No matter how many times Jaegyeom tried to reach Yoon Taehee through the radio, there was no response.
He decided to go back the way he came. Glancing down, he saw the small turtle, about the size of his palm, flipped over and flailing its legs.
"Please take me with you!"
The turtle was still sobbing. Jaegyeom thought about just leaving it there, but he sighed and squatted down.
Creatures like turtles, terrapins, and tortoises can't get up on their own once they're flipped over. As a final act of kindness, Jaegyeom flipped the turtle back over.
"There. Now go your own way, and be careful not to get flipped over again."
Jaegyeom turned around and walked away with wide strides. The turtle, however, hurried along behind him, though it looked like a slow crawl to anyone else. As the distance between them grew, the turtle cried out in distress.
"Ah! Take me with you!"
So annoying... Why is it like this?
"I told you not to follow me.
Jaegyeom turned around, irritated.
"There's only one way out! How can I not follow you?"
"..."
Jaegyeom was at a loss for words. Damn, he's right...
"Then follow me quietly without making noise."
"We're going the same way anyway, can't you just carry me?"
The turtle added pitifully, sniffling.
"After being stuck for so long, it's hard to move..."
Unbelievable... Jaegyeom felt his temper rise. He considered flipping the turtle back over again, but watching it waddle clumsily from afar made him hesitate. In the end, Jaegyeom reluctantly walked over and picked up the turtle. It fit perfectly in his suit jacket pocket.
"I, Yoo Namsaeng, am overwhelmed by Master's great generosity."
"I told you, I'm not your master. Be quiet, or I'll throw you back on a rock."
Jaegyeom, now serving as Yoo Namsaeng's ride, returned to the spot where he had parted ways with Yoon Taehee. He took the turtle out of his pocket and set it down.
"Alright. This is where we part."
"What? What do you mean by that?"
"My companion is over there. I'm going that way, so you go your own way now."
After bidding his final farewell, Jaegyeom immediately turned around and began striding in the direction Yoon Taehee had taken.
The confused turtle, in a panicked voice, called out.
"Master! No, you mustn't go that way!"
Jaegyeom stopped and looked back at the turtle.
"Why?"
"It's dangerous if you go that way!"
Jaegyeom frowned at the turtle's warning.
"...Dangerous?"
"Y- yes!"
Jaegyeom hesitated, looking in the direction Yoon Taehee had gone.
Dangerous? But Yoon Taehee went that way... Wait a minute. Now that he thought about it, the turtle, Yoo Namsaeng, had mentioned earlier that it had been tasked by the mountain god to guard this cave. But what exactly needed to be protected in this cave? Was there a terrible evil spirit or perhaps a thousand-year-old centipede lurking?
Jaegyeom grabbed the turtle and lifted it up near his face.
"Why? What's over there?"
"There's a spring."
"A spring?"
'Yes, deep inside the cave, there is a large spring, created long ago by the mountain god himself. However, it's extremely dangerous.
Many herb gatherers or ginseng hunters, who accidentally wandered into this cave long ago, drowned in that spring. That's why the mountain god ordered me to block the path to the spring by transforming into a rock, preventing people from going in there."
Jaegyeom, listening quietly, hardened his expression and asked.
"What's in the spring?"
The turtle flailed its limbs as it answered.
"The 'past' lies within."
Jaegyeom furrowed his brows, confused.
"..The past?"
The turtle then explained.
A long time ago, there was a woodcutter and his wife who lived in the village at the base of the mountain. They were kind and virtuous people, who faithfully offered prayers to the mountain god every single day. The mountain god was very fond of them.
But one day, the woodcutter's wife fell ill and passed away.
After sending off his significant other, the woodcutter who was left alone missed his wife terribly. Every day, he climbed the mountain and begged the mountain god to let him see his wife one last time.
He promised that if he could just see her once more, he would regain the strength to live on and work hard again. He pleaded over and over.
Moved by his sorrow, the mountain god decided to grant his wish and created a large spring in this cave.
The water from the spring made those who drank it remember their happiest memories, allowing them to relive their past and see visions of the ones they cherished.
So, the woodcutter drank the water and was able to meet his beloved wife again. But instead of finding the will to live, the woodcutter couldn't bear the pain of loss and ended up drowning himself in the spring. He became a ghost, merging with the spring, and since then, has ensnared anyone who comes near, wrapping their ankles with vines and pulling them in, never letting them escape.
