Work Text:
[Your fate has been realized.]
"Let's meet again, Yoo Joonghyuk."
Yoo Joonghyuk watched as a black hole appeared behind Kim Dokja's body, slowly dragging him in as his form began to crumble.
"Kim Dokja! No! Kim Dokja!"
He held Kim Dokja by the neck in desperation, but it was too late. The reader had disappeared into the void, leaving Yoo Joonghyuk and his bloodied sword still grasping helplessly.
The stars in the night sky went out one by one, and incarnation Kim Dokja's story finally ended.
When Yoo Joonghyuk's blade pressed deep into his heart, Kim Dokja closed his eyes and expected never to open them again.
Death was strange, never less daunting despite its familiarity. The sword that took his final breath had also taken his last defense, his only opportunity to return and continue their path as he did before. It was unavoidable, he thought, it was the best option.
The alternative was one he could not entertain, not even when Yoo Joonghyuk himself had told him a new regression would not change this worldline. It would not change this worldline, but how could he continue without his protagonist?
A story needed its hero, and Kim Dokja was no hero. He was a reader, as he'd always been, and he'd died a reader's death.
At least, he'd meant to.
When Kim Dokja opened his eyes, there was nothing but darkness.
"Welcome home, my son."
How—
"We pulled some strings," the Queen of the Darkest Spring spoke, materialising in front of him in an elegant wave, "We've missed you."
Dokja softened slightly at the familiar face, "It's good to see you, Mother, Father. Thank you for saving me."
"Of course," she smiled, "You must be tired. Dearest, we must prepare a feast for our son's homecoming."
She clapped in excitement, and suddenly the atmosphere was much brighter, candlelights flickering across the halls of the room. At the very center of it all, the Father of the Rich Night sat on his throne, obsidian eyes pensive as he watched his heir.
"Let him rest. It has been a long day," he gestured to one of his servants, "Send him to his room."
Laughing nervously, Dokja stepped forward, "I'm not sure that's necessary. I'd rather not inconvenience you, so let me go back to my companions and—"
Suddenly, the room felt much colder.
"I'm afraid that isn't possible, son."
"I don't understand," he lied, as the realisation began to settle in. The dread he'd been suppressing resurfaced as he watched his father's expression morph into pity.
"You're dead," Persephone smiled, sweet as the pomegranates from her garden, "The dead belong here, with us."
It was a simple, logical conclusion, but Kim Dokja rarely ever stayed dead for long. He no longer had the King of No Killing nor the Eight Lives attribute, but the domain of his parents was one he'd escaped from before, when he'd rescued Shin Yoosung of the 41st turn.
He reached for his mother's arms, the motion stiff and unfamiliar, and squeezed her hand gently in an attempt to placate her.
"Mother, I can't stay here. You know I can't," he pleaded, silvery eyes shining in the dim light of the throne room.
"My dear child," she hummed softly, caressing his cheek, "You were lucky. There are worse fates out there, you know."
The reader knew it all too well. It was a stroke of luck foreign to him, to find himself at the feet of his beloved adoptive parents, unharmed and hale as though he'd never died at all. He could not feel his heart beat nor the warmth of his skin, but he could see and speak and touch his mother's hands.
Hades stepped down from his throne, approaching his son with an unfitting air of cautiousness, "You will be King of the Underworld one day. As our successor, you intend to see this through, don't you?"
Being the heir to the Underworld was nothing less than a great honor, bestowed onto someone as unremarkable as himself. Of course he had every intention of seeing it through.
"I can fulfill my duties even if I'm not physically here," he argued, "Have I ever failed you before?"
He watched as his father's features twisted imperceptibly with guilt. It was an honest question, but his mother simply smiled, eyes twinkling in amusement. He wondered what could be so amusing about his supposed negligence towards his own responsibilites.
「 K im Do k ja is a n id io t. 」
The fourth wall?
So he still had his skills, he sighed in relief.
"You can also fulfill your duties while you're here," Hades replied, "You'll be safe."
"And what about my companions? How can they be safe, if I'm not there with them?" How could they reach the end of the scenarios, the ending he wanted to see?
Kim Dokja was a selfish man indeed.
He wondered if his children were doing well. If Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung were protecting them, if Yoo Sangah took care of them or if Han Sooyoung and Lee Jihye were pestering them as they so often did.
He wondered about Yoo Joonghyuk, whether he'd already started planning for the next scenario.
"Are they not strong? Have you not trained them to the best of your abilities?" Persephone cut in, smooth as silk, "You've worked hard, little one. Won't you stay?"
