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ravs6709 · 2 years

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Reading The Heart- Ambiguous Kam (Part 1)

Read on ao3 here

Part 1 of Open Up My Heart (And Let My Feelings Fly Free) - a potential series

Also part 1 of Reading The Heart, because tumblr thinks my 23k word oneshot isnt allowed to fit all into one post. click here for this, plus the rest of the fic in a reblog. (plus, ao3 is up above in case you dont wanna deal with this)

Okay! So this is an omniscient reader's viewpoint for kotlc. If you wanna know a non spoiler description of what orv is about, check out here. (I will say though that my one-shot is a very simplified version, I did a lot of picking and choosing when it came to scenes)

What you need to know for the au is that Keefe is the reader, and Tam is the protagonist of his favourite webcomic, KOTLC. When KOTLC comes to life, Keefe's gotta survive the apocalypse. (I say ambiguous Kam because their dynamic is enemies to companions, and the specifics after that are up to interpretation)

This oneshot has turned out to be 23k words long. (Yeah... that much...), most of it written in a short timespan so it might be very confusing and incoherent, but I had a fun time writing it! So I hope you enjoy it too!

Warnings including but not limited to: Kinda graphic violence, minor character death, trauma, temporary main character death, suicidal thoughts (kinda). (I will promise that it's not a tragic ending)

Keefe sat down on the subway, and loaded up the app he read comics on. As he did so, he received a notification that Knowledge Of Techniques to Live in a Calamity (or, KOTLC, for short) had updated. With a grin, he opened up the latest chapter, and read through it.

He read a little slower than he normally would, wanting to savour every little detail. After all, this was going to be the second last chapter, and the protagonist was going to finally have an ending to his decade long story.

(Whether that ending was going to be happy or not, he wasn't sure, but what he did know was that he was going to feel empty once the story was over. After all, he'd been there since the first chapter, and had been the only reader for eight years.)

The chapter ended right before the final(?) confrontation, but there were still a few panels left of the chapter. As he scrolled down, he read.

"There are three known ways to live in a calamity. I've forgotten some of them now. However, one thing is certain: if you're reading this, you will survive."

"What?" Keefe muttered under his breath.

"Hmm, is something wrong?" A voice asked from beside him, and Keefe startled, forgetting that Fitz was sitting beside him.

"Nah, it's all good," he replied, moving his phone slightly to make sure that Fitz wouldn't be able to see.

He knew that Fitz was a friend (or, at least, more of a friend than anyone else had ever been), and would realistically not care if he was reading webcomics on his phone, but he could never bring himself to ever tell Fitz about what he was reading about.

(Internally, he could hear the disapproving tone of his father, telling him that he was wasting his life.)

He scrolled down some more and read the end note, wondering if there was some kind of explanation for the message he had read. It was so out of place, just white text on a black background.

《Thank you so much for reading this far! Next chapter will be the epilogue!》

An epilogue. There was still the final confrontation, and Keefe hoped that the novel would end happily, and that some of the questions he'd had since the very beginning would finally be answered.

Keefe clicked the comment box, and wrote a comment. It wasn't much, just a thank you, and a mention of a part he liked from the chapter. KOTLC was a free comic, and the creator had never included any link to a donation website, so commenting on every chapter was the least that he could do, especially as the only reader. (He'd once asked if they had a Patreon or Ko-fi, but the creator didn't seem to care about the money).

A few minutes later, there was a reply to his comment.

keeper123: Thank you for the comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. I've only been able to make it this far because of you.

I've also managed to win a competition.

A competition? That was amazing! Though, he wasn't sure how it could win a competition when he was the only reader. Maybe the creator submitted a copy of the file?

Lord_Hunkyhair: congrats on winning a competition!!! what's it for?

keeper123: It's a small competition, you wouldn't have heard of it.

Big or small, it was great news. KOTLC was really unpopular, and it would be great if there could finally be other fans he could discuss the story with.

keeper123: I also have a gift for you, can you please tell me your email?

Lord_Hunkyhair: a gift? that sounds amazing, thank you!!! my email's [email protected]

Another few minutes later, there was an email from keeper123.

[email protected]: Thank you, dear reader for allowing my story to come into this world. Starting tomorrow, the entire series will be monetized.

[email protected]: that's really great, you deserve it! will I have to pay to read the epilogue?

[email protected]: Yes, you will. I hope that doesn't bother you? The monetization will start at 7pm, and your gift should be sent around then too.

[email protected]: no, that's fine, you deserve it! thank you again for the gift!!!

When he got home, maybe he'd finish working on the fanart he'd been working on, and send it to the creator tomorrow. A small token of his appreciation.

"How've you been doing Keefe?" Fitz asked.

Keefe put his phone down. "I've been doing great."

"You sure were typing a lot," he remarked. "Was it a friend?"

Keefe shrugged. Him and the creator had conversations within the comments, but he wouldn't consider them friends. More... friendly. Like how he was with most people. "Kinda."

"Biana wants to know if you wanna go out for dinner tomorrow," Fitz told him.

"Sure, that'd be fun. Been a while since I've seen her."

"Great." Fitz typed on his phone, probably to tell Biana, and then he asked, "Do you have any suggestions as to where we should go?"

"Uh, I've got nothing. She has good taste in food though, I trust her."

Fitz hummed, then sent another message. After that, he loaded up an app on his phone. Keefe didn't pay much attention at first, but the Duolingo Owl caught his attention.

"You use duolingo?" Keefe asked. "Has the owl been threatening you?"

Fitz rolled his eyes, and Keefe grinned at him. "Nothing too harsh yet, but I've been keeping up my streak."

"You've gotten yourself involved with him, don't mess up and die on me," Keefe said dramatically. "Who else is going to bake snacks for me?"

"Is that all you think of me?" Fitz asked, his tone light. "Am I just someone who provides food for you?"

"Of course not! You're also the coworker who stops the customers from flirting with me because they think you're hotter."

Fitz shook his head, his lips twitching as he fought back a laugh. "How long do you think before they give up?"

"Not for a long time, I'd say."

"Well, damn."

Keefe's phone vibrated, and he saw a notification for an email. Checking the time, he saw that it was 6:57 pm, so it was probably the gift that the creator had mentioned. He opened the email.

[email protected]: Dear reader, I hope this gift will help you when the monetization starts tonight at 7 pm. I wish you the best of luck.

[1 attachment]

His finger hovered over the open button, but before doing that, he opened up the webcomic app and searched for KOTLC. To his surprise, he couldn't find it at all, and when clicking on it in his recents page, there was an error. Weird, did content that turned into paid content usually get taken down like this?

The subway train rattled, then screeched as it abruptly began to slow. Keefe barely managed to avoid hitting his head.

"What's happening?" Fitz asked.

"There's probably some weird delay," Keefe answered, but even he felt a little unsettled.

"All passengers on the train. Please evacuate. Please evacu-"

There was a loud beep, before the broadcast was cut off.

"That's not good," Keefe mumbled.

People on the subway car began standing up, and Keefe checked the time. 7 pm.

He could hear a few faint crackles, and then:

[The free service of planetary system 8612 has been terminated.]

The voice was one that he'd never heard before, but for some reason, Keefe thought that the voice was somewhat familiar. His first thought was dokkaebi, even though that made no sense at all. Maybe he'd been reading too much of KOTLC.

Then there was a flash of light, and once it faded, in its place was a small, floating white ball of fur, with two golden horns, cute black eyes and a mischievous smile. It really looked like-

"A dokkaebi?" Fitz gasped. "Aren't those mythological creatures from Korea? Why... they... here?"

So, that actually was a dokkaebi? Fitz recognized it, with his knowledge of different cultures. Keefe wanted to laugh, and maybe cry, because there was no way that this was happening.

Vaguely, he could hear some of the other people on the subway talking to it, freaking out over what it was.

["Come on now, be quiet and listen up."]

The voices of the people around him didn't quiet down. While Keefe often had no filter, he knew that annoying a dokkaebi would never work out well, because-

["I said, be quiet!"]

There was screaming as the world was painted blood red. Keefe winced and turned towards Fitz, unwilling to look at the body that would no longer have a head on it.

"K-Keefe... what... just happened..?"

The screaming finally died down, as people began to realize that making a scene would only get them killed too.

["I want to point out, that no, this is not a dream, or a movie, nor is it a novel."]

Keefe brought a hand to his face to stifle a laugh. He didn't want the dokkaebi's attention on him yet, he had no plan on revealing the existence of the webcomic that was KOTLC.

["So you're all going to shut up and listen, because you're already wasting my time. Your lives have been really easy, isn't that right?"]

The dokkaebi's eyes flitted towards a person dressed in a suit, and the person looked downwards, afraid.

["Your lives have always been free. You never had to pay the price for breathing, eating, mating, or just living in general. What a wonderful world you all live in."]

...did the dokkaebi always sound that stupid? Maybe it was because he was familiar with their behaviour, so he wasn't afraid, but what was that nonsense about? Since when did people live for free? People always had to pay for something.

["Those wonderful times you've all taken advantage of are now over. You can't take advantage of the world's generosity forever, it's time that you pay the price for living."]

Keefe blinked, and looked around the subway. If this was like it was going to go in KOTLC, he needed a plan, and fast. He scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar figure, but couldn't find the person he was looking for.

Fitz's hand squeezing his arm brought him back to reality, just as flames erupted from a bag, and Keefe could vaguely see money being burnt to ashes.

["Don't you dare act smart with me,"] the dokkaebi warned. ["Your money is useless to the world. If you want to pay back your debt, you better start acting quickly. Oh, here we go, your first task has arrived."] It snapped its fingers, and blue panels appeared in front of everyone.

[Channel #BI-5109 has opened.]

[Constellations have entered the channel.]

Keefe took a deep breath as he read the final message there.

[The main scenario has arrived!]

◇◇◇◇◇

[Main scenario #1- Proof of Worth]

Category: Main

Difficulty: F

Clear Conditions: Kill one or more living creatures.

Time Limit: 30 minutes.

Reward: 300 coins.

Penalty For Failure: Death

◇◇◇◇◇

The dokkaebi smiled. ["Do provide an interesting story for everyone."]

Well. Sh*t. Keefe looked around, trying to figure out what to do. There was too much screaming and panicking going on, and it made it so much harder to think.

"Keefe, we have no signal, how are we supposed to call for help?"

Where was he... there was a person wearing a maroon hood, there was a small kid holding an enclosure... where was he...

He closed his eyes, and tried to remember the image of the subway, where it would all begin. Windows stained with blood, some of the lights flickering before going out, the panicked look on people's faces. It matched KOTLC perfectly. So where was the protagonist?

