Chapter 001: The Holy Cathedral

Barcelona, Spain.

Following the guide's instructions, I got on the L2 subway and got off at Sagrada Familia station, looking for the exit.

'Plaça de Gaudí'

The Sagrada Familia, which has been under construction for over 120 years, and the exit leading to the Nativity Façade, which Gaudí himself designed.

He stopped in the narrow, dark underground passage and couldn't bring himself to take another step.

His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst, and the sound of it echoed incessantly in his ears.

He pressed his hand firmly against his left chest, trying to calm his uncontrollable heart.

"Finally... I made it."

Despite being so excited about seeing the masterpiece of the architect he admired that he couldn't sleep on the plane, he found each step out of the subway station strangely heavy.

The first time he saw the Sagrada Familia was two years ago.

It was on a ticket to a Gaudí architecture exhibition that his father had given him, inviting him to go together.

The small black-and-white photo printed on the ticket gave him a significant shock.

As if by fate.

Driven by an indescribable, mysterious attraction, he visited the library whenever he had time to study Gaudí's architecture, but it wasn't enough to quench his intellectual thirst.

For two years, amidst a tight class schedule, numerous assignments, various exams, and a thesis, he worked part-time and saved money.

All of this was for this trip to Spain to explore architecture.

As soon as he arrived in Barcelona, he checked into his accommodation and rushed straight here.

This was the moment he had been looking forward to.

Why was he so afraid to face Gaudí's work?

As he reached the exit, the gray sky, which had been overcast since dawn, began to sprinkle cold winter rain.

As the rain grew heavier, people scattered to find shelter, but Yegun walked toward the Sagrada Familia as if in a trance.

The stone architecture, weathered by time.

Standing in front of the Nativity Façade and the Portal of Charity, Yegun forgot about the rain and stood there, gazing up at the exterior.

The wall, which was so grand it was hard to take in at a glance, depicted scenes from the birth of Jesus.

The Annunciation, the birth of Jesus, the adoration of the shepherds and the Magi, and the coronation of the Virgin Mary.

The architect who admired nature and sought to create buildings that resembled it.

Antoni Gaudí, who believed that no building could surpass the creations of God and designed the spires to be 0.5 meters lower than the highest hill in Barcelona, Montjuïc.

The Nativity Façade, which resembled the interior of a cave that Gaudí himself designed and completed, was a work of art from heaven itself.

"Ah!"

He stood there, speechless, staring at the masterpiece of the great architect.

He marveled at the mad architect's art, which carved the main events of the Bible into the walls to make them accessible even to those who couldn't read.

Even blinking was a regret.

Flash.

As the dark clouds grew thicker and lightning began to strike in the distance, the rain started pouring down like a downpour.

Flash.

Boom!

A loud thunderclap and a flash of lightning, and the startled cries of tourists echoed faintly.

But he didn't even think about taking shelter.

The lightning flashes, like camera flashes, intensified the shadows of the sculptures that had been obscured by the overcast sky, and the impressive three-dimensional façade was etched into his pupils like a photograph.

As the lightning flashes subsided, a surreal vision began to unfold before Yegun's eyes.

The Sagrada Familia vanished from sight.

An empty lot was being excavated by numerous workers, and as the foundation stones were set in the ground, massive stone pillars and walls began to rise rapidly.

Once the foundation was complete, the framework of the Nativity Façade and the northeast exterior began to be erected, and the slow-moving sculptures filled the stone exterior of the building.

The process of building the Sagrada Familia flashed through his mind.

Just before the completion of one of the four corn-shaped spires behind the Nativity Façade, the rapidly flowing scene began to slow down.

* * *

While burly workers moved massive stone bricks around the construction site, a thin, old man carried a stone as big as his head on his shoulder and took slow, laborious steps.

"Ugh."

The sound of him setting down the brick sounded more like a groan.

The old man, constantly rubbing his legs, headed toward the shade of a tree where a pile of blueprints was spread out.

But no one tried to stop him from pausing his work.

Instead, they looked at him with worried eyes.

The old man, ignoring the gazes directed at him, huddled into a small chair under the tree.

His worn-out blue work clothes were frayed in places, and a layer of gray dust from the stones settled on his unkempt beard and disheveled hair, making his appearance even more pitiful.

Few would recognize that this old man was the most famous architect in Barcelona, Gaudí.

The old man pounded his knees with his fist to temporarily forget the arthritic pain that had plagued him for years and looked up at the unfinished spire towering high above.

The deep regret in his eyes was evident in the wrinkles around them.

'Now... I can do no more.'

He had just received bad news from the cathedral's bishop that morning.

"Mr. Gaudí, I'm sorry, but it seems we won't be able to raise the funds for the cathedral's construction anymore."