"This was the most fortunate of outcomes," Hades added, "We could not send you back, even if we wanted to."
"And you don't want to."
It was a curious turn of events, Kim Dokja thought. He'd promised them an interesting story, one they would be engrossed in for all eternity.
Was this really how that story ended?
Persephone laughed and reached out to her husband, gently wrapping their arms around their son, their lovely Kim Dokja, who'd finally come home.
Despite it all, Kim Dokja could only lean into the warmth.
"Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi."
In the six months that followed the tenth scenario, it was the first time Yoo Sangah had spoken to him. Among the company, only Lee Jihye and Lee Seolhwa would occasionally try to speak with him, though with his sparse appearances, it was hardly any notable conversation.
Even now, the regressor had only come to the compound to check on Yoo Mia.
He turned to Yoo Sangah, who looked at him expectantly. He wondered if she'd resented him for killing Kim Dokja as much as he resented her for bringing that godforsaken prophecy to light.
"Have a drink," she smiled, offering him a bottle of what seemed to be sweet liquor. He wasn't sure where she'd procured it from, nor why she deemed it appropriate to drink at this time, but he was in no position to question how she mourned their loss.
After all, he was the one at fault.
He made no move to accept her offer, although it did not deter her from taking her seat next to him, a cup of her own in hand. She took another drink, setting down the bottle she'd offered right next to Yoo Joonghyuk's shoes.
"It must've been difficult," she murmured absently, "Even for us it was, but you took the fall on our behalf."
Nothing but empty words. It did nothing to soothe the cracks in his heart, as though the sword that pierced Kim Dokja's chest had pierced his own as well.
"Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi," she looked at him then, brown eyes resolute despite the haziness of the alcohol, "Bring him home."
Suddenly, she poured her cup on the ground, the stark red spilling around like blood.
[The constellation 'God of Wine and Ecstasy' wishes to speak with you.]
It was a modifier he’d recognized under the Olympus nebula. The same nebula that had orchestrated the tenth scenario, had read his companion’s fate and doomed him with that inescapable prophecy.
Olympus had killed Kim Dokja, had been the sword Yoo Joonghyuk used to take his companion’s final breath.
"You," he growled, "I'll kill you."
[The constellation 'God of Wine and Ecstasy' is humming.]
There was no sound, but the liquid on the floor began to flow around unnaturally, forming strange symbols as it did so. Yoo Sangah breathed out a sigh of relief, taking another sip of her drink.
The symbols began to take familiar form, until the bubbling liquor looked more like a string of words.
「 Impertinent human. 」
"Dionysus, son of Persephone," Yoo Sangah whispered reverently, "It's good to speak with you again."
Persephone?
Joonghyuk had always resented the constellations, but he could recall the Queen of the Darkest Spring's fondness for Kim Dokja quite clearly. He'd never asked about it, but his companion seemed to hold her favor consistently, if her presence in the channel was any indicator.
It was a cruel twist of fate then, that Kim Dokja's demise would be at the hands of the nebula her own son was part of. He should've known, the regressor thought, a constellation can never be trusted.
Not even Kim Dokja himself.
The liquid crackled again, turning gold in the light of the god's presence.
「 Olympus is at war. 」
At war? Yoo Joonghyuk had never heard of such a thing. Constellations were fickle beings, but conflicts in such a powerful nebula were certainly a concerning matter.
“Dionysus,” Yoo Sangah said, “Was Dokja-ssi at the center of this war?”
Kim Dokja, who was a constellation that ascended mere moments ago, was the cause of such unrest?
Somehow, Yoo Joonghyuk was not surprised. His companion was bound to cause trouble no matter where and when, leaving a wake of destruction that spared only his beloved company.
That fool.
「 The constellations are cowards. Kim Dokja is a singularity. 」
So he was, Yoo Joonghyuk thought. The man who had not been present in his previous regressions, who would disrupt the scenarios at every turn, creating a story the constellations could not look away from. For all that he was troublesome, Kim Dokja was a powerful being, concealed by an unlucky smile and a habit of diving headfirst into danger.
"So then, where is Kim Dokja?"
「 Kim Dokja is dead. 」
Before Joonghyuk could begin to demand bloodshed, Yoo Sangah spoke again.
"Please return him to us."
「 The dead don't belong to me. 」
The regressor took the bottle at his feet and opened it, drinking it down as he glared up at the sky.
"God of Wine and Ecstasy," he spoke, "Take me to the Underworld."
「 Hidden Scenario — Road to Hell 」
Category: Hidden
Difficulty: A+
Clear Conditions: Avoid the eyes of the judges and find what you seek in the Underworld.
