𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃™

CHAPTER 12. Deja Vue (Video Above⬆️)

Lee Yeon takes Nam Ji Ah to the mountain where he used to be the mountain spirit, where he and A Eum (Lee Yeon's first love now reincarnated as Ji Ah) began and ended. He shows her a box of gingko nuts exchanged in valentine-ish day in Joseon times. Lee Yeon says after exchanging the gingko nuts, they broke up.

⚡Flashback ⚡...A Eum gives Lee Yeon the gingko nuts. She says she likes him and will protect him. Afraid of love, Lee Yeon says she doesn't have the power to protect him and never will. He tells her never to come to him again. Upset, A Eum flees.

Lee Yeon admits he was scared of failing for a human who would die. He notes he can't leave the mountain without getting weaker. One day he left the mountain to chase a disruptive spirit. The villagers chased him. A Eum pulled him aside and gave him cover. The villagers didn't find him. A Eum led Lee Yeon to the path back to the mountain. She tells him to go. Lee Yeon thanks her and promises to repay her. He holds her wrist. Identical bands of light appear on their middle fingers.

The Imoogi remembers Lee Yeon grabbing his shirt while in another place and vowing to protect Ji Ah. The Imoogi tells the CEO it has been confirmed; Lee Yeon cannot kill Ji Ah. The Imoogi declares he was born to be the mountain spirit and have Ji Ah be his wife. He will take what is rightfully his now.

Back at the mountain, Lee Yeon and Ji Ah watch a waterfall flow into a lake. Lee Yeon wonders why she doesn't ask why he killed her. Ji Ah says she doesn't know why Lee Yeon had to kill A Eum.

⚡Flashback⚡...A Eum shoots arrows into Lee Yeon. He sees bodies next A Eum. He asks what she's doing. The Imoogi inside A Eum's body replies that Lee Yeon has no walls with this human. Lee Yeon demands to know where A Eum is. The Imoogi says A Eum is in her body which she willingly gave up to save her father (who the Imoogi occupied previously). The Imoogi shoots Lee Yeon again ask he rushes forward. Lee Yeon puts his sword at the Imoogi's throat. The scales appear on A Eum's neck. Lee Yeon declares A Eum means nothing to him, so he can leave her body. The Imoogi doesn't believe him. Lee Yeon says he used A Eum as bait to lure the Imoogi. The fight with swords. When Lee Yeon has the upper hand, A Eum begs for her life. Lee Yeon hesitates and the Imoogi attacks. But A Eum stops the Imoogi. A Eum is horrified by what the Imoogi did in her body. She begs Lee Yeon to kill her so she can't be used to kill anyone else. Lee Yeon promises to help her. The Imoogi regains control and stabs Lee Yeon. He offers his body in exchange for A Eum. The Imoogi agrees to release A Eum if Lee Yeon hands over his heart. Lee Yeon tells A Eum to live a long life and forget about him. He tells her not to be sorry or grateful to him. He goes to stab himself. A Eum stops him. He tells her to let him go. A Eum notes he wanted her to forget him. But she wants him to never forget her. She promises to crawl out of her grave if he ever falls in love with another woman. She tells him he must repay her. Their middle fingers glow. His hand turns into a claw. She tells him to kill her. He can't control the hand. He remembers their love. Tears stream down her face as she will him to kill her. Lee Yeon's claws rake her body. She falls to the ground. As A Eum lays dying in Lee Yeon's arms, she reminds him of her promise to protect him. She dies. Lee Yeon sobs. The light around his middle finger dissolves.