afterword | ★ ( bookmarked: butterfly. )

[ From the shared bathroom in between the suites, Shinobu will hear the occasional.. scratch? at the door. Scratch scratch scratch.

It isn't stopping. ]

[ spins wheel, the prism has granted us.. the library archway for exploring.

when someone else comes in, Dokja peers up from the various books he has gathered. Jin, on the other hand, perks her head high up with recognition before jogging over with happy fox yaps in greeting. ]

Ah, Shinobu Kocho. Doing some exploring today?

[ if he can be found in his room, shinobu is coming by way of suitemate. the bathroom.

knock, knock!! tell her she can come in like the vampire half of chroma thought roxana was. ]

Kim Dokja-san, may I come in?

[ she doesn't hide her worry. it's clear in her voice. ]

[ just wandering' for now, Jin seeming further ahead as she catches a familiar person and beelines towards Shinobu with nine wagging tails. hewwo ]

Ah, Shinobu. Doing alright? [ trial and execution, huh.... scapegoating...... sheeesh ]

[ Dokja is doing some exploring today, mostly reaching the hallways and watching as Jin is already rushing a bit ahead because she sees +1 Shinobu. she yips happily at her. ]

I see why Jin wanted to go this way--

[ but we interrupt this program for a shower of STARDUST and MEMORY TIME. ]

[ When you awake to your senses, it's filled with nothing but pain. Your body has been torn apart again and again- enough to cause your mind to break down. Despite this shock, your body was still alive. Your party members were shocked by your miserable appearance but they shouldn't stop. It is not meant to be for you to live. You stare at your loyal and dependable companions, exhausted and tired. Forced to fight you despite not wanting to, pressured to by your words and encouragement. Each of them filled with despair, that they would have to strike you down just to live. However, it had to be this way. If not you- then who else? It was better that it was you that was in this position. ]

Con... tinue.

[ If they didn't do it now, there wouldn’t be another chance.

[A few constellations have noticed your sacrifice.]
[Many constellations are amazed by your will.]

However, if there was one person you could rely on to finish the job, it was him.

"Kim Dokja." Yoo Jonghyuk had risen from the stone wall and was watching you.

You almost laugh at the expression he makes. He can't change what has already happened, and he knows that. Because it's Yoo Joonghyuk, he has already accepted that he would have to kill you. That's what you think even as you can see that he believes it should be him in this spot and not you.

When Yoo Joonghyuk rushes to you, every hit with his blade against your body makes you feel weaker and weaker. He doesn't say anything but his despair is conveyed every time the blade cuts you. You know this isn't enough. You know it and he knows it. You usher him to use the proper blade- he hesitates with a response, gaze hard as he stares at you.

"...If I use this, you can't be ressurected."

Yoo Joonghyuk thinks too much and you know this. You know he's worried about the scenario being ruined, however now was the time to use that blade. It had to be done if they hoped to win. Text appears on the screen beside you in that moment.

[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ feels despair.]
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ is sighing deeply.]
[The constellation ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ is holding her breath.]

Yes... you're aware that by that blade, all of your chances of coming back may be gone. This could be your final farewell.

The party members were running. They cried, screamed or were filled with deep anger. Everyone was coming towards you. Your vision gradually diminishes and all the characters became the landscape. You saw them and laughed.

「 Incarnation Kim Dokja will be killed by the person he loves most. 」

You had forgotten. All prophecies couldn't be interpreted literally. In this Star Stream, people were stories.

[The constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’ is looking at you.]
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is looking at you.]
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ is looking at you.]
[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ is looking at you.]
[The constellation ‘Maritime War God’ is looking at you.]

As the gazes of countless stars in the sky poured towards you, a story was running towards you. Parents, friends and lovers were all stories. This wasn’t the Ways of Survival you knew but— It was a story more wonderful than Ways of Survival.

[A constellation of a small planet is looking at you.]
[All the constellations on the Korean Peninsula are looking at you.]

It was your story. You laughed as Yoo Jonghyuk's sword pierced your heart.

[ Your fate has been realized. ]

Your body slowly sinks down and you can feel Yoo Jonghyuk hold onto you. “Kim Dokja.” You choke a bit on blood, spilling from your lips as your peer at the man with a smile. ]

It was a really great story, isn''t that right?

[ Yoo Jonghyuk stares down at you silently. You couldn’t find any words and just watched. It was as if you had always been meant to do this. That's what you believe.

[The effect of the Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds has destroyed all remaining extra lives.]
[You can no longer resurrect.]

You finally look up at the sky. The clusters of nebulae were in the center of the night sky. Vedas, Olympus, Papyrus... You would never forget what they had done. Then the sky blinked.

[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ doesn’t wish for your death.]

The stars shone brightly as if in response to your will.

[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ doesn’t wish for your death.]
[The constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’ doesn’t wish for your death.]
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ doesn’t wish for your death.]

You look at the sky and laugh. Due to these guys, you hated the constellations but you couldn't hate the story. ]

Let's meet again, Yoo Joonghyuk.

[ The power of the demon king disappeared and at the same time, strength drained from you. A small black hole appeared in the air behind you. Your body was slowly being sucked into it. Your legs, your torso, your arms... it's a strange sensation as they turned into powder and were slowly being sucked in.

"Kim Dokja! No! Kim Dokja!"

At the last moment, he tightly held you by the neck. However, it was already too late.

Your vision turns black and you are sucked into an empty void. ]

[ the void is as good as a place as any even though they're literally suitemates. shinobu's mood is never great after the weekend, but after a week of three deaths, it's probably worse. she's still mostly smiles as she usually is.

she kneels to greet the inevitability of jin sensing her almost immediately. ]

Hello, Dokja-san, Jin.

[ hello shinobu, there are noises coming from the shared bathroom!

and by noises i mean

fox screaming

help ]

[ mountain time! which, Dokja looks briefly surprised to see not just this view but someone else here. ]

..I'd say opening the door to a mountain is almost unexpected but, we have been seeing different locations outside the hotel for weeks now.

[ Jin is of course here, who is unsurprisingly very happy to see Shinobu. scurrying over to happily circle her. ]

[ she runs for jin first.

i'm kidding.

three people are dead, so she's feeling quite a bit. when she sees dokja, she manages some kind of smile. ]

Was it expected? Now that we're getting near the end?

[ kdj will honestly be giving her some space, but there will be light scratching at her door from the shared bathroom for whenever she is back in her suite. if she opens the door and lets Jin in, Jin seems like she will join her for the night to comfort.

if that happens, she will receive a message from kdj. ]

You can keep Jin with you for the night if you'd like.

Edited 2022-07-17 01:50 (UTC)

[ there's a familiar scratching at shinobu's door from the shared bathroom. ]

[ a certain reader is in the lobby, heading in direction of the restaurant until he spies someone familiar. Jin is yipyapping excitedly and zooming to circle Shinobu, swaying those nine tails happily. she will sniffsniff to ensure her friend is healthy as she can be. ]

Hello, Shinobu. Busy day?

[ thank god... no cyoas... outside those sudden appearances ofc, it has been a chill week? which is a nice break ]

w0, sunday.

w1, tuesday.

w2, thursday

w2, sunday.

w3, tuesday.

w3, sunday

w4, saturday.

w5, monday.

week 5, friday

w5, saturday post-trial.

w6, saturday post-trial.

w7, thurs pre-curfew.