[many constellations are concerned about the words of the incarnation 'yoo sangah'.]
Kim Dokja was nervous too, but he had to set any of that anxiety aside for now. The kids were doing their best to avoid panicking, but he could tell that they were nervous and worried as well. It only made sense—after all, he had only just come back to life, and now the sensible Yoo Sangah was declaring that there was a huge risk of him dying again.
She was the kind of person who didn't lie for any reason, much like Lee Hyunsung, so if she said that something was true, then either she was right or someone else had lied to her. Deep down, Kim Dokja really hoped that something had been misinterpreted or exaggerated.
He really didn't want to die again and prove Han Sooyoung right, dammit!
Time winds back slightly to the moment when Sangah had explained that she came for Joonghyuk's help, which causes Joonghyuk to move in front of his sister protectively. Narrowing his eyes, Joonghyuk sternly reminds Sangah that he told her to not get involved with him anymore, and that he only helped her to repay his debt to Dokja. However, as soon as Sangah tells him that her request is related to Dokja, his killing intent goes down and he asks what she means by that.
Speaking urgently, Sangah explains that if Joonghyuk doesn't help, Dokja will truly die in this scenario. Finding her statement funny, Joonghyuk scoffs out a laugh before reminding her of the fact that Dokja can resurrect. Sangah shakes her head, saying it has nothing to do with that, and that Dokja will 'truly' die. The two stand still as the wind blows across the field.
Back with Joonghyuk, the direction of Mia's gaze changes from Sangah to her brother as he asks how she knows that. Looking worn out, Sangah states sadly that she saw it. When Joonghyuk questions this, his eyes widen as a floating 'eye' made out of glowing golden words materializes behind her.
Yoo Joonghyuk stared at the screen seriously, narrowing his eyes just like his future self as the scenario decided to let them see what their conversation had been. It wasn't surprising that he had instinctively put himself between Yoo Sangah and his sister, and she appreciated it too, but Kim Dokja's brow did raise when the protagonist declared that he didn't want anything to do with Yoo Sangah.
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is astonished by the rudeness of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
"You bastard, what the fuck are you even saying?" Han Sooyoung hissed as she glared at him, seemingly feeling oddly protective over Yoo Sangah for some reason.
Yoo Sangah's expression fell, but she took a deep breath. "Joonghyuk-ssi, I hope that you are more open to trusting me than your future self is. We really don't know each other all that well in the future, and one of the last times we saw each other before you rescued me…"
Her voice trailed off nervously, and it took Kim Dokja a moment to realize why as she glanced in his direction. Oh. Oh shit.
Lee Jihye gasped. "Sangah-unnie, you think Master might still be mad because of the drinking party!?"
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is glaring at the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' after the reminder.]
He had thought that Yoo Joonghyuk had managed to get his anger out before they had left for Peace Land, but now that Kim Dokja thought about it… the future protagonist had never actually talked with Yoo Sangah to clear that up on her side, had he?
Fuck.
It was kind of touching that he was willing to put aside any residual anger to save her just because Kim Dokja had asked that of him, but the effect was decreased by the killing intent that he was currently radiating.
"If you hurt noona, then I'm going to make sure ants crawl into your food," Lee Gilyoung muttered as he glared at Yoo Joonghyuk, who just ignored him.
Thankfully, it seemed that bringing up Kim Dokja was the right move for her, since the protagonist calmed down slightly. It was a bit odd, but he was probably caught off guard just enough. It was a bit weird that bringing up Kim Dokja had worked for both Yoo Sangah and Han Sooyoung—albeit less so for the latter—but it was probably just a coincidence.
"I know we heard what she said earlier too, but I really don't like the sound of that," Jung Heewon remarked as Yoo Sangah repeated her heartfelt plea. It definitely wasn't good, no matter what was actually going on.
[a constellation who likes handsome men is surprised to see the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' laughing.]
