idk bro gimme a break

Chapter 12 - ITWT

Humans possess a natural way of thinking. An expandable mind that broadens as time progresses. A mind with less burden, letting some memories be buried for the sake of lowering cognitive overload, and let ambitious ideas... above to keep the gears oiled up—fueling and molding a person. Heeseung believes that is the very essence of why the shape of a mind projects a dome.

Memories kept in a glass like area, meant to be known and seen by the beholder, sometimes hidden in the bottom where all mundane actions were kept and thrown. But, the others on top, meant to be remembered.

The mind reflects the person's ideology of who they've become—the person they've molded into, the stories they carry as they walk their path.

The 13th shard reveals Jongseong's irrefutable past, which is the same as his 16th.

As if it was a loop. It showed the same thing, over and over again.

Which begs the question: How?

Heeseung silently ponders and wonders. He never once wavers whenever he catches a glimpse of Jongseong's past.

The past remains in the past.

But why is his past the present and the future?

The 14th gave reactions. The weight of that shard was heavy. Perhaps an old memory buried in the dusk of the others.

Heeseung observed Jongseong. He observed as he drew confused at the scenario he was seeing. He mirrored Heeseung's reaction in each memories they saw- which concludes.. someone erased Jongseong's memories.

Who? How?

Apart from him.. and the other families, there's no one else who could do it like him. Only Heeseung can take memories away from the user.

It really begs the questions of who, how.. or if possible, is it him?

It can't be..

Heeseung's mind went back to the current scene. They stood in the room, seeing the same events that unfolded earlier. The same tragedy ... over and over again.

Heeseung could tell Jongseong is equally fazed, the man questioned his authenticity "Is this really the 13th? How come it's the same?!" Heeseung barely makes mistakes.

"Yes, I am sure" He replied sternly and surely. He isn't an idiot who studied memory magic just for a few years, he had been doing this his whole life.

The noble seems to realize this and sighs in defeat "Let's... move to the next memory"

So it begins again.

.

Jake knows what this is.

A sardonic chuckle escapes his mouth as he spirals more into anger and frustration.

He bites his lower lip as he held his sword. His grip tightening at the handle. He stares at the forest with his eyes flaring red, ready to eradicate.

The eyes of a warrior, the eyes of the tainted. The white light that was once there, the moon hovers and blinds his sight. To see the goal of his journey. He no longer can't, everything else seemed to fade in the mist of his desire.

If he must kill Jongseong to get what he wants.

Then so be it.

.

11th was different.

Set in a peaceful manor, under the sunset skies. The two children from the North and East played together. Smiles and giggles, happiness with no contamination of malice.