"Okay, the first step to making sure that nothing goes wrong is to calm down a little."

Keefe turned and saw Fitz take a step forward. All eyes were on him.

"If we panic, we're going to end up making stupid decisions," he continued.

"And who are you to take charge?"

"I'm just someone who wants to minimize the... casualties. We've been put into this situation, but we can't make any assumptions. Do you want to become a murderer right now?"

Keefe sighed in relief. Fitz was good at this kind of thing, and he was really shining now, making people calm down. This could buy him some time.

"This person's right. Let's first see if we can get some help," a new voice agreed. The person in the maroon hood stood up and took off their hood, revealing strawberry-blond hair and periwinkle blue eyes. Dex Dizznee.

But... why was Dex here? He wasn't supposed to be here, it was supposed to be-

Keefe opened his phone, wishing that he could reread the opening chapter to KOTLC. Then he remembered the gift, and opened the email that keeper123 had sent him.

[1 attachment. (Press here to open)]

[Knowledge Of Techniques to Live in a Calamity.cbz]

[You have received an exclusive attribute.]

Attribute Window, he thought, trying to open it.

[You can't open the Attribute Window.]

What was this? He tried again, but it still didn't work. Knowing your attribute was important, it provided an idea as to what your capabilities are, and knowing the enemy's made it easier to understand them too. It wouldn't even let him view his skills- how was he supposed to do anything if he didn't know what skills he had?

He quickly skimmed through the opening chapter of KOTLC, trying to figure out what had changed.

The protagonist stood away from the crowd, grasping the lighter tightly in his hand. He had no remorse on his face, he simply looked resigned. "I'll do whatever it takes this time. No matter the cost." was what the narration read.

The subway car label was 3807, and when he looked up at the label in his car, it read 3707. Oh, so he was in the car beside it. That was... probably for the better.

"I've still got wifi," Dex Dizznee announced. "I'm going to look up what's going on."

Keefe sighed, knowing what exactly would be found. There was some kind of press conference going on, with the Prime Minister speaking, only for the Prime Minister to collapse, the video going black.

“Whatever’s happening, it’s not just here, it’s happening all over the city."

“Like an alien invasion? Are they going to kill us all?” someone asked.

“They clearly have the power to do whatever they want…” another person said.

“They expect us to be killing others… if we don’t, we die.”

["There you go, you get it now. It's been awfully peaceful here, so how about this? If the first killing doesn't happen within five minutes, everyone in your little subway car will die."] The dokkaebi's voice sounded like it came from the phone itself.

That was annoying, but not really surprising. Now that Keefe knew which car he was in, he could see the plan coming together. Any moment now...

“We’ve got to do something, if they aren’t satisfied with us, they can kill us anyway.”

“So we have to fight for our lives then?”

Bang! There was an explosion from behind the door Keefe was standing in front of, and he used that to launch himself forward, across the car, and towards the kid with the enclosure.

"Sorry about that," Keefe whispered, grabbing the enclosure out of their hand and opening it, finding five grasshoppers inside.

He closed the lid, then held the box to the air. "Were you all planning to fight for your lives?" He asked the crowd. "Don't you know that everyone has to get a kill? Are you really ready to become a murderer?" He met Fitz's eyes in the crowd. He knew his friend would not have voluntarily participated in a battle to the death, but he would have gotten involved nonetheless.

"What are we supposed to do then?" The voice was not one of anger, but despair. This person really wanted to live.

Keefe smirked, and was a little unnerved by how calm he was feeling now. "When were we ever told that we had to kill a human? Weren't we told to kill a living organism?" He lowered the enclosure a little bit, and took a grasshopper out of it.

He crushed the grasshopper in his hand.

[You have killed a living thing. 100 coins have been earned as a reward.]

[You have received the First Kill achievement!]

[100 coins have been earned as a reward.]

Everybody looked at him with hope on their faces. There were only four grasshoppers left, and dozens of people in the subway. But… there were also grasshopper eggs, and a lot of them. He looked at them, trying to calculate the odds of surviving later if he saved everyone using the eggs.

Wait. What was he doing? Was he really willing to let so many innocents die just for the chance of going up against the protagonist? Who did he think he was?

"I've got enough insects and eggs in here for everybody," he declared. "Everybody line up single-filed so I can give them out. Again, I've got enough for everybody, so no need to cut the line."

The lineup was organized more smoothly than any teacher at a school could ever have achieved. Each person grabbed an organism, and crushed it, earning them the kill that they'd need to survive. Keefe still held the enclosure in his hands, and when no one was looking, he took the remainder of the eggs and crushed them. It wasn't as much as he'd like, but it was better than nothing.

Soon, the countdown reached zero, and since they all made a kill, there was no penalty for failure.

[You have killed 80 living things.

Kill history: 1 grasshopper, 79 grasshopper eggs.

You have killed non-resistant living things, so the number of coins you have acquired has been reduced by half.]

[4,000 coins have been acquired.]

[You have a total of 4,100 coins.]

[Compensation settlement is delayed due to the unexpected circumstances. Please wait.]

Fitz moved to stand next to him. "You saved me today Keefe. I would've either died or become a murderer today." His words were slow, as if he was still processing everything. Which Keefe couldn't blame. Fitz pulled him in for a hug, and Keefe froze, shocked. He was even more surprised to see a message in front of him.

[You have received 100 coins from the character Fitz Vacker.]

"Woah, Fitzy, did you just-"

Fitz pulled away. "I didn't think that'd actually work. But I think you deserve it. Some of the constellations gave me coins, and the reward for the scenario is gonna be another three hundred."

Keefe opened his mouth to instinctively reject it, but realized that if he wanted to survive, he'd need all the coins he could get. "Thank you."

"Hey, I'm Dex Dizznee," Dex introduced, extending his hand. "Thank you for saving us."

Keefe held his hand and shook it. "I'm Keefe."

[You have received 50 coins from the character Dex Dizznee.]

There must have been something about the way both Fitz and Keefe gave him a little bit of their coins, because some of the other people on the subway began to do the same. He thanked them all with a smile, and felt a little hopeful for them. He'd seen what people in KOTLC were willing to do, so it was nice to see them act humane.

["H-Hey! What happened here? You all lived?"] The dokkaebi asked, appearing in a flash of light. ["The car behind you only has one survivor. Well, this is no fun. Who's responsible for this development? The constellations won't like this."]

Well, the constellations who liked death wouldn't be happy, but those who cared about life and the greater good would be delighted.

[A handful of constellations admire your display of Good. You've been sponsored 500 coins.]

"Does that mean you're going to kill us?" One of the people asked.

The dokkaebi smiled. ["What's done is done. Maybe things will be more interesting this way."]

"It's not over?"

["Of course not. I could let you out now, but do you really want to go out there?"]

Everyone turned to look outside, and the world outside looked a little dark and lonely. A giant blue sea serpent rose out of the river nearby, its mouth open wide.

["Now now, I won't let you all go outside just like this, you'll need a sponsor. Listen closely, because I'm not going to repeat myself. You're all very, very weak right now, you all could die really easily, and that's no fun. Fortunately for all of you, there are beings who pity you, and are willing to sponsor you. Understood?"]

There were murmurs of confusion, but the dokkaebi didn't care. ["Not every one of you will receive an offer. Now let the selection begin."]

A blue panel appeared in front of Keefe, and there were three options on the list. Considering the protagonist would receive five, that was pretty good.

[1. Nail-Eating Rat

2. Lily Blooming In Aquarius

3. One Who Seeks The End]

Keefe analyzed his options. The Nail-Eating Rat was pretty weak of a constellation. Lily Blooming In Aquarius- that was archangel Gabriel, if he remembered correctly. She was pretty strong, but like the other angels, she was strict when it came to following the rules of Good. Then One Who Seeks The End.

...he'd never seen that constellation before. Even with his photographic memory, he couldn't ever recall them ever being relevant. Were they just a filler constellation who had been mentioned once? That'd explain why he couldn't remember them. They didn't sound too strong though.

[There is one minute left to complete the Sponsor Selection.]

Well, not like it mattered. Whether the mystery constellation was strong or not, he'd already made his choice.

[Sponsor Selection has ended.]

[The constellation Nail-Eating Rat is displeased with your choice.]

[The constellation Lily Blooming In Aquarius is disappointed in you.]

[The constellation One Who Seeks The End is interested in your choice.]

[200 coins have been sponsored.]

Well, that was an interesting reaction. They didn't seem upset that he didn't choose them.

[You have not selected a sponsor.]

While having a sponsor was really useful, there was a major downside. You'd become significantly more powerful, but you'd end up becoming their puppet. Constellations always had more power over their incarnations, and Keefe refused to let himself be trapped in the clutches of someone else.

["Well, someone here has made an interesting choice. No matter, you all are allowed a second chance later. Now, stay put, I have to make sure that the next scenario is set up properly, considering what's happened in this car."] The dokkaebi's dark eyes focused on Keefe, as if it knew exactly who was responsible for the survival of the cabin. ["I'll be back within 10 minutes.]

Ten minutes. That was all Keefe had to make his move. He looked at Dex, trying to remember what his skills would have been this early on. If only there was a character summary or-

[Exclusive skill, Character Summary has been activated.]

The blue panel in front of him began displaying a bunch of information.

◇◇◇◇◇

[Character Summary]

Name: Dexter Alvin Dizznee.

Pronouns: He/him.

Age: 23

Constellation Support: Great Tinkerer

Attribute(s): Tech-savvy (Rare)

Personal Skill(s): Wide Area Internet Level 2, Technopathy Level 4.

Stigma(s): Complete Shutdown

Overall Stats: Stamina Level 3, Strength Level 2, Agility Level 4, Magic Power Level 5.

Overall Evaluation: A man who has taught himself to be comfortable with technology. Making him a companion would be recommended.]

◇◇◇◇◇

Character summary? That was a useful skill, considering he knew nothing about his attributes. He read through the information, and as expected, Dex had the Great Tinkerer as his sponsor.

"Hey, Dex, how would you feel about joining me and my friend Fitz?" Keefe asked.

Dex looked a little hesitant. "I… don't know…"

Crap, what should he say? "Are you worried about your family or friends? They could join us. I just think it's better if we stick together. Safety in numbers, y'know?"

Dex tilted his head, considering. "My family's outside the city, this whole scenario thing hasn't happened to them. I don't think we'll be allowed to leave the city, so I can stay with you for now. So, Fitz, right?" He asked, turning to Fitz.

"Yeah, Fitz Vacker. Nice to meet you, uh… Dex, was it?"

He nodded.

