The Trinity of Memory, Time, and Emotion - Guardians Connection #4
Sometimes there are wounds that cannot be healed alone. Psychological scars so deep and complex that no single person's power can touch them.
In 2031, the trauma experienced by the sole survivor of a serial killing spree was exactly that kind of wound. A state where memory, time, and emotion were so entangled that she could no longer distinguish what was real. A complex pain that no existing treatment could approach.
Before her appeared three special healers. Lee Han-gyeol, who reads and organizes memories; Kim So-ra, who reverses time to heal wounds; and Choi Yu-na, who restores emotional balance. Three people with different abilities became a team for the first time to attempt what seemed impossible.
Could three abilities achieve perfect harmony? And would their cooperation make true complete healing possible?
Join us for the fourth story of Guardians Universe Season 2, as we witness the miracle of healing created by three ability users working as one.
Estimated reading time: 25-30 minutes
Chapter 1: A Complex Puzzle
July 2031, Seoul National University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry Special Treatment Room.
Han-gyeol stared at the patient chart displayed in hologram form and let out a deep sigh. A 26-year-old female, Jung Ha-neul. The sole survivor and witness of a serial killing case. However, her memories were shattered like a broken mirror.
Han-gyeol: "I've never seen memory confusion this complex before."
Dr. Park Min-woo, the attending physician, nodded with a heavy expression.
Min-woo: "Every treatment method we've tried for three months has failed. Each attempt at memory recovery only seems to worsen her symptoms."
Han-gyeol examined the chart more closely. Ha-neul's trauma wasn't simple. Memory fragments were mixed together without any chronological order, and her emotional reactions were extremely unstable. One moment she would tremble in fear, then suddenly explode in anger or fall into complete numbness.
Han-gyeol: "I heard that remembering the perpetrator's face is crucial for the investigation..."
Detective Jung Su-jin opened the treatment room door and entered. Having connected Han-gyeol and So-ra in Episode 7, she was playing an important role again this time.
Su-jin: "Han-gyeol, thank you for coming. The situation is really serious. Ha-neul is the only witness, but if her memory doesn't return, we can't catch the perpetrator."
Han-gyeol: "But forcing memories out could cause even greater trauma to the patient."
Just then, the treatment room door opened again and Kim So-ra entered. In her doctor's coat, she looked even more mature since their collaboration in Episode 7.
So-ra: "Sorry I'm late. There was an emergency in the ER."
Min-woo: "Dr. So-ra, you're here too. But is Dr. Choi Yu-na coming as well?"
Han-gyeol and So-ra looked at each other. In Episode 7, they had successfully conducted a two-person collaborative treatment, but working with three people would be a first.
Han-gyeol: "If Dr. Yu-na comes... would triple cooperation really be possible?"
So-ra: "Theoretically yes, but in practice it would be very complex. The three abilities might interfere with each other..."
Just then, the treatment room door quietly opened and Choi Yu-na appeared. At 30, she radiated a more stable aura thanks to her social activism experience in Episode 8.
Yu-na: "Hello, everyone. I heard this is a very difficult case."
Min-woo: "All three of you are here. Actually, with such complex trauma, single approaches have limitations, so we were considering multidisciplinary collaboration."
Yu-na: "What's the patient's condition like?"
Min-woo manipulated the hologram to show Ha-neul's detailed psychological state. Memory confusion, temporal disorientation, and emotional regulation disorders were complexly intertwined.
Han-gyeol: "With memories this fragmented, even my ability has difficulty accessing them."
So-ra: "Her sense of time is completely broken. Past and present are mixed together..."
Yu-na: "Emotionally, she's in an extremely unstable state too. Fear, anger, and numbness appear randomly."
Su-jin: "That's why we need your help. If we combine each of your specialties, wouldn't there be some possibility?"
The three looked at each other, considering the possibilities while recalling their own experiences and abilities.
Min-woo: "Of course, there are risks. Triple cooperation is still an experimental treatment that's never been attempted."
