusing, a puzzle with no frame or corners. Trying to understand it was like reading a book with the pages glued shut.
And yet, I couldn't let it go. It was foolish to draw conclusions… but it was even harder to ignore it completely.
"I believe so," Lucy replied. "But don't rely too much on my word."
"How could I not? You're my brother!"
"Heh… Alright. We'd better head down for breakfast. Father and Mother are probably waiting for us."
"Father? Isn't he supposed to leave early to stand guard for the King?"
There were details that clearly escaped me… or maybe I just never paid attention. I don't know."I don't think so. Don't you remember? He's been starting work late lately. I guess it's part of his new routine."
"Oh…"
It was strange. Dad always left for work before dawn, right at six, and wouldn't return until midnight. We found out during one of our many "nightly adventures." That time, Lucy tried to use water magic and ended up soaked from head to toe. He caught a cold the next day and kept sneezing the entire time. It was… honestly pretty funny.
Since then, he's been more careful with water magic. Or at least, he's tried.
Once in the kitchen, we walked in like always.
"Good morning," we said in unison.
"Good morning. How did you sleep?" Mom asked, placing two plates of salad on the table.
"Fine, I guess." I paused. "Why didn't you come home last night?"
"Oh… that…" Mom fell silent, slightly blushing.
Instinctively, I looked at Lucy, hoping for some sign, a clue… but he said nothing. Though his expression said otherwise: he understood completely. Of course. Mentally, he's a man of… well, I don't know how many years, but definitely more than us.
"There's no need to explain, Mother," Lucy said calmly.
"Huh? Oh, wow… Sorry. And thank you. Now, eat up before it gets cold."
Dad wasn't there, but I didn't feel like asking anything. And it seemed Lucy wasn't planning toeither.And so, we began to eat.
Although that phrase… "before it gets cold," dragged me back into that dream.
To that moment I can't get out of my head.
Because even if I try to ignore it, I knew something was happening to me.
Something deep, strange… and just beginning. That dream was only the first step.
The beginning of a sequence that would slowly reveal who I really am.
Or perhaps… who I used to be.