"Welcome. You were pretty good out there, you helped get info. I'm curious though, do you have wifi? My data doesn't even work, and my texts won't send either."

"You did pretty good too Fitz. Wait- you don't have wifi? Well, it might be my skill. I think I can activate it for multiple people. Want me to use it on you?"

Fitz nodded, looking thankful. "Yes please, and thank you."

"What about you Keefe?"

"I don't have anyone I need to contact," Keefe answered.

After a minute, Fitz had texted Biana, and they all agreed to meet up at the subway station.

"We should try leaving the subway," Keefe suggested.

"And risk angering the dokkaebi?" Fitz asked. "I don't think that sounds like a good idea. Outside doesn't look too good either."

They all remembered the sight of the giant sea serpent.

"Well, we do have to meet up with Biana, don't we?"

It wasn't just that though. There was another reason he wanted to leave.

Bang!

Crap, it was already happening.

"Is that one of the survivors from the other car?" Dex asked.

"Probably," Keefe replied. "The dokkaebi said there was only one survivor though. That'd only happen if they…" he trailed off, hoping that they'd catch on.

"They murdered the people in their cabin," Fitz continued, looking horrified. "Maybe we should leave."

"Agreed," said Dex. He moved to one of the doors. "I think I can get this door open."

"Okay." Fitz stared at his own panel. "One of my skills is telepathy, should I try it on them, and see if they're hostile?"

"Don't!" Keefe blurted. Both Dex and Fitz stared at him. "I mean- it's better not to expose our skill set to everyone just yet." He didn't want to let the protagonist become aware of the circumstances yet.

Bang! The door to the other car was beginning to look dented.

"Besides, what kind of bastard would kick down a metal door? Aren't there friendlier ways to make an entrance?" The insult came out of his mouth naturally, but he didn't really feel like taking it back. The protagonist was an *sshole.

"Okay, got it. Can you two help me pull the door?"

Keefe and Fitz quickly moved to help slide the door. Their actions began to attract the attention of everyone else in the subway.

"What are you-"

"The dokkaebi said-"

The door slid open, and there was another bang, this time, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You can stay here if you want, but I suggest you should all leave. I think the dokkaebi might be more merciful than whoever is on the other side of that door," Keefe told them.

Keefe, Dex and Fitz stepped through the door and started running in the direction of the nearest train station. It was decently far away, they had to cross a bridge over the river. A river that contained the sea serpent.

Keefe panted, already running out of breath. Wait…

[2,100 coins have been invested into stamina. Stamina Level 3 < Level 10.]

[The durability of your body has greatly increased.]

The speed he was running at didn't really increase, but it did feel easier to do so.

[1,500 coins have been invested into agility. Agility Level 5 < 10.]

2,550 coins, that was a pretty good number of coins.

There was a flash of light in front of them, and they all slowed down, for none of them wanted to outright ignore a dokkaebi.

["Hey! What are you three doing? I thought I asked you to stay put! Well, I can't say I'm surprised. You're lucky though.] It snapped its fingers, and the scenario contents had been updated.

Keefe merely skimmed it, familiar with what would happen.

"Cross the broken bridge?" Fitz asked. "But the bridge isn't broken- oh, we need to keep running!"

The three of them continued to run, and Dex didn't question the decision, as he probably came to the same conclusion. The bridge wasn't broken yet, but it would break. Unfortunately, by the time they reached halfway, the sea serpent started roaring, crashing into a section of the bridge. When it was gone, the entire section was gone. It was way too far to jump.

"What do we do?" Fitz asked. "Should we turn back and find another-"

His words were cut off as bodies came piling out the other cars of the subway. They glowed a very faint purple, and they reminded Keefe of zombies, with the way they were hunched over as they walked.

There was no way they could turn back. Whatever they did, they'd be in grave danger. Crap, what should he do-

[Someone has received the blessing of a constellation.]

[The constellation scenario Deus Ex Machina has been activated.]

Beams of light emerged from one side of the bridge, and reached the other.

◇◇◇◇◇

[Deus Ex Machina- Bridge of Even Numbers]

Description: A bridge of light made by a constellation. Only an even number of people can cross the bridge. The bridge will disappear the moment an odd number of people step on the bridge.]

◇◇◇◇◇

"My head hurts," Fitz groaned.

Was that Fitz's sponsor? Did his sponsor intervene? That was rare for a constellation to directly interfere, it was usually difficult and costed probability. Who was his sponsor that they'd intervene?

[The skill Character Summary has been activated!]

[This person has not been registered in the Character List. Their information cannot be read.]

Wait, what? What was that about? It worked on Dex just fine? He was able to recall just what kind of character-

Oh. Character. Dex was a character. Meanwhile he and Fitz weren't characters of KOTLC. Annoying as it was, it made sense.

He had to focus on what to do. The bridge only worked with an even number of people, but there were three of them. They could wait, but that meant the demonic humans would catch up and possibly kill them. The scenario had a short time limit, so they had to leave. Keefe refused to let them die.

"Go without me!" Keefe yelled. "I'll find my way to the other side!"

"Keefe?" Fitz asked, not believing what he'd just heard.

"Cross the bridge without me!"

After a few moments of hesitancy, Dex and Fitz left and crossed the bridge made of light. Okay, what next? He had no weapon, and his strength stat was low. Even if he raised his stats, it wouldn't do much- it was only a waste for now. The creatures were getting closer.

Very distantly, he could see people fighting off the creatures with their fists. Keefe stared at them, trying to figure out what they were doing.

[Exclusive skill, Mimicking (Level 2) has been activated!]

[Activation time: 1 minute.]

Keefe didn't need to think, he just moved, and began to fight back, just like the person in the distance. He had some pretty good skills actually, they were really helping him survive. Even if the skill was activated for merely a minute, that minute was enough to get him to survive.

By the time the minute was over, many of the creatures had been knocked down. It wasn't permanent, and there were still plenty coming after him, but he no longer needed to fight.

Slash! Crunch!

The horde of creatures in front of him was mowed down effortlessly. The air around him grew darker and colder, and Keefe fought back a shiver. His stats were way too low for this, but he'd have to do his best.

"Who are you?" A deep voice asked. The last of the creatures fell, and now he could see the owner of the voice properly.

Keefe recognized him in a heartbeat. Black hair, dark eyes, black clothing, black shadows emanating from him. How could he not know?

[The skill, Character Summary has been activated!]

[There is too much information about the character. The summary will be reduced to show only the necessary contents.]

◇◇◇◇◇

[Character Summary]

Name: Tam Dai Song.

Pronouns: He/him.

Constellation Support: ???

Attribute(s): Regressor (3rd turn) (Myth), Professional Photographer (Rare).

Skill(s): Shadow Manipulation (Level 7), Shadow Reading (Level 7), Hand to Hand Combat (Level 5), Weapons Training (Level 4), Mental Barrier (Level 3), Lie Detection (Level 3)...

◇◇◇◇◇

The skills kept going on and on and he was interrupted by tendrils of shadow that grabbed his arms and legs. The shadows held him off the bridge.

"How are you alive?" The man- the protagonist- Tam Song asked, his dark eyes narrowed as he sized him up. "What is your name?"

"Keefe Sencen," he said coolly.

The shadows squeezed slightly. To a normal person, this would hurt a lot more, but Keefe had upgraded his stamina.

"You've already figured out how to use coins. Most people I've talked to weren't even aware of the stats yet."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Keefe asked, frustrated with the man who was holding him off a bridge. "Clearly you have too."

"Shut up." The shadows squeezed even tighter, and Keefe was once again reminded of how much of an *ss Tam Song was. "I'm the one asking questions."

Keefe wanted to say something back, but kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to be dropped. He knew that if Tam felt like it, he'd do it. Keefe knew exactly what he was capable of, after all the trauma of going through a regression three times. Lifetime after lifetime of going through the same apocalypse- no wonder why he was so wary. He'd already lost a lot of his sense of morality.

"Is that understood?"

Keefe sighed, annoyed. "Y'know, Tam, you should be more polite. Haven't you ever been told to respect your elders? Where are your manners?"

Keefe didn't acknowledge the fact that he was only older by a few months.

"You know me?" Tam asked. He hadn't seemed relaxed earlier, but he was definitely tense now. "Explain."

"You're a photographer. You're pretty famous in your field. I'm a fan of yours, though, your attitude could use some work."

[The character, Tam Song has used the skill Lie Detection (Level 3).]

[Lie Detection has verified that you are telling the truth.]

He was a fan of Tam, that wasn't a lie. Tam was the protagonist of his favourite webcomic, and Keefe had rooted for him throughout the entirety of the comic. He'd been mad and frustrated and upset and disappointed in him, but he was still a fan nonetheless.

Tam hummed thoughtfully. "I haven't heard anyone say they were a fan of mine in a long time." His eyes softened ever so softly. "I'll ignore your insults this time. I have another question. Were you from car 3707? And how did you survive?"

That question made sense. Tam had done this before, he was already familiar with the future. So to see Keefe, and so many others alive when most were destined to die, naturally, he'd be suspicious.

"Are you going to kill me?"

Tam looked amused. "We'll see."

Amused? What was he thinking?

[The skill, Empathy (Level 5) has been activated!]

Wait, another skill? He could feel a variety of feelings within his heart, but there were too many for him to recognize. Was this what he was feeling in the subway?

"There was a kid with grasshoppers and eggs. I gave everyone an insect so we could all live," Keefe explained, ignoring the emotions.

[The character, Tam Song has used the skill Lie Detection (Level 3).]

[Lie Detection has verified that you are telling the truth.]

"So you were the one responsible for their survival. Interesting. Also interesting that despite everything going on, you're taking it all pretty well."

Shock, suspicion, but also a little guilt? That couldn't be right. Tam's expression changed, and the emotion was gone. He wondered if Tam suspected him to be a fellow regressor.

"Are you done?" Keefe asked, impatient. "Y'know the scenario is still counting down. Can we travel the bridge together, it requires even numbers."

Keefe was slowly set back down on the bridge. Tam stared at him warily. Keefe didn't really do much, it wasn't like he'd killed anyone to warrant so much suspicion. They crossed the light bridge, but the area they needed to reach for the scenario to end was mere meters away.

"Don't move."

Keefe froze at the order. "Ugh, what now?"

"You still haven't explained why you're so calm about this."

"I could literally say the same for you." Obviously, he already knew the answer, but Tam was seriously annoying him.

The air around him grew really cold, Tam's shadows moving towards him- not tendrils, but a whole blanket this time.

Was this a shadow reading? Tam used that to learn about his opponent's information, and it also gave a warning as to how Evil they were. Keefe gasped as the shadows engulfed him.