Han-gyeol: "Patient safety must be the top priority."
So-ra: "But existing methods can't improve the situation any further."
Yu-na: "How about we meet the patient first? We can decide after directly assessing her condition."
Min-woo nodded and made an internal call.
Min-woo: "Please bring Ha-neul here."
Shortly after, Jung Ha-neul entered the treatment room with a nurse. The 26-year-old graphic designer looked pale and thin, with deep fear and confusion clouding her eyes.
Min-woo: "Ha-neul, today some special doctors have come to see you. This is Dr. Han-gyeol, Dr. So-ra, and Dr. Yu-na."
Ha-neul looked back and forth between the three, then suddenly began trembling.
Ha-neul: "Why... why are there so many? That person... those people were many too..."
Yu-na immediately read Ha-neul's emotional state. She could feel extreme fear and confusion, with deep despair buried underneath.
Yu-na: "You're very scared, aren't you? It's okay, this is a safe place."
Han-gyeol carefully attempted to contact Ha-neul's memories. But he soon frowned.
Han-gyeol: Strange... the memories are so mixed up I don't know where to start...
So-ra also examined Ha-neul's sense of time, but past and present were randomly entangled.
So-ra: The flow of time is completely distorted. Attempting time reversal in this state might make her even more confused.
Ha-neul: "Everything's mixed up... I don't know what's real. I don't even know when that day was... or who that person was..."
Min-woo: "Ha-neul, take your time. Today we're just saying hello to the doctors."
But Ha-neul's condition was worsening. She suddenly began hyperventilating and curled up in her chair.
Ha-neul: "No... that memory again... I have to run away!"
Yu-na quickly approached Ha-neul and gently placed her hand on her shoulder. Her emotional stabilization ability activated, but Ha-neul's trauma was too deep and complex to easily subside.
Yu-na: "It's okay, Ha-neul. You're safe here."
Han-gyeol and So-ra also tried to help with their respective abilities, but when all three abilities worked simultaneously, Ha-neul seemed to become even more confused.
Min-woo: "Wait, please stop. Ha-neul's condition is getting worse."
A nurse prepared a sedative, and Ha-neul barely regained stability. But all three ability users looked bewildered.
Han-gyeol: "This is much more complex than expected."
So-ra: "With three of us approaching simultaneously, the stimulation might have been excessive."
Yu-na: "Ha-neul's trauma is on a different level from anything we've experienced before."
After sending Ha-neul back to her room, the four held another meeting.
Min-woo: "As you saw, we need to approach this very carefully."
Su-jin: "But we can't give up. If Ha-neul doesn't recover, the perpetrator will never be caught, and there could be more victims."
Han-gyeol: "Triple cooperation isn't impossible. We just need to rethink our methods."
So-ra: "How about a sequential approach? Instead of using all abilities at once..."
Yu-na: "And we need more preparation and practice. We need to understand how our three abilities interact first."
Chapter 2: Preparing Three Hearts
The next day, the three ability users met in a separate research lab. They decided to understand each other's abilities more deeply and research cooperation methods before directly treating Ha-neul.
Yu-na: "Looking back at yesterday, it seems we don't know each other's abilities precisely."
Han-gyeol: "Right. Even when I cooperated with Dr. So-ra in Episode 7, there was a lot of trial and error at first."
So-ra: "That was with just two people and coordination was still difficult. With three, it'll be even more complex."
Han-gyeol manipulated the hologram equipment and began demonstrating his ability.
Han-gyeol: "My ability involves directly contacting memories to read past scenes. But in cases like Ha-neul's where memories are severely fragmented..."
As he contacted test memory data, the hologram displayed complexly entangled memories.
Han-gyeol: "In this mixed-up state, it's hard to distinguish which memories are real and which are distorted by trauma."
So-ra: "That's where my ability might help."
So-ra began her demonstration. Her time reversal ability had now developed to the point where it could heal mental trauma.
So-ra: "I can take you back to the moment when memories were distorted, allowing you to re-experience that time. But the problem is..."
