Alchemy of Souls season 2 ending explained: Does Naksu really disappear?

Alchemy of Souls season 2 has come to an end after its 10-episode run. The fantasy drama did answer the question that has been burning in the minds of fans - will Naksu and Jang Uk get the happy ending they deserve, or will they have to sacrifice their happiness for the greater good?

From the beginning, Naksu and Jang Uk seemed ill-fated. For one, she is an assassin who practiced a type of magic that was banned in the country. Alchemy of Souls helped her occupy Mudeok's body in the first season. At the end of that season, Mudeok stabbed Jang Uk through the heart after being controlled by Jin-mu and jumped into the very same lake where Jin Bu-yeon had found the powerful ice stone.

In the second season of Alchemy of Souls, it was revealed that Mudeok was, in fact, Jin Bu-yeon and was rescued by the Jin family with the help of Senior mage Lee. He did keep the fact to himself for three years. Jang Uk and Naksu were, however, meant to meet again. It is only in episode 8 that the two of them realize the truth.

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Naksu disappears to save the world in Alchemy of Souls season 2

Naksu, who is now in Jin Bu-yeon's body, decides to disappear without a word to Jang Uk. She enters the powerful magical prison in hopes of doing so, but the universe has different plans for the two of them in Alchemy of Souls. She returns unharmed, and Jang Uk, who knows the truth about her, decides to keep her company until her soul dissipates.

Jin Bu-yeon explains that the world will indeed burn and crash after the fire bird is freed from its confines in the Jin mansion. She also states that only a person with the power of Jin Seol-ran, the first of the Jin mages, can help stop the massacre from happening. She believes this is reason enough for Jang Uk to let go of Naksu, and he understands that there is really no hope for Naksu's return. Not if the fate of the whole world hinges on his decision.

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Jin-mu returns to free fire bird in Alchemy of Souls season 2

This is exactly why he gets ready to bid goodbye to her. He initially believes that the world is safe, considering Jin-mu is trapped in the prison. However, the King, who is agitated about the power that the Songrim House holds through Jang Uk, decides to stab them in the back in Alchemy of Souls.

Jin-mu gets hold of an empty ice stone in the prison grounds before he is attacked by Naksu. When the queen and her cousin Seo Yoon-oh try to help him on the King's orders, Jin-mu uses the stone and the last of the soul transference magic that he had left within the queen to transfer his soul into the body of Seo Yoon-oh.

He receives a red carpet welcome from the King and other members of the Unanimous Assembly in Alchemy of Souls. They are all greedy for the power that Jang Uk holds within him and believe that waking the fire bird will be the perfect way to snatch the powers from Jang Uk. It is upon learning the extent of damage that awaits the world that Naksu voluntarily decides to disappear.

Jin Seol-ran, the first mage of the Jin family is reborn as Jin Bu-yeon and it is she who returns with Jang Uk, with all her powers intact. Along with Jang Uk, she manages to thwart all of Jin-mu's plans. The crown prince, the Songrim house, and Jang Uk work together to ensure that the damage inflicted by the Fire Bird is minimized. Their strategy brings them to victory, and the world is in order again. However, the question of whether Naksu has really disappeared lingers.

The answer comes in the final moments of episode 10 of Alchemy of Souls season 2. Jin Seol-ran decides to give complete control of Jin Bu-yeon's body to Naksu and disappears after the Fire Bird is taken care of. Following this, Jang Uk and Naksu, with the blessings of the mages of Jinyowon and Songrim, live as a married couple. They are handed the responsibility of hunting down the relics that escaped from Jinyowon's mansion during the fight.