[many constellations are demanding to know what's happening.]
Honestly, Kim Dokja agreed with them. He needed to know what was going on with Jung Heewon, as well as if she was okay. If she was injured, then…
No, he had to stay as positive as he could. It was Jung Heewon, and even if she wasn't having an easy time, she was strong enough to hold her own regardless.
Dokja walks over to Jiwon, who's kneeling on the ground looking completely drained and barely conscious while her Hwarang move around her to check on her condition. Politely, Dokja asks if she knows where Heewon is. Noticing that Jiwon is out of it and unresponsive, he turns to Joonghyuk and asks the protagonist to protect him. Though he seems confused, Joonghyuk seems to agree.
Sitting in an alleyway while Joonghyuk stands guard, Dokja starts taking deep breaths and closing his eyes. His lashes gently brush against his cheeks, quivering slightly before he settles into a shallow slumber.
Focus my consciousness, and slowly fall asleep. I need to find the voice. The voice that's looking for me.
The stars seem to move rapidly, circling around gravitational centers, as his mind detaches from his body. Dokja opens his eyes in the void, worrying about Heewon as he remembers how he told everyone to think of him if they got into trouble. Just as he's thinking this, a repeating chant of his name plays in his mind even though the voice is too filtered to recognize, before the world swirls into focus in [Third Person Observer's Viewpoint].
"I feel so bad for Jiwon-ssi," Yoo Sangah sighed, her lips curving into a frown. Kim Dokja understood, and he appreciated that she put herself in harm's way to help him yet again. It would probably take her a while to fully recover, unfortunately.
When Kim Dokja turned to Yoo Joonghyuk and asked the man to protect him, both kids looked up at him with expressions of betrayal, but Kim Dokja really couldn't understand why. After all, he was the only fully awake ally around for the moment, and even though he had just experienced an awful situation too—courtesy of Nirvana—he'd be enough of a deterrent on his own.
Of course, it probably also didn't help that the protagonist seemed to be slightly smug because of that, and Kim Dokja wanted to sigh. Was that really necessary?
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is perking up slightly.]
[several constellations are curious about the intentions of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Lee Seolhwa's eyes widened as she glanced over at him. "You're going to try to use your skill now?"
It seemed like it.
"At least you told everyone to think of you if there was a problem," Lee Hyunsung sighed in relief. "Hopefully you can find Heewon-ssi!"
"Yeah, I hope so too." Despite that, Kim Dokja still had a bad feeling about this. Something wasn't right, and he wasn't sure what it was.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is wondering why the voice was not identifiable.]
For blocks, buildings are blazing with white hot flames in every direction. The streets outside aren't safe either as cars burn and charred corpses litter the ground, unrecognizable as the people they used to be. Dokja's eyes widen as he recognizes that these flames are from Heewon's [Hell Flames Blaze]. Dokja looks relieved that she's alive but quickly turns around as he realizes something strange.
This isn't Jung Heewon's viewpoint, though?
A familiar female figure stands slumped amongst the flames, her hair drifting wildly around her. Instantly, Dokja realizes that he's looking at Heewon from a distance. On her forehead, above her unseeing eyes, a golden lotus stands out against the red-white lighting provided by the surroundings.
Moving closer, Dokja clicks his tongue as he curses that Nirvana already got to her, but reminds himself that even Joonghyuk couldn't do anything, so it makes sense that she couldn't either.
Then just who called out to me?
"Oh fuck," Han Sooyoung cursed, her eyes wide and shocked. "What the hell happened here?"
Jung Heewon immediately went pale. "Um, doesn't that fire look like…"
All Kim Dokja could do was nod, and her expression completely shattered. Jung Heewon didn't enjoy killing, and unless every single person in the area had been attacking her for some reason, then she had already realized that she had probably killed innocents by mistake.
Suddenly, Jung Heewon's breath hitched and her eyes widened as she realized something. When she spoke, her voice sounded extremely quiet and guilty, trembling ever-so-slightly. "… Hey, that prophet guy… wasn't he burned really badly when he died too?"
Shit.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is distraught.]
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is horrified by the current events.]
