Chapter Text
I'm sorry, my Child.
That was all Cale heard before everything went dark.
...
'What went wrong?'
Cale Henituse didn't know.
Not even the God of Balance saw it coming.
Not even a few moments before, everything had been going according to plan. Perfectly, even. Cale managed to stab White Star with the Dagger of the World Tree, and his annual rings began to break down just as intended.
Then, without any warning, a sharp pain ran through his body. Specifically, his heart.
"Urgh-!"
He collapsed onto White Star, holding onto his chest tightly. Still, he tried to move. Being this close to White Star? No way. Even if White Star seemed out of it, he didn't want to take the chance.
Speaking of... Why was White Star acting like this? One moment ago, he'd been squeezing Cale's arm in a death grip with what strength he had left—which had been quickly fading alongside his annual rings. Now? His grip loosened, and he wasn't moving.
...Not that Cale could even focus on that right now. Something disrupted Vitality of the Heart, and the injury at his heart wasn't healing. Actually, it was starting to hurt even worse than before.
How? Could it have been White Star? The dagger? No way, that couldn't have...
"Cough...!"
'Fuck.'
Instead of lingering on those thoughts, he tried and failed to stand, unable to hold his own weight. Unfortunately for Cale, the pain became too overbearing and he couldn't attempt it again for the time being. Oddly enough, the White Raddish didn't bother to attack him, even though he seems to have finally been unfrozen from whatever daze he'd been in.
Of course, that's without mentioning how easy it'd be for White Star to attack right now. Cale really couldn't defend himself. Yet White Star stayed idle, never attempting anything.
Rather, White Star willingly took all of Cale's weight for him. (...which in all honesty isn't much to begin with) The killing intent he'd been displaying vanished altogether.
"Let me-... cough...!"
Cale did his utmost to get away from the Reincarnator, but again, he was far too weak. He wasn't able to see the Raddish's expression, but White Star no longer looked at him with malice—and although his expression had been laced with minor pain, it melted into neutrality. He hyper focused onto Cale instead.
Still Cale's thoughts didn't have the luxury of thinking about White Star's odd behavior. Rather, they turned chaotic, visible grimace etched on his face as he felt pain that hadn't—shouldn't—feel. He was completely fine when the dagger had pierced his heart seconds ago.
White Star kept Cale still in his arms, moving him closer when he began having an especially bad coughing fit. Blood stained his lips, but that wasn't what he focused on. How could he?
No, it was the fact that White Star's ring was breaking down. With the Diary he could see that as clear as day. So, surely the dagger wasn't the problem? What went wrong then? Why is he feeling so much-
Thud.
He heard one, then two pairs of hurried footsteps.
'Clopeh?'
He immediately assumed. Cale had seen the guy creeping around earlier, so it only made sense to him that he'd be one of the people here apart from White Star and himself.
But...
'...Who's the other person?'
Cale's throat tightened from the liquid threatening to rise up in his throat once more. A perfectly intact video recording device slipped from Clopeh's hands in favor of rushing towards his 'God' that looked to be on the brink of death with how bad of a condition he looked to be in.
Wait.
'A recording device-?!'
His expression darkened.
'Was everyone watching? Fuck. What about the kids-?'
He was pulled out of his musings as blood forced its way out again, forcing his body to wrack with sudden jolts and shudders. Thankfully, White Star helped him through the incessant coughing fit, blood drenching the floor as tears began to well up in his eyes.
'It hurts!'
Cale couldn't even begin to think about what the White Thing's deal was. Nor could he see the sudden clarity behind his mask. The second Clopeh got too close, White Star pulled Cale's arm over his shoulder to lay him limply on top of his own form—scooting away to lean against a wall. He glared at the white-haired man, pulling Cale closer to himself and further from Clopeh.
Cale couldn't even think about resisting the help White Star gave him. The pain was far too much for him to take, so all he could do was try his best to look at Clopeh.
Then he caught sight of a blur of black.
'Choi Han-?'
His breath hitched, but that caused his coughing to worsen. White Star patted his back.
Cale refocused his attention onto White Star, and his eyes widened.
'Hey, what the fuck?'
'Why did this guy's annual ring stop crumbling? No, it still is... but it's being withheld?'
Cale felt irritation bubbling up within him. Will all the work he'd been doing these two years end up being for naught?
Unfortunately for him, he couldn't voice his grievances. Instead, he received more pats on the back. It helped more than he'd like to admit, with his coughs loosing their edge and being less harsh...even if it still hurts like hell.
Distantly, he hears Choi Han's voice.
"...Cale-nim...!"
When he caught sight of the forever teen, he noticed that Choi Han didn't even acknowledge White Star. His sword was sheathed—and he was rushing with such an expression Cale couldn't help but look away from him out of guilt.