He didn't really like it, but if Tam could figure out what his attribute was, Keefe could figure out what it was from him.

[The skill, The Fourth Wall has detected the use of Shadow Reading!]

[The skill, The Fourth Wall has blocked the use of Shadow Reading!]

Before he could wonder how many skills he had, a blue flash blinded him, and banished the shadows, forcing them to retreat back towards Tam. Wait what? He had a skill that could counter Shadow Reading? That was almost impossible!

The emotions he felt turned to shock and anger, and he could sense something bitter and sad underneath the other emotions.

"Who are you?"

The only other person who had been able to counter Shadow Reading was a Prophet, and there had only been one Prophet as far as Keefe knew. Unfortunately, Tam didn't really like Prophets. They were able to see the future, and the Prophet often acted against him in KOTLC. Tam would be suspicious if he didn't say anything, but if he said too much, he'd be at risk of exposing the existence of KOTLC.

"Hey, Tam, I know the future, even better than you do.]

[The character, Tam Song has used the skill Lie Detection (Level 3).]

[Lie Detection has verified that you are telling the truth.]

"What?" Those shadow tendrils gripped his limbs again, holding him off the bridge. "So did you know I'd be here?"

"Yeah, I did. That's why the future that you're currently familiar with has changed. I used my knowledge to save those people on the subway. I could help you too. Your knowledge is kinda faulty, y'know?"

Tam gained his knowledge of the future by going through the apocalypse multiple times. His stigma, Regression, made it so that whenever he died, everything would revert back to the beginning. So with his knowledge, he'd go through the apocalypse again, and again and again and again. But he was only in the third regression, so his knowledge was limited.

"Tam Song, make me your companion," Keefe declared. "I'll make sure that you can pass the 46th scenario, you know you can't do it alone."

The countdown until the end of the scenario was at a minute. Tam stood still, considering. "Fine. As long as you can pass this test."

Based on the emotions Keefe could feel, he knew that this test wouldn't be easy. How much more information would he have to reveal? His Empathy skill wore off, which only made things worse.

"If you're a Prophet, you know what your future will be like. So, tell me this. Will I drop you, yes or no?"

Oh, was this what the test was? F*ck him.

Keefe looked down, and he could see one of the sea serpents. Only twenty seconds remained.

Keefe smirked. "Oh, f*ck off, Bangs Boy. When I come back, you better use your manners."

The internal nickname he had created for Tam a decade ago slipped out easily. (Was it immature? Yeah, definitely, but it made him seem significantly less intimidating.)

The shadows that had been holding him let go. Tam smiled, an odd but beautiful thing, considering who he was.

*sshole.

"I believe you. I'll see you soon, Prophet."

There was a loud roar as Keefe was swallowed by the sea serpent.

[You have failed to clear the scenario.]

[The constellation, One Who Seeks The End is disappointed with your rash remarks to the incarnation Tam Song.]

He wasn't dead when he landed, nor did the dokkaebi kill him for failing to complete the scenario. Not all penalties for failure were death, and Keefe was easily able to manipulate the situation so he didn't have to pay anything at all.

Tam was a jerk for dropping him, but it was a test of strength. If he could survive, maybe he'd be a worthy companion. And Keefe would prove it, he'd prove that he was a worthy companion.

•~•~•~•~•~•

It took Keefe four days to escape the sea serpent. It could have been shorter, but instead of choosing to merely escape, he decided to kill the serpent by using thorns to pierce it to death. With his display of competence, he was able to scam the dokkaebi. It was fun doing so, he hadn't been able to pull off that many pranks recently, so it was good to see that he was still capable of getting away with what he wanted.

When he reached, the air was tinted purple, signifying that the air was toxic. He quickly scavenged for supplies, and right before he was ready to make his way underground, he heard a voice.

"Help… me…"

Keefe moved to the voice calling for help, and found a person laying on the ground, their pale skin covered in cuts, and the poisonous air was not helping. He picked them up and made his way underground. He activated character summary.

◇◇◇◇◇

[Character Summary]

Name: Marella Adene Redek.

Pronouns: He/she.

Age: 23.

Constellation Support: Creator Of The Eternal Flame.

Attribute: Crouching Figure (Common)

Skill(s): Pyrokinesis (Level 2), Hand to Hand Combat (Level 1)

Stigma(s): Everblaze.

Overall Stats: Stamina (Level 7), Strength (Level 6), Agility (Level 9), Magic Power (Level 4).

Overall Evaluation: At the moment, he's weakened, but he has the potential to grow stronger. She could potentially be a useful companion.

◇◇◇◇◇

Marella Redek, huh? Keefe had never seen her before, though she could easily have been a background character who had been destined to die. Keefe carried Marella with him, and rested with one of the groups that was staying underground.

"Oh, have you brought food for us?" Someone asked. "How sweet."

It wasn't much food, and Keefe had been planning to save it for himself and maybe Fitz and Dex, depending on whether he could find them or not. But people were already gathered around him, staring at what he had on him. If he denied them food, he'd appear to be a villain hoarding food.

He took a proper look at the person who asked about the food. He couldn't remember his name, but recognized him as a minor antagonist in KOTLC. He and his group hoarded food, and using his Incite skill, he was able to convince the other people that his group wasn't the problem.

Well damn, Keefe didn't really want to deal with these people. Tam during his regressions had often killed off the group, and honestly, Keefe couldn't blame him. The group would commit so many atrocities, it made him uncomfortable.

In the end, he managed to make a deal that he'd give them food as long as they paid him. He actually managed to find Fitz and Dex again, and even Biana was there. He set Marella down on a bench so he could rest.

"I'm so glad that Tam Song was right," Fitz sighed in relief, hugging Keefe tightly.

"Isn't it strange that the person who told you Keefe was okay also happens to be the person who had last seen Keefe before his disappearance?" Biana asked.

"Where'd Tam go?" Keefe asked.

"He left that way, to one of the other stations," Dex replied. "Who exactly is he, anyway? Do you know him?"

Keefe shrugged. "Kinda." He chose not to confirm Biana's suspicions, because it would only do more harm long term.

The four of them rested there, and watched over Marella until she finally woke up again.

"Thanks for saving me," she said to him.

"It was the least I could do."

"That group. They left me to die, did you know that?" She announced once when the five of them were hunting for food. "I was helping them and then they f*cking turned on me and tried to kill me. I only barely escaped, and only survived because he found me."

Biana winced. "God damn, I knew they seemed shady."

"They kill people and take their coins, that's how they get stronger."

"What are we… what are we supposed to do?" Dex asked.

"I don't know about you, but I plan to end them. They're only going to hurt more people, and it's not like I don't have blood on my hands. Rather theirs than the blood of innocents."

Fitz looked mildly horrified, but understanding. "Are you… are we strong enough to do this?"

"Isn't it better if we try?" Biana asked. "We've gathered coins of our own by hunting. And I don't know about you, but I've had constellations giving me coins, they're looking forward to a fight." She fidgeted with the makeshift sword that they'd made out of bones.

"I still can't believe that all this is happening," Dex said. "I mean, this apocalypse, having to kill. It's terrifying. I don't… I don't want to start enjoying murdering people. I don't want to become a bad person."

"Hate to break it to you Dex, but most people down here are murderers," Keefe pointed out. "We got lucky by finding insects, but the others, they've already committed murder. I'm fine with going after the group, but are the rest of you?"

Fitz and Dex looked at each other, then nodded. None of them, not even Keefe, was excited for a bloody fight like the one that was going to happen, but it was only the beginning of something worse. They'd never be able to get away without blood on their hands.

When they arrived back at the group, they prepared themselves for a fight.

"Oh, is this for the people, how nice," the leader of the group said.

"It's not for you," Marella said through gritted teeth.

The leader's sweet smile turned sickening. "What?"

"You leave innocent people to die. Do you think I want to give anything to you?" She asked.

[The constellation, One Who Seeks The End agrees with incarnation Marella Redek.]

[The constellation, Creator Of The Eternal Flame thinks that people like them are cowards.]

[The constellation, Ghost In The Darkness hopes that the group is taught a lesson.]

[The attribute of character Marella Redek is blossoming.]

A faint glow could be seen around Marella.

[The attribute of Marella Redek has blossomed to Enforcer of Justice (Hero).]

[The character Marella Redek has activated the skill Hour of Judgement.]

[The Absolute Good constellations agree with the judgement.]

[Hour of Judgement has been activated.]

Within seconds, there was fire. Marella didn't even need to use his sword, with a wave of his arms the flames spread, burning the people. He was careful enough to make sure that the innocents would not be harmed. With his skill, his power was amplified significantly, turning the battle into one that was clearly one-sided.

By the end of it, Marella was on his knees, staring blankly at a wall. Keefe understood him. As cathartic as fighting them was, it didn't erase the fact that people had just been killed.

"Hey," Keefe murmured to him, not knowing what else to say. Reading KOTLC made him used to the death and destruction in the world. "We've got more people to save."

He wondered where his humor was, and if he could use it to lighten up the situation. But even if it'd help him, something like this wasn't something to be joked about so easily. Maybe later, when it was over, they'd be able to look back and joke about it.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Their next stop was at the next subway station, where they were greeted by someone with long black hair and dark eyes similar to the protagonist.

◇◇◇◇◇

[Character Summary]

Name: Linh Hai Song.

Pronouns: Ve/ver.

Age: 24.

Constellation Support: Lady Of The Darkest Depths.

Attribute(s): One Of Many Floods (Rare).

Skill(s): Hydrokinesis (Level 2), Diverse Communication (Level 3).

Stigma(s): Great Wave (Level 3).

Overall Stats: Stamina (Level 8), Strength (Level 6), Agility (Level 7), Magic Power (Level 12).

Overall Evaluation: A kind-hearted person responsible for the suffering of so many. Ve has the potential to grow much stronger, if only ve could face ver trauma.

◇◇◇◇◇

Linh Song, huh? Sometimes, Keefe wondered how Tam and Linh ended up being twins, considering how different they acted.

"Hey, your brother's Tam, right?" Keefe asked ver.

Linh looked at him, ver head tilted. "How do you know him?"

"Tell him that his companion is here. He'll know."

Ve looked skeptical. "I'm not sure who he'd know that I wouldn't, but I'll go find him. Don't go anywhere."

"Companion?" Biana asked. "If he's your companion, why didn't he join us earlier?"

"He's just like that," Keefe replied. "He thinks he's a lone wolf, or some crap like that."

"His sibling's pretty sweet," Marella pointed out. "I haven't met this Tam guy you've mentioned a few times, but he kinda sounds like an *ss. Who knew Linh could be his sibling? Then again, I'll be meeting the guy soon. We'll see what he's like."

