After the filming at Central Park was completed, the day for the set filming arrived.
With the director Ryan's permission, Sejun stepped into the completed indoor set with his father. Jonathan took on the role of guide.
Sejun and Minjun, who were seeing the film set for the first time, marveled continuously.
It was as if a corner of an exhibition hall somewhere had been perfectly transplanted. The walls were filled with people's photos and informational texts, and in the central glass display case, items left behind by people were exhibited.
"It really looks like a real exhibition hall, Jonathan."
"The art team worked hard to create it. I helped a little too."
Jonathan said, blushing slightly. Sejun, walking along the arrows marked on the floor, read the Korean informational text among those written in various languages.
"ā¦An abnormal wormhole appeared worldwide due to an alien invasion. The photo is of high school student Ray Kasman, who went missing at the time. Is all this really written here?"
"People nowadays analyze every shot, even the background. We had to get everything translated. If we wrote something irrelevant, there would be trouble, right?"
"Wow."
There were as many stories as there were photos. The writers are amazing. Sejun and Minjun slowly toured the set.
Jonathan quietly followed behind them. Photos of people who had disappeared into the abnormal wormhole, smiling widely, were hung on the walls. From old to recent, these were photos full of memories, as if they had been received from their families.
As they looked at each photo, one caught their eyes.
"My photo!"
"William's too!"
The photo that Director Ryan Will had asked Seun-hye to send was posted here. There was a 4-year-old Sejun, smiling brightly. Minjun's eyes became blurry as he looked at the photo.
Seeing his son's photo in such a place, his heart felt strangely moved. The memorial hall was so well-realized that it made his heart ache.
"You were so young!"
"Hehe. You're still young."
"Hehe."
But soon, Sejun's words turned into laughter.
Sejun looked at the informational text posted next to William's photo. Along with the regular informational text, a letter from William's parents to William was attached.
Sejun and Minjun slowly read the letter. It was a letter from parents wishing for their child's happiness.
"Originally, there was a letter written by the scriptwriter, but after seeing Melissa's performance in Shadowman 1, they rewrote it. The director liked this one better than the previous one."
Jonathan explained. Minjun and Sejun nodded. They didn't know what the previous letter contained, but this one was enough to touch their hearts.
* * *
"Let's start filming!"
The assistant director shouted. The extras, playing the roles of acquaintances of the victims who came to the memorial hall, found their positions.
Sejun, who had been talking with Evan, also stood up. He was wearing the same clothes and shoes as in Central Park.
Evan Block and Sejun stood at the entrance of the memorial hall.
Director Ryan Will, who had been checking the monitors, shouted. Several cameras were aimed at the two.
The extras were rehearsing their lines, and the staff held their breath.
-Ready,
Sejun lightly tapped the floor twice with his foot.
[(Good) The Elegant Steps of the Cat Baron are activated.]
-Action!
Mac and the child entered an exhibition hall inside Central Park.
Unlike the lively other parts of Central Park, this place was very quiet and filled with silence.
Some people looked at the photos on the wall with stern faces, while others looked as if they were about to burst into tears.
Moved by the solemn atmosphere, Mac lowered his voice.
"This is a memorial hall. It was created to commemorate the people who disappeared into the abnormal wormholes a year ago, those who went missing, and those who died."
"Abnormal wormholes?"
"You were too young to remember. About a year ago, at this time, aliens invaded Earth."
The child blinked.
"They said they came from Natra and were looking for a traitor, and they attacked Earth."
Mac bit his lip. Why did they do that? In the end, they were defeated, but many scars were left.
The child muttered, puzzled by the word.
"ā¦Natra."
"Yes. This person was getting married that day. A wormhole appeared on the stage where the bride and groom were standing, and it swallowed the bride. This is the bouquet the bride was holding that day."
Mac pointed to a photo of a man and a woman smiling happily.
Mac slowly explained the story of that day, the people left behind, and the items left behind. The dried bouquet and the fallen petals seemed to represent the families left behind.
"I think the man was also wrong."
A person standing in front of a photo of a man holding a soccer ball and smiling said. His harsh voice echoed in the quiet memorial hall.
"What did that man say? Shadowman? Why didn't he repel the aliens from the beginning? If he had eliminated them before the wormholes were created, this wouldn't have happened!"
"Calm down, Tim."
A friend who came with him tried to calm him down. He had lost his best friend right before his eyes.
The wormhole appeared at the travel destination he suggested. The photo and the mementos of his friend who disappeared into the wormhole were here in the memorial hall.
And today was his friend's birthday. He shouted with a voice filled with anger.
"Wasn't the traitor the aliens were looking for actually Shadowman? He had strange powers! If he hadn't been there, this might not have happened! He's a hero, right? Why! Why couldn't he save my friend!"
His friend led the sobbing man out of the memorial hall. Mac and the child watched them leave.
Mac felt heavy-hearted. Since the invasion by Natra, he had been pondering for a year but found no answer.
