Chapter 24: 22 | destiny; to accept his hand

[he is one who wishes to reshape fate]

——xxx——

The state of mind where you were conscious, but couldn't move, was a terrifying experience. His hearing was also slightly dulled, though he could vaguely hear the chattering surrounding him.

Judging from the softness underneath him, he was lying on presumably his sofa? His bedroom consisted of a collection of books, some clothes folded in the corner and a thin, ragged mat that he slept on.

The sofa had been a gift by one of his gang members that had seen his empty house and therefore given away his sofa for free.

Because, without a doubt, Lucas was undeniably broke.

Unsurprisingly, the pay for being a delinquent didn't help a person live a good life. Considering Elias' well-dressed appearance, he should be rich.

Maybe... Lucas should discuss a pay increase later?

First off, his current situation was problematic. Assuming he was currently in a coma, it would be a matter of when or if he woke up.

The consequences of using the scales hadn't been described much in the novel since a certain author had been too lazy to go into the details of certain things.

Ahem. No matter. He had full faith in his reckless, possibly murderous, plan.

He listened carefully to the footsteps around him, differentiating the light-weight, slow steps that likely belonged to Nora and the hurried, almost panicked scampers of Rome's.

The woman seemed to be walking away... towards the door?

Lucas tensed his body, alert and cautious as he heard a light knock, almost unnoticed when he was distracted by his thoughts.

"It's you!" Lucas heard Nora exclaim loudly with elated surprise, a tinkle of laughter in her voice. "What a coincidence."

Every cell in Lucas' body protested, the warning bells in his head ringing.

To be specific, it was his built-in alarm for annoying things approaching. It helped him slip away like a snake, always disappearing at exactly the right time.

Perhaps that was the reason he hadn't once met that boss of his, despite causing trouble all the time.

Wait...

Lucas' ears went alert, listening to the long strides that stepped into his house, almost seeing the other look around and the emptiness.

"Please don't touch anything." warned Nora. "I honestly don't think it's right for me to invite somebody in while he's unconscious, but I'm out of options."

Well, Lucas appreciated her warning for the other person, at least.

Then, right beside him, the most aggravating and ugly voice spoke. "As I thought, you're the sleeping beauty."

"....." Lucas really wanted to swear.

On the other side—the conscious and much able to say whatever he wanted—Elias smiled, as if hearing the other's thoughts.

The rowdy delinquent was expectedly much cuter when he was quiet, although the furrowed eyebrows told him that the other might be awake and listening.

He hadn't, however, expected the startling emptiness of the house that held no traces of life.

The few items that were there either belonged to Nora or Rome, or consisted of the bare essentials needed.

A man that had nothing to gain or lose.

That new opinion was quickly added to the impression Elias had of the other.

A lonely, pathetic existence. Hadn't the man said he'd planned to abandon the memories of his brother, who he so desperately sought?

If a man like that lost his very meaning of living, would he still move forward?

Well, Lucas, irritating as he was, likely had a plan taking that into consideration.

"So? Do you notice any abnormalities?" inquired the woman eagerly, hopeful of Lucas' well-being.

Elias glanced back coolly and nodded. "I think he'll gain consciousness soon. It might be wise to test his senses to see if he shows any signs of awakening."

"What should I do?"

Elias' blue gaze roamed over the woman and landed on the little boy who kept peering over worriedly. He beckoned the child to come closer.

"Hey kid, why don't you squeeze his hand lightly? I don't think he'll be happy if any of us touch him."

Rome cautiously nodded, creeping forward like an alert rabbit that kept glancing over at Elias.

"....."

Seriously, hadn't he been quite nice to this kid? What unfair treatment, really. Compared to that insufferable sleeping man, Elias thought of himself a million times kinder.

The 'unconscious' Lucas had initially stiffened at the idea of being touched, but relaxed from the soft and careful squeeze of the boy.

Rome treated the limp hand like glass, peeking at the closed eyes eagerly.

"No response?" said Elias knowingly before heavy footsteps approached Lucas. "I wonder if he can hear anything."

Lucas' body stiffened again as he heard rustling and the sound of somebody crouching beside him.

Lucas once again wanted to swear.

A heavy voice fell upon his listening ears, a hushed, amused whisper. "Good morning, beauty."

"....." Screw you.

The slightly furrowed eyebrows shuffled together even further, and Elias laughed out loud, well aware of his irritating actions.

"There's a nearby art gallery, abandoned since the chaos begun. The doors should be open. Do you still intend to make a deal with me?"

Of course, the secretly listening person was called out, but could not respond. However, Elias didn't mind and continued to have a conversation. To Nora and Rome, it looked as if the man was talking to himself.

Rome tugged on Nora's clothes suspiciously, whispering into her ear. "N-Nora... are you sure he's... erm... okay in the..." A small finger was pointed to his head as he frowned.

Nora smiled, glancing at Elias. "Yes, Lucas seems to have a certain amount of trust in him as well."

"...that's not what I'm worried about..."

