[CHAPTER 43]

“Do You Believe in Karma?

The world turned into darkness. The sky was black, and everything was hidden by a thick smog. There was a path, but it was blocked by the darkness and almost impossible to see. When did things go so wrong? How could something like this happen?

“Hakyeon-ah, wake up,” someone called out to him.

Hakyeon woke up from the darkness and nightmares to be greeted by a familiar face. But waking up only brought him back to anxiety.

“Is Hyuk awake yet?” Hakyeon asked.

“Not yet…” Hongbin told him.

Hakyeon looked to his side, he watched Sanghyuk still lying there, frozen in bed while Taekwoon sat on the other side.

Sanghyuk never woke up.

For a second when the younger lost consciousness, it seems as if time had finally ran out and Hakyeon panicked. But Taekwoon felt it, that Sanghyuk still had a pulse. It was almost impossible to feel the younger’s pulse but Taekwoon was certain.

Hakyeon looked doubtfully at Taekwoon, who only had his attention on Sanghyuk the entire night. They did think about bringing Sanghyuk to the hospital at first, like any normal human being would do, but would the doctors treat someone who resembles nothing but a corroded statue? Hakyeon noticed that Taekwoon was holding onto Sanghyuk’s hands all night and not letting go at all. He wasn’t afraid of the corrosion that emitted from the younger’s body but instead, insisted on staying by Sanghyuk’s side. Even Hakyeon has never seen this side of Taekwoon before.

Hakyeon got up from his seat.

“Let’s go outside,” he told Hongbin and grabbed the younger to follow. He needed to stay away from that room for a bit.

“Are you alright? You were having nightmares, weren’t you? You were mumbling in your sleep…” Hongbin told him.

“I … saw nothing.”

“Huh?”

“It’s because I saw nothing, an entire scene of darkness that made me feel more terrified. What if Hyuk never wakes up?” Hakyeon asked.

It’s not as if Hongbin didn’t understand how the older felt at the moment but he knew he was responsible for making Hakyeon stay positive. He knew his role in all of this.

“You’re over thinking. I’ve already called Jaehwan and Wonshik over to see Sanghyuk’s condition. I’ve also told them to notify InGuk and Hyoshin on the other side, just in case. Everything is going to be alright, trust me,” he told Hakyeon.

Trust? At a time like this, when Hakyeon was doubting everything for a second, those words suddenly meant a lot. There was nothing else to believe except to believe for the best. He almost lost all of his trust not too long ago but right now, he needed reassurance more than ever. Nothing else matters now except for Sanghyuk’s health.

Hakyeon looked at Hongbin for a second. He was still skeptical about the younger’s intentions but he honestly had nowhere to run away to and no one else he could rely on. Hongbin was the only one. He leaned in and laid his head tiredly on the younger’s shoulders.

“I’m tired,” Hakyeon simply said.

Hongbin wrapped his arms gently around the older’s slouched shoulders and rubbed his hands along Hakyeon’s back. It broke his heart to see how sad Hakyeon have become due to all of this.

“I know,” Hongbin nodded and knew that he didn’t need to say another word.

At times like this, both Hakyeon and Hongbin knew that there doesn’t need to be words for everyone to understand what was going on. At a time like this, all they needed was encouragement and support.

Nothing more.

A few hours have passed and finally, Jaehwan and Wonshik run the bell.

“What took you guys so long?” Hongbin went to open the door for them while Hakyeon retreated back to Sanghyuk’s bedroom.

“Sorry, we ran into someone along the way,” Jaehwan said.

“Who?”

Just then, Hongbin noticed someone standing behind his two friends. An unfamiliar figure.

“Who are you?” Hongbin couldn’t recognize the stranger.

* * * * * *

Hakyeon peeked inside Sanghyuk’s room and saw Taekwoon holding tightly onto the younger’s hands still.

He really does care about Hyuk… Hakyeon couldn’t believe his eyes.

“If you never came back to find me, this wouldn’t have happened,” Hakyeon said in a cold and uncaring tone.

“I know,” Taekwoon didn’t deny it.

“What were you thinking? Did you think coming back for me would change anything?”

“No. I know it wouldn’t but… I wanted to try. I was upset when I found out that you fell for Hongbin even though you said you loved me a lot. I felt like I lost and I couldn’t stand it. It was irritating.”