Kim Dokja had to stop to stare for a moment. It wasn't a true laugh—not anything more than an amused scoff, really—but his lips twisted into what almost looked like a mocking smirk as Yoo Joonghyuk reminded Yoo Sangah that Kim Dokja could come back to life. It wasn't an expression that Kim Dokja was used to seeing on him, but something about it made his head feel fuzzy for a reason that he couldn't identify. He swallowed after a few seconds, as Yoo Sangah remarked that he'd truly die, and he wasn't sure how he should feel about any of this.
Lee Hyunsung glanced around nervously before taking a deep breath. "I believe in Sangah-ssi's judgement. She wouldn't have approached Joonghyuk-ssi if she didn't think that he could help, after all."
That was true. Yoo Sangah wasn't the kind of person who would do something like that without reason.
"We still need to learn where she got this information from," Yoo Joonghyuk declared, his eyes narrowing further in suspicion. "Only then can we decide how serious the situation is."
Thankfully, it seemed that his future self had the same idea, but Kim Dokja frowned when she said that she saw it. So, she hadn't been told by one of the constellations of Olympus? Was she going against their orders here?
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is gasping in shock.]
[the constellations of the nebula 'olympus' are flabbergasted.]
As Mia lets out a sound of awe, Joonghyuk analyses what he's seeing. 'It's not [Ariadne's Thread], nor is it [Arachne's Cobweb]. That's….?! The symbol of the three goddesses of Fate, the 'Moerae'...?!'
More urgently than before, Joonghyuk asks if she secretly looked at a prophecy of the constellations. When she doesn't answer, he shouts at her, asking if she knows what she's done, and Sangah urgently replies that that's exactly why she came to him for help. Joonghyuk already knows what the reality of 'Fate' is—it's 'the most reasonable future'. His eyes darken as he remembers how Olympus' prophecies have yet to be wrong since, the moment a prophecy is made, the probability of the entire nebula is leveraged to make it happen—not even Zeus could escape a Fate imposed on him.
Just as Sangah starts to beg him again, a bolt of probability shoots through her, making her drop to the floor. After bracing himself and Mia from the shockwave, Joonghyuk's eyes go wide in horror as he stares at the words that appear in the air behind her, crafted from strings.
The incarnation Kim Dokja….
However, the words trail off and the full message isn't shown as the scene suddenly switches.
Shin Yoosung gasped, her eyes widening. "That looks so pretty, unnie! Maybe it's a new skill?"
"I don't know," Yoo Sangah admitted quietly, frowning ever-so-slightly as she did.
It was pretty, but at the same time, this strange object felt almost sinister. Something about it felt wrong, even through the screen. Thankfully, Yoo Joonghyuk recognized it almost immediately, and Kim Dokja nearly cursed as he identified it as being the symbol of the Moerae.
Yoo Sangah sucked in a breath, looking extremely nervous. Clearly, she hadn't been supposed to see whatever this prophecy was, considering the protagonist's reaction. Fuck, and Olympus was finding out that she had (or would?) rebel slightly by seeing this 'Fate'.
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' has set his glass down to frown at the current events.]
[the constellation 'lover of the abandoned labyrinth' is looking at the incarnation 'yoo sangah'.]
"Is it really that serious?" Lee Seolhwa whispered, glancing between Yoo Sangah's ashen face and Yoo Joonghyuk's subtle disbelief.
"If this is a Fate imposed on Kim Dokja by Olympus…" Yoo Joonghyuk's hands clenched into fists. "It will be essentially unavoidable."
Fuck. Kim Dokja glanced over at him, unsure of how to feel about the conflicted emotions dancing in the protagonist's eyes. The chances of escaping a prophecy were extremely slim, to the point where it was almost worse to actively try. Sometimes trying to avoid the prophecy would directly lead to its fulfillment, after all.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is glaring at the nebula 'olympus'.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair from stress.]
"The probability of an entire nebula? Shit, you really pissed them off with your fucking stunts," Han Sooyoung said, trying to sound as dismissive as she could to conceal any actual genuine concern she might have had somewhere deep inside her soul.
If this really was the Fate that King Oedipus had mentioned back then, which was seeming more and more likely by the minute, then he had pissed them off to that point before the whole thing with rejecting them and creating his own nebula at the Constellation Banquet.
