Seolwha closed the door and for the first time since returning to this worldline, I was alone.

How is this possible?

Even if all the fragments of 'me' dreamed of this epilogue, the probability required to incarnate 'The Most Ancient Dream' in any form is beyond what a worldline without a scenario could handle.

As soon as the Star Stream became active, the constellations staying at the Industrial Complex were able to go back their homes. More than likely, the world line's probability began to force them back to their places as soon as the Star Stream began restoring their status.

"Even myth-grade constellations shouldn't be able to come here without causing a probability storm," I muttered to myself.

A beat of silence descended and I found myself getting irritated.

"Hey, you've been too quiet this whole time. Are you waiting for another opportunity to say 'id i ot Kim Do kja' ?"

No one replied and I began to get concerned.

"Fourth Wall?"

Silence.

"If you keep ignoring me, I'm going to do something you don't like."

The silence continued and I began to grow suspicious.

"…Attributes Window."

[Checking the Attributes Window.]

[The exclusive skill 'Reading Comprehension' is increasing your reading speed!]

A vast amount of information entered my mind.

[Character Information]

Name: Kim Dokja

Age: ? years old

Constellation Support: None

Modifier: Demon King of Salvation (Myth),

Watcher of Light and Darkness (Myth),

Prisoner of the Golden Headband (Myth),

The Most Ancient Dream (?)

Private Attribute: Demon World Duke (Legend), Scenario Interpreter (?), Foreshadow Collector (?), Eternal Apostle (?)...

Exclusive Skills: Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Lv. ?, Bookmark Lv. ?, Character List Lv. ?, Fourth Wall Lv. ?, Reading Comprehension Lv. ?, Story Control Lv. ?, Overwrite Lv.?, ...

Overall Rating:

The most powerful and yet powerless being in the current worldview. With how easily this character dies, he's more like a sunfish than anyone else. Why does he think he can be a protagonist when he's this problematic? Amongst his peers, he is rated as an idiot.

I ignored the Overall Rating and quickly closed the Attributes Window before 10 seconds could pass. Could it be that the Fourth Wall deactivated somehow? Is that why it didn't offset my shock earlier?

I frowned.

"Activate the 'Fourth Wall'. "

[The exclusive skill 'Fourth Wall' is already active.]

My eyes widened in surprise.

It was activated, but it wasn't working right? Perhaps incarnating here had strict probability constraints on certain skills? But the blessing of 'The Most Ancient Dream' should remove most limitations, and the skill was still in my possession according to the Attributes Window.

…Could it be?

I gathered my senses and felt around this worldline, touching the presence of every incarnation and constellation until I could trace around the very edges of its creation. The faint sounds of 'Tsu-chuchuchut' was ever present around that edge.

I sighed deeply.

With nothing better to do than overthink and get lost in my thoughts, I slumped towards the windowsill and stared blankly outside.

Seolwha's hospital is huge and well established. The building encloses a common courtyard and there were patients—children, playing tag in the courtyard. Or at least it seemed like they were playing. If I hadn't noticed the horrified expression of one child clutching an arm of bruises, and the other with a handful of stones, I would've continued to think otherwise.

[Constellation 'Demon King of Salvation' is glaring at you.]

The bully flinched at the heavy gaze as the screen appeared before him, causing him to trip.

Before I could send another indirect message, someone tapped on the door.

"Dokja-ssi?"

The door opened and a familiar figure stepped through and waved with a smile.

"Sangah-ssi."

I breathed in the sight of her.

She's the same as ever. Gentle and lively, with a subtle grace that followed her wherever she went.

"How are you feeling?" Sangah asked.

"Great. Seolwha says I should stay in the hospital anyways, though."

"That is a shame. To feel great and yet still be a patient. It's too bad patients shouldn't get any further injuries."

The chill of her voice reminded me of all the times I had become a prisoner of the golden headband.

"Healthy people shouldn't get injured either," I pointed out hurriedly. "Besides, Jonghyuk already hit me pretty hard, don't you think that's enough?"

"Not at all, but I'll let it go just this once out of respect for Seolwha-ssi's work. However, once you're well enough to leave and do something foolish…"

Sangah smiled tightly as she left the threat hanging.

I began to sweat.