While the others sat down to relax a little, Keefe went on his phone to read more of KOTLC.

"What did the rest of you do before all this started?" Dex asked. "I mainly did programming and was teaching myself about technology."

"Fitzy and I worked at a coffee shop,"Keefe answered.

"I was going into dancing," Biana said. "Was planning to go pro."

"Nice. I'm pretty bad at dancing," Marella said. "I was job hunting, not really sure what I wanted to do."

"Yeah," Fitz agreed. "I had no idea what I wanted to do in the future. I think our skills kinda match who we are as people, so what brought out the pyrokinesis?"

"Oh, that? I just like fire."

"That's fair, even though I'm not really a fan."

"Hey, I'm back!" Linh said. Beside ver was Tam, and the contrast between the two was striking.

"You're here," Tam said. "I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

"Did you miss me?" Keefe asked.

Tam rolled his eyes. "Not really."

"Hey, I'll be back. I'm gonna go talk with Tam!"

Before Tam could react, Keefe grabbed his arm and started pulling him away so they could talk privately. Tam looked down at where Keefe was still holding his arm, and Keefe let go.

"You haven't told Linh about your regressions, haven't you." It wasn't a question.

"Does that matter to you?" Tam asked.

"You should tell ver. You know ve'll trust you, that's what happened in your last regression."

"How much do you know about me?"

Keefe shrugged. "Enough to make it to the end."

[The character, Tam Song has used the skill Lie Detection (Level 3).]

[Lie Detection has verified that you are telling the truth.]

"C'mon Bangs Boy, you still doubt that I know the future? I'm your companion now. You should listen to your elders."

"I haven't called you my companion yet."

Jerk. "I passed your stupid test, haven't I?"

In reality, he wasn't too surprised by what Tam had said. Being Tam's companion was a big deal, one that very few people had managed to achieve throughout the entire time of KOTLC. If Tam had already considered him a companion now, things would be way too easy. But still, the fact that Tam stayed silent was irritating.

"Telling ver about my regressions doesn't really help me."

Keefe understood why he'd made the choice to keep his stigma hidden. He'd already watched Linh die twice in his previous two regressions, and he'd been broken both times. He didn't want to risk being too close to ver again, in case something happened to ver. Considering that it was only his third regression, something would happen, and Keefe was going to prevent it.

[The constellation, Creator Of The Eternal Flame is curious as to what secrets the two incarnations are hiding that the stream is being censored.]

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths is wondering if there's something her incarnation Linh Song should know about.]

Since the constellations were always able to keep watch over the incarnations, the dokkaebi had to find a way to entertain them. If the constellations knew that they were already familiar with the future, it'd ruin the surprise of what was to come. So censoring was the only thing they could do to keep the information hidden, until it was time to make the reveal. But they couldn't censor the entire conversation, otherwise that'd be too irritating.

"You're going to the Theatre Dungeon, right?" Keefe asked, knowing that he probably wouldn't tell Linh about his regressions. "Try not to die."

Tam looked at him blankly. "I'm already aware of what goes on there. Don't fall behind, Prophet."

"I won't! Don't be worried!"

He went to tell Linh where he was going, then left.

"Yep," Marella said. "Seems like a jerk, but well, he could have been worse, I guess. Nothing that can't be fixed with time."

"He wears a lot of black," Biana pointed out. "It's summer, why is he wearing a black turtleneck and a trenchcoat?"

The outfit definitely made him look like a protagonist though. But considering his regressions always started with him wearing that outfit, it meant that he'd been wearing it before the apocalypse. Which was a little weird. Well, he supposed he couldn't judge that much, though his fashion choice was very deliberate.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Tam didn't die in the Theatre Dungeon, as Keefe had expected. He'd been a little worried, because the boss there specialized in mental attacks, which was Tam's greatest weakness.

They weren't quite allies yet, but they hadn't yet been in direct opposition when it came to the third, or even the beginning of the fourth scenario. Even when their station had been attacked by a group called the Apostles, they were able to fend them off.

The Apostles were really strong actually, stronger than any normal incarnation should have been. When Keefe used Character Summary on them, he noticed that they weren't even characters. So how had they gotten so strong so quickly?

Tam had slain the last of the Apostles- but it seemed like it wasn't over. The rest of the body wasn't moving, but the head did, twisting unnaturally.

"Tam Song, I'm sorry to have attacked your station, but I needed your attention. I know the future, and I want us to become companions. You'll need me for the 46th scenario."

Keefe glared at the head, because what the hell was that about? That was what he had said! So who was this person that they could just come in and try and become companions with Tam Song just like that? And why single out Tam like that- how did they even know what Tam's name was? They weren't a Prophet, but still knew the future-

No way. Then again… he hadn't been the only one to originally have read KOTLC. He was just the only reader for a long time, but other people had read the beginning. Keefe would have never expected that there were other readers of KOTLC still alive.

"You're telling the truth. But this isn't your true body. Come back with your true body and then we'll talk."

"Before you kill this body, I want to warn you to watch out for them," they pointed at Keefe. "They might get you killed."

"We'll see." With that, Tam stepped on the head, watching as it faded into blue sparks.

"Are you going to recruit them?" Keefe asked.

"Does it bother you if I do?" Tam asked, looking amused again. "Their sponsor is Moonlark That Soars Through The Sky."

"What?" Moonlark That Soars Through The Sky? As in, the moonlark? One of the most powerful constellations? One that rarely ever sponsored an incarnation?

Tam would have never actually truly seen the Moonlark at full power, not until a later regression, but he would've seen a glimpse of it during his previous one.

"You couldn't even foresee that, despite being a Prophet?" Tam asked. "Maybe they're right, maybe joining with them will be more favourable to me. After all, I don't even know who your sponsor is."

[The skill, Empathy (Level 5) has been activated.]

Keefe wished that his skill was something better- like telepathy. Having telepathy would have made his life so much easier. Instead of reading emotions, he would've been able to read Tam's thoughts, and actually figure out what he was planning. But he'd have to do with what he had.

Tam didn't seem frustrated with him at all, there was no anger, just amusement. What was so amusing?

"I'll see you again at the Throne, Prophet," Tam said, leaving the station to gain more power.

Keefe, Fitz, Biana and Dex left to go explore the other stations, while Linh and Marella stayed behind to look after the people. If there was another attack on their station, those two would handle it.

One of the rewards for clearing a sub-scenario was the Attribute, King of No Killing. Keefe grinned, he got exactly what he'd needed. After finding some more weapons for his companions, they made their way back.

The scenario to take the Throne would start soon. Ruling the Throne meant that you'd have absolute power over everyone in the city. It was a useful power that made progressing through the next few scenarios a lot easier. However, that power came from borrowing the power of an Outer God, and once that happened, you were stuck in a contract, and Outer Gods were even more dangerous than constellations. Keefe also didn't want to be stuck forced to obey Tam.

"Hey, Marella," Keefe put a hand on his shoulder. "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" He asked once they were alone.

"Okay. So I actually know the future."

He narrowed his eyes. "You know the future?"

He nodded, wondering if he was making the right decision. "Uh, yeah."

"Is that why you've been so calm?"

"Yeah."

"And do the others know?"

"Nope."

"Then why tell me?"

"I need your help. You're not going to like what I want to ask you."

He leaned close to his ear, and whispered quietly so none of the constellations watching could hear.

Marella shoved him, his face red with fury. "What- but I like- hell no!"

"It's only a temporary thing, you don't even have to do it for real, you could ask if you want and make it look like an act. I just need a distraction."

Marella raised an eyebrow. "Y'know, that's a really sh*tty thing to do. You know that, right?"

Keefe nodded. "I know, I'm not an idiot. It's the only way though."

"And you asked me because you know nobody else would be willing to do it." He sighed. "Fine, I'll do it. Better make it worth it. I'm trusting you."

"Thanks." He felt dread within him, wondering if he warranted that trust.

•~•~•~•~•~•

The battle for the Throne was a battle between Kings- candidates to rule the Throne. There were five of them who could advance to the final round. In order to decide the candidates, a bunch of conditions had to be met.

"Hey. Do you want to partner up with me and make sure the other Kings don't take the Throne?"

There was a voice in his head, and he looked around, wondering who it was. It seemed to be the Telepathy skill, but he wasn't sure who owned it.

"I'm hiding in the back. Woman with blonde hair, red sweater. Do you see me?"

He looked around and saw her staring right at him. "Yeah," he thought. "I see you."

He activated character summary.

[This person has not been registered in the Character List. Their information cannot be read.]

Was that a real person then?

"Hey," he thought, hoping the other person could hear. "Why ask me, not someone else?"

"The others are blindly fighting, you and the other guy in black are the only ones staying back. You look strong."

Telepathy was normally a skill gifted by a constellation. He could think of a few that were capable of it, but he wondered who her sponsor was.

[The skill, The Fourth Wall has detected the use of Mind Reading!]

[The skill, The Fourth Wall has blocked the use of Mind Reading!]

Just like when Tam had tried to use Shadow Reading on him, there were blue sparks around him, and he could see that the woman had flinched, gripping her head as if she were in pain.

"What was that about?" He asked.

[The skill, Empathy (Level 5) has been activated.]

"Sorry… I wanted to confirm that you were being sincere. There are too many people who want to see the world ruined. My name's Sophie Foster."

Well, she did seem sincere as far as he could tell. Sincere, but also annoyed. Then again, if he had a detection skill that had been blocked, he'd be annoyed too.

"I'm Keefe."

Once the fighting began to slow down, Keefe and Sophie joined in. Keefe avoided killing, instead choosing to leave them unable to fight. Sophie also somewhat did the same, but she wasn't as careful as he was. He noticed that the people that she had killed happened to be some of the more villainous of the characters in KOTLC.

It was a little odd as to how precise she was being, as if she knew exactly what she was doing. When her sword nearly hit Tam, she quickly pulled back, nearly getting herself killed in the process. Almost as if she knew that hitting Tam was a bad idea.

Keefe kept on guard, but just as his Empathy had told him, she was being sincere, and even saved him from getting injured on one occasion.

Eventually, the number of Kings eligible for the Throne was narrowed down to five. Him, Tam, Sophie, and two other people.

The area around him began to shift, bright lights flashing until the area was turned into an arena.

["All you have to do now is continue fighting. However, here's the catch. All skills and stigmas will be blocked, and all stats will be reduced to 10 each, until the ruler has been decided. Last one left standing gets to rule the Throne,"] the dokkaebi said.

Keefe lunged, quickly going for Sophie's flag- the object that every King required in order to become a King. Even if she knew what she was doing, he couldn't allow her to take the Throne. He sighed in relief when he stole the flag.