Time Limit: 12 hours
Compensation: 10,000 coins
Failure: You will become a resident of the Underworld.
[The soul of a living person has entered the Underworld.]
Yoo Joonghyuk opened his eyes.
It was cold and dark, unmistakably the Underworld he'd sought to visit. He scanned his surroundings quickly, eyes catching onto a long river cutting across the plains. On the far side, there were people that had gathered around what appeared to be a factory. There was the smell of oil and smoke and heavy machinery in the air, wafting across the water in a dizzying stench.
His feet were heavier than lead, and the air of sulfur seemed to seep into his lungs, but nonetheless, Yoo Joonghyuk was determined to bring his companion home.
The scenario had mentioned to find what he was seeking, none other than Kim Dokja's soul, of course. There was no doubt that the constellation would be held captive by the rulers of the domain, especially one so favored by its Queen.
There was no sign of Kim Dokja nor his captors anywhere, but a figure on the horizon caught his eye.
Standing in the distance was a large, robotic structure, made of shining black metal. It resembled a soldier, and with its size, he deduced that the heavy machinery and workforce of the domain had all been exhausted on the great figure.
Dionysus had mentioned a war, he remembered, was this in preparation?
If that were the case, then Yoo Joonghyuk had to make haste. The longer Kim Dokja stayed in the Underworld, the more likely it was that he would be caught up in the conflict amongst the constellations. He'd already suffered under their fearful gazes, but to be forced to pledge allegiance to one faction would certainly endanger him even more.
There was no way to cross the river, of that he was sure, and so, Yoo Joonghyuk began walking along the stream's path. The current was heavy, and it seemed to emit a constant melody of souls wailing pitifully.
Between the oppressive air and the discomforting cries, he walked and walked, the darkness never relenting. There was no telling how much time had passed, down in Hell where there was no sunlight.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' prays for you and your companion's safe return.]
[2,000 coins have been sponsored.]
At the very least, that accursed Star Stream seemed to follow along in his plight.
When he reached the end of the river, there was a great bend that connected the plains together, the smell of oil and smoke growing even stronger as he approached the giant soldier. The frantic workers scurried around, paying him no mind.
A man wearing a black coat entered the vicinity. Unlike the other ghosts, he was clean, and his face was hidden by a large hood that cast heavy shadows. Perhaps he was in charge of the area, Joonghyuk thought.
The man then came forward, voice scratchy as he announced, "There will be an inspection today. An intruder, a living person, has entered the Underworld. We will find this intruder before the King of Shadows is alarmed, so please stand by."
The ghosts shared confused expressions amongst themselves.
"Is it true?"
"A living person in Tartarus?"
"How can a living soul cross the river?"
There was no place to hide. Joonghyuk could only watch the man interrogate every other soul in the distance. He waited until the administrator finally came up to him, the air turning frigid as he did so.
"Who are you?"
"I am the one you are looking for."
The judges of Hell appeared before him, and Joonghyuk felt the chill settle into his neck, as though he was being frozen from the inside out.
"Take me to your king, or I will kill you, and everyone here."
There were murmurs from the crowd that gathered around him, and Joonghyuk felt the ice seep into the cracks of his heart. Still, he faced the judges, hands tightly gripping the hilt of his sword.
Without another word, the judges began to walk. Joonghyuk followed, his hand never leaving his sword as he watched the ghosts around him, unhappily standing at the assembly line.
Was it possible that Kim Dokja could become someone like that, if he failed?
He brushed the thought away.
Yoo Joonghyuk would not fail.
He did not know how long he'd been walking, when the judge that led him stopped in his tracks. In front of them stood a tall castle, dark and foreboding. The palace of the Underworld.
"We've arrived."
The doors opened, and the judges disappeared quietly. Joonghyuk entered the dark hall, the doors closing behind him in a loud flourish.
At the very end of the hall stood a man cloaked in darkness, his gaze heavy as he watched the regressor approach. When Yoo Joonghyuk came to stop in front of him, the god released his overwhelming presence, bringing the incarnation to his knees.
「 A living soul in my domain. I should have you killed. 」
The Father of the Rich Night, King of the Underworld, Hades had come to greet him.
"Where is Kim Dokja?"
「 He is dead. You are not. Leave now. 」
"If you kill me, will I meet him?"
It wasn't possible. If Yoo Joonghyuk died, he would regress. There was the fear that his next turn would be one without Kim Dokja, that this turn was the only one where he would be able to meet his companion.
「 Are you really willing to find out? 」
"Answer the question. How can I find Kim Dokja?"
