Chapter 48: Acceptance
As the cold energy permeated through the entirety of Sang Hun Lee’s body, he could feel a kind of suction coming from within him. It was a familiar feeling—an intrusive one—but this didn’t seem to be something formed from the Stage 5 Manifest or any other external force. It seemed to be something internal, yet it still carried that same invasive sensation, like something you couldn’t gaze upon, yet it could see through all of you, mocking and laughing.
There was a feeling of dread and coldness that came with that abyss. It made one want to run as everything around them disappeared until there was only the feeling of an overwhelming darkness wanting to devour them, sucking something from them as an unknown malice spread through it.
The previous golden light that had surrounded him was gone. The terror and screams from everyone had vanished. What remained was the sound of Sang Hun Lee’s beating heart, his sporadically twitching eyes, the cold permeation across his skin, and a scent that smelled of dread and something abstract.
Sang Hun Lee felt like he needed to run. He needed to really run. He didn’t know what was in the darkness or why he was so fearful. His body was barely keeping up as his ears twitched at the hollow silence that only seemed to put him in the spotlight, his legs crying out to flee from whatever was creeping toward him.
Yet even with all those impossibly overwhelming sensations, there was something inscrutable about the creeping darkness, and Sang Hun Lee could feel something deep inside him telling him that turning back and running would not be the solution to this nightmare. There was something familiar resonating with him from within that darkness. So, instead of turning away from that overwhelming sense of dread and devouring malice, he clenched his fists, bit his lips, and headed toward it.
As he did, he could feel wave after wave of indescribably dark emotions emerging. At first, they frightened him and threatened to overwhelm him, but he kept moving forward. With every step, he could feel that sense of dread and fear becoming... comfortable? No. It was as though his own body was adapting to the darkness. The first thrashing waves of dread and malice slowly began to fade, yet he still felt as though he was dissolving into that darkness.
Even so, he continued to walk deeper into it.
And as he did, he saw a small beam of light in the distance.
He continued to walk through the area, heading straight for that small light at the end of the tunnel. As he did, he could feel pieces of his life—his memories, his experiences, whatever it was that made him him—slowly dissolving into the darkness.
As it happened, he couldn’t help but contemplate his own life. He relived his experiences, all the hardships, all the joys, all the sorrows—everything that encompassed his life. Yet the darkness seemed to be slowly taking them, accepting those experiences into itself.
At first, it was terrifying.
But as he continued walking toward the light, he could feel it growing stronger and stronger as a wave of peace and serenity washed over him.
Was he dying?
The question came to him.
They usually said that when one came face to face with death, they would see glimpses of their life flash before them as they slowly gave in. Maybe he was.
But he didn’t stop.
He continued walking toward that piece of light as he felt himself fading more and more, as though he were dissolving into the unknown.
The light continued to grow brighter and brighter until suddenly all he could feel was blinding light as he merged with both the darkness and the light.
After what felt like a few seconds of being connected to endlessness, Sang Hun Lee could see an illusory figure walking from the other side, the same way he had been. It was hazy and impossible to make out, but he continued walking.
Waves of light and darkness washed over him in endless cycles.
When he finally came face to face with the figure, he found himself standing beneath what felt like a spotlight, where a full-body mirror awaited him.
He gazed deep into that mirror, only to see a silhouette that seemed to be a fusion of light and darkness.
Sang Hun Lee stared at the image for a moment as all of his experiences rushed through him, condensing that subtle body of light and darkness back into flesh and bone.
"So... this is me. So I was my own monster."
He couldn’t help but utter those words.
As he did, the mirror and the surrounding darkness seemed to crack as the inexplicable devouring presence receded. The darkness withdrew, and everything slowly returned to normal.
When he opened his eyes, he could see that his own skin was glowing even more brightly than before. He could feel a qualitative change in both his Meaning and his spirituality. Even his Concept seemed to have developed a little.
He could see a chain emanating from him and connecting to the statue as its weighing scales began to shift once more. They seesawed for a brief moment before finally coming to a stop.
A strong sense of conviction and serenity accompanied it.
Was that a trial?
Sang Hun Lee couldn’t help but ask himself.
The feeling was indescribable.
It felt as though he had been trapped within that darkness for an eternity while, at the same time, only a single moment had passed. Space and time no longer made sense. Neither did logic nor anything else. It was an entirely different perception of reality.
Now that he thought about it, as he walked through that journey, he could feel a multitude of emotions and feelings as he relived his life.
He could see his regrets.
His joy.
His happiness.
They had become tangible things.
He could feel them on a higher level that simply couldn’t be explained.
