"Would you finally love me in our next life?"

"Yes… yes. That's why… Please, smile for me again, love?"

Evolet Euterpe was by no means a prophet or anything of the sort in this life. But she'd be lying if she didn't see this coming. Or rather, it's repeated so many times that she's lost count of it. The blonde that she was overly familiar with standing in front of her, hands outstretched as she pushed an innocent life down the cliff and into the awaiting embrace of the raging waves. Or was Evolet still an innocent life at this point?

At times she wonders why she never fought back. Or mayhaps it's because she was aware it would be useless? If she didn't die here then she'll lose her life later, still at the hands of the very same person. She didn't reach out her hand futilely like in the nth life she lived, having used to falling apart without anyone by her side.

She hears a haunting scream of a voice she holds dear, his hands desperately reaching out for her as he is held back by whom he calls friends so that he wouldn't fall down along with her. Yet another smile in her last moments was engraved in his memories, his heart broken to pieces with the tears of agony. But only she will bring these fragments of reminiscence to her next life. There was no need for Bam to be burdened with such pain, it would be fine with her alone.

The unforgiving water engulfed her with a freezing chill, lulling her to an eternal slumber as her breath was taken away without mercy. Regardless a small resigned smile curled up on her lips, finding solace in the depths of darkness that had come to whisk her away. Perhaps it was only her imagination when she felt a ghosting warmth enveloping her petite figure, but she welcomed it nonetheless as she breathed her last once more.

You visit me far too often and far too early

Death was an eternal being, watching over the departed souls move on to their next life without any remembrance of what they once were. He stared with veiled indifference upon the foolish lambs who prepared themselves for life and not for death, who feared death for they've yet to live their borrowed time to its fullest. A lonely being hated by many, and loved by few.

All that could be heard in the void was the footsteps of his own breathless existence, along with the rhythmic breathing of the unconscious purplette he was carrying in his arms. Draped in clothes of a saintly white representing purity, adorning a crown of stars that was glowing softly and illuminating the darkness with a dim light, barefoot with anklets of the moon bells. Her appearance was that of a young adult at most, having never lived past 20 in each life she's traversed. Him on the other hand, was wearing a classy simple suit of black befitting the color of Death. His face hidden under a mask, only exposing one of his sharp cobalt blue eyes.

Tens of years were merely a blink of an eye compared to the eternity he's spent in solitude. Evolet was someone he's seen far too often for his own liking, walking alongside Death as if she was a long life companion of his and not one of Life. If he wasn't aware of her situation then he would've thought that she loved him so much to die every so often in order to visit him. Not that just about anyone else has the privilege to meet him directly, she was a special case after all.

Evolet stirred awake in his hold, soulful eyes with the depths of night fluttering open and gazed up at him blearily. He remembers of their first meeting, innocent blue-violet orbs without a shred of fear. The shine in her eyes that he was fond of was still present, albeit more subdued than before. Her lips curled up into a faint smile, seemingly tired and worn out. It was a given after all that she's been through.

He's stood witness for each life she's undergone, standing on the sidelines as he watched the sufferings of she who was favored by Fate. The irony of them whose strings were controlled by Fate, a sadistic grin from the godly being as the chosen ones were led dancing to their demise. Death was but only a bystander, he existed for the sake of balance. No more and no less.

Evolet chuckled softly, seeing how his face was yet again covered with a mask. "You're still anonymous as always, Khun-san."

Gods were nameless beings, to be called by their respective ruled domain lest their worshippers entitle them. Evolet was no devotee of his, nor was she devoted to any gods for that matter. But Death was one who struck terror into his worshippers with the mere mention of his moniker, exalted out of dread rather than respect. He had accepted his ascendence as the god of death fully knowing that fact. Hence why he was previously a no-named god. Evolet was the very first to give him a name as a god.

He remembers of their first encounter, him being a newly ascended god escorting her in the void to her new reincarnation as blue-violet orbs peering curiously at him who had no epithet to give. She had named him out of convenient, reason being it'd be easier to call him. A name was the most sacred gift you could ever offer to a god, done only by the most devoted of believers.

She blinked confusedly at what he said, before grinning childishly. "I'm not a believer of yours, but I do believe in you. Is that not enough to give you a name?"

She's had him defeated in a matter of seconds on their first meeting. And he was renowned to be the god who received his name the fastest of all gods in heaven. He bears the name given to him, Khun Aguero Agnis, with his head held up high and a cocky smirk gracing his delicate features. Yet there was no trace of his self-confidence as he eyed the purplette in his arms. In place of a smirk was a subtle frown, hidden under his mask. Sensing his scrutinizing gaze, Evolet grinned weakly in return.