“Don’t you think you’re too selfish? Did you think that by returning again, that I would fall for you?” Hakyeon continued throwing his bold remarks at Taekwoon.

“No, I never thought that. To be honest, I knew it would be impossible for you to fall for me again especially because it’s you, Cha Hakyeon,” Taekwoon accepted everything Hakyeon threw at him.

“What?”

“You’re the one who once fought death and came back alive with a whole new beginning. It only means that I didn’t have as much influence as I thought I did in your life. You even went against fate because you fell for Hongbin.”

“Then why?”

“I thought… I loved you.”

“Huh?”

“At least I thought I did. I thought that was the only motivation for my return. I even told myself that multiple times when I went back to Moirae’s Edge after feigning my death. I thought that my death have finally ended your unpredictable fate. I have to admit; my heart did ache once because I thought you have died. Everything I did was for the sake of hearing the voices of the Goddesses’ once more, so I ended up manipulating your kindness and your innocence in order to achieve what I wanted,” Taekwoon even though his eyes were only looking at Sanghyuk the entire time. “Do you believe in karma?”

“W-what do you mean? Karma?”

“I believe it. I always have. I knew that eventually karma would find me for what I did to you but I never thought that it would eventually find me like this… Despite what I did with your book of fate, despite the fact that I met you, you’ve never changed or was truly affected by it. Somehow, even without you doing anything, you were able to find your way back from the depths of fate. You defied everything that was once set up for you and went against everything we tried to do to you. But on the other hand, I never expected that my return would eventually have this kind of effect on Sanghyuk. When I rewrote Sanghyuk’s memories and stepped onto this dimension again, something told me that things won’t go as I planned. I stayed here to watch over Sanghyuk’s condition as I returned and little by little, his health plummeted before my eyes. I was going to leave right away when it happened…”

Hakyeon noticed Taekwoon’s hands were trembling as he held onto Sanghyuk’s cold, stilled hands.

 “Then, why didn’t you? If you have left sooner, then Hyuk wouldn’t have become this ill!” Hakyeon shouted in angry just thinking about it.

“I was… lonely.”

“What?”

“As you know, every single one of us who was born on Moirae’s Edge doesn’t have an existence or a book like all of you here on Earth. Our so-called fate was predetermined since birth and we only have one purpose: to serve the Goddesses and the fates they created. We have no free will or even choices that we can choose from. All there is, is a facility filled with billions of fate that doesn’t belong to any of us. When I was six, I began hearing the voices of the Goddesses even though no one else could. There’s a myth that those who can hear their voices would eventually become the new head of the facility. I thought that I was specially, and that I would be the next chosen one. So, all I did since then was to obey the facility and the voices I heard. When they assigned me the mission to decide your fate for you, I didn’t hesitate at all. All I could think of was the rewards that awaits me after I accomplish the mission. But after I met you, things began to change…”

Taekwoon never expected it. For the first time ever, he was free. He felt freedom as he roamed on the lands of humanity. He was able to make decisions he never made before. Unlike Moirae’s Edge, those on Earth were individually different from one another. They were special.

As time went by, Taekwoon began to embrace that freedom as well. He didn’t want to go back to the facility. As much as he obeyed the laws of fate, he didn’t want to return home. The years he spent on Earth while having Hakyeon love him by his side, Taekwoon felt something much more than wanting any kinds of accomplishment or reward.

Those were the years he let go of his ambitions for once and instead, he only looked forward to finally ‘existing’.

But that freedom was short-lived. Taekwoon’s time was going to run out eventually. He couldn’t dwell on Earth as much as he wanted to because in reality, this isn’t where he truly belongs.

As he went back to the facility, the council granted him the title of the Supervisor of Scholars. He should’ve been happy and rejoicing his success, but he didn’t find the position to be something he should be happy about at all. Even the position as the director of the facility sounded rather dull to him. He eventually went back to his life as a researcher and studied from day to night. Everyday was just the same as the days before it. He started to reminisce the past, his life on Earth along with Hakyeon.

It became his ideal future if he were to ever have one.

“I’ve envisioned it hundreds, thousands of times about my future. In the past, I wanted to be the top of Moirae’s Edge but by the time I returned again, the future that I envisioned was with you…” Taekwoon finally looked at Hakyeon.

“Me?” Hakyeon stuttered, not knowing how to reply as he was quite taken back.

