Daldal: Main story

Chapter 73

...Ya.

...Oh ya.

...Eun Oh-Ya.

He awoke to a desperate call. To his surprise, what he saw was the ceiling of an old, tilted thatched roof hut.

A hut.

Is it really a hut?

Eun Oh was confused about whether the place he was in was real or a figment of his imagination. He was sure he had been in his original room before falling asleep. Yet, upon waking up, he found himself in a hut on the mountain. It was a strange occurrence.

"What is this?"

Puzzled, Eun Oh rose and surveyed his surroundings. The familiarity struck
him-undeniably the hut on Mount Moak.
Despite initially thinking the fire had extinguished, it remained just as he remembered it.

"...Is this a dream?"

It seemed like a dream after all. He didn't usually have such vivid dreams, especially after sleeping deeply. But it was a peculiar situation. However, suddenly, he became confused. What was the dream?

This hut here?

Or

What happened with the Young Master?

"Young master?"

Anxious, Eun-oh searched for Chae Yoon-sa, who had been asleep, holding him just a moment ago. However, it seemed implausible for him to be in this poor hut.

Could the Young Master be really in this dream? What if both Chae Ga-won and the Young Master were mere illusions? If that were the case...

"Sigh..."

Eun Oh slumped his shoulders, lacking energy. Strangely, he felt a sense of relief. It would be fortunate if this were just a dream, but why did he feel a disappointing emotion? Furthermore, why did this hut, his lifelong sanctuary, feel so unfamiliar? Pulling his legs up, he hugged them, burying his face in his knees.

The empty hut was silent. A nauseating smell lingered, and a cold draft swept through, making the floor hard and chilly. Yet, it was a familiar environment to Eun Oh. It was so familiar that he might have lived without realizing how uncomfortable it was.

But now...

"Ah!"

Suddenly seized by a throbbing headache, Eun Oh groaned and clutched his head. Something strange caught in his hand. Carefully, he felt around his forehead, and his hand touched something.

It was small, like a fingernail, but solid and pointed.

His hand trembled sweatily.

Determined, Eun Oh rushed outside the hut to confirm. With no mirrors at his disposal, he intended to check his reflection in the nearby stream, not willing to believe until he saw it with his own eyes.

The stream wasn't far from the hut. As Eun Oh reached the water's edge, he knelt down, carefully observing the figure emerging in the transparent surface.

His face was reflected on the rippling waves, and there it was.

White and pointed.

A horn.

"No, this can't be..."

Why?

He had gotten rid of it when he was young.

Why did it come back to haunt him now?

Eun Oh covered his forehead with both hands and groaned in distress.

That's when it happened.

- Eun Oh.

His eyes snapped open at the familiar voice, it was his mother's voice. It was undoubtedly her. Slowly turning his head, he was shocked to find her standing there.

This couldn't be real.

"Mother?"

Eun Oh took steps towards his mother.

Illusion or reality, what did it matter?

She was his mother.

Strangely, no matter how much he walked, he couldn't get closer to her. His mother remained in the same spot, and though he approached, the distance didn't diminish.

- My child, why did you do that?

His mother, speaking in that manner, looked sad.

"What? What did I do wrong?"

- We made a promise. You and I made a promise.

"Mom...?"

Gradually, his mother's figure blurred. Eun Oh reached out, but there was nothing to grasp. He desperately shouted, asking her to stay a bit longer. Begging her not to go yet.

Then, the ground began to shake beneath him, and a dreadful sense of falling overcame Eun Oh.

"Heuk...!"

He opened his eyes.

Breathing heavily, Eun Oh rolled his eyes urgently. Nothing was visible, yet he could discern where he was.

It was real.

Chae Ga-won. The reality with the Young master. The erratic breath on top of his head and the warmth felt on his back confirmed it.

His heart raced painfully fast. It must be the aftermath of the dream. Dreams themselves were unfamiliar to him, and the eerie feeling lingered, refusing to fade.

Unconsciously, his hand moved towards his forehead. As if to confirm whether he had grown horns there, just like in the dream.
However, he hesitated before making contact. The young master was beside him. It wasn't the place for such an action. He feared arousing suspicion with the mere act of feeling his forehead.

Eun Oh cautiously slipped away from his side. Fortunately, Chae Yoon-sa showed no reaction, deeply asleep.

Silently escaping the room, Eun Oh sat on the porch, anxiously cupping his head with trembling hands. The dull ache he felt a few days ago resurfaced, now even stronger. The issue was that it felt more intense than before.

Was it due to his mood or was he genuinely growing again?

If it's the former, it's fortunate. But if it's the latter...

"No."

Eun Oh whimpered with a choked voice.

Once again, what came to mind was the disdainful gaze of the Young Master when he saw the Yokai mask. The eyes filled with disgust. What would happen if horns grew, and the Young Master saw them?

"No. I don't want this. ...I don't want this."

Eun Oh muttered in a frightened voice.

'No way. It's closer to something he likes.'

It was terrifying.

What if he ends up hating me?

There's nothing as fun as finding them and tearing them apart. That's why I can't help but enjoy them.

Golden eyes and horns. Having those made one a Yokai, they were said to possess and devour people. But that wasn't him. He wasn't something so terrible.

He isn't.

Eun Oh, as if casting a spell, whispered while clutching his head.

"No, I'm... I'm not like that. No."

And...

...

There was a gaze silently observing Eun Oh.

In the darkness.