Nora looked at Elias, who seemed to be off in his old world, talking to an unconscious patient and kept the reassuring smile on her face. "It should be fine."

"Hm... would you wake up if I attacked you?" wondered the man aloud to himself.

The woman's smile froze. "...it should be fine?"

Rome turned his head. "Really?"

"I think so."

"...Nora, he's standing up. His eyes look really threatening."

"Don't worry, Rome. He is Lucas' friend."

"Nora... why is he grabbing the bottom of the couch?"

"....."

"...Nora!"

Rome's panicked voice hitched as Elias sighed, looking for ways to wake Lucas up. It would do no good for either of them if he was to die, especially when Elias had come all the way to wake this man up.

Couldn't he just shake him awake? 

Flip the couch over? Easy.

Just as Elias lifted the couch up at the edges and Rome rushed over while Nora stood in shock at the scene, Lucas' eyes jolted awake.

He snapped his head over to Elias, feeling his body rest at an abnormal angle on the soft cushion.

Two men stared at each other, one lifting a couch, and one sitting on the raised furniture. Elias grinned, and Lucas immediately scowled.

"What the... hell are you doing?" rasped the awoken man.

The other shrugged. "Helping you wake up, of course."

"Do you want a beating?"

"I won't refuse one."

"....." Lucas felt that his own ability to say shameless things and make others speechless had been easily defeated by this person. It was a little unfortunate.

The unlucky smile remained on Elias' lips before he released the sofa abruptly, raising his arms into the air. He'd purposely raised the sofa a few inches higher, and Lucas jolted as he bounced lightly with the drop.

"...I think you really need a beating."

The man stretched his arms out. "I'm all yours."

"I don't want you."

Lucas stared at him, daggers in his gaze, before sighing, turning his head away to examine Nora and Rome. His head was still dazed from having just woken up, and he felt a little sluggish.

He'd also have to deal with Wren later, who was probably lurking around in his mind and peering at his conversation like a stalker.

The pair of woman and child were heavily bandaged up, Nora more than Rome from protecting him several times. Her left arm had been completely covered, still seeping with blots of murky red.

Thankfully, their regeneration ability and strength increased slightly every time they left a Story.

"Did you get any rewards for completing the Story?"

Elias leaned against the kitchen counter, still looking around. "I did."

Lucas ignored him, looking at Nora, who smiled awkwardly. "Since I took the sheets of paper out, that ended up being my reward."

"Ah, sorry."

"No, no. I haven't given it to... I haven't followed your instructions yet as I was waiting for you to wake up."

Lucas nodded as she gathered up the pile of paper tucked away, handing it over as Lucas flipped through, double checking that everything was there. He'd have a proper conversation with Rome later, when everything could be discussed.

Rome ran over to hop onto the sofa, sitting with a straight back and a model student posture. "I gained a skill."

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His expression seemed calm, but excitement clearly glowed in his eyes as he eagerly stared at Lucas. Almost like a puppy waiting to be praised.

"Yeah? Do you want to tell me what it is? If it's something private, then you should keep it hidden." warned Lucas.

Rome nodded quickly. "It's a stealth skill. I still don't have a Title... so it's a minor blessing."

"Not bad. The only ones who can gain any blessings or skills are those who played a major role in the Story they were in."

Rome smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Okay! It's called the blessing of stealth, and my footsteps can become silent for up to 5 seconds."

Lucas nodded to himself, satisfied. Although it seemed meager, a mere 5 seconds could be the deciding factor between life and death.

Speaking of 'Titles', however, he would have to find one for Rome. Nora gained a title because she had discovered the True Ending with him, but it wasn't always that simple.

The first Ranking would occur soon, and by the second one, humanity would come to realize what a Title truly was. Because it not only provided a person with power,

But a means of survival.

Those without would disappear in the second Ranking, and the world would finally understand the gravity of this apocalypse, if they didn't already.

"What else happened while I was—"

Click.

Lucas' sentence faltered as he turned head, eyes falling upon an empty space. The standing man had disappeared, gone without a word.

Nora recognized his gaze and blinked in surprise. "Oh, when did he leave? I must've been distracted."

"I'll be back."

"Ah?"

Stumbling out of the sofa, he forced his body to adapt to his movement, shaking any remnants of dizziness away. His stare never left the closed door.

"I forgot that I have an appointment with somebody." said Lucas slowly, lazily stretching his arms into the air as he strolled forwards the door. "It shouldn't take too long."

"Lucas, you've just woken up. I think it's best if you get some rest."

"I will. Later."

Offering a nonchalant wave, he stepped outside.

——xxx——

Wind whistled through the gallery, and the morning's greeting brushed by his cheek. 

Slowly turning his head, he noticed a large painting framed and hung on the wall, standing in its elegant allure as it changed the atmosphere of the entire room.

Hidden away in a separated space.

In the painting, a man stood, one leg bowing and the other shackled by multiple chains running along the earth like rivers. There was no king or entity before him, only the bleeding sun that painted a sheen of pulsing warmth over the entire canvas. 