"Looks like I'll have to find ways to avoid getting discharged, then."

She began to laugh and the refreshing sound of it was so infectious I couldn't help but smile as well.

"We missed you, Dokja-ssi."

"I know. I missed everyone too."

More than they know. More than I could convey. The universe might be a novel but there are no words that existed here that could be enough to describe it.

"How are the others?" I asked.

"They're all doing well. They're excited," Sangah replied easily. "But the kids have school today, and same with Jihye. They'll be coming together once you get discharged tomorrow. Heewoon and Hyunsung are working on something together. As for Sooyoung and Jonghyuk, they've been banned from the hospital for now."

"Those two have become quite close while I wasn't around."

"Well, they do have a common hobby of fussing over you," Sangah winked. "They've bonded over a common interest."

Despite the joking tone, I couldn't help but feel guilt sinking into my gut. The lifetimes and the worlds those two went through to save me—the 'me' who attempted to atone for creating this twisted worldview.

I must've been making a strange expression because Sangah wordlessly placed her hand on mine. It's so like her. To show she wanted to better understand but gave the other the space to take the first step themselves.

I pressed my lips together tightly, contemplating if I should deflect or share. She was the one who once told me not to regret anything. So I wonder—

"Sangah-ssi."

I looked away and back out at the window. Somehow it was hard to meet her eyes.

"Do you like this worldview?"

"Worldview?" Sangah echoed.

"I mean, do you like the universe we live in? Even if it found its own type of normal now, it was originally an unfair world."

I peered back down at the children. Adults had rushed to help the child who had tripped and with bawling eyes, the bully pointed accusingly at the other child. Somehow the real victim was being blamed for the scraped knee and was receiving a fierce scolding.

"…it still is unfair."

"I understand. The world is far from perfect. But it's the one I've got."

Sangah tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's made me who I am, and the people I love live here. I wouldn't want any other universe. Don't you love it too?"

She smiled wide.

"I—"

I opened my mouth to respond.

The truth was, Ways of Survival was still my favourite novel, and this was still my favourite worldview. But I still believed that whoever created this twisted world that caused my companions to suffer so much deserved to die. So much so that the mere thought of it made it hard to breathe. The two emotions crashed into each other like stormy waves upon a shore; like I was caught in the middle, with sand in my eyes and salt at my throat.

"…Yes," I agreed, choking on it all. "I love the stories we all built together."

And I hated how much I loved it.

Sangah leaned in closer to wipe at a wetness beneath my eyes. A tear.

I wiped at my eyes as well. Who knew I was so damn sensitive without the Fourth Wall?

"I still have no regrets living the lives I had here," Sangah said as she held my hand. "Thank you for dreaming of this, Dokja-ssi."

I don't know how long Sangah stayed to chat, but despite how happy I was to see her it was also somehow tiring. It was the longest conversation I've had in years, and I underestimated the mental capacity it took to perform something that was once second nature.

In the end, Sangah left me with a piece of advice before leaving:

"If you have doubts about this universe… Shouldn't you ask the one who experienced this worldview the most?"

She had a point, but I didn't know how to face him.

I slumped backwards into the pillow and opened up my phone. Sangah had included everyone's phone numbers in it but spared me from the company's group chat to let me meet everyone at my own pace. My fingers scrolled to a stop at the contact labelled 'Yoo Junghyuk' and hovered.

What do I even say to him? 'Hi I'm back, sorry for being the worst constellation sponsor ever' ? Or how about, 'you wished for this you dumb bastard, and I told you it was going to be terrible' ?

There's been plenty of times where I ended up putting him through some hardship I thought he could handle, and many more times where his wishes clashed against my knowledge of Ways of Survival. In those times I would've replied smugly, or willingly withstood his roughhousing but those times weren't like this.

1864 lifetimes. 1864 times he saw his loved ones bleed, his world get destroyed, over and over again, living until he obtained the fable 'Hellscape of Eternity'. Until he became the 'Secretive Plotter' and only wished to die.

[Fable, 'Hellscape of Eternity' is answering your call!]

Even if it was his wish, it was still my choice to fulfill.

How do you make a person grieve the death of his younger sister a thousand times, and apologize?

Was it even possible to apologize to the 1864th round Yoo Junghyuk?