[Eunoia]
It was early morning.
Haneul sat quietly on the balcony.
His eyes remained fixed on the sunrise, but his mind was far away.
Somewhere beyond this world.
Somewhere he could no longer reach.
Taekyun.
Haru.
And his baby.
His chest tightened.
He wondered what they were doing.
Was Taeha still beside Taekyun?
Was Taekyun eating breakfast alone?
Five years had passed.
Yet Haneul could still imagine every little thing.
He could almost see Taeha running toward his father.
He could hear Haru's soft voice calling him.
He could feel Taekyun's presence beside him.
Haneul slowly lowered his eyes.
He missed them.
More than he could ever explain.
Just then.....
Footsteps could be heard from below.
Haneul absentmindedly looked down.
Doyeon had just returned from his morning walk.
The tall alpha stopped near the entrance of the building.
The moment he looked up and noticed Haneul standing on the balcony, his expression immediately brightened.
He lifted his hand and waved.
Haneul's eyes widened slightly.
For a brief second..
His heart jumped.
"Taekyun....."
The name almost escaped his lips.
Haneul immediately stood up.
A small smile appeared on his face.
But then.....
He looked down again.
It wasn't Taekyun.
It was Doyeon.
Haneul's smile slowly softened.
He gave him a small nod before quietly sitting back down.
Doyeon looked up at him for another second.
He noticed the change in Haneul's expression.
Something in his chest tightened.
But he didn't say anything.
Instead, he simply waved once more before heading inside.
A few minutes later..
Doyeon came upstairs.
He quickly set the dining table before disappearing into his room to take a shower.
After changing his clothes, he walked toward Haneul's bedroom.
He knocked gently.
Knock.
Knock.
There was no answer.
Doyeon waited a few seconds before knocking again.
"Haneul?"
The door slowly opened.
Haneul stood there quietly.
Doyeon looked down at him.
"Breakfast is ready. "
"Let's eat first."
Haneul nodded.
"Okay."
He quietly followed Doyeon toward the dining table.
The two sat down.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The only sounds were the quiet clinking of cutlery against plates.
Haneul ate slowly.
His mind still seemed somewhere else.
Doyeon glanced at him several times.
He wanted to say something.
But he wasn't sure how.
Finally..
Halfway through breakfast, Doyeon spoke.
"Haneul."
Haneul looked up.
"Get ready."
"We'll leave for the court at ten."
Haneul's fingers paused around his chopsticks.
He quietly nodded.
"Okay."
Doyeon looked at him for a moment.
Then he picked up a sausage from his own plate and placed it onto Haneul's.
"Have it."
Haneul blinked.
He looked down at the sausage.
Then back at Doyeon.
"Thank you."
Doyeon gave a small smile.
"Don't be nervous."
Haneul looked up again.
Doyeon's expression was unusually serious.
"Everything is going to be fine."
Haneul stared at him quietly.
Doyeon hesitated.
Then he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I....."
"I've done something."
Haneul's eyes widened slightly.
"What?"
Doyeon quickly waved his hand.
"No, no."
"I mean....."
He struggled to find the right words.
"I did something new regarding your case."
Haneul immediately straightened.
"What did you do?"
Doyeon looked at him.
Then he smiled faintly.
"I may have found something."
Haneul's heart began beating faster.
"Something?"
Doyeon nodded.
"Something that could help you."
He leaned back slightly.
"It's solid evidence."
Haneul stared at him.
"Evidence?"
"Yes."
Doyeon glanced toward the clock.
"The investigator Eunoia sent to that world helped me collect some information."
"After combining everything....."
"I submitted something new to the court."
Haneul's breathing stopped for a moment.
"What did you submit?"
Doyeon smiled awkwardly.
"Don't think about it too much."
"Doyeon."
"Haneul."
Doyeon pointed toward his breakfast.
"Eat first."
Haneul stared at him.
"How can I eat when..... you're telling me something like this?"