As she used her ability, the hologram showed time flowing backwards.
So-ra: "When someone's sense of time is completely broken like Ha-neul's, it's hard to determine which point in time to return to."
Yu-na: "That's why my ability is needed."
Yu-na stepped forward to demonstrate emotional stabilization.
Yu-na: "We need to create an emotionally stable state for memory work to be possible. But in Ha-neul's case..."
The hologram displayed complexly entangled emotions. Fear, anger, despair, and numbness appeared randomly.
Yu-na: "With such extreme emotions mixed together, simple stabilization won't solve it."
Han-gyeol: "So we need all three of us to cooperate sequentially."
So-ra: "But in what order?"
The three stood before a whiteboard and began discussing various approaches.
Yu-na: "How about stabilizing emotions first, then organizing memories, and finally restoring time?"
Han-gyeol: "Or organize memories first, then emotions and time simultaneously?"
So-ra: "Wait, I learned something when I cooperated with Han-gyeol in Episode 7. Memory and time are closely connected, so order is important."
Criminal psychologist Kim Young-ho entered the research lab. Dispatched from the police agency, he was analyzing how Ha-neul's memory recovery would affect the investigation.
Young-ho: "Excuse me. How is the progress going?"
Han-gyeol: "We're still researching cooperation methods."
Young-ho: "From an investigative perspective, among Ha-neul's memories, the perpetrator's face and voice are most important."
Yu-na: "But forcing out only specific memories could cause greater trauma to the patient."
Young-ho: "Of course. Patient safety is the top priority. It's just that with the serial killer still uncaught..."
So-ra: "We understand the pressure, but treatment must proceed step by step."
Young-ho spread out his materials.
Young-ho: "What's unique about this case is that the perpetrator is very meticulous. He left almost no other evidence. Ha-neul's testimony is our only clue."
Han-gyeol: "Then we need to approach it even more carefully."
The three focused again on researching cooperation methods. After several simulations, they reached a tentative conclusion.
Yu-na: "First, I'll create emotional stability..."
Han-gyeol: "Then I'll carefully organize the memories..."
So-ra: "Finally, I'll restore the point when the trauma occurred."
But there were still concerns.
Han-gyeol: "When three abilities work simultaneously, unexpected interactions could occur."
So-ra: "In Episode 7, my time reversal interfered with Han-gyeol's memory reading at first."
Yu-na: "And we need safety measures for the patient. If symptoms worsen, we need to be able to stop immediately..."
Min-woo entered the research lab.
Min-woo: "How are the preparations going?"
Han-gyeol: "We've roughly determined the direction, but actual application needs to be very careful."
Min-woo: "Would you like to try the first attempt this afternoon? All safety measures are prepared."
So-ra: "How is the patient's condition?"
Min-woo: "She's relatively stable today. This might be our opportunity."
The three looked at each other. They all knew theory and practice were different, but this was something they had to try eventually.
Yu-na: "Let's try it. But we stop immediately if there's any burden on the patient."
Han-gyeol: "Agreed."
So-ra: "Me too."
Chapter 3: Discovering Harmony
2 PM, Special Treatment Room.
Ha-neul sat in a comfortable chair but still looked tense. Various monitoring equipment was set up around her, with Min-woo carefully observing all readings.
Min-woo: "Ha-neul, today three doctors will help you together. Please let us know anytime if you feel uncomfortable."
Ha-neul: "It seems... a little better than yesterday."
Yu-na approached Ha-neul first. The plan was to start with emotional stabilization.
Yu-na: "Ha-neul, please hold my hand. I won't do anything. I'll just help make your mind comfortable."
Ha-neul carefully took Yu-na's hand. As Yu-na's ability gently activated, Ha-neul's emotions began to gradually stabilize.
Yu-na: {Extreme fear... but underneath I can feel a desperate desire for help}
Ha-neul: "I feel... my mind becoming a little more at ease."
Yu-na: "Good. Try to maintain this state."
Now it was Han-gyeol's turn. He carefully attempted to contact Ha-neul's memories.