「 He does not need to be found. 」
Yoo Joonghyuk hated a great number of constellations, but the King of the Underworld was very quickly climbing up the ranks of those he'd wanted to kill. He struggled against the air of darkness that was slowly choking him.
"I will find him anyway. Tell me where he is."
The god turned around, facing his back to the regressor.
「 Why do you look for him? 」
The incarnation thought it over. The answer was clear.
"He is my companion."
「 Companions die. Find another one and get lost. 」
"No," his gaze hardened, "He will reach the end of the scenarios with me."
Yoo Joonghyuk would see the end of this story with Kim Dokja, or he would not see it at all. He had promised himself such, the day Kim Dokja told him to see this turn through, to live as a human no matter what.
He would not break his promise.
「 Wasn't it you who sent him here? 」
Despite his resolve, Joonghyuk faltered at the words.
"Yes," he grit out, "It was me."
With the last bit of strength in him, he looked up at the god's back.
"That's why I've come to bring him back."
He could not promise protection, he could not shelter Kim Dokja from the cruelties the gods had carelessly spun into his fate.
The only thing he could offer Kim Dokja was his companionship. Wherever the fool would go, Yoo Joonghyuk would willingly walk the road to Hell to bring him back. He would clear the path, brick by brick, until Kim Dokja could safely return to his side and continue their journey once more.
The god turned again, and met his gaze. Suddenly, his status had dimmed down, and it felt as though the incarnation could breathe easily.
「 You wish to see him. 」
Yoo Joonghyuk had never seen him. He knew that Kim Dokja had a unique skill, one that hid his face away from the prying eyes of the whole world. The regressor had tried once, using his Sage's Eye, to see through his companion's walls, but it was to no avail. It was frustrating, that he could meet the man's eyes and watch him smile, and yet Kim Dokja's appearance would always be far too hazy to ever take shape. The features that had bypassed his censor fleetingly would always disappear from his memory, leaving nothing but a blur.
Perhaps Yoo Joonghyuk did wish to see him.
However, nothing good came from simple wishes. Yoo Joonghyuk did not come to see him, but to save him, to bring him home to his companions.
Hades simply nodded, and walked away. Yoo Joonghyuk could do nothing but follow him.
Persephone's garden was a lovely sight Dokja had grown fond of in the time he'd spent in the Underworld. He often wondered how much time had passed since he'd arrived, but both his parents and the servants were tight-lipped, and the fourth wall offered nothing but its usual dry humor.
He'd reread Ways of Survival more times than he could count, but there was no mention of Yoo Joonghyuk ever garnering the Queen of the Underworld's favor. The protagonist had never sat in Persephone's garden, never picked at the lily-white blooms and blood-red fruits as he waited for salvation.
Kim Dokja, for once in his life, was utterly lost.
"Are you reading again?"
He looked up from his phone, one of the many gifts the rulers of the dead had presented him. Fit for a prince, they said, showering him with an entire world at his fingertips.
Dokja only wished he could return to his own.
Idly, he reached for the flowers that seemed to call out to him, wondering how such lively blossoms grew in the cold. Persephone stepped into the garden, and he watched as the scenery grew brighter in the presence of the goddess.
"I am a reader, after all," he replied, lips quirking up at his own wordplay.
"That you are," she smiled, tilting her head fondly, "Our little reader, it's no wonder you're so bright."
He bristled slightly at her honest praise, opting to deflect her words with a question.
"Do you read?"
"I can't say I do," her answer wasn't quite surprising, but Dokja nodded nonetheless, "But I do love a good story. I believe you and I have that in common."
"Is there anyone who doesn't like stories?"
He couldn't stop thinking about the deal they'd made long ago. Was this truly the story he promised them? Was this the end Persephone wanted for him?
She hummed, touching elegant fingertips to the delicate petals around her. If the flowers had called for Kim Dokja, they'd all but sung sweet melodies for his mother, swaying in the cold breeze.
"There are books in the library," she mused, her own way of deflecting, "What is it that interests you that you cannot find in our collection?"
Perhaps she felt unsure. For all her confidence, she was no reader, and had merely curated the library for her dear son, whose eyes lit up the moment she'd shown it to him.
The reader smiled, hands clasped around his phone tightly, "Your collection is lovely, Mother. I'll look through it again sometime."
She laughed, the sound not unlike windchimes, "Do as you like."
With nothing else, she turned heel, leaving her son alone with only the flowers and trees to keep him company. He sighed in relief as he pondered her question once more.
It wasn't a what, rather a who.
Yoo Joonghyuk, the protagonist he'd followed for thirteen years.
