Chapter Two

The Oldest Dream is an idiot , Yoo Jonghyuk thought viciously as he slid down the throat of the waiting ichthyosaurus. He decided to accept the constellation's sponsorship offer because it was easier to keep track of this anomaly that way, but he didn't expect to be flung off the bridge like this.

Sitting in the contracting stomach of the monster, Yoo Jonghyuk watched as the apologies rolled in, littered with spelling mistakes because of how panicked the constellation was. Those were new too. He's never known of a constellation that could send private messages to their incarnation without any cost, and without anyone else noticing to boot. But then again, if the Oldest Dream was strong enough to drag him around like a rag-doll, then he surely could afford this.

Judging by the messages that popped up in front of him one by one, The Oldest Dream didn't mean to fling him off the bridge like a speck of dust. Yoo Jonghyuk sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. What kind of constellation doesn't know their own power?

Looking around, it looked like he had some time before things became dire, so he had some time to analyze his situation. Worst comes to worst, he could always regress again.

He thought of how the constellation stopped any movement that looked like an attempt on his life, and wondered if he knew about his stigma. Yoo Jonghyuk quickly shook the thought away. Whoever cursed him with this power was strong enough to let him live the same life over and over again without detection; not even the perverse Star Stream knew about it. The Oldest Dream was strong, but surely he's not that strong.

Yoo Jonghyuk thought about his disastrous 1863rd regression, and a lesser man would have flinched at the horrible things he experienced that turn.

He sacrificed his body, his companions, and his sanity, only to find out that he couldn't go past the Final Wall. In a fit of desperation, he gave up almost everything he had just so he could become an outer god. When finally got tired of wandering, he decided to cross the world lines one last time in an attempt to find the one who gave him this cursed stigma. He didn't hold much hope for it, but it seems that there was still a naive part of him that even almost two thousand regressions couldn't wear away.

He looked down at his younger self. He must have used enough power to travel undetected that he was forced to regress to a teenager. And it seemed to be permanent, judging by how he kept returning in this underdeveloped body even after the numerous attempts to force his own regression.

Yoo Jonghyuk was startled out of his thoughts by the hidden scenario notification, followed by a few items materializing in front of him. Holding the thorns and the mucous in his small hands, he looked up with calculating eyes. Maybe his sponsor wasn't so stupid after all.

The grin on Yoo Jonghyuk's face promised nothing less than violence.

---

Later, after climbing back to shore, body battered but returning victorious he thought, [Was that on purpose?]

[Yes].

The reply came a few seconds too late. Yoo Jonghyuk rolled his eyes. Who knew that someone could be such an awful liar even through impersonal text?

As he lay there and stared at the darkening sky, he suddenly felt the weight of all his regressions press onto his chest, making it a little difficult for him to breathe. But his face showed no indication of his exhaustion. It had been a long time since he allowed himself the indulgence to feel such petty emotions.

A breeze blew across his soaked body, making the night temperature seem even harsher than usual. He shivered slightly, but paid it no mind. He wasn't so weak that he would fall ill after like this, and he would make a fire soon, once the burden of all his failures stopped making his bones feel like lead. Yoo Jonghyuk closed his eyes, and gave himself a few moments of weakness. He would get up, then he would go through scenario after scenario after scenario—

An invisible force nudged his leg, and a few bottles materialized out of thin air. Yoo Jonghyuk didn't move. The bottle moved back and forth in front of him, the liquid inside sloshing, almost like the constellation was calling for his attention. There was another nudge, this time to the arm burnt by the stomach acid. Yoo Jonghyuk didn't flinch at the contact at all, only moving to grab the potions. A blue screen popped up in front of him.

[You're hurt].

And Yoo Jonghyuk couldn't help it. He burst into hysterical laughter, surely scaring off any humans around him and calling every beast to him like a beacon. He ignored the series of question marks that filled his vision, and laughed harder. This was it, he thought to himself, he finally went crazy. It only took almost two thousand regressions and a constellation that didn't act like a constellation to tip him over the edge of insanity.

