Chae Nayun's admonishment about my involvement with Djinns leaves me staring at her with a sense of exasperation. I understand her perspective and the need for transparency and unity within our group. However, my concern lies not with the Djinns themselves but with the impending revelation the Hero Association is on the brink of discovering.
I inhale, trying to relax myself. This is going to be a long conversation. I know it. The need to share the newfound information is crucial; this Time Curve Phenomenon means a lot, and in the wrong hands, it can be disastrous.
"I know you are still salty with what I did, bringing Djinns to our fold, but that is not the main problem," I begin tentatively, choosing my words carefully.
Rachel, ever analytical, cuts straight to the chase. "Analysis of the Time Curve Phenomena, and its Effects on History?"
"Yes," I reply, meeting her gaze. "I will be frank. I have been looking to research something similar. I didn’t tell it to you guys first because I don’t have much proof of it. Most of it is speculation, but I think what this research, this Time Curve analysis wants to prove was something I too have been looking for."
Chae Nayun leans forward, her eyes intense. "What is it? Stop with the suspense. Just come clean, Hyon. It's not like I will kill you for it."
I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of the revelation settling in the room. "It's the key to altering the course of history. Not just predicting it, but actively changing it. Imagine the possibilities and the power that come with controlling the Time Curve. But, here's the catch – it's not just about changing the past; it's about shaping the future, molding it according to one's desires. And that, my friends, is both incredible and terrifying."
I take a moment to let my words sink in, knowing the gravity of the information I'm about to reveal.
"Remember the Bleeding of Time from Kum Seungyeon?" I inquire, glancing at Chae Nayun and Rachel. They nod, recalling the Djinn Attack that terrorized Cube. "Kum Seungyeon was a victim of the Bleeding of Time, a phenomenon that made her insane by repeatedly witnessing her past life. Data about the Bleeding of Time was scarce, but Hajin was able to document it."
I proceed to virtually share data, summoning holograms of the documents. "All Hajin at that time had were hunches from confirming his experience with the Bleeding of Time, cross-referencing it with his Book of Truth, and investigating Kum Seungyeon’s changes. He worked hard to file in data he gathered, opting to share it with all of us."
I rub my chin, the weight of the information settling in. "As you all know, Kim Hajin also experienced the Bleeding of Time and had Nayun’s memories. My question at that time was: where did these memories come from?"
Chae Nayun, ever alert, responds, "The past."
"But which past?" I challenge, and Rachel leans in, intrigued.
"Are you suggesting that there are multiple pasts?" Rachel asks.
"Yes," I affirm. "That was what the Bleeding of Time was all about! Thanks to Hosup’s efforts, we have decoded data that Hajin left in the Orb of Solomon. However, the extracted data was too incomprehensible. It says something about loops, repeating, and 666..." I trail off, confusion evident in my expression. "Hajin won’t leave meaningless information. At that time, I thought maybe the world was repeating itself. The people who used the Miracle Stone, the source of Time Regression, Nayun, might not just be you or Shin Myungchul!"
Chae Nayun's eyes widen in shock. "What the fuck? So I am not alone?"
Rachel, ever calm, places a reassuring hand on Chae Nayun's shoulder. "Nayun-ssi, you always knew you were not alone."
I take a deep breath, my gaze fixed on the holographic projections hovering in the air. "The reason I shifted to General Academics, and even to go as far as to take dual courses for History, and then Technology is exactly because of this… iterations. I want to study these iterations." I wear a miserable look as the weight of my revelation sinks in.
"You know I am not from this world. The same is true for Hajin. We are not of this world. But what if? What if we have it all wrong? It is not that we came from a different planet? Maybe, we came from a different Timeline…"
Chae Nayun and Rachel express shock in their own ways. The room is filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the faint hum of the holographic projections, each of us grappling with the implications of what I've just disclosed. The concept of multiple timelines and the idea that we might be displaced from a different one seems almost surreal, yet it explains the anomalies we've encountered in our experiences with the Bleeding of Time and… this Time Curve Phenomena that the Association and Djinns are conjointly researching about.