Han-gyeol: "Ha-neul, may I place my hand here? I'd like to help organize your memories."
Ha-neul: "Won't it be... scary?"
Han-gyeol: "I'll be as gentle as possible. Dr. Yu-na will keep your mind comfortable."
As Han-gyeol placed his hand on Ha-neul's forehead, he carefully entered her memories. As expected, the memories were severely mixed up.
Han-gyeol: This is... really complex. The memories from the day of the incident, subsequent nightmares, and memories from other days are all tangled together.
But thanks to Yu-na's emotional stabilization, Ha-neul's mental state was stable, allowing Han-gyeol to go deeper than usual.
Han-gyeol: "Ha-neul, slowly try to recall the situation before entering your home that evening."
Ha-neul: "Before entering... home... the elevator was... broken."
Han-gyeol: Good, this part is relatively clear. Let's start from here.
That's when So-ra intervened. She began carefully adjusting Ha-neul's sense of time.
So-ra: "Ha-neul, slowly go back to that evening. I'll help you."
As So-ra's time reversal ability activated, Ha-neul's confused sense of time began to gradually organize.
Ha-neul: "Ah... that time is... becoming clearer."
When the three abilities worked simultaneously, something amazing happened. Deep memories that would normally be difficult to access began surfacing one by one.
Han-gyeol: Strange... I didn't expect it to be this easy to access.
So-ra: The flow of time is organizing naturally too. Yu-na's emotional stabilization is really effective.
Yu-na: Ha-neul's mind has become much more comfortable. In this state, deeper treatment seems possible.
Ha-neul: "I took the stairs instead of the elevator. Up to the 5th floor... it was difficult..."
Han-gyeol: "Good. What happened next?"
Ha-neul: "I was looking for my house key... when I heard footsteps behind me..."
Suddenly Ha-neul's heart rate began to rise. Min-woo carefully observed the monitor.
Min-woo: "Heart rate is increasing. Be careful."
Yu-na immediately strengthened her emotional stabilization.
Yu-na: "It's okay, Ha-neul. You're safe here. It's just a memory."
Ha-neul: "That person... from behind..."
Han-gyeol and So-ra also adjusted their abilities to carefully monitor Ha-neul's condition.
Han-gyeol: We're approaching the core memory. But we can't push too hard.
So-ra: Let's recreate that moment very slowly. Minimize the shock.
『The three abilities are fusing into one...』
Amazingly, the three people's abilities began to achieve perfect harmony. Han-gyeol's memory reading, So-ra's time restoration, and Yu-na's emotional stabilization connected naturally as if they were a single ability.
Ha-neul: "That person... was wearing a black hood. Height was... a little taller than me..."
Young-ho watched with tense expression from outside the treatment room.
Young-ho: Finally... key testimony is emerging.
Ha-neul: "The face was... wearing a mask... but the eyes... the eyes were unusual."
Han-gyeol: "How were they unusual?"
Ha-neul: "One eye had... a scar. It looked like an old scar."
Su-jin immediately made notes in her notebook outside the treatment room.
Su-jin: A man with a scar on his eye... this could significantly narrow down the suspects.
But something more important was happening. Ha-neul's trauma was being resolved step by step.
Yu-na: Amazing... emotional wounds are healing in real time.
So-ra: Through time reversal, we're making her re-experience the moment trauma occurred while simultaneously organizing memories in a safe environment.
Han-gyeol: I thought this was only theoretically possible... but complete healing is really happening.
Ha-neul: "It's strange... I'm not scared. I was so terrified then..."
Yu-na: "That's right. The memory is still there, but the pain that memory caused is being healed."
Ha-neul: "That person... pushed me. So I fell... and there was a sound from behind."
So-ra: "What was that sound?"
Ha-neul: "It was the sound of another apartment door opening. So that person ran away."
Han-gyeol: "Do you remember anything else?"
Ha-neul thought for a moment, then suddenly opened her eyes wide and spoke.
Ha-neul: "Voice... I heard his voice!"
