We’ve finally arrived at the end 😭 Thank you so much for being here with me until the very end 💗💗 Whether you’ve been quietly reading, leaving kind comments, or patiently waiting through delays, I’m so deeply grateful for your presence on this journey. Translating this story and having the chance to acquaint myself with it so intimately has been such a wonderful experience, and your support made every moment worth it. Thanks, guys, please enjoy the final chapter! 💖
DTD 22
by vnesserThe desperate struggle to stay awake didn’t last long.
“Hyung…”
Heavy eyelids finally closed over a black universe. And so, the nest where the pure white bird circled finally regained its peace. What kind of happy dream could he be dreaming? I couldn’t even imagine it, but seeing the phantom’s face resting peacefully after so long calmed the restless ache in my heart.
“Goodbye, my final hope.”
At that moment, the door to the depths opened. There was no need to turn around to check. After everyone had fallen into a deep sleep, the only person who would come here at this precise time was the person a part of my plan.
“Welcome. Matteo.”
I greeted him calmly. Matteo swallowed dryly. Maybe because dozens of people were lying collapsed on the floor, his eyes went wide in clear surprise. However, it only lasted for a moment. Matteo adjusted his glasses and crossed the fallen bodies to approach me.
“So… it’s done now?”
“Yes. From here on out, please do as we discussed before.”
I handed Matteo a page from the <Codex Gigas>. From now on, Michael would follow his orders, not mine. Until Matteo wished it, Michael’s song would never cease. And if by chance someone woke sooner than expected, Matteo would make sure they couldn’t approach the rift.
With that, I could leave with peace of mind.
“Then, take care.”
Just as Matteo was about to step toward the fissure, he called me back.
“Hyung.”
When I turned, he was standing frozen, fists clenched tightly. His slightly furrowed face seemed to carry some guilt. When his gaze behind the glasses landed on the fallen Sang Heo, his lips trembled.
“Is this… really the right choice?”
I couldn’t answer because I didn’t know.
Is there really such a thing as right or wrong in every choice in life? I used to resent Sang’s parents who abandoned their son and left the world, burdened by their mounting debts. That was why I gave my heart to him. However, my own moral compass shattered when I realized that my own silent departure to save him from the curse had given him wounds worse than those from his parents.
“Well…”
Had I made the right choice? I’d asked myself that question for an entire lifetime. Even now, at the end, I didn’t have an answer. I tried appealing to those who might know the answer, but it seems that my voice has not reached the heavens.
So, what else could I do? Even if I would regret it later, I had no choice but to choose the best option for now.
“I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”
“Hyung, I…”
“Matteo, it’s not your fault. It’s my fault for taking advantage of your fragile heart. So, please don’t feel guilty. If anyone asks you to take responsibility for what happened today… just tell them I threatened you and you had no choice.”
Tears welled up in his shaken eyes.
“That’s not it… I just… want you to live, hyung.”
I wanted to see him smile, at least at the end.
“Thank you for saying that.”
There was so much more I wanted to say and do, but time was no longer on my side. I was about to quietly bow my head and turn around to leave when Matteo reached out to me. However, I stepped into the fissure before he could touch me. The black mist swallowed his lingering expression of regret, and he slowly disappeared.
****
How much time had passed? The smell of wet earth brushed past my nose. Opening my eyes, I saw an old thatched house collapsing in the pouring rain. I had safely arrived at the place where the tragedy happened. After grasping the situation, I pressed the button on my watch.
72:00:00. The countdown, perhaps the last one, had begun.
“So the path is… this way?”
Following old memories, I headed toward the village. I worried the village would be full of zombified villagers as before, but strangely, everything was quiet. Was this a gesture of respect to its former master? Or just a simple change of heart?
Whatever the reason, I passed through the village with ease and climbed the mountain. <Contradiction> was quite heavy as I carried it on my back, and I wasn’t sure anymore whether I was on <Bloodletting Sword>’s burial site or the infamous Golgotha Hill. When I finally reached the middle of the mountain, a boundary blocked my path.
A line of stakes driven into the ground, with a sacred rope woven between them. Pieces of white paper soaked with rain hung limp, resembling ghostly garments. At first, I felt uneasy and didn’t want to approach, but then I realized. Someone was waiting for me beyond that boundary.
“I never thought I’d come here again.”
Carefully stepping over the rope, the pouring rain suddenly turned to snow. But this time, the chilling cold that pierced to the bone wasn’t there. No stench of rot filled the air. The wind blowing from afar felt warm, as if welcoming me.
I tilted my head in confusion at the starkly different surroundings.
“Could it be because of me…?”
When I reached the summit, there was a lone old tree standing in a field covered in pure white snow. But this scenery was also very different from what I remembered. The white cloth tied to the branches was once stained with blood and soaked so heavily it formed puddles beneath it. It’d made the white snow look like a sunset-stained sky of red.
However, everything was pure white now. Just like the day we parted.
“You’ve got a surprisingly soft side, huh?”
I placed <Contradiction> on the ground and reached for the fluttering white cloth. At that moment, the soft crunch of footsteps on snow came from behind me. Turning around, I saw a single figure standing alone in the world of white. It was a man in black and red, whom some called a ghost.
“You scared me, I didn’t think you were here.”
A chilly breeze blew, causing his crimson robes and long black hair to flutter. He stood some distance away and was even wearing his mask for once. It reminded me of the first time we met. But unlike back then, there was no hostility or even suspicion now.
“Why are you just standing there like that?”
I stepped closer, but he quietly took a step back.
Had he forgotten me? No, that wasn’t it. It didn’t seem like he was trying to run away. Then maybe…
“Are you afraid I’ll cough up blood again if you get too close?”
Did I hit a nerve? His fingertips twitched. Even now, he still worried that touching something ‘evil’ in my fragile condition might harm me. Ah, was that why the zombies who used to attack newly arrived strangers had disappeared, and the biting cold vanished?
I swallowed a laugh at his uncharacteristic consideration.
“I’m alright, so don’t run away.”
I threatened him firmly and stepped toward Mujeong again. The closer I got, the more the cold emanating from him seeped under my clothes. My body was clearly weaker. Just standing next to him now made my body tremble.
But still, I smiled playfully so he wouldn’t notice.
“Why are you wearing your mask?”
“……”
“You used to wield that face like a weapon, but now you don’t like it?”