Yoo Mia glanced over at him nervously. "Ahjussi, be careful."
It was uncharacteristic concern from her—no claiming that it was only for her brother's sake, no backhanded compliment, and no attempts at passing it off as anything else. Clearly, all the talk about what it entailed had freaked her out, and all Kim Dokja could do was nod and restrain the urge to reach over and pat her head too.
A moment later, as Yoo Sangah tried to tell Yoo Joonghyuk the contents of the prophecy and plead her case further, she was struck with a bolt of probability. Shin Yoosung shrieked as Yoo Sangah inhaled sharply, her eyes shaking.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is hoping that the incarnation 'yoo sangah' is alright.]
Despite that, Yoo Sangah wasn't going to be defeated so easily. Even though she couldn't speak the words while channeling the power of the Moerae, she had managed to use her threads to form the words in the air behind her instead.
However, it was Yoo Joonghyuk's reaction that gave him pause. The man had been annoyed, angry, and skeptical until this point. At that moment, though, he looked horrified, and Kim Dokja didn't know how to feel about it. It made his stomach do flips and his heart pound in his chest. What was the protagonist seeing that made him feel like that?
"No!" Jung Heewon gasped as the scene suddenly cut out before they could actually read any of the words. "Go back, dammit! You can't just dangle a literal prophecy in front of us and then change the scene!"
[many constellations are criticizing the hidden scenario for the unfair cliffhangers.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is irritated.]
Far away, Dokja's group has finally arrived on the second floor. Looking around, Sooyoung proclaims that the plains are huge while Hyunsung does a double take before checking with Dokja that they're still in the Castle.
Unlike the first floor where a new scenario was in progress, the second floor of the Dark Castle had an ongoing scenario that had been in progress for a very long time.
When a dokkaebi starts speaking, Dokja looks over to see other assorted incarnations listening as the aged dokkaebi explains they've arrived at the 'Abyss Plains'.
'Abyss' Plains'. The dokkaebi call it the 'Graveyard of Scenarios.'
Hearing the dokkaebi call it a place of opportunity, Sooyoung declares that the dokkaebi is talking shit and that it's just an excuse to do whatever they fucking want. Having heard her, the dokkaebi states that they won't be interfering at all. As soon as he finishes, a scenario window full of question marks appears in front of them.
"As much as I'm glad to see that you've all arrived safely, I have to agree with Heewon-ssi," Lee Seolhwa admitted with a sigh. "It was cruel to suddenly cut away like that."
"Shitty-ass constellations or stupid-ass wall or whoever the fuck is running this thrice-damned scenario…" Han Sooyoung grumbled, looking rather dour. "Fucking sadists."
Kim Dokja thought it was ironic that she was the one griping about that considering she was most likely also involved in the scenario in some way, but now wasn't the time for that kind of comment.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is demanding to know what the prophecy said.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is protesting that prophecies are boring.]
"We'll find out when the scenario decides to show us," Kim Dokja reminded them as he tried to keep his own anxiety in check.
The prophecy clearly had to do with his death, but the details past that were anyone's guess. He just hoped it wasn't something pathetically stupid—like "the incarnation Kim Dokja will die choking on food" or "the incarnation Kim Dokja will suddenly contract an incurable disease and die miserably."
Though he looked as nervous as the rest of them, Lee Hyunsung sighed. "At least we can learn more about the second floor. It's really big and looks completely different."
"Are we just joining a scenario that's already running, then?" Lee Gilyoung wondered, peeking out from where he had buried his face in the robe. Kim Dokja nodded, frowning as he did.
Sure enough, the dokkaebi arrived and introduced it, and Kim Dokja was quick to remember the Abyss Plains' nickname. The 'Graveyard of Scenarios' was an extremely accurate name for it, in this place that had remained stagnant for several hundred years already.
[some constellations are anticipating bloodshed.]
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is suspicious of the nickname.]
"Ahjussi, if the scenario has been going for a long time and no one has cleared it yet, then how do we know that we can clear it?" Shin Yoosung asked nervously, her lips twisted into a sad frown.
