"Ten years ago..." she began, her voice soft, distant, like she was pulling the words from deep within.
"This planet used to be alive. Green. Colorful. It had night and day, real ones. The sky wasn't always this eternal crimson... it used to shift, dance with clouds, blush at sunset, darken with stars."
Her eyes seemed to lose focus, like she was seeing it all again.
"Rivers ran freely, clear and cold, carving paths through the land instead of leaving behind dry, cracked scars. The trees were full of life, branches heavy with fruits of every kind, leaves whispering with wind, not silence. The earth was soft, covered in flowers, grass, life."
She paused for a moment, drawing in a breath.
"Animals roamed the wilds. Birds filled the skies with colour and sound. Even the insects had their place. The planet was... cheerful. Alive. Breathing."
Her tone shifted slightly, slower now, like she was remembering people from long ago.
"And humans... us, we lived."
"Children used to run through the fields, laughing until the sun dipped. Some struggled, because of fate. But they still played. They still dreamed."
"Young people worked, loved, and built their futures. Some struggled. Because of fate. But they still had hope."
"The elders rested in peace, watching life unfold around them. Some struggled... because of fate."
She looked at him now, her silver eyes steady.
"That's how the world was. Unfair, yes, but alive. At least it was better than... this."
"Then one day... he came to this planet."
Her voice grew colder, lower, like she was dragging the memory up from somewhere dark.
"He wore a black wooden mask. His clothes were neat and clean, like royalty. At first, he didn't attack. He just... watched. For months, he wandered across the land, observing everything, like a curious stranger who had just arrived from another world."
She clenched her hands as she spoke.
"And then, one day... without warning, he began burning the planet to ash. He was strong. Too strong. No one could stand against his might."
Her voice cracked faintly but held steady.
"He killed anyone who crossed his path. It didn't matter whether they fought or begged. Whether you surrendered or resisted... the result was the same."
She looked down at the dirt between them, her next words heavier.
"After he made this planet nearly useless, he didn't kill the rest of us. Instead, he cursed us."
She looked at Jinhwan now.
"We became monkeys, at least in appearance. Most of us couldn't even speak anymore. Only a few.. like me... retained the ability to talk."
Her jaw tightened.
"But even those who couldn't speak… we still had our minds. Our intelligence. We were human on the inside, but it didn't matter."
She gestured around at the cave.
"The world was no longer the same. Nothing worked like it used to. If we planted seeds, they didn't grow. Because there was no water left."
"He turned the sky crimson.. and filled it with clouds that never cried. Just endless, burning red sky."
A silence stretched.
"Most people died from starvation. Others killed each other for food... and died anyway when the rations finally ran out."
"But one day...." she continued, her voice quieter now, "he appeared again, right in our small village."
Jinhwan's eyes stayed on her, silent.
"No warning. No destruction. Nothing like before. He just... stood there for a while. Then he raised his hand, and created this underground village."
She gestured around at the cave walls glowing with violet light.
"These purple stones... they keep this place alive. They give us water. Let the trees grow. Bring light where there should be none."
She looked away for a second, eyes distant.
"And then, just like that.. he vanished. We don't know why. No one does."
She turned back to Jinhwan, her voice softer now, almost like a question wrapped in a statement.
"Why would someone like him, someone who turned the world to ashes, show mercy to only us? But thanks to that.... we're still alive. Alive in a dead world."
"That's like a fairy tale," Jinhwan said, eyes narrowing slightly.
"But why haven't you turned into a monkey like Coco and the others?"
Koko looked at him for a few seconds, then raised her shoulders in a small shrug before letting them fall again.
"I don't know myself."
Jinhwan stared at her for a moment longer, then yawned and stretched both arms above his head.
"What's your name, by the way?"
"It's Koko."
She gave a small nod, then added,
"Can I ask yours?"
Jinhwan tilted his head.
"Koko? Coco... Aren't those basically the same name?"
She smiled lightly, her silver eyes glinting.
"They sound similar, but they're written differently."
"Is that so..." he muttered, then gave a short nod.
"My name's Lee Jinhwan. You can just call me Jinhwan."
He stood up, brushing his hands on his pants, then glanced back at her.
"Are you... by any chance, a princess?"
[Episode 32 End]