Volume 1 — Chapter 2: The Mysterious Being

The grey mist remained completely silent.

Yuna Tsukishiro sat upon the mysterious throne.

She still didn't understand what had happened.

Only a short while ago, she had been inside the orphanage.

She had lit four candles.

She had performed the ritual she had once used in her previous world.

And now—

She was here.

Somewhere beyond the ordinary world.

A place filled with endless grey mist and distant starlight.

More importantly, two young women had appeared before her.

Yuna looked at them carefully.

The grey mist surrounding the realm was so thick that even the two women could barely see each other.

One of them appeared younger.

She had long dark hair and a somewhat nervous expression. Her clothes were simple, suggesting that she had not grown up surrounded by wealth.

Her name was Han Sora.

The other woman was older.

She appeared calm and elegant.

Her silver-black hair fell over her shoulders, and her clothing was much more refined than Sora's.

Her name was Seo Yerin.

Neither of them knew the other's name yet.

Neither of them knew where they were.

And neither understood the existence sitting before them.

Yuna quietly observed them.

What exactly is this place?

She wanted to ask the same question.But she couldn't.

If she admitted that she knew nothing, the mysterious image she had accidentally created would disappear immediately.

She remembered the thought from earlier.

If she wanted to survive in this unfamiliar world, perhaps pretending to be a mysterious and powerful existence would be useful.

So she remained silent.

The grey mist covered most of her body.

Only a vague silhouette could be seen.

To Sora and Yerin, Yuna looked completely different from her actual appearance.

The mist distorted everything.

Her small body seemed taller.

Her youthful voice seemed deeper and more mature.

Even her presence appeared strangely distant.

Neither woman could clearly determine whether the mysterious figure before them was young or old.

Yet both felt the same thing.

Pressure.

Not physical pressure.

Something deeper.

An inexplicable sense that they were standing before an existence far beyond their understanding.

Yerin narrowed her eyes.

She carefully studied the throne.

Then the table.

Then the endless grey mist.

Finally, she looked toward Yuna.

“Are you…”

She hesitated.

“Are you the ruler of this divine realm?”

Yuna's heart almost stopped.

Divine realm?

She had no idea.

She had never heard anything about this place.

She didn't even know whether gods actually existed in this world.

But she couldn't show her confusion.Yuna slowly leaned back against the throne.

She tried to imitate the mysterious figures she had seen in stories.

Her expression remained calm.

Her voice became slower.

“Perhaps.”

One word.

That was all she said.

Sora looked surprised.

Yerin's expression became even more serious.

Yuna secretly clenched her hand beneath her sleeve.

That sounded convincing… I think.

She had no idea whether she was fooling them.

But for now, it seemed to work.

Yerin continued staring at her.

“How did you bring us here?”

Yuna didn't answer immediately.

She didn't know.

She didn't even know how she herself had arrived here.

She only remembered the ritual.

And then the darkness.

And then—

This place.

“I do not need to explain everything.”

Yuna spoke calmly.

The words sounded mysterious enough.

Yerin became silent.

Sora glanced around.

She tried to look at Yerin, but the grey mist prevented her from seeing the other woman clearly.

“Can you see her?”

Sora asked.

“No.”

Yerin answered.

“I can only see a vague outline.”

Sora nodded.

“Me too.”

Yuna quietly observed them.

The mist seemed to separate them naturally.

Perhaps this was another part of the strange realm.

Or perhaps it was simply something Yuna couldn't understand.

She decided not to investigate it yet.

Instead, she waited.

Sora suddenly raised her hand slightly.

“May I ask something?”

Yuna looked toward her.

“You may.”

Sora hesitated.

Then she asked the question that had been troubling her.

“How can someone become a Beyonder?”

Yuna's expression froze.

Inside her mind, there was only one thought.

I don't know.

The memories she had inherited contained almost nothing about becoming a Beyonder.

The original girl had been too young.

She had only known that Beyonders existed.

She had witnessed the death of her parents.

That trauma had prevented her from learning anything deeper about the supernatural world.

Yuna couldn't simply invent an answer.

If she gave false information, someone might die.

She thought for a moment.

Then she looked toward Yerin.

“You could ask that young woman.”

Sora blinked.

“Her?”

Yerin was also surprised.

She hadn't expected to become part of the conversation so suddenly.

She looked toward Yuna.

So this mysterious being knows that I possess knowledge about Beyonders.

Yerin's thoughts became complicated.

She had always been careful about revealing her identity.

But the situation was unusual.

She couldn't see the true appearance of this mysterious being.

She couldn't determine whether Shadow was human.

And she couldn't understand how she had been brought here.

Most importantly—

Shadow seemed to know things that ordinary people shouldn't know.

Yerin slowly spoke.

“There are several ways.”

Sora listened carefully.

“If someone wishes to become a Beyonder, they can seek assistance from one of the established organizations.”