Carrying the burden of time and memories, she has known what heaven and earth had to offer. 'You can become god, you can become one of us' they told her. She rejected their offer with a smile full of affection, stating that she had someone she loved far too dearly and she wouldn't be able to stay by his side if she accepted their offer. And Fate sadistically grinned, as if predicting that would be Evolet's answer.

She wasn't even aware of the reason she was suffering like this in the first place, she had no idea how her reincarnation began nor did she know why her memories were kept intact through each and every one of her reincarnation. Yet she continues on, all the while understanding how futile her efforts were. He once asked her when would she stop doing all of this. She replied with the sweetest of smiles, expression mellow and overflowing with pure affection reserved for one person only.

"It's not as if I haven't tried to stop, Khun-san. In one lifetime I once gave up on finding him, thinking it was all for naught since it was going to end the same way as usual. And in another I simply couldn't find him no matter how hard I tried. Even so he would find his way back to me if I didn't, as if saying it was meant to be even if it wasn't. He would call out my name without me introducing myself beforehand, asking me if we've ever met before. I would always answer no, but he would show me that beaming smile. His innocent golden eyes holding kindness and gentleness, telling me that we should get to know each other then. And I find myself falling in love all over again."

Oftentimes Khun wished Evolet wasn't as loyal as she was to Bam. His frown deepened for a moment, before the look in his cobalt blue eyes softened. He's long realized that there was no use attempting to convince Evolet about it. So instead he asks, "Won't you tell me of your life again this time?"

Used to the request he's asked her upon each death she's experienced, Evolet nodded wordlessly. She closed her eyes and hummed softly, leaning against his chest as he continued walking. The only sounds being Khun's own footsteps and Evolet's soothing voice as she narrated her story. And Khun listened intently despite having seen her life play out with the all-seeing eyes of Death.

A small grin graced his lips beneath the mask, letting himself indulge in her silvery voice and her warmth in his hold. She seemed so fragile in his arms as he handled her with the utmost care, not wanting to accidentally cause harm to her. He cherished every single moment with her, the short while he could see her before they arrived at the reincarnation door again.

A repetitive thought ringing in his mind, taunting his mind to whisk Evolet away from all the pain and hide her away somewhere only he could reach. Not that Evolet would ever comply with that, the god was well aware that she'd take on all the sufferings so long as her cherished people were safe. He wished that this moment would last forever, that she'll stay where he could protect her. Would she be mad if she found out that he's thought to replace Bam countless times, that he's sick of seeing her hurt repeatedly and left to carry the burden of it on her own.

Khun's steps came to a halt as the bluenette frowned, seeing they've arrived at their destination. A gigantic stone door loomed in front of them, seemingly endless with various murals etched upon them. Noticing how Khun stopped in his tracks, Evolet also paused her storytelling and opened her eyes. Unlike how she would've usually reacted, this time Evolet only gazed at the reincarnation door with a melancholic look.

"You still won't stop, will you?" Khun asked, the very same question he'd ask her every single death.

Evolet released a breathy chuckle in response, slumping down further into Khun's reassuring hold. She closed her eyes again, nuzzling into Khun's firm chest with contentment. Her answer was no more than a whisper, one that Khun could barely hear but made him raise an eyebrow in suspicion. "Who knows..."

Typically she would've mustered the most reassuring grin she possibly could at the moment, despite being worn-out and broken as she was. In her mesmerizing starry night gaze only loyalty and dedication, overflowing with endless love. How Khun wished he was at the receiving end of it and showed her that she was worth everything in existence. Yet her resolute blue-violet orbs were shut this time 'round, said owner of those eyes breathing soundly albeit weakly in his arms.

There was never stopping her once she put her mind to something. And Khun has constantly been terrified of the day when her soul would reach the limits, left alone and shattered. At the same time perhaps he was looking forward to it. Broken she might be, but that would mean she couldn't continue anymore and her suffering would come to a stop. He could piece her back, little by little, cherishing her along every step of the way. That day had arrived sooner than he expected, and he pursed his lips in cold realization as a frown made itself prominent on his flawless face.

There was no way Evolet could see his expression beneath the mask, yet she always somehow knew. She lifted her arms slowly, wrapping him in a hug as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck. Khun complied accordingly as he shifted her into a more comfortable position. Her voice was wispy, so close to him yet fleetingly distant. Evolet knew better than anyone that she had no more strength to continue on.