The bishop, who knew well that Gaudí had poured his entire life into completing the Sagrada Familia, bowed his head and couldn't lift it again.

Gaudí let out a small sigh and answered with a sense of resignation.

"There's nothing we can do. It must be God's will. I always knew it would be difficult to complete it before my life was over."

The construction of the Sagrada Familia, which he had started designing 43 years ago, was still ongoing.

The construction budget raised from citizens had been exhausted, and he had used all his personal savings, which he had accumulated over a lifetime of architectural design, for the construction costs.

For the past eight months, to save on labor costs, he had been working on-site, wearing work clothes and carrying loads.

Finally, he was on the verge of completing one-quarter of the building he had aimed to build.

It was unclear how much more money and manpower would be needed to complete the Sagrada Familia, but he believed that a great Catalan architect would come to complete it after him.

"Well, I need to finish my part. Grunt."

Gaudí, getting up from his seat, took another laborious step to carry a new brick.

* * *

The rain had stopped, and the blue sky was peeking through the clouds.

"What... is this?"

It was unbelievable. Even if he told the truth, no one would believe him.

But the vivid memories and emotional fragments told him that he was Gaudí.

The moment the lightning flashed and the memories of his past life became clear, he realized why he had always been so moved and nostalgic when he saw Gaudí's works and why he had such a strong desire to see them in person.

Only then did he notice the ongoing construction of the Sagrada Familia behind the Nativity Façade.

Was he brought back from eternal rest because of his unfinished last work? Or was it God's will for him to complete it himself, as he had started it to atone for the sins of the Catalans?

Whatever the reason, he was destined to be here.

"...Mr. Han Yegun?"

A familiar voice called his name from not far away.

"Mr. Han Yegun, are you not coming?"

"Here. I'm here."

Seeing Yegun standing there, drenched like a drowned rat, the guide said with a sympathetic look.

"The downpour was sudden, and it's cold. Let's visit the underground museum first."

As the group descended underground, the guide began to explain the Sagrada Familia.

"The Sagrada Familia is the final work of the Spanish genius architect Antoni Gaudí, who dedicated his life to its construction."

The guide, explaining the design process and Gaudí's life, stopped in front of a large model.

"The construction of the Sagrada Familia began in 1882 and has been ongoing for 119 years, with the goal of completion by 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death."

"Then, in 25 years, we can see the completed building?"

"Yes, probably."

"Since the designer died long ago and many documents were lost in the war, how is the construction proceeding?"

The guide, used to this question, smiled and answered.

"The next place we'll visit is a research lab where you can see the design process of the Sagrada Familia. You'll likely find the answer to your question there."

They walked down the corridor from the exhibition hall.

At the end of the passage, where they could no longer enter due to a glass barrier, the group stopped.

On either side of the long room beyond the glass, models were lined up, and in the distance, a few researchers were making miniature models.

"While some blueprints were lost during the Spanish Civil War, the overall design and some sketches of the cathedral still exist.

Gaudí's disciples are collecting the designs of the completed parts and creating blueprints for the missing sections using the materials the cathedral possesses."

The guide, pleased with the attentive crowd, crossed his arms and put on a serious expression.

"The real problem is the façades. Only the Nativity Façade was completed by Gaudí. The other two façades lack sketches, so other sculptors had to be selected to complete them.

The Passion Façade on the west side, completed in 1976, is the work of sculptor Subirachs, and the last façade, the Glory Façade, is yet to be filled."

Yegun raised his hand and asked.

"Is there any way to participate in the design of the southern façade, the Glory Façade?"

The guide looked troubled.

"Unfortunately, the construction team of the Sagrada Familia insists on only selecting architects from Catalonia, as per Gaudí's will."

"So, it's difficult for outsiders to get involved."

"To my knowledge, in the past 120 years, only one Japanese sculptor, who studied Gaudí for 30 years, has participated in the cathedral's construction. It's not an easy task."

* * *

Thirty years.

Even after returning to his accommodation after the tour, the guide's words kept echoing in his mind.

"Why did he leave such a will? How can I complete it with my own hands?"

It was understandable for Gaudí at the time.

The building was constructed to atone for the sins of the Catalans, and it made sense that it should be completed by their own hands.

But now that he realized he had been reborn, he regretted his narrow-minded thinking.

Catholicism does not believe in reincarnation.

Even without considering religious beliefs, who would believe that he was the reincarnation of Gaudí?

Seventy-five years had passed since Gaudí's death, and those who knew him were long buried.

Without a way to prove himself, how could he participate in the design?

It seemed like it would take a very long time to reclaim his place.

He had only four days left before returning to Korea.

He had to find an answer within that time.

Yegun packed his pencil and sketchbook into his bag and headed back to the Sagrada Familia.