I took a step forward and reached out to the mask. Fortunately, Mujeong didn’t pull away. Contrary to my worries, I was able to touch him properly. I gently removed the Bansangsi mask, and the familiar face I missed appeared. I suddenly thought of the person I left behind in reality and couldn’t bring myself to say another word.
However, Mujeong was quick to grab my hand and pull it down.
“You look terrible.”
“Yeah, I guess I’ve been abusing my body too much.”
“Master.”
“No, you shouldn’t call me that anymore.”
Correcting the address, Mujeong frowned in displeasure.
“Then…‘your highness’?”
“Pfft! That’s kind of funny.”
I burst into hearty laughter, and a faint smile spread across his previously gloomy face.
Thank goodness he hadn’t forgotten me. If he’s like this, he might just grant me one last unreasonable favor.
“I know I’m no longer your master, so this isn’t right. But I have one last request.”
Gripping his hand tightly, I spoke.
“Lend me your sword.”
But Mujeong pulled his hand away.
Ah. This isn’t good. Flustered, I called out to him.
“Jeong-ah!”
I reached for him, but Mujeong took three steps back.
The world suddenly darkened as Mujeong stared blankly at me. Then he suddenly smirked.
“What on Earth were you thinking?”
A sword materialized in his empty hand, and he knelt quietly. His red robes fluttered, covering the white snow beneath him. Then he lifted the sword above his head with both hands as if presenting a precious relic.
“As you wish.”
His red eyes looking up at me were filled with trust so strong it made me feel sorry for ever doubting him.
“…Thank you.”
My eyes stung, so I frowned and smiled bitterly. Habitually, I gripped the sword with one hand. It was so heavy my body swayed.
“Master!”
Mujeong hurriedly stood and supported me.
“Are you alright?”
“Uh, yeah. Was it always this heavy?”
“Yes. You have never wielded the true sword, so you could not have known, Master.”
“Ah…”
I’d always used a sword made of blood, and my body hadn’t been this before. Standing awkwardly with the sword’s tip on the ground, Mujeong frowned.
“Do you require my assistance?”
“No, this is something I must do myself.”
Destroying <Contradiction> cannot be done by anyone else. I have to do it. Even if I look ridiculous. Fortunately, holding the sword with both hands, I avoided falling forward. Straightening the sword, I took my stance and glanced back at Mujeong.
“Are you sure you’re okay? If I break this, this place won’t be safe either.”
Before I could finish, Mujeong smirked.
“You underestimate me, Master.”
“Ha ha, yeah. I shouldn’t have asked that question to such a famous and feared sword.”
“Do not worry about anything else, please proceed.”
Steeling myself again, I stopped in front of the shield that made up half of <Contradiction>.
Ah, how I’d waited for this moment. The day I could destroy the evil that’d cursed my mother and devoured my aunt had finally come. Much like in Contradiction’s rift, even though Sang and I couldn’t both survive, this was the last time the contradiction of loving and dying would be repeated.
“Let’s finish this.”
Even if my soul remains trapped, wandering in the rift forever, I will finally break you.
“This damn, relentless fate.”
I drove the sword into <Contradiction>, which shone with a beauty so dazzling it was almost offensive.
Crash—!
The moment the tip of the sword struck the shield, heaven and earth shook. Lightning split the darkened sky, and the ground trembled as if from an earthquake. Was this the explosion Taeyoung spoke of? It felt like standing in front of a dam breaking open, and watching a raging flood rushing toward me.
“Ugh…”
My brain screamed for me to let go of the sword, warning me that my body wouldn’t be able to endure. But the more it warned, the harder I pressed down on <Contradiction>. No matter how solid the shield, once a crack forms, it is only a matter of time before it shatters.
Then—
Clang—!
A sharp sound like metal breaking rang out.
“Did it… work?”
A clear fracture finally appeared in the brilliant silver. But there was no time to rejoice. From the crack, a violent gust of wind and a burst of intense light erupted. Was the first explosion only a warning? An uncontrollable force tore my body apart. My skin burned as if I had leapt into flames, and my bones felt crushed under a heavy mass of iron.
“Lay down the sword. You will not last much longer!”
A frantic voice called out beyond the wind that whipped past my ears. But I didn’t let go. I gripped it even harder. Even if it left me in ruins, I had to see the destruction of <Contradiction> with my own eyes.
With the last of my strength, I drove the sword down. Crack! Like ice breaking, the blade completely pierced the shield. “Yes!” I shouted without thinking. It was over. All that was left was for the fragments to melt and disappear.
But then…
“…Huh?”
The ground around the shattered <Contradiction> suddenly began collapsing. Like a black hole, everything nearby was being sucked into a single point. I realized too late that it resembled the time <Bloodletting Sword> went berserk and tore open a rift.
The ground beneath my feet crumbled all at once.
“Master!”
A flash of red cloth fluttered before my eyes. Mujeong reached out, trying to catch me, but his hand missed, grasping only air. I closed my eyes as I fell into the endless pit.
I thought it was the end.
But soon, voices murmuring and whispering around me reached my ears.
“How disgraceful…!”
“Tsk, what scum.”
I snapped my eyes open to find myself in an unfamiliar place, or rather, somewhere strangely familiar. A grand palace with red walls and golden roofs, resplendent in its opulence. People dressed in blue robes with strange hats. And surrounding me were soldiers.
Yes. This was the <Contradiction> I passed through when we were in hell. But how did I end up here again? Could it be that the shock of destroying the spirit item opened a rift within another rift?
While I was still reeling in confusion, I suddenly sensed a presence behind me. Clenching my fist, I spun around, and my mind went completely blank when I saw who it was.
“You’re…”
I could recognize her from behind alone. A woman in a silk robe of blue, holding a massive spear with red tassels. There was only one person who it could be. Yuran Choi.
Just as I was about to call out to her, she suddenly staggered and collapsed. I reached out with both hands and caught her just before she hit the ground.
“Are you all right?”
Instead of answering, Yuran let out a ragged breath. Only then did I see how badly she was wounded. Her once-beautiful silk robes were now soaked with blood, and her entire body had been slashed and pierced by blades and spears. There wasn’t a single unscathed part of her.
The worst of it was at her waist, where there was a deep gash so severe the muscle was visible, and blood pouring out in streams. I hurriedly pressed my hands against the wound, but it was no use. Blood kept seeping through my fingers, unending.
“Someone, please, bring a doctor! Please… save her…!”
