CHAPTER FOURTY-NINE!
────restart player 1 (2).

❝ARISE.❞

"ARE YOU THE KING OF THE DEAD?" jin-woo asks the figure who stood in the shadows.

again, he received no answer but instead the figure stepped closer to the player. showcasing his intimidating appearance.

the figure was tall and big, what surrounded him were wisps of black and purple. covering his body like physical armor and a long smokey black cloak. he had flame-like purple hair, glowing purple eyes, two curved black horns, and sharp claws.

but there was something that stood out within this figure and that was golden ring that he wore on his ring finger.

'is he ashborn...' jin-woo questions, taking a good look at the dignified being. it was as if the man that stood before him was the abyssal darkness himself.

then, he begins speaking.

"if you wanted to, you could live in this world for eternity." he suggests, the sound of his deep and rough. "it would be like never walking up from the most wonderful dream."

jin-woo scoffs loudly, a bitter expression on his face. "live in a world where she doesn't even know me? i wouldn't call that a dream."

"and are you telling me to be trapped within this illusion you've created." he points out, his eyes narrowed at the figure.

the shadow shakes his head. "no, i did not create this world. you are responsible for its creation."

his statement racks jin-woo to his very core. his grey eyes widening not believing such words.

why would he create a world where she
wouldn't be apart of his life?

"i... i created this world?" he repeats, his voice quiet.

suddenly, the shadow is right beside him. taking a form of another person. "it's a world created by combing your desire to correct your mistakes until now and my power, together."

'is that root of it all?' the dark haired man asks him. 'to correct the mistakes i made and do things i wasn't able to do?'

it wasn't so far fetched to begin with. considering what lengths he would go to so that everyone he cares for is safe.

and the extremes measures he would take for her.

"in other words, this is also my territory." the shadow continues, causing jin-woo to regain his sense of reality.

taking the form of lee joohee, he walks away. "this is eternal slumber."

"DEATH."

he speaks, taking on the form of a gravely wounded kim sangshik.

"i, along with aurora, have been watching you and [y/n] for far longer than you could possible imagine." he says, in the form of his cute little sister sung jin-ah. "you, who had always been closer than anyone to death, yet so desperately resisting against it."

the shadow looks to jin-woo, taking the beautiful from of his mother, park kyung-hye. "i am a record of your struggles, the evidence of your resistance, and the reward of your suffering."

"i am death, i am eternal rest, as well as terror." the shadow turns to the player, smiling before taking form of a figure that he knew all too well.

" I AM YOU."

taking the form of his pre-awakened self. jin-woo watches as the shadow made a tree sprout from nothingness.

"and within my territory, you are able to do anything you want." he explains, changing forms of jin-woo's growth appearances. "you are able to turn my servants into yours, and absorb my power from them."

suddenly, with a huge gust of wind. the scenery drastically changed around them.

the ground beneath jin-woo's feet was now filled fresh green grass, turning into a valley of beautiful flowers.

the player doesn't hesitate to pluck a flower, as he recognizes it to be [your favorite flower]. he fiddles with the stem before letting it go, the wind taking its course.

"although it's only possible within your territory, the power to create, destroy and change the world is an omnipotent power." the shadow explains, this time in the form of [y/n] [l/n].

"...are you saying that you and i possess the same power?" jin-woo questions ignoring the aching in his heart.

the shadow smiled in the form of [y/n]. "i've been waiting for the day we finally meet for a very long time now."

in the blink of an eye, everything went back to the way it was. the two figures stuck in their own abyssal darkness.

the shadow turns to jin-woo once more. only this time, his shadow like armor begins to slowly disappear from his body as it reveals what is underneath.

jin-woo could only watch, eyes wide as he comes face to face with the shadow's real face.

"I AM THE SHADOW MONARCH."