His ghost clings to them, ensuring they never leave so that they can remain in that eternal happiness...
The Taoist who cursed the turtle was a human who came to exorcise the ghost in the spring. It let them in, thinking they would succeed, but in the end, they couldn't defeat the ghost. Since the spring itself is the ghost, it has no form, and the only way to destroy the ghost is to eliminate the spring itself. Realizing this, the taoist gave up and left.
"So, you must not go. No matter how powerful someone is, they can't resist the spring's influence. No one wants to leave behind their happiest memories. That's how dozens of people have drowned there over the years. The mountain god summoned me to block the path to the spring, and I did so by transforming into a rock.
However, the mountain god, whose powers had weakened, left this land one day. I was left behind, following his orders alone, until that cursed Taoist reduced me to this state for so long..."
"...What?"
As the turtle finished its story, Jaegyeom starred in the direction of the spring, his face going pale. His heart suddenly started pounding.
Yoon Taehee has not responded over the radio for a while now.
Could something have happened that spring? He had a sword, so Jaegyeom thought he wouldn't be taken down easily, but he never should have let someone that weak go alone in the first place.
Jaegyeom grabbed the turtle and stuffed it into his suit jacket pocket.
"Huh? M- master! What are you doing?!"
Jaegyeom sprinted toward the direction of the spring.
***
He ran through the narrow passage for what felt like ages until he finally reached a wide, open space. Gasping for breath, Jaegyeom looked around. The turtle had called it a "spring," but there was no way this massive body of water could be called that—it was more like a lake.
"Yoon Taehee!"
Jaegyeom shouted, shining his flashlight around frantically.
"Where are you?!"
Where are you, where are you, where are you...
But there was no reply. Only the sound of his own voice came back as an echo, and there was no sign of Yoon Taehee anywhere.
Jaegyeom approached the lake's edge. That's when he saw something. Lying by the water was Yoon Taehee's Imae mask.
"..."
Jaegyeom's eyes trembled violently.
No way...
He inhaled sharply. His body moved before his mind could catch up.
He threw off his suit jacket without a second thought, tossing it aside carelessly. Just as he was about to dive into the water, the turtle screamed in panic and blocked his way.
"Ahh! Master! No! You can't go in!"
"It's fine! I won't die!"
"Even so, you can't!"
Ahem. Now, when you say wands, do you mean magic wands?
Judging by the situation, Yoon Taehee must have been bewitched by the ghost and fallen into the spring. He might have drowned, or he might not have, but if he had, there wasn't a second to waste. Time was of the essence. He had no idea how long Yoon Taehee had been underwater, and he needed to rescue him immediately. Jaegyeom, increasingly agitated, shouted in frustration.
"Fuck, get out of my way!"
"Ahh! A- alright, I get it! If you really must go into the water, fine! But please, calm down! Just remember one thing, please listen to me!"
The turtle clung to Jaegyeom, desperately trying to explain.
"Once you're in the water, even if you don't want it to happen, your memories of the past will resurface. The reason this spring is dangerous is that people get trapped in those happy moments from the past. So, Master! You mustn't be deceived by the illusions. Keep reminding yourself that it's all in the past and not real."
Jaegyeom paused, looking at the turtle. The turtle hurriedly continued speaking.
"When the vines catch you, you'll start to fall asleep in those memories. No matter what you see, don't let yourself be enchanted.
If the vines grab hold of you, there's only one way to break free— you must imagine a future that has not come yet, one filled with happiness. If you push the memories of the past away by focusing on the happiness that's yet to come, the vines will lose their power."
Focus on the happiness that lies ahead and use it to push away the memories of the past. It seemed like a simple task, but for Jaegyeom, it was incredibly difficult.
Jaegyeom, who had lived for a long time as an immortal, had never once looked forward to the future after Myojeong left. Every morning when he opened his eyes, the first emotion that filled his heart was "weariness." A weariness that came from the realization that yet another endless, punishment-like day had begun. He was sick of waking up each morning
In a life like this, imagining future happiness was absurd.
If there was one thing he had ever wished for in the future, it was always death, nothing but death.
Therefore, the turtle's advice was as good as useless. Still, he had to do something. He couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
"Alright, I understand what you're saying."
Jaegyeom nodded for now. It was do or die. But since he couldn't die no matter what, at least he wouldn't drown.
For now, that was enough.
Jaegyeom plunged headfirst into the cold, deep lake.