'Damn it.'
It truly settled in his mind now. Something went wrong, and it wasn't those annoying gods.
'By the way, where's that Bastard Sealed God? He's been far too quiet.'
A voice suddenly etched its way into his thoughts, settling far more comfortably than it had any right to and giving him brief focus.
My Child, This wasn't meant to happen, I don't- ...Your body is far too weak, the dagger should've...
'Then fix it you useless God!'
He inwardly shouted to himself, but he tried to listen. He had far too little energy to even be snarky to the damned God right now.
Don't worry. You won't die, but I'll have to...
Cale's eyes grew heavy, and he clutched White Star's shirt, trying to regain the warmth that his body was losing far too fast. It was getting hard to focus.
...
There was too much noise ringing in his head. He couldn't understand what was being said between the Ancient Powers and the God of Death since they kept talking over each other. He could barely hear his own thoughts anymore.
He opened his mouth the speak, but another all that made it out was more blood. At the very least, Crybaby was working now. It didn't lessen the pain, though.
— Sob.. I got it! Just don't get any more hurt, okay? You'll really die if you do!
The temple started to crumble, and yet White Star refused to release his hold on Cale. He gathered what energy he had and stood up, along with lifting Cale, and.. before he could hear the faint voices calling out for him and respond to them...
[The Constellation '■■■■■ of ■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■' is using plausibility!]
[The Constellation '■o■ ■■ ■■s■■■■' shouts at Constellation '■■■■■ of ■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■' and is unhappy with how they are meddling with '■■■■ ■■■■■■'s' curse!]
[The Constellation '■■■■■■ ■■■■■' is using plausibility to assist '■■■■■ of ■■■■■■■ ■■■■■' in the hopes of a good ending.]
[The Constellation '■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■' is using plausibility to assist '■■■■■ of ■■■■■■■ ■■■■■' in the hopes of a good ending.]
[The Constellation '■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■' is using plausibility and '■■■■■■■■■' to assist '■■■■■ of ■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■' in the hopes of a better ending.]
...Everything went black.
One Day Before the Apocalypse. - 6:37 PM.
Someone was relaxed, sitting back in their seat on a subway as they read waiting for their stop.
Midway into Chapter 3148..
Yoo Joonghyuk finally turned to Priest Kim once again, clearing out the annoying monsters that had been far too stubborn for his tastes.
"...Incarnation of '■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■,' Who are you really?"
'You've helped me so much, so many times.' went unsaid, but Yoo Joonghyuk silently added it to his sentence. Even when he had been at his lowest, Kim had been his boulder, and he made the regressor want to treasure every round.
The Priest had always been a companion in these later scenarios. Usually, they meet between scenarios 13 to 19... Or Scenario 60 that one time, but if not, then...
"..I want to do something for you." He adds, eyes sharpening. '..I want to protect you from whatever keeps killing you so early.'
Kim hums, clenching and un-clenching his fist. "...Do you want to know who I am? Or just my name, Hyung-nim?" The robed Priest easily questioned back, smiling at him with reddish-brown eyes that seemed to twinkle with mirth.
"...Your name." He relents, even that much felt like a blessing. To finally know the real name of this enigmatic, frail man he came to cherish.
An enchanting smile laced his face as his lips quirked upwards slightly. "..Ah, then I can manage that much." Looking up towards the starry sky, he scooted closer to Yoo Joonghyuk and raised his hand above his head towards it. "You must be curious after so long, right Hyung-nim?"
A faint scent of flowers came from the Priest. It made Joonghyuk lower his guard, as he always did for Kim. For some reason, it made him truly think that relax. It reinforced his thoughts.
'This is who I should protect. I'm sorry for failing you so many times...I promise I will reach the end of the Scenarios with you.'
'What is this, a romance?' A black-haired man thought.
"...My name is..."
"Ah, will they finally reveal Priest Kim's name?!"
He winced, looking around awkwardly at the people giving him side eyes for shouting in such a public space.
Still, the man eagerly scrolled down to continue to read—
End Chapter.
...
—Only to realize that he'd have to wait until 6:30 PM tomorrow for a continuation to the unfortunate cliffhanger.
He frowned, sighed, stared at his phone a moment longer.. before clicking a previous chapter, where he could gawk at his favorite Priest once again.
Smiling at the screen, he lost himself in a reverie he often imagined.
'What would it be like if Ways of Survival was real?'
Well for one...
...If Ways of Survival ever became real, he would steal Priest Kim-nim from Joonghyuk the second he has the chance. He'd be sure to make him a companion before Yoo Joonghyuk could ever meet him.
...
But at the end of the day, it's a story.
[The Constellation 'Ruler of Eternal Repose' has located a suitable world.]
A Story Made Just For Him.
...Tomorrow's another day, isn't that right?