"Khun-san… you were always watching over me and protecting me, weren't you? Through each and every life I've been through…"

He opted to stay silent, hugging her tighter and straining his ears to hear her small voice. She ran her fingers through his silky hair lovingly, fond of the sky blue color that reminded her of freedom. "I still remember the color of the sky that reminded me of your hair, then I would talk to the sky and hope my voice can reach you even though I know you can't reply to me."

Of course, he heard her every single time. She'd speak of the most random topics, catching his attention with little to no effort as he smiled along to her words in the darkness of void. He's always loved how gentle and soothing her voice was, lulling him to a state of calmness as he felt oddly protected.

He still didn't respond to her, listening with bated breath and holding on to each of her words. He was long prepared for this, he was aware this would happen sooner or later. He's overseen far too many deaths, for that was his job as Death himself. And yet he was standing speechless, gritting his teeth in silence as he held the girl who was far too accepting of her own death.

His non-existent heart felt like it was being squeezed painfully without mercy. Unknown voices leering mockingly at him for being unable to save the one he loved dearly. The contracts of gods would never allow him to interfere with the mortals' life as Death. After all Death was supposed to be just and fair to all, merely overseeing without lending a hand. Khun has far long not obeyed the rules, his favorite mortal was right here in his hold after all. And he was a mere powerless being to save her from his own grasp of death.

"Thank you... for always being by my side and protecting me, Khun-san. I never felt lonely because you were always there. Truly… thank you..." Her voice had begun to trail off, exhaustion seeping off her tone. Khun wondered how it all came to this, to the point where she just couldn't continue anymore even if she forced herself.

If she and Bam were truly soulmates, connected by the string of fate, then surely the brunette would've recognized her or felt an unexplainable attraction to her. So why was it that they never had a happy ending in each life of hers? Bam always ends up regretting the fact that he chose Rachel over Evolet. Yet he continued to do so in each life, choosing and lamenting then repeating. Not once has he ever picked Evolet first. She ends up dying in every lifetime he did so, as if she was cursed.

"Khun-san, I'm going to rest for a while okay…? A small break, maybe a 30 minutes nap. I just… feel so sleepy and tired…"

Khun hugged Evolet closer ever so tightly, his mask clattering to the floor and revealing a blank expression despite the raging anger in his arctic gaze. His tone however, was calm as ever along with his body language. He didn't want to make Evolet unnecessarily worried in her last moments after all. He'd beg her to not go, to hold on to dear life and show him that mesmerizing smile of hers again. But he knew better than anyone else that wasn't possible. He could be as desperate as he wanted, and it would still be useless.

Evolet chuckled lightly, the pain evident in her tone even as she tried to keep it hidden. "Don't break any more rules while I sleep m'kay…? I know you weren't supposed to be there in my last life. And you even tampered with my memory so that I couldn't remember what you looked like. Ah, but if you do break the rules like that again and go to the human world again… Could you… please tell Bam that I'm sorry for not being able to keep my end of my promise…?"

The silence reigned for a while, Khun's hold tightening around her as he felt his shoulder dampening with tears. Tears that Evolet had shed far too much and yet far too little for all she's been through. He tried to look at her face, to wipe the tears away, only for Evolet to grasp the back of his shirt with a vice grip as she shook her head in disagreement. Her once soft voice was hoarse at best instead of its usual melodious tone. "I know… that he won't even remember me, but still-"

Her words trailed off to a muffled sob near the end, the fear of being forgotten crashing hard at the last moment. She loves Bam, dedicated and loyal to him alone albeit the fact she. After all she's carried on through each life with dear memories of each lifetime they've been through. She alone remembered everything, both of their darkest times and the happiest of their times. How her heart broke with each first encounter in the new lives, he's long forgotten about her while she longed to reach out to him and tell him of their past stories.

She carried on with a single promise in mind, for the light of her life who asked her to not leave him alone and to never let go of his hand. But what was she supposed to do when she keeps reaching out to no avail in every single lifetime? She'd grasp his hand yet he'd let go for another. Over, over, and over again in an endless carousel of agony. There was only so much she could bear, so much she could break until she couldn't be fixed anymore and cease to exist. She was so tired and she wanted to close her eyes for a while.

"Of course, you know I've never been the one to obey rules. I'll make sure to pass on your message. So… sleep well, Eve. You deserve a long relaxing break. Don't worry about anything, I'll protect you no matter what happens."

The tears streaming down her cheeks slowly, but surely relented. Or to be exact, she didn't have any more tears to shed nor did she have the strength to cry now. Her nod was barely noticed by Khun, the smallest hum of resignation along with it. Khun could feel every little detail, how her body had started going lax, the arms around him loosen, breathing gradually evened out to nothingness, how her life withered away under his own eyes. And his helplessness to it all. "That sounds reassuring coming from you… Thank you and… I love you, Aguero."