"What do you mean that this isn't unnie's viewpoint!?" Lee Jihye asked in a high and anxious voice. "Is she okay!?"
As much as Kim Dokja wanted to try and reassure her that the woman likely was, the very next scene proved that wrong. Nirvana had already gotten to her, and Kim Dokja dreaded what that entailed. This was already horrific, but Kim Dokja couldn't even imagine what she was going through at that moment.
Jung Heewon's breath hitched and she looked down, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth, as she whispered, "Fuck…"
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is expressing his hatred for the incarnation 'nirvana moebius'.]
"If it wasn't noona, then who did call you, hyung?" Lee Gilyoung wondered nervously. Kim Dokja honestly didn't know, and he was a bit afraid that it would be one of the kids.
"Jung Heewon-ssi…!" A worried voice calls out, causing Dokja to notice the soldier standing nearby, watching Heewon with wide eyes.
A loud explosion rings out in the air as Heewon nearly decimates three buildings while leaving a gaping hole in the fourth. The blaze intensifies and Dokja realizes that, because of it, he won't be able to help immediately. Hyunsung braces against the heat and dust that flies through the air, but that doesn't stop him from lowering his arms and frantically calling out the woman's name again. Dokja looks around, worried that the naive Hyunsung will be slain by Heewon's blade because she's currently insane thanks to being under the influence of [Thought Infection]. Hearing his voice, Heewon's blank eyes dart over to look in his direction, looking possessed.
Kim Dokja's eyes widened as he recognized the voice, and he felt extremely conflicted. On one hand, he felt immense relief that the only other person there wasn't Shin Yoosung or Lee Gilyoung—they didn't deserve to deal with something like this. On the other hand, though, Kim Dokja almost felt worse to learn that Lee Hyunsung was the one who would have to handle Jung Heewon.
They had clearly been gradually growing closer to each other throughout this scenario, and they trusted each other. Relying on each other, offering comfort, and potentially something more budding beneath the surface… and Kim Dokja was suddenly terrified that something would end up changing forever if the worst came to pass.
"Oh," Lee Hyunsung said weakly, his eyes already beginning to tear up. "Heewon-ssi, I—"
"It's fine." She cut him off harshly, but everyone could hear how terrified she sounded behind her facade of confidence.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is watching the current events with a mournful expression.]
Shin Yoosung's lips wavered as she watched Jung Heewon's rampage. "Ahjussi, is there really no way for you to help?"
Kim Dokja shook his head and held her just a bit closer. "The city is burning for blocks in every direction. It'll be too dangerous to even try getting to them in person."
"Fuck, I'm sorry," Jung Heewon said weakly, already sounding defeated.
Lee Hyunsung turned to her urgently, reaching for her hand and holding it firmly yet gently. "Heewon-ssi, this isn't your fault! You heard what Dokja-ssi said before about what that skill does, so…"
Letting out a sigh, she smiled slightly at him. "I know, but even if I'm influenced by something else, it's still awful seeing myself like this. Hell, what if I kill you because I'm out of my mind?"
[the constellation 'master of steel' is looking at his incarnation with a concerned expression.]
"You wouldn't do that, Heewon-ssi," Lee Hyunsung reassured her. "I know you wouldn't."
Unfortunately, even though the sentiment was very sweet, [Thought Infection] didn't care. The Jung Heewon in front of him in the future wasn't the same person at all.
Abruptly, the screen goes dark before Dokja lets out a pained cough. Instantly, he appears back on the screen, gasping for breath as a fist firmly plants itself in his diaphragm. While he coughs and gags thanks to the nausea, Joonghyuk asks why he was dozing off in an annoyed tone. Still feeling sick, Dokja mentally gets upset that Joonghyuk punched him to wake him up before he pauses and has a realization.
Wait, he hit me? Yes, that was it. I really don't want to do this, but in order to save those two…
Wiping the spit from his chin, Dokja turns and demands that Joonghyuk hit him again, but to do it much harder. This confuses the protagonist who's still holding up a fist. Not letting him get another word in, Dokja continues and tries to clarify further. "No, wait. Just kill me now."
