Memorize - Episode 35
35 To the Hollow Plane!
The Hollow Plane, when viewed simply, can be divided into four continents: the Eastern Continent, Western Continent, Southern Continent, and Northern Continent. The currently developed areas are under the jurisdiction of both users and residents (the original inhabitants of the Hollow Plane).
However, in reality, undeveloped areas far outnumber the developed ones. If one were to travel through the surrounding undeveloped regions for even a single day, no one but the traveler themselves would know what dangers might be lurking there.
Ultimately, to resolve the uncertainty of undeveloped regions, there was no choice but to organize expeditions and occupy those areas. Even if pathways were created between continents or cities, as long as undeveloped zones blocked the front and back, people would always live in fear.
Ahn Hyun's group's starting point in the Hollow Plane was assigned to the Northern Continent. Users who proved their qualifications in the Trial of Passage are first summoned to a place called the Inn of Beginnings located in each continent's major city. There are five such inns in total, meaning there were five spaces where simultaneous Trials of Passage were conducted.
Thanks to the angels' consideration, Ahn Hyun's group, who had arrived first, woke up in the inn as instructed and went down to the first floor. They sat around a visible table and waited for other users.
The inn itself wasn't particularly special. It seemed like a place built purely for sleeping or waiting for someone. While there were doors and windows leading outside, Ahn Hyun gave up on leaving after looking through a window. The outside world reflected through the window was entirely covered in blue light. A bluish barrier surrounded the inn in a circular shape, making it impossible to see even an inch ahead. In a way, it felt as though the inside and outside of the inn were completely separated.
Inside the inn, silence lingered as if no one else had arrived yet. After pacing near the window for a moment, Ahn Hyun carefully sat down on a chair. Familiar faces came into view—Ahn Sol, Lee Yoo-jung, Kim Han-byeol... Since meeting them here, not a single word had been exchanged. Or rather, they couldn't speak.
Glancing at his sister's face, he saw her trembling uncontrollably and clenching her teeth together—a clear indication that she was deeply distressed. Ahn Hyun could tell that she was tormented by guilt. He himself felt his body trembling with an inexplicable unease that filled him internally. The source of this unease lay in the fact that Kim Su-hyun was no longer with them—he could no longer be their shield or provide them with a space to lean on.
Suddenly, Kim Su-hyun's face surfaced in his mind. His calm demeanor, composed attitude, and quiet voice somehow inspired confidence just by being seen or heard. Though they hadn't even known him for a week, during that short time he had deeply ingrained himself in their hearts.
"Run away quickly! You fools! Run to the warp gate!"
The image of him smiling and waving at them while collapsing after being hit by that monster's tail lingered vividly in Ahn Hyun's mind. At this moment, he felt acutely aware that he was nothing without him. He realized that he had been able to step up only because Su-hyun had been steadfastly supporting them from behind—and that he had unknowingly relied on him far too much.
Thinking about how Su-hyun had sacrificed himself to save his sister made it hard for Ahn Hyun to look at Lee Yoo-jung or Kim Han-byeol directly. However, summoning his courage, he raised his gloomy face to look at his companions.
Yoo-jung had buried herself into the table entirely. As soon as she came down, she slumped over and hadn't moved since then. Judging by her slightly trembling shoulders from time to time, she wasn't asleep—she probably just didn't want to show weakness to others.
Ahn Sol was no better off. Though she wasn't sobbing loudly like before, tears hung from her delicate eyelashes as she stared blankly at the floor. It seemed she still had tears left to shed—so much so that even an angel had gently comforted her while setting up basic configurations earlier. Only Kim Han-byeol maintained her initial cold expression. Though Ahn Hyun couldn't tell what she was thinking about, there seemed to be an icy atmosphere lingering around her.
The silence inside the inn remained unbroken by any words from anyone present—only occasional sobs could be faintly heard from time to time. However, as time passed gradually, faint noises began emanating from upstairs.
Specifically, sounds of multiple people moving simultaneously could be heard coming from the second floor where they had stayed earlier. Doors opening and unfamiliar voices speaking reached their ears too. Instinctively sensing that these were other survivors from the Trial of Passage like themselves, a thought flashed like lightning through Ahn Hyun's mind.
"Maybe Su-hyun hyung is there too... Maybe he managed to escape after all."
Ahn Hyun suddenly stood up from his seat in excitement. His abrupt movement drew everyone's attention toward him—even Yoo-jung raised her swollen eyes sluggishly to look at him questioningly. Speaking with an excited tone filled with hopefulness:
"Hyung... Su-hyun hyung might have come too."
"...What are you talking about?"
Yoo-jung asked hoarsely as Ahn Hyun pointed toward the stairs leading up to the second floor—the door through which survivors would emerge.
"We're not the only ones who survived; surely others were transported here too just like us... Maybe among them is hyung..."
Hearing this possibility made Yoo-jung spring up from her seat immediately before dashing toward those stairs without hesitation; Ahn Sol followed suit shortly after realizing it might indeed be possible—raising her head hesitantly before standing up herself too—but Kim Han-byeol remained seated with an indifferent expression as if harboring no expectations whatsoever.
Humans are truly sorrowful creatures—once again beginning self-rationalization anew despite having clearly witnessed Kim Su-hyun collapse before their eyes against that monstrous foe; despite shedding tears while watching his final farewell gesture—they now clung desperately onto "what if" thoughts dominating their minds entirely:
"Su-hyun hyung surely escaped somehow... Right? He must have."
"Y-yeah... If it's Su-hyun oppa we're talking about... He'd survive somewhere just fine... Like back then when he burst into that city suddenly outta nowhere..."
With trembling voices filled with mutual reassurance towards one another amidst nodding heads repeatedly agreeing upon such hopeful notions together—they finally reached near those stairs leading upwards towards potential answers awaiting beyond...
And then suddenly—
Click!
Hearing sounds emanating abruptly signaling doors unlocking upstairs halted everyone mid-motion instantaneously frozen still momentarily holding collective breaths tightly awaiting eagerly anticipating anxiously gazes fixed upward intently awaiting eagerly...
But alas...
Emerging figures revealed themselves gradually descending steps downward slowly revealing identities clearly visible unmistakably recognizable unfortunately disappointingly revealing truthfully undeniably confirming reality painfully reminding bitterly shocking cruelly disappointing revealing truthfully...
It wasn't Kim Su-Hyun...