He looked at the sky and imagined that he was seeing his sponsor. This was the first time he's even heard of The Oldest Dream. He was sure that this constellation didn't exist in his original world line but maybe things could be different this time. Yoo Jonghyuk felt hope bloom in his chest, and for the first time in centuries, he didn't extinguish it immediately. He would never regret the way he did things, because that would invalidate all his efforts and he wasn't sure if he could survive doing that to himself but…

But maybe it was time for a change. If he wasn't able to reach the end after all those years, then it was time for a new direction. Yoo Jonghyuk was never one to stay stagnant and complacent. He was always trying to find the best way to clear the scenarios, and this was no different; this tenacity was why he regressed so many times, after all.

[...Are you okay?]

Yoo Jonghyuk gave a helpless smile. Wasn't this the sign he's been waiting for the entire time?

[The Oldest Dream,] Yoo Jonghyuk thought. [Remember your promise].

[Of course! I will take you to the end of the scenarios, Yoo Jonghyuk!]

Yoo Jonghyuk, huh. He's acted as the 'Secretive Plotter' for so long that he almost forgot it wasn't his original name. He looked at the shimmering liquid in the crystalline bottle. One more time, he decided, popping the cork off. He would trust this constellation. Just once more, he decided, he would put his faith in others just one more time. For better or worse, this would be the last regression. He drank the potions and watched the twinkling stars as his wounds knit back together.

For the first time in centuries, Yoo Jonghyuk felt like he could breathe.

---

The next morning, he woke up to the sun raised high into the sky, and the mangled bodies of dead monsters around him. Yoo Jonghyuk felt his eyebrow twitch while looking at the furs, meat, and bottled blood, all labelled and laying neatly in front of him. He would never sleep through any activity like that, unless someone forced him to. He looked at the empty potion bottles beside him.

[The Most Ancient Dream,] Yoo Jonghyuk called. [Did you have anything to do with this?]

[...Maybe?]

He knew it. Yoo Jonghyuk ignored the sting of betrayal in his stomach. This was a constellation, he should already expect this to happen at every corner. He should have known what he was getting into when he made that decision. Yoo Jonghyuk wasn't sure what expression he was making right now, but it was surely not pleasant. [Why would you do this?]

[no wait let me explain].

It seemed that the Most Ancient Dream wasn't oblivious after all. Yoo Jonghyuk crossed his arms.

[Okay so you just looked really tired last night I thought you just needed some time to rest before moving to the next scenario].

Oh. That answered his previous question. This constellation was absolutely strong enough to know about his regressions. This was unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome. Yoo Jonghyuk didn't even know there was even a being on the same level as the one who created this stigma. There was a rare spark of anticipation at the thought of finding the one who started it all. But just to make sure, Yoo Jonghyuk decided to test him.

[So you were just afraid I would kill myself and regress again?]

[Why does it sound so bad when you say it? And that was before ! Then you said the stuff about my promise and I was going to tell you but then you drank it before I could!]

After confirming his conjecture, Yoo Jonghyuk released a slow breath. Maybe he made the right decision after all. Maybe he could finally find his answers in this turn. Yoo Jonghyuk eyed the neatly packaged materials next to him.

[And… all this?]

[Oh! Those were the beasts that came to attack you, and I thought that it would be a bit of a waste to let all those materials go. I'm sure you could find a use for them].

He was absolutely right. These materials were precious, and people have fought to death over them, not that Yoo Jonghyuk ever had the need to; he knew about a hundred other ways to find these things. He was more focused on the silent implication in those words. So the Oldest Dream wasn't very old at all, if he didn't know the uses for these items. Yoo Jonghyuk's face softened unconsciously at the thought of how his constellation saved these just for him, even if he wasn't sure how useful they were.

What a fool.

---

With text boxes filling the empty spaces, completing the scenarios seemed a little less… lonely.

They passed through each one with relative ease, with Yoo Jonghyuk using all the knowledge of previous regressions to complete the scenarios as efficiently as possible, and if—and only if— he happened to have a bad day, the Oldest Dream would use his inexplicable power to grab his shirt and pull him to safety. Disgruntled, Yoo Jonghyuk had to admit that this occurrence happened more often than he would like; adjusting to his shorter stature had been more difficult than he thought.

