Chapter 261 - Chapter 261 (1/2)

Side Story 18

Since he didn't share his memories with them, Jin-Woo had not thought of the possibility of it happening, but the truth was, there were a few other people who were still connected to the higher beings on Earth.

And, out of them all, one person was quite lucky enough to have physical contact with Jin-Woo, who was a higher being himself.

A certain early morning.

"Son? What's the matter?"

His son emerging from the room having just woken up looked like he was about to break down and cry, so Seong Il-Hwan reached out and gently grasped the boy's shoulders, only to be greeted by the spectacle of a different past playing right before his eyes.

It happened in the briefest of the brief moments that didn't even last a blink, but that was more than enough to tell the tale spanning several years that felt as long as eternity itself.

- I wanted to see you. Always.

- I wouldn't have minded talking to you for a little bit longer, but….

- I'm sorry for not being a good father to you.

Tumble.

His final moments that caused his heart to tumble to the pit of his stomach flashed past his eyes. Then, the time wound back and the memories of how the present came to be played out in a panorama being played backwards.

The one and only tool of God that could cause a phenomenon like this, the 'Chalice of Rebirth'. Seong Il-Hwan knew of the artefact's existence through the memories of the Rulers, and after looking at the boy's current facial expression, he instantly realised that his son must've had reached some kind of a deal with the higher beings.

Indeed, Jin-Woo had decided to carry the weight, the cost, of the deal all by himself, regardless of how heavy it was. Seong Il-Hwan had to bite down on his lower lip in order to suppress his emotions and prevent them from bursting forth right then.

His efforts must've not been in vain, because Jin-Woo wiped away the tears threatening to break out and formed a smile.

"....I must've had a nightmare."

At that moment, Seong Il-Hwan saw the powerful determination flicker for a blink of an eye on his son's face.

But even then, no, even when Jin-Woo left behind a single note and disappeared from this world, he couldn't even guess just what kind of 'promise' his son had made with the Rulers.

***

"....I'd never imagined that promise was to defeat the entirety of the Army of the Chaos World all by himself."

Seol Il-Hwan recalled that very day and let out a helpless chuckle.

What if he got to find out about his son's deal before the boy jumped into the gap between dimensions and disappeared? Would he have stopped Jin-Woo, or for the sake of the world, let the kid leave?

"Still, hasn't he beautifully taken care of it?"

The envoy of the Rulers sitting on the opposite side of him smiled refreshingly.

Seong Il-Hwan had his lips firmly shut now, but he nodded his head regardless. Thanks to Jin-Woo's sacrifice, this world was spared from the horrifying war that was supposed to tear through this planet.

But, when he thought about the terrible suffering his son must've gone through during those years, Seong Il-Hwan just couldn't bring himself to smile anymore.

It had been almost one year since Jin-Woo returned from the gap between dimensions.

"My son...."

His hesitating voice was drowned out by the gently-flowing background music of the cafe they were in. The Ruler's envoy sipped the half-remaining coffee with his straw as he unhurriedly waited for Seong Il-Hwan to continue on.

"What was my son's decision?"

"The Shadow Sovereign has...."

The envoy discovered the traces of nervousness flit past Seong Il-Hwan's face and formed a thin smile.

"....Chosen to stay in this world. He said that every minute and every second spent in this world is precious to him."

Seong Il-Hwan inwardly spat out a lengthy sigh of relief.

The envoy emptied out his cup and silently placed it back on the table. He had to remain in this world until Jin-Woo made up his mind, but that role came to an end yesterday.

Which meant that it was time to leave. Seong Il-Hwan would be the very last guest he'd entertain before leaving this world for good.

Maybe that was the reason? Although he wasn't really the talkative type, he wanted to converse for just a bit longer today.

"Are you planning to continue deceiving Shadow Sovereign-nim.... no, your son?"

"That's what he wants, no one remembering the past. So, yes."

If what Jin-Woo wanted was the normal, regular family life, then as his father, Seong Il-Hwan was fully committed to continuing the charade until the end of time itself.

"I see. Like father, like son."

The envoy smirked and nodded his head before raising his gaze a little higher.

"Once I leave, the Rulers will no longer interfere with this world."

