Location: Busan – Temple of Balance
Bang!
The shot rang out like a thunderclap. Time slowed.
Lee Gon lunged, grabbing Dephnie and pulling her behind a stone pillar. The bullet ricocheted, chipping the ancient altar. The glow from the forming Sword of Echoes faltered, dimming as if wounded by the violence.
"She's trying to destroy it," Dephnie whispered, breathless.
The alternate Dephnie advanced with cold precision, her boots echoing off the marble floor. "That sword doesn't belong to you. It never did. You don't even know what it can do."
Lee Gon stood, shielding Dephnie. "And you do? You're the one unravelling everything."
"I'm the original," she snapped. "I held the sword first. I sealed the first gate. And I paid the price. They erased me from my own world."
Her voice cracked, just once. "I won't be erased again."
Location: Seoul – National Library (Restricted Archives)
Meanwhile, Woo-jin and Professor Song sifted through the crumbling archives beneath the library. They had discovered the Book of Dimensions, an ancient text believed to be lost centuries ago.
"Look at this," Song murmured, pointing at an illustration.
Four women. The same face, different expressions—Compassion, Rage, Grief, Chaos.
Woo-jin ran a hand through his hair. "The prophecy wasn't about four realms—it was about four versions of her."
"And the sword?" Song asked.
Woo-jin flipped to the next page.
"Only one may wield it. Only one can remain."
Location: Busan Temple – Inner Sanctum
The air inside the temple warped, humming with unstable energy.
Dephnie clutched the incomplete Sword of Echoes as the alternate version advanced.
"I don't want to fight you," Dephnie said, voice trembling.
The other Dephnie raised her hand. The shadows behind her shifted—and out stepped another version.
But this one wore a silver cloak, her hair tied back tightly, her demeanour calm. Her presence froze everyone.
"I am the Seer," the new Dephnie said. "I've watched your choices in every reality."
Alternate Dephnie hissed. "Another one? How many of us are there?"
"Too many," the Seer said gently. "But only one heart beats with true balance."
Dephnie looked down at the sword in her hands. It shimmered brighter, responding to her pulse.
"Wait—" Lee Gon whispered. "It's choosing her."
Location: Realm Between Worlds – Mirror of Beginnings
Back in the mirror realm, the cracks spread like lightning across the floor. The fourth Dephnie—the one who chose chaos—stood before the fractured mirror, watching the reflections splinter.
From the shards, she saw glimpses of all her versions:
Dephnie in the orphanage, alone.
Dephnie as a spy, hard and sharp.
Dephnie as a queen, wounded by betrayal.
Dephnie with Lee Gon, smiling for the first time.
The chaos—Dephnie stared into the centre of it all.
"…I was never the chosen one. I was the result."
Then she raised her hand—and shattered the mirror completely.
Location: Busan Temple – Collapse Begins
The temple groaned. The ceiling began to crack as the multiverse trembled. Gates between realities had opened—now threatening to merge.
The alternate Dephnie turned, realization dawning too late. "She broke the final seal."
The Seer Dephnie stepped forward. "Then we're out of time."
Lee Gon grabbed Dephnie's hand. "We either seal it… or lose everything."
Dephnie stepped to the altar. "Sword of Echoes—if I'm the one, then show me."
The sword responded. The blade was fully formed, glowing with golden runes.
But now… it wasn't just a sword.
It was a key.
Suddenly, a swirling portal erupted above the temple, showing flashes of Seoul, Gyeongju, Jeju, and… a burning palace in a dark mirror world.
The sword floated into Dephnie's hands, and her eyes glowed—golden and blue, twin lights of harmony.
"I see it all now," she whispered. "Every path. Every lie. Every truth."
She turned to the other versions of herself.
"We don't have to destroy each other. But only one of us can anchor the worlds."
Alternate Dephnie gritted her teeth, gun shaking.
The Seer bowed her head. "Then let fate choose."
⚔️ Final Scene
Each Dephnie placed a hand on the sword.
The blade burned brighter. Pain lanced through their bodies. Only one could bear the weight.
One by one, their hands fell away, bodies fading into light.
In the end, only our Dephnie remained—breathing hard, standing tall.
The sword had chosen.
The portal closed.
The realms settled.
And Lee Gon caught her as she stumbled into his arms.
"You did it," he said.
Dephnie looked into his eyes, tears slipping free.
"No… we did."
🌀 To be continued