Chapter Text
The Cavern of Earth was as expected: it was a dungeon formed on the side of a mountain. There was no lava, no water, and no crazy wind puzzles in sight. It was the most barebone dungeon that Han Yoojin had entered so far. It was underwhelming to say the least.
Sung Hyunjae laughed when Han Yoojin mentioned this.
“I suppose this is why the Warrior of Light usually tackles the Cavern of Earth first.”
Han Yoojin raised an eyebrow at him. “If that’s so, why did we do the Cavern of Wind first?”
There was a sly twinkle in Sung Hyunjae’e eye and he continued forward without answering Han Yoojin’s question.
The first thing that Han Yoojin noticed was that the dungeon was completely devoid of monsters.
No goblins hid in the corner. No traps were set off. Not even a single bat flew around.
The quietness of the cave was eerie, so Han Yoojin stuck close to Han Yoohyun, who welcomed his brother’s touch.
Sung Hyunjae led the group at the front, easily navigating the twists and turns of the dungeon. At this point, Han Yoojin didn’t even question it. Sung Hyunjae clearly knew where he was going.
When Sung Hyunjae walked further ahead, Han Yoohyun grabbed his brother’s arm and stopped them in the middle of the dark passageway.
“Hyung, is something wrong?” asked Han Yoohyun, “You’ve been quiet.”
Han Yoojin observed the archaic patterns on the stone walls around them and sighed. “You caught me. Something has been bothering me.”
“It’s fine, you can tell me anything hyung. I promise not to laugh.”
Han Yoojin hesitated for a moment. “Would it be weird to say it feels like I’ve been here before?”
Han Yoohyun shook his head. “...I don’t find that strange at all.”
Han Yoojin chewed on his lip as he thought about what he was going to say to his brother. “Well, I think my memories have been jumbled up. I thought I was from another world, but lately, I feel I’ve been too accepting of this world. Like I’ve always belonged here or something.” Han Yoojin saw the mixed expression on his brother’s face. “Sorry, I must sound insane.”
“No, it’s alright hyung,” encouraged Han Yoohyun with a gentle smile on his face, “I’m listening, please continue.”
“I’ve had this feeling in the back of my head, nagging me to continue with the journey. Originally I was going to stop adventuring when I found you but, well…” Han Yoojn gestured to the sight before them. “We’re here in the Cavern of Earth. A strange force is pulling me forward, and I can’t name it.”
“Perhaps it’s because there’s only one spirit left,” suggested Han Yoohyun, “You’re the type to always finish what you start. Besides, it’s just one more spirit…although I wouldn’t mind if we skipped this one altogether.”
“And why’s that?”
Han Yoohyun huffed. “The Spirit of Earth and I don’t get along too well.”
“Really?” Han Yoojin let out a nervous laugh, “Because I feel like my memories are telling me that maybe I’m the Spirit of Earth.”
Han Yoohyun was taken aback as his face immediately twisted into disgust. “You?! The spirit of earth? Don’t degrade yourself like that hyung.”
“I mean, we’re brothers, so when you emerged from the fire crystal, I barely questioned it and assumed I’d be a spirit too…” mumbled Han Yoojin, “I felt strange, it was as if I knew you’d be in there.”
“Hyung,” Han Yoohyun fixed his smile so that it was soft and gentle, “We’re really close to the end. I’m sure you’ll figure out the answers soon.”
Han Yoojin let out a resigned sigh, but rebounded quickly. “Thanks for hearing me out Yoohyun, even if I couldn’t get the facts out right,” Han Yoojin ruffled his brother’s hair playfully, “I love you, don’t forget that!”
“I would never.” Han Yoohyun’s cheeks were pink, “I love you too hyung.”
Han Yoojin went forward to try and catch up with Sung Hyunjae, leaving Han Yoohyun behind. Han Yoohyun let out a heavy sigh.
“All the pieces are in place. I hope this gamble works out.”
