Chapter 542: Epilogue 4 – The Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (7)
The ending to the 1865th regression turn was more perfect than any other world-lines.
A month flew by after the conclusion of the ‘Final Scenario’. The damages suffered from the scenarios were quickly repaired, and through the help of the regressors, various nations regained their law and order quite quickly.
Schools opened their doors again, and workers started going back to their old jobs. The streets were filled to the brim with slogans welcoming the brand new world.
Yi Ji-Hye standing on this alien-feeling street stared at an athletics field across the fence.
“That’s your friend, isn’t she?”
Jeong Hui-Won asked, and Yi Ji-Hye nodded her head.
The latter’s friend was currently running on the track. Her name was Na Bo-Ri. A friend that she had to kill with her own hands, and that very person was alive and well in this world-line. She was alive, she was breathing, and her legs were moving.
“Ji-Hye-yah. You don’t have to go back.”
Yi Ji-Hye’s eyes continued to chase after Bo-Ri’s back. The friend she missed so much. The friend that appeared in the nightmares she always suffered from.
She thought that rescuing Bo-Ri would bring her nightmares to an end.
Unfortunately, memories couldn’t be so easily exorcised like that. No, her nightmare returned with vengeance in a far more vivid form. Within it, she’d live the same scenario many, many times over and murder the dream version of Bo-Ri. Every time that happened, she’d come to realise something – over and over again.
The one she rescued this time wasn’t the dead Bo-Ri.
That the one she saved was simply another Bo-Ri from another world-line, that was all.
“Ji-Hye-yah.”
Yi Ji-Hye stared at the athletics field for a long time before making her reply. “We made a promise with Biyu, after all.”
“...”
“We did promise that we will definitely cross the world-lines again and return home.”
Jeong Hui-Won quietly studied Yi Ji-Hye’s face while the girl said that, then placed her hand on the latter’s shoulder.
“I’m sure it will get lonely once we return. Things that exist here don’t on the other side, after all.”
Yi Ji-Hye smiled. She used the hand that wiped away at her eyes and pointed to her head. “I won’t be lonely. Because they are all in here.”
Her voice trembled as she said that.
Was it fine to say something like that?
If she could really say something like that, then why did they even bother to come to this place, to begin with?
“Let’s go. This eonni will treat you to something tasty today.”
*
“Orabeoni.”
Whenever Yu Mi-Ah used that term, there would be something she wanted to ask him for.
Yu Jung-Hyeok knew that after going through many regressions. She quietly stared her older brother, before opening her mouth.
“Orabeoni, you did your very best. No one can do more or better than what you have already done.”
His eyelids were solemnly lowered. Yu Mi-Ah climbed up on a chair and placed her hand on the crown of his head.
“Let’s stop and go back home.”
*
– The scenario of tragedy they had to live through.
– The world was enveloped in the acrid smoke of the apocalypse’s cannons, and they had lost their precious ones...
The lyrics of a song coming from somewhere caused Han Su-Yeong to frown quite heavily.
“Is this a funeral dirge or something?”
[No, it’s actually a trending song these days. A story that exalts you and your group.]
The cackling Bihyung opened the door to the ark.
The vessel, with its Fable energy fully recharged, greeted them.
One by one, regressors who chose to return home climbed aboard the vessel. Not everyone chose to do so, however – some decided to remain.
Such as, Gong Pil-Du unable to say anything while sweating profusely. Behind him, young children could be seen. Han Su-Yeong knew why he regressed in the first place.
“You should remain here. Someone needs to stay and protect this place, after all,” said Han Su-Yeong.
Gong Pil-Du didn’t reply to her.
“Anyone else wanting to stay behind?” Han Su-Yeong calmly raised her voice. “You should give it some serious thought, okay? If you leave, then your parents, lovers, friends, etc.... You will never get to see them ever again. Will you be fine with that? So, think it over....”
Shin Yu-Seung then grabbed Han Su-Yeong’s hand tightly. “This isn’t our world-line, you know? Dok-Ja ahjussi will probably think that way, too.”
