Chương 2: S.04 Memory of the Clock 01(02)

Scene 08. Spitefully, the sun cast itself without missing a single day. A quiet cafe. Alongside Nam Ga-yeon, Deputy of the 교무소(Gyo-mu-so_Office of Occult Affairs), sat Lee Yoo-rim — former secretary to Former 책사(Chaek-sa_Strategist) Su-jeong — facing Seon Ye-ju across the table. Ye-ju was thoroughly irritated. And for good reason — Ye-ju had expected to strut through 본청(Bon-cheong_Headquarters) once the incident was over. Instead, nothing had been gained.

Only the trauma of a wrist shattered by Su-jeong remained, along with a following that had all but evaporated, and a life spent scrambling to stay hidden. The occasional contact relayed through Headquarters was all that could be managed. Seated in a quiet cafe on the outskirts of the central district, three cups of coffee sat steaming between them. Three people who only stared at one another in silence over those three cups.

Ye-ju, dressed in plainclothes, looked at the two in 소복(Sobok_White mourning garments) and opened with a sneering jab. Ye-ju: You two look comfortable. Yoo-rim: What do you want to say? This early in the morning. Ye-ju: Someone told me to ask how Headquarters is doing. Ga-yeon and Yoo-rim exchanged a brief, guarded glance. Ye-ju: What? Why are you two looking at each other like that? Ga-yeon: Who. Told you to. Ye-ju: Why does that matter? Yoo-rim: If you can't say, should we get up first?

Pressed by Yoo-rim and Ga-yeon's stance, Ye-ju paused and shifted to a different question. Ye-ju: Why so cautious? Ga-yeon: Because meeting with you won't leave us unscathed either. At Ga-yeon's measured voice, Ye-ju let out a scornful laugh. Ye-ju: Must feel real damn good inside. Both of you. Yoo-rim: How so. Ye-ju: Well, Ga-yeon sis — I'll let it slide since you were always Doe Yeon-hui's lapdog, and now that Yeon-hui's been confined, I'm sure that stings. Fine.

But Yoo-rim sis — you know exactly why the woman you served ended up a corpse, and you still want to latch onto that side? Just to save your own skin? At Ye-ju's provocation, Yoo-rim held a bitter smirk, folded both arms, and struck back. Yoo-rim: Latch on. You really are cheap, aren't you. Ye-ju: Don't you two feel wronged? Ga-yeon stared silently at the coffee in front. Ye-ju: You were both 후보자 (Hubo-ja_Candidate) too.

Told you might become the 열쇠 (Yeol-soe_the Key) at any moment, forced to eat scraps of scrutiny, enduring torture disguised as experiments — you already forget all that? At Ye-ju's provocation, Yoo-rim's expression froze cold and Yoo-rim bore down on Ye-ju. Yoo-rim: The one who shielded us from that was also Former 단장 (Dan-jang_The Oldest). Ye-ju: And the one who forged Candidates into the Key and kept holding on was also that same person. Ga-yeon: If not for that, we would be dead. Ye-ju: Yeah.

Instead of the Key that was kept. Ye-ju's sneering did not stop. Yoo-rim suppressed the anger for a moment and managed a measured voice to engage Ye-ju's retort. Yoo-rim: What happened to Former Strategist Su-jeong — I feel for it too. But Su-jeong sis gave me a direct order to stay away because things would get dangerous. So I — Ye-ju: So what, sis? You're going to clean up after that Strategist bitch now? Yoo-rim seemed to recall something, unfolded the crossed arms, and leaned toward the table with a sly tilt.

The tilted head rose, and Yoo-rim looked up at Ye-ju with a mocking gaze. Yoo-rim: What's got you so anxious? Ye-ju: What? Yoo-rim: Looking at the state of you right now — you and yours have fallen out with Former Strategist Su-jeong too, haven't you? Yoo-rim's read was sharp enough. Having served someone who held the title of Strategist, Yoo-rim was seeing right through Ye-ju's situation. Ye-ju: So what if we have? Yoo-rim: Word is, Su-jeong sis has taken in 우는 자 (The Weeping) now.

You want me to step in and talk Su-jeong around again, is that it? But that wasn't even ordered by the 사무장 (Sa-mu-jang_Executive Secretary). You're out here making a fuss on your own, aren't you? With your little scraps of a crew? Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Ye-ju held the words back for a moment. Yoo-rim: But you people don't seem to understand. Why the Executive Secretary isn't giving pathetic little bitches like you any orders at all. Ye-ju: Why is that.

