The flow of stories pouring into him again brought on a strength he hadn't had since completing the final scenario. Despite this, his body felt more heavy and more clumsy than it's been in years, and Kim Dokja couldn't help but wonder what was happening to him. Was this the result of becoming "The Oldest Dream," gaining back all the strength he's lost for a moment before losing it all again? Was this the final moment before he would forget himself and his cause?
With much effort, Dokja forced himself to pry his heavy eyes open, wanting to see one last thing before he disappeared forever—-shock coursed through him at the sight of the place he was currently lying down in.
This was not the train his role of the Oldest Dream was enacted in. No, this was the hospital he and his companions had been in many times. Kim Dokja was home.
His breath caught in his throat as he gazed around, too scared to be hopeful... The last thing he remembered was the "Fourth Wall'' telling him it was time to keep dreaming. Then, he had felt weaker than he ever had before. The last thing he saw was the beginnings of his companions' plans to somehow save him from his fate.
Cumbersomely, Dokja lifted his hands in front of his face. The hands that had once been the size of a child's were steadily growing back to their original size - damn, his whole body was growing.
A startled laugh burst from his lips; even the 49%'s and 51%'s memories were coming together again, trying to find their correct order. Of course, Dokja sensed missing gaps in his memory, some old but mostly new, but he wouldn't worry about that right now.
He was in the Industrial Complex, so where were his companions? How long had he been out?
Multiple footsteps pounded up the stairs, yells of hope and excitement reverberating through the door.
All that noise stopped suddenly, and Dokja almost thought this was a cruel illusion. Struggling, he tried to sit himself, but his body wouldn't listen. When he looked around, he found a button that would raise the back of the bed for him. He desperately wanted to meet him at the door, but his legs refused to move.
He opened his mouth to call out just as the doorknob turned.
Han Sooyoung was standing there, breathing hard and covered in sweat. You Joonghyuk stood there too, along with the rest of his companions: Lee Gilyoung, Shin Yoosung, Jung Heewon, Lee Hyunsung, Lee Jihye, Lee Seolhwa, Yoo Sangah, Jang Hayoung, Gong Plidu, and even his mother.
Despite himself, tears sprang to his eyes at the sight of them - the sight he had so long yearned for.
"Ahjussi!"
"Hyung!"
The kids cried out for him before pushing through Han Sooyoung and running for him. Within seconds they collided with him and hung on as if it were a life and death situation. Dokja wrapped his arms around them and croaked, "You guys are so big."
Shin Yoosung pulled back, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. "Why would you do that!?"
Dokja opened his mouth to answer, however he couldn't find one. Luckily, he was saved by Jung Heewon. "Give him room! Do you want to suffocate him right when he wakes up!?"
The kids hesitantly got off of him, slowly letting go as if he would disappear immediately. Everyone had crammed into the small room, and when he opened his mouth to say something - maybe to crack a joke, Han Sooyoung could no longer contain herself. With tears in her eyes, she put a knee on his bed and threw her arms around him. He flinched slightly as she buried her face in the crook of his neck, having expected a punch. "You're a real bastard, you know that?"
A faint chuckle slipped out of him, a stupid grin on his face. Before he had the chance to do anything, Han Sooyoung got off of him before smacking the back of his head hard enough to see stars. "Ow!" he gasped out, his hand raising to the now tender spot.
"You and I are going to have a serious talk later! You hear me!?"
Dokja glanced at Joonghyuk, who was glaring at Han Sooyoung as if to say, 'I'll be there too.'
He gulped, thinking of both an angry Sooyoung and Joonghyuk ganging up on him. Opening his mouth to protest, he was cut off by Sangah who said, "We still haven't found out why you put us all through that stress Dokja-ssi."
Everyone immediately started agreeing with her, their voices raising over each other as they all tried to say their piece. Damn, Dokja had missed them even more than he had realized.
"I told you, this fool can't help but do this!" Jung Heewon said.
"Though he seems to forget we care," Lee Hyunsung replied to her, always the peacemaker.
Jang Hayoung burst out, "That's a terrible excuse Hyunsung-ssi!"
More responses were given but Dokja could barely hear them over all the clamoring. Finally, Yoo Joonghyuk cut in and declared, "I want to hear that fool's reasoning."
That bastard. Dokja shot him a look before noticing the patches of gray hair on his head- just when did he grow gray hairs? How long has it been since he became the Oldest Dream?
"Well?" Han Sooyoung said, tapping her foot impatiently, forcing Dokja to abandon his thoughts.
"There was no other way," he said simply.
"How could you have known!?"
"If I had left, every worldline would have frozen. The Oldest Dream isn't a negotiable position."
Jung Heewon rolled her eyes and said, "Then why isn't the world frozen now, dumbass?"