Yoo Jonghyuk flicked the visceral remains of some creature off his sword, and waited for the usual barrage of congratulations to roll in. When they didn't come, his eyebrows furrowed and he glanced up at the sky. Maybe his sponsor was just busy. Even constellations couldn't spend all of their time watching the Star Steam, and Yoo Jonghyuk paid it no mind. Yoo Jonghyuk went on with his life, completing scenarios and ignoring the gaping hole the sudden silence left behind. His eyes kept flicking to the side, looking for a blue screen that never came.

Days passed, and suddenly the Oldest Dream had been silent for three weeks. It was the longest they've had no contact since the start of the scenarios. Usually, his sponsor would only be away for a day, maybe two, at most.

He's never been gone this long , he thought, a little moody. Yoo Jonghyuk wasn't worried at all. If he progressed through the scenarios quicker than usual, if he killed more ruthlessly, and more often, well, that was no one's business but his. Then, just as quickly as he disappeared, the constellation appeared again. Yoo Jonghyuk felt quiet relief fill his chest at the sight of the familiar blue screen and white text, and they tore through the next scenario like it was wet paper.

They didn't talk about the Most Ancient Dream's sudden absence, but Yoo Jonghyuk didn't miss how much longer his sponsor took to respond, nor could he ignore the sudden increase of spelling mistakes, as if he were having trouble getting the right letters across. Yoo Jonghyuk's observations would continue to haunt him long after he first noticed them.

---

With each scenario they cleared, with every coin they earned, and with every story he accumulated under his belt, Yoo Jonghyuk felt himself come alive. He had lived over 1864 lives, but this was the first time he felt like he was reborn into a new, living person instead of being forced back into the shell of his former self.

Blood splattered across his face as he finished the last enemy off, and for once, he didn't mind the way that his temporary party members shrunk away from his murderous aura, huddling together and whispering something amongst themselves. That was also another thing that was different in this turn. The Most Ancient Dream was very adamant that he stop isolating himself.

[Why?] he had asked before. [You know about my stigma, so you should know how it always ends. There's no point.]

[This time will be different, Yoo Jonghyuk.]

The constellation had said it with such a finality, so certain that he would be right, that Yoo Jonghyuk agreed because he wanted to prove his sponsor wrong. It all ended the same. First, these people would be grateful for his help, in awe of his combat prowess. Then, they would be envious of his skills, wondering why he was so strong while they weren't. That envy would turn into resentment, building and building until they snapped under the pressure and tried to kill the same person who saved them so many times. A perfect example of biting the hand that fed them.

A shaking woman made her way to him, a bundle of something in her arms. It was the leader of the group he made a temporary alliance with to complete this scenario. He didn't need the help, but his sponsor wouldn't stop pestering him, and the additional support may have made things run a tiny fraction smoother. Yoo Jonghyuk tensed, immediately wary. He had just finished the task, were they about to kill him now? He glanced up at the sky, internally gloating, sure that his point was about to be proved right.

"H-Here," The woman shoved the package towards him. "On behalf of my group, we thank you for your help, we really couldn't have done it without you. Um, i-it's not much, but there are some rations and bandages and other provisions that might help you in the future. Thank you so much, again." The woman bowed at the waist, hands still outstretched, and Yoo Jonghyuk gingerly took the package. She didn't look like she was lying, but he's seen enough people hide behind a harmless facade to be on guard. After being relieved of her burden, she thanked him one more time and bid him farewell, leaving with her group to go to who knows where.

After their silhouettes faded in the distance, Yoo Jonghyuk set the bundle down and carefully opened it, ready to move away in case it turned out to be something dangerous. It wasn't. It was as the woman said, provisions. As he stared at the bandages and other supplies, he felt a headache build. He pretended not to see the barrage of blue screens popping up in the corner of his eye. He would read them all later, but Yoo Jonghyuk already knew they were filled with scolding about how not everyone was out to get him and that he should trust more and how being that paranoid all the time couldn't be healthy.

[You've already said all of this before.]

[But you never listen! I have to repeat it so many times because you ignore my messages all the time.]

Yoo Jonghyuk frowned, that wasn't right. He didn't know where the Most Ancient Dream got the idea, but he felt that it needed to be rectified immediately.

[I never ignore your messages,] he thought very carefully, full of purpose. [I read all of them. Just because I don't respond doesn't mean I ignore you.]

[...It literally does?? Not responding to someone is the definition of ignoring them??]