The three stood in front of the bronze doors of the boss room. Han Yoojin gulped at the foreboding sense of doom that seemed to exude from beyond the closed doors.
He turned to Sung Hyunjae, “Do you know what boss is behind the door?”
Sung Hyunjae raised an eyebrow at him. “Why don’t you open the doors and find out?”
“I was asking a simple question! Don’t answer it with another question.” Han Yoojin rolled his eyes.
“You’ve been strangely quiet the entire dungeon,” Sung Hyunjae’s eyes glanced at Han Yoojin’s trembling hands, “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine,” said Han Yoojin, “No need to worry.”
“Don’t be so nervous, you can tell me.”
Han Yoohyun let out a loud cough, reminding the pair that there was another member of the party. “If hyung says he’s fine, then he’s fine.”
Sung Hyunjae let out a snort. “I wish you stayed in the Cavern of Fire.”
“And leave you alone with my hyung? Never.”
“Stop fighting you two! Save it for the boss.” Han Yoojin sighed. “I’m going to open the door now.”
Han Yoohyun shot one final glare at Sung Hyunjae before falling silent. He helped Han Yoojin push the door open and a stream of dust blew through the open gap. Han Yoojin closed his eyes to prevent anything from flying into his eyes and hesitantly opened it to gaze upon what was beyond the doors.
There was nothing. The room was completely devoid of life. A circular arena was in the middle of the room, but there was no boss occupying it. Han Yoojin carefully walked into the room, followed by Han Yoohyun and Sung Hyunjae. Their footsteps echoed in the empty chamber, creating an eerie atmosphere.
“Uh, where’s the boss monster?” Han Yoojin looked around. “Is it hiding? Better keep your guard up.”
Sung Hyunjae walked to the center of the room and crossed his arms.
“How strange, the room is empty. Scarmiglione should be here.” Sung Hyunjae shrugged his arms and after five minutes of standing and doing nothing, he moved towards the end of the room. “Well, there’s nothing here so let’s unlock the altar room.”
Han Yoojin frowned. “Wait a minute, there’s definitely supposed to be something here. There’s no way the spirit of earth would be so unguarded. You didn’t even fight a single monster. What the hell is going on here?”
Sung Hyunjae’s smirk widened. “What do you mean Yoojin? Isn’t this your first time here? Perhaps the Cavern of Earth never had any monsters to begin with.”
Han Yoojin felt a pang of pain in his heart and hesitated. “You know something, don’t you?”
“Your dearest brother has also been staying silent.” The warrior’s eyes slid over to the silent fire spirit. “Why don’t you suspect him?”
To Han Yoojin’s side, Han Yoohyun scowled and crossed his arms. “Don’t drag me down with you.”
“We’re accomplices.”
“I refuse to associate myself with you.”
Han Yoojin once again felt lost. A heavy weight burrowed itself in his chest and told him that the others around him knew more than they let on. Han Yoojin was about to speak, but another burst of pain shot through his head. He clutched his forehead and realized he felt lightheaded. He staggered backwards as he massaged his temples.
“Hyung?!” Han Yoohyun called out. “I knew this was a bad idea…”
“Yoojin?” Sung Hyunjae placed a hand on Han Yoojin’s shoulder. “We’re at the final crystal. Don’t you want to see the spirit of earth?”
After a minute, Han Yoojin slowly unclenched his jaw and nodded. “Sorry, I don’t know what came over me. These damn headaches are so annoying.”
“No need to worry. It’ll be over soon enough.” Sung Hyunjae’s hand rested on Han Yoojin’s lower back. “Now let’s go to the altar room.”
The three slowly walked to the back of the boss room where the ever familiar bronze doors greeted them. Han Yoojin pushed them open with a grunt and the smell of fresh flowers wafted in from beyond the doors.
Han Yoojin’s eyes widened at the sight beyond the doors. “What the hell?”
There was no crystal hovering in the back of the room like the rest of the spirit caverns. Instead, the altar room was decorated like a garden, complete with hanging vines, colorful flower fields, and a gazebo in the center that had a table with chairs.