Yoo-rim: Just, from where I'm sitting — your lifelines don't look like they've got much left. You had the nerve to lure Headquarters people out, gather them up, then force perfectly alive people to death and turn them into 사환자 (Sa-hwan-ja_Returnee)? Among the victims of the last calamity was a classmate of mine from 재무관 (Jae-mu-gwan_The Treasury). Not from a hereditary family, so she didn't really know the Candidate's life — but she comforted us precisely because she didn't know, and she was the same age as me.

You wouldn't know any of that. You just thought they were all your pawns. Ye-ju: You think I wanted any of that!? Yoo-rim: Oh, sure. Of course — I know it was Su-jeong sis who did it. Su-jeong sis's justification. I've heard it enough to know it by heart. Rationally, I can't forgive it. Emotionally — not all of it, but I understand. But you? You and your pack of scraps? Ga-yeon: You just want Former The Oldest's 유물 (Yumul_Relic). You wanted to swallow Headquarters whole.

The way you shamelessly dug through Former The Oldest's remains to the very end — the rumors have spread everywhere. Ye-ju: I wasn't even there!!! At Ye-ju's frantic outburst cutting through Ga-yeon's words, Ga-yeon scrunched the face in contempt as though hearing a grating car horn and continued. Ga-yeon: Ever since that, everyone at the 교정관 (Gyo-jeong-gwan_Office of Rites) has been walking on eggshells. All because one wrong person sat at the top. Still, no one blames the Office of Rites staff themselves.

But what was done was foul enough. Of course they'd be watching their step, and of course some resent it in silence. Yoo-rim: The 감사원 (Gam-sa-won_The Inspectorate) is vacant too. No — everything is vacant. That the Strategist and the Acting Secretary are rolling up their sleeves to somehow hold it together — you wouldn't know that. We hate the Key just as much as Former Strategist Su-jeong did, you know. We were the ones tortured firsthand.

The one who understood that most was The Oldest, and the one who followed The Oldest's will and shielded us from that torture was Former Strategist Su-jeong. I don't want Former Strategist Su-jeong associating with the likes of you. Ga-yeon: Go back. We'll pretend this meeting never happened. Ye-ju: We're a joke to you, aren't we? Not even from upper families, yet sitting in Senior Second Rank positions. Ga-yeon, who had been composed until now, burst into a sudden laugh. Ga-yeon: Oh, come on. That's so childish.

Ye-ju: Upper family bitches are always the same. Trusting nothing but bloodline, not giving a damn about rank insignia — Ga-yeon: If that were true. Ga-yeon held a calm, mocking smile and met Ye-ju's hatred head-on. Ga-yeon: I wouldn't have bothered sitting across from the likes of you in the first place. Ye-ju: You'll regret that mouth. Ga-yeon: I won't. Never. We want to get rid of the Key just as much, but we simply don't want to associate with pathetic things like you. So rein it in.

Yoo-rim: Former The Oldest saved our lives. The act of killing someone like that — that act alone, there's no way around it. I know. It's a sin against blood, as tragic as that is. A sin against blood, full stop. When I first heard, I prayed it wasn't true. But at least that carried grief. You three scraps, though — you don't. Ye-ju, so choked with hatred, could not even form words properly. Ga-yeon smiled sweetly, mocking Ye-ju with ease. Ga-yeon: There are still some people left over there, right?

Want to poach more? That's why you've been stirring people up? Thing is — the Acting Secretary already has the list. The 내금부 (Nae-geum-bu_Inner Guard) investigation started a while ago. Long before now. Scene 09. A vast corridor set before the 대전당(Dae-jeon-dang_Grand Ceremonial Hall). The corridor, used for grand ceremonies or for receiving guests in full splendor, still held the granite stepping stones that had preserved their form across a long stretch of time.

A section of that granite, arranged as though marking seats for a thousand, was stained with blood. A person whose face had been crushed to ruin, bleeding out, lifted a hand in what could only be a plea. I-seon watched the raised hand in silence, ground the molars tight, and swung the quarterstaff — blasting the head clean off. There was no chance to scream. I-seon, carrying hatred within, was clearing out what remained of the factions. The number still left to deal with was far from small.

That the rot had festered this deep was beyond what anyone had imagined. By the late afternoon, over ten corpses had piled in the corridor, forming a small mound. Seo Na-hyun severed the last traitor's breath with a clean stroke of the blade, then walked toward I-seon. Na-hyun: Today's roster has been cleared. As I-seon gave a slight nod, both sensed a presence approaching from the distance. Na-hyun and I-seon turned. Song Hee-jin entered the corridor at a pace slightly hurried, and received Na-hyun's bow.