Yoo Jonghyuk gritted his teeth together. [You know what I meant.]

[Meant what? That you were reinventing the definitions of words?]

With every teasing word exchanged, Yoo Jonghyuk relaxed bit by bit. Later, when Yoo Jonghyuk had all but thrown this conversation to the back of his mind, the Most Ancient Dream brought it up again. And of course, he did so while Yoo Jonghyuk was making a strategic retreat—not running away—from a pack of goblins that he had purposefully angered.

[I know you don't.]

[Don't what?]

[You don't ignore me. I was just kidding earlier.]

[And how would you know that—] Yoo Jonghyuk was lifted in the air and moved to the side by an invisible force, watching as a large club pounded into the area where he used to be. The Most Ancient Dream didn't set him down, and Yoo Jonghyuk let himself be carried away. He wondered what this looked like to the other constellations. Would it seem like he was just floating in the air? Surely, someone would have said something about him 'cheating' by now. He wondered if that has something to do with all the times his sponsor vanishes without warning and reappears, seemingly weaker every time.

[You do the thing where you look to the side and sometimes your eye twitches too.]

Yoo Jonghyuk frowned. He thought he had gotten rid of all his small habits before. They did nothing but broadcast his weaknesses for the world to see, and that was a dangerous thing.

[I don't do that.]

[Yes you do!]

[I don't.]

[Do too!]

Yoo Jonghyuk briefly wondered if his mental maturity regressed with his age, and then threw that thought away; it was simply too horrifying to explore. Instead, he reluctantly followed along the Most Ancient Dream's teasing, only because it would be annoying if his constellation started sulking again. Only because of that, he thought to himself. Not because it made the constellation happy or anything like that. Not at all.

---

[Most Ancient Dream,] Yoo Jonghyuk said. [What are you going to do once we reach the end?]

Yoo Jonghyuk sat with his back leaning against a tree, sharpening his sword. It was a rare reprieve between scenarios, and he felt unusually melancholy. He glanced at the dark night sky and wondered, not for the first time, which one his constellation was. His eyes fell on a dim and rather small constellation. Not that one, he dismissed it immediately. He barely knew anything about the Most Ancient Dream, but he was sure that his constellation was nothing but bright and full of life. In this rare moment of inattention, Yoo Jonghyuk was so caught up on his musings that he didn't notice how long the Most Ancient Dream stayed silent.

[I'm not too sure, but I suppose I could find another story to read.]

Oh.

Yoo Jonghyuk felt like he was doused with a bucket of ice water. In that moment, the distance between constellation and incarnation never felt farther. To him, this constellation grew to be another precious companion of his, one that quickly became an oasis in the never ending desert called the scenarios. But to the Most Ancient Dream, he was just another one of the stories he followed to stave off boredom, and he would quickly move onto the next once it stopped being interesting. Yoo Jonghyuk was so charmed by his sponsor that he had forgotten how cruel the constellations really were. He remembered the promise he made to himself.

For better or worse , he reminded himself, tipping his head back against the tree. For better or worse.

---

The more scenarios they completed, the bigger the hole in Yoo Jonghyuk's chest grew. He should be glad to get closer to his goal, but he couldn't help but to want more time with his insufferably endearing star. He laughed at himself, and a blue screen filled with question marks popped up.

It seems that he wasn't quite tired of living yet, if he wanted more time just so he could spend another day with the Most Ancient Dream.

---

[Happy Birthday, Yoo Jonghyuk!]

Yoo Jonghyuk stared at the message. He hasn't celebrated his birthday in… centuries, maybe even millennia. He thought he might have tried, in those first few regressions when he still held some hope for the end, but soon there were more important things to remember than the anniversary of his birth.

[How did you know it was my birthday?]

There was a pause. [It's a secret!]

Yoo Jonghyuk's eyebrow twitched. Just as he thought he could understand this constellation, he turns around and does something unpredictable again.

[There's no need. You know that.]

[Maybe...but I wanted to do it anyway].

And there he goes again, being painfully honest in a way that constellations never are. His sponsor was made up of juxtapositions and never played by the rules. The Oldest Dream was strong and knowledgeable about the most obscure things but didn't know anything about common items and occurrences. The Oldest Dream was elusive and private in the same breath he was open and naive. The Oldest Dream seemed so ancient at the same time he seemed young.