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ASHBORN, THE SHADOW MONARCH

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"i am the king of death who rules over with the power of death." he continues, this time his voice much smoother than he was in the armor. "and the administrator of the deepest part of darkness."

suddenly, the handsome monarch gives jin-woo a gentle smile. "but you have the liberty of calling me ashborn."

the monarch receives no reply and notices the shocked expression of his chosen vessel. he chuckles silently, finding it amusing.

"surprised, are you not?" ashborn jokes, walking closer to him. "aurora insisted that my original form might put you more at ease."

jin-woo only looks up at ashborn, taking in his rather attractive appearance. oddly enough, seeing his real face did make him feel a bit safer than he did before.

"why... was i chosen?" he asks him and the monarch takes this as sign that his vessel feels comfortable with him.

the shadow monarch raises his hand. "i'll show you."

power emitted from his hand, clouds of purple growing stronger with each passing second.

"MY BEGINNING AND END WITH AURORA... AND ALSO YOUR BEGINNING WITH [Y/N]."

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IN ANOTHER WORLD, light and darkness existed in an age where everything else has yet to exist.

the <absolute being> split light and created emissaries of god and split darkness to create the 10 sovereigns.

in the beginning, there the first sovereign, originally assigned to be the greatest fragment of light.

until the <absolute being> changed its mind and chose to cast her aside to the sovereigns.

the sovereigns who were born to destroy the world and the emissaries of god, who were born to maintain the world, continuously killed each other's soldiers.

fatigued by the constant and unending war, the brightest fragment of brilliant light asked the <absolute being>.

"oh our absolute ruler. why does thee not aid thy most faithful subjects fighting in thy honor?" they ask, kneeling before the <absolute being>. "why does thee ignore the screams of countless soldiers dying for thy honor?"

this great fragment brilliant of
light, aleia was on the verge tears.

she the was most tired of fighting. she has led thousands of her comrades to their deaths, their screams of terror run rampant in her head.

she could not bare it no more.

"please lend us the strength to extinguish our enemies. we shall cut their heads and offer them as a tribute to thy glory." she begs, her head to the carpet floor.

but the <absolute being> did not reply back to
the fragment of brilliant light.

and at that moment, the fragments of brilliant lights realized something very important.

to the <absolute being>, the fight between themselves and the sovereigns is nothing more than a form of some entertainment. and that ruler does not wish for the war to end.

WORSHIP THE GOD.

everyone worshiped the <absolute being>.

PRIASE THE GOD.

everyone let out outcries of war for the <absolute being>.

PROVE YOUR PIETY.

everyone pledged their allegiance with their blood and flesh, to the <absolute being>.

the fragments of brilliant light have been abiding by those same laws until now.

THOSE WHO DISOBEY THE LAW WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN ALIVE.

but there were overwhelmingly more those who fell victim to death than those who overcame it. even if they abided by the law, only death awaits them.

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"AS LONG AS the <absolute being> exist, the war will never end." ashborn explains to his chosen vessel.

"and to end this meaningless war, they unsheathed their blades. it was a start of a rebellion."

the shadow monarch showed jin-woo images over the course of his tale. and then showed a picture of lone fragments of brilliant light.

"that is me of the distance past. next to me was, aleia. she was a fellow comrade of mine." he continues, a guilty expression painting his face and violet eyes full of sorrow.

jin-woo looks at him, an eyebrow raised. "what happened to her?"

"she left before everything even started. she, who was the brightest out of all the emissaries of god was the most fatigued from the war." the shadow monarch adds. "what she wanted more was to rest. but her story is not mine to tell."

the player could only nod, understanding ashborn's reasoning as he lets him continue his story.

"i alone, became the sole emissary of god who stood up against the rebellion of the other emissaries." ashborn states as he showed pictures of the few battles he had.

all ending up in grave losses.

"but my pitiful number of soldiers powerlessly fell before the untied emissaries." he says, showing the battlefield where he knocked on death's door.

ashborn of the distant past was stabbed with multiple long spears, his white wings torn apart and clipped. his armor and robes stained with his blood or the blood of his comrades.