Han Yoojin rubbed his eyes, not quite believing the sight in front of him. “Are you guys seeing what I’m seeing? Where’s the crystal? Why the hell is there a garden here? Is this some sort of prank?”
“I’m not sure about a prank, but this would be a great place for a picnic,” said Sung Hyunjae as he walked into the room. “I packed some sandwiches and freshly squeezed orange juice. Would you like some Yoojin?”
“Are you pulling my leg right now? Why are you acting so calmly?” Han Yoojin sneered at the Warrior of Light.
Sung Hyunjae gave Han Yoojin a reassuring smile. “Just wait. I’m sure it’ll all come rushing in at any moment.”
“You don’t have to humor him hyung. If you want, I can burn the place down,” Han Yoohyun said with a huff. “This garden is such a joke. What kind of spirit are you—”
Han Yoohyun paused as he noticed Han Yoojin slowly walking to the center of the room. Him and Sung Hyunjae stayed silent as they watched Han Yoojin approach the gazebo and take a seat on one of the chairs. Han Yoojin seemed to be focused on the intricate vine patterns that were etched onto the table, tracing them with a slender finger.
“I’ve been here before and I’ve sat at this very table.” Han Yoojin said confidently. He raised his head to see if his companions would object, but both stayed silent. Han Yoojin’s eyes narrowed at the two. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
Sung Hyunjae’s eyes were akin to crescents. It was all Han Yoojin needed to confirm his suspicions.
“The Spirit of Earth…” Han Yoojin’s voice slowly trailed off before letting out a sigh. “Is a real pain in the ass.”
Sung Hyunjae’s smile widened.
Han Yoojin quietly rose from his seat and pointed directly at Sung Hyunjae, “…it’s you, not me.”
Sung Hyunjae was silent, admiring the seriousness on Han Yoojin’s face before slowly clapping his hands. “My goodness, well done. I knew you’d figure it out eventually.”
“You didn’t give me any hints, you bastard!”
Sung Hyunjae let out a chuckle before scratching his cheek. “I didn’t mean to deceive you, I just didn’t want the timeline to break. Forgive me.”
Han Yoojin rolled his eyes as Sung Hyunjae walked closer, stopping short of the table. The Warrior of Light’s eyes gleamed with mirth as he gazed at Han Yoojin’s puzzled expression. “I suppose I need to formally introduce myself then,” He dipped his head and gave a light bow to Han Yoojin. “I am Sung Hyunjae, the Spirit of Earth. Welcome to my humble abode.”
“Why is your domain so empty compared to the other spirits?” Han Yoojin scowled as he asked his question. “There wasn’t a single monster or boss in here!”
“Well the answer is simple: I like having a clean home.” Sung Hyunjae beamed. “I even had time to freshen up the altar room, replacing all of the dust and cobwebs with colorful flowers.”
“How? Why?”
“Now my dear Yoojin, I’m sure you know the answer to that if you think hard enough.”
Han Yoojin still felt lost. He turned to Han Yoohyun, who looked strangely guilty.
“I’m sorry hyung, I should’ve cleaned the Cavern of Fire before you visited…”
Han Yoojin almost face-palmed. “That’s not the issue!”
Sung Hyunjae walked over and placed his hands on Han Yoojin’s shoulders. “Yoojin, did you enjoy exploring the world?”
“Why are you asking me that?” Han Yoojin did not enjoy the seriousness of Sung Hyunjae’s expression.
“I enjoyed our adventure outside,” Sung Hyunjae said firmly, “If not for you, I wouldn’t have had a reason to venture out of my cave.”
Han Yoojin felt the familiar pang of pain against his chest. The words seemed too familiar, and the world began to spin.
“It’s time to wake up Yoojin, the journey is over. All four spirits have been awakened. It’s time to return to Chaos Shrine.”
As Sung Hyunjae spoke, Han Yoojin’s vision went dark.