[...You really didn't have to do this.]

In response to his words, a small box materialized in front of him.

[...What are these?]

[They're presents. Have you never heard of the human custom of gifting items?]

Yoo Jonghyuk scoffed, ignoring how his heart beat a little harder at the gesture. The tip of his cracked sword trailed slowly on the ground by his feet, kicking up some dust.

[Why does a constellation care so much about human customs?]

Silently, another box appeared, this one longer and narrower than the last.

[Just open them!]

Rolling his eyes, Yoo Jonghyuk sheathed his dusty sword and picked up the smaller box. He examined it carefully, automatically scanning for any traps or other dangers before he realized what he was doing. The Most Ancient Dream hasn't sent any messages yet, but Yoo Jonghyuk knew that he must be sulking at his suspicion right now.

[I'm opening it, stop sending me so many messages].

The tape was peeled away carefully, and the thick wrapping paper undone to reveal a white box. Yoo Jonghyuk opened it. He looked at the small cake that was uncovered, ivory colored and decorated with frosting so soft and delicate they looked like clouds. The words 'Happy Birthday Jonghyuk!' were written piped on crookedly.

[What is this?]

[It's a cake, Jonghyuk-ah. Really, you're acting like you're not the human one between the two of us.]

[Did you make it?]

[Only the frosting… Was it that obvious?]

Yoo Jonghyuk stayed silent, just staring at the cake. His eyes traced over the crooked and unevenly piped letters that made up his name. The tip of his nose soured a bit, and he frowned a bit at the foreign sensation.

[...Do you not like it?]

Yoo Jonghyuk was startled at the hesitant message. [No! I mean, yes. I like it.]

[Okay, that's good then.]

He wondered what the Most Ancient Dream had to do to get something like this to him. What price did he pay to pipe the message onto the cake himself? Yoo Jonghyuk felt like he wouldn't like the answer. Still, his eyes softened at the gift. He looked up at the sky and said, [Thank you.]

[You're welcome! And you have two more presents!]

Setting the cake gently on a nearby boulder, he grabbed the other package still floating in the air. He still took his time unwrapping it, but his actions were made quicker by the anticipation making his heart beat just a little faster. He opened the long, rectangular box to reveal a familiar black sword. He wouldn't have had a chance to see this sword for at least another 34 scenarios. Yoo Jonghyuk thought of everything he had to do to get this sword in previous regressions, yet it was delivered right to him like nothing in this turn.

He held up in wonder, and the blade seemed to absorb all light. In his hand, the sword slowly transformed to accommodate his stature. He wielded it experimentally, each movement becoming more aggressive until the power released by his swing released a wave sharp enough to slice a tree in half. It was perfect.

Yoo Jonghyuk closed his eyes and laughed. The alternating exclamation and question marks on the blue screen in front of him made him laugh even harder. In this moment, he felt like he was back in the beginning, when he still had hope that the future would be kind to him, that he would reach his happy ending. In this moment, he felt like maybe he already had, and it was with the constellation that never acted like a constellation. In this moment, it seemed like he never wanted to reach the end of the scenarios, just so he could spend another moment with the Most Ancient Dream.

"Thank you," he said, out loud this time. "Thank you. Thank you." He vaguely registered notifications from other irrelevant constellations wondering about his odd actions, but he paid them no mind. He only cared about one of them.

[Don't forget to blow out your birthday candle!]

He glanced at the burning candle on the white cake. He had forgotten about that. He looked at the sky, then closed his eyes and bent down closer to the cake. He thought that such petty desires were forcefully suppressed by the pain of more than a thousand lives, but with the warm glow illuminating his face, he blew out the flame and made a wish.

[What did you wish for?]

'I want to meet you, the Most Ancient Dream.'

Yoo Jonghyuk smiled, [It's a secret.]

Later, once he finished eating the cake and admiring the sword some more, he would realize something.

[You said I had two more presents. There was the cake and the sword. Where's the third one?]

He normally wouldn't even bother asking, knowing better than to expect anything from people, but the Most Ancient Dream taught him to be greedy for more.

[You'll know the last present when you see it!]

Yoo Jonghyuk shook his head fondly. [Okay, I'll be waiting.]

