The courtyard before Mount Hua's great gates had grown unusually quiet.
The chatter that had filled the air only moments before faded into murmurs before disappearing altogether.
Every disciple stood facing the entrance.
Rows remained neat despite the curiosity shining in countless eyes.
At the very front stood Sect leader Hyun Jong.
His hands rested calmly within the sleeves of his robes.
Beside him waited the elders, their expressions carrying quiet anticipation rather than ceremony.
There were no banners.
No musicians.
No grand celebration.
This was simply Mount Hua welcoming one of its own home.
The old wooden gates continued to creak open.
Slowly.
Patiently.
Years of weather had left their mark upon the thick timber, and every inch they moved echoed softly across the courtyard.
Sunlight spilled through the widening gap.
At first...
Only the mountain path beyond was visible.
Stone steps.
Pine trees swaying gently in the breeze.
Then-
A dark sleeve appeared.
Someone stepped through.
The conversations ceased entirely.
The figure emerged at an unhurried pace.
Dark robes.
Neatly tied.
The familiar plum blossom embroidered over the chest.
A sword rested quietly at his side.
Dust from months of travel still clung faintly to the hem of his robes, evidence of a long journey despite the disciplined appearance he maintained.
His hair, dark as ink, was tied at the end simply.
Not extravagant.
Not untidy.
Merely practical.
He looked...
Young.
Much younger than the man preserved within Chung Myung's memories.
Yet...
The way he walked.
Each step measured.
Balanced.
Calm.
Not a single movement wasted.
...
Chung Myung's breathing stopped.
It wasn't his face.
Not entirely.
A century had passed.
This body was younger.
The features carried the softness of youth instead of the maturity engraved into memory.
But...
People changed.
Bodies changed.
Expressions changed.
Some things...
Never did.
The way his shoulders remained relaxed without ever lowering his guard.
The effortless awareness of everything around him.
The quiet dignity that required no display.
...
Sa Hamin.
The name echoed soundlessly in Chung Myung's mind.
His fingers curled ever so slightly beneath his sleeves.
Impossible.
The figure reached the Sect Leader before stopping.
Without hesitation-
He bowed deeply.
"This disciple greets Sect leader."
His voice was calm.
Respectful.
Neither loud nor timid.
Hyun Jong's gentle smile widened.
"You've returned safely."
"Yes, Sect leader."
"I'm relieved. You've worked hard."
"It was my duty."
The elders smiled among themselves.
Hyun Young stepped forward first, looking the young disciple up and down before chuckling.
"You've been away long enough. I was beginning to wonder if you'd decided to settle somewhere else."
A faint smile appeared on Sa Hamin's face.
"My apologies, Elder, the mission required more time than expected."
"Hah!"
"As long as you came back."
Hyun Sang nodded approvingly.
"You seem unharmed."
"Only minor inconveniences."
"...Minor?"
Hyun Young narrowed his eyes.
"Knowing you, that usually means something most people would call life-threatening."
A few nearby disciples laughed quietly.
Sa Hamin simply inclined his head.
"...Perhaps."
"Tsk."
Hyun Young shook his head.
"Still the same."
Hyun Jong let out a soft chuckle.
"You can give your report shortly."
"There is no need to rush."
"Yes, Sect leader."
Only then...
Did Sa Hamin straighten fully.
His gaze lifted naturally.
Not searching.
Not hurried.
Simply taking in the familiar courtyard after months away.
His eyes passed over the gathered disciples one by one.
Third-class disciples.
Younger disciples.
Faces he recognized.
Some smiled shyly.
Others bowed respectfully.
He acknowledged each with a small nod.
Then-
His eyes reached the back.
A man stood with his arms folded.
Messy black hair.
An expression caught somewhere between boredom and annoyance.
To anyone else...
He looked exactly as he always did.
To Sa Hamin...
The world stopped.
...
For one heartbeat.
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
The courtyard disappeared.
The voices faded.
One hundred years.
A battlefield beneath falling blossoms.
Blood staining white robes.
A promise never fulfilled.
The image shattered as quickly as it came.
...
Chung Myung stared.
He couldn't hide it.
Not completely.
His eyes, usually sharp with mischief or irritation, had gone utterly still.
It's him.
Every absurd excuse he'd invented vanished.
Not because of the face.
Not because of the name.
Because of the eyes.
People could imitate appearances.
They could share names.
But...
Those eyes.
Quiet.
Steady.
Always seeming to understand more than they revealed.
Soft.
He knew them.
He would know them even after a thousand years.
...
Sa Hamin's expression remained composed.
Only the slightest widening of his eyes betrayed anything at all.
Almost imperceptible.
Gone before anyone else could notice.
He lowered his gaze first.
As etiquette demanded.
Nothing happened.
No greeting.
No smile.
No words.
He simply resumed standing before the Sect leader as though nothing had occurred.
"..."
Chung Myung couldn't breathe.
He knows.
That thought struck harder than any sword.
He recognized me.
Then why...
Why say nothing?
Why...
Of course.
Because this wasn't about them.
Not now.
Not here.
He was a disciple returning from a mission.
Hyun Jong was his Sect leader.
The elders deserved his report first.
Personal feelings could wait.
...
Hyun Jong nodded warmly.
"Come."
"The elders will hear your report."
"There are matters we should discuss."
"Yes, Sect leader."
Sa Hamin bowed once more.
He turned.
Walking beside the Sect leader toward the main hall.
Not once did he look back.
...
Only after they disappeared beyond the courtyard entrance did the gathered disciples begin speaking again.
"I knew Sasuk would come back."
"He looks exactly the same."
"I wonder what happened during the mission."
"I hope he'll tell us later."
The voices blended together.
None of them noticed the man still standing motionless near the rear.
Jo Gul frowned.
"...Chung Myung?"
No answer.
"...Oi."
Still nothing.
Jo Gul waved a hand in front of his face.
"...Earth to Chung Myung."
A slow blink.
"...Hm?"
"You've been staring this whole time."
"...Have I?"
"...Yeah."
"..."
Chung Myung's eyes remained fixed on the doorway through which Sa Hamin had disappeared.
His voice, when it finally came, was quieter than either Jo Gul or Yoon Jong had ever heard.
"...Guess..."
He swallowed once.
"...I really had heard that name before."
And for the first time since waking in this new life...
Chung Myung found himself hoping-
Praying-
That the meeting he had just witnessed had been real.
Because if it was...
Then someone he had mourned and lost hundred years ago...
Had just walked back into Mount Hua.