Ch. 215 Pathfinding (1)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 215: Pathfinding (1)
It was warm and cozy.
That was the feeling throughout sleep. Like a child nestled in a cradle, it was comforting. Enveloped in warmth, she sank into a deep slumber. The sensation of becoming one with another—a hazy sense of unity.
“A gift for you.”
Then, a familiar voice made her eyes open.
In this situation, saying “eyes opened” might sound a little odd. The moment she opened her eyes, the sight of two figures—Sugar and Riley—made her realize this was a dream. So, in reality, her eyes hadn’t opened at all.
Dismissing the thought, she stared ahead, watching the events of her own dream unfold.
Dream-Riley was in the middle of handing Dream-Sugar a lantern.
A familiar object.
Its design and structure were sleek, without a single unnecessary detail.
The way it was being handed over seemed affectionate, no different from usual. When is this taking place? After the two were scorned in the Holy City? Dream-Riley seemed slightly more mature than “Sugar’s Riley.” The bandage covering one eye made him look pitiable.
“I made it for you.”
Ah. How romantic those words sounded.
Someone might have been moved, their heart fluttering with joy. The warmth of crafting something by hand for a childhood friend. The sincerity behind that gesture.
But Dream-Sugar didn’t see it that way.
“How could you…?”
Her voice trembled.
Her expression shifted rapidly—first confusion, then shock, followed by anger, and finally sorrow. The emotional transition was abrupt and dramatic.
Unable to suppress the rising fury, she screamed.
“How could you—how could you call this a gift?! What is this?!”
“…”
“I was worried sick when you came back with your eye injured! You said it’d heal soon! But that wasn’t true, was it?! What did you do?! What is this?! Did you really think I could accept this?!”
“Please take it.”
Dream-Sugar bit her lip. Her pale lips regained a faint flush of color from the pressure.
“Even if I’m not by your side, it’ll light your way.”
“Stop it! Just stop! How many times do I have to tell you?! I don’t need it!”
Her tone was fiercer than usual. On the verge of tears—no, she was already crying. Tears had long since begun to fall.
Yet, when Dream-Riley pressed the lantern into her hands, she took it. She looked ready to throw it away, screaming “This damn thing—!”, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Inside the lantern sat a deep blue gemstone. A color Sugar had once adored. But now, it weighed heavily on her.
A gift.
Something so cruel, yet so beautiful.
“…”
When she closed and opened her eyes again, she found themselves in a familiar forest. A quiet path lined with stone walls.
Sugar’s dream. Sugar’s mental world. Sugar’s passage.
At its center stood a white traveler. A woman with her face hidden beneath a hood. Pale skin, pale robes, a pale existence.
But she was motionless, as if broken.
Sugar approached and waved a hand in front of her face.
“Are you broken?”
“…”
“I’ve heard before. Beings who live for too long eventually break down. No matter how strong or divine they are, they can’t withstand the flow of time.”
No response came. The traveler stood as if rooted in place, like time itself had frozen around her.
The forest was eerily silent, as if even the air had stopped moving. Sugar lowered her head for a moment, staring at the ground, then looked back up at the traveler.
“How long have you wandered alone?”
“…”
The corner of the traveler’s lips slowly curved upward.
“Long time no see, Sugar. How have you been?”
“You only say what you want to say.”
“My travels aren’t important. What matters is how you’re doing.”
“For someone who says that, you keep trying to show me things.”
“Oh dear. I haven’t done anything. Though, my mere presence might have had an effect. If so, I apologize.”
“If you’re sorry, then you owe me. Remember that.”
The traveler laughed aloud. Sugar’s boldness seemed to amuse her.
“So, Sugar. You’re in a bit of a bind, aren’t you?”
“Yes. You know about spatial entanglement, right? I’m stuck in it.”
No point hiding it.
“My, my. Even I’ve never been in a place like this before.”
“Really?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve been to many similar places.”
“Do you know how to get out?”
“There’s a door somewhere. You just have to find it.”
If you want to escape, find the exit.
“Wow. What a fun and cool answer…”
“At least now you know there’s a door.”
The traveler shrugged.
“Ah, I asked earlier—how have you been? Tell me about yourself. How are things with Riley? How far have you two gone? What about the Holy City? Do you think it’ll keep embracing you warmly forever?”
The questions were asked so casually, like the nosy inquiries of a distant aunt.
At the last question, Sugar’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
“You saw everything from inside, didn’t you? Why pretend you don’t know?”
“I wanted to hear it from you directly.”
“You don’t need to know about Riley and me. As for the Holy City… well. We’re being watched.”
Suddenly recalling a nightmare from the past, Sugar answered. The traveler’s lips, already curved, twisted further into a grin so unsettling it felt oppressive.
Was it because she’d expected this? Or was she pleased her predictions were correct?
Or perhaps—she wanted you to fall apart too.
“Sugar, let me give you some advice. Don’t trust those around you. More precisely, don’t give them your heart. Especially not the people of the Holy City. Never, ever give it to them.”
The advice, so contrary to her expression, made Sugar’s patience vanish. Hypocrite.
‘No thanks? I’ll trust who I want? Give my heart to who I want? Your divisive tricks won’t work, you know? I see right through your games.’
In her mind, she stuck out her tongue and wiggled her hips—though she lacked the nerve to do it in front of the traveler—who seemed to notice anyway and let out a soft chuckle.
“Riley is everything to you, isn’t he?”