Joonghyuk looks at Dokja's determined look with one of judgement and a hint of concerned disgust.
"No!" Yoo Mia shouted as soon as the screen went dark. "What happened!?"
Fuck, had his connection suddenly been cut? Did something happen to Lee Hyunsung?
Jung Heewon's expression looked even more guilty than before, and she was clinging to Lee Hyunsung's hand like it was her lifeline—or maybe as though it was his. Maybe, in her mind, so long as she was holding onto him like that, she had tangible proof that he was still alive.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is roaring in displeasure.]
Then, Kim Dokja woke up in pain, and he winced. Had the protagonist just—
"What the hell?" Kim Dokja gasped, turning to look at Yoo Joonghyuk with betrayal in his eyes. "Why did you punch me to wake me up?"
It hadn't even happened yet, and Kim Dokja was already wincing sympathetically. God, if that was anywhere near as bad as the punch he had given Yoo Joonghyuk during the King Selection, then he'd probably need Lee Seolhwa later to make sure he would be okay.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is immensely disappointed in the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is amused by the current events.]
Yoo Joonghyuk pursed his lips, looking irritated. "You didn't explain anything, you fool."
Ah, right. The protagonist didn't know about his skill, or how it worked.
Kim Dokja groaned. "You thought I just decided to take a nap out of nowhere!? Doesn't that seem out of character for me, though?"
Glancing away, a strange expression crossed Yoo Joonghyuk's face, and it looked almost like regret, but it went away the second Kim Dokja started having strange thoughts.
Yoo Sangah was the first to realize what he meant, as always, and looked at him in horror. "Dokja-ssi, you aren't going to…"
Kim Dokja grimaced. He probably was.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is sobbing over the request made by the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Yoo Joonghyuk turned on him immediately, looking both angry and terrified. His eyes were wide, his gaze darted around far more than usual, and his hands clenched and unclenched over and over again. The twitching of his brow was more indicative of rage than anything else, but the tone of his voice made his statement seem far more desperate than anything.
"Absolutely not."
"But it's the fastest and easiest way!" Kim Dokja protested, trying not to let himself think too much about the implications of Yoo Joonghyuk's demeanor. "If you just kill me, I can fully possess Hyunsung-ssi and—"
"I. Will. Not," Yoo Joonghyuk snarled, and Kim Dokja had to suppress his instinctive shudder.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair from stress.]
"Even I have to admit that's a fucking low blow," Han Sooyoung remarked, glancing over at Kim Dokja. "This is the second time you've told him to kill you."
Well, yes, but those were totally different circumstances and he was sure that the protagonist understood that too. This was a matter of life and death, but while Kim Dokja could come back to life, Lee Hyunsung could not.
[many constellations are eagerly waiting to find out what the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' will choose to do.]
Everyone always had a few words they considered to be influential and that stick with them. Even Lee Hyunsung had something like that. For example, when he had just become a college student, it was the words he heard the most in his elective course lecture.
A washed out image of Hyunsung sitting at a desk in college appears. From the front of the lecture hall, the professor talks about people being creative and thinking outside of the box. He encourages the students to find what they want to do. Contemplatively, Hyunsung wonders how he's supposed to do that.
The scene then switches as a military recruiter appears, telling Hyunsung that he believes he'd be a natural-born soldier and suggests that he should apply to become an officer.
If he hadn't listened to the executive at that time, what would his life be like now? For someone who found society difficult and people confusing, the army was a comfortable place for him. When Lee Hyunsung returned to the army, accepted as an officer, this is what the executive officer said to him.
"Lieutenant Lee. If you're ever unsure, then follow what the manual says. Then people won't hold you accountable at the very least," the man says, placing a reassuring hand on Hyunsung's arm as he speaks.
Lee Hyunsung flinched as soon as he appeared on the screen again before laughing awkwardly. "Ah… I wasn't expecting this to show up…"
Of course he wasn't—the cut was extremely sudden, and Kim Dokja was honestly grateful for it. It meant that Yoo Joonghyuk had to stop glaring at him in order to look back up at the screen for now, after all.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' agrees with the importance of creativity.]
[a few constellations think that sticking with what you know is better.]