It sounded like a promise.

---

Life went on as usual, and they completed scenario after scenario after scenario. This round, Yoo Jonghyuk thought, was practically perfect. He glanced behind him, mood souring a little at the empty space. He felt like he lost the right to have companions long ago, when he realized that he did nothing but give them pain and personally lead them to their deaths, but it still stung not to have any traces of them in this life.

Was he really destined to be alone?

He thought of white text on a blue background, and corrected himself. No, not alone. He may not have had any of his original companions, but he had the Most Ancient Dream in this turn. It was already more than what he deserved, he reminded himself, moving past the ache in his chest with a practiced movement. He wouldn't ever wish another life of suffering on them.

This was the best he could do. If the Most Ancient Dream noticed anything off about his mood, then he stayed silent about it.

---

"Cap—Y-Yoo Jonghyuk?"

Yoo Jonghyuk tensed, hand flying to the hilt of his sword as he turned around and saw… Lee Jihye?

They both stood across from each other, frozen with shock. Tears immediately filled Jihye's eyes when he turned around, and Yoo Jonghyuk was filled with fondness at the same time an indescribable pain stole his breath away. This was his precious companion, and he let her die such an unjust death during that cursed 1864th life. Memories tinged with blood rushed to devour him, and he habitually beat them back down. Lee Jihye didn't exist in this life, he's searched extensively. This must be a trap.

"How do you know who I am?" Yoo Jonghyuk demanded, muscles tensed in preparation for an attack. She may have been his disciple in one life, but this was a different world. She should have no idea who he was even if she was really here.

"Cap-captain," Lee Jihye wailed. "It's me, Lee Jihye. I—I know everything now."

Yoo Jonghyuk froze. Captain. She must be from the 999th regression. He still kept his sword raised. It never hurt to be cautious, and he refused to die a stupid death caused by inattention.

"Number," he said. If she was telling the truth, then she would know what this word meant.

She sniffled, eyes still glued to his face. "...999th."

Yoo Jonghyuk exhaled sharply. She really did know about his stigma then.

"Captain, we… We all travelled a long way to find you again."

"...We?"

"We're all here. Captain, you—you won't ever be alone again." She stepped towards him, hesitantly at first, then quicker as she gained momentum. He didn't dodge the body that practically flew into his arms. Normally, he would have had to bend down for her to reach him, but he was in his teenage body, so she wrapped her arms around him in a hug quite easily.

Yoo Jonghyuk took a deep, shuddering breath, completely overcome by all the emotions he violently suppressed. He raised his shaky hands and placed them lightly on Lee Jihye's back. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and tried to breathe. He didn't know what happened, but he wasn't going to complain at this turn of events.

'You'll know the last present when you see it!'

Oh, he realized belatedly, the words echoing in his head, stuck like a song on loop. That's what happened.

He looked at the bright sky, the stars still hiding behind the daylight. He wondered, not for the first time, which of those twinkling entities his sponsor was.

---

The group from the 999th regression appeared one by one, and the Most Ancient Dream didn't answer any of his calls.

First it was Lee Jihye. Then it was Lee Hyunsung, who laid eyes on him and burst out into tears and hugged him so tightly that his ribs felt like they were about to break. Then it was Kim Namwoon, who didn't show any outward emotion aside from annoyance, but Yoo Jonghyuk could read guilt in the slight sheen of his eyes. He opened his arms silently, and Kim Namwoon hesitated for only a fraction of a second before hugging him. Neither of them mentioned the tears that disappeared into the black fabric of Yoo Jonghyuk's shirt. Last was Uriel, who appeared wearing a grey tracksuit and missing her wings. She didn't cry like the others, but her eyes were so soft and fond and she smiled so brightly when she finally laid her eyes on him.

Aside from the vague words Lee Jihye said during their first encounter, not one of them mentioned his new appearance, or anything else about their previous lives. It wasn't safe to talk about this right now, and Yoo Jonghyuk knew that they wouldn't say a word until he signaled to them that it was alright to do so. He was almost blown away by the amount of trust they still had in him, even after everything that happened. The opportunity came a few days later.

He glanced up at the sky, almost unconsciously, and nodded at Uriel. She glanced off to the side for a moment, and nodded back after a few moments.

