Daldal: Main story

Chapter 128

He told me to go down. but a cliff appeared.

It seems I took the wrong path.

What should I do? Should I go back? which way?

In this unfamiliar place, compounded by fog making it hard to gauge direction, returning to the village or finding the cave from here seemed nearly impossible.

"Ugh!"

Eun-oh groaned in agony, gripping his hair. It was a desperate situation. Unable to move forward or go back, he had no choice but to stand still. Meanwhile, the ground-shaking vibrations were ominously drawing closer.

The ground beneath his feet shook. Due to the intensified vibrations, loose rocks and dirt tumbled down the cliff. Eun-oh gazed helplessly into the mist, unable to see below.

Eventually, a fierce chill enveloped Eun-oh from behind. Slowly turning his head, he glimpsed something in the distance through the thickets.

"Y-Young Master..."

Chae Yoon-sa revealed himself.

As if hearing Eun-oh's faint voice, Chae Yoon-sa pulled the reins, bringing the horse to a stop.

Emerging from the mist, he swiftly descended and walked towards Eun-oh.

Without realizing it, Eun-oh involuntarily retreated, finding himself perilously close to the cliff's edge. His right foot dangled precariously over the cliff, causing his body to sway dangerously. Fortunately, he managed to regain balance and avoid a fall, but he was in a delicate state. Sensing the danger, Chae Yoon-sa refrained from moving further and stood tall.

The mist draped over him like a curtain, obscuring his figure. The expression on Chae Yoon-sa's face remained unseen by Eun-oh. This concealment, sparked a small surge of courage within Eun-oh.

"Young Master. Th-the truth is..."

Consider telling a lie. Say Kang Hee misled you. Say you've never had horn, and your eyes are always dark.

Let's try avoiding it this time.

Maybe I'll believe it.

"In truth, I..."

Although Eun-oh mind urged him to, the lie circled within, refused to be spoken.

"Say no more."

Suddenly, Chae Yoon-sa interrupted.

"Say you're not a Yokai. I'll believe it unconditionally."

Chae Yoon-sa urged him to spit out that lie quickly. He'll believe him unconditionally. It was fortunate. But why does it feel even more heart-wrenching? Suddenly, tears welled up, spilling over.

A voice quivered from trembling lips, and that voice uttered...

"I... I... I am... a Yokai."

It was the truth.

"I had horns. I did, but I got rid of them. Yet, it seems like they're growing back. My eyes were originally yellow, but I changed them. That's why I can't see well at night."

A confession.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier."

And an apology.

"... "

Chae Yoon-sa remained silent, replaced by a grinding noise, resembling clenched teeth. This abrasive sound closed in on Eun-oh, carrying a weight of accusatory blame.

Ah, so this is what it means for one's heart to crumble...

Eun-oh realized at this moment.

Why did I feel sad rather than grateful that he was urging me to lie? This is because, ultimately, it is a rejection of my existence.

Times come when even the best-hidden lies are exposed. Deceit will inevitably crumble, and then the price of betrayal must be paid. Whether sooner or later, the end was predetermined.

Eun-oh clenched his fist.

Now was the time to choose. Ahead was Chae Yoon-sa, behind was the cliff. It was either be killed by him or fall off the cliff.

Whichever path, his life was not guaranteed.

So then...

"Young Master, I."

If he was going to die anyway...

"I think I really like you a lot, Young Master."

At least, he didn't want to die at the hands of someone he liked. What remained at the end of his life shouldn't be hatred and disgust.

That, at least, was clear.

Chae Yoon-sa, sensing something was wrong, reached out his hand towards the mist.

"Come here."

"... "

"Hurry."

In an unexpectedly anxious tone, Chae Yoon-sa spoke.

Eun-oh hesitated before tentatively advancing. Step by step-first one, then two, then three-he drew nearer, just as Chae Yoon-sa's hand reached out, almost within grasp.

Eun-oh turned his body towards the cliff again.

Chae Yoon-sa's hand missed him, swiping through empty air.

Eun-oh gritted his teeth and Jumped.

Over the cliff, into the mist-shrouded river below.

His body fell endlessly beneath the cliff.

Tears scattered in the wind, fragments breaking apart in the air. Unbridled hair and an untethered shirt fluttered wildly as the body plunged, gaining momentum with each passing moment.

In that fleeting moment, everything seemed distant, and the deep blue abyss fiercely rushed forward.

Eun-oh tightly shut his eyes.

Thud!

With a dreadful cracking sound, his body collided with the water's surface. Just before the impact, he heard a scream calling out.

It seemed like he was being called.

"Eun-oh."

Whether it was an illusion or reality, he wondered, but there was no way to know.

His body and consciousness were sucked into the abyss, like a relentless whirlpool.