CH 283

Cheon Sa-yeon stood near the window and looked out.

Gangnam Street, where the afternoon sun shone, was as peaceful as usual.

「It’s not a dream.」

Cheon Sa-yeon’s thoughts, who had opened his eyes tightly after closing his eyes, were heard in a blurry way.

「It can’t be a dream.」

The faces of those who died in vain in front of him were so vivid. Cheon Sa-yeon, who had been randomly reminiscing what happened just before time went back, bowed his head.

「Cheon Je-heon…」

He thought he was dead, but he was alive. He wasn’t the only one who escaped from the crumbling mansion.

He was 19 years old when he awakened. Although Cheon Sa-yeon could kill Cheon Je-heon, he didn’t do so.

It wasn’t the reason why he was afraid of murdering late or forgiving… what Cheon Je-heon had done. Cheon Sa-yeon just could relate to him.

Like Cheon Sa-yeon, Cheon Je-heon grew up not receiving proper love. In a way, even the woman who gave birth to him turned away from him, so it was difficult to say that he also lived a normal life.

What if they had met differently? If they had been born into an ordinary family, the relationship between Cheon Sa-yeon and Cheon Je-heon might have been different. They might have become a family where they felt affection for each other like any other brothers.

He knew that Cheon Je-heon had lived in the mansion for 12 years and that he had never been comfortable accepting his position for a single moment.

The man who owned the mansion just needed a son for his last name to be left. And even if it wasn’t Cheon Je-heon, it didn’t matter. Cheon Sa-yeon and Cheon Je-heon both noticed the fact.

Even so, it didn’t justify what Cheon Je-heon did to him in the past… Cheon Sa-yeon, who ended the man’s life without hesitation, couldn’t touch Cheon Je-heon.

That’s why he turned a blind eye and ran away. He hoped that the fire of the mansion would take his life for him.

But the result is…

「Because of me.」

I shouldn’t have done that. If he had killed Cheon Je-heon at that time, he might not have been attacked later.

There was a strong sense of guilt and helplessness. Taking a long, trembling breath, Cheon Sa-yeon swept his face and murmured in a low voice.

「…I have to stop them.」

The existence of Kali and the masked ones.

He didn’t know what they were aiming to turn back time, but it was like a new opportunity for him.

It was easier to respond this time because he had experienced when and how the terrorist group started being active and how they moved.

「Let’s find out the identity of the terrorist group right now and prepare in advance…」

I looked down quietly at Cheon Sa-yeon, who was stroking the corners of his mouth and organizing his thoughts. There was a document that Woo Seo-hyuk gave to him.

‘It will be difficult, Cheon Sa-yeon.’

It must have been part of Kali’s plan to set the starting point on this day for repeating the time.

In order for Cheon Sa-yeon to become a disaster for the world as Kali wanted, he must become much stronger than he Was now. So, she would keep him locked up in the repeated time and give him endless trials.

I realized this by looking at the past through books. The Praus Cult was as old as Cheon Sa-yeong founded Requiem. The fact that such people appeared through terrorism meant that they were fully prepared.

Therefore, Cheon Sa-yeon would never easily get out of this bondage. That fact crushed my heart.

* * *

Time passed again. Cheon Sa-yeon, who harboured poison, did everything in his power to find the terrorist group and stop them. (독기를 품은 천사연은 테러 단체를 찾아내고 그들을막기 위해 온 힘을 기울였다)

However, those around him who didn’t know the future couldn’t easily accept such Cheon Sa-yeon. Park Geon-ho, who couldn’t understand Cheon Sa-yeon, who became extremely sensitive and sharp overnight, said something.

「I don’t understand why you are so anxious, Master.」

「How many times have I said this? There’s a dangerous terrorist group. You never know when they will attack.」

「However… no matter how much we search for it, there’s no such organization. It’s already been a month. The guild atmosphere isn’t good either.」

「…you don’t believe me.」

「That’s not the problem.」

In Park Geon-ho’s eyes, who was staring at him with a sign of frustration, Cheon Sa-yeon bit his lip without saying anything. Seeing this, Park Geon-ho sighed.

「Please, Master. If there are any problems, please explain them properly. That way we can help.」

「I…」

「Isn’t it Master who doesn’t believe us?」

Cheon Sa-yeon’s black eyes shook greatly. But until the very end, there were no excuses or rebuttals.

The only people Cheon Sa-yeon wanted to protect were his guild employees. This time, Han Yi-gyeol committed suicide, and Ha Tae-heon and Lee Joo-ha, who entered the SS-grade gate, died, and Ro-heon collapsed.

Cheon Sa-yeon, who obsessively pursued only the backs of the Praus Cult, eventually came to a similar conclusion without achieving anything again.

Cheon Je-heon, who had a sword in Park Geon-ho’s heart, laughed as he saw Cheon Sa-yeon kneeling on his knees in blood.

「There’s still nothing you can do.」

「……」

「Bug bastard.」

Hearing the ridicule pouring out at him, Cheon Sa-yeon looked down with a tired look. The sword that pierced Park Geon-ho’s heart cut off Cheon Sa-yeon’s neck this time.

At the same time that Cheon Sa-yeon’s life was cut off, time went backwards again. Cheon Sa-yeon woke up on the sofa in the representative office for the second time.

「Gasp…!」

「Master? Your complexion is not good. Did you have a nightmare?」

Woo Seo-hyuk, who stopped by the representative office to deliver the documents, found Cheon Sa-yeon, who was exhaling harshly while feeling the sword had passed his head, and asked worriedly.