"Kim Hajin has written about this world in a novel, with you guys being its characters. But what if? What if you really aren’t characters in a novel? What if this world was never a novel to begin with?" I pause, letting the weight of the notion sink in, knowing it challenges everything we've understood about our existence.
"After coming to this world, and getting to interact with you guys… I come to ask… What came first? The novel, or you? The novel, or this world?"
The room falls into a contemplative silence as my words hang in the air, each of us grappling with the profound implications of whether our reality is an original existence or a product derived from a more based source— what we are today might not be what we were, before.
Chae Nayun looks puzzled, not fully grasping the gravity of the situation. "What does it have to do with this Time Curve thingy?"
I take a moment to gather my thoughts. "The thesis? Hmmm… The thesis will prove that we are in a different Timeline."
Chae Nayun furrows her brows, seeking clarification. "What does that exactly mean?"
Rachel, ever analytical, starts deducing the information available. "It might mean many things, like scientifically proving Time Travel is feasible. This kind of power, if it becomes realized technology, mankind will be like Gods… Tell us, Hyon, how does the Association wish to accomplish this?"
"They will be going to the source—the first iteration," I reveal, the room falls silent again with the implications of reaching back to the beginning of the timeline sinking in. The pursuit of the first iteration, the origin of everything, is a bold and potentially perilous endeavor that could reshape the course of history itself.
"For me, I don't even know where to begin," I admit, the weight of uncertainty evident in my words. "I can only imagine what the original timeline is like." Subconsciously, I find myself beginning to reject the idea, the implications too overwhelming to fully accept. "Hajin and I, we come from a time where the Outcall did not happen."
The mention of the apocalyptic event earns a reaction from both Rachel and Nayun. They know what I mean. I tell them stories of a life without the Outcall is like… It is a world of peace unlike the current world we currently reside in… I now come to appreciate how blessed I was before I got sent to this world. In the 21st century I know, there are no monsters or super criminals loitering around, no dungeons to summon feral monstrosities, no magic power to create superheroes, no towers to terrorize the common folks, and certainly no Devils there to create psychopathic Djinns soaked with the addiction of the thrill.
Chae Nayun's admonishment about my involvement with Djinns leaves me staring at her with a sense of exasperation. I understand her perspective and the need for transparency and unity within our group. However, my concern lies not with the Djinns themselves but with the impending revelation the Hero Association is on the brink of discovering.
I inhale, trying to relax myself. This is going to be a long conversation. I know it. The need to share the newfound information is crucial; this Time Curve Phenomenon means a lot, and in the wrong hands, it can be disastrous.
"I know you are still salty with what I did, bringing Djinns to our fold, but that is not the main problem," I begin tentatively, choosing my words carefully.
Rachel, ever analytical, cuts straight to the chase. "Analysis of the Time Curve Phenomena, and its Effects on History?"
"Yes," I reply, meeting her gaze. "I will be frank. I have been looking to research something similar. I didn’t tell it to you guys first because I don’t have much proof of it. Most of it is speculation, but I think what this research, this Time Curve analysis wants to prove was something I too have been looking for."
Chae Nayun leans forward, her eyes intense. "What is it? Stop with the suspense. Just come clean, Hyon. It's not like I will kill you for it."
I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of the revelation settling in the room. "It's the key to altering the course of history. Not just predicting it, but actively changing it. Imagine the possibilities and the power that come with controlling the Time Curve. But, here's the catch – it's not just about changing the past; it's about shaping the future, molding it according to one's desires. And that, my friends, is both incredible and terrifying."
I take a moment to let my words sink in, knowing the gravity of the information I'm about to reveal.
"Remember the Bleeding of Time from Kum Seungyeon?" I inquire, glancing at Chae Nayun and Rachel. They nod, recalling the Djinn Attack that terrorized Cube. "Kum Seungyeon was a victim of the Bleeding of Time, a phenomenon that made her insane by repeatedly witnessing her past life. Data about the Bleeding of Time was scarce, but Hajin was able to document it."
I proceed to virtually share data, summoning holograms of the documents. "All Hajin at that time had were hunches from confirming his experience with the Bleeding of Time, cross-referencing it with his Book of Truth, and investigating Kum Seungyeon’s changes. He worked hard to file in data he gathered, opting to share it with all of us."