Well, first of all, none of them had Yoo Joonghyuk leading the charge. This scenario had become far too easy for him after repeating it a few times, and this time he had Kim Dokja there to back him up strategically too.
"I cleared it in my last regression," Yoo Joonghyuk remarked suddenly, casting a glance over at the girl. "It can be cleared."
Her eyes widened in shock, and Kim Dokja found himself momentarily baffled that he had bothered to speak up. He hadn't even waited for Kim Dokja to provide an answer of his own, either, which was odd.
Lee Jihye looked oddly emotional and proud for some reason, which made no sense to Kim Dokja. Normally he would have attributed any weird behaviour to her usual brand of bullshit, but he genuinely couldn't see how that would fit in with any of it.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is reminding the incarnation 'shin yoosung' that there are no truly impossible scenarios.]
It might not be impossible, but figuring out what the fuck they were even supposed to do was looking pretty rough. On one hand, it was nice that the dokkaebi wouldn't be hovering or interfering constantly, but on the other, no wonder this was the place where some demoted dokkaebi were sent. It was boring as hell.
Seeing this, many incarnations speak up in anger over the lack of details. Looking down at them the dokkaebi speaks, [What have you been fighting for until now? Was it for family and friends? Was it to gain strength? Each of you may have your own answers; however, I believe those all must be lies. You came all the way here simply to 'complete the scenario'.]
The dokkaebi's eyes shine bright as he judges them for a moment before continuing, stating that they now must find their own way to clear the scenario and must create their own story. With a final wish for their survival, he sees them off.
Looking around at the group of people, Dokja notes how the lack of clear conditions have clearly put a damper on their moods and motivation.
They would have no choice but to be dispirited. I was a bit worried about them as is…
"I hate the way that dokkaebi is talking to us," Lee Jihye huffed as she glared at the screen, and Kim Dokja had to agree. Yes, they were here to clear the scenario, but it was because they had those other goals that they were choosing to proceed. Without a reason to keep moving forward, then everyone would lose motivation and stagnate, and this scenario was the worst spot for that to happen.
Kim Dokja sighed. "Don't let his words get to you. Half of the battle in this scenario is not getting discouraged."
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is nodding his head in understanding.]
As the dokkaebi told them to create their own story, Yoo Mia looked down at the floor. She seemed conflicted, and Kim Dokja couldn't fault her for it. If this scenario was supposed to be showing 'his' story, then how could she create one of her own if she was only part of the supporting cast?
"It's easy to lose motivation, but I believe that all of us will succeed," Yoo Sangah said as confidently as she could. "We've survived this far, and we have Joonghyuk-ssi and Dokja-ssi who already know the secrets of this scenario. If we work together, then we'll definitely emerge victorious."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is praising the positive attitude of the incarnation 'yoo sangah'.]
Dokja's narration is interrupted by Jihye's groaning as both she and Gilyoung wake up. The moment the younger boy spots Dokja, he immediately tackles him into an enthusiastic hug, nearly knocking Dokja over. His eyes shining with joy, Gilyoung states that he always believed Dokja was alive. Behind them, Jihye grumbles about how, for someone who always 'knew', Gilyoung cried until his nose ran at the funeral. After about ten minutes of bickering back and forth with Jihye, Gilyoung can't control his emotions any further and sobs, hugging Dokja again.
Finally glancing at the scenario window, Jihye gets confused about the lack of direction. Ever helpful, Hyunsung guesses that there might be a hidden condition to clearing the scenario, stating they should all work together. Their planning session is interrupted when Yongpal asks if they really need to clear it. Gilyoung is confused, since he's never seen this person before, and Jihye tells him that Yongpal is a 'dude' they picked up on their way here.
Upon seeing that the kids were all awake, Kim Dokja let out a breath that he hadn't known that he was holding. It warmed his heart to see Lee Gilyoung so enthusiastic to see him, and his present self mirrored his actions by hugging Kim Dokja even tighter.
"Thank you for not abandoning me, hyung," Lee Gilyoung whispered in such a broken tone that Kim Dokja wavered for a moment. Hesitantly, he patted the boy's head.