"AND I THOUGHT IT WAS THE END."

the fragment was barely clinging onto life. not daring to give up to those he considered traitors.

"BUT WHEN I REOPENED MY EYES WITHIN THE DARKNESS..."

in doing so, ashborn of the past felt a new kind of power surge through him. it was eerie and full of what could only be described as nothingness.

"I REALIZED THAT THE <ABSOLUTE BEING> HAD HIDDEN A CERTAIN POWER INSIDE OF ME."

the power was starting to consume ashborn. to control monstrous power, he must grasp it by the neck and conquer it.

so, he utters a mere word that will become the staple of his new identity.

"ARISE."

ashborn has transformed himself into pillar of death. the abyss following his every step.

he's become one with the shadows.

and with that, he led his new army to the battlefront. but the miracle that was bestowed onto to him had come too late.

he had found his liege pierced by great spears as it sat on his giant throne, it's blood spilling onto the carpet.

EVERYTHING WAS ALREADY OVER.

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THE REMAINING FRAGMENTS of brilliant light had killed the absolute being and called themselves new gods.

thus, they assumed the positions of 'rulers' and used various tools containing the power of the <absolute being> to hunt down the sovereigns.

as a result, the king of giants, legia was captured by the rulers and the power balance between the two sides collapsed.

"it was then, the sovereigns realized the severity of the situation. and i used that moment to reach out to the sovereigns." ashborn explains to jin-woo, standing next to him.

he turns to give his vessel a glance. "they had no choice but to combine forces with me in order to combat our common enemy the 'rulers'."

from then on, ashborn continued the long lasting battle, as neither a fragment of brilliant light nor an emissary of god.

BUT AS THE SHADOW MONARCH.

"but, wait a minute?" jin-woo interrupts, looking at the monarch. "what about aurora?"

ashborn sighs, his violet eyes looking away for a moment. heat creeping up his neck. it was almost embarrassing.

if there's one thing that could be a common place between sung jin-woo and ashborn. it would be their immense amount of love they have for their counterparts.

he only glances back at his vessel, sighing again. "it is only right for you to know."

the images before the two quickly pass by. what were once dull grey images have now turned into memories, dazzling bright and full of life.

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EONS AGO IN some unknown place...

another meeting between sovereigns has ended. at least for that time frame.

as usual, the monarchs mostly avoided ashborn. not for his intimidating appearance but because he garnered so much power and was a new monarch.

they felt as though they were inferior to him.

the king of the dead paid no mind to it. as he only wanted this meaningless war to end already.

so, he's begins to leave the area where the sovereigns conjured. to go rest in his own domain, a place quiet enough where his head won't be filled with useless chatter.

"and what of aurora?" the familiar voice of the beast monarch spoke.

arcane, the wife of the king of demons only sighs. "that girl won't budge. ever since she's gained that new solider, she's even more reluctant to leave her domain."

'aurora? is she another monarch?' ashborn questions, ultimately stopping his steps to listen into the conversation.

"leave her be." the front monarch adds. "in due time, she'll rejoin us. just like before."

querehsha, the monarch of plagues scoffs. "tell that to the king of stars whose been permanently banned from entering her domain."

from afar, atlus stops speaking to antares. whipping his head to conversation between the other three monarchs, glaring at them.

"i heard that, you three!"

"saddened that you can't see your
lover, king of stars?!"

the beast monarch teases, roaring in laughter. soon, a sibling like fight occurs between them. with antares trying to quell their scuffle that could turn disastrous in a quick second.

while, the shadow monarch was quite confused. he took an account of there being nine sovereigns. one of them, captured by the rulers.

was there another he didn't account for? or was it that they were keeping it a secret from him?

nonetheless, ashborn thought it best he'd get to the bottom of this mystery.

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ASHBORN WAS WELL, completely lost.

the powerful monarch didn't even know where to start looking for this suppose aurora.

he's looked every corner in this inter dimension where the sovereigns can peacefully rest and plan their next attacks against the rulers.

he was honestly beginning to lose hope and wonders why he decided to look for the mysterious woman in the first place.