She paused.

“Most large Beyonder organizations have their own methods of obtaining supernatural powers.”

Sora frowned.

“Organizations?”

“Yes.”

Yerin continued.

“Another possibility is to ask someone connected to one of the royal families.”

Sora's expression changed.

“The royal families?”

“They possess resources ordinary people cannot easily obtain.”

Yerin's voice remained calm.

“They also have connections with Beyonders.”

Sora immediately shook her head.

“I don't want to lose my freedom.”

She looked down.

“And I don't trust the royal family.”

Yerin studied her.

“Why?”

Sora remained silent.

She clearly didn't want to explain.

Yerin didn't press her.

Instead, she asked:

“Then what do you want?”

Sora looked toward the mysterious throne.

“I want another way.”

Yuna quietly listened.

She was relieved.

At least this conversation had moved away from questions she couldn't answer.

Yerin thought for a moment.

“There are other possibilities.”

Sora looked up.

“What possibilities?”

“I know of two paths that may help.”

Yerin spoke carefully.

“One is known as Ghost.”

The word echoed strangely through the mist.

“The other is called Disciple.”

Sora listened.

“What do they do?”

Yerin looked at her.

“The Ghost path allows a person to develop an understanding of the dead. At its early stages, this can manifest as an unusual sensitivity to spiritual remnants and the presence of those who have passed away.”

Sora's expression became serious.

“And Disciple?”

“Disciple is different.”

Yerin's eyes narrowed slightly.

“It concerns space.”

“Space?”

“Yes.”

Yerin nodded.

“It can allow its practitioners to gradually develop an understanding of spatial phenomena.”

Sora became thoughtful.

“Which one is better?”

Yerin shook her head.

“Neither is simply better.”

She paused.

“They are different paths.”

Sora looked uncertain.

Yerin continued.

“There is also the matter of compatibility.”

Yuna listened carefully.

This was useful information.

Even though she didn't understand the supernatural system completely, she was beginning to learn.

She had already heard that Beyonders advanced through different stages.

The lowest stage was Sequence 9.

Each advancement brought greater power.

But the path itself mattered.

A person's abilities, personality, and choices could influence what happened later.

Yerin suddenly looked toward Yuna.

“There is something else.”

Yuna calmly asked:

“What is it?”

“Neither path is completely free of danger.”

Yerin's voice became serious.

“Becoming a Beyonder is not like learning an ordinary skill.”

Sora nodded slowly.

“I understand.”

Yuna remained silent.

She knew that Yerin was speaking from experience.

The older girl clearly wasn't an ordinary person.

Yuna wondered how far she had already advanced.

Then Yerin said something that answered the question.

“I have already entered the Beyonder world.”

Sora looked surprised.

“You are a Beyonder?”

“Yes.”

“What Sequence?”

Yerin hesitated for only a moment.

“Sequence 9.”

Yuna's eyes widened slightly.

Sequence 9.

So Yerin was already at the first stage.

Yerin continued.

“My current level is known as Spirit Listener.”

Sora looked confused.

“What does that mean?”

Yerin calmly explained.

“A Spirit Listener is someone who can sense traces left behind by the dead.”

She raised one hand.

“At this stage, the ability is limited.”

Her fingers slowly lowered.

“I cannot command the dead.”

She emphasized the words.

“And I cannot freely communicate with every spirit.”

She paused.

“But I can sense spiritual remnants more clearly than ordinary people.”

Sora listened carefully.

“That sounds frightening.”

“It can be.”

Yerin's expression became slightly darker.

“The supernatural world is not something to approach carelessly.”

Yuna remained quiet.

She didn't know whether Yerin was telling the complete truth.

But at least the information sounded reasonable.

Yerin looked toward Sora.

“If you truly want power, you must accept that there will be consequences.”

Sora thought about it.

She didn't immediately answer.

Then she asked:

“And the Disciple path?”

Yerin replied:

“It is another option.”

“What Sequence does it begin with?”

“Sequence 9.”

Yerin looked toward the mist.

“The first stage focuses on developing sensitivity toward space and distance. 

Later stages can become much more complicated.”

Sora nodded.

“So there really are two possibilities.”

“Yes.”

Yerin looked toward Yuna.

“I can provide information, but I cannot decide which path you should choose.”

Yuna didn't answer.

She didn't want to interfere.

The two girls eventually reached an agreement.

Sora would consider the available paths.

Yerin would provide what knowledge she could.

Neither would force the other to do anything.

Once their discussion ended, Yerin looked toward Yuna.

“There is one more matter.”

“What is it?”

“We want you to witness our pact.”

Sora nodded.

“Yes.”

Yuna blinked.

A pact?

She had no idea what they meant.

But this time she understood the safest response.

“Very well.”

Her voice remained calm.

“I shall witness it.”

Yerin seemed satisfied.

Sora also nodded.

