Chapter Text
“Hyun…nie?”
Callen looks in front of him. He's been tortured and everything but he seems to be hallucinating right now. Alver Crossman is there, standing in front of him with a desperate expression. He didn’t know how things went after he relaxed but he knew his brother had him in his arms.
He could’ve abandoned him but he’s here.
He could’ve discarded him like a chess piece, but he came to save him.
He felt so sad, knowing he had become a burden.
The Sealed God thought that Alver was his weakness, but he was not.
He’s nothing but a burden to him and to his forces.
He felt so sad knowing that Alver had to go through all this just because of him. He felt so bitter because of his powerlessness and yet, he could only close his eyes and pretend to be in pain.
“Are you alright?’
“I’m fine.”
This suffocating feeling and sadness, make him want to cry and scream.
“You’re always fine.”
Callen half-opened his eyes and shook his head, “At times like this, you should’ve abandoned me.”
“Didn’t I promise you, that I will never let harm fall on you?”
“You really are cruel.”
He whispered.
The more Alver cared for him, the more he’ll fall even more. The more he’ll want to stay by side and be greedy. The more he would want to live everyday with him and just be happy.
The more this man thinks of him, the more he would think of all this negativities.
It’s just by chance that has passed and the sky is colored with the sunset. It was a blissful day, subtle yet warm.
It’s another day that Callen realised he was really wanted to be in this person’s arms.
Rainy, cloudy, no light, darkness, day and night, ever since this man came to his life, maybe his existence itself disappeared. It was that moment he allowed him to go another and leave him behind.
He unknowingly glued his heart to this person and knew that he will suffer for it.
“Roksu-yah.”
He looked at the side where the Former Team Leader, Lee Soohyuk was standing.
“You met one good brother there.”
He’s smiling.
Lee Soo Hyuk, who had a noticeably weak body for a swordsman, appeared younger than Callen's final record. He looked similar to the Lee Soo Hyuk that Kim Rok Soo had met when he was a rookie.
It had to do with something about not being able to forget the sweetness of the past or whatnot.
“He guided me where you are, Callen.” Alver smiled.
It was too similar. The Lee Soo Hyuk in front of Callen was not a scene in one of his records, but he was acting too similar to Lee Soo Hyuk. He’s calmly withstanding the pressure of his records.
“What could it be, you little punk? You’re not awake yet?”
“Huh?”
Lee Soohyuk laughed. He gazed at them
“That motherf*cking God of Death.”
Callen could hear the team leader’s voice as he brushed his face with both hands.
“You’re right. He is quite the motherf*cker.”
“Ha!”
Callen let out a short laugh.
“You’re right. He was a total nutjob.”
The two of them scoffed while looking at each other. Callen brushed his hair back. His hair and hand were both covered in blood and ashes, but that wasn’t important. He’s still in Alver’s arms.
“Roksu-yah’s Big Brother, isn’t he too much to handle?” Lee Soohyuk smiled.
“He is… Either he finds trouble or creates it.There was never a peaceful day.”
“Right? He’s a natural when it comes to trouble. It must’ve been tiring.”
“Can’t agree with you more than I can.”
Callen glared at them adorably. Soohyuk and Alver looked at each other with a smile.
“This is the sphere where the Sealed God couldn’t breach through. It’s your sphere called Record, Roksu-yah.” [lmao, record acting like the fourth wall. Hahaha]
The team leader continued to speak with disbelief after hearing Callen respond to everything he said, while Alver kept agreeing with him. team leader was weirdly watching him and Alver. He seemed satisfied while watching both of them.
Soohyuk smiled and approached them, saying, “I’ll give you a gift.”
Callen was silent. “Your… ability?”
Soohyuk smiled and said, “You don’t need painful memories to add to your record. What you need are happy memories, Roksu-yah.”
“Don’t you want it?”
Callen calmly answered as team leader Lee Soo Hyuk mischievously asked.
“Hand it over.”
“That’s not how to ask for gifts, Callen.” Alver reprimanded. Soohyuk simply laughed.
He calmly opened his palm to urge his team leader to hand over the ability.
“Hey, since when is anything in the world free?” Soohyuk barks. This made Alver wonder how his baby ended up so competitive with words. He must’ve learned all those things from this person.
Callen started to frown. The team leader didn’t care and continued to say what he wanted to say.
“You need to pay up with money or find other ways to pay for your meal.”
“…Seriously.”
“What’s wrong? Did you forget who I learned this from?”
He had not forgotten. How could he forget that? Callen leaned back onto his brother and observed the team leader.
“What are the conditions?”
The team leader lifted one finger.