"Sorry, Foster," he said unapologetically, looking away from her wide eyes. "I can't truly trust an Apostle."

"You… you knew?" She asked.

He nodded, then turned away.

"I think I was wrong about you. Your skill that blocked my Mind Reading worries me, but you want to save the world, just as I do, right?"

"Maybe you aren't so bad, Foster."

[Incarnation, Sophie Foster has been disqualified.]

Soon enough, the other two Kings that Tam had been fighting had been knocked out. Tam turned towards him.

"So, Prophet, you're here. It's a matter of skill now. I'll be the one to take the Throne."

Keefe grinned, feeling a little bad for what he was about to do. "We'll see about that, Bangs Boy."

Tam sighed. "Is the immature nickname necessary? Well, it doesn't matter now."

Tam charged forward, and their swords clashed. At first, they seemed to be on relatively equal ground, parrying each others' attacks well. But Keefe knew that as the protagonist, Tam would surpass Keefe easily. He had the skill and the experience to do so.

"Marella! Now!" He yelled.

"Hey! Tam!" Marella called out.

Tam, skilled as he was, looked at her without being distracted from the fight. Marella looked apologetic as she grabbed Linh with one hand, and put a hand near ver neck with the other. The hand at ver neck began to grow flames.

[The constellation, One Who Seeks The End is impressed, but thinks you are a coward.]

[The constellation, Ghost In The Darkness is shocked by your actions.]

[The constellation, Creator Of The Eternal Flame says that you are more ruthless than he had anticipated.]

[500 coins have been sponsored.]

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths is outraged.]

"Give up the fight!" She said, "And I'll spare Linh!"

[The skill, Empathy (Level 5) has been activated.]

There wasn't really any fear coming from Linh, meaning that Marella had told ver about his plan. Well, he told her that she'd be allowed to. It was a little surprising that ve was going through with it though.

For once, Tam had frozen. There was nothing coming from him. Keefe quickly dashed towards him.

"You…" Keefe could feel murderous rage, but before Tam could do anything to stop him, Keefe grabbed the flag from his pocket.

[Incarnation, Tam Song has been disqualified.]

Despite having been disqualified, Tam swung his sword at Keefe, nearly slicing his arm off. "Keefe Sencen, I swear, I'll kill you. Why did I let you live?"

"Hey! If you hurt me, Linh'll be hurt. Do you want that?" He felt bad for doing this, but it wasn't like he had a choice.

"Set ver free," he ordered, his face twisted into a fierce scowl. But he knew that fighting more would only make him lose.

He slowly backed away, his arms raised up, showing that he truly was surrendering. Marella let Linh free.

The expression on his face was one that Keefe was very familiar with in KOTLC, compared to the intrigued, amused looks that he'd been receiving more and more recently.

Rage and bitterness, he'd been expecting to feel. There was something else there that he wasn't expecting… sorrow? Heartbreak? Betrayal? He seemed genuinely sad.

["What are you doing, just standing there. Go take the Throne, before I destroy it."]

Keefe shrugged, and walked up to the Throne, taking a good look at it. "Go ahead."

["What?"]

With one of the swords that he'd found, Keefe stabbed the centre of the Throne, again and again, until the Throne began to crack, then exploded.

["You… how dare you! I hope you regret that decision."]

Keefe was surrounded by yellow light, and suddenly, he was teleported somewhere else.

•~•~•~•~•~•

The first person who he met up with after being separated from his companions was Sophie.

"I don't understand you," Sophie said. "I mean, you clearly broke the Throne for a reason. You seem to know the future just like I do, but why can't I detect anything? One of my attributes allows me to detect the people who have read KOTLC."

"It might be my skill," he would have been hesitant to reveal that, but Sophie hadn't tried to kill him again, so he figured that she could be trusted. "It was able to block Shadow Reading, and your Mind Reading."

"That's so weird. How much of it have you read?"

Keefe hummed, considering whether or not he should tell her. "The entire thing."

Her eyes widened. "You read the entire thing!? How? I quit after the first hundred chapters! The story and art was really bad. I'm not one to brag, but even I could do better."

Keefe winced, not liking how she insulted KOTLC. She… wasn't wrong… the art style was kind of bad. The story was a little all over the place, the world building inconsistent. But it was still his favourite story. One that had gotten him through the worst of his life.

Sophie must have realized she was being rude, because she continued. "It probably got better, if the story went on for so long. The creator would have gotten better with art. Maybe I should've been more patient. So, what's your plan now? How do you plan to stop the Disaster?"

The Disaster was the enemy of the fifth scenario. A great being capable of killing everyone in the city easily- the Disaster of Floods.

"We've got to find our companions."

"Our?" Sophie asked. "I didn't know I was included."

"You don't have to be. But you'd be a great help. A second opinion, plus, your sponsor is really powerful."

"I was really surprised when I got the offer from them," Sophie said. "I feel like what happened during the first scenario for me was kinda average. And- oh crap!"

They were about to turn a corner when Sophie pulled him back.

"Woah, what is- oh."

Tam Song was walking right there. If Tam had seen Keefe, who knew what his reaction would be.

"I'm going to try and read his mind," Sophie whispered.

He nodded.

She closed her eyes, then opened them a moment later. "I heard your name. His Mental Barrier skill is high enough that he'll know if I pry more."

Keefe looked at him again. He was staggering, and his face looked bruised, as if he'd been injured. What happened to him? Tam walked to the wall that was right around the corner from them, and sat down, leaning back against it.

This was bad if Tam was resting like this. Really bad.

Keefe opened up the shop, and used some of his coins to buy the item Midday Tryst.

[You have used the Midday Tryst.]

[You are seeking consent from the target.]

[The target has agreed to communicate with you. The Midday Tryst has started.]

[Keefe: <Hey, Bangs Boy, can you hear me?>]

Midday Tryst was an item that allowed for private communication. It was worse than skills like Telepathy, but it was cheaper and did the job good enough

[Tam: <Where are you?>]

[Keefe: <Are you going to kill me?>]

[Tam: <It depends. Is Linh safe?>]

[Keefe: <Marella wouldn't have killed ver, I can promise that much. If I had to guess where ve is now, I'd say the aquarium.>]

[Tam: <If you had no intention of killing ver, then… maybe I won't kill you just yet. But… ve's at the aquarium?>]

Keefe knew why he sounded tense at that news. After all, the aquarium was the place where Linh had received ver trauma.

[Keefe: <What happened to you, anyways? You look like you were beat up.>]

[Tam: <So you are nearby. I… was poisoned.>]

"What's going on?" Sophie asked with telepathy.

"He's been poisoned."

Keefe considered what he'd do next, then bought a few items from the shop again. Slowly, he turned the corner, and moved to kneel down in front of Tam. Using the knowledge he had from KOTLC, he pulled out the magic stove he'd found earlier and began cooking. He mixed in the items that he'd bought, and prepared the soup.

"Hey, you should drink up," Keefe said, and slowly began to feed him.

Tam stared at him blankly. [Tam: <I can feed myself.>]

Keefe raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't be communicating with Midday Tryst still if that was true. So, why here?"

Why come to me? was the question left unsaid.

[Tam: <You're the Prophet, you should know. But fine. You broke the Throne because you didn't want to borrow the power of the Outer God tied to it, right? I wouldn't have thought of that, but it makes sense. Even if I still dislike you, you clearly know what you're doing.>]

"Glad you have a little faith in me, Bangs Boy."

[Tam: <Where did that nickname even come from?>]

Keefe laughed. "Oh, don't worry about it. Just rest up."

•~•~•~•~•~•

With Sophie and Fitz's telepathy, the rest of the group was able to find each other. It was a good thing, because they'd need lots of power to deal with the Disaster of Floods.

On the day that they were planning to fight the Disaster though, Tam wasn't there.

[Keefe: <Bangs Boy, where are you?>]

[Keefe: <Where did you go?>]

[Keefe: <Seriously, where are you?>]

When there was no answer, Keefe felt uneasy.

[Keefe: <Bangs Boy, please tell me you aren't…>]

[Tam: <Shut up, I'm trying to concentrate.>]

No, he couldn't be. That idiot, did he think he was going to be able to deal with the Disaster all on his own?

"Everyone!" He called out, quickly preparing what he'd need. "We need to leave now. The Disaster is going to awaken."

Within minutes they were running, hoping that the Disaster hadn't awakened yet. When they arrived, the Disaster of Floods had just descended, and Tam stood there, waiting.

[Keefe: <Bangs Boy, watch out for the Disaster.>]

Tam didn't look back. [Tam: <The Disaster isn't going to kill me. Ve helped me in my previous regression.>]

"It can't be," Linh gasped, and Marella held ver so ve wouldn't fall.

In fact, the Disaster of Floods was also known as Linh Song. The only difference was that ve had come from Tam's 41st regression.

"Oh, brother," the Disaster greeted. "It's been such a long time. I'm finally able to meet you again!"

"It's my third regression, and I have a favour to ask of you."

The Disaster frowned, but ve still looked gentle. "Your third- not second? What happened last time?"

"The Prophet had betrayed me. Please Linh, is there any more information you can give me?"

The Disaster of Floods smiled sweetly. "Is that what you want from me? Is that all I am to you? Well, I can't say I'm surprised, considering what you did."

"I don't… I don't understand…" Linh said, moving closer to the Disaster. "What are you talking about?"

"You didn't even tell ver anything this time?" The Disaster asked. "You're going to leave ver in the dark?"

"Leave me in the dark about what?" Linh asked, then turned to ver brother. "Tam, I don't believe anything that the Disaster says, don't worry. I trust you."

The sweet, calm look that the Disaster had been wearing shattered. Keefe didn't even need to be an empath to feel the centuries worth of despair, anguish, rage and betrayal.

"Do you know what happened?" Ve screamed. "You see Dex, he was a companion of mine! He was one of my best friends! Do you know what Tam said about him when he died? He said that the future scenarios would be difficult without him. That's it! He didn't grieve or anything! And I still trusted him, even when we were the only two left! He sent me out of the worldline so I could gather information so I can give it to his previous regressions. And I did that, so I could see him again. But look where we are now.

"Tell me, brother. You asked me to fulfill a task that had taken a thousand years, and you still ask for more? I'm tired of what you've done to me and my companions! I won't let you use me anymore!" Ve lifted ver arms in the air, water swirling.

Keefe didn't think, he just acted, jumping in front of Tam just as the Disaster shot water out at him. The blow was so strong he was launched backwards, landing right in front of Tam.

"Hey!" Marella yelled. "What the hell are you even talking about?"