Young-ho and Su-jin simultaneously leaned forward.
Ha-neul: "'You won't be this lucky next time'... it was a low, rough voice."
Han-gyeol: Perfect. Now we have all the information needed to identify the perpetrator.
But more importantly was Ha-neul's condition. She now looked like a completely different person. Her face had color, and her eyes were clear.
Ha-neul: "It's really amazing... the scary memory is now just... just a memory."
Min-woo checked the monitor with a surprised expression.
Min-woo: "Unbelievable. All readings have returned to normal ranges. Stress hormones, heart rate, brain waves, everything..."
Chapter 4: Complete Healing
Three hours after treatment, Ha-neul had become a completely different person. She could now smile and engage in normal conversation.
Ha-neul: "It really feels like a dream. These three months were like hell..."
Yu-na: "How do you feel?"
Ha-neul: "It's like... I've put down a heavy burden. The memory hasn't disappeared, but now it's just something from the past."
Han-gyeol: "The most important thing is that you've recovered."
So-ra: "From now on, you'll be able to return to normal daily life."
Su-jin entered the treatment room.
Su-jin: "Ha-neul, you've been through so much. Thanks to you, we got important clues."
Ha-neul: "Did it help catch the perpetrator?"
Su-jin: "Your testimony about a man with a scar on his eye and distinctive voice significantly narrowed down our suspects."
Young-ho also entered to express his gratitude.
Young-ho: "Thanks to Ha-neul's brave testimony, we should be able to prevent other victims."
Ha-neul: "Other victims?"
Su-jin: "This case's perpetrator is a serial criminal. But now we can catch him."
Min-woo came with the final examination results.
Min-woo: "All test results are normal. The trauma symptoms have completely disappeared."
Ha-neul: "Really?"
Min-woo: "You've completely moved away from PTSD diagnostic criteria. Such complete recovery in three months is... medically close to a miracle."
The three ability users looked at each other with proud smiles.
Han-gyeol: "We did it."
So-ra: "It was really complete healing."
Yu-na: "Working together as three made this possible."
Ha-neul bowed deeply to the three.
Ha-neul: "Thanks to you, I've gained a new life. Thank you so much."
Han-gyeol: "It was possible because you had courage."
So-ra: "From now on, you'll only have happy things."
Yu-na: "Please contact us anytime you need help."
Min-woo called the three aside.
Min-woo: "Today's work could revolutionize the medical field. It's the first successful case of triple cooperation treatment and the first case of complete trauma healing."
Han-gyeol: "We were surprised too. We didn't expect it to be this effective..."
So-ra: "It felt like each ability complemented and amplified the others."
Yu-na: "It connected naturally as if it were a single ability."
Min-woo: "If we systematize this treatment method, it could help many patients."
Young-ho approached.
Young-ho: "Thanks to the medical team's cooperation, this has been decisive help for the investigation."
Su-jin: "Based on Ha-neul's testimony, we've narrowed down suspects and already have a strong candidate."
Han-gyeol: "Really?"
Su-jin: "Among ex-convicts with eye scars, there's someone who matches Ha-neul's description."
Young-ho: "We should be able to make an arrest within days."
The three felt achievement along with new possibilities. They could see that their individual healing experiences had become the foundation for this complete cooperation.
Han-gyeol: The experience of overcoming trauma from losing my parents helped heal Ha-neul's memories.
So-ra: My sense of mission as a doctor and will to save lives made my time healing ability even stronger.
Yu-na: The experience of losing my sister and learning emotional boundaries made complete emotional healing possible.
Min-woo: "I plan to propose your cooperation model as an official medical protocol."
Han-gyeol: "Really?"
Min-woo: "I think complete healing like today's should be provided to more patients."
So-ra: "But we need to approach it carefully. It can't be applied to every case."
Yu-na: "Patient safety must be the top priority, and sufficient preparation and practice will be needed."
Min-woo: "Of course. We plan to spread it safely through systematic research and verification."