Khun promptly froze up at the mention of his first name, the last of her life and light blew out like a candle as her arms dropped limp to the side. A light strained chuckle was heard from him, teeth gritted as forced laughter spilled like a broken record. Of course, leave it to Evolet for still surprising him even in her last moments. "You can't just say something like that in the last second, Eve."

Not that she could hear him now. His surroundings morphed in a matter of seconds, the towering door in front of him disappearing as if it was a mere illusion. And in its place was a monumental throne made out of black opal, far too big for him alone. He had the absolute reign in his domain. Each time Evolet came he could've simply delivered her to the door and let her go off on her own without lifting a finger. Nevertheless he chose to escort her through every reincarnation, even going as far to deliberately make the path longer so that he could spend more time with her. Mind you, Evolet had absolutely idea of this and Khun kept her in the dark about it.

He sat on the throne like the ruler that he was, Evolet's head resting on his lap. The blue-violet orbs that would gaze at him with adoration were now closed, the owner sleeping peacefully in oblivion and under normal conditions would never open her eyes again. Khun had no intention to let her be, not if he could help it.

He wished he could take all her pain away, to see her bright smile and blue-violet orbs gleaming lovingly. What would it take to make her affection his, to have her smile and laugh for him, for her addicting gaze directed towards him. He'd cherish her with all that he was, never will he let her shed any tears. He's broken rules here and there, surely if he disregarded another one then it'd be fine, no? After all, whatever string of fate connecting her and Bam resembled a tragic love story more than anything.

What kind of selfish god would he be if he couldn't whisk his favorite human away from her fate? Gods were merely greedy humans, with powers beyond one's imagination. He may be powerless to prevent her soul from dying, but who's to say he couldn't piece her back together. Broken she may be, however her soul wasn't beyond salvation. And even if it was then Khun would search for a way no matter how long it takes.

He gently wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes with his thumb, brushing her bangs away as he studied her expression. Despite the fact she was still crying moments ago, a small relieved smile was etched on her expression. She seemed serene and at peace, as if she passed away without regrets regardless of her unfulfilled love yet again. It would've been fine to leave her alone and let her soul return back to its rightful place in the void. It should've been fine and it should've been done. If Khun wasn't selfish and greedy, that is.

A familiar set of footsteps echoed in the darkness, Khun didn't bother to look away from Evolet as he took off her crown and caressed her luscious light lavender locks. A long haired bluenette wearing a simple russian blue yukata nonchalantly stood nearby, his gaze fixed on the purplette laying on the throne and dead to the world. Death could care less of other mortals, he's been fixated on Evolet since the start after all. Life however, was plenty interested in who Death has set his eyes on.

This particular god of Life has been around much longer than the newest replacement of Death. It has always been an odd superstition how the god of Death constantly changes every few centuries. Well, Khun decided said superstition could go damn itself to hell and prove it wrong since he's been around for a couple of millennia. The god of Life who visited him just now was named Yunuen, the 2nd god of Life that has ever existed while Khun was the nth god of Death.

They both have overseen all the lives of the supposedly fated pair, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they've been watching over Evolet rather than Bam. Yunuen found the reincarnator rather intriguing in the way that her nature didn't change despite the gruelling hardships she's endured. No matter which lifetime it was, she would continue on with one purpose in her life despite knowing it was pointless.

True, there were times she despaired and attempted to run away. At the same time those moments never lasted long and if she didn't find her way to Bam then he would find his way to her, the pull between them undeniable. No sooner than the moment they reunited, the thoughts of giving up would immediately disappear as if they've never been there.

Evolet and Bam have experienced all kinds of life. She was once the daughter of a duke and he was the prince. She went up against the stereotype and dedicated herself to being his knight, bringing him up to the very top and crowned him king. Dominating the battlefield with tactical intelligence and grace, living up to her sobriquet of the dancing blade. In that lifetime she was poisoned to death by the prince's fiance since birth, Rachel. His kingdom fell into ruins, he was betrayed and assassinated by his own fiance.

She was once one of the nine sirens of the sea and he was a mere nameless sailor. He sailed the seas to find a cure for Rachel's legs, discovering that the price he had to pay was none other than a siren's voice. She offered him her voice without hesitation, fully knowing that a siren couldn't live without their voice as it was their magic. She disappeared with a smile, turning back into nothing but sea foam. He comes back home with a broken heart, unable to find the one he truly loved and completely fooled for Rachel has never been sick from the very start.