"I blocked the Star Stream," she said. "We have about fifteen minutes before it turns on again."

"When did you get that power?" Kim Namwoon said, and Uriel just smiled guilessly. "Whatever. Keep your secrets then."

"Alright," Yoo Jonghyuk said, "Let's not waste any more time." They immediately snapped to attention. A rush of emotion filled his chest, and he allowed himself a few seconds to compose himself. "How did you all end up here?"

Lee Jihye spoke first. "After you… sacrificed yourself right before the Final Wall, we were devastated and we didn't want to continue. What was the point without you there to see the end with us?"

Yoo Jonghyuk closed his eyes at the admission. That round… It was almost perfect. He lost the use of almost half of his body parts, but it was the happiest he's been in centuries. "Continue," he said, hoarsely.

"We wanted the Dokkaebi King to bring you back to life, but he said that even he couldn't do that. Then, a constellation with its name censored appeared and swung the Dokkaebi King around like a rag doll ."

That sounded painfully familiar. His breath almost got caught in his throat. Logically, he knew that no other constellation would have dared to do something as crazy as this, but he was still having trouble processing the idea that someone would go this far for him.

"The Dokkaebi King started crying and begging the constellation to stop," Kim Namwoon snickered at the memory. "It was actually pretty funny."

"Did the constellation reveal itself?" Yoo Jonghyuk asked hurriedly.

"Ah, no," Jihye said. "But we knew it was there because the Star Stream announced its presence. Then the Dokkaebi King changed his mind and said that while he couldn't bring you back to life, he could send us to another world line where you were alive."

"We agreed, of course," Lee Hyunsung said. "Captain, it's really, really good to see you again."

"You as well," Jonghyuk said.

"The constellation without a name," Lee Hyunsung said, hesitating for a moment. "He's extremely powerful. The Dokkaebi King was the one who sent us to you, but it was that constellation who told us about... Everything else. He told us about things that no other constellation—not even the Star Stream— knew."

Yoo Jonghyuk thought that he would be furious at his privacy being violated like that. But how many times had he wished that someone else knew about his burden? How many times had he wished for someone else to walk this lonely path with him?

"How did that constellation speak to you?" Jonghyuk said.

"Oh, a blue screen popped up with white text, and it seemed like no one else but us could see it. Jonghyuk-ssi," Hyunsung said, completely in awe at the memory. "How much probability would a constellation need to sacrifice to do something like that right under the nose of the Star Stream?"

"I don't know," he murmured. "Too much, probably." He scoffed softly to himself. The Most Ancient Dream, you're a fool , he thought. Can you even afford to do something like this?

"Captain...Do you know who it might be?" Kim Namwoon said.

"Yes," Yoo Jonghyuk took a deep breath, and then recounted the events of the past few regressions, starting from the disastrous 1864th turn. He let the words spill from his mouth quickly, trying to get as much detail out in the limited time they had. They deserved this much, at least. By the end, there was no dry eye in their small circle, him included.

There was only the part about his sponsor left but before talking about that, he had to ask. He looked around the familiar faces of his companions, and braced himself. He would let them make their decision this time. For better or worse, he reminded himself. "If, after hearing the extent of the atrocities I've committed in the past regressions, you—"

"Oi, old man," Kim Namwoon said. "Don't you even dare finish that sentence. You really think we're that weak?" He scoffed, raising his eyes to meet Yoo Jonghyuk's in challenge. "If you think we're going to run away right now, after all we've done to see you again, then you really don't know us at all."

Neither of them broke eye contact. "Tell me, Captain," Kim Namwoon said. "Do you know us?"

Yoo Jonghyuk looked at each of their faces, the emotions in their eyes, the determination set in their jaws. "Yes," he replied, before laughing helplessly into his hands. "Yes, I know you all, my precious companions."

Kim Namwoon grinned, bright and sharp, and punched him lightly on the chest. Uriel clapped slowly, wiping a tear from her eye. "How touching," she cooed, pinching Namwoon's cheeks. "I always knew that you cared. After all, you were the one who cried the most—"

"No! Shut up!"

"Oho, what did you just say to me? Do you want to repeat that?"

