The place she chose for her final days as herself was Korea—the city where she was born, and where her parents had taken their last breath in a tragic accident. The city was haunted by both pain and comfort—warm memories of childhood laughter intertwined with the grief of unbearable loss.
Returning there tore her apart.
She walked familiar streets, stood in the spots her parents once held her hands, and visited the old ramen shop they used to eat at. Letting go of these memories was like dying twice. A part of her wanted to cling, to stay, to rewind time.
But she couldn't.
The future was too fragile, and the enemy—an AI force capable of wiping out humanity—was too near.
This journey, this sacrifice, was hers alone. She knew no one could walk this path with her. Or so she thought.
God, it seems, had other plans.
Somewhere along this journey, someone was destined to cross her path—at an unknown place, unknown time, in an unknown form. A stranger who would become the second hero of the end. But for now, she walked alone.
Before she vanished, she planned one last memory.
She gathered the people she loved most for one final trip—without them knowing what it truly meant. Among them were Kim, her loyal secretary who had stood by her through every storm, and Lily, her best friend since childhood, her sister in spirit, her anchor in chaos.
Together, they returned to Korea.
They laughed and wandered through old streets. She brought them to her favorite ramen shop, the very place her parents used to take her as a child. There, over bowls of steaming noodles, she watched their faces glow with warmth—knowing it would be the last time she'd see it.
She spoiled them in quiet ways. She bought them what they casually wished for without hesitation. She listened—truly listened—to their worries, solving what she could without making it obvious. She wanted them to be safe. Happy. Settled. Even after forgetting her.
Kim noticed the strange way she lingered on goodbyes.
Lily caught her staring at them with eyes full of something more than affection—something like sorrow.
But neither pushed. They thought she was just being sentimental.
That night, they set up a camp by a river.
They lit a fire under the stars. The air was filled with laughter, off-key singing, half-burnt marshmallows, and old stories. Kim told her usual dry jokes. Lily danced barefoot on the grass, dragging them all into her joy. The river whispered beside them, holding their memories like a secret.
She laughed more than she ever had—more than she should have. It was the only way to keep her voice from shaking. The only way to keep her heart from shattering.
Because she knew.
They didn't.
And when the night grew deep and her friends fell asleep, wrapped in the warmth of trust and love, she remained by the fading fire.
Alone.
Her fingers trembled as she opened the ancient book: "..." A forbidden spell rested within it—one that would wipe her from every mind, every image, every corner of the world.
She hesitated.
Her eyes shifted toward Lily's sleeping form. Toward Kim, curled up under a blanket, still holding the gift she'd given her hours ago.
Tears welled up—but her voice stayed steady.
As she whispered the incantation, the universe shifted. Threads of connection began to unravel. Every laugh, every touch, every shared secret slipped away, like mist in the morning sun.
By dawn, she was gone.
No trace. No note. No goodbye.
Kim would wake up and wonder when they'd lost sight of that extra sleeping bag.Lily would feel a strange ache in her heart she couldn't explain.They would go on with their lives, never realizing what had been lost—or who had saved them.
But she had prepared.
A new identity had been carefully crafted. A house tucked in a quiet corner of the city, accounts filled with enough funds to survive and operate. Her old self was gone. She was now a stranger to the world she had loved so deeply.
What lay ahead was uncertain.But one thing was clear:
This was not the end.It was the beginning—of a new fight,a new identity,and a silent herowho gave up everythingto give humanity one last chance.