I looked around in desperation, but all I saw were eyes filled with contempt, glaring at us. Why? What had she done so wrong? She could still be saved if she were treated now. Why was there not a single hand reaching out in sympathy?
On the contrary, the crowd’s condemnation only grew louder.
“Execute the criminal at once!”
“She dared to insult His Majesty; may divine punishment strike her down!”
Their furious cries rose like a tidal wave, all directed toward one place, high atop the staircase, where the emperor was hidden behind a bamboo screen. I’d never seen his face. I only knew he was a construct created by the spirit beast. But even so, the moment I saw his silhouette, a fury I could not suppress surged within me.
“Divine punishment…?”
I ground my teeth and muttered under my breath:
“You’re the one who deserves to be punished.”
A nearby soldier heard me. His eyes widened as he raised his sword and pointed it at me.
“How dare you! Show proper respect to His Majesty!”
His open hostility pierced me like thorns. But even as the pressure mounted, I held my head high. Eventually, the soldier raised his sword overhead, prepared to strike. Just before the cold blade could fall…
Boom—!
A thunderous sound echoed from somewhere.
“W-what was that?!”
The ground began to tremble. But it wasn’t just an earthquake. Thick storm clouds had gathered beyond the palace roof, quickly engulfing the sky. Lightning flashed and struck different parts of the palace. Finally, a sharp bolt struck the emperor’s hall directly, and a chilling silence fell over everything.
Someone shouted toward the burning palace.
“The heavens are enraged!”
Fear spread like an epidemic. Soldiers and officials, one after another, abandoned the emperor and fled. Even though there was a pond beside the palace, no one even tried to put out the fire. It didn’t take long for the palace to burn to ashes, becoming the tomb of an emperor who dared to claim power above the heavens.
It was a truly strange occurrence. Inside the rift, everything had always played out like a staged performance, endlessly repeating itself. And yet, now the imperial palace was crumbling. I was confused at first, but then I understood. This wasn’t divine retribution. Nor a natural disaster. Not even an error caused by the rift. <Contradiction>’s core had been destroyed, and now, the world built upon it was collapsing as well.
Which meant…
“Run!”
But there was nowhere to run.
The idea that I had to disappear along with <Contradiction> didn’t sit well with me, but if I could witness the end with my own eyes, maybe that was enough. What a fitting end it was. The once-revered emperor, abandoned by every single one of his retainers, just like <Contradiction>. It was a world built on contradiction.
As I let out a hollow laugh, a small voice barely above a whisper reached my ears.
“No way… was it you?”
Yuran had awakened at some point and was now staring dazedly at the burning imperial palace. Her question was full of weight, though its meaning was clear. I nodded silently. She leaned her head back and let out a hearty laugh.
“Ha! That’s a relief.”
Seeing her smile for the first time in so long made me happy, until reality crashed back in. At this rate, she too would disappear along with <Contradiction>. One could call it liberation, but it was simply death.
I let out a sigh, my heart growing heavy, when she patted my shoulder and spoke.
“It’s time for you to go now.”
“…Go? Go where?”
“Back to where you came from.”
Her eyes sparkled with certainty, and I furrowed my brows without thinking.
“There’s no way out of here.”
“If there’s an entrance, there must be an exit.”
“But—”
“How did you get in?”
Her tone was so firm that I had no choice but to answer honestly.
“When I broke <Contradiction>’s shield, a rift opened.”
“The shield, huh…”
What was she thinking? Her eyes shifted rapidly as if weighing possibilities. Then she suddenly grabbed her spear and stood up. I hurried to help her, but she took a step back, refusing my hand.
“…Auntie?”
Then, she pointed <Contradiction>’s spear directly at me. I flinched and stopped. When she spoke, her voice was heavy.
“Do you remember what I said? That sometimes, to gain one thing, you have to give up a hundred things.”
Why bring that up now? A sinking feeling crept over me. I swallowed dryly and nodded, and she smiled.
“Don’t give up on living. As long as there’s a way, you have to keep fighting, you have to keep moving forward.”
A way to live, she said. I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. I’d already done everything I could, every ridiculous, desperate act just to stay alive, and this was the result. But, at the very least, I had destroyed <Contradiction> as I’d wanted. That should be enough.
“I’m not that strong.”
I shook my head, self-mocking. Yuran raised an eyebrow as if surprised.
“Really? Yooyeon was the strongest hunter I knew.”
“Wait, what do you…”
I started to ask what she meant, but my voice faltered the moment I met her eyes. They were so calm, as if she already knew everything. My heart sank. I didn’t even know where to begin. I parted my lips, struggling to speak.
“You… knew?”
“Every time I saw you, I kept thinking of her.”
“We don’t look that alike…”
“You do. Your eyes, your smile.”
She motioned toward the burning palace with her chin.
“Even this kind of crazy stunt, just like her.”
“Haha!”
She laughed boldly again, but then suddenly clutched her side and staggered. The wound must’ve reopened.
“Auntie!”
I rushed toward her, but she raised her spear to block me again. And then I saw it, hairline cracks forming along the blade.
“…Wait, don’t tell me…”
A knowing smile touched her bloodied lips. Then, with a loud battle cry, she plunged the spear into the ground, through the king’s road, where only the emperor was allowed to tread.
The spear shattered completely.
Boom—!
A massive explosion ripped through the palace, and she was thrown backward.
I reached for her in desperation, but the ground beneath my feet gave way, and I couldn’t move forward. Powerless, I fell once again into a bottomless pit, my eyes fixed upward this time.
“I’m glad I got to meet you.”
Her smiling face was the last thing I saw before it was swallowed by black mist.
****
It hurt. It hurt so much it felt like I was dying, yet the spark of life refuses to go out.
I forced my eyelids open and found my face buried in the cold snow. I tried to get up somehow, but even the slightest movement sent my muscles screaming. The fact that I was somehow still alive in this wretched condition was, in a way, the blessing of <Contradiction>. Damn it.
With no choice, I turned my head to look around.
“It’s all white…”
Maybe this was the aftermath of <Contradiction>‘s explosion. The sacred tree that once stood on the hill was gone without a trace, leaving only an endless snowy field. Still, at least I came back. If I had to die in the same rupture anyway, I’d rather it be in <Bloodletting Sword>’s rift than <Contradiction>’s.
“Jeong-ah.”