In the corners, darkness crept, ready to steal and surround.

He was ushering forth a new dawn, grasping for a dying hope.

The more Lucas looked, the more confused and distorted the expression became.

The man was crying silent tears, yet gleefully embracing the end—or beginning, depending on the interpretation of the viewer.

Was he sad or happy, in pain from the wounds that pierced into his sides, in anguish with the death that surrounded him in the shape of broken metal and scattered petals?

Lucas quietly scanned over the painting with observing, cloudy eyes.

Footsteps grew closer behind him, softly clattering along the oaken floors in their silence. It stopped beside him. Lucas didn't turn his head to see.

They remained soundless, wordless.

Finally, a low chuckle marked the beginning of conversation. "Missed me already, my darling sponge?"

"...sponge?"

"Resilient creatures. Simple and boring, yet you just can't kill them. Cut them up and they'll regrow." Elias tilted his head, a quirk tugging up the corner of his lips. "Just like you?"

Elias turned to face toward the painting and the hopeful, despairing man. He stretched out a finger, running it along the streams of dark metal chains until somewhere in the image, it broke, splintered into pieces.

Not that it made a difference when several other chains still kept the man from leaving.

"What is he staring at?" wondered the man in a low timber, curiosity painting a sheen over his words. "What is so beautiful about the bleeding sun?"

He stepped forward and impolitely rapped on the painting, near the man's distorted expression. "Is he crying? Is the sun the only company in his pathetic life?" mused Elias with a faint sly of his lips, as if the answer were trivial and unimportant.

"Is he lonely?" He inclined his head towards Lucas to offer a fleeting, careless glance. "Like you?"

"Let's make a deal." said Lucas slowly, still staring ahead, not wasting any time. He didn't respond to the earlier rambles.

Elias paused, cocking his head curiously. "I'll hear you out."

"The world is ending."

"Yeah, I'm rather aware of that. I've had my fair share of Stories by now."

"And I know how it will end." continued Lucas calmly, as if his words were nothing but insignificant rambling. Elias' full attention was now on him, unmoving.

The man laughed. "And how do you know that?"

"I wrote the ending. The story I wrote came to life, and it is what you see here." said Lucas honestly.

It was true that this information may be surprising to many, and perhaps dreadful.

Perhaps a person would want to kill him, for bringing this calamity.

Elias, however, behaved in such a manner that is indifferent to the world, leisurely moving through life.

The world's end was something that only amused him, not scared.

As expected, Elias smiled again, a lopsided, interested sort that was also threatening and dangerous. "What sort of role do I play in your story?"

"A villain."

"A terrible and charming one?"

"A dead one."

Elias faltered, and Lucas said nothing. It isn't really a lie, though the ending was left open with the man's life or death unconfirmed. He believed that if the story continued, they will have died.

There is no happy conclusion that awaits anyone in the world's demise.

Not even for the monsters, nor the powerful.

"Alright, I didn't see that coming, I'll admit."

"I can help you survive." said Lucas, though he wasn't entirely sure how. If the destruction of society could be prevented, then it was likely they'd all live. That was his aim. "I can show you a different conclusion that doesn't end in your death."

"You're so persuasive, really." Elias chuckled, nodding to himself. "An insignificant little guy like you can change the course of destiny? But what if I say I don't mind being a villain?"

"Then I can make you a villain." Lucas finally turned his head, piercing gaze seeming to see through the other. "I don't plan to save the world."

"Then tell me, darling, what do you plan to save?"

"I want to save the hero from being the sacrifice that'll usher the world's collapse."

His [].

His stupid, justice-seeking [] that has cut ties with him long ago.

......

The...?

The protagonist of the story, and the one Lucas had cursed to die. He hated to admit it, but Elias' help was essential.

"Are you offering to grant me whatever I want?"

"I am."

Elias nodded and laughed. Almost as if the entire situation was so ridiculous and unexpected, he didn't know what else to do. Or he found it all so amusing. "What if... I want you?"

Lucas didn't remove his stare, raising his eyebrows. "Then I'll offer myself on a silver platter."

This man was somebody who would become, if he wasn't already, a disaster to the world.

Trouble would follow his every step endlessly, and Lucas was destined to have a permanent headache until the end.

This was his last option, and an unwilling one at that. Similarly, Elias thought that the reckless man before him was either a complete idiot, or delusional.

Yet he can't help but be a little curious to see how his boring world might change with this fool's involvement.

Lucas stretched a pale hand out in the distance between them, the dim lights illuminating over their heads. He was calm, and didn't fear rejection.

"You are the villain, lacking the drive to keep the world alive."

His words vibrated through the air.

"He is the hero whose destiny lies five feet underground."

In order to save the protagonist and change the twisted tragedy,

A mysterious smile stretched across Lucas' bloody lips in ominous promise. "And I am the writer who drew the line between good and bad."

...he would make a deal even with the devil himself.

"Do you want to rebel against your destiny?"

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