'i'm wasting my time.' ashborn thinks, his glowing eyes narrowing. 'it'd be best if i returned to my...'

his thoughts falter as he suddenly finds himself now standing on a patch of grass. what was most curious, that there was a delicate purple flower growing on it.

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ashborn only looks around again, wondering if someone was pulling a trick on him. but, he sensed no such presence.

his ever growing curiosity got the best of him when the patch of grass begins to grow. covering this dark astral plane with its greenery.

the monarch takes notice that the grass was leading somewhere. forming a somewhat natural path.

'it wouldn't do any harm to follow it...' he thinks, taking a step forward, avoiding the flower.

and so, ashborn follows the grass path forming in front of him, with the occasional bundle of wild flowers.

in only a few moments, the monarch finds himself entering a lush green forest. sunlight shines above him, it's hues peaking through the leaves, creating speckles of light onto his huge frame.

his interest grows ever greater with each steps he takes. wondering where this could only lead him.

then, he stops as he reaches his destination

ashborn's glowing eyes take in the sight of what seems to be a very large and well tended garden. bushes of flowers covered it's every corner, blooming beautifully. and there was simple table and chairs that sat under the shade of the a tall tree in the middle.

even then, the garden reached farther in. just masses of gorgeous flowers that have no end.

but that wasn't what gave the place it's beauty.

ashborn stood in the shadow of the tree, almost hidden as his glowing eyes trained on the very thing that has captivated his attention.

IT WAS HER.

a woman of average height tends to flowers. appreciating their lovely beauty with her eyes fluttered closed.

she had her back to him, she wore a loose white dress, showing her bare skin. her long blonde hair was tied into a large braid, roses intertwined to it.

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though ashborn could only see part of her face. he already had the sense that she utterly breathtaking.

she stood in the sunlight as if though
she was created to be in it, made to shine brightly.

the monarch watches her tuck a strand of her silky hair behind her ear, taking note of her small and delicate hand. because for even the way she moved had him under her spell.

'just who is she?' ashborn questions, wanting to take a closer look at her.

but the moment the monarch took a step in a shred of sunlight. the beautiful woman flinches, now feeling his presence and whipping her head in his direction.

her magenta-ruby eyes widen when she sees ashborn's tall and intimidating appearance. this causes him to back away from the sun and hide under the shadow of the tree he standing under once more.

he had thought she was afraid of him because of his large frame he had due to his armor.

but she surprised him.

instead of cowering in fear or avoiding him. she walked towards him. showing that she wasn't the least bit afraid.

she takes slow steps, inching ever closer to ashborn. who at didn't know if he should stay put or disappear completely.

but by the time he was already making up his mind, the beautiful woman was right in front him. looking up at him, curiosity painting her face.

"hello?" she speaks after a moment, her voice soft as a feather.

ashborn couldn't say anything he was practically still as a statute. because of the very first time in his long life, he was too scared to say anything.

the woman tilts her head as she received no answer from him. "did you perhaps wandered into my domain by accident?" she asks, wondering who he was.

this grabs his attention, eyes slightly widening. 'wait, could she be...'

she inspects his appearance, noting how well he fits into the shadows of the tree.

"are you, the shadow monarch by any chance?"

it was only then ashborn could confirm his suspicions were correct. she was the one that other monarchs spoke of.

a mysterious being who never joined the meetings between the sovereigns. who stayed hidden away in the peace of her domain. always resting but never saying a word.

SHE WAS AURORA, THE SUN MONARCH.

without much thought, he responds to her silently, only nodding. conveying that he is who she spoke of.

aurora's eyes widened, not expecting for him to answer. but she smiles brightly at him nonetheless.