“Or more precisely a future here on Earth. You were the only one who I got close to here and my years of growing up was trying to have you love me entirely. I thought that if I could fall in love and see my future with someone, I would change for the better. When you killed yourself after my death, I couldn’t bear to read what became of your fate in the end. I was the one who drove you to your death, I was the one that killed you even though you did absolutely nothing wrong.”

Taekwoon thought that he would mourn for Hakyeon’s death until the end of his days. He couldn’t forgive himself and there was nothing he could really do either. He was imprisoned on Moirae’s Edge, watched by hundreds of people especially those from the council.

He’s already lost the freedom he gained momentarily, so he didn’t want to lose even his position.

But things changed when he realized that Hakyeon wasn’t dead. He coincidentally found Hakyeon’s book while he was looking for Hongbin.

He still remembers the tremble of his hands as he picked up a book with a familiar title. At first, he thought it was just someone by the same name but the cover of the book was exactly the same as Hakyeon’s. As he read on, Taekwoon realized that it was the exact same person. He felt relieved to be honest, knowing that the latter was still alive. He didn’t question how but simply happy that it happened but as he read further into the story, he discovered that Hakyeon fell in love with Hongbin instead.

That’s when he felt the rage. Hongbin entered Earth secretly and was able to experience the freedom Taekwoon had longed for. He was going to let it go at first, but the more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t just let it be.

Because of that, one thing eventually led to another. Hence, the situation they were in right now.

Hakyeon could see that Taekwoon was truly remorseful about the past as the latter continued to reveal everything he’s kept inside for so long. There wasn’t any reason to hide anything anymore and even Hakyeon could understand what Hyuk meant when he said, ‘what’s done is done’. There was no used to be being angry or blaming anyone now because in the end, the one who took all of the hatred that built up, is Han Sanghyuk.

But does that mean Hakyeon can forgive Taekwoon though? Even after all that’s happened?

He doesn’t know.

“I don’t ask for forgiveness, Hakyeon-ah. I know what I’ve done and I’m willing to do anything to make up for it. As long as we can bring Sanghyuk back, I’m willing to do anything,” Taekwoon said with tears flowing down.

“Then I hope you really mean that,” the door opened and a young man stood there, listening in on the entire conversation.

“Who-?” Taekwoon couldn’t recognize the face.

Hakyeon on the other hand, stood up immediately. He was the only one who recognized the unexpected guest,” S-Sungjae?”

“You know him?” Taekwoon asked.

Hakyeon simply nodded but he couldn’t understand why Sungjae would be here of all places…

“You’re looking gloomy again, Hakyeon-hyung,” Sungjae smiled. “Just when I thought you were finally smiling again.”

“What are you saying?”

“Are you sad because of Sanghyuk over there? Or is it because of Taekwoon or is Lee Hongbin the cause of it all?” Sungjae asked.

“What? W-why…” Hakyeon was confused. Why does Sungjae know of everyone he hasn’t met before?

Sungjae approached Hakyeon and Taekwoon yet the older couldn’t help but feel rather alarmed at the situation. Every step Sungjae made forward, Hakyeon instinctively backed off.

“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you,” Sungjae said. “I’m here to put things back to normal. I want to help you.”

“What are you saying?”

Sungjae walked towards Hyuk’s bed and immediately, Taekwoon glared and fended off the stranger.

“Don’t touch him!” Taekwoon shouted.

“I said I wouldn’t hurt anyone, didn’t I Taekwoon-ah?” Sungjae called Taekwoon’s name by such familiarity that Taekwoon didn’t know how to react. It’s supposed to be their first-time meeting yet… somehow, Sungjae gave off a strangely weird presence.

“Who are you exactly?” Taekwoon finally let his guard down because the tone of Sungjae’s voice felt awfully familiar to him.

“Stop playing around and tell them who you are already,” Hongbin came in the room finally along with Jaehwan and Wonshik behind him.

“Hehe. I guess I should stop. You guys are so scared of everything lately that you can’t even take a small teasing. But then again, it’s not like any of you are in the mood for that right now,” Sungjae chuckled.

“Huh?” Taekwoon and Hakyeon were both dumbfounded at how lighthearted the atmosphere suddenly became.

“Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Yook Sungjae. At least that’s my name here on Earth. My real name is Klotho, one of the Goddesses of Moirae.”

A/N: Did anyone see this coming? Also who's liking my mini Hyuk x Taekwoon moments?