But to Keefe, her words were quiet as he focused on breathing. His breaths were shallow, each one hurting more than the last. His hand could barely move, but he managed to bring it to the wound, only to realize that there was a massive hole through his abdomen- completely torn apart by the water.

"Keefe?" Tam asked. "Keefe!"

[The skill, The Fourth Wall has offset some of the pain.]

Holy sh*t, was this what it felt like when the pain was offset? He probably would have instantly died without it.

"Keefe, why would you-"

"Hey Bangs Boy, didn't you swear that you'd kill me?"

"Yes, but-"

"Do it then. Right now. I'm going to die regardless." Keefe's voice was a mere rasp.

Tam's expression twisted into one that Keefe had never seen before. Why did he look so pained? "No, I won't. Tell me the ingredients needed to heal you."

"Tam, just kill me." His vision began to blur, and he could vaguely register Tam trying to stop the bleeding and keep him alive. Still, it was no use.

[You have died.]

[The privilege of the Attribute, King of No Killing has been activated.]

The world that had gone dark began to focus again. When he woke up though, he wasn't yet in his body, just a mere invisible spectator.

King of No Killing, it was an attribute that he had managed to obtain during the fourth scenario. As long as the user doesn't kill anyone that was the same species as them, they'd have the Attribute. Once they killed someone of the same species as them, the Attribute would be erased.

The other effect though, was that under the right conditions, by saving one hundred lives, the user would be granted an opportunity to revive. Additionally, when gaining the attribute, there was already a free revive. He hadn't really wanted to use the first revive like this, but he wasn't going to let Tam die.

Tam, after watching Keefe die, had stood up, and began fighting. He was ruthless and brutal, attacking relentlessly. He was a really good fighter, and no drawing in KOTLC would have been able to do him justice.

But the Disaster wasn't known for being a Disaster for no reason. Ve was just as strong, if not stronger.

"Are you mad?" The Disaster asked, frantic. "Are you actually upset at that guy's death? Who even are they? I've never seen them in my life!"

Tam glared at ver. "His name is Keefe Sencen, and he is my companion."

Wait, what?

[The constellation, One Who Seeks The End is shocked by incarnation Tam Song's words.]

[The constellation, Great Tinkerer is surprised that he only now says it.]

Ver face contorted with rage. "Companion? You call him a companion? Who is he that you call him a companion when the very people who loved you for years were worth nothing to you?"

Her attack nearly hit Tam straight in the chest, but was only stopped because the ball of water was launched back towards the Disaster.

"I still don't know what you're talking about," Linh began. "But I think that in the future, my brother hurt you. And maybe he'll hurt me in the future too. But I love and trust him, and I trust that whatever he's kept hidden from me was hidden for a reason that wasn't malicious. So I will not let you hurt him and the ones I love."

Ver arms moved and water swirled, similarly to what the Disaster had been doing.

"Do you think that you can kill me?" The Disaster asked. "I'm stronger than you. And you're still afraid. You're afraid that you'll lose control again, just like how you lost control in the aquarium and drowned hundreds of people during the first scenario."

Ve froze, fear on ver face. Then ve pursed ver lips, eyes gleaming with determination. "I did do that."

The other companions looked at ver with shock. Ve hadn't mentioned anything about how ve passed the first scenario, but none of them asked because the first scenario was traumatic for everyone.

"I did lose control, and I killed so many people. And you're right, I am still afraid. I'm terrified that I'll hurt them. But I also know that I would never be able to live with the guilt if I never even tried in the first place."

[The attribute of character Linh Song is blossoming.]

[The attribute of Linh Song has blossomed to One Who Controls The Floods (Hero).]

Linh didn't move on the offensive, but ve made sure to do as much as ve could to deflect the attacks. The others fought too, Marella's stigma, Everblaze burned white hot, creating opportunities for the others to attack. Keefe watched it all happen, waiting for when he could finally be brought back into his body.

When the Disaster was knocked down, unable to fight any longer, Tam stood over ver.

"You don't have to do anything for me anymore. You can rest," he said, then stabbed the Disaster. Ve faded away into tiny blue particles.

In reality, killing the Disaster didn't mean that much. In the 41st regression, he'd still send ver through the worldlines, growing apathetic after forty one lifetimes of death and destruction. In the next regression, ve would once again strike as a Disaster. All the action meant was that this time, the ve would finally see an end to the years spent wandering.

He turned to Linh. "I'll tell you more about what ve said later."

Ve nodded. "All I want is for you to trust me as I do you."

Then finally, he was allowed back into his body, the wounds magically repairing themselves, just as his body was being delicately lifted by Tam.

"What…" Tam murmured.

Keefe opened his eyes. "So, companion, huh?" He smirked, but it felt a little wonky. Tam had called him a companion. Why?

So many different emotions appeared on Tam's face, each one lasting a mere moment. Finally, he settled on a scowl. "So you were alive all along?"

"C'mon, did you really think that I'm stupid enough to die despite knowing the future?

Tam didn't reply, just let him down and let go once he was able to walk. It was only when Tam had left with Linh that he realized that he could have used his empathy skill to figure out why he'd been acting like that.

•~•~•~•~•~•

After the Disaster of Floods incident, things seemed to have changed ever so slightly between him and Tam. It wasn't a big change, not at all, and they were still pretty hostile to each other. But they cooperated more, and worked through the scenarios together.

"Ooh, what's that smell?" Keefe asked, going up to Tam during one of his rare moments of downtime. "You gonna share?" He casually leaned an arm on his shoulder.

It was intended entirely as a joke, because he knew that Tam was a person who rarely shared what he cooked, unless it was with Linh.

Tam just shrugged him off. "Sit down quietly, and I'll consider it."

Keefe blinked at him. "Wait, seriously?"

"Do you want me to take back the offer?"

"Wait- no. I'll shut up." Keefe sat down quietly.

KOTLC had brought up on multiple occasions how Tam was good at cooking, and Keefe had always wanted to know how the food tasted. After he'd moved out from his dad's place, he never really had much good food, save for the times Fitz baked. Even then, they'd only been friends for a little while now.

Like the protagonist he was, Tam was just as skilled at cooking as he was fighting. It was interesting to see. He wondered if he would be able to convince Tam to give him tips (actually- he'd probably just ask Fitz and Biana, he was not going to ask Tam for help.)

He was interrupted from his thoughts by Tam clearing his throat. He held out a plate of food that looked better than anything he'd ever seen before.

"You were quiet," Tam said as an explanation, his voice oddly soft.

[The skill, Empathy (Level 6) has been activated.]

The emotions that he felt were nearly indecipherable. He was… tender? He tried to think of moments in KOTLC when he was gentle like this, but couldn't. What was this? Looking at him, he didn't see the man who would sacrifice his teammates as long as it meant he could reach the next scenario.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Tam asked.

Keefe blinked, realizing that he still hadn't taken the plate of food yet. Tam stood there expectantly, so he slowly took a bite of the food. And well, there were no words to describe it. If he were to draw this moment for a comic, there'd be pink shading and sparkles because it was just that good.

It must have been visibly obvious, because Tam looked almost smug.

"Don't say anything," Keefe said.

"I wasn't planning to."

•~•~•~•~•~•

"Ever since my brother told me about his… regressions," Linh said to Keefe when they were standing alone. "I've wanted to ask if you've known him in a previous one."

"I haven't met him before," Keefe told ver. "I am…" he tried to pick his words carefully. "I'm aware of his regressions, but I'd never met him before."

"Did you know about me then?" Ve asked.

Keefe nodded. "I did know who you were."

"How much do you know about me?"

"I… know more about your future than I do about your past."

"Can I ask something of you?"

"What is it?"

"Can you please protect Tam? I mean, I think I can trust you to do that, you protected him from the Disaster of Floods. I just want him to have a life that he can look back on and feel happy."

Keefe resisted the urge to purse his lips. While maybe not yet, but in the future, happy memories would become some of Tam's most traumatic ones. They'd become a reminder of just how many regressions he'd failed.

But as long as Keefe would allow it, there wouldn't be any more regressions after this one.

"I won't let him die." Without Tam, he'd never be able to reach the end. Not even because Tam was powerful, but because the impacts on the world after he regressed were unknown. It didn't seem to be time travel, so did that mean that each world that he left behind was erased.

[The constellation, One Who Seeks The End is confused as to your relationship with incarnation Tam Song.]

Keefe looked up at the stars watching down on them. "That's a surprise, can't go around spoiling you all yet."

[The constellation, Moonlark That Soars Through The Sky both agrees and is annoyed by your statement.]

•~•~•~•~•~•

"Why the hell is he here?" Keefe asked with a groan.

Tam looked just as pained as him, if not more. "Did he follow me from my previous regression?"

At the moment, the two of them were staring at a figure dressed in white, arms wide as he addressed the crowd. Keefe recognized him as Nirvana, an antagonist of KOTLC. Nirvana's whole thing was about embracing the present, which was a good thing, except that he forced people to do so by going into their minds and forcing people to relive their greatest trauma so they'd be forced to swear themselves to the present.

For a brief amount of time, Tam and him had been allies, until Tam had realized the truth, and then killed him. But Nirvana was a reincarnator, so similarly to Tam, he never really died. It was different from regression, because he'd simply be reborn. But still, Tam had stopped him from manipulating people.

It wasn't easy though, because Nirvana was the perfect counter to Tam. It'd take tremendous control to wake up from the nightmares that he'd bring upon you.

"Tam Song! There you are!" Nirvana said.

Tam took a step forward and moved in front of Keefe, his sword held in one hand, the other arm at his side, palm facing backwards.

"Stay back Keefe, his skill-"

"What is this?" Nirvana asked. "Not even a greeting? I know that last time we met things didn't go well, but that was the past. We can have a new present."

Tam glared at him. "I have no interest in allying with someone like you."

[The skill, Character Summary has been activated.]

[There is too much information about the character. The summary will be reduced to show only the necessary contents.]

◇◇◇◇◇

[Character Summary]

Name: Tam Dai Song.

Pronouns: He/him.

Constellation Support: ???

Attribute(s): Regressor (3rd turn) (Myth), Professional Photographer (Rare).

Skill(s): Shadow Manipulation (Level 8), Shadow Reading (Level 7), Hand to Hand Combat (Level 6), Weapons Training (Level 6), Mental Barrier (Level 5), Lie Detection (Level 4)...

◇◇◇◇◇

Damn, his Mental Barrier skill was only at level five? That wasn't enough.

"Tam-"

Nirvana moved at a speed Keefe didn't think was possible, and despite Tam trying to move out the way, Nirvana was able to move close enough to manipulate his mind.