Doyeon couldn't help laughing quietly.
"Exactly why I didn't want to tell you."
Haneul frowned slightly.
Doyeon immediately lifted both hands.
"Alright, alright."
"I'll tell you everything."
"But not now."
Haneul's expression became serious.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want you getting your hopes up before the hearing."
Doyeon's smile slowly disappeared.
"There is a possibility the court will accept it."
"But there is also a possibility they won't."
Haneul lowered his eyes.
Doyeon watched him carefully.
Then he spoke more gently.
"That's why....."
"Just go to court with me."
"We'll find out together."
Haneul remained silent.
His fingers slowly tightened around the edge of his sleeve.
For the first time in days.
Something unfamiliar appeared inside his chest.
Hope.
It was small.
Fragile.
Almost frightening.
But it was there.
Doyeon quietly picked up his chopsticks again.
"Now eat."
Haneul looked at him.
"You're really not going to tell me?"
Doyeon shook his head.
"No."
"Doyeon."
"No."
Haneul stared at him.
Doyeon stared back.
A few seconds passed.
Then Haneul quietly picked up the sausage Doyeon had given him.
Doyeon smiled.
"Good."
Haneul took a bite.
But his mind was already racing.
What could Doyeon have found?
And.....
Could it really be enough?
Could it finally give him a chance to return?
Just maybe.
I can go home.
[Eunoia World Court]
The enormous courtroom was silent.
Haneul stood alone in the center of the circular chamber.
His fingers were tightly intertwined in front of his body.
Beside him stood Doyeon.
For the past week, Haneul had been waiting for this moment.
Every passing hour had felt like an eternity.
Today, the court would finally decide his fate.
Whether he would remain in Eunoia.
Or whether he would finally be allowed to return to the world where his children and the person he loved were waiting for him.
The enormous golden doors behind them remained closed.
Above the judges' platform, countless translucent screens floated in the air.
Every screen displayed information.
Haneul's identity.
His punishment record.
His memories.
His journey.
And finally....
Information regarding the child he had left behind.
The Chief Judge slowly raised his eyes.
"Haneul."
Haneul immediately lowered his head.
"Yes."
The judge's voice echoed throughout the enormous chamber.
"The World Court has completed its investigation."
Haneul's heart began beating faster.
Doyeon quietly glanced at him before taking a small step backward, standing slightly behind him.
"The investigation regarding your previous offense has been concluded."
Haneul swallowed.
He had already prepared himself for the worst.
The judge continued.
"After reviewing the complete records of your case, the World Court has reached its final decision."
Haneul's fingers slowly tightened.
Then.....
The words came.
"You will be permanently removed from Eunoia."
Haneul froze.
For several seconds, he couldn't move.
He didn't even seem to understand what he had just heard.
Doyeon's eyes widened slightly.
Although he had suspected this outcome.
Hearing the final verdict still struck him differently.
There was a strange emptiness inside his chest.
Haneul finally raised his head.
"Removed....?"
His voice was barely audible.
The Chief Judge remained expressionless.
"You will no longer possess the legal status of an Eunoian citizen."
"Your name will be removed from the World Registry."
"Your access to Eunoia will be permanently revoked."
"You will no longer be recognized as a citizen of this world."
Haneul slowly turned his head toward Doyeon.
Doyeon gave him a small nod.
Haneul's eyes immediately filled with tears.
"Does that...."
His voice trembled.
"Does that mean I can go back?"
The courtroom remained silent.
Doyeon's chest tightened.
The Chief Judge finally answered.
"Yes."
Haneul's entire body went still.
For the first time in years.
A faint spark appeared in his eyes.
"Back....?"
The word escaped him like a fragile whisper.
The judge nodded.
"You will be returned to the world of your mate."
Haneul's lips trembled.
He almost couldn't believe it.
Taekyun.
Haru.
Taeha.
The people he had spent five years dreaming about.
He could finally see them again.