Dokja opened his mouth to answer but stopped; just why wasn't it frozen? Frowning deeply, he looked at his companions and said, "What exactly have you guys been up to?"
vVv
The kids didn't give the adults the chance to tell Dokja he couldn't hear the tale just yet, no, they began telling him how Han Sooyoung had called the Dokja he left behind out, making them all realize the truth. They told him of their crazy plans to group regress, somehow completing all of the scenarios again and making even more allies. They told him of the truth behind the Fourth Wall, and how they had stolen him back just for him to be neither alive or dead. They told him of the two long years they had been split up until Sooyoung had begun writing a novel— the novel she wanted Dokja to read. They told him about their half-cooked plan to get him back, and how they had sent Yoo Joonghyuk into space for an untold amount of time— the regressor glared at his boots during that part, the faintest blush on his cheeks. They told him how they waited for him as Han Sooyoung got closer and closer to finishing the novel, another two long years.
Of course, the other companions jumped in with anything the kids missed, giving Dokja so much information that he didn't know what to do with it.
When they finally finished, Dokja's brain felt like a pile of jelly. They had wanted him back that much? Guilt for splitting himself into two hit him for the first time, and he gazed at his companions sheepishly. They looked at him as if to say, 'told you so.'
Biting his lip, he began mulling over his scattered soul and after a moment asked, "So, if my soul is scattered across the worldlines, how am I here right now?"
"The fragments of you imagined you to be," Han Sooyoung answered smoothly.
"So if they imagined me to wake up the way I was, and the novel was what you guys wrote, how am I me? Wouldn't I just be a variation of me that you guys came up with?"
"We thought that too," she replied, "so we got as many perspectives as we could. The only perspective we were missing was you. Butttt if I wrote the novel right, the fragments of you should be able to put together whatever we missed because their souls hold your memories. Even if they aren't technically 'you,' their subconscious pieced together whatever we missed, imagining you as the you you are."
He nodded, her explanation a bit confusing but clear, and laid back a bit, exhausted. He went to say something else, but his brain wouldn't let him. Every sense was telling him to shut his eyes and sleep. His companions' voices grew blurry, and as his consciousness began to drift off, tears filled his eyes. He was so, so happy to be back…
vVv
The next time he woke up, the room was empty except for the kids on either side of his bed, sleeping with their heads down and gripping his hands. He smiled at the sight and made sure not to move before shutting his eyes again.
He still felt small gaps in his memory, as if some part of him had been damaged in the whole process. Taking a deep breath, he reassured himself that he would be fine, and that he was the Dokja from before becoming the Oldest Dream.
vVv
Dokja opened his eyes, not even having realized he had fallen asleep again. The kids were gone, replaced by Yoo Sangah, who had fallen asleep in a chair beside his bed. His hands trembled slightly as he rubbed his eyes, the muscles nearly gone. Hunger roiled in his stomach, and for a second Dokja debated if he should wake Sangah up but decided against it.
Taking off the blanket, he sat up and tried to lift his leg, but it was like a heavy weight. Gritting his teeth, he carefully used his hands to move his legs over the side of the bed, the whole ordeal making him breathless. After a few moments of steeling himself, he made his knees straighten. He flashed a wicked grin, smug with himself, and tried to take a step forward.
The world lurched around him, and Dokja shot his hands out to steady himself but it was too late. He slammed into the tile floor, letting out a pained gasp and squeezing his eyes shut tight.
He heard Sangah wake up with a start before she stood. "Dokja!?"
Dokja clenched his teeth, pushing himself up, but his legs just wouldn't listen. "I'm fine," he managed to get out.
She hurriedly went around the bed to help him up, dismissing his protests, and after a moment had him on the bed again. While fussing over him, Dokja kept his gaze away from hers, murmuring his thanks while trying to politely get her away from him as fast as possible.
Sure, his body had felt heavier and clumsier since the start of the scenarios, but he figured it was just because he hadn't had a chance to get up and stretch his limbs after long years of unuse.
Just how much damage was caused by his actions?
Finally gathering some kind of courage, Dokja said, "Thank you, Sangha-ssi."
She stopped fussing at his words, bringing her hands back a bit and smiling warmly at him. She didn't say anything, but that smile said a lot to him. It made him feel worse.
"Lee Seolhwa told me she needed to talk with you about things like this, but you fell asleep before she had the chance."
He nodded, rubbing the back of his head, "How long was I sleeping?"
She checked her watch before saying, "Two days. We made shifts so you wouldn't wake up alone again."
Dokja's stomach grumbled despite itself, and he looked up at Sangah and shrugged, "Whenever she's ready she can come."
A sharp nod, "I'll get you something to eat and call her in."
She turned to leave, but at the door she raised a hand to the doorframe and looked back, "I missed you Dokja-ssi. Don't do something like that again, please."
vVv
Much to Dokja's despair, Seolhwa informed him that his muscles had been stagnant for so long, that his brain didn't register them, and even if it did, they would be too weak to hold his weight for more than a few seconds. Of course, he could walk again through vigorous work, and he should count himself lucky since he seemed to be able to move the rest of his body without much resistance, even if it was weakened.