「…no, it’s okay.」

「Please call me if you need a healer or a doctor. And this is the document you mentioned. The status of two victims in the C12 Area. The girl is dead…」

Cheon Sa-yeon closed his eyes as he listened to Woo Seo-hyuk’s explanation that he had heard before. His strong headache was felt.

「Is there anything else you need?」

「None. Go out now, Secretary Woo Seo-hyuk.」

「Yes.」

When Woo Seo-hyuk left the representative office, Cheon Sa-yeon lay down on the sofa with his hand on his forehead. His headache was getting worse.

Cheon Sa-yeon, who had been tossed and turned for a long time with a strong pain, lost consciousness as if fainting at some point. A white light engulfed everything.

After such a long time, the scenery that reappeared wasn’t the representative office but a wide field. Under the blue sky and under the cliff, the deep blue sea spread out.

Having had this experience several times, I immediately recognized that this place was in a dream. A familiar voice came from behind Cheon Sa-yeon, who stood blankly looking at the sea.

「This way, kid.」

Cheon Sa-yeon’s shoulders flinched and turned around quickly. White hair fluttering in the light breeze. Elohim and Elahah welcomed Cheon Sa-yeon.

Elohim, who smiled slightly at Cheon Sa-yeon, who was wary with a frown, opened his mouth.

「This place is your dream. I’m sorry that we came all of a sudden without any warning.」

「…a dream?」

「Yeah. A place your unconsciousness created. It’s quite beautiful.」

After Elohim looked around once, Elahah spoke.

「You feel us unfamiliar. I understand. We’re just here… to give you information.」

「Information?」

「We have already seen you many times. Kali is there too.」

Hearing the name Elahah mentioned, strong energy erupted from Cheon Sa-yeon’s body. In an instant, dark clouds formed in the sky and a loud roar resounded.

Elahah, who watched the change, put on a bitter expression.

「Calm down. We’re not Kali’s men.」

「Then what’s your relationship?」

「We…」

Elohim explained on behalf of Elahah, who couldn’t speak easily.

「We’re something similar to Kali. You can think of it as a manager who protects the world you live in. Kali was the manager of another world.」

「…why did a manager from another world come here?」

「We haven’t found an answer yet. But we can explain something else. For example, a way to get back the four hours you paid for Kali.」

Cheon Sa-yeon’s eyes widened slightly as if surprised. Elohim smiled bitterly as he felt the ground trembling as if there had been an earthquake.

「It’s going to be a long story. But I would like you to listen.」

「……」

「It’s like you and we are on the same boat now.」

Elohim and Elahah explained everything to Cheon Sa-yeon, just as they had done to me in the past.

From the time Kali first came to this world, her betrayal, and the story of creating a gate connected to another world.

There were a few of them that I didn’t even know about.

「We have to pay a price to use our abilities against humans or to interfere with the world. Even Kali, who turned the world back in time, is paying the price.」

「What’s the price?」

「The price she pays for is to do nothing and stay asleep. The period must be about six months from the time you turned back time.」

It was the reason why Cheon Sa-yeon didn’t meet Kali in the second time. Before she even woke up, the world had already been eroded by the Praus Cult and Cheon Sa-yeon was cut off by Cheon Je-heon.

「The only reason Kali has to pay that much is because you have already paid a greater price. You were forced into a trap that Kali had dug, but the cost is still high.」

「…how can I do to get out of this hell.」

「There’s only one way.」

「The oath engraved on the back of the right hand.」

Elahah raised his right hand and pointed to the back of his hand.

「There must be a tattoo of a unique shape in this location. Without it, we could kill Kali. You can just cut off her hand.」

「If you cut off her right hand, everything will be okay.」

「It won’t be easy. Your time is owned by Kali.」

Cheon Sa-yeon understood Elohim’s meaning without difficulty. If Cheon Sa-yeon tried to cut off her hand, Kali would turn back time right away.

But there was no other way. So he had to do it somehow. Cheon Sa-yeon desperately needed someone’s help.

「You are managing this world and you have the ability to read other people’s thoughts, so there must be a lot of information you know.」

「Right.」

「I want your help.」

「You have to pay the price.」

「It doesn’t matter what I can give you.」

Cheon Sa-yeon’s expression under the fluttering black hair had calmed down.

The peace he had barely gained after a long struggle was again mercilessly taken away. So he wanted to end it with his own hands somehow.

Elohim pondered without answering hastily. He wasn’t sure if he could bring something more to someone whose most important thing had already been taken away: ‘time’.

That was then. Elohim, who had stood for a moment with his mouth shut, suddenly turned his head to the side. His two eyes were directed toward me.

“……!”

「……」

Confused by the unexpected situation, I stiffened, not knowing what to do.

It seemed that he couldn’t see me because his gaze was strangely misaligned, but I was sure that he noticed my existence.

「…yeah, that’s how it works.」

After realizing something from me, Elohim mumbled an unknown word and looked at Cheon Sa-yeon again.

「Cheon Sa-yeon, we have decided what we will receive from you in return.」

「What is it?」

「Your memory. From the past to the future that will come to you. Give us the record.」

Rather, it was Elahah who was surprised by the proposal.

「Wait, is that okay? That guy is already…」

「Don’t worry. Trust me.」

Elohim smiled faintly at Elahah, who was anxious.

「It will all be meaningful.」