He could finally hold his child.
He could finally hear Haru call him Umma.
He could finally return to the person he had never stopped loving.
A tear slipped down his cheek.
Doyeon slightly moved forward.
But he immediately stopped himself, keeping his expression neutral so none of the judges could notice the emotions behind his eyes.
Haneul looked at him.
Doyeon gave him the smallest smile.
But Doyeon lowered his eyes immediately afterward.
Because he knew.
There was more.
The Chief Judge spoke again.
"But there is one condition."
Haneul's expression changed instantly.
His heart sank.
"What.... condition?"
Doyeon immediately looked toward the judges.
The Chief Judge's voice remained cold.
"Haneul will not remember Eunoia."
The courtroom became completely silent.
Haneul stared at the judge.
Then slowly.....
His eyes moved toward Doyeon.
"The memories of Eunoia will be erased."
Haneul's face gradually lost its color.
The judge continued.
"Your memories of this world."
"Your memories of its laws."
"Your memories of the people you met here."
"Your memories of your parents, of your siblings."
"Your memories of your entire life in Eunoia."
Haneul's breathing became uneven.
"You will not remember who you were."
"You will not remember where you came from."
"And you will not remember the people you leave behind."
Haneul's eyes widened.
His vision slowly blurred with tears.
"Doyeon...."
His voice trembled.
Doyeon's hands slowly curled into fists.
He couldn't look at him.
Haneul turned back toward the judges.
He wanted to speak.
He wanted to scream.
He wanted to tell them that he didn't care about Eunoia.
He didn't care about its laws.
He only wanted to return to his children.
But now.....
They were asking him to forget everything that had ever made him who he was.
He couldn't stay.
And he couldn't leave.
Not like this.
His heart felt as though it were being torn in two.
Haneul's eyes moved toward Doyeon once again.
A small, helpless pout formed on his lips.
His lips trembled.
"Doyeon...."
His vision completely blurred.
Then his knees gave way.
"Haneul!"
Doyeon immediately caught him from behind.
The officers around them reacted in surprise.
Doyeon held Haneul's unconscious body tightly against him.
But the moment he realized every eye in the courtroom was watching him, his expression became completely neutral.
The Chief Judge looked directly at him.
"Officer Doyeon."
Doyeon straightened.
"Yes, Sir."
"You will be in charge of the entire process."
Doyeon's expression remained calm.
"You will oversee the removal of Haneul's memories."
"You will accompany him to the designated transfer point."
"You will personally ensure that he is returned to the world from which he came."
The judge's eyes became colder.
"Any deviation from the procedure will be considered a violation of World Law."
"If we discover any attempt to interfere with the memory-erasure process."
The judge paused.
"You will be frozen for life."
Doyeon's fingers tightened slightly.
Then he lowered his head.
"Understood, Sir."
Several medical officers immediately approached.
They carefully placed Haneul onto a medical bed before taking him out of the courtroom and toward the medical division.
The enormous doors closed behind them.
For several seconds.
No one spoke.
Doyeon remained standing in the center of the courtroom.
His eyes stayed fixed on the closed doors through which Haneul had disappeared.
Then,
The Chief Judge raised one hand.
A translucent screen appeared in the center of the courtroom.
The image of a small child appeared.
Taeha.
Doyeon's expression changed slightly.
The screen changed.
Taeha's face.
His eyes.
His blood analysis.
His genetic records.
Then.....
A series of ancient Eunoian records appeared.
Doyeon's expression slowly became serious.
The Chief Judge spoke.
"This child is not an ordinary mixed-blood individual."
An officer stepped forward.
"Kim Taeha carries Eunoian blood."
"That much was already confirmed."
The screen changed.
A golden symbol appeared.
The atmosphere inside the courtroom immediately became heavier.
"But the rarity lies in the combination of his bloodlines."
"Kim Taeha is the first recorded individual to carry both Eunoian lineage and the bloodline of a Golden Alpha from another universe."