Uriel rolled her sleeve up, ready to fight when Kim Namwoon was suddenly knocked back about ten meters, colliding into a tree with a loud thud. A single blue screen popped up in front of Yoo Jonghyuk's eyes, and he frowned at the spelling mistakes peppered throughout the abnormally short message.

"Uh, Unnie," Jihye said, "Did...you do that?"

"Uriel," Yoo Jonghyuk said. "How much time do we have?"

"About four and a half minutes," she said.

Yoo Jonghyuk frowned slightly. He could explain everything in that time, but it would be better if they had more.

[Most Ancient Dream,] he called.

[Y es]

Today was a bad day then. Yoo Jonghyuk eyed the slow reply. He really didn't want to ask his sponsor to do this right now, but this conversation was too important to delay. [Can you turn the Star Stream off and make sure that no one else sees our conversation?]

There was a pause. [ye s nee d tim e]

Yoo Jonghyuk released the breath he didn't even know he was holding. [Alright. Thank you.]

"Alright," he said, out loud this time. "Uriel, I know you said we only have about four more minutes, so I won't waste that time any more, but my sponsor can help hide us longer."

Lee Jihye's eyes widened. "C-captain, did you sign a—"

"No," he said. Relief immediately flooded all of their faces. "No, I chose a sponsor in this round. His name is the 'Most Ancient Dream,' and he was the constellation that had his name censored."

[ saf e 3 hr s]

Yoo Jonghyuk's eyes widened. Three hours? He could block the Star Stream and all the dokkaebi for three whole hours? He vaguely registered someone calling for his name, but his attention was focused on something else.

He quickly said, [Are you alright?]

[fi n e]

A pit formed in his stomach. [ Don't lie to me. Are you alright?]

There was no response, and Yoo Jonghyuk's heart beat loudly against his ribcage. [Most Ancient Dream?]

[sl e ep y]

[Okay, okay. That's fine,] he said, trying to sound calm and reassuring when he felt anything but. [Go rest, but don't sleep too long, okay?]

This time, he didn't expect an answer, and he quickly composed himself. "He said he blocked the Star Stream for three hours," Yoo Jonghyuk said.

"What?" Uriel shrieked. "How is that even possible? I was able to block the Star Stream for a few minutes because the Dokkaebi King left a trace of his power when he sent us here, and I used that to trick the Stream. But three hours? That's—That's too much."

Kim Namwoon groaned and finally stirred from where he was knocked out beneath the broken branches. "Who," he said. "The fuck—"

"Ah, that would also be the Most Ancient Dream, my sponsor." Yoo Jonghyuk said, ignoring Namwoon's faint ' what?' . "He says 'sorry'."

"Captain," Lee Hyunsung said, face a little pale. "This constellation… How powerful is he really?"

"I wish I knew," Yoo Jonghyuk said, looking up at the sky. "Whatever he was doing before really took a toll on him, and I'm sure turning the Star Stream off didn't help either. He'll be out for a while."

"I've never heard of that modifier before," Uriel said, eyes narrowed in thought. "Is it because we jumped world lines?"

Yoo Jonghyuk agreed, then continued the rest of his story, adding more elaboration on the things he glossed over before, when they were under a time constraint. He told them everything he knew and speculated about the elusive constellation, and by the end, they were all silent.

"Captain, that's...a lot," Lee Jihye said, rubbing her temples with a frown. The rest of the group echoed her sentiment.

"I know," Yoo Jonghyuk said, "I still have trouble understanding it myself sometimes."

"How can a constellation interfere with incarnations like that? Without any consequence at all?" Kim Namwoon said, sitting cross legged on the ground. "It doesn't sound like something that the Star Stream, or any of the other shitheads, would just ignore."

"No obvious consequences," Uriel pointed out, glancing at Yoo Jonghyuk. "You mentioned that he disappears every few days and comes back weaker every time? It might have something to do with that."

Yoo Jonghyuk heaved a sigh. He wondered how it was possible to feel both light with relief and heavy with worry at the same time. "Get some rest," he said, watching the clouds pass by. "And, thank you all. For everything."

"Anytime, captain," Lee Hyunsung saluted him. One by one, they trickled away to the distance, recognizing his need for privacy at the moment.

[Most Ancient Dream?]

Yoo Jonghyuk stood there long until after the sun set and the air cooled in its absence. The stars twinkled quietly above him, and there was no answer.