Kim Dokja had loved him and resented him and cherished him deeply, his one and only lifeline in all those years of darkness. He'd laughed and cheered and shed tears for him, had wished upon stars every night for his dearest protagonist to reach only the happiest of ends, the perfect epilogue he so deserved.
There was no other story, in Persephone's library or in any other library in the universe, that he would love as much as he loved Yoo Joonghyuk's.
Fitting, then, that he was the one to deal the final blow. Incarnation Kim Dokja, killed by the one he loved most.
Yoo Joonghyuk, his sunfish bastard with the foolishly handsome face that hid his detestable personality and endlessly kind heart.
Yoo Joonghyuk, who had saved him time and time again, had been there at every turn, scathing words that conveyed his trust.
Yoo Joonghyuk, his companion in life and in death, who chose him, an unremarkable reader whose survival hinged on a mere story.
Yoo Joonghyuk, who was standing right in front of the garden gate, looking right at him.
"Yoo Joonghyuk?"
"Kim Dokja."
Standing in the garden was Kim Dokja himself, hands outstretched to meet the flowers blooming around him.
[The constellation 'Demon King of Salvation' is looking at you.]
He looked like a ghost out of Yoo Joonghyuk's dreams, pale and hazy and yet unharmed. The scene reminded him of a classical painting, the way the wind seemed to flutter around the star's coat as he met the regressor's gaze.
"You came," Kim Dokja whispered in awe, "You're really here."
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is shedding tears at your reunion.]
[5,000 coins have been sponsored.]
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is pleased to see the constellation 'Demon King of Salvation'.]
[5,000 coins have been sponsored.]
"Kim Dokja, you—"
"How did you get here?" the constellation gave him a once over, voice shaking slightly, "Dionysus?"
[The constellation 'God of Wine and Ecstasy' says he was threatened.]
"Fool," Yoo Joonghyuk said, "It wasn't a difficult task."
Kim Dokja laughed, eyes twinkling like stars, "Sunfish bastard. Of course you'd say something like that."
If Yoo Joonghyuk hadn't known any better, he would've thought Kim Dokja alive, warm and bright as the day he disappeared.
He would not let such a sight slip through his fingers again.
"Come home, Kim Dokja."
The reader's face fell, hands idly pulling at the sleeves of his coat.
"I'm not sure if that's possible, Joonghyuk-ah."
At the regressor's darkening expression, he continued.
"Hades and Persephone, they made me their heir. The Underworld is my responsibility, too."
Joonghyuk held back his shock. So they even went to such lengths?
As he'd thought, all constellations were the same.
"If there's a way to break the contract," he started, but Kim Dokja soon cut him off.
"I won't do that," the reader sighed, "What happened was of my own volition. We will need powerful allies in the future—"
"What future do you have, staying here?"
"Yoo Joonghyuk," he replied sharply, though it had little effect on the regressor, "Surely you can lead the company to the end now? It's not as if I'm gone, in time, I'll be able to appear too."
Did Kim Dokja know how much time had passed since he disappeared? Did he know that his children cried themselves to sleep every night, waiting for him? That his company could no longer look each other in the eye?
"It's been six months, Kim Dokja."
If the reader was surprised, Yoo Joonghyuk could not tell.
"I see."
Yoo Joonghyuk stared at him for a long time.
"Do you wish to stay here?"
Kim Dokja plucked a white flower with delicate hands and stared at it as if it held the answer to Yoo Joonghyuk's question. He could not meet the regressor's eye as he answered.
"Does that matter?"
"It does."
To Yoo Joonghyuk, if Kim Dokja asked to stay, then he would allow it. Perhaps he would fail the scenario, perhaps it would doom this regression. But if this fool of a star had any desire to stay in this Hell, then Yoo Joonghyuk would let it happen, would stay by his side without question.
"I want to go home," he whispered, softer than the petals he held between his fingertips.
"Then we will."
[A new hidden scenario has appeared!]
「 Hidden Scenario — Before Gods & Men 」
Category: Hidden
Difficulty: A+
Clear Conditions. Prove your companionship by guiding constellation Kim Dokja out of the Underworld without turning around to look.
Time limit: —
Compensation: Return of constellation Kim Dokja's soul
Failure: Expulsion of constellation Kim Dokja from the main scenario
[The constellation 'One Who Played the Lyre' wishes to see this story.]
[3,000 coins have been sponsored.]
Joonghyuk had heard of that myth a long time ago. A musician who walked into the Underworld to bring home his wife, with a song so beautiful the rulers of the dead could do nothing but let him try.