The majority of <Kim Dok-Ja Company>’s Incarnations and Constellations chose to return. In the middle of them all was young Kim Dok-Ja lying on the stretcher, unmoving.
[Oh, my dear Persephone, are you really planning to leave me?]
Han Su-Yeong could only smile wryly after witnessing Hades, unable to mop around any longer, started his desperate song-and-dance to appeal to his dearly beloved. Was Hades’s personality originally like that?
Persephone directed her troubled smile at such Hades. [I’m truly sorry, Hades. But, I’m not the ‘Persephone’ you used to know.]
[You’re undoubtedly Persephone. The queen of the darkest spring and the Underworld.]
Persephone softly shook her head.
[If you insist on doing this, I shall go with you.]
[This is your world-line, dear. And you’re also the king of the Underworld, too. Please, don’t forget your dignity.]
[But my world is you, Persephone!]
Bihyung shook his head helplessly. And then, asked Han Su-Yeong. [I’m sure there’s no point in me asking, but... Hey, are you really leaving? If you stay, you know you will be treated like a king for the rest of your life.]
“I didn’t come to this world-line for that purpose.”
Han Su-Yeong looked at the young Kim Dok-Ja lying on the stretcher.
For the last few months, Han Su-Yeong and her colleagues immersed themselves in scouring the entirety of <Star Stream> to find a way to revive Kim Dok-Ja. However, they couldn’t locate anything like that. The best they could do was to keep his life going like this, not dead but not alive, either.
“Bihyung. As a goodbye present, why don’t you share a bit of the Bureau’s Fable with us?”
[....The Bureau’s Fable?]
“The system in our world-line is destroyed, you see. We don’t know what might happen, so give us a little bit, okay?”
Bihyung pouted with a very unhappy face, but eventually, handed down a portion of the Fable to Han Su-Yeong.
It was then, a man dashed towards them from afar while kicking up a storm of dust clouds. A big man with unkempt bushy beard on his face, as a matter of fact. It was Yi Hyeon-Seong.
“Hurry and start the engines!!” He shouted out.
When they took a closer look, military vehicles could be seen angrily chasing after him.
“....Now that I think about it, he’s still a wanted man, isn’t he?”
Han Su-Yeong wryly chuckled and gave her signal.
That prompted Yu Jung-Hyeok to open his mouth. “We’re departing.”
At last, the ⸢Final Ark⸥ was taking to the skies.
– The heroes of <Kim Dok-Ja Company> are now setting off on their journey!
People were looking up at them. Helicopters from TV stations gathered around and broadcast their departure. Reporters shouted as the cameras zoomed in closer to the companions’ faces.
– Why are you all crying? You have managed to save this world-line!
The view of the ground progressively grew further away. Someone among them muttered out.
“What did we come here for, I wonder.”
Like an episode of a horrible nightmare, the world below was growing distant. It was becoming memories, a past that couldn’t be turned back.
Han Su-Yeong muttered out. “What do you mean, why....”
As the ark accelerated, the surrounding view changed. The galaxies of the world-lines streamed past them quickly. And Kim Dok-Ja, having reincarnated, must’ve been living his life in a distant world-line somewhere.
When Han Su-Yeong thought like that, she felt this really powerful urge. What if she tried to forcibly change the route, even if it was now? What would happen if they embarked on a journey to meet Kim Dok-Ja’s reincarnated form somewhere within those distant stars? If she did, if they could do it, then...
⸢However, was that what Kim Dok-Ja really wanted?⸥
The ark’s window reflected the faces of Yu Jung-Hyeok and Yu Sang-Ah walking up next to her almost at the same time. They too carried the exact same expression as hers, staring at the exact same view as her. The moment she saw their faces, she realised something. She realised that they were thinking the same thing as her. And that was why that plan could never come to reality.
It was then, the ark started thumping and clonking next.
[The vessel has entered a new world-line!]
“Already? Isn’t this way too...?!”
As if it was entering the atmosphere, the ark began to suddenly nosedive.
It felt as if gravity itself had disappeared for a second there, but then, the vessel’s hull slammed into something with a loud explosive noise. The light within the interior went out from a moment before coming back on.