[The character Nirvana has activated the stigma Eternal Nightmare (Level 8).]

Tam turned around to face Keefe, his eyes wide.

[Tam: <Run.>]

He fell to his knees, his hands trembling. His breaths turned erratic. Keefe had a feeling that if he activated Empathy, he wouldn't be able to handle what would come from the protagonist.

Keefe unscathed his own sword, moving to attack Nirvana. He was dangerous enough that he was willing to give up his King of No Killing attribute. Nirvana was strong, but his skill in physical combat wasn't the greatest. Just as he was about to cause a major injury, Nirvana used a skill that would allow him to flee, at the cost of a portion of his power. With that, the hold that he'd had on Tam vanished.

[Some constellations are impressed by your strength!]

[You have been sponsored 1,000 coins.]

[Some constellations believe that your strength is not something that is probable.]

Keefe resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the message. While some of the constellations had been looking after him, sponsoring coins, others disliked him.

Tam slowly stood up, his shaking legs the only indicator of the severe pain that he'd just been through. "Is he dead?"

Keefe shook his head. "He got away."

Tam looked irritated.

"Hey, don't look like that. You would've been dead without me."

He opened his mouth, then closed it. "We have to go after him."

Keefe shrugged. "Knowing him, he'll come back for us. We'll just have to wait for him."

"This regression turn is too different," Tam muttered.

[The skill, Empathy (Level 6) has been activated.]

His emotions were a lot harder to read, and not in the way that Keefe couldn't figure them out, but because he seemed a lot more closed off.

"Obviously it's different," Keefe scoffed, pitching his voice to be excessively annoying. "No regression turn's the same unless everything repeats. Anyone could have told you that. Alternate timelines, y'know, all that stuff from the movies and books? Literally anyone could have told you that things would change."

Tam glared at him. "That's not what I meant, and I'm sure you know that."

The irritation that came from him was a lot more familiar than the way he was closed off.

•~•~•~•~•~•

As Keefe had expected, Nirvana had struck back. He was fully prepared for it, because despite being calculating, he'd lose his sense of reasoning pretty easily, and a rejection from Tam was more than enough to do that. He seemed to have upgraded his physical combat skills a little bit, prepared for an actual fight.

But they needed to be cautious, because of his stigma Eternal Nightmare. Tam was physically stronger than he was, but more susceptible to its effect. But Keefe had a theory. It was risky, but if it worked, Nirvana would be taken down easily.

[Keefe: <Hey Bangs Boy, let me handle him. Just strike when you receive the signal.>]

[Tam: <Are you an idiot? You can't deal with him.>]

[Keefe: <Trust me, I'm a Prophet, am I not?>]

[Tam: <...fine.>]

Tam quickly retreated backwards, throwing Nirvana off balance, but he recovered easily. Still, it was enough for Keefe to land a blow.

[The character Nirvana has activated the stigma Eternal Nightmare (Level 9).]

[The skill, The Fourth Wall has blocked the use of Eternal Nightmare!]

[Keefe: <Now!>]

"W-what?"

In his moment of shock, Tam charged forward, stabbing Nirvana in the chest.

"I won't… I won't forgive you this time, Tam Song." His body eventually faded into blue sparks, where he'd eventually be reborn. But he'd be a baby, so they wouldn't have anything to worry about.

[The constellation, Moonlark That Soars Through The Sky is impressed by your mental strength.]

[Majority of constellations believe that such an action is improbable!]

[A huge fate is hoping for your death!]

Keefe blinked, not believing what he had just seen.

[A huge fate is hoping for your death!]

There it was again. What the f*ck. He'd been so used to some of the constellations helping out him and his companions, that he forgot that constellations were generally selfish. Maybe not all, but most of them used the incarnations for their own purpose, becoming involved so they could spread their stories and not be forgotten. But when an incarnation didn't do what the constellation had expected from them, then came the consequences.

(It reminded him of his parents, his father raising him to be the "ideal" son, placing too many expectations on him, but then being angry when he couldn't meet his standards. Or his mother, who had his life planned out entirely, wanting him to become someone he never wanted to be. He'd never been given a choice. Why was he never allowed to live out his life the way that he wanted to?)

"Hey Keefe, are you alright?" Fitz asked, gently holding his arms. He hadn't realized that his fists were clenched, his nails digging into his skin.

Tam, who had been busy upgrading his stats, turned to look at him.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Fitz asked.

"Yep! Don't worry about me!" Now how was he supposed to keep something like that hidden?

[The character, Tam Song has used the skill Lie Detection (Level 4).]

[Lie Detection has verified that you are telling a lie.]

"He's lying," Tam said with a glare.

"Okay, fine. I was reminded of some bad memories."

[The character, Tam Song has used the skill Lie Detection (Level 4).]

[Lie Detection has verified that you are telling the truth.]

"If there's something wrong," Fitz said. "You can come tell me, okay?"

Keefe plastered on one of his fake grins. "Of course."

•~•~•~•~•~•

Once Keefe was alone, he read through the messages again. The message had come on not once, but twice. That meant that whatever fate was to happen was more likely to happen in the near future. He should be getting the details of the fate sometime soon.

[The incarnation, Keefe Sencen will be killed by the person he loves most.]

[Upon completion of the prophecy, Keefe Sencen will be removed from the Scenarios.]

Removal from the Scenarios. It was a fate arguably worse than death, because it meant that methods of revival such as King of No Killing meant nothing, not when you were ejected from the Scenarios themselves.

Keefe sighed, what was he supposed to do about this?

•~•~•~•~•~•

Because the Star Stream- the stream that contained the world and all its scenarios- was nothing but annoying, he continuously received the message of his fate.

[The incarnation, Keefe Sencen will be killed by the person he loves most.]

He tried to familiarize himself with prophecies in KOTLC, but they rarely ever happened, because imposing a fate- especially one of death- costed a lot of probability. There had been the one time that Tam Song in his 274th regression had a fate of death casted upon him, but it didn't really matter, because he simply regressed, and he didn't have the additional point of being banished, because most of the constellations weren't aware that he couldn't die.

Him and his companions had just finished clearing the seventh scenario when the contents of the eighth one showed up.

◇◇◇◇◇

[Main Scenario #8- A Necessary Sacrifice]

Category: Main

Difficulty: S

Clear Conditions: It's believed that the incarnations of the area have grown too strong.

An incarnation within the top 20 must take on the role of the Demon King by wearing the crown.

Time Limit: 7 days.

Reward: ???

Penalty For Failure: Death

*There are additional clear conditions

◇◇◇◇◇

"Already?" Biana asked. "Didn't we just come out of one?"

"How many of these are there?" Dex asked. "Will there ever be an end to them?"

Keefe wanted to tell them that they'd end soon, except he knew that they wouldn't. They were still only in the beginning. Even he didn't know what the end would be like, it was supposed to be drawn in the epilogue. The latest chapter had ended with Tam about to start the final scenario.

He wondered what had happened to the author. They must have survived, since they were more familiar with the story than anyone else, but where were they now?

◇◇◇◇◇

Additional Clear Conditions (Pick One):

1. The death of the Demon King.

2. The deaths of fifteen incarnations within the top 20.

◇◇◇◇◇

"Wait, what is this?" Sophie asked. "This isn't the normal eighth scenario! There's no way the dokkaebi allowed for something like this!"

The dokkaebi who had been watching over them just shrugged, an innocent smile on its face. ["I'm not in the higher up department, don't complain to me. Besides, I think this will make things more fun, it's not fun when you're too strong."]

Keefe didn't pay attention to it though.

[The skill, Empathy (Level 6) has been activated.]

What he felt was similar to the time when Nirvana had escaped. But the face he made, along with the subtle way his shadows made him look a little darker reminded Keefe of something bad.

"Hey, Tam," Keefe said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I want to talk with you."

He didn't wait for a reply, he just pulled his arm and dragged him to a private place.

"What do you want?" Tam asked blankly.

"Don't you think you should focus more on the present?" Keefe asked him.

His eye twitched, and Keefe belatedly realized that it sounded vaguely similar to something Nirvana would have said.

"You're focusing too much on the future," Keefe continued. "Are you planning to just give up now?"

If his skill wasn't still active, he would have never been able to notice the surprise.

"Do you really think you can account for every little thing in the future? Do you think it's going to get better if you just try again? Do you think you can save the world by just sitting on your *ss and not thinking about the present?"

"This regression is an anomaly," Tam said calmly. "I can use this new info I have now to make things better next time."

"And you say that every time. Bangs Boy. It's not going to get better. Each regression you make will cause the deaths of thousands. Are you going to just let their lives be in vain?"

"I can save them next time. You've shown me that such a thing is possible."

It was Keefe's turn to be surprised. That was… more heroic than he'd been expecting.

"And when you fail hundreds and thousands of times, do you still think you'll be able to save those people? You'll eventually give up, just like how you'd given up on the people in your subway car. You know, the people you blew up? Can that be called saving the world anymore when there's no people to live on?"

Rage, despair, and shock. "I would never let myself go that far."

Keefe looked down, too many emotions such as grief attacking him.

"Don't tell me… how would you know such a thing?"

"Does it matter whether I'm right about that or not?"

Tam looked at him, an unreadable expression on his face. He had no idea what this was. "I'd have you as my companion during my next regression, wouldn't I? If I have you by my side, we could accomplish a lot more, save more people."

Keefe's breath caught, and he stared, wondering what exactly had changed. When did he ever become so vulnerable?

"And what…" the words were stuck in his throat, what was he supposed to say to this? "What if I'm just an anomaly? Have you never considered why I never existed in your previous regressions? There's no guarantee that I'll be there next time."

Who did this sorrow come from, Tam, or himself?

[The incarnation, Keefe Sencen will be killed by the person he loves most.]

"Go through the entirety of this regression, and don't give up. If you want to save the world, you're going to have to work for it."

Tam slowly nodded. "I will go through this regression with all my effort. And you, will you do the same?"

"I will make sure to do everything I can to save the world." As an afterthought, he added, "And that includes you too."

[The character, Tam Song has used the skill Lie Detection (Level 4).]

[Lie Detection has verified that you are telling the truth.]

"God damn, do you seriously have to use it every time we have a conversation? Are we not companions?"

Then again, he knew that the reason Tam had originally disliked Prophets was because the one who had allied with him in his previous regression had betrayed him, all for the sake of saving the world.

But still, could Tam have a little more faith in him?

[The constellation, One Who Seeks The End thinks that you're a little hypocritical.]

What did that mean? He didn't have Lie Detection, not that any of the constellations actually had an idea as to what mental skills he had. Whatever, that didn't matter.

•~•~•~•~•~•

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