The Chief Judge continued.
"His father is not an ordinary Alpha."
"He belongs to a bloodline of extraordinary genetic strength."
"His world has produced a lineage capable of creating individuals with exceptionally dominant Alpha characteristics."
The screen displayed Taekyun's genetic information.
The officer continued.
"Kim Taekyun's bloodline is highly dominant."
"His genetic compatibility with Haneul resulted in a child unlike anything recorded in Eunoian history."
The screen returned to Taeha.
His eyes.
Golden, brilliant and rare.
"Kim Taeha was born as a Golden Alpha."
The courtroom fell completely silent.
"Within Eunoia, Golden Alphas are among the rarest genetic occurrences."
"Fewer than ten may be born across entire generations."
The Chief Judge's expression became increasingly serious.
"Throughout our recorded history, Golden Alpha bloodlines have created rulers."
"They have established dynasties."
"Created empires."
"Ruled civilizations."
"And their bloodlines have continued for centuries."
The screen displayed ancient records of Golden Alpha families.
"But this child is different."
The screen displayed Taeha's genetic structure.
"Kim Taeha."
"Born outside Eunoia."
"Born from an Eunoian Omega."
"And carrying the blood of a Golden Alpha from another universe."
"He is the first known individual in recorded history to possess this combination."
Doyeon slowly closed his eyes.
The Chief Judge continued.
"At present, the child is still too young to understand his own potential."
"But his genetic inheritance has already been confirmed."
The screen changed.
A map of Eunoia appeared.
Then another world.
A line connected the two.
"The blood of Eunoia now exists outside Eunoia."
"Not merely through an ordinary citizen."
"But through the bloodline of a Golden Alpha."
The Chief Judge's voice became colder.
"If this child has descendants...."
"That bloodline may continue for generations."
"Possibly for centuries."
"Perhaps even longer."
Doyeon's expression remained unreadable.
The Chief Judge looked directly at him.
"And if the child's birth mother remains connected to Eunoia...."
The screen displayed Haneul's identity.
"there remains a possibility that the Golden Alpha bloodline could eventually discover the existence of our world."
The judge continued.
"We cannot predict what would happen if a Golden Alpha from another universe were ever to enter Eunoia."
"Nor can we predict what would happen if Taeha himself were ever brought here."
"His existence alone could alter laws that have remained unchanged for centuries."
Another officer stepped forward.
"The child may be young now."
"But his potential cannot yet be measured."
"His bloodline may eventually become powerful enough to challenge the very balance that keeps Eunoia isolated."
The Chief Judge looked toward the doors through which Haneul had been taken.
"That is why Haneul cannot remain connected to Eunoia."
Doyeon remained silent.
The judge continued.
"Nor can he return to his world while retaining knowledge of ours."
"Because memories are the strongest connection between worlds."
"If Haneul returns with full knowledge of Eunoia....."
"He carries our existence beyond our borders."
"And if those memories are ever passed to his children....."
The judge paused.
"or to the children of his children."
The enormous courtroom became silent.
"The boundary between worlds may eventually become vulnerable."
The Chief Judge lowered his hand.
"Therefore, before Haneul is returned."
"His connection to Eunoia must be completely severed."
"His memories must be erased."
"His identity must disappear from our records."
"And his existence must return to the world where his bloodline now belongs."
Doyeon stared at the empty space where Haneul had been standing moments earlier.
His expression remained calm.
But deep inside....
Something twisted painfully.
Because he knew the truth.
Haneul had spent five years waiting for the chance to return home.
And now....
He would finally get everything he wanted.
He would see Taekyun.
He would see Haru.
He would finally meet Taeha again.
But he would no longer remember....
That he had ever been away from them.
Or that he had ever been loved by someone in Eunoia.
Doyeon's eyes lowered.
For the first time.
The court's decision didn't feel like freedom.
It felt like another punishment to him.
As he bowed along all officers.