I rub my chin, the weight of the information settling in. "As you all know, Kim Hajin also experienced the Bleeding of Time and had Nayun’s memories. My question at that time was: where did these memories come from?"
Chae Nayun, ever alert, responds, "The past."
"But which past?" I challenge, and Rachel leans in, intrigued.
"Are you suggesting that there are multiple pasts?" Rachel asks.
"Yes," I affirm. "That was what the Bleeding of Time was all about! Thanks to Hosup’s efforts, we have decoded data that Hajin left in the Orb of Solomon. However, the extracted data was too incomprehensible. It says something about loops, repeating, and 666..." I trail off, confusion evident in my expression. "Hajin won’t leave meaningless information. At that time, I thought maybe the world was repeating itself. The people who used the Miracle Stone, the source of Time Regression, Nayun, might not just be you or Shin Myungchul!"
Chae Nayun's eyes widen in shock. "What the fuck? So I am not alone?"
Rachel, ever calm, places a reassuring hand on Chae Nayun's shoulder. "Nayun-ssi, you always knew you were not alone."
I take a deep breath, my gaze fixed on the holographic projections hovering in the air. "The reason I shifted to General Academics, and even to go as far as to take dual courses for History, and then Technology is exactly because of this… iterations. I want to study these iterations." I wear a miserable look as the weight of my revelation sinks in.
"You know I am not from this world. The same is true for Hajin. We are not of this world. But what if? What if we have it all wrong? It is not that we came from a different planet? Maybe, we came from a different Timeline…"
Chae Nayun and Rachel express shock in their own ways. The room is filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the faint hum of the holographic projections, each of us grappling with the implications of what I've just disclosed. The concept of multiple timelines and the idea that we might be displaced from a different one seems almost surreal, yet it explains the anomalies we've encountered in our experiences with the Bleeding of Time and… this Time Curve Phenomena that the Association and Djinns are conjointly researching about.
"Kim Hajin has written about this world in a novel, with you guys being its characters. But what if? What if you really aren’t characters in a novel? What if this world was never a novel to begin with?" I pause, letting the weight of the notion sink in, knowing it challenges everything we've understood about our existence.
"After coming to this world, and getting to interact with you guys… I come to ask… What came first? The novel, or you? The novel, or this world?"
The room falls into a contemplative silence as my words hang in the air, each of us grappling with the profound implications of whether our reality is an original existence or a product derived from a more based source— what we are today might not be what we were, before.
Chae Nayun looks puzzled, not fully grasping the gravity of the situation. "What does it have to do with this Time Curve thingy?"
I take a moment to gather my thoughts. "The thesis? Hmmm… The thesis will prove that we are in a different Timeline."
Chae Nayun furrows her brows, seeking clarification. "What does that exactly mean?"
Rachel, ever analytical, starts deducing the information available. "It might mean many things, like scientifically proving Time Travel is feasible. This kind of power, if it becomes realized technology, mankind will be like Gods… Tell us, Hyon, how does the Association wish to accomplish this?"
"They will be going to the source—the first iteration," I reveal, the room falls silent again with the implications of reaching back to the beginning of the timeline sinking in. The pursuit of the first iteration, the origin of everything, is a bold and potentially perilous endeavor that could reshape the course of history itself.
"For me, I don't even know where to begin," I admit, the weight of uncertainty evident in my words. "I can only imagine what the original timeline is like." Subconsciously, I find myself beginning to reject the idea, the implications too overwhelming to fully accept. "Hajin and I, we come from a time where the Outcall did not happen."
The mention of the apocalyptic event earns a reaction from both Rachel and Nayun. They know what I mean. I tell them stories of a life without the Outcall is like… It is a world of peace unlike the current world we currently reside in… I now come to appreciate how blessed I was before I got sent to this world. In the 21st century I know, there are no monsters or super criminals loitering around, no dungeons to summon feral monstrosities, no magic power to create superheroes, no towers to terrorize the common folks, and certainly no Devils there to create psychopathic Djinns soaked with the addiction of the thrill.