"I'm not going to abandon you, not if I have a choice in the matter," he replied softly. Kim Dokja knew how it felt to be discarded and left alone, and that wasn't something he ever wanted to do to a kid who clearly had abandonment issues. "Even if I die, I'll just come back."
[several constellations are feeling sympathy for the incarnation 'lee gilyoung'.]
Lee Jihye glanced away, but it was clear that she wasn't unaffected either. She looked almost relieved to see that Lee Gilyoung was bickering with her in the future instead of crying again. Kim Dokja's gaze softened as he looked over at her too. Though she might not fully think of herself that way, she really had stepped into the older sister role for the younger kids as seamlessly as she could.
"Nothing wrong with crying," Shin Yoosung mumbled. "Unnie, you cried too."
She did, didn't she?
"I'm too cool to cry, dammit!" Lee Jihye protested, but that didn't exactly work too well when literally everyone had seen her hysterical sobbing and begging at the funeral. She knew it too, since it was obvious that her protests were extremely performative.
Thankfully, their attention turned back to the scenario, and Jung Heewon nudged Lee Hyunsung's shoulder with hers. "Good thinking. The Peace Land scenario slowly unlocked the conditions too, so it makes sense that this could be the same."
[the constellation 'master of steel' is smiling at his incarnation.]
Kim Dokja blinked as soon as Kim Yongpal spoke up, already doubting everything. Right. That guy was with them still, wasn't he?
"Are you seriously going to haul this guy with us?" Han Sooyoung griped, pointing at the pathetic man on the screen.
Well, it's not like they needed him for much else…
Kim Dokja shrugged. "My guess is that he'll tag along until he finds a safe spot and then he'll split from the group. There's no way he's wandering off on his own right now."
And, knowing this scenario, that meant there was really only one place where Kim Yongpal would end up. It would work for a time, but Kim Dokja wasn't planning on leaving the place standing either.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is tired of all the talking and desires to see some action.]
Unfazed by the interruption, Yongpal continues. "I'm wondering if we have to clear this.. D-does everyone know what's at the 'end' of these scenarios? W-we don't know if it's good or bad for us to continue following them. We'll just end up as the constellations playthings. Even if we clear this one, we still don't know what the next one would be like. W-we can die at any time."
Gritting her teeth, Jihye rushes up and Grabs Yongpal by the front of his shirt, asking if he really wants to stay in this unknown place where nothing is safe. As if responding to her words, a horde of skeletal-looking Devil Bears rush towards the group. This causes Dokja to call out to the other incarnations around them to group up for the fight.
Analyzing the number of opponents, his companion's injuries, and the deserters who have lost their purpose without the scenario giving directions, Dokja grimaces.
Maybe, this scenario… might be the most dangerous scenario to my companions.
Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed as Kim Yongpal stuttered his way through his doubts. "If you don't clear the scenarios, you'll never know what's at the end."
As he said that, he looked pointedly in Kim Dokja's direction. After all, not even this world's only reader knew the true ending. Perhaps the only person who did was the author, or maybe it had been written the way it was because tls123 couldn't think of an ending that would seem satisfying after everything that had happened leading up to it.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is unimpressed by weak-willed people.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is picking his nose.]
"I can't fault his doubts, but not everyone thinks that way," Lee Seolhwa sighed.
Kim Dokja had to agree. 'End up as the constellations' playthings'...? No, they had already been that way for a long time, ever since the scenarios had begun. The second an incarnation signed a contract with a sponsor, they were essentially a puppet on their sponsor's strings.
Even though Lee Jihye tried to talk some sense into the guy, it was futile. He was a coward above all else, and he was terrified. There was no way that reason would get through his fear and nervousness, especially since he had only survived this long through luck alone.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is roaring in excitement.]
Shit, they had taken too long, and now there were monsters.
"It'll be fine, we have ahjussi!" Lee Jihye reminded them, but Kim Dokja grimaced. As she noticed his expression, her confidence steadily dropped. "Ahjussi? What's wrong?"