Yoo Joonghyuk was not a musician, and Kim Dokja was not his wife. He could not offer a song, he could not offer anything worth the soul of his companion. A soul that only existed in this world, in this lifetime. A soul who chose him, yet it was one he'd failed to protect.
It did not matter that he could offer nothing, because Yoo Joonghyuk would try. For the return of that very soul, he would do anything.
The price of failure caught his eye, then. If Kim Dokja were to be expelled from the main scenario, not even the Underworld would be able to save him.
"Absolutely not," the Father of the Rich Night snarled. The room grew colder and colder, as if the entire realm had voiced out its displeasure alongside its king.
[The fourth wall has offset some of your shock.]
Kim Dokja watched as Yoo Joonghyuk faltered under the weight of the god's presence, and stepped forward silently.
"It's the same conditions as that story, Father."
"Do you know how that story ended?"
"I do."
"Then you know why I can't allow it."
The reader stood his ground, "It's a scenario from the Star Stream itself. Intervening will cost a great deal of probability—"
"Should such trivial probability be worth the safety of my only son?"
He had never heard such emotion in the King of Hell's voice. There was anger and scorn and underneath it all, there was fear.
He must be worried about losing the heir, Kim Dokja concluded. Perhaps he viewed it as treachery, that his chosen successor would escape from his domain at the first sight of freedom.
Dokja couldn't help but feel a surge of guilt then. These were his parents, who trusted him and sheltered him and cared for him with open arms, and yet he treated them like chess pieces. He who was so willing to run away, carelessly tossing aside his promises.
He turned to see Yoo Joonghyuk, head still bent low. Had he let the protagonist come so far for nothing?
Why did Yoo Joonghyuk travel all this way to bring him back?
He, someone of no redeeming quality, had become an important figure in the lives of the characters he'd so adored. A single misstep could be a knife, plunged into the hearts of those around him.
Suddenly, the Queen of the Darkest Spring placed her hand on her husband's shoulder, eyes warm as she met his gaze.
"Let him go, Hades."
She did not look at Yoo Joonghyuk, instead staring right at her son with a forlorn smile. Slowly, she came towards him, footsteps gentle as her husband rescinded his status.
Kim Dokja breathed out a sigh of relief as he watched Yoo Joonghyuk slowly lift his head. His protagonist turned his dark eyes towards him, and the reader held his gaze until he felt Persephone approach.
Cupping her son's face, she hummed a sweet tune, eyes tracing his features as if to commit them to memory.
It was as though she'd known all along, that Kim Dokja was never meant to stay in this realm. Perhaps they both did. Perhaps the story she wanted to see for him hadn't reached its end yet.
She looked at him longingly, no longer a constellation or a Queen, but a mere mother sending her child away.
"My beautiful child," she murmured, voice heavy as she brushed his hair back softly, "Is this truly what you wish?"
Dokja looked at her, and then to his father, star-filled eyes shining in regret, "I'm sorry, Mother. I have to return to them."
Hades followed his wife, as he always had, his hand unsure as he reached for his son's shoulder. In the dark of his eyes, Kim Dokja could see his own reflected back.
In his dreams, he thought of a father and mother who looked at him with such eyes. In his dreams, he would return their beloved gazes with his own, would never try to fly away from their warm embrace.
"There is no guarantee that you might do so," his father remarked. His voice betrayed nothing, but he watched his son, just as he had since the very beginning, eyes never straying from the little star they'd loved so dearly.
Kim Dokja understood what he meant. His departure from the land of the dead was not certain, it had not been written in stone just yet. The return of his soul could only depend on one man, and it was the reader's luck that it was the only man he would ever trust with his soul.
Until the world's very end, he would leave his heart in those scarred, gentle hands. There was no telling how much of himself he would have to give to reach the ending he desired, but that insignificant fragment of his would always belong to his protagonist.
Yoo Joonghyuk.
"There is."
[The constellation 'Demon King of Salvation' is looking at you.]
Yoo Joonghyuk had watched the scene unfold in front of him, feeling as though he'd intruded on a private moment between his companion and the ones who had protected him.
He shook his head and steeled himself.
Constellations were not capable of such tenderness. Perhaps they viewed Kim Dokja as no more than a possession, unfairly taken from them. Perhaps they found amusement in Kim Dokja's plights, as most gods did.
However, it was true that Kim Dokja himself was also a constellation.
But Kim Dokja does not watch from the sky, his mind reasoned, Kim Dokja fights by his side on Earth and dies by his hand with a gentle smile.
He was broken out of his thoughts when the King and Queen began to walk, the doors of the palace opening at their will. Kim Dokja turned around and looked at him expectantly.
When their gazes met, Kim Dokja turned back, and Yoo Joonghyuk followed him.
The path they took was darker than the rest of the realm had been, and even with his skills Yoo Joonghyuk could not see his companion, merely sounding out his quiet footsteps.
At the end of the path was a tunnel, with weathered bricks and creeping vines. A patch of bright red flowers right at the foot of the entrance had been the only color he could see.
Then, the King of the Underworld turned to him, obsidian eyes conveying his disdain for the protagonist.
Yoo Joonghyuk supposed the feeling was mutual.
"There will be no leniency for the heir of the Underworld," his voice was like iron as he stared right at the regressor, "You will not be permitted to contact anyone, be it your sponsor or otherwise. You will be alone."
Yoo Joonghyuk simply nodded. He was used to being alone, after all.
"I'll be there," Kim Dokja said, stepping into his view, "Right behind you."
Of course. Things were different in this regression.
In this regression, he had his companion to walk behind him. They would walk out of Hell together, and continue to the end.
The smile that had formed on Kim Dokja's lips was almost perceptible, and if it had stayed for a moment longer Yoo Joonghyuk was sure he could've seen it.
There would be other chances, he thought, as the reader's censor concealed him once more.
Suddenly, the Queen of the Darkest Spring came up to him, smoothening the lapels of his coat with twinkling eyes, "My son is the most precious gem the Underworld has to offer."
Yoo Joonghyuk could not agree more. The Underworld was a terribly dreadful realm, it was no wonder they couldn't let go of Kim Dokja.
Unfortunately for them, he was Yoo Joonghyuk's companion first.
"Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk," she said, lilting, "Do not fail him."
"Mother, you're scaring him," Kim Dokja rolled his eyes. He looked at Yoo Joonghyuk, who merely nodded at her words with an unreadable expression.
"Hey, at least act scared, will you? The Queen of the Darkest Spring isn't just any constellation," he huffed, as his mother smiled in a mix of pride and amusement.
"I will not fail."
His eyes remained on Kim Dokja, even as the King and Queen nodded solemnly at his words. The reader's fluster was evident, and Yoo Joonghyuk wished he could see the expression on his face properly.
"You damned protagonist, stop talking so confidently."
With nothing else, he came to stand in front of the tunnel, peering into the darkness with curious eyes. Yoo Joonghyuk gave a half-hearted nod to the rulers of Hell before taking his place in front of the constellation.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' prays for your safe return.]
[The constellation 'One Who Played the Lyre' prays for your safe return.]
[The constellation 'Father of the Rich Night' prays for your safe return.]
"Once you enter, you won't hear a thing I say, so be careful. Who knows what's in there," Kim Dokja said quietly.
"So, this is what it will take to finally shut you up?"
The reader scoffed, "Start walking, you bastard. I want to go home."
Yoo Joonghyuk looked back at him one last time, and entered the tunnel.
As he'd expected, there was nothing but darkness awaiting him.
Though he could not see, he was sure that the path was certain. As he began to walk, he held the hilt of his sword tightly, the chill settling into him the farther he got.
Aside from the sound of his own footsteps, Yoo Joonghyuk could not hear anything but his own thoughts.
He was unsure whether he'd encounter danger on the road, but his sword kept his idle hands busy and his senses alert. The Underworld was a dangerous place, and he would not put it past the King and Queen to torment him for taking away their precious heir.
There was also the issue of Kim Dokja's form, not quite whole as far as Yoo Joonghyuk knew. If anyone were to attack, the constellation would be vulnerable, even if he was a Demon King.
At that, Yoo Joonghyuk remembered why he ended up in such a situation in the first place.
It should've been me that died here, he remembered telling the other man. If it were him, he would not have been sent to the Underworld.
If it were him, he would've regressed.
In the six months that followed Kim Dokja's death, he considered regressing numerous times. Whenever he would try, the constellation's words would linger in his mind.
Maybe this is the turn where you will see the end of the world as a human.
He vowed to himself then, that he would see the end of this turn, and find his companion again.
For the first time, he wondered if it was possible to regress after he'd reached the end.
If he regressed again, it was likely that Kim Dokja wouldn't be there. He was an anomaly that belonged only to this turn.
However, that did not stop the doubts in Yoo Joonghyuk's mind whenever he looked up at the stars late at night.
There was a chance that Kim Dokja existed somewhere else.
And as he'd find out, the Kim Dokja of this worldline continued to exist, if only in the land of the dead.
If there was someone who could return him to the land of the living, wouldn't it be Yoo Joonghyuk? The man who was fated to become the strongest incarnation, who would one day destroy the Star Stream itself.
Could he really do such a thing?
He felt the cold nip at his fingertips, as though it had begun to freeze his hands where it rested on the hilt of his sword.
Yoo Joonghyuk, powerful as he was, was only human. He could not shield his companion from the constellations' wrath, though he'd tried, time and time again.
Why should this time be any different?
Kim Dokja, his companion in life and death, was a precarious existence. He'd died, over and over again, all while Yoo Joonghyuk watched helplessly. If he disappeared from this worldline, in such a way that even his clever mind could not save him, what would happen?
Yoo Joonghyuk didn't want to find out.
And so, he continued walking.
He wasn't sure, if it had only been hours or days or years. Time had always mattered very little to him.
That had been the case, until he met Kim Dokja. Suddenly, it seemed he was always running out of time. The clock would tick, and the constellation would be gone, carried away by the wind.
In his previous turns, Yoo Joonghyuk had to become stronger to reach the end. In this turn, reaching the end was not enough.
The Yoo Joonghyuk of this turn wanted more than the end of the scenarios.
The Yoo Joonghyuk of this turn wanted a star, bright and foolish and far too selfless for his own good. He wanted him to be the end he was desperately trying to reach.
Yoo Joonghyuk promised himself that he would become strong enough to stand next to that star at the world's end.
He wanted to tell Kim Dokja himself, so that the other would think twice about carelessly throwing his life away. If he were to say it right now, Kim Dokja wouldn't be able to answer.
He stopped in his tracks for a moment, the ache settling into his bones.
In the darkness, there was the doubt that crept in. Even if he voiced out his sentiments, it would not stop Kim Dokja.
He could not stop Kim Dokja.
If that were the case, then why was he here?
He kept walking.
Kim Dokja was behind him.
Kim Dokja wanted him to lead them home.
He would not fail.
It was then that he saw the light in the distance. Faint as it was, he could tell it was the exit he'd been looking for. He would only have to cross that gate, and Kim Dokja would be home, where he belonged.
Despite his exhaustion, despite the ache in his legs, Yoo Joonghyuk walked.
He walked and walked, until the light grew closer, until he could see the metal archway, the pomegranate trees surrounding them and the white field of flowers at its feet. He walked until the ice in his veins began to subside, until the sun's rays were close enough to reach if he'd held out his fingertips.
He walked until he'd passed the gate. It was as if the world had realigned itself. He felt the beginnings of a smile forming as he'd relished in the warmth of the sun.
They were home.
There was the sound of a crack, like autumn leaves crushed by footfall, like a man taking his first step onto solid ground.
Perhaps it was the wind, bristling through the trees. Perhaps it was a summer bird, finding solace in the shade of the night.
But there had been no sound since the moment Yoo Joonghyuk began his journey.
Perhaps it was him.
"Kim Dokja?"
Against his own will, he'd turned.
There, still standing in the shadows of the gateway, was Kim Dokja, staring at the fallen pomegranate with a resigned expression. It bled out on the field of white, not unlike a heart still beating.
Then, slowly, he looked up at Yoo Joonghyuk with a familiar smile.
"Joonghyuk-ah."
No.
"I'm sorry."
It couldn't be. He was home. They were home.
So then why was Kim Dokja disappearing before his very eyes?
It was a cruel mirror of the image he'd seen when his own blade pierced through Kim Dokja's heart.
There was no blood, no heavy wings nor dark tendrils this time around. Kim Dokja looked the same as the day Joonghyuk met him, the same as the day he lost him, time and time again. Smiling, as he always did.
Yoo Joonghyuk wished he could see that smile.
"Kim Dokja?"
He could not recognize the sound of his own voice, stained with agony as the wind howled mercilessly around them. The clouds rumbled and the trees shook, as if the world itself had been angered by his failure.
"Don't make that face," the star laughed, light as the air he was slowly fading into, "It's not your fault."
Wasn't it?
If he was stronger, he wouldn't have turned around. He would've waited, just a little more, just a moment longer. He would've walked until he could no longer feel the chill of the Underworld, until Kim Dokja's footsteps became as clear and as steady as his heartbeat, until his companion called his name.
With shaking hands, he grabbed the hilt of his sword. In the next turn, I will—
"This story ends the way it's supposed to, right?"
But this wasn't that story, Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to argue. He wanted to run towards his companion, wanted to reach for what he knew he could not keep close.
Kim Dokja, just what will it take for you to stay?
He could not find the strength to do anything else but watch, as Kim Dokja left him behind once more.
"Find me again, Yoo Joonghyuk," the wind carried the sound of his voice, "I'll wait."