"oh, that's lovely then!" she exclaims excitedly. "ever since i heard you joining us, i've been eager to meet you!"

the shadow monarch could only now understand why she was a open secret between the sovereigns.

her smile alone was something to desire for themselves to keep. and judging by how the king of stars has been banned from here, it seems he had the most unhealthiest obsession with aurora.

"would you like to join me for a walk around my domain?" she suggests, still smiling. "it's been a while since i've actually had guest i want to show around."

for some reason, ashborn didn't have the heart to refuse her. it must of been the way she smiled him or what it his curiosity feeding him to know more about her?

grow impatient without an answer, the queen of the sky grabs his hand, dragging him into the sunlight. the king of the death was stunned as he did not expect the strength she had to pull him so easily.

aurora laughs cheekily at him, noticing his stunned expression. "what are you so surprised for? i'm a monarch just like the rest of you!"

"i suppose you are right." ashborn says, finally gaining the confidence to speak.

but he, himself doesn't know how he
gathered such courage.

"well, would you look at that! it's seems you can speak!" the woman teases, dragging him deeper into the garden. "here i thought i would have to do all the talking."

at this point, the two monarchs were practically running across the large and infinite garden.

ashborn could not help himself to be let dragged around by her. he feels his body become lighter as seconds pass by.

because for the first time in this long
life of his, he feels at ease.

and so, his heavy armor slowly fades away in wisps of black and purple. replacing his clothing with something more regal and comfortable.

because of this, ashborn's hand fits more securely around aurora's, gripping it tight.

as if the world turned slow for him, the beautiful woman turns to look at him over her shoulder.

aurora's grin was wider than its ever been as her blonde hair flowed with the wind. her magenta-ruby eyes sparkled like jewels and the sun's hues dancing on her skin.

she looked at him with so much curiosity and interest but there's was a playful spark that had ashborn so entranced.

HE COULDN'T HELP BUT SMILE BACK.

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BACK TO THE present...

jin-woo watched as the bright and colorful images come one after the other.

'so that's how he met aurora.' he thinks, amazed how such a being such as him could so easily be swayed by a mere smile.

well, he couldn't even speak on that
matter as he was the same.

suddenly, the bright and dazzling images disappeared confusing jin-woo as the images of a war retuned.

"enough of that. now, let's continue—"

"wait?! hold on, are you not going to
tell me more about her?"

the vessel looks at the sovereign, clearly puzzled that he left the story of him and his lover at such a cliffhanger.

ashborn faces him with an annoyed expression. "you may be my vessel but, these memories are mine to keep."

jin-woo was going to argue with him but then, he is reminded of himself. all those times when he go to great lengths to have [y/n] almost hidden away.

so that no one could see her beauty but him.

"surely, you understand?" the monarch adds. "seeing how you and i are the same in that regard, especially when it comes to her."

"i do." the male mutters, nodding.

absentmindedly, his hand reaches for the key around his neck. the item feeling warm against his cool skin. he fiddles with it, caressing the [e/c] jewels embedded into it.

his steel grey eyes soften, thinking of [y/n]. "she's everything to me. her not being by my side is worse—"

"than death?" ashborn finishes for jin-woo causing him to go wide eyed.

the two meet eyes and from a look alone,
they understood each other.

they know what it's like bask in her sunlight, to feel her warm touches against their cold skin and to have her smile at them like nothing else mattered in the world.

they know what it's like to be consume by her
light, to have their skin dyed in gold.

jin-woo watches the monarch flex his pale hand. his violet eyes trained on the golden band on his ring finger. he could see the smile growing on his face, a tinge of blush coating his cheeks, his eyes relaxed and full of love.

in a way, the dark haired man felt at ease knowing that there was someone who could understand why he was selfish with her.

simultaneously, the two bring the items that reminded of the one they love to their lips. delicately kissing it, all with a smiles on their faces.

TO BE BATHE IN HER SUNLIGHT. IT WAS A BLESSING FOR BOTH OF THEM.