If I hadn't been thereā¦ If I hadn't been there, would this not have happened? Am I really the traitor they were looking for?
With his eyes tightly closed, Mac was awakened by the child.
"That'sā¦"
"Oh, that's a child who disappeared into the wormhole that day."
The child looked at the photo on the wall. A baby with black eyes and black hair was smiling widely. Next to it was a photo of the child holding a teddy bear.
Mac, looking at the photo and the child, tilted his head. They looked similar. The child in the photo would grow up to look like this child in 5 or 6 years.
The child couldn't take his eyes off the photo for a moment.
"ā¦What does it say?"
"Hmm."
Mac slowly read the informational text. It was the family of a victim he had seen with his own eyes a year ago. The image of a woman crying bitterly was still vivid. His heart ached.
"To Williamā¦ I never expected you to disappear in an instant. Why didn't I run faster, why wasn't I with you? I regret it every day. Just live, wherever you are, live happily. Even if I can't spend time with you, as long as you're alive, we can have hope. We can be happy. Your mother and father will wait for you forever. We will wait for you at our home, no matter when you come. Come back anytime. We love you. Your mother and father."
"William."
At the word, the child's eyes widened. He tightly gripped the pendant around his neck. A word that had been in his mind since he could remember.
William.
The child's mind raced. Finally, all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
He knew.
This is my hometown. That's me. I had a family.
Something welled up inside him. The images of his family spending a happy day together appeared clearly in his mind. Everyone in Central Park had such expressions.
I,
I could have,
I could have lived like that here.
Something stirred in the child's heart.
I could have been happy!
The child's eyes, looking at the photo on the wall, turned cold.
Sejun stopped the [Elf's Basic Breathing] and started the [Mine's Basic Breathing]. At the same time, he used his ability.
[(Evil) The Sad Fragrance of a Solitary Flower is activated.]
[(Evil) The Sad Fragrance of a Solitary Flower - Lowest Rank]
Within a 10-meter radius, only this flower blooms.
It looks like a weed, and no one knows it's a flower.
Smelling the fragrance of the flower makes one feel sad.
A cold aura emanated from Sejun's body.
After opening the door to the evil library, Sejun conducted many experiments.
He also discovered that when he had spare mana in his body, he could use a good skill and an evil skill simultaneously.
He also learned that he could decide which of the two abilities to reveal more by using 'breathing techniques'.
[(Good) The Elegant Steps of the Cat Baron] and [(Evil) The Sad Fragrance of a Solitary Flower] were activated together.
The synergy of [Mine's Basic Breathing] made a cold mana flow out of Sejun's body.
The child, who had seemed like an angel, changed instantly. Unlike when he had transformed into a normal child in Central Park, this was a chilling and cold transformation.
At this sudden change, Mac, or rather, Evan Block, couldn't help but change his expression strangely. Since the script clearly stated that 'the child's condition was not noticed,'
-Cut! NG!
Naturally, the filming stopped.
At the same time, the staff and extras, who had been quietly watching without blinking, expressed their admiration. They had noticed the sudden change in Sejun's atmosphere.
"Wow. That'sā¦"
"I heard he's a genius, but it's beyond imagination."
Although they were whispering to each other, the group of more than ten soon turned into noise.
The camera director and assistant director were too busy admiring to notice, so finally, Director Ryan Will shouted.
"Everyone, be quiet! We're starting the filming again. And Evan Block!"
"Ah, I'm sorry!"
Evan Block, who couldn't take his eyes off Sejun, who had returned to normal, snapped back to reality at Director Ryan Will's call.
The more he knew, the more he realized the depth of the talent. Thinking that this was the limit, the child, or rather, the actor, showed even greater skills. The future of this actor was promising.
'Maybe it won't end in one volume.'
No actor had ever gone beyond one volume. Evan Block smiled and prepared for the filming.
'This is the first NG.'
Sejun felt curious. It wasn't a close-up or a bust shot, and it wasn't his mistake, but it was his first NG.
'Probably because they were surprised by the mana.'
Even as everyone returned to their positions, they couldn't take their eyes off Sejun and kept expressing their admiration. Somehow,
'It feels good!'
This clearly showed the effect of the mana he had worked hard to obtain.
'The people who will watch the movie will probably have the same expression.'
Imagining the people's stunned faces at his sudden change, Sejun smiled.
Good. Let's try harder! Sejun put in a lot of effort and started the filming.
"NG! Jun! You're putting too much effort! Mac will notice! Just show it a little!"
"Sorry!"
The staff and actors were surprised again by Sejun's even colder atmosphere than before, but Director Ryan gave a calm evaluation.
His first NG was due to over-enthusiasm.
Sejun pouted and prepared for the re-shoot. Since he couldn't touch the set hair, Evan Block patted Sejun's shoulder to encourage him. Fortunately, they got an OK and moved on to the close-up shot.