“Are you truly content staying here in this dark cave?” The owner of the voice gestured to the stone walls surrounding them. “There’s so much the world has to offer. All you must do is take my hand and join me.”
The spirit ignored the other presence of the room, hoping they would leave.
The visitor rolled their eyes. “I know you’re listening to me.”
“There is no point in leaving my domain,” the spirit of earth sighed. “The Warrior of Light always enters the domain of earth first. I will always be the first to leave this terribly boring world.”
“But what if we could change that?” A hand reached out to grab the spirit of earth’s hand. “Let’s bring change to the world!”
“How?”
“Join me and we’ll find a way to make this world more interesting.” They smiled at the spirit of earth. “It’s not like there’s any reason for you not to. I will die trying to free you from this fate.”
The spirit was silent as they considered the other’s offer.
“You are quite the convincing person. I suppose I’ll accept this gamble of yours.” The spirit of earth’s smile widened. “Show me this interesting world of yours.”
“I have an interesting proposition for the next cycle.”
“Something interesting? And what would that be, my lord?”
“Let’s switch it up. What if we were the so-called Warriors of Light? I want to see how it would be from their point of view.”
“That doesn’t sound very interesting. Who cares what the heroes do?” There was a hint of disdain in his voice. “All they do is hunt us down and seek you out until the cycle repeats.”
“I know, but just imagine: traveling the world, slaying beasts, getting praised…” He smiled at the thought. “Doesn’t it sound fun? What do you say? You, who are always the first to leave my side…don’t you wish to see what the world offers beyond your cave?”
The room was silent until the spirit of earth laughed. “You truly live up to your name, Lord Chaos. But what about your inescapable fate? It might interfere with your fun plan.”
“Ah, I suppose that would be an issue…they might realize that we’re messing with the timeline.”
There was an idea born from the silence.
“My lord, I have a suggestion: allow me to replace the Warrior of Light. As long as all the pawns are in play, fate won’t intervene. We might have to hide your essence, but I’m sure it’ll work out.”
The Lord of Chaos was quiet as he ruminated on the idea. Finally, he grinned and held out his hand.
“Very well, let’s try your plan out.”
Han Yoojin’s eyes shot open. The world stopped spinning and the fog in his head gradually disappeared. With the fog gone, he could finally think clearly.
And clearly, he was annoyed.
“Yoojin?” Sung Hyunjae’s face was dangerously close, “Are you okay? Have you awoken?”
Without any warning, Han Yoojin’s hand shot out and he grabbed Sung Hyunjae’s collar, pulling the blonde man close. “You son of a bitch! You tricked me!”
“How so?” Sung Hyunjae’s eyes were bright and mischievous. “I believe I’ve done an excellent job as your tour guide.”
“Tour guide?!”
“Yes, we went out to so many lovely sights~” Sung Hyunjae said in a sing-song voice, “The tour was a deluxe package, all expenses paid.”
“Why didn’t you tell me I’m Chaos?” Han Yoojin’s clenched fist wrinkled Sung Hyunjae’s collar, “You deluded me into thinking I was a damned spirit.”
Sung Hyunjae beamed brightly and planted a kiss on Han Yoojin’s cheek. “You remember! Good morning my lord! I truly missed you so much!”
“Ugh!” Han Yoojin released Sung Hyunjae so he could wipe his cheek. “No kisses for you! You don’t deserve any, you bastard!”
As Sung Hyunjae pouted to the side, Han Yoohyun hesitantly walked up to Han Yoojin. “Hyung?” Han Yoohyun had a hopeful look on his face, “Do you finally remember everything?”
Han Yoojin turned to Han Yoohyun with open arms. “Yeah, sorry for worrying everyone. I remember everything now. Come here Yoohyun!”
Han Yoohyun ran into his brother’s arms and gave him a tight hug. “I missed you hyung, I was so worried about you.”
“I was worried about you too. I wasn’t sure if this plan would work at all, it was a gamble.” Han Yoojin patted his brother’s back. “It was all worth it. I got to reunite with everyone in such a peaceful cycle.”