“I’ll be honest. You know you’re incredibly suspicious, right?”
“Did I come off that way? I’m harmless, really. There’s no one gentler than me.”
What a shameless liar.
Sugar turned away.
“I’m leaving. Get some rest. Stay quiet from now on. If you’re bored, there’s some homemade red ginseng jelly in the pantry. Help yourself.”
“No sikhye [a sweet rice drink]?”
“Make it yourself, grandma.”
Please don’t show your true colors. Just stay there and rot quietly. She forced lightness into her voice, masking the weight in her chest. The traveler waved cheerfully as Sugar left.
“I envy you, you know—”
Right before waking, she thought she heard a murmur.
***
Her eyes opened.
Really opened. This wasn’t a dream—it was reality. The reality of sleeping in her friend’s arms, inside this twisted space.
Sugar immediately lifted her head to check Riley’s face.
“…”
“…”
Their eyes met.
Had he been awake all along? Those deep blue eyes were fixed entirely on her.
She reached out, brushing her fingers over his right eyelid, then let out a small sigh.
“Riley…”
Burying her face in his chest, she nuzzled against him.
“Acting spoiled the moment you wake up?”
Though his tone was sharp, Riley held her quietly, as if to say, “I’m here.”
“Crying?”
“Mmm… no.”
“Bad dream?”
“…Hehe.”
She lifted her head and grinned at him, all sunshine.
Riley tucked her back into his embrace.
And as he did, he thought:
‘I saw it.’
He’d glimpsed into Sugar’s mind.
Not intentionally. Their minds had connected effortlessly.
Maybe because Sugar’s heart was wide open. Or because of the deep bond they’d just shared. It felt like she’d unconsciously invited him in—or perhaps he’d knocked, and she’d answered without realizing. Either way, neither had acted deliberately. Sugar didn’t even know he’d seen inside her.
What he’d seen: a cozy forest and two women.
One, his precious childhood friend.
The other, an endlessly white figure.
He’d woken seconds after recognizing them, but their images were seared into his mind.
That must be the presence dwelling within Sugar. The one who’d intervened in her trials, the one who watched and listened from the outside—the one with unclear motives.
‘We’ll discuss it—and how—after escaping.’
For now, there were more pressing matters. Silently, Riley patted the back of his sniffling partner, wondering:
What’s making you cry?
.
.
.
After waking and preparing to leave, Sugar took the lead, walking ahead for what felt like 30 minutes before suddenly stopping.
“But there’s something bothering me…”
“…”
“Why is everyone following me?”
She glanced back at the mismatched group: a 100-year-old man, her childhood friend of the same age, and a literal three-year-old. The question was half a complaint.
“You brought up the exit first.”
“You’re holding the lantern.”
“You’re the Saintess.”
The answers were just as chaotic as their group. She’d ended up leading by default, but no one had objected—until now.
“Those are all valid points, but… Shouldn’t we have some kind of direction? The lantern isn’t lighting up anything special.”
“What would we even follow?”
Vivi countered.
“Direction doesn’t mean anything here. I once tried marking a path as I walked, but when I came to my senses, I was just retracing my own steps…”
Her calm explanation was oddly mature. This kid’s been surprisingly cooperative since yesterday.
“Is it because she was forced into heresy against her will, or because she’s just a child…?”
Sugar studied Vivi with curiosity, noticing how the girl kept glancing between her and Riley before hesitantly lowering her head. She seemed to have questions but was holding back—an oddly mature restraint for a child.
“What? Do you have something else to say?”
“No…”
Vivi looked between them again, then fell silent.
As B-13, she’d been treated as an outcast from the moment she was born. She knew better than to pry.
Her gaze lingered on the choker around Sugar’s neck, recalling the muffled whimpers she’d heard the night before—”No… the eyepatch… hate it…”
Saintess… I thought you were living freely outside the cult.
For a moment, Vivi stared at Sugar with pity, but when her eyes shifted to Riley, they turned sharp.
“Riley… Did you say something awful to her?”
“We haven’t spoken.”
“Maybe that’s why she’s scared of you.”
“If anything, she should be scared of you—wait, no, never mind.”
The two continued their casual back-and-forth, unfazed.
“To return to the main point,” Trace interjected, “I didn’t mention it earlier, but…”
He studied Sugar.
“You seem to be finding your way quite naturally. That’s why I stayed quiet.”
“Huh? What do you mean, ‘my way’?”
“I don’t know.”
Sugar tilted her head.
“But watching you, it doesn’t feel random. You’re observing your surroundings carefully. At every fork, you choose a direction decisively.”
“Isn’t that just… walking where I feel like?”
“It’s different. It’s like you’re drawn to something.”
Riley nodded beside him.
“It’s nothing like your usual aimless wandering.”
“Hey…”
“Come to think of it, you were leading when we found this kid too.”
“That was just coincidence—”
“She said she wandered here for months. Yet we ran into her within hours. You really think that’s luck?”
“Wait, hold on—”
Sugar paused, piecing it together.
“You’re saying… I’m not walking randomly. I’m unconsciously heading toward something specific?”
“Exactly.”
Riley’s confirmation was firm.
“It was the same at the lake. Look—you’re doing it now too.”
Trace gestured ahead, reminding them how Sugar had navigated the lake caves effortlessly. Everyone followed his pointing finger.
At first, they thought it was a shape—or maybe a black dot.
But on closer inspection, it was a single crow perched atop a stone cone.
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