I called his name in a voice thick with fatigue, but no answer came. Please… don’t tell me something happened to Mujeong. Even if I was worried, there was no way to know. I had no strength to even try and find out. My right leg was completely shattered, and I had no feeling left in the hand that once held my sword. Just like the day I ran from Sang and got caught in that accident.
…Yeah. Maybe I should just sleep. It was all over anyway.
‘Yooyeon was the strongest hunter I knew.’
My aunt overestimated me. I’m nothing like my mom. I’m cowardly, selfish, weak. I don’t even have the strength to keep fighting to stay alive anymore. So, of course, I’d throw away the opportunity she risked everything to give me.
“I’m sorry… Auntie.”
As I started to close my eyes, resolving myself to my fate, I saw something glinting in the snow. I tried to ignore it, but it kept pricking at my vision. In the end, I dragged my one good arm forward to check the thing disturbing my rest.
It was a silver shard, entwined with crimson tassels.
“This is…”
Even in my hazy state, I knew it instantly. It was a remnant of <Contradiction>. There were no other traces; everything else must’ve been absorbed. With a flicker of hope, I twisted my wrist to check the time.
[00:24:12]
A dry laugh escaped me. Not enough time left to hope for a miracle.
Ah… who cares anymore. I no longer even wish for some miracle where <Contradiction> disappears before the curse swallows me. I just wished this wretched thing would vanish from the world forever. I clutched the palm-sized shard tightly and buried my face in the snow again.
I just wanted to sleep. After everything, after trying so hard, shouldn’t I at least be allowed a peaceful end?
However, every time I tried to drift off, I kept hearing something. A voice calling me. Forcing open my heavy eyelids, I heard the faint sound growing clearer.
“…What is that?”
A woman’s voice, humming a song without lyrics.
At first, I thought it might be Michael. But then I saw what was an unmistakably human silhouette. A woman in a white dress with a flower crown stood in front of me. The light was too bright to see her face, but something about her felt… familiar. Maybe it was just my imagination, or maybe…
“…Mom?”
I called out, summoning courage, but the woman didn’t respond. She just stared at me for a while, then turned and began to walk away. It was probably just a hallucination. I knew that, but even so, the slim chance she might be real pulled me to my feet.
If that really was Mom… I couldn’t let her disappear again, not without trying.
“Ugh…”
I forced my broken body up and dragged myself after her, my mangled leg trailing behind. I kept pushing myself forward, one foot in front of the other, again and again, but my pace was painfully slow.
But the woman never waited. That only made me even more certain; it had to be Mom.
That resolute back was just like hers when she left me behind on my seventh birthday.
“Wait…”
If you really are Mom… just once, show me your face, please.
I used the last of my strength to reach out to her, but I couldn’t even grab a strand of her hair. I lost balance and fell forward.
Thud—!
My burned, mangled face hit what I thought was snow. But the taste in my cracked lips told me otherwise.
“…Huh?”
Before my eyes, the snow became the sea. And far off, a tall spire came into view. Yes. That’s Jeongdong Cathedral, the place I longed for. For a moment, I thought I’d returned to reality. But when I saw a young priest walking with children in the distance, I knew.
This must be a dream. Or a hallucination.
[00:10:14]
Only 10 minutes left. Was I going crazy at the brink of death? Or had I already passed beyond it and entered heaven? It didn’t matter. If this place reflected the past, then he existed somewhere in this world. That alone gave me resolve. I moved toward the orphanage as if possessed.
Opening the classroom door, I saw him there sitting by the window, just like always.
“…Hey.”
I spoke softly, and he looked up at me.
“Do you know who I am?”
His gaze, cold as frost, struck my heart.
Maybe… maybe it was then. The moment I was trapped in those black, glassy eyes, any vow I could have made not to love was already broken. I realized that only now, at the very end. A dry laugh slipped from my cracked lips.
“What are you doing here? Everyone’s outside playing.”
Just like the first time we met, he didn’t reply. He just stared at the seat across from him. Was he asking me to sit? I quietly took the seat. A chessboard appeared on the empty desk as if by magic. Soon, the white pieces lined up before me.
“You want me to go first?”
“…”
“What if I win again?”
I joked, but he remained dull and unresponsive.
With my burnt fingers barely moving, I pushed the pawn to E4. He immediately retaliated with a move to E5. I moved my knight to F3, and he followed with his knight to C6. The familiar sequence made me smile.
“Remember this? This was the first thing I taught you.”
“……..”
“Actually, it’s how I figured out you were Simeon…”
The words I’d kept locked away spilled out. But he only kept playing chess. I didn’t know what kind of dream this was, but it felt… good. Like a gift from God, recreating my happiest moment just before death.
“Sang-ah.”
Yes. If that’s what this is…
“…I’m sorry for lying.”
I wanted to confess everything.
“I’m sorry for trampling on your feelings and your efforts.”
I knew it was meaningless now. Confession doesn’t erase sin; I didn’t even believe it would. This was only for my own peace. It’s okay if you curse me for being selfish to the end.
“But I wanted you to live.”
My voice grew faint, eyes closing. I could feel it; my time was nearly up. But the silver shard in my pocket still remained.
Only 5 minutes left. I just wanted to see <Contradiction> disappear before I died, but nothing ever went my way. Even my hands no longer obeyed me.
“I’m sorry…”
I wanted to give you a proper game for our last match. I loved the way your eyes lit up when I made unexpected moves. I should’ve played more with you. I should’ve spent more time with you.
“Sigh…”
I dropped my head and let out a bitter laugh.
There was no use clinging to regret now. The game’s over. This long, cruel game had no winners, only losers. <Contradiction> killed me, but it was also obliterated. I destroyed <Contradiction>, but I still bowed to fate in the end. And Sang Heo…
“Hyung.”
He called me, but I couldn’t answer. I didn’t even have the strength to lift my head. My blurry eyes watched the seconds tick down… 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute. My body leaned forward like a stalk of ripened grain. I didn’t want to see the end, so I closed my eyes.
Then…
Tap, tap—!
I heard tapping on the chessboard, urging me to make a move.
“…Sorry.”
Sorry, Sang-ah. My hands won’t move anymore.
I mouthed the words, then…
Thud—!
My head hit the desk. At the same time, the white king toppled to the floor. I wonder who won the final game. Was it you, catching up to me faster than I expected? Or me, like always?
I didn’t know. My heavy eyes started closing as I held onto the game you loved so much.
“Checkmate.”