[The vessel has reached the destination.]
Han Su-Yeong held her pulsing head and scanned her companions.
“Dammit, never mind being old, it’s a bloody antique, this thing. Is everyone alright?”
“I’m fine! What about the others...?”
Thankfully, no one was hurt. Han Su-Yeong manipulated the hull and opened up an exit. The door slowly opened, and a flight of stairs extended below it.
She cautiously walked down the steps and the moment her feet touched the ground, someone’s voice resounded out.
“Who are you people?!”
What was going on here? Fully-armed soldiers were pointing their guns at her and the group. Yi Hyeon-Seong jumping up in fright hurriedly hid behind her.
“Su-Yeong-ssi! What’s going on here?! Even here, they can’t be trying to arrest me....?!”
“Of course, that’s not possible. This is our home, after all,” said Han Su-Yeong. She shoved Yi Hyeon-Seong back, and then addressed the soldiers. “Hey, don’t you think your welcoming party to celebrate our return is a bit too rough? Don’t you know who I am?”
The guns hurriedly took aim at her as she strode forward like a neighbourhood thug.
“I’m warning you. You pull the trigger on that thing, then all of you will...”
It was then, Han Su-Yeong’s eyes caught the face of a certain someone. It was a middle-aged woman’s face, setting off this vague deja vu as if she could just about recognise it. The blonde locks were tumbling down to the woman’s shoulders, and her crimson eye was swirling in a red vortex. The owner of that eye addressed her.
“....Han Su-Yeong??”
Han Su-Yeong dazedly stared at the blonde woman. That voice... Some time had passed by, but she could never forget it. The middle-aged woman issued the order to stand down with the flick of her hand.
“Han Su-Yeong... Is it really you?”
When she heard that voice again, Han Su-Yeong felt something welling up inside her.
While slowly descending to the ground, she kept staring back at Anna Croft. She didn’t know where to start asking her questions, so she asked whatever jumped out of her mouth first.
“How many years has it been since we left?”
“...It’s been 20 years.”
Han Su-Yeong’s trembling lips swallowed those years down. She felt dizzy. Who would’ve believed now that the horrifying scenarios had ever taken place in this world?
The city of Seoul was no longer the place she remembered. No, this city was as complete as the one from the 1865th turn, the one she thought was pretty much perfect. The deep greenery of the trees lining the streets, and children dribbling balls around in the distant playground far away.
Twenty years.
So, that’s what it was. In a world where we don’t exist, you have managed to carry on.
And that’s how you got to change the world to this extent.
“Han Su-Yeong?”
The startled Anna Croft quickly offered support as Han Su-Yeong wobbled unsteadily. This was an embrace from a person she didn’t even like, yet Han Su-Yeong clung onto those shoulders and broke down in tears.
At last, they had returned to the 1864th turn.
The world where they completed the scenarios for the first time.
Some managed to return, while some, couldn’t.
Some things had to remain as the past that nothing could change.
She saw the sight of the [Industrial Complex] spreading out in the far distance.
Kim Dok-Ja’s fading bronze statue stood before it. Next to his figure assuming a slightly awkward pose was a massive statue of a squid.
⸢To commemorate Kim Dok-Ja’s return⸥
While looking at that bizarre monstrosity of a squid, Han Su-Yeong alternated between breathless sobbing and hysterical laughter. She didn’t want to admit it. If she insisted on it, then she felt that something somewhere might change, somehow. But right now, right in this moment, she simply had to admit to it.
Their plan was a failure.
And this place, it was the conclusion to the world they had found.
*
Two years went by since the companions’ return.
Two years were a longer stretch of time than one might imagine, and perhaps fittingly, several incidents happened during then.
Such as, Yi Hyeon-Seong and Jeong Hui-Won leaving the Complex. Or, Shin Yu-Seung and Yi Gil-Yeong entering high school. Yi Ji-Hye getting slapped with an ‘F’ during the first midterms. Etc, etc....
When all these many, many incidents were to be summarised, it’d be like the following:
<Kim Dok-Ja Company> had been disbanded.
<Epilogue 4. The Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (7)> Fin.