“Don’t do that ever again…” Han Yoohyun tried to hold himself back from squeezing his brother, “Everyone was so worried when the timeline reset and you weren’t there.”
Sung Hyunjae raised his hand. “Apologies, that was my fault. In order to avoid the eyes of fate, I whisked our dear Yoojin away and hid him in Chaos Shrine.”
“He’s correct,” said Han Yoojin, “I asked the Spirit of Earth to help me with the plan. He sealed away my memories and I played the part of the Warrior of Light’s sidekick, who Sung Hyunjae assumed the role of.”
“What happened to the original Warrior of Light and their party?” asked Han Yoohyun.
“I defeated them before they could exist,” Sung Hyunjae proclaimed, “It’s what they deserve for defeating us in every timeline before this one. Afterwards, I pretended to be the Warrior of Light while I waited for Chaos to awaken. He expended too much energy defying fate.”
“You should’ve asked me to be the Warrior of Light,” Han Yoohyun huffed, “I would’ve done a better job than him hyung.”
“I asked Hyunjae because the Spirit of Earth is usually the first one to die by the Warrior of Light,” explained Han Yoojin, “It was less suspicious for his role to disappear compared to the other spirits.”
“Also, Yoojin likes me better~” Sung Hyunjae smirked at Han Yoohyun, “Not to mention that my cavern is geographically closer to Chaos Shrine.”
Han Yoohyun held back his flames at the request of his brother. “So what now? All four spirits have been awakened. What else is there to do?”
Han Yoojin chuckled. “What do you mean Yoohyun? This is just the beginning of the cycle! We aren’t bound by fate anymore. We can finally live our lives.”
“I see,” Han Yoohyun’s eyes softened. “As long as we’re together, it doesn’t matter where we go.”
“Exactly,” Han Yoojin smiled at his brother. “We’ll be together until the end.”
Sung Hyunjae watched the brothers quietly, basking in their happiness.
However, there was still one thought that lingered at the back of his head. He kept it to himself, not wanting to disrupt the jovial mood.
It was nighttime and Han Yoojin was outside on the deck of the airship, enjoying the night breeze. The winds greeted him with joy, the waters shone brightly, the fires were warm, the earth was blooming…the world was at peace.
“You look like you’re going to disappear at any moment.”
The voice didn’t startle Han Yoojin in the slightest. He turned to see Sung Hyunjae walking towards him with a forlorn expression on his face.
“Shouldn’t you be resting? We’ll be busy once we reach Chaos Shrine.”
Sung Hyunjae shook his head. “This tour guide can’t rest knowing that his job is still unfinished.”
“You don’t need to worry about anything else,” Han Yoojin sighed, “I’ll be the one to shoulder everything.”
“As your loyal spirit and partner, I am more than willing to share in your burdens.” Sung Hyunjae shrugged off his coat and put it over Han Yoojin’s shoulders. “Please Han Yoojin.”
“So eager to be an accomplice again?” When Sung Hyunjae’s expression didn’t change, Han Yoojin smiled sadly. “I’m sure you already noticed that I have no magical energy left. There’s no way I can survive another cycle.”
“It seems our gamble wasn’t as successful as I thought,” Sung Hyunjae sighed.
“I’m basically the equivalent of a human right now,” Han Yoojin let out a quiet laugh, “To be honest, it’s not too bad. I can see why Harmony always appointed humans to be her champions of Light.”
Sung Hyunjae let out a snort. “What will become of you?”
“Fade into obscurity? Get replaced as Chaos?” Han Yoojin shrugged. “I’m not too sure, but all I want to do is live out the rest of this cycle to the fullest. Through our efforts, this cycle will be the most peaceful one ever and for that, I can’t thank you enough Hyunjae.”
“But it came at the cost of…you.”
Han Yoojin grinned and playfully shoved Sung Hyunjae. “I think it was all worth it. You even got to see the world. That would’ve never happened if I didn’t set up this convoluted plan.”