“Once this is all over, create a farm in the Forest of Darkness. Create an orchard and a field to plant crops as well. Plant tomatoes, watermelons, cucumbers, pumpkins, etc. Plant all sorts of different crops. Oh, plant similar things if your neighborhood doesn’t have those crops. And take care of them yourself.”
Callen started to frown.
“Farming is not an easy job. You know that, right? You must look after the crops every day. So, don’t go wandering off to random places and instead just farm with that little kid named Raon. You can do it with Choi Jung Soo’s paternal cousin once removed and your other friends as well.”
Callen could not stop frowning because he knew why Lee Soo Hyuk was telling him to do this.
‘We need to take you with us. If we don’t, forget being a slacker, you’re the type that would go around causing trouble.’
The team leader reached out his hand out and Callen grabbed it. The moment the two of them shook hands…
Clang!
He heard a sharp noise. Callen looked forward with a stoic expression.
His sphere is slowly breaking. He could see Soohyuk smiling as if he was going far away.
“Are you leaving?”
Callen calmly asked.
“Yes. I have to go.”
Lee Soo Hyuk calmly responded. However, his body was quickly breaking down in contrast to his relaxed demeanor.
“Kim Rok Soo.”
Squeeze.
Callen looked toward Lee Soo Hyuk who was squeezing his hand.
“There are times when gods make mistakes. Maybe it is because he’s a nutjob. But you is a god now.”
His still calm voice continued.
“I didn’t die in your place.”
Callen’s shoulders slightly flinched. However, his eyes were focused on the slowly disappearing Lee Soo Hyuk.
“I died while I was running wild. Got it?”
Saying that he died while running wild instead of having died in his place. There was no way Callen would not know Lee Soo Hyuk’s thoughts and intentions behind that statement. He was trying to lower Callen’s guilt about the situation.
“No. That’s not it.”
However, Callen had no intention of responding the way Lee Soo Hyuk wanted.
“It wasn’t my fault nor the team leader’s fault.”
“…You’re right. That is the correct answer.”
Callen formed a fist with the hand that was in the handshake.
Psssss.
The hand that was shaking his hand disappeared as well. Callen could now see Lee Soo Hyuk’s true smile.
“Kim Rok Soo, stay alive. Being alive is the best.”
Callen looked into Lee Soo Hyuk’s eyes and nodded his head.
“You are not alone anymore. You have people to trust,”
Every tear he dropped, felt like his heart stopped for a while.
“Don’t die… Being alive is the best when shared with people you love.”
The one and only man he desired to be with, to spend time with, to be happy, to smile, to laugh......
“And Jung Soo and I are happy as well.”
The eyes were gone now as well.
“So be happy as well.”
That was his final comment.
“Alver Crossman… Please take good care of Roksu-yah.”
The world around him broke apart. Only darkness remained.
Callen closed his eyes after looking at the darkness. He felt his older brother’s warm embrace and the power of the sealed god, who took control of his body.
He had a feeling. He had a feeling that it was time to wake up.
“Hyunnie.”
Callen could feel someone cautiously tapping his cheek.
Alver was looking at him with love and adoration.
“It’s about time you woke up. Make a wish, Callen.”
A bright white glow filled his space. The power of despair slowly vanished.
“What… what. Is… AHHHHHHH!” The sealed god screams while Callen seals him into the space that the God of Death sent him.
“Let’s go back, Hyunnie.”
Callen smiled while holding Alver’s hand.
But Alver Crossman did not reply.
.
.
“HE’S AWAKE!!!” Xavier shouted. Callen immediately opened his eyes as if to respond to that statement.
“Callen!” his brothers welcomed him in an embrace. He successfully sent the Sealed God into the God of Death’s realm. He was glad to see them but—he looked at the person kneeling by the side in Robbit’s arm.
Cale looks over at Alver. His arms were on the ground, and blood was oozing from his head.
"Are you alright, baby?"
Callen could not take his gaze from him. Alver maintained a smile at him. Despite his pain, he is keeping an eye on him in order to protect him.
"It is been a long time since I have seen your face this close." The warm chuckle and light laughter echoed in his head. He was fine during his dream. He was fine with his consciousness, so—
"Baby, you must survive. Living is the best thing you can do."
Callen, who had regained all of his memories, was in tears.
"Hyunnie."
He grew up in a wealthy and prosperous royal family. how dare he forget the happiest moments of his life.
“Hyunnie.”
Alver looks at him and smiles affectionately.
Keep him alive.
"Brother Ribbit will look after you," Alver said with a sad tone.
"No matter what happens, live for Hyunnie, baby."
To love. Oh how his heart cracked with the thought
“HYUNNIE!”
TBC