The atmosphere in the grey mist became slightly more relaxed.

Then Yerin said:

“We should meet again.”

Sora looked at her.

“Regular meetings?”

“Yes.”

Yerin turned toward the throne.

“We can exchange information.”

Sora thought about it.

“And perhaps help each other.”

Yuna listened.

The idea wasn't bad.

Regular meetings would allow the three of them to exchange information.

And for Yuna—

It would provide an opportunity to learn about this world without revealing her true identity.

She slowly spoke.

“Meetings?”

Both girls looked toward her.

Yuna continued:

“We could handle the duties you find unappealing.”

The two girls became silent.

Yuna herself wasn't entirely sure what she meant.

She had simply spoken in the manner she imagined a mysterious being would speak.

After a moment, Yerin nodded.

“That is acceptable.”

Sora also agreed.

“Very well.”

Yerin looked at the other two.

“Then we shall meet regularly.”

Yuna nodded.

“Monday.”

Sora asked:

“What time?”

Yuna thought for a moment.

“1:00 PM.”

Yerin nodded.

“Then it is settled.”

Sora smiled slightly.

“We shouldn't be late.”

Yerin added:

“And when we return, we can continue discussing the Beyonder paths.”

Yuna nodded.

“Do not be late.”

The two women exchanged glances.

Although they still couldn't see each other clearly through the grey mist, they had already begun to develop a strange understanding.

Then Yerin spoke.

“Since we are here, there is one more thing we should decide.”

“What?”

“We shouldn't use our real names.”

Sora agreed immediately.

“That would be safer.”

Yuna listened.

Aliases.

That made sense.

If this mysterious realm really allowed them to meet regularly, keeping their true identities secret would protect everyone.

Sora thought for a moment.

“Then I'll choose an alias.”

Yerin looked at her.

“What will you call yourself?”

Sora smiled faintly.

“Herald.”

Yerin nodded.

“Herald.”

She seemed to consider her own choice.

Then she looked toward the grey mist.

“I'll be Justice.”

Yuna remained silent.

Justice.

Herald.

Two mysterious names.

And now—

They needed one for her.

Although Yuna had already introduced herself as Shadow, the two women still treated that name as though it belonged to something far greater than an ordinary person.

Yuna looked toward the strange moon-like symbol that had appeared faintly within the mist.

The image reminded her of the Moon card from the Tarot.

The Moon.

A symbol of uncertainty.

Illusion.

Secrets.

Things hidden beneath the surface.

Yuna's eyes narrowed.

“Shadow.”

She repeated her name.

The grey mist moved slightly.

“Then Shadow it shall be.”

Her words echoed.

The three aliases were now established.

Herald.

Justice.

Shadow.

Three names.

Three mysterious figures.

And three people who did not yet 

understand what they had started.

Suddenly—

Yuna felt something wrong.

Her body became weak.

A sharp dizziness passed through her head.

She grabbed the arm of the throne.

What is happening?

Her breathing became uneven.

The grey mist seemed to spin around her.

She tried to remain calm.

The two women immediately noticed the change.

“My Lady?”

Yerin's voice was concerned.

Sora also looked toward her.

“Are you alright?”

Yuna forced herself to sit upright.

She couldn't allow them to see her weakness.

But she could no longer maintain the conversation.

“That is enough.”

Her voice was quieter than before.

“We will stop here.”

Yerin immediately lowered her head.

“As you command, My Lady.”

Sora followed.

“Yes, My Lady.”

The grey mist began to move.

The two women slowly disappeared.

Their figures faded.

Their voices became distant.

Then—

They were gone.

Yuna remained alone.

The throne disappeared.

The table disappeared.

The chairs disappeared.

The grey mist vanished.

Everything became dark.

Yuna opened her eyes.

She was back in the orphanage.

The four candles had already gone out.

Her room was silent.

For several seconds, she simply stood there.

Then she looked at her hand.

Something was glowing.

A small mark appeared upon her palm.

A symbol resembling the moon.

It flashed once.

Silver light crossed her vision.

Then—

It disappeared.

Yuna stared at her hand.

“What…”

She touched the place where the mark had appeared.

Nothing.

No pain.

No light.

Nothing remained.

Yet she knew that she had seen it.

Yuna slowly sat on the bed.

Her mind was filled with questions.

What was the grey mist?

Why had those two girls appeared?

Why had she been able to summon them?

Why had the throne appeared?

What was the meaning of the moon mark?

And what would happen when Monday arrived?

She had no answers.

Not yet.

Yuna looked toward the dark window.

The city outside was silent beneath the night sky.

She didn't know what was waiting for her.

She didn't know what secrets existed within the world of Beyonders.

She didn't know how powerful the mysterious realm truly was.

And she didn't know whether the ritual that had brought her here had really been a coincidence.

But one thing was certain.

The story had only just begun.

End of Chapter 2.