As time elapsed, centuries later, in 1998, a baby named Kim Daeryun was born into a prosperous political family in Seoul.
His grandfather, a renowned figure in the automobile industry, served as an assemblyman. Daeryun's father, Kim Jihyun, assumed control of the family company as the only son of his grandfather.
In 2000, the Daeryun family joyfully welcomed another baby, Kim Raehyun. The happiest among them was Daeryun's mother, Park Ji An, who was the daughter of the Police Chief of Seoul's branch.
(In Hyuk reborn as Daeryun. Jiho reborn as Raehyun.)
They grew up with peculiar nightmares haunting them since childhood, with Daeryun experiencing the most intense nightmares.
Swords clashed, servants perished, and Daeryun found himself wounded by a blade, abruptly awakening from the tormenting dreams.
Strangely, his own presence was absent in these nocturnal visions, yet the images of all other characters were vivid, making it evident that this was more than a mere dream.
Unaware of those nightmares in their earlier years, upon reaching ten, a clear understanding dawned on them.
Daeryun recognized it as his second life before Raehyun, being the elder. Now they fully grasped their origin, they possessed vivid memories of every detail.
Their parents believed them to be exceptionally mature due to their intelligence, yet only they knew their true origin.
Although Raehyun had taken Daeryun's life in their past existence, Daeryun continued to care for Raehyun, a situation that made Raehyun uneasy.
Raehyun consistently avoided Daeryun, except for when they were in the company of their family.
Daeryun changed his name to In Hyuk when he was twelve years old. He was obsessed with his past life and Raehyun could notice that.
In Hyuk developed a deep passion for history and, in addition, engaged in archery and taekwondo discreetly, as his parents emphasized academic focus.
Despite excelling academically, he resisted dedicating all his time to studies. He got numerous medals in both archery and taekwondo, discreetly storing them on his shelf.
In 2014, one morning, In Hyuk and Raehyun exited their car in front of the school and proceeded inside. In Hyuk strolled, gazing at the schoolyard.
Raehyun, noticing his leisurely pace, looked back and followed his gaze. A group of boys had gathered in the schoolyard. As In Hyuk quickened his pace toward the yard, Raehyun observed. Perplexed, he trailed behind.
Three boys stood with another kneeling in front of them, surrounded by a scattered bag, pencils, and books on the ground. They noticed In Hyuk approaching and eyed him with suspicion.
In Hyuk tossed his bag aside and punched the boy with hands tucked in his pant pockets.
Before Jiho could intervene, the other two boys attacked In Hyuk. He defended himself, unleashing a violent counterattack.
The duo fled, leaving their apparent leader at In Hyuk's mercy.
The bloodied boy lay on the ground as In Hyuk straddled him, delivering relentless blows. Chillingly, In Hyuk showed no signs of stopping, nearly bringing the boy to death.
The kneeling boy managed to pull In Hyuk away, In Hyuk resisted fiercely, his eyes emanating a lethal intensity throughout the entire ordeal.
Raehyun observed it all with his eyes, realizing at that moment that In Hyuk would persist in his criminal activities. The looming possibility of In Hyuk returning to his ominous past unsettled Jiho, filling him with both nervousness and fear.
Raehyun entered the house, intending to announce his arrival. In the living room, he observed his mom seated, with In Hyuk standing before her, head bowed and hands clasped behind his back.
In the tense atmosphere, Raehyun silently proceeded to his room, reaching for the door handle.
Ji An inquired, "Why did you beat him like that?"
Jiho stood in silence, awaiting In Hyuk's response.
"I witnessed him bullying that boy before. He stripped and assaulted the boy simply because he was poor and couldn't afford a new uniform," In Hyuk explained with overwhelming emotions.
Raehyun swiftly opened the door, throwing his bag onto the floor as he sank onto the bed, running his hands through his hair in frustration.
"Then he shouldn't have been born poor," Ji An exclaimed.
In Hyuk looked at his mom in disbelief and uttered, "Mother!"
"Stop!" she yelled. "Stop calling me mother. Call me mom. Don't you understand what I said?" She was frustrated by In Hyuk's habit of calling her "mother."
But In Hyuk wasn't focused on this right now. His faith in his mom shattered into pieces with her one sentence. He quickly walked to his room.
"Where are you going? I'm not done talking," she said as she stood up angrily. Then she took a deep breath and mumbled, "Where did his manners go?"
In Hyuk struggled to comprehend his mother's words. "How could she say that?" he whispered to himself. After standing frozen for a moment, he mumbled, "Right, she must not be my mother. My real mother was killed in treason. She wasn't like that."
From that day forward, In Hyuk harboured resentment toward his parents.
He was moved to another school, and charges were dismissed due to his father's connections. The victim's family opted to conceal the matter, causing In Hyuk to distance himself even further from his parents.
Raehyun, who had always avoided In Hyuk, attempted to get closer to him. To alter his perspective, it was necessary to build a closer connection. Raehyun was filling out a form in the counselling office and whispered, "Dream?" as he pondered his aspirations for the future.
Contrary to In Hyuk, who aspired to specialize in history but was compelled to study business from a young age to take over his father's company, Raehyun had no dreams. He bit his lips while still contemplating.
"Don't you have a single dream?" the teacher inquired. "Teenagers in your age change their dreams every day."
Awkwardly, Raehyun replied, "Yes, I never thought about it. I'm sorry."
The teacher suggested, "How about taking the form with you and submitting it tomorrow?"
"Ah, yes, it's a good suggestion. Then I will excuse myself," said Raehyun as he grabbed his bag and walked to the door.
The teacher instructed, "Submit it on time tomorrow."
"Yes," Raehyun replied before exiting the office.