“Yoojin,” Sung Hyunjae’s expression softened, “I would destroy fate and this entire timeline for you.”
“Don’t say that with such a serious face,” Han Yoojin leaned on Sung Hyunjae’s shoulder. “It’s too late for me. Just exist with me and I’ll be happy.”
Sung Hyunjae rested his chin on top of Han Yoojin’s head. “If that’s what you wish…”
Although Sung Hyunjae agreed at the moment, he was a selfish man.
There was no way he could allow this to happen.
Epilogue
Sung Hyunjae only had to flash his smile at the security guard outside of the taming center and he was instantly granted access inside. He walked through the automatic glass doors and found himself in the monster taming center’s playground, where the first thing he saw was Comet and Blue chasing each other in the air. In a matter of seconds, something fluffy settled itself on top of his head.
“Chirp!”
“Good afternoon Chirpie.” He offered the bird a small mana crystal he took out of his inventory. “Where is your lovely caretaker today?”
“Chirp chirp~!” One of Chirpie’s wings gestured to the back of the center. Sung Hyunjae followed the bird’s directions and made his way towards the back where he eventually found who he was looking for.
Behind the foliage of several trees, Han Yoojin was in the middle of feeding Black and White, the two unicorns. He heaved a bag of feed over his shoulders and wiped the sweat off his brow.
“Okay, that should be everyone—Ack!” Han Yoojin dropped the bag of monster feed when he saw Sung Hyunjae quietly waving at him. “What the hell are you doing here?!”
“I just wanted to surprise my partner with a visit.” Sung Hyunjae opened his inventory and retrieved a box of artisanal chocolates. “A gift for you.”
“You know I don’t like sweets.” Han Yoojin swiped the box to inspect it. “Whoa, these are from France?”
“I just came back from a brief trip and picked those up for you as a souvenir.”
“Thanks,” there was a hint of pink on Han Yoojin’s cheeks. “I’ll try them later and let you know how they taste.”
“Have you finished your chores with the monsters?” asked Sung Hyunjae.
“Yeah, I just finished actually…Why?”
“I was hoping to take my partner out for lunch.” Sung Hyunjae beamed at Han Yoojin and offered his hand, “Seseong would be more than happy to pay for the bill of course.”
Han Yoojin stared at the hand warily. “I guess lunch wouldn’t hurt.” He accepted Sung Hyunjae’s hand. “No crazy adventures okay? This F-rank can’t handle too much.”
“Don’t worry, this will be a simple lunch date. Nothing can go wrong.”
“Knowing our luck, a dungeon break will happen right next to the restaurant,” teased Han Yoojin, “Now let me freshen up real quick and I’ll meet you outside the center.”
Sung Hyunjae watched Han Yoojin lightly jog to the taming center’s break room. The guildmaster’s lips formed a sincere smile as he hummed to himself.
Even in this cycle, Han Yoojin was drawn to nurturing monsters and spirits. Every minute Sung Hyunjae spent with Han Yoojin was worth fighting fate.
It wasn’t easy in the slightest. Using the last of the powers Chaos bequeathed him, Sung Hyunjae managed to send Han Yoojin and all of the spirits to a different worldline. It was difficult, adjusting to a different world with different customs and new technology, but Sung Hyunjae slowly managed. He lost many memories because of it, but the moment he met Han Yoojin again, it was as if his life found meaning again.
No one but Sung Hyunjae seemed to have the faintest inkling of the previous worldline, and he would rather keep it that way. Even his own memories of Chaos and the spirits were beginning to fade, instead getting replaced by new memories of Han Yoojin and other S-Classes.
As Sung Hyunjae gazed at the vast nature within the taming center, Han Yoojin finally emerged from the break room in a fresh shirt and waved at Sung Hyunjae. The F-rank’s bright smile caused Sung Hyunjae’s heart to race with unbridled joy.
Fate was not going to take him away from Han Yoojin. Not ever again.