In another lifetime they settled in a small village, living a normal life with Bam as the village chief. Well, as normal as it could be when the world was under the iron rule of a tyrannical specter. He's always scorned how the specter had reigned the world in such a way, demanding sacrifices each year from every single village and town. That year was also the same. What's different however, was that they've been preparing to do a coup d'etat this year. But the rebellion was scheduled the day after the sacrifices were delivered, and Bam was worried the sacrifices would die first before they could even start the revolt.

He had been anguished when he learned Rachel was the one picked from his village that time, the blonde was after all someone dear and irreplaceable to him. He had come running to Evolet that very same right, tears overflowing from his golden hues as he requested Evolet to replace Rachel as the sacrifice. As if expecting it to happen, Evolet nodded with a small hesitant smile as she comforted him with the gentleness she always had. Bam believed that she would be able to hold on for a day until the uprising, perhaps even protect the other sacrifices from being killed.

The coup d'etat went much smoother than planned, almost too suspicious to be true. He immediately understood the reason when he saw the state of the specter's throne room. The walls were painted crimson in blood, a sword ledged in the tyrant's heart as he sat on the throne and a few corpses surrounding him. With their leader dead, the enemy's army had no real way to maintain their composure and system, hence leading to their end. But right now he could care less about that. His eyes were solely focused on a lifeless Evolet, lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood.

She had indeed protected the sacrifices just as she had promised him, even going as far to kill the specter. He hadn't asked her to assassinate the tyrant, so why did she do such a reckless deed? The answer he was searching for came in the form of a trembling small boy who told Bam that Evolet had killed the specter because otherwise they'd lose. He found out of the letters Rachel had been sending to the tyrant, all of their army's information, strategies, even their abilities. They didn't have any chance at winning if the specter wasn't dead. He had sent Evolet to her own demise, Rachel was long gone before the battle even started. He was left all alone again. Each of their lifetimes were but a tragic story, enough to get various gods' attention for numerous reasons.

Yunuen frowned as Khun glared hostilely at him for trying to approach Evolet. At this point it was practically common sense for the gods that Khun was possessive of Evolet. Or perhaps obsessive was more fitting. His arms were tucked in his yukata, sighing and wondering to himself why he agreed to help the god of Death. "Are you sure you want to do this? You'll lose your power—"

"I'm sure." Khun didn't even let Yunuen finish before answering. His hand paused from patting Evolet, shifting her carefully so that she was on his lap with her head leaning into the crook of his neck. One of his arms wrapped around her waist protectively as he held her close. The other hand grasping her hand and drawing circled on her palm as if reassuring her everything would be alright just as he always had.

Yunuen's gaze softened a little at that, knowing how hellbent the god of Death was. At least he was assured that Khun would protect her. His adoration for her didn't diminish even after nearly a millennium, there was no one better to take care of her other than Khun. Yunuen never was a big fan of tragic endings after all. Blame him for his blatant favoritism of the purplette, but he thought she deserved some sort of happy ending rather than simply dying off like that. Gods were selfish greedy beings after all, he was merely helping another god to fulfill their wish as always while also granting his own indirectly. That light lavender hair of hers reminded him all too much of a certain someone he missed dearly.

Can't say he was looking forward to the fuss to search for a new god of Death, but what was life without a little bit of spice anyway. With a single snap of his fingers another door showed itself in front of them, albeit this time it was made out of light instead of stone like the previous door and much smaller in scale. "A god wanting to become a mortal… it's unheard of, you know. Usually it'd be the reverse."

"I will not be ruled. I make my own rules. That is the mindset of a ruler. I am the ruler." That being said, Khun stood up with Evolet in his arms. She didn't stir in the slightest, the peaceful expression remaining the same.

"Take care of her properly, would you? If you ever let go then consider yourself dead." The door opened on Yunuen's cue, Khun wasting no time to stand in front of it before pausing to reply to the elder bluenette.

"Even if you didn't tell me that I still wouldn't have let her go. Not now, and not ever. Even if I have to stop time, to reincarnate endlessly like she did until I break apart, I will never let go of her. Even if my hands let go momentarily, my heart won't. And I'll find my way back to her no matter what happens. The perfect happy ending… I'll make sure she gets it."

Khun entered the door without a moment's delay, Yunuen watching silently as Khun and Evolet's figures faded into white as they entered the door. The god of Life sighed into the empty void as the door closed and disappeared once more. "The perfect happy ending huh… Is that really such a thing when this isn't a fairytale? Not to mention..."

Not everyone gets a 'happily ever after' in a fairytale either.

A/N:

And that wraps up part 1 of the special chapter— This one was a bit bittersweet I suppose? Not the type to make you cry. The part 2 however... Well it's Bam's turn to cry— but let's cry along with him :D