The night's peace was shattered when Noona dreamed again—this time, of herself in ancient Thai attire, blood pouring from her chest as she shielded a man from a blade. The image was so vivid, it felt like it was happening before her eyes.
She awoke drenched in sweat, her heart pounding wildly. Turning to see her fiancé still peacefully asleep beside her, her eyes filled with questions.
"Why… won't that image ever fade?" she whispered.
By morning, Akin visited, noticing the pale look on her face. His voice was calm but firm.
"Noona… Memories of a past life don't come just to haunt you. They come so you can choose—whether to live with them or to break free."
Her hand tightened around the necklace still resting on the table. Even if her fiancé had chosen to let go, the vows of the past continued to haunt her.
"I'm afraid…" she confessed, her voice trembling. "Afraid that in the end, we'll never escape the past."
Akin's gaze was steady, his words slow and deliberate.
"If the past is a shadow, then you must create your own light. The shadow will remain—but it will never consume you again."
Those words struck deep into Noona's heart… perhaps this was the first step toward confronting the shadow that never fades.