Her face turned darker, her voice dropping to a sharp whisper that felt piercing. "He even made you a slave to his lust. Played with your body and feelings as if you were nothing more than an object he could control."
The present-day Yosan swallowed hard, his body stiffening at the accusation. However, shabby Yosan was not done yet. He stared with a vengeful look. "Do you still think that there are good people? Can you still say there is no evil after all they did to you?"
Hearing that seemed confused, but his eyes showed no fear, only courage. He stepped forward, standing between the shabby Yosan and the mature Yosan. "That's not entirely true," he said quietly, but surely. "Reina may have made mistakes, but she also made up for them, didn't she? Apologized, fought to prove that she cared about you. Isn't that enough to show that not all humans are bad?"
"Reina has regretted everything she did. Don't you remember when she cried and begged you? And now, she loves us dearly, even if her ways aren't always right."
The shabby Yosan snorted, his face reflecting disbelief. "Love? You call that love? You just let them treat you like trash, and now you forgive them? Don't you have any self-respect, huh?"
The present-day Yosan began to tremble, memories of Reina beginning to jumble in his mind. Reina's gentle soothing voice, her warm embrace when he was devastated, and Reina's struggle to save him from Arthur's shadow suddenly flashed. But so did the memories of the punishment she received for no apparent reason, the pain she felt when Reina chose to trust others
Her memories of Reina, both beautiful and painful, rumbled in her mind. On the one hand, Yosan's shabby accusations carried a truth that was hard to deny. But on the other hand, little Yosan's voice brought hope and forgiveness.
With a firm voice, the present-day Yosan finally said, "Enough, stop!" However, there was no response from either side of him.
"Humans do make mistakes," continued little Yosan, his eyes glazed over. "But that's no reason to hate them forever. You know that underneath it all, there are those who genuinely care about you. I know you know that."
Shabby Yosan shook his head in frustration. "You're too naive! The world is not as beautiful as you imagine!" he shouted. "Have you forgotten how Lidya turned away? How Carl betrayed you? How those nobles laughed at your suffering?"
"And how Reina healed you?" cut in little Yosan quickly. "How she gave you hope? How she made you believe that you deserved to be happy?"
The present-day Yosan looked down, trying to calm his raging heart. On the one hand, he knew that the hatred was eating him alive, making it difficult for him to move forward. But on the other hand, the fear of trusting others again made him feel trapped in an endless circle.
Little Yosan grasped the hand of the present Yosan, his eyes filled with hope. "You have a choice, Yosan. You can choose to let go of that hatred, or continue to be trapped in the pain that never stops."
The shabby Yosan looked at the two of them with a gaze full of anger and despair. "Choice? There is no choice! This world is all about survival, or being destroyed. And you, Yosan, know very well how it feels to be destroyed!"
The present-day Yosan slowly raised his head, his gaze alternating between the two sides of him. Their voices continued to echo in his mind, like an endless inner battle. Suddenly, however, something was different. Another voice began to sound, soft but powerful, piercing through the deafening noise.
The present-day Yosan heard a very familiar voice, calling his name with concern. The voice grew clearer, like light penetrating the darkness of his consciousness. It was Reina's voice.
"Yosan, wake up! Don't leave me... I love you," the voice was filled with sincerity and tears.
Tears began to fall down the face of the present-day Yosan, as Reina's voice grew stronger. His heart trembled, and although the pain was still haunting, something began to open up inside him. A feeling that was gentle, yet very strong.
There was a small calm that began to emerge, like a spark of light in the midst of thick darkness.
Little Yosan and Shabby Yosan looked up, they also clearly heard Reina's sobbing moans, filling the space previously filled with her emptiness and confusion.
"Did you hear that?" asked little Yosan, his eyes sparkling with hope.
Shabby Yosan, though full of hatred and despair, was silent for a moment. That voice, a voice filled with love and regret, made him hesitate. He frowned, trying to hold back the feelings that suddenly grew within him.
Little Yosan looked up at him hopefully, grasping present-day Yosan's hand tighter. "That's what you should remember, Yosan. Isn't that the most important thing? Sincere love, which can penetrate even your hatred and pain."
The present Yosan fell silent, his eyes closed, letting the silence envelop his raging thoughts. For the first time in a long time, he was not consumed by hatred, but rather indecision. Little Yosan's words began to pierce through the layers of hurt that had been holding him back.
"You must choose the right path," Little Yosan continued, his voice firm though compassionate. "Don't let your grudge destroy all the good things you've built. Go back now. Don't let him down."
Silence enveloped the room, as if time had stopped. The present-day Yosan clasped his hands together, feeling the pulse of courage and determination begin to rise. He looked inside himself, wading through the memories and pain that had been a burden. Finally, he spoke, his voice calm but filled with firmness and conviction.
"I know one thing," she said, pausing to take a deep breath, "hatred will never bring me peace. But that doesn't mean I'll just forget what happened. Everything I've been through is a part of me. And from now on, I will fight with all my might to protect those I love. My family... the people who are precious to me. I vow to take back what Arthur has taken from me!"
His words echoed, like a promise to himself, to those who loved him, and to the world that had tested his fortitude. Yosan now stood straighter, his eyes shining with renewed determination, ready to step forward to face whatever lay before him.
Shabby Yosan was transfixed, his eyes wide, as if hearing something he had never expected before. Meanwhile, little Yosan smiled warmly, confident that the Yosan of today had found his way.
Little Yosan slowly pulled the body of present-day Yosan, bringing him from the shadows of darkness into a brighter light. His movements were gentle, but full of confidence. When the whole body of the present Yosan was on the bright side, little Yosan turned to the shabby Yosan. "Forget that grudge and live well. You've been stuck in this place for too long."
Shabby Yosan looked at the two of them one last time. With his face slowly softening, he turned around and disappeared into the darkness, carrying all the wounds and grudges that had once bound them.
Little Yosan smiled gently at the present Yosan. "Now go. Go see him. Make your little family happy. Don't let that little girl cry because you didn't wake up."
Before the present Yosan could reply, he felt a subtle push. His previously firm footing slowly changed, as if he was floating in a vast ocean. However, there was a soft glimmer of light enveloping his surroundings, and faintly, he saw the figure of a woman trying to reach him. The voice came back, now clearer.
"Yosan, wake up... I love you," Reina called, her voice trembling and hopeful. Her tears fell, touching Yosan's face like refreshing morning dew.
In that instant, Yosan knew what he had to do. He let himself drown in the light, returning to the real world where his love awaited.