A faint voice echoed beyond my fading consciousness.
How strange. The boy in front of me was still young, yet the voice I heard was yours, as a fully grown adult… it was the cruelest hallucination.
Cherry blossom petals that scattered like snow. The scorching sun, so hot it seemed to fade from view. Rain that lashed windows, leaves that piled thick underfoot, and their crisp rustling when someone passed through, puffing breaths of white. The cold, grave-like scent that evoked nostalgia, clouds bursting overhead like an explosion, and stars embroidered across the night sky, with possibly even a satellite in their midst.
I loved all of it—especially you, who stood at the center of every moment. But I believed my feelings were forbidden, so I repressed them in my thoughts. I thought if I didn’t think about them and didn’t speak about them, they couldn’t grow any deeper. By the time I realized how reckless that was, it was already too late, and my overconfidence came with a harsh price.
Like a ship sinking with a gaping hole, I was slowly drowning, and I was too weak to push you, the sea, away. Still, you refused to give up, even as I sailed toward the shore. Away from the sea, to a place where waves couldn’t reach me. I knew I’d miss the sea, but the sea would soon forget me and welcome another ship.
But you surged in. You came without surrendering, like waves crashing against a cliff, even if the cliff would break the waves. Before I knew it, the only solid ground under my feet disappeared. I was left alone on a deserted island with no place to go.
I should’ve run even then. The gentle lapping of the sea at my ankles, how I relished it, let it mislead me into thinking that repetition was safety. How could I ignore it? I was born to go to sea…
But soon, the water passed my broken legs and shattered waist, reaching up to my neck.
Every direction I turned was the sea, and if I were to drift, the embrace of the ocean awaited. But with my hole-ridden hull, I could no longer stay afloat. If I continued like that, I would surely become debris that polluted the ocean. So, I destroyed myself so irreparably that I could never return to the sea, so that even the sea itself would have to abandon me. And I could simply ignore the relentless questioning from the waves that constantly surged past me.
You should have hated me. You should have abandoned me, the ship that chose water, but not the sea.
You didn’t have to pick up the pieces of my shattered body.
You didn’t need to come ashore yourself.
You could have taken the easy way out.
****
“……”
A brilliant light pierced my eyes. I blinked once, twice, and the fog of tears gave way to a clear, white ceiling. I stared absently at its flawless whiteness before a question hit me. Doesn’t this look oddly familiar for hell?
I took a deep breath. The condensation on my oxygen mask faded like a rainy window. Then, a faint floral scent brushed my nose. Flowers? In this sterile place? Frowning, I turned and saw a cherry blossom tree branch resting beside my bed.
That was strange. Cherry blossoms shouldn’t bloom in January. So, was I in heaven? On what grounds had I stepped into a paradise meant for the innocent? Well, none of that mattered anymore. Just as I pulled down my oxygen mask to inhale the vivid blossom scent…
“…Huh?”
Clink―!
A small crash made me whirl around. The figure who’d just exited the bathroom was Raphael. He froze, eyes wide, hand trembling as he clamped over his open mouth.
“No way…”
A water bowl lay on the floor, having spun once around before stopping at Raphael’s feet. The bowl and his pant leg were soaked, yet he didn’t seem to care at all as he rushed out of the room. He was so quick I couldn’t even stop him.
Immediately after that, someone else burst into my room.
“…Hyung.”
The hollow, pale face looked drained. He seemed even thinner and more worn than the last time I saw him. I wanted to ask if he was okay, but no words came. He approached the bed slowly.
“Hyung… It’s really you, right?”
His colorless lips trembled. In his hand, the cherry branch trembled too. It was you who’d brought a season to my bedside. I offered a faint smile, then he rushed forward and hugged me tightly.
“You… do you know who I am?”
“How could I forget?”
I closed my eyes gently in his warm embrace.
“You appeared in my dream.”
“…..Your dream?”
“You were at the cathedral. You were still a kid.”
I didn’t know if it was a dream or a hallucination at death’s door, but…
“We played chess together one last time.”
We didn’t know who’d won. But as my consciousness faded, I remembered the white king falling, and I clearly heard him say, ‘checkmate.’
It was then that I realized that he’d tapped the board twice right before declaring checkmate.. That was his habit when he sensed victory.
…Hang on. Is it possible that wasn’t a dream? If I really met him in the rift, then the scene I saw… is that what he sees whenever he uses his power? If he took my life before <Contradiction> had, then this dreamlike reality would all make sense.
“Did you… beat me?”
I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away, and his bloodshot eyes, struggling to control the overflowing emotions, met my own.
“I told you. I said it’ll all be over soon.”
I touched my neck in disbelief. Feeling the smooth skin there sent a shiver down my spine. <Crown of Atonement>, always sharp, always stabbing into me, was now nowhere to be found. The artifact that had clung to me, even when pierced with <Mistilteinn>, was now gone.
“I died… and came back?”
I stroked my bare throat and muttered to myself, struggling to even process it. If I truly shattered fate and survived, didn’t I owe an immeasurable debt to Sang?
It was so unbelievable that I couldn’t even wrap my head around it. If I truly survived by breaking my predetermined fate, then I owed an insurmountable debt to Sang.
I tightly grasped his hand that still held the cherry blossom branch.
“Sang-ah, thank y—”
“Why didn’t you believe me?”
“…Huh?”
“Did you really think I could live without you?”
I bit my lip, speechless, as despair washed across his face.
“If you’re not here, I…!”
He clenched his fists, the branch snapping in half in his grip. I wanted him to unleash all his feelings—anger, sorrow, all of it. But still, he held back. He wearily rubbed his face and stood up.
“Where are you going?”
“…I just need to step out and clear my head.”
“Sang-ah!”
He left the room without another word. I tried to stand, but my body refused. I wobbled, and Raphael quickly moved to support me. Back in bed, he handed me a glass of water, which I politely accepted and drank.
“You’ve been in a coma for three months, don’t push yourself too hard.”
Judging by his composure, it seems like Raphael already understood the situation. He remained silent, quietly observing my condition, checking if anything hurt, and if my legs were moving properly. He must have cared deeply. Knowing his feelings, I brought up the elephant in the room first.
“Don’t you want to ask me anything?”
Raphael gently touched my once-shattered arm and replied softly.
“You promised to tell us everything when you returned.”
He blinked slowly, then offered a wry smile.
“I guess you never intended to come back.”