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WITHOUT GOING INTO to much of the details, the two monarchs soon fell hopelessly in love.

because of this, aurora had finally joined the long battle alongside with ashborn. fighting against the rulers once more. time was on their side. the corpses and the souls remained on the battlefield.

and when the two combined forces with the army of destruction, led by the king of berserk dragons. the monarchs as well as the rulers, came to fear them.

two other monarchs who feared the couple aimed for their backs after joining forces. and due to that, ashborn's shadow army and aurora's sun army was nearly annihilated.

A STRENGTH THAT WAS TOO POWERFUL HAD BROUGHT THEM BETRAYAL.

and while the king of beasts, the beast monarch, ran away after abandoning his soldiers. the king of demons, the monarch of white flames, baran and his wife, arcane.

THEY HAD TO PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE.

but then, something that hadn't occurred to both monarchs happened right before their eyes.

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ASHBORN WATCHES AS rulers fly down to body filled battleground from the gates above him.

he absorbes the body of baran with his cape in an instant. waking away from the scene where he had killed him.

he rejoins with aurora, who looked up at the rulers that began to surround her. stray white feathers swirling in the air as they flapped their wings.

she gazes to ashborn and he notes of the stray tears falling from her magenta-ruby eyes. without much thought, his large armored hand gently cups her cheek, wiping away her tears with his thumb.

then suddenly, the rulers who stood before them began to kneel to the shadow monarch. fists over their chests and heads lowered, showing their respect.

"please it's time for you to forgive us." a ruler pleads, his tone full atonement. "oh, great fragment of brilliant light."

another ruler continues. "there is no reason to us to fight any longer."

they were asking for forgiveness from
ashborn, the shadow monarch.

though they possessed enough power to send him and aurora to absolute nothingness, if they so desired. instead, they chose to pursue peace.

showing their respect to the being that was once their comrade, fighting on the frontlines of the battlefield while leading an army of brilliant light.

it was the least respect they
could have shown to him.

"no reason, you say?!" ashborn roars in anger to the rulers. "have you not harmed my liege with your swords and spears?!"

"AND ALEIA..."

a soft voice speaks, gaining the attention of the rulers. their eyes were turned to aurora as more tears spilled down her face.

"my dear aleia was tired! she had enough of this forsaken war!" she exclaims with a choked sob. "but you all pushed her to fight, to lead her comrades to death!"

her words gave the rulers a guilty conscience. knowing that aleia had also pleaded with them to let her rest but they couldn't.

"if we're not for the fact she begged me to give you rulers an ounce of mercy! i would have burnt all of you to mere ashes!" she threatens, her eyes glowing a fiery gold.

a ruler looked between the two monarchs, their expression sorrowful. "he was our master as well and aleia was our ally."

their answer only angered ashborn. his eyes glow dangerously as he grabs the collar of the ruler harshly, a glare forming.

"that is precisely why your crimes are even more heinous!" he screams, putting the ruler's face close to his.

"you should understand better than anyone, how we felt when we raised our banners of rebellion against our master." the ruler reminds the shadow monarch. "we simply wanted this war to end."

ashborn grits his teeth, growling. "pierce my heart with your spears! this is the end that you so desperately seek! you shall finally become the victors of this war!"

the ruler could not say anything but beg for forgiveness to his former comrade.

"please, find it in your heart to forgive us."

"KILL ME NOW!"

the ruler clenched their hand over their heart, their voice becoming desperate. "please quell you anger. oh, greatest fragment of brilliant light."

ashborn could only watch as the rulers bow their heads further down than before.

he couldn't believe it. to what lengths will they go to for simple shred of forgiveness.

suddenly, there was a small hand over his large one. it's warmth making him feel whole once again. his eyes look down to meet aurora, who only held his hand with hers.

AND HIS ANGER WAS QUELLED.

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"I WAS OVERWHELMED." ashborn mentions, sighing dejectedly, continuing his story. "i could not come with any solution."

he turns away from his vessel, walking. "so, aurora and i decided to hide ourselves for the sake of revenge."

jin-woo could only intently follow after him. like a son who was listening to his father's hair-raising tales and adventures.