After offering the greeting, Na-hyun withdrew first. Officers from the 정무관(Jeong-mu-gwan_Martial Hall) gathered and scattered blue powder over the mountain of corpses. The blue powder ignited on contact — erupting in fierce, blazing flares. Alongside the blue flames, the bodies vanished without a trace. Once the officers had all withdrawn, I-seon struck Hee-jin across the face without a word of warning. I-seon: Song Hee-jin. Explain. To me.

Hee-jin slowly righted the turned head, but with eyes already reddening, Hee-jin could not bring the gaze to meet I-seon's — and barely managed a voice through the lowered head. Hee-jin: I'm sorry. I-seon: How could you. Scheme something like this. You. How much Hee-jin must be suffering — I-seon could not fail to know. The closest companion, the longest held, the dearest friend. How deeply Hee-jin revered and followed I-sim — no one knew better than I-seon. That was exactly why forgiveness was impossible.

That was exactly why none of it made sense. I-seon: I'm not asking why. How could you — Hee-jin: Because we were rotting. Because we had to start over. Because that required someone who could summon blood. Because that person was Former The Oldest's aching wound. Because it was Former The Oldest's command, and charge, and plea. I-seon listened to Hee-jin's words in stillness, then with what brief thought could be mustered, struggled to seize both reason and judgment at once.

The conclusion at the end of that deliberation was singular. I-seon: And that's the Key called Kang Ji-young? Hee-jin managed a faint nod. On the shaken face, the tears that had been pooling fell. The anger held back could no longer be sustained. I-seon, fist clenched tight, extended a handkerchief toward Hee-jin's split lip. Hee-jin accepted the handkerchief and wiped the lip clean. I-seon: The daughter Former The Oldest treasured above all else. Hee-jin: Yes. I-seon: Where. Where is The Oldest now.

Hee-jin: I'm sorry. I can't say right now — The fury had been reined in with effort, but at Hee-jin's grief-stricken voice, as though unable to tolerate it any longer, I-seon let the urgent rage surge and seized Hee-jin by the collar with full force. I-seon: You!! Let The Oldest die like this!!! With your schemes that only you knew!! Hee-jin: I'm sorry. Seon-a. I really am, so sorry. But please, just wait a little longer. I'm begging you. It won't take long. Okay? I-seon: Why.

Just tell me why you can't say — just that much, at least. I'm begging too. Please. Okay? Hee-jin: Because Kwon Su-jeong is trying to kill. Because the 파생품 (Pasaeng-pum_Derived Relic) Su-jeong carries might harm The Oldest Kang Ji-young. Ji-young must stay hidden for now. We need to wait for them to gather too. All of them must converge. Without exception. So please, just a little longer. I'm begging. I-seon seemed to understand, belatedly, and eased the grip on Hee-jin's collar.

But the collar was not released — I-seon still held on, trying to resolve the remaining questions. I-seon: Then, if I take out Kwon Su-jeong first — can The Oldest come back even a little sooner? At I-seon's anguished question, Hee-jin shook the head. Hee-jin: Don't step in. Please. The Weeping is beyond what we can handle. The Oldest will step forward. That's what we're waiting for. So please, just a little.

Just a little — At Hee-jin's plea, I-seon finally, grudgingly, slowly released the grip on Hee-jin's collar. In the silent courtyard of the Grand Ceremonial Hall, where not a single corpse or drop of blood remained, I-seon let the quarterstaff held in one hand dissolve away, turned from Hee-jin, and lamented. I-seon: Hah. SSibal, seriously. I'm absolute garbage at waiting. This is so SSibal. Hee-jin: I'm sorry. I-seon: Lately — the trips you've been making up to the northwest.

That's because of The Oldest Kang Ji-young, isn't it. Hee-jin nodded in silence. I-seon: Need more people? Hee-jin: Not yet. But it won't be long now. When the time comes, I'll ask separately. I-seon: Fine. If you're going to do it, do it fast. I'll be here smashing whatever spies and collaborators are left. Hee-jin: Thank you. I-seon let out a sigh.

As Hee-jin gathered the emotions with effort and fastened the thick collar of the 두루마기(Durumagi_Traditional outer coat), I-seon grabbed Hee-jin's upper arm, spread that brutish, oversized hand wide open, and hammered Hee-jin's back without mercy. I-seon: Ah-ni!! You absolute bitch. You stubborn, stupid, brilliant-brained lunatic!! Hee-jin: OW!! SSibal!! Hey!!! Stop hitting me!!