My heart ached, and I slipped into my old habit of excuses.
“I’m sorry, Raphael. I just wanted you to always smile…”
“How?”
Raphael cut me off firmly, staring straight into my eyes.
“How can someone only smile every day? You have to allow yourself to cry and be angry, that’s the only way you’ll be able to smile again.”
“Raphael—”
“Why do you try to carry everything alone? I really didn’t know anything when I saw you heading into the rift…”
Raphael frowned and lowered his head, as if holding back tears. Judging by the bowl of water and towel lying behind him, he must have been coming here to care for me every day. Feeling remorseful, I stroked his haggard cheek, and Raphael burst into tears, like a child.
After holding him until he calmed, I finally asked what had happened.
“When did you wake up?”
“The day after you left. The guild master woke up before me.”
“How…?”
Raphael wiped his eyes roughly and spoke.
“The guild master said he knew you would leave us.”
“What…?”
Sang knew everything from the start. The questions I asked Taeyoung, what decisions I’d make, who’d clean up afterward. He knew, yet he didn’t stop me from entering the rift.
***
Why? That question followed me to the cliff that night. April had arrived, and the sea breeze was chilly. Still, I had no choice but to go. He was standing there alone, as if waiting for me.
“Good evening.”
When I greeted him softly, Sang glanced back at me with furrowed brows.
“Why are you out here at this hour?”
“Sorry. But I saw you through the window.”
“If you catch a cold like this…”
“Sorry…”
Sorry again, then a bitter smile escaped me.
“You seem to keep finding reasons to say sorry to me.”
I stood there in shame. He stepped forward and wrapped his coat around my shoulders tenderly. Then we stood side by side on the cliff, gazing at the sea. The dark, vast ocean, like the night sky, rippled quietly as always.
Seeing the unchanging sea, just as I had wished before dying, I finally found the resolve to speak.
“You said you knew everything.”
Tension rose, and I clenched and then unclenched my fists.
“Then why did you let me go?”
The side of his face, lit by the moonlight, looked even more lonely.
“…In the end, I wanted to trust you. Trust that you wouldn’t abandon me again.”
As always, he believed in me, and I betrayed his trust. Isn’t that a tale as familiar as the origin of < Contradiction>? His eyes, filled with resignation as if he no longer blamed me, pricked at me like a thorn caught in my throat.
“I’ve… let you down again.”
Just as the words of apology formed at the tip of my lips, Sang cut in firmly.
“Don’t apologize. I’m no different.”
“What do you mean?”
“If I’d completely trusted you, I wouldn’t have warned Matteo beforehand.”
“…Is that so?”
Rather than trusting me, he knew what kind of person I was — so he made preparations with Mateo. He asked Mikael to wake him up as soon as everyone fell asleep. I always thought he had keen insight ever since we reunited, but this was beyond expectations.
As I admired him in my own way, Sang frowned as if something displeased him.
“But not being able to enter the rift right away wasn’t part of the plan.”
“You couldn’t enter? Why not?”
“It seemed like Mujeong blocked me from entering until you finished your task.”
So that’s why he could only enter after <Contradiction> was destroyed.
“So, in the end, it was because you didn’t trust me that you were able to save me.”
The more I thought about it, the more absurd the coincidence was. I burst out laughing, and his furrowed brow deepened.
“Are you… disappointed?”
“No. I think I taught you well.”
I shrugged lightly and smiled.
“When you make a brilliant move, your opponent must never see it coming. That’s how you win.”
When we were younger, he once asked how I always won at chess. I’d told him, ‘If you understand your opponent, you’ll definitely win.’ Just like that advice, no matter how many trials came, he never wavered. In the end, he defeated everyone. Me, <Contradiction>, even the cruelty of fate itself.
“So.”
I leaned my head playfully on his shoulder and looked up at him.
“Did your resentment toward me become your strength?”
“…I’ve never resented you.”
His gaze, like one watching a beautiful flower wither, gently touched me.
“I just wanted to see it again. The way you used to look at me.”
Eyes darker than the night sky examine every nook and cranny of me. They scan me delicately, as if memorizing a fleeting sunset. He looked at me with eyes I thought I’d never face again. I felt the truth of my return only then.
“I’m sorry. Also, thank you. For loving someone like me. For not giving up on me…”
I held onto words I hadn’t dared to say for years, and thoughts I’d let slip away with the wind. But I could finally say them now. It felt silly, saying them for the first time at this age, but it had to be now.
I cupped his cheeks in both hands and let out a deep sigh. Sang furrowed his brow slightly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Wait a second. I’m working up the courage.”
Pathetically, my insides churned and my heart raced as if it would explode. My lips, accustomed to lies and excuses, trembled as if allergic to sincerity. But I had to do it. Rising onto my toes, I gently kissed his lips and whispered.
“I like you, Sang-ah. I’ve always liked you, and I always will.”
His black eyes, so close to mine, shook rapidly.
“They say only fools believe in forever… so I guess I’ll just be a fool.”
My chest tingled, and I burst into a bright smile.
“So, please love this foolish me, too.”
****
I realized something a little later. The name of my ability—the one that let me see hidden awakening conditions—had changed. From Pioneer of the Unknown to Pioneer of Fate. It was probably because I fulfilled the bizarre condition of ‘being killed.’
So maybe that’s why I’m still alive? I don’t know. Whatever the reason, I’m just grateful. Even simple things like feeling the sunlight in the morning or saying “Good morning” felt special to me. The fact that I can greet spring with Sang again made my heart swell.
What should I do tomorrow? What about the day after? The anticipation of an undefined future drives me forward.
“What will you do once you’re fully recovered?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure. What about you?”
“I’ll just follow whatever you want to do, hyung.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I laughed at his childish joke, but he didn’t seem to be joking. I knew he became a hunter to collect the pages of <Divine Comedy>, and by that measure, he’d said he no longer needed to work as one. I stopped him from quitting, of course. After all, an S-rank ability wasn’t something to waste.
“Sang. It’s best to earn and save as much money as you can, while you can.”
“If it’s about money, I still have more than enough to buy whatever you want every day, hyung.”
“Hey. How do you know what I want to buy?”
“Then what do you want?”
He looked like he’d really buy me anything I asked for, but instead of excitement, I felt bewildered. Unless he was trying to make money like me, or save people like my mom, I guess Sang had no real reason to stay a hunter.
However, it didn’t feel right to pass The Apostles on to someone else. So, I used my last resort.