"since i had trapped the monarch of white flames within me and aurora had imprisoned his wife." he explains further. "we were planning on striking forces of the beast monarch after letting our bodies recover."

he turns back to jin-woo, having a tired expression. "but while we were hiding, the monarchs who lost the majority of their power, had been defeated by the rulers."

he takes a pause for a second, turning around to no longer face the male. it was as if he was revisiting a memory that he didn't want to remember.

jin-woo didn't say a word, he only
waited patiently for him to speak again.

after a moment, ashborn continues. "but when we both reappeared in front of the monarchs, who took their chances to escape to the crack between dimensions. the king of dragons did not permit any kind of fighting. knowing that it was time for them to recover."

the shadow monarch paused his words again, only this time, jin-woo could see the expression on his face.

reasonably, he takes a step back in fear. watching as the aura around ashborn grow dangerous.

"but that scoundrel..." he growls, his eyes glowing as if he couldn't even control his own anger.

"THAT BASTARD DECIDED TO
BREAK THAT VOW."

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gathering his courage, jin-woo takes a step towards the suddenly furious monarch. he could only wonder what he remembered that made him so indescribably angry.

"ashborn, are you alright?" he calls out to the being, using his name for the first time since they've met.

hearing this, the monarch is snapped out of his moment of anger and looks to his vessel in surprise. he wasn't shocked because he showed his anger in front him.

moreover, he was shocked that
jin-woo used his name.

the two stare at each other for a few seconds before looking away in embarrassment. not knowing what to say or do.

then, ashborn clears his throat, calming down. "i— i apologize for showing you something unsightly."

"it's fine." jin-woo assures, shoving his hands in pocket, averting his gaze.

"what i spoke of," the monarch adds, awkwardly. "it's another story am i not fit to tell."

his tone sounded, familiar to jin-woo. like his words held weight and guilt. as if what happened could have been stopped by him but he quite literally physically couldn't.

ashborn sounded like when jin-woo
found about what really happen to [y/n].

'if that really is the case...' the male thinks, glancing at his predecessor. 'i know how it feels.'

knowing that they can only comfort and not take action is the worst feeling for them both. that they can not avenge fully them and only watch them take the burden for themselves.

the feeling of not being able to do enough for her.

"let's us continue, shall we?" ashborn questions, gesturing the space next to himself. jin-woo gets the meaning and walks to stand next to him, letting the monarch continue his story.

"as before, the king of dragons gladly allowed aurora and i to join his forces." he states as the scenery around them began to change. "we went searching for a new world, for the sake of building up our new army."

the two beings stood upon gears for a clock of some sort while they were surrounded by stars.

"earth?"

"that is correct."

he confirms to him before continuing. "to the humans, the appearance of the monarchs must have seemed very unprecedented. their annihilation was inevitable."

suddenly, the scenery changed again. this time, it was scene that jin-woo was very familiar with. before him was cities up in flames, building falling apart at the brim with no sign of life.

'THE DEMON CASTLE.'

"is this what will happen in the future?" jin-woo asks, look at sight, reminiscing.

ashborn who is also admiring the view, says. "no, this is a record of the past."

his words get the dark haired man raising his eyebrow as he looks at the monarch.

"what do you mean?" he quickly asks, confused.

the shadow monarch couldn't help but chuckle at his eagerness to know more. causing him to pat the top of his head, in a somewhat affectionate way.

"no need to be so impatient, young one." ashborn teases him with a gentle smile. "let me continue explaining."

jin-woo was extremely overwhelmed by the fact he just got himself a headpat and a personal nickname from probably one of the most powerful beings in the world.

he couldn't believe it.

though, he never found it uncomfortable. it was an inviting feeling that couldn't help but enjoy.

"the monarch's existence is destruction," the king of the dead explains causing his vessel to remember to pay attention. "then the reