The darkness around dissipates like clouds of smoke, and little by little colors start washing over the nothingness. Yaru remembers this place, the pond, and the big tree. This is where Yaru first met Koryn.

They were children at the time. Tiny little kids, but already part of the temple's hierarchy. Koryn was already showing signs of being great, and Yaru didn't.

This place is far-removed and hard to get to. Regularly, people aren't going to bother, which is why this place is the perfect spot to get away from everyone.

Here, no one was going to bother Yaru. No one was going to make fun of the little boy that couldn't cultivate, and they wouldn't hit him and spit hurtful comments.

Who would have thought that Yaru's safe-heaven was going to be invaded by a prodigy?

Child-Koryn was sitting near the pound by the time Yaru had got there.

Back then, Yaru thought that Koryn hadn't sensed him, but now he knew that Koryn just ignored him instead. There was no way that Koryn didn't know, not with Koryn's level of cultivation (and the level of noise little Yaru made...)

Child-Yaru had no skill when it came to sneaking around, but that wasn't supposed to be an issue. It's not like he thought that there was going to be a person sitting in his spot.

The moment child-Yaru saw that talented kid from class, he immediately tried to hide. The other boy stayed quiet and didn't say anything.

No one passed-on harassing Yaru. People are nasty, they liked hurting Yaru and kicking him. They also liked calling him names, so the other child shouldn't know he was there.

Little-Yaru could have gone away if that kid saw him, he was going to be in so much trouble! Yet... there was something about the sight that wouldn't let him leave yet. It wouldn't hurt to stay, little-Yaru reasoned with himself. That kid, Koryn, will *never* know.

He wasn't all that much of a prodigy if he didn't notice little-Yaru when he made so much noise.

So, little-Yaru stayed, and he watched the boy with large red eyes.

Koryn looked very lonely, there was something about the way he sat alone with his feet kissing the pound's water that made something in Yaru's heart resonate.

When Yaru's back hurt, and his knees couldn't kneel anymore, Koryn was still sitting there. He didn't move an inch.

Even after Yaru had left, Koryn stayed.

Little-Yaru felt a little regretful, but he knew that just looking from afar was as good as it gets between the two of them. He didn't bother with even thinking 'hello' or 'goodbye.'

This is where teen-Yaru found himself when the blackness receded. The clearing with the tree and the pound, but no Koryn insight.

It was strange. Yaru didn't remember how he got here.

Yaru took a few steps closer, the silent cry of the wind spooked a lone leaf down to the clear mirror-like water. The red-eyed teen looked around sadly and froze. Standing across from him was an incredible sight, a dead person comes back to life – it was Koryn.

Yaru's mouth opened in wonder, and he took a step forward without notice.

Koryn smiled gently at him, and it was Koryn's smile. Damn, he missed it. He missed Koryn.

But, no matter how much Yaru missed his friend, he knew that the Koryn standing there couldn't be the real one. Even in this fantastic world of defying the heavens, what is dead stays dead.

Life is precious. It's a gift you only get once, and if you lose it, there's no getting it back.

Death is the end, and there's no changing that – an undead isn't a real person. They have no will of their own, and they don't look human.

The teen standing there looks nothing like the undead from Yaru's textbooks, but he couldn't be alive either.

'This is a dream, isn't it?'

Yaru relaxes at the thought, and instead of putting his guard up, he walks around the pound.

He stops in front of Koryn. The other boy looks at him with a kind smile, but now that he's closer, Yaru can see there's also sadness in that smile.

He's looking at Yaru, "they're after you." He says.

"Who?"

Koryn smiles sadly, "you should wake up soon."

He moves his hand like he's going to touch Yaru's face, but he stops before skin could touch, "they won't survive without your help. Remember. When the time comes, go left."

"What? I don't understand?!" Yaru catches Koryn's hand and its warm. It's real.

"Remember, go left," Koryn repeats, and he's taking his hand back. Yaru tries to hold on, but dream Koryn fades away like smoke, and Yaru's left alone in the clearing.

"No!"

Angry and hurt, Yaru falls down. The ground is dirty, but he's in a dream, so it's not like it really matters.

Yaru got to see Koryn, but it's not enough. Nothing would ever be enough.

Even if this is a dream, it hurts.

Yaru doesn't want to wake up. "Koryn! Koryn, please I-" but the words won't come out. He wanted to- but...

There isn't anyone to hear him anyway.

Yaru laughs, brokenly, "Y-You can't appear and go away as if nothing happened, please-"

"KORYN!"