Chapter 2: Regression

“Idiot.”

“Dummy.”

These boys were looking down at me as they were cursing. The faces of the two boys in their red and blue clothing were very similar.

They were twins. As I saw them, I mumbled.

“... is this a dream?”

As he heard my words, the twin in blue shook his head and said.

“Even when we poured water on you, you didn’t wake up, eh? Yulang’s idiot.”

That was a name I haven’t heard in a long time.

The Idiot of Yulang, Yulang’s Idiot.

A nickname I was given ten years ago.

“Hic.”

I hiccuped. Even though I didn’t drink, I felt like I had a hangover. I couldn’t figure out what’s happening. The boy in blue then leaned down and grabbed my hair.

Clench!

“This Honam’s Swift Blade is speaking, and you won’t get up!”

At that moment, I felt like I was losing it.

“Song Jwa-baek? Song Woo-hyun?”

“Now, you seem to be getting your mind together. Why are you pretending to be drunk and trying to be sneaky?”

“Right. Right. Our Honam’s Swift Blade won the bet.”

Wow...

This was crazy.

This situation was absurd. The boy in blue is Song Jwa-baek, and the one in red is Song Woo-hyun. It felt like I was dreaming.

I could remember this moment that happened 10 years ago so vividly.

Clink!

Song Jaw-baek waved a red pouch in front of him and grinned.

“I prepared it in advance in case you wanted to speak. It will be handy for our work as the Honam’s Twin Swift Blades!”

“Right. It will be useful.”

Song Woo-hyun added to his brother’s words while I struggled to understand what was happening.

Obviously, I had been stabbed in the chest and stomach by Moyong Soo. Strange blue flames then spread through my body as I lost consciousness.

But when I opened my eyes, these two boys were in front of me instead. Except, last time, I never spoke to them at this moment.

Wait...

“What day is today?”

“What dog shit...”

“What is today!”

Song Jwa-baek was startled by my loud words and frowned.

“You must be drunk. It is the year of Dog.”

No.

If we say it is the year of the Dog, then this was 10 years in the past. This dream was too vivid.

And this wasn’t a dream or illusion either. The pain from my pulled hair was very much real.

“Really... the year of the Dog?”

“What is with you all of a sudden? Did you think it would be the year of the Pig? You drank so much that your head doesn’t work?”

The two looked at me as if they couldn’t understand me. But even these weird faces looked great to me.

“Uh. What are you doing? Are you crying?”

“Shut it. If you want to live like humans, run!”

After saying those words, I quickly made my way up the stairs. The twins who saw me hastily running were unsure of what was happening. I ran up to the second floor and wandered around, searching for my things.

“Left side!”

Asong shouted from the first floor. It was 10 years in the past, so I could barely remember where my room was. Following Asong’s words, I ran to the room and saw a dagger with a blue thread around it, alongside a bag of my things on the bed.

“Ah...”

I felt a twinge of emotion at the sight of the dagger, which I hadn’t seen in a long time. I could have just run away, but I needed to pick up this dagger which was my mother’s keepsake.

It was a pity that I lost everything on this day.

Hurry up and run.

Shh!

I grabbed the dagger, and at that moment, I was startled by a sudden sound that made me drop the dagger.

Kyaaaaal!

“Kuak!”

My heart was pounding loudly at these bizarre sounds. I looked at the dagger as if it was a monster. I wondered if it was a coincidence and picked it back up.

-Kyaaaak!

“Ah!”

I felt a surge of shock as I picked up my mother’s dagger and put it down again. This wasn’t a ghost’s song, but I couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Uh.”

Goosebumps and cold sweat broke out on my body. I hesitated to pick it up since I might hear that sound again.

Kik!

Just in case, I tore the bed sheets and then used them to cover the dagger. Once it was covered, I picked it up and heard no sound.

I was not sure what was happening, but it felt like this is how I should carry it. I quickly ran down the stairs and saw that the twins were still there.

“I said run away!”

“My nosebleed didn’t stop! And what are you saying! Why do we have to run!?”

Song Jwa-baek asked me, unable to understand. Anyway, I was too busy trying to save my own hide. I didn’t have time to care for these people.

“Enough. Do whatever you want.”

“What?”

“Let’s go, Asong. We need to hurry...”

Before I could finish my words, a scream came from outside the inn.

“Kuak!”

...!

As soon as I heard the scream, I felt like my heart was going to drop. The joy from returning to 10 years in the past immediately disappeared.

Even if I came back, wasn’t this the moment I wanted to avoid? Did I return just to get captured again?

“W-what is this?”

I looked at the twins, who were scared, and said.

“.... Blood Cult.”

“Uh!”

The two twins looked terrified at my words. The worst of the Unorthodox Sects which had a vicious name that could make anyone piss themselves just hearing it.

There is no way these two didn’t understand what this meant.

“Damn it...”

A desperate voice.

Out of all the days, why today?

That moment in the year of the Dog.

The day I was kidnapped by the Blood Cult.