Dokja didn't feel very lucky, and bitterness struck him as she left him alone with a steaming plate of food. He had to relearn how to walk? How did you do something like that at such an old age? He was no longer a toddler and he knew how to walk, but his stupid legs didn't seem to anymore. She had sat with him a while longer, going on and on about the new medicine she was developing, and Dokja listened to her without hesitation, desperate for a distraction.
After some time stewing alone, the rest of the companions visited him one by one throughout the day. Some encounters were teary while some were a bit nostalgic. But Dokja didn't care— he had missed every single one of them with all of his heart, and despite his conflicting emotions, he still couldn't believe all of this was true.
The kids had come together, scolding him for being so dumb, their eyes still full of unsteady hope. They had told him of their accomplishments the last few years, trying to outdo each other but failing to do so. Dokja couldn't help but be proud of who they became. He held his tears until they left, mourning missing a big chunk of their adolescent years.
With Lee Hyunsung, they had talked of their times together fondly, reminding each other of various times they had saved each other. Dokja enjoyed this reminiscing very much, smiling warmly at Hyunsung the whole time they talked. By the end, Hyunsung seemed to sit up straighter, as if a burden were taken off his back.
Jung Heewon had sat there silently for a long while, staring at her hands as if she didn't know what to say to him. Dokja had waited until she was ready, not pressing for anything. When she started, it was like a firecracker went off in the room. She had yelled at him, berated him for being such a "fucking idiot," cursed at him, and then finally, cried with him. She had admitted that during that time was the weakest she'd ever felt, unable to keep herself or the group together. She had ended things with Lee Hyunsung because she just couldn't think of the past anymore. With tears in his eyes, Dokja had assured her that she was strong, and that he had made a mistake in thinking he could do it alone. He didn't know if he thought he was lying or not.
Him and Lee Jihye had bickered as if no time had passed, debating topics so ridiculous that both of them had to stop at times to laugh at the whole thing. At the end, she had shown off her diploma a bit sheepishly, her cheeks red as she held the paper. Dokja's heart stopped at it, wanting heavy in his heart.
Yoo Sangah came again, this time more awake than she had been before, and sat quietly with him, talking of their days in Minosoft. Dokja had appreciated the calm break from everyone else.
Jang Hayoung and Gong Plidu came together, surprisingly having made a bond during the time he was sleeping. While Hayoung was saying, "The Demon King shouldn't bestow salvation if it hinders himself," "Demon Kings are supposed to be evil, not good!" and many other cheesy sayings like that as Plidu looked on with a satisfied look.
When his mother had come, they had sat in silence for a few moments, both of them unsure what to say. Finally, his mother took his hand and clasped it tightly for several moments before leaving. Dokja was surprised to feel a weight of his own come off his chest.
Han Sooyoung had blown inside his room without knocking, laptop in hand, and showed him everything she had been doing. She didn't give him the chance to read it, but had nagged him how she had had to change the purpose of her novel to save his "sorry ass," but now he would have to read this one and the one she had originally planned. Dokja had dumbly nodded as she scrolled through years of work, pointing out certain parts. At the end of all of it, she admitted that while writing it she was shocked to see them slowly become friends, despite having lived through it. Dokja couldn't help but agree, remembering when they could barely stand each other. Before she left, she punched his arm and popped a lemon candy in her mouth, saying that if he ever tried to do anything like that again she would save him again before killing him herself.
Yoo Joonghyuk came late into the night, right before Dokja was about to shut off his light. He stood by the door and glared at Dokja for the longest time before sitting in the chair next to his bed, his arms crossed. Dokja noticed the rings under his eyes and the messy hair with new gray patches. Yoo Joonghyuk looked more tired than any description TWSA had ever described him as. Before he could stop himself, Dokja looked him up and down and said, "You look like shit."
Yoo Joonghyuk shot him a fiercer glare than before and shot back, "Not as bad as you."
Dokja looked down at himself and chuckled, his body looked thin and sickly, his hands hadn't stopped trembling since he woke up. He had seen himself in the mirror earlier that day— sunken cheeks, chapped lips, pale toned, and matted hair that didn't seem to come back to life no matter how hard he tried. Despite that, he shrugged it off as if it were nothing, knowing with time he would go back to the way he was.
For a while, both were silent, and right as Dokja was about to break the silence, Joonghyuk said, "I knew what you did less than a week after we finished."
Dokja shut his mouth, his eyes wide. "How?"
"I just knew. Han Sooyoung found out soon after. Up until then, I thought I was paranoid."
He nodded, remembering the story they had told him. He was surprised Joonghyuk was admitting so much, but he didn't say so. Maybe those long years alone in space had changed him some.
Yoo Joonghyuk met Dokja's with unflinching eyes before saying, "I am no longer a regressor… but tell me you fool, will I meet you in my next life?"
Dokja raised his chin slightly, not having expected him to believe in such things as a next life, but for some reason it fit him— a regressor who could no longer regress believing in the next life.
"We'll have to see."
But until then… he still planned to live in that big house with all of his companions.