“Just… to do what you’re doing.”
“You want to enter rifts again?”
“Yeah. I mean, I’ve done it before.
“But hyung, you’re normal now, aren’t you?”
“What are you talking about? My body’s just normal, I can still use my sword.”
“<Bloodletting Sword>?”
“Yeah. It’s still in the depths of the Ark, right? I can just bring it out and use it.”
As soon as I mentioned <Bloodletting Sword>, Sang’s face hardened. It wasn’t the first time that happened. Whenever I asked what happened to the sword, he would just tell me that ‘the rift closed that day’ and he’d then change the subject. It seemed like more than just an unwillingness to reunite me with Mujeong.
“What? Did you lie when you said that?”
“No. That’s not it, but…”
“Then what? Can’t you show it to me now?”
Reluctantly, Sang took me to the depths of the Ark. Just as he said, the rift was closed, and the sword was still exactly where I’d last seen it. Naturally, I assumed its next owner had been chosen, which would’ve been Sang. However, he told me something unexpected.
“It doesn’t react to me at all.”
“What? Don’t tell me… It’s lost its power?”
Was that the cost of opening a rift within a rift? Come to think of it, after returning from <Contradiction>’s rift, the sacred tree on the mountain was gone, and I couldn’t see Mujeong anymore either. Don’t tell me… heey, that couldn’t be. He said himself he wouldn’t disappear so easily.
I bit my lip anxiously, but Sang shook his head firmly.
“That’s not it. I still sense its spiritual energy.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
Sang glared at the sword, displeased, then finally opened his mouth.
“I think… he’s waiting for you, hyung.”
“…What?”
“That’s why I didn’t want to bring you here.”
I felt a laugh slip from my lips despite myself, even though I felt sorry for Sang, who was muttering to himself.
“Mujeong, you jerk. You weren’t just saying that when you said you didn’t want any master but me, huh?”
I joked as I stepped closer to <Bloodletting Sword>.
“What are you, Excalibur? I told you to behave for your next master.”
Without much thought, I reached for the hilt. Suddenly, the air shifted strangely. Just as Sang grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back, the air split and a rift formed. But unlike before, it wasn’t massive or intimidating; it was only large enough for one person to walk through.
It felt like an invitation.
“Looks like you were right.”
Maybe he really was waiting for me. Without hesitation, I stepped forward, and Sang grabbed my arm.
“Hyung.”
“It’s okay… I think it’ll be okay.”
Together, we stepped into the space filled with black smoke.
Usually, entering a rift made the body feel exhausted, but this time, I felt strangely at ease. Even the rain pouring from the sky felt refreshing as it soaked me. It was my third time here. Much like my second visit, no one stood in our way.
We walked up the mountain as if we were on a stroll. When we crossed the boundary made of rope, a cold wind blew, and the whole world turned white.
“The world’s in spring, but you alone are in winter.”
Past the bare-boned trees, we arrived at the clearing where he was buried. To my relief, the sacred tree was still there. Although it no longer had the divine white cloth tied to it and it looked charred as if it had been struck by lightning. I also noticed new buds had begun sprouting on its dry branches.
“Sang-ah. Look. Spring has arrived here too…”
I turned to point at the sacred tree. However, standing there wasn’t Sang, it was someone else. A man who retained color in a world drained of it, who wore a strange mask with four eyes.
I smiled without thinking.
“It’s been a while. How are you?”
The air was as chilly as the cold wind swirling around us.
I hadn’t expected some tearful reunion or anything. But still—did he have to be this cold? He just stood there, watching me from a distance like I was a stranger. It felt off, so I slowly stepped closer. Thankfully, he didn’t back away. But when I tried to take off his mask like before, he stepped back.
“…What on Earth?”
I frowned, blurting the question out like a sneeze.
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me.”
“I have indeed forgotten.”
“…Seriously?”
I glanced around nervously, and a cheeky voice answered from behind the mask.
“No matter how long I waited, you did not come. Naturally, this abandoned one had to forget first, did he not?”
“…Hey. That’s not funny. I really thought you meant it.”
I just lost ten years of my life. I let out a long sigh, rubbing my face, and Mujeong chuckled lightly. Seeing how casually he acted reassured me, but it was also annoying. He didn’t even ask how I’d been and was already joking around.
I narrowed my eyes and gave him a once-over.
“For someone who supposedly forgot, you sure didn’t let anyone else lay a hand on you. I guess you missed your old master, huh?”
“Well, I must say my standards have risen quite high, and you have my previous owner to thank for that.”
“Oh yeah? Then tell me, what kind of person would be good enough now?”
Crossing my arms, I raised an eyebrow. Mujeong had clearly been waiting for that, because he immediately rattled off a list:
“First of all, they would require the grit to keep me in line.”
“I’ve got that, easy.”
“And even if they are not always right, they must stand firm in their beliefs and possess a solid backbone. They must be someone I would endeavour to serve.”
“Mmhmm.”
“And above all…” He paused dramatically. “They must have a strong body.”
I nodded at each condition confidently, until that last one stopped me. Was my body… strong now? After being bedridden for three months, the aftereffects hadn’t fully gone away. And now that I was physically normal again, I couldn’t handle blades the way I used to either.
I shot him a cautious glance, and Mujeong shrugged with exaggerated indifference.
“My previous master’s vessel was too fragile, and he ended up abandoning me.”
“Well… that’s awkward. I’m even more fragile now. If I get stabbed, I’ll die.”
“Then…”
“But I still don’t want to give you up.”
I took a bold step toward him, looking up with a grin.
“So what do I have to do to be recognized as your master again?”
The world fell quiet, as if time had stopped. I wondered what kind of expression he was making behind the mask. What did his real face even look like? Curious again, I reached for his mask, but Mujeong stepped back once more.
“I told you, only my master may touch me.”
“Oh, come on. Then?”
Tilting my head, I watched as Mujeong swept his red robes dramatically and drew his sword. He then etched nine vertical lines and ten horizontal ones in the snow-covered ground. With a flick of his wrist, stones inscribed with Chinese characters landed at each intersection.
Then, with a loud voice, he sat down and gestured for me to join him.
“I, Mujeong, challenge you to a game.”
Janggi. Korean chess. I hadn’t seen that coming, but it was so like him. I boldly sat across from him, but I was immediately overwhelmed. Where do I even start? I knew the rules, but I wasn’t anywhere near as good at this as I was at chess.
