Beyond [ORV]

Life, death and an alternate universe. [3/?]

Kim Dokja sighed as he settled his bag down the floor of his apartment. 'What a day,' he thought, looking back at the events that occurred earlier that day. He glanced at the only portrait in the house. It was a picture of a young pretty lady with an intelligent face and a boy with a shy smile.

"Ah, I need to call mom or she'll scold me again," he muttered to himself, walking towards the kitchen. He opened a cabinet and stared blankly at its contents. "Ramen, huh? At least, it's in beef flavor this time. Grocery shopping later," he reminded himself as he grabbed the packet.

Sudden sharp pain on his temple stopped him. Dokja groaned in pain and crouched down, flashes of unfamiliar memories surge through his brain. They were filled with sweat, tears, and bloodshed. His hands began to shake, tears forming in his eyes as the pain worsens.

"No!" His screams echoed in the empty apartment. This wasn't the first time but it probably the worst one yet.

"F*ck," Dokja groaned, scrambling for his phone.

"Hello?" a hopeful voice answered.

"M-mom," Dokja replied weakly, before passing out.

...

Yoo Joonghyuk stared at the business card blankly before shoving it safely in his coat pocket. He made his way towards his apartment. His eyes shook at the deafening silence and shocking normality of the surroundings.

"Oppa, stop staring at the door," Yoo Minah grumbled, glaring at his brother.

Joonghyuk's head would've snapped towards his beloved sister. He opened his mouth with a frown on his handsome face but nothing came out.

"Okay," His sister trailed off, staring at him weirdly. She went past him and entered the apartment. "Aren't you coming in-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Yoo Joonghyuk watched as his sister's mouth let out a shrill scream. "Oppa!"

Joonghyuk fell to his knees. It felt like someone shot him in the head.

'Was it too good to be true? Was peace unattainable? What have they done to deserve this?'

All of those thoughts passed through the protagonist's mind as the pain subside and all he saw was white.

'Why?' He questioned as a familiar silhouette grew closer and closer. He held his hand out and called his name.

"Dok-" he was stopped by a flash of light as reality drowns him in memories of his past, present, and this world.

...

"What a f*cking pain in the ass," Han Soo-young grumbled, rubbing her forehead. She thought she was going to wing it, whatever scenario they were thrown in, but she was wrong. It wasn't a scenario. The universe finally let them go and this was what they wished for.

"Of course, there'll be a pain," She groaned as she cracked her neck. "What else is there? What's the catch?"

She remembered. Her past, the scenarios, and even her of this world.

A writer.

She became a successful writer because of that novel. The beginning and the end. That novel.

'Maybe that's why,' Soo-young thought. Perhaps because the novel became popular in this world that the scenarios never happened or perhaps...

"Don't tell me, Dokja doesn't exist in this world," She paused as if she has said the impossible.

"Oh wait, we're friends in this world," Soo-young let out nervous laughter, thanking her memories. Who would've thought they were going to be friends in this reality?

The writer and the reader.

'So why can't I calm down?' She sighed as she stared at the laptop in front of her. Ironically, she was writing the final chapter- their final chapter. She grabbed her phone and quickly texted the reader.

[Soo-young: Dokja?]

[Dokja is typing...] Soo-young let a sighed of relief. 'Oh, thank-'

[Dokja: Yea?] "I need a drink."

[Soo-young: Meet me at the bar @ 6pm]

...

Hewoon stared at her phone, more specifically her lock screen. She woke up in her apartment and thought that she was in the cruelest scenario yet. She waited for an hour but nothing happened. Another hour has passed and she almost believed that they finally survived and made it but pain filled her system and she passed out.

Then she remembered who she was in this reality, but it also replayed her memories from the past, reminding her not to forget. It scared her. 'Will I forget?'

The sound of the door opening broke her away from her dangerous thoughts.

"Hewoon-shi!"

"...Lee Hyunsung," Hewoon mumbled.

"Hewoon-shi!" A panting Hyunsung appeared in her vision and she was wrapped in a warm hug. Slowly, Hewoon returned it.

Together, they broke and healed.

It's finally over. They were safe and living the life they wanted.

'Where's Dokja?'

...

Namwoon chuckled as if he couldn't believe what was in front of him. He turned around and stared at the ground.

'I can't f*cking believe it,' The boy thought. 'It's too good to be true,' he stared at these hands. He swore to himself that if he made it out alive of the scenarios, he would change. Was his promise that good that the stars even fixed his past?

'Dokja-hyung, you're the ultimate plot fix," Namwoon covered his eyes as he refused to let anyone see him cry.

He died.

Sure, he worked in the Underworld but he died. Namwoon heard their stories and cannot understand how the two monsters are still sane ('...are they?') but dying once or twice was enough for him.

The Kim Namwoon before the scenario was alive but he didn't have any family nor friends that's why it was easy to throw his life and play with the others. No one would miss him. No one knows him. It was too late when he realized he only wanted to live.

The Kim Namwoon of this reality has everything he ever wanted. Loving adopted parents and older brother.

"Welcome home, my son," Hades smiled at him. Behind his supposed father was a huge house and beside him was a beautiful woman.

"I-" Namwoon was reminded of himself. He was only a teenager that went through a lot.

The woman walked towards him gracefully and opened her arms.

"Welcome home, my child," Persephone's voice warmed his heart.

...

"Ji-hye?"

When Ji-hye opened her eyes, she almost lashed out and screamed for her master.

When she heard that voice and saw the all too familiar eyes of her best friend, she ran away and locked herself in the bathroom. She waited for the dokkebi, the announcement, or anyone- but no one came.

Ji-hye was enraged till she passed out and remembered everything.

This was it. Their reward.

She went back to class, looking at everything and everyone. 'If this was a cruel dream, I don't want to wake up,' her mind whispered.

"Ji-hye? Are you okay?" Her best friend asked her, worry was written all over her face.

"Yea," Ji-hye stared at her, studying her features. "I'm fine."

All of a sudden her phone buzzed.

[Master: Usual place @ 5pm.]