"All of you are still injured, you and Gilyoungie only just regained consciousness, we have a bunch of random people whose abilities we don't know, and I'm probably scraping the bottom of the barrel of my mana reserves," Kim Dokja admitted. He wouldn't be able to use [Bookmark] right now, which meant that half of his combat ability was essentially gone.
[several constellations are concerned about the incarnations.]
"And you have no water, unnie," Yoo Mia pointed out quietly, causing Lee Jihye to groan and let out an agonizing sigh.
Yeah, this was just going great.
"I understand why you're worried, Dokja-ssi, but I believe in all of us," Lee Hyunsung declared earnestly, sitting up straighter as he did.
At least Lee Hyunsung was confident, but they'd have to wait and see if they were able to handle this situation without any kind of guidance. Kim Dokja hoped for the best, he really did, but a scenario like this could easily crush someone's motivation.
Far away in another part of the Abyss Plains, Joonghyuk stares at the floating words in disbelief, the hand on his sister's shoulder shaking almost imperceptibly. Ever-so slowly, the scene turns away from his expression to show the prophecy that has shaken him so deeply.
The incarnation Kim Dokja will be killed by the one he loves the most.
Suddenly, the scene changed back to the other group, and any melancholy from before was instantly exchanged for anxiety. Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes were shaking in the future, and he looked far more caught off guard than he rightfully should be. Something had to be extremely wrong with what he was seeing for that expression to be on his face.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is urging the scenario to hurry up.]
[the constellations of the korean peninsula are protesting the stalling.]
Yoo Sangah bit her lip, far more nervous than before. "I don't like that expression on Joonghyuk-ssi's face…"
Kim Dokja didn't either. It was out of place and uncomfortable, and it was incredibly difficult for him to face what he was seeing. In Kim Dokja's mind, there was no way that a prophecy about him would be able to shake Yoo Joonghyuk so deeply for any reason—companions or not. He shouldn't mean that much to the protagonist, he just shouldn't.
Yoo Joonghyuk's hands clenched tightly as he glared at the screen, almost compelling it to show them the answer faster, and finally everything rotated ever-so-slowly to show what he was staring at with such an expression.
The prophecy came into full view, and Kim Dokja blinked for a moment in confusion. He would… what?
"Oh god," Lee Seolhwa gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is distraught by this turn of events.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is infuriated by the 'Fate' of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is looking sadly at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
"Well shit," Han Sooyoung muttered, sounding genuinely shocked. "That's so fucking cruel."
It was the Star Stream, what did she expect?
Yoo Sangah looked horrified while Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung nervously tightened their grips on each other's hands for moral support. The kids clung to him, Lee Jihye was halfway to tears, and even Yoo Mia looked upset.
Yoo Joonghyuk, however, was staring directly at Kim Dokja. His eyes shook and he looked as close to nervous as the protagonist of a story like TWSA was capable of getting. When he spoke, his voice came out rougher than Kim Dokja had expected, almost as though he was barely holding back a cascade of suppressed emotion.
"Kim Dokja, you…"
Kim Dokja looked away from his intense stare to look back at the glowing prophecy in the air. He would be killed by the one he loved most, huh?
"This is going to be a problem," Kim Dokja muttered, and he thought he heard Han Sooyoung grumble something like 'no shit' in response.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is wondering if the incarnation 'kim dokja' has a plan.]
Kim Dokja reached up to scratch the back of his head awkwardly. "Well… no."
Yoo Sangah looked over at him half surprised, half nervous. "Dokja-ssi, there has to be something we can do, right?"
Kim Dokja blinked at her. "Not really. I have no idea how this prophecy is even going to get fulfilled in the first place."
"Kim Dokja, explain." Ah, so Yoo Joonghyuk didn't want to waste time on anything other than the point. Typical protagonist behaviour.
All he could do was shrug. "I have no idea who the prophecy is even talking about."
The resulting silence was extremely awkward, and not even the constellations seemed to know what to say. It was understandable, but why was everyone looking at him with confusion and pity?
After a few agonizing seconds, Han Sooyoung's expression twisted into one of disgust. "You have got to be fucking kidding me."