“…I’m not that great at this.”
What if I lose? What if <Bloodletting Sword> ends up in someone else’s hands for real? I tried to hide my growing anxiety and stole a glance at him. Mujeong chuckled quietly. Then, lifting the cannon piece with his long fingers, he spoke.
“Do not worry. No matter where or what you play, I shall make sure you win.”
****
One particularly warm day in May, I suddenly decided to move Auntie Yuran’s grave beside my parents’. She’d always been alone, with no one visiting, and above all, she was like family.
So I picked a good spot in the forest where my parents were buried. I even found a sturdy pine tree that resembled her. I’d already moved the urn, so today I just needed to check how it was settling in. The only issue was the sudden coughing that started this morning.
“Do you really have to go today? You’ve got a bit of a cold.”
“Colds come and go. It’s fine.”
“You used to have asthma, didn’t you?”
“I’m over that.”
I brushed it off, but Sang gave me a look like he had a hundred things he wanted to say. I appreciated the concern, but sometimes he was just too overprotective. I tried to escape the scolding by slipping toward the door, throwing him a glance.
“So, are you coming or not? ‘Cause I’ll go by myself if you don’t.”
He had no choice but to follow after I said that. He insisted I wear a thick cardigan despite it being May. It was a little hot, but what could I do when it was done out of love and care for me?
“It’s hot.”
“It’ll keep you from catching a cold.”
“I’ll get heatstroke instead.”
“Don’t be so dramatic.”
We climbed the hill, side by side; I was sweating when we arrived at the row of trees. The forest cemetery was still peaceful as ever. The pine tree I’d picked for Auntie Yuran had already begun to adapt, stretching its branches outward.
“The sunlight hits this spot nicely.”
“Yeah…”
We planted some wild orchids around it, which made it look even more beautiful.
“It looks good.”
Brushing dirt from my hands, I stood with Sang before the tree. Even though this wasn’t my first visit, I felt strangely nervous. Maybe because he was here. I struggled to figure out how to start, then spoke carefully.
“Sorry, it’s been a while. I’ve been… really busy. Oh, and this is my… well…”
I didn’t know how to introduce Sang to my parents. Calling him a coworker, like I once told a priest, felt too shallow now. Outright calling him my ‘boyfriend’ felt a bit embarrassing. While I fumbled, Sang stepped forward and bowed deeply.
“I’m Hajae-hyung’s boyfriend. Father-in-law. Mother-in-law.”
“…Huh?”
“We’ve promised to spend the rest of our lives together.”
I was stunned. While I stared blankly at him, Sang turned toward me with a perfectly straight face, like he didn’t understand what the problem was. Boyfriend, that makes sense, I guess. We never officially clarified it, but he wasn’t wrong. But father-in-law? Mother-in-law? A lifelong promise?
“…Hey.”
“What?”
“When did we make that promise?”
I looked at him, dumbfounded. He furrowed his brows.
“So… you don’t want to stay with me?”
“No, I mean… why are we suddenly talking about this?”
“Then what are we talking about?”
It felt like joking here would be a very bad idea, so I kept my mouth shut.
Yeah. Honestly, I’d be happy if we could spend the rest of our lives together. Where else can you find a wealthy, younger man with such good looks, who’s so open and honest about his feelings? I already told him I believed in eternity, too. But still, in front of my parents, I felt a pang of embarrassment, so I nudged him in the ribs with my elbow.
“You know, saying stuff like that in front of my parents means you’re stuck with me forever, right?”
“I know. I also knew you’d get all shy and do that.”
“…You did?”
I laughed awkwardly, and Sang sighed and turned his head.
“I just… don’t want you to introduce me as some younger kid you know.”
His eyes, staring at the wild orchids, looked unusually lonely.
Why does he still seem unsure of our relationship? Why does it feel like he’s waiting for me to prove something? I mean, he’s the first person I ever brought here to my parents’ grave, doesn’t that speak for itself? It felt wrong to have my sincerity questioned, but I knew it was all my fault for making this happen, so I made up my mind.
Okay. Let’s seal the deal for real.
“Here.”
I held out my hand. Sang placed his in mine, and I laced our fingers tightly. Standing tall, like I was about to make a vow, I felt my throat go dry.
God, why am I this nervous? It’s not even like they’re alive. I swallowed hard and took a deep breath.
“I… I like him. So much.”
His hand twitched slightly. But strangely enough, once I started speaking, it wasn’t hard to say what I really felt.
“I’m sorry. You told me not to fall in love, but.”
I was seven years old when my mom left me a letter. She told me, in the most heartfelt words, that if I ever truly loved someone, I should let them go as quickly as possible. I tried to live by that.
Of course, it didn’t work out. I gave my heart to someone just as broken as me. Even though we were torn apart once, we found each other again. There were times I blamed fate, wondering why it was playing such cruel tricks, but now I knew. It wasn’t fate. It wasn’t some divine joke.
It was simply the result of Sang’s desire to see me again.
Even after I’d given up on everything, he pulled me back up from the edge of the cliff. He overturned a life filled with contradictions and changed my life. He changed fate.
“But I’m okay now, Mom. Everything’s okay. So from now on, I’m going to live my life loving without regrets.”
Of course, life will still try to drag me down. Unsolved mysteries with no answers will keep messing with my head. But it’s okay because even if I fall, he’ll always lift me back up.
No matter what happens, I know Sang will stay by my side. And I would stay by his.
“We’ll live so happily that others will envy us. So please, watch over us.”
Quietly, Sang tightened his grip on my hand.
Back when I first held that hand, I never imagined it would save me. That the same delicate fingers that used to flip through a worn-out math textbook would one day erase <Contradiction>, the paradox that had tormented me for so long. Even now, it was hard to believe that the curse passed down through generations was truly gone from this world.
Who would’ve ever imagined?
That the way to break a curse that kills those who love…was simply to love.
In the end, maybe that was the greatest contradiction of all.
<Destined to Die END>
And just like that… we’ve reached the end of the main story. Thank you for coming along with me, for reading, commenting, crying, and patiently waiting while I poured my heart into these chapters haha. Translating this story has been such a gift, and I’m forever grateful I got to share it with all of you. 💖
I have no plans to translate the DTD side story as of rn. So if you’d like to read it, please go support the author 낫이콜/Not2qual on RIDI if you can, lovelies! 💞💞