Hana had been in the realm for what felt like an eternity. Time had become an abstract concept, losing its grip on her as the days and nights melded into an endless cycle of white marble walls, cold floors, and the echoing void. She had once fought to regain control, but now that battle felt distant, almost inconsequential. The weight of the Ledger, the power she had once held so tightly, had faded into obscurity, replaced by the heavy silence of the realm.

She paced the floor of the empty room, her footsteps slow and measured, her mind wandering back to the choices she had made. The chaos, the death, the lies. For five years, she had existed in this limbo, neither alive nor truly dead. But perhaps this was her fate, her punishment for everything she had done.

"They haven't forgotten," a voice suddenly whispered from the shadows, snapping Hana from her thoughts.

She turned sharply, her eyes searching the dimly lit room for the source of the voice. It was him again—the man who had lured her into this place, the one who had spoken of her destiny. He stood in the corner, his face still obscured by shadows, though his presence was as unnerving as ever.

"Who hasn’t forgotten?" Hana asked, her voice sharper than she intended.

"The world," he replied, his voice smooth and measured. "They still talk about you, about the Ledger, about the deaths you caused. You are a ghost that haunts them, Hana."

Hana narrowed her eyes. "And why should I care? The world was nothing but a battlefield. It chewed me up and spat me out. Let them talk. Let them remember me however they want."

"Is that truly what you believe?" the man asked, stepping closer. "That you no longer care about the world you left behind?"

Hana clenched her fists, her nails digging into the palms of her hands. The man had always known how to get under her skin, how to make her question everything she thought she understood. Five years in this forsaken place had done nothing to dull that effect.

"What is it you’re really trying to say?" she asked, her voice tight with frustration.

The man’s smile was barely visible beneath the shadow that cloaked his face. "I'm simply reminding you that the world moves on without you, Hana. But some wounds, some scars, never heal. The Soul Ledger murders are still very much alive in the minds of those who remember. Even now, the president himself is speaking of it. Your name, your legacy, it still lingers."

Hana’s breath caught in her throat. The president? After all these years? Why would anyone still be talking about her, about the Soul Ledger? She had been sure her influence had faded with her disappearance.

"What are you saying?" Hana asked, her voice softer now, laced with curiosity. "What do they know?"

"They know nothing," the man replied, his tone casual. "They speculate. They theorize. They argue over who was behind the murders, who pulled the strings. Some claim you were a mastermind, others that you were a victim of forces beyond your control."

Hana scoffed, her lips curling into a bitter smile. "Victim? That's rich. They’ll never know the truth."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Perhaps," the man said, circling her slowly. "But that’s not stopping them from trying. You see, even after all this time, there are still those who are searching for answers. And now, the president has called for an official reopening of the case. He wants closure, a final answer to the mystery of the Soul Ledger."

Hana felt a flicker of something deep within her chest—fear, anger, she couldn’t quite tell. After everything she had done, after all the lives she had taken, how could they still be so obsessed with her?

"Let them search," Hana said, turning away from the man, her voice hollow. "They'll never find anything. I made sure of that."

The man’s laugh echoed through the room, soft and mocking. "You think so? You think you covered all your tracks? It’s amazing how persistent people can be when they believe they’ve been wronged. How desperate they can be for justice."

Hana’s chest tightened, but she forced herself to stay calm. "What does it matter? I’m here. I’ll never leave this place. The world will go on without me, just as it always has."

"True," the man agreed, his voice barely above a whisper. "But can you truly say you’ve let go of it all? Can you truly say you don’t care about what’s happening out there? About the people you left behind? Your name is a curse, Hana. And every time it is spoken, it pulls at you, doesn’t it?"

Hana clenched her teeth, fighting the urge to snap back at him. She had tried to push the world away, to forget it all, but it haunted her. The voices of the past echoed in her mind—Kaito, Daeyoung, even Jake. And now, knowing that her legacy still had a hold on the world, that people were still trying to uncover the truth behind the Soul Ledger murders, it gnawed at her.

"Tell me what you know," Hana said, her voice low and tense. "Tell me what the president said."

The man paused, his smile widening. "It seems you’re not as detached as you thought."

"Just tell me," Hana growled, her patience wearing thin.

"Very well," the man said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "The president gave a speech this morning, calling for new efforts to solve the Soul Ledger case. He spoke of the devastation you left behind, the fear you instilled in the public. But more than that, he mentioned the possibility of a greater conspiracy. He believes there are others involved, that you were not acting alone."

Hana’s eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. "What do you mean, others? There were no others. It was all me."

The man raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Is that what you believe? That you were the only one pulling the strings? How quaint."

Hana’s stomach churned as his words sank in. Could it be possible? Could there have been forces at play that she hadn’t seen, hadn’t understood? The idea made her blood run cold.

"You’re lying," Hana said, her voice shaking. "I was in control. No one else."

The man smiled, his eyes gleaming. "Perhaps. Or perhaps there are forces even greater than the Ledger itself, forces that have been manipulating you from the very beginning."

Hana shook her head, her mind racing. No. She couldn’t believe it. She had been the one in control. She had orchestrated everything. But then again, hadn’t there always been something… off? Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on?

"I don’t believe you," Hana whispered, though her voice lacked conviction.

"You don’t have to," the man said with a shrug. "But the truth will reveal itself in time. It always does."

Hana’s heart pounded in her chest, her mind swirling with uncertainty. For the first time in years, she felt truly powerless, trapped in a place where she could do nothing but wait and watch as the world continued to move on without her.

And yet, somewhere deep within her, a spark of defiance still burned. She had survived worse. She had outlasted those who sought to destroy her. If the world still remembered her, still feared her, then perhaps her story wasn’t over just yet.

But for now, all she could do was wait. Wait and see how the threads of fate would weave her destiny.

The man faded back into the shadows, leaving Hana alone once again in the cold, empty room. She sank to the floor, her back pressed against the marble wall, her eyes staring blankly ahead.

Five years. Five years, and the world had not forgotten her.