Ha-neul came to say goodbye after finishing discharge preparations.
Ha-neul: "Doctors, I really want to thank you one last time."
Han-gyeol: "Stay healthy."
So-ra: "Come for regular checkups anytime."
Yu-na: "I hope your days are filled with happiness."
Ha-neul: "Thanks to you, my life has completely changed. Now I'm looking forward to the future."
After Ha-neul left, the three remained in the quiet treatment room.
Han-gyeol: "We really did it."
So-ra: "When we two cooperated in Episode 7, it was amazing, but this was on a different level."
Yu-na: "Working together as three felt like 1+1+1 became 10, not 3."
Han-gyeol: "Now it feels like nothing is impossible."
So-ra: "Would this kind of cooperation be possible with other colleagues too?"
Yu-na: "If we work with Jin-woo, Tae-min, and Min-ji..."
The three smiled as they thought about the possibilities of greater cooperation.
Epilogue: A New Dimension
Two weeks later, Seoul National University Hospital International Medical Conference.
Min-woo stood at the podium presenting to medical professionals from around the world.
Min-woo: "I will report on the first successful case of triple cooperation treatment."
In the audience, doctors and researchers from various countries listened intently. Ha-neul's treatment process was being recreated through hologram.
Min-woo: "Complete trauma healing, previously considered impossible, was achieved through the cooperation of three ability users."
A doctor raised a question.
Doctor A: "Did all PTSD symptoms really disappear?"
Min-woo: "Yes, two weeks of follow-up observation shows she maintains complete recovery."
Another doctor raised her hand.
Doctor B: "Can this treatment be applied to other patients?"
Min-woo: "We're currently systematizing the protocol and plan to expand it after safety verification."
At the back of the conference hall, Han-gyeol, So-ra, and Yu-na quietly watched.
Han-gyeol: "The work we started is receiving such great attention."
So-ra: "It's really fulfilling. It seems like it could help more patients."
Yu-na: "This is just the beginning. Greater cooperation awaits us."
Just then Yu-na's phone rang.
Yu-na: "Hello? Oh, Jin-woo..."
Park Jin-woo's voice came through the phone.
Jin-woo: "Yu-na, I heard the news. Triple cooperation was successful?"
Yu-na: "Yes, it was really an amazing experience."
Jin-woo: "If you have time, could we meet? Together with Tae-min and Min-ji."
Han-gyeol and So-ra looked at Yu-na.
Yu-na: "With other colleagues too?"
Jin-woo: "Yes, we want to try triple cooperation too. A big environmental problem has arisen, and it seems difficult to solve alone."
Yu-na: "I understand. I'll contact you soon."
After hanging up, Yu-na looked at the two.
Yu-na: "Are all six of us really going to be connected now?"
Han-gyeol: "It looks like we'll see another three-person team cooperation in Episode 11."
So-ra: "And someday..."
All three spoke simultaneously.
Han-gyeol, So-ra, Yu-na: "All six together!"
In the conference hall, Min-woo's presentation continued.
Min-woo: "Triple cooperation treatment presents a new paradigm to the medical field. Complete healing, once thought impossible, has now become reality."
Enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.
Min-woo: "This is not simply the sum of individual abilities, but a miracle created by true cooperation and harmony."
Han-gyeol looked at his two colleagues and said.
Han-gyeol: "We created a miracle."
So-ra: "With three hearts becoming one."
Yu-na: "Now it's time to create an even greater miracle."
The three left the conference hall together, dreaming of greater cooperation and more healing. They could sense that the day when all six Guardians would meet was not far away.
Reader Engagement
Thank you for reading this story to the end.
What did you think while watching three ability users create complete healing? What do you think complete healing means?
And what kind of synergy is possible when three people cooperate? If you've experienced the power of teamwork and cooperation in your own life, please share in the comments.
In the next episode, you'll meet the triple cooperation of Jin-woo, Tae-min, and Min-ji. What kind of help could these three offer to the colleagues they'll meet next? Please share your excitement about the formation of the complete Guardians team!