Frozen Reverie

Chapter 37: Echoes of the Past

The rain intensified, drumming against the pavement as Hyun took an unsteady step forward. His breath was shallow, his heartbeat erratic. The hooded figure stood motionless, shadows concealing their face, but the voice—it was unmistakable.

"You..." Hyun's voice wavered as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

The figure lowered their hood, revealing sharp eyes that gleamed beneath the dim glow of the streetlights. "It's been a long time, Hyun."

His mind reeled. It was impossible. This person—someone who shouldn't be here—was standing right in front of him. A ghost from a past he had already lived once.

"Jiyeon," he whispered.

A smirk tugged at Jiyeon's lips. "Surprised? You should be. You're not the only one who remembers."

Hyun staggered back, his drenched clothes clinging to his skin as the weight of her words pressed down on him. "You... you know? About the past? About everything?"

Jiyeon's gaze darkened. "I've been waiting for you to figure it out. But you're too slow, Hyun. And now, time is running out."

His fingers clenched into fists. "What do you mean?"

Jiyeon stepped closer, her voice a whisper against the storm. "You think you came back to fix things. But have you ever considered that maybe—just maybe—this second chance isn't yours alone?"

A cold dread crept up Hyun's spine. He had believed that his return to the past was fate's way of giving him a chance to make things right. But if Jiyeon knew—if she had also come back—then what did that mean for everything he thought he understood?

"Meet me at the old pier," Jiyeon said, her tone final. "Midnight. I'll tell you everything."

She turned and disappeared into the rain before Hyun could respond, leaving him standing in the storm, drenched not just in rain but in uncertainty.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the city, Yuna stood at the edge of the pier, staring into the dark, restless waters. The clock was ticking closer to midnight, and the message still burned in her mind.

You don't know the full truth.

Her fingers trembled as she clutched her phone, heart pounding against her ribs. Who had sent it? And why did she feel like, tonight, everything was about to change?

Chapter 38: Crossroads of Fate

The wind howled through the empty pier, whipping Yuna's hair around her face as she hugged herself tightly. Midnight was minutes away, and yet the only sound was the restless crashing of waves against the wooden planks beneath her feet. Her breath came in slow, measured exhales, but the anxiety clawing at her chest refused to settle.

Then, footsteps.

Her grip on her phone tightened as she turned sharply, expecting—hoping—that it was Hyun. But instead, a different silhouette emerged from the darkness.

"You actually came." The voice was low, carrying an edge of amusement.

Yuna's pulse quickened. "Who are you? Did you send me that message?"

The figure stepped closer, revealing Jiyeon's piercing gaze. "I did. And you're here because you need answers, don't you?"

Yuna swallowed hard. "Answers about what?"

Jiyeon's lips curled into a smirk. "About why you're here. Why everything feels... wrong. Why memories don't always match reality."

A chill ran down Yuna's spine. "I don't understand."

"You will soon," Jiyeon said. "But first, you need to see something."

Before Yuna could react, another set of footsteps echoed from the opposite direction. This time, it was unmistakable.

"Yuna!" Hyun's voice cut through the tension, frantic and desperate.

He reached them within moments, eyes darting between Jiyeon and Yuna. "Step away from her," he warned.

Jiyeon merely chuckled. "Oh, Hyun. Still playing the hero? You really haven't figured it out yet, have you?"

Hyun clenched his fists. "Enough games. What do you want?"

Jiyeon's smirk faded, replaced by something unreadable. "The truth, Hyun. It's time you both remember."

A sudden gust of wind sent the waves crashing violently against the pier, and in that moment, the world seemed to tilt.

Everything around them blurred—

And then, the memories began to return.

Chapter 39: Fragments of a Forgotten Life

Pain. It wasn't physical, but it was suffocating. A force pulling Hyun under, drowning him in waves of memories that didn't belong to him—yet felt undeniably real.

Flashes of a past he never lived.

Yuna, standing under cherry blossoms, her laughter ringing like wind chimes.

Jiyeon, watching from afar, eyes filled with something unreadable.

Rey—his presence flickering between familiarity and the unknown.

Hyun clutched his head, staggering as the images continued to pour in. His mind felt like it was splitting apart, torn between two realities.

Yuna gasped beside him, her knees buckling as she gripped the railing of the pier. "I... I remember things that—things that shouldn't exist."

Jiyeon remained still, watching them with a knowing expression. "It's because they do exist. Just not in this timeline."

Hyun forced himself to stand, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. "What the hell is happening to us?"

Jiyeon's smirk faded. "Your second chance... wasn't just yours, Hyun. It was never meant to be." Her gaze flickered toward Yuna. "And she's starting to realize it too."

Yuna's hands trembled. "I don't understand. Are we—are we reliving something?"

Jiyeon nodded. "Yes. But this time... the story isn't following the same path."

Hyun clenched his fists. "Then tell us. What are we supposed to do?"

Jiyeon stepped forward, her voice quieter now. "You have to make a choice, Hyun. Do you keep trying to fix the past? Or do you finally accept that not everything can be rewritten?"

The words struck deep, and for the first time, Hyun felt the weight of his actions crash down on him.

Because if Jiyeon was right, then this wasn't just about a second chance.

This was about breaking fate itself.

To be continued...