The trial had allowed him to undergo that metamorphosis—that flow and condensation of everything he was.
Yet he couldn’t help but ask himself why he still felt... incomplete.
Even though his True Name had revealed itself to him within that illusory state, there was something that was still missing.
Was there something still missing?
He couldn’t help but ask himself, though he didn’t give the thought too much attention.
The real question was...
Why was all of this happening?
The thought came to him softly.
Was this... a recruitment?
Before he could think any further, several screams rang out.
He watched as some people began devouring themselves, driven mad by their Meaning as they transformed into Echoes.
The moment an Echo formed, the golden flaming sword held by the statue swept through the area, instantly dissipating the newly emerging Echoes.
Sang Hun Lee stood from his seated position of meditation as he looked around the area. The number of people seemed to have reduced from twenty-four to seven, with some of his own teammates possibly having died during the trial.
He turned to see how many people remained that he could help through it, only to realize that, just like him, the others also seemed to be glowing with a faint golden radiance. Most of them slowly rose to their feet as they, too, realized that only seven people remained in the area.
Immediately, he could feel that those who had survived possessed an overwhelming Meaning and spirituality flowing through them.
It was just as he had expected.
This wasn’t just a punishment scenario.
It was a recruitment for champions.
But before he could think any further, he felt the boat they were standing on begin to dissolve. In the next moment, they found themselves standing before the colossal tree once more. Chains of various sizes and lengths connected each of the seven survivors to the tree.
"Welcome to your new life, Champions of Justice."
Before anything else could happen, the endless expanse of mist, the giant tree, the statues—everything disappeared, dissolving as they were pulled back into that same train cabin.
Only now, they awoke in their own bodies.
Each of them felt energized and rejuvenated, with a strange kind of energy flowing through them. Looking around, they realized that their numbers had truly fallen from twenty-five to seven.
There were no other bodies.
No trace of anyone else.
Even the aloof tattooed woman was nowhere to be seen.
Before anyone could think too much about it, the PA system suddenly blared to life.
"We have arrived at Surrender Station. All who have reached their destination, please alight."
When Sang Hun Lee heard the announcement, he immediately looked around before glancing down at his wrist, searching for the skeleton tattoos.
They were gone.
Everyone else followed his lead, only to discover that their tattoos had disappeared as well.
The train doors slowly slid open.
Many of the survivors looked at one another, unsure whether they were actually allowed to leave.
Sang Hun Lee himself considered stepping out. He took his first few steps toward the open doors before suddenly stopping.
Something wasn’t adding up.
There had been Reflection Station.
Then Confession Station.
And now...
Surrender Station.
It didn’t sit right with him.
He stood silently at the doorway before turning back toward the others.
"I don’t think this is where we should alight."
The people around him looked frustrated by his words, but most of his fellow teammates reluctantly agreed.
Then, a young man barely in his twenties suddenly turned toward him.
"The tattoos are gone. That means we’re no longer marked, doesn’t it? We all received those tattoos when we entered that death scenario, but now they’re gone. That scary woman is also gone. Doesn’t that mean we can leave?" the young man said, frustration oozing from his words.
Sang Hun Lee wanted to say something, but the boy had already walked past him and toward the train doors.
"Wait. The journey isn’t over. We’ve gone through Reflection, Confession, and Surrender... but what about Acceptance?"
"What?"
"What about Acceptance? After surrender, shouldn’t you seek acceptance?"
"I suppose... but, dude, I’m tired. I don’t want to be in this place anymore."
The boy walked out of the train, ignoring Sang Hun Lee’s warning.
There was also a young girl, around the same age, who seemed as though she wanted to leave as well, but she was stopped by the teenage girl who had been among the cult members.
Seeing this, Sang Hun Lee felt his hypothesis had been correct.
The teenage girl possibly knew more about this instance than anyone else present.
The train doors suddenly closed as the remaining six people watched in silence to see what would happen.
The teenage boy simply stood outside, waiting.
At first, nothing happened.
Then, suddenly, a mist began to emanate from the back of his hands.
He screamed.
The sound echoed through the station as the mist engulfed his hands for several seconds before, all at once, the runes on the backs of his hands disappeared.
The mist completely swallowed him.
Then...
He vanished before their eyes.
It didn’t seem as though he had died.
But he had disappeared.
Had he made the wrong move?
Sang Hun Lee couldn’t help but ask himself.
Suddenly, the PA system blared to life once again.
"Next station is Acceptance Station. All who are alighting at Acceptance Station, please be prepared."
Sang Hun Lee could feel a wave of relief wash over him.