"And this too…" Lee Hyunsung sighed as it showed the recruiter encouraging him to work his way up the ranks. "This is embarrassing…"
"Embarrassing or not, you tried to find the path that was right for you," Lee Seolhwa said with a small smile. "I think that's admirable."
[the constellation 'master of steel' is agreeing with the incarnation 'lee seolhwa'.]
Lee Jihye stretched out her arms with a slight groan before leaning back and using them to support herself. "The manual, huh? I don't know how you do it, Hyunsung-oppa. That sounds so boring."
Lee Hyunsung flushed a bit. "Well, it's nice having some kind of structure. That way, I don't worry about what to do in an unexpected situation."
Jung Heewon laughed slightly. "I guess we could look at all of this like a manual for the apocalypse, huh?"
That was true, in a sense, although it was less of a manual and more of a walkthrough. There were no set rules other than the rule of plausibility, and any accountability was only to oneself and one's group. As comfortable as those rules of his were, they could also end up smothering his progress if he couldn't allow himself to move beyond it.
The bright scene fades to show the burning buildings once more as Hyunsung wonders what he should do since there isn't a manual for this kind of situation. As Heewon slowly walks towards him with her sword ablaze, he thinks in a panic that shouting out the oath of enlistment would be easier.
Gritting his teeth, he falters as he worries about fighting Heewon and isn't sure if he can even stop her. The golden lotus grows bright as Heewon continues to approach to the sound of the living screaming for help as they slowly succumb to the flames.
Hyunsung yells out for Heewon to get a hold of herself as he mentally asks Dokja what he should do at times like this. The ghostly form of Dokja stands nearby, watching as 'Master of Steel' looks at him silently. Closing his eyes, Hyunsung pleads once more for Dokja's aid. His hands shake, though he doesn't know why they're shaking, why he's hesitating, and why he can't just run away from this place.
'Lee Hyunsung-ssi.' Dokja's voice appears in Hyunsung's mind, causing the soldier to open his eyes and look towards the sky as he wonders if he's hallucinating. When Dokja's voice asks if he can hear him, Hyunsung frantically swivels his head back and forth, unshed tears resting in his eyes as sparkles appear around him from his joy.
Ignoring the over the top reaction to his voice, Dokja recommends that Hyunsung begin by running away. As he says this, he looks towards Heewon who has now stopped her slow walk. In a flash, she grasps her sword in both hands and rushes towards the soldier to attack.
"I believe in you, Hyunsung-hyung!" Lee Gilyoung yelled, looking at him confidently. "Your defense is the best, so you can stand up to Heewon-noona!"
Though Jung Heewon once again looked extremely uncomfortable, she smiled weakly at the kid. "He's right—if anyone is going to be able to keep up, it would be you."
Lee Hyunsung's face blazed scarlet, but he tried to get ahold of himself as quickly as he could, muttering a thank you to her. His future self, unfortunately, had no such encouragement and was beginning to panic. No one could blame him for it, though, given the circumstances.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is telling the incarnation 'lee hyunsung' to stop being a pansy and fight.]
Except for the dragon, apparently.
"He's got a point," Han Sooyoung said matter-of-factly. "If you don't make a decision soon, you're gonna get skewered and roasted like a shitty kebab."
Kim Dokja shot her a look of disgust and disbelief because what the actual fuck was that?
"I know I can't always rely on Dokja-ssi for guidance, but I don't know if there's a way I could even win this fight on my own," Lee Hyunsung admitted as Jung Heewon continued her terrifying approach.
"Yeah, Hyunsung-oppa is doing his best," Shin Yoosung exclaimed, coming to his defense. "I don't blame him; Heewon-unnie is pretty scary when she's mad."
Jung Heewon's jaw dropped and she pointed at herself in shock, thankfully snapped out of her horrified state by the unexpected remark from the younger girl. "Me?"
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is reassuring her incarnation that she looks appropriately intimidating.]
Unfortunately, that didn't last long. At the very least, Lee Hyunsung sighed in relief when Kim Dokja spoke to him, but Kim Dokja couldn't let himself get too optimistic. He had an inkling of what he was planning here, but he knew he'd have to mentally drive the man into a corner for it to succeed. This was going to be awful for both him and Jung Heewon.
Also, he had no way of knowing whether Yoo Joonghyuk actually had killed him or just knocked him out again, and he was too anxious to actually look over at the man to see how he was feeling.
Although Yoo Mia still seemed a bit afraid, she let out a small giggle when Kim Dokja recommended that Lee Hyunsung run away. To be fair, it wasn't his usual strategy, but the giggles stopped as soon as Jung Heewon charged right after him.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is concerned for the safety of the incarnations.]
Gritting his teeth, Hyunsung turns and runs while still keeping his gaze locked on the mad woman. His breathing stabilizes and he seems reassured now that someone else is issuing commands. Dokja informs him that he has two options, the first of which is to end Heewon's life.
As she releases another wave of flames, Hyunsung darts into an alley and crouches down while looking out cautiously. He states that it's a familiar choice, asking if the second option is to continue to run. Hyunsung is familiar with Dokja's way of structuring things by now—he offers the most brutal and unfavourable option first, even if it's the safest. When that option is rejected, then he'd offer a second.
Dokja nods, unseen as he agrees with Hyunsung's guess. Hyunsung smiles and states something that catches Dokja off guard. "Then like we've always done, I'll go with the third option."
After so long, Hyunsung also knows that Dokja's solution is always the third option, and he believes that it will be the same this time too.
Dokja goes silent and his expression can't be seen before he slowly speaks up, his voice carefully level as he tells the soldier that there is no third option this time. Hyunsung's expression drops and he looks broken, horrified as he processes what he just heard.
[constellations who appreciate the chain of command approve of the incarnation 'lee hyunsung'.]
"Your first options are always unpleasant," Yoo Sangah sighed, clearly remembering the past few times he had given everyone options.
Of course they were—it was intentional, after all.
Jung Heewon stayed silent, though. It was hard to say anything when it was her life hanging in the balance, and she understood that better than anyone right now. As soon as the second option of running was brought up, she seemed to relax somewhat, but it wasn't anywhere near enough to make a dent in the tension running through her entire body.
"You're good at running, so you could potentially give that option a try," Lee Seolhwa recommended, but just like his future self, Lee Hyunsung shook his head.
[a few constellations are declaring that the incarnation 'jung heewon' is too dangerous and should be eliminated.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is angrily pulling out her sword in defense of her incarnation.]
[many constellations believe that the incarnation 'lee hyunsung' should start running.]
"Dokja-ssi always has a third solution," Lee Hyunsung replied with as much confidence as he could muster. Eagerly, he looked over at Kim Dokja with hope glimmering in his eyes. "It's the same this time, right?"
Kim Dokja couldn't meet his gaze and only looked down. He couldn't bear to watch the hope in Lee Hyunsung's eyes die like that.
Jung Heewon laughed dryly. "It's okay, Hyunsung-ssi. Do what you have to do."
Lee Hyunsung immediately looked back over at her in horror. "Heewon-ssi? What—"
"It's what noona wants," Lee Gilyoung cut in suddenly. "She asked about it before, remember?"
Right. All the way back when they were watching what happened at Geumho station, she had asked for someone to kill her if she ever became a reckless killer, and then after the [Welcome Prison], she had felt awful for losing control as well. In this situation, Jung Heewon had experienced both of those things again. Back then, Lee Gilyoung had been the one to say that he would do it, but right now, the only person who could do it was Lee Hyunsung.
Lee Hyunsung's hands shook as he looked at Jung Heewon, his eyes full of despair. He looked heartbroken and devastated, terrified and frozen in place. It was clear that Lee Hyunsung didn't know what to do, and even the command he was being given wasn't one that he wanted to follow.
"The kid is right," she replied quietly. "I already told you—do what you have to do. I don't want to see myself like that either, you know."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is sobbing in despair.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is closing his eyes mournfully.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is feeling pity for the incarnations 'lee hyunsung' and 'jung heewon'.]
Lee Hyunsung closed his eyes, trembling as he did, and exhaled deeply as he made his decision.