Time Healer Ceres
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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‘Where am I?’
When Grace regained consciousness, the only thing that existed in the space where she stood was darkness.
It felt as though she had woken up from a very long slumber, only to find herself staring blankly into a void where not a single sliver of light could be found….
“…I don’t know.”
She surveyed her surroundings for a moment, wondering what this situation was, but soon stopped worrying and flopped down onto the floor.
Everything was just too much of a bother.
‘I guess I really did die.’
She certainly felt no pain in her body.
The horrific agony that hadn’t let go of her for even a moment lately….
That pain had completely vanished.
That fact alone was enough for Grace to be certain of her death.
“Haa.”
A long sigh escaped her lips once again.
She had lived such a struggling life. What kind of glory had she been seeking to live so exhaustingly?
When she learned she had contracted an incurable disease, a part of her had actually felt a little at ease.
‘I must have been more exhausted than I thought.’
Having other people’s lives placed entirely in your hands—that’s a much more draining job than one might think.
“Anyway, it’s all because of that damn Black Forest.”
The Black Forest.
A forest of monsters that had begun appearing in the world at some point.
In an ordinary space where there was nothing, black trees would suddenly grow thick and lush, sealing off the surroundings.
The forests varied in size.
The important thing was that those inside could not leave the boundaries of the Black Forest.
The black trees would only vanish once every monster within the forest was eliminated, and only then could the people inside go free.
However, as if welcoming new prey, entry from the outside was always possible, so mercenaries and soldiers often entered the forest to rescue those trapped within.
Because such incidents happened frequently, there was always an overflow of patients.
The more severe the injury, the more likely they were to seek out Grace instead of a regular healer, so she had always spent her days in a constant state of busyness.
“I don’t think I could ever do it again, even if I were told to.”
The faces of the countless people she had treated over the years flashed past her.
Pride? Satisfaction?
No, rather than that….
Fatigue.
Yes, she was tired.
A horrific exhaustion, so thick it made her feel nauseous just thinking about it, washed over her.
‘It’s not like I lived that long, either.’
She had lived a short life, yet the only thing that remained was the relief that it was finally over.
That not a single shred of regret lingered!
“Does this even make sense?”
Didn’t this just prove there was definitely something wrong with the life she’d led?
[…Please.]
“Hmm?”
Grace, who had been lost in thought for a long time, raised her head at the faint sound that suddenly reached her ears.
Then, as if it had been waiting, light began to pour out from a single point in the distance.
‘Is it telling me to go there?’
As if drawn by something, Grace slowly stood up and headed toward the light.
[Please….]
Even as she moved, the unfamiliar voice continued to drift toward her, blurry and faint.
As Grace drew closer, the sound became clearer and clearer.
[Please… please help me.]
She faltered.
At the low but distinct voice piercing her ears, Grace couldn’t help but come to a dead stop.
“Not this again.”
They were words she was all too tired of hearing.
‘Save me… please….’
‘Help me! Please, help me!’
‘Please, my child…. Sob, please….’
Had she not spent her entire life hearing those words until she was sick to death of them?
“Haa.”
But why?
Wasn’t I dead? Why do I have to hear things like this even in death?
“It’s an auditory hallucination. This is just a hallucination….”
[Please, help me….]
“…….”
Exhaling a long sigh, Grace eventually started walking again.
Regardless, that light was the only thing visible in this darkness.
Whatever it was, it felt like she had to go there.
[Please… help me.]
Before long, a woman who looked to be in her mid-to-late teens came into view.
She was crouched on the floor sobbing, a sight that was nothing short of pitiful.
Yet, Grace didn’t feel even a spark of emotion.
‘It’s not like I haven’t seen this a thousand times.’
She had spent a lifetime watching people cling to her while weeping and wailing.
Her emotions had long since dried up, leaving her unable to sympathize or share in their pain.
[Please….]
“What’s the problem? Are you hurt somewhere?”
[Please help me.]
“I’m asking what you want me to help you with. You don’t look particularly unwell.”
[Please… please help me.]
…Let’s just go.
After glancing at the woman who only repeated the same words, Grace tried to turn away.
I mean, there has to be some communication for me to do anything.
Sliiiide.
[Please… me… please help me.]
“…….”
But in the next moment, seeing the woman stretch out a porcelain-white hand toward her, she couldn’t help but falter again.
At the woman’s gesture, her eyes filled with a desperate gaze as if begging Grace to just take her hand, Grace finally let out a deep sigh.
It wasn’t like holding someone’s hand was a difficult task.
Taking a step closer to the woman, Grace gripped the outstretched hand firmly and pulled her up. The sight of her huddled on the floor had been bothering her for a while.
Flash!
“……!”
But in that instant, a brilliant light erupted from the woman, swallowing the surroundings in the blink of an eye.
“What is this…!”
[Thank you…. Truly… thank you.]
Hey, explain yourself!
She needed to figure out what was happening, but her eyelids kept drooping.
With the woman’s fading voice being the last thing she heard, Grace lost consciousness once again.
[And… I’m sorry, truly….]
‘…What is this now?’
Is death usually like this? Why is a dead person passing out all over the place?
‘Haa.’
Well, it’s not like I’d know. This is my first time being dead, too.
She remembered taking the woman’s hand and being enveloped in a bright light, but she couldn’t recall anything after that.
‘Anyway, how long do I have to stay like this?’
More than anything, her current situation was annoying.
‘At least let me open my eyes.’
Her whole body felt like lead. She couldn’t move an inch, as if she were being pressed down by something heavy.
Perhaps this was what it felt like to be dead….
‘Then what comes after this?’
By now, shouldn’t a Grim Reaper or a demon or something show up to take me away?
How long am I supposed to stay like this?
‘This is so different from what I imagined.’
Usually, doesn’t your soul come out of your body so you can see your own dead self, watch your acquaintances grieve, and then get whisked away somewhere?
What is this suffocating and gloomy situation?
“…race….”
It was then.
“Sere….”
What kind of sound was that now?
A faint sound began to reach Grace’s ears as she lay trapped in the pitch-black darkness, unable to move.
Had someone finally come to fetch her?
“…ssi noona!”
Noona?
As if that voice were a spell to break a curse, the air that had been weighing her down vanished in an instant.
Feeling suspicious, Grace lifted her eyelids, which were finally starting to regain their strength.
Her blurry vision quickly snapped into focus, and as she blinked a few times—
“Are you awake?”
The voice from a moment ago pierced her ears sharply again.
Turning her head toward the source of the sound, she saw a boy who looked about eleven or twelve years old standing there.
When their eyes met, a short sigh of relief escaped the boy’s lips.
‘What is this situation?’
Could that be the Grim Reaper who came for me? A demon?
‘He’s probably not an angel.’
Even for someone like her, who had sold her conscience down the river a long time ago, she wasn’t brazen enough to expect heaven after death.
Seriously, what is he?
“Who are you?”
“…What?”
“I asked who you are.”
“Have you gone crazy?”
Grace let out a hollow laugh as she looked at the boy, who was scowling for all he was worth.
It had been a while since she’d been told to her face that she was crazy.
“It’s true that I’ve done quite a few crazy things, but does asking a kid I’ve never seen before who he is really fall into the category of being crazy?”
“If you ask your own dongsaeng who he is, what am I supposed to say?”
…Dongsaeng?
“Who? You?”
I never had one of those.
When did my parents, who died when I was young, ever make something like that?
As she watched the boy’s expression crumple further, the crease between Grace’s brows deepened as well.
You, what on earth are you?
Click.
Just as the two were staring blankly at each other, the door swung wide open, and several people rushed into the room.