"I know."

"Which means, this really is the end. With this world...."

The envoy scanned the interior of the cafe and spoke with an emotional voice.

"It has been fun. Truly. To be honest, right up until the Shadow Sovereign-nim made his triumphant return, I had been waiting with bated breath on what destiny had in store for us."

The envoy held back slightly and didn't mention that even the Rulers didn't expect to see Jin-Woo succeed in his quest. Well, there was no reason to pour a bucket of cold water on this emotional farewell, was there?

Just before he bade his farewell and stood up to leave, the envoy addressed his guest once more.

"The Rulers express their unreserved gratitude towards not just Shadow Sovereign, but to you as well, Seong Il-Hwan-nim."

It was unknown whether a result like this would've been achieved without his help. He fought for the sake of the Rulers, and he even suggested that the higher beings cooperate with the Shadow Sovereign, too. Indeed, his role had been great.

The Rulers had decided as thus, and they prepared a small gift for him in return.

"By any chance, is there something we can help you with?"

When considering that the Rulers possessed incredible powers as well as various 'tools of God', this was akin to them saying, "We will grant any wish you have."

However, Seong Il-Hwan shook his head almost immediately.

"I have none....."

But, that made sense. The envoy could understand where he was coming from. There was an existence on the level of a god living as family right next to him, so what was the point of voicing his wishes here?

"Well, then."

The envoy bowed his head slightly and got ready to stand up, but then, Seong Il-Hwan belatedly said something else.

"Hang on."

The envoy stopped and settled back down on the chair again.

"Is there something else....?"

Seong Il-Hwan pondered for a bit and spoke up with some difficulty.

"My memories…. Is it possible for you to erase my memories of the previous timeline?"

"Yes, it's possible, but why would you choose to do so....?"

"Well, it's unimaginably hard to keep pretending in front of a son with an amazing perception, you see."

Seong Il-Hwan smirked once he was done. Again, like father, like son – his grinning face was almost a dead-ringer for Jin-Woo's.

"And, also...."

Seong Il-Hwan lowered his gaze and fell into thought for a bit again, before continuing on with his words slowly.

"I also wish to become a regular dad who worries about his son's welfare."

He wanted to return to being just a simple father who felt anxious about his son possibly coming back home injured in some way, and a father who sighed in disappointment at his son's exam results – a man who worried about his 'regular' son, in other words.

"To me, Jin-Woo isn't the Shadow Sovereign, but a precious son, you see."

That was Seong Il-Hwan's small wish.

"I understand."

If that was his reasoning, then it'd be no problem. The envoy smiled gently and granted Seong Il-Hwan's wish.

"Once you exit from this cafe, all memories of the previous timeline will completely be erased from your mind."

As the envoy began performing the magic spell on Seong Il-Hwan, he whispered a goodbye so small that no one could hear it properly.

"You won't remember this, but still... I pray that you get to live a fulfilling life."

*

Time continued to tick by.

On a certain cold winter morning.

The alarm set for six in the morning went off without a hitch and Seong Il-Hwan shot up from his 'sleep'. His wife woke up at the same time, too, and stared straight at him.

"What about Jin-Woo?"

"Yes, what happened to him?"

The couple quickly checked the time and breathed a collective sigh of relief after realising that it was still only six in the morning.

"Dear, what should we do? Should we go and wake Jin-Woo up?"

"No, there's still some time left until the beginning of the CSAT, so I think it should be fine to let him rest for a little while longer."

"You're right. I can always drive him to the exam location with my car, anyway."

"At seven…. Let's wake him up around seven, Dear."

Seong Il-Hwan nodded his head at his wife's suggestion.

The couple anxiously waited for the needles of the clock to hit seven and when the fated time came, they rushed out of their bedroom to slam the door to Jin-Woo's room wide open.

"S-son, you know that today is the CSAT day, right?"

"Son, as your father, I can take you there, you know?"

Their son seemed to have woken up not too long ago. He replied with a chuckle.

"I'll get ready to leave now."

After confirming that Jin-Woo left his room, Seong Il-Hwan hurriedly threw on his clothes and reached out to grab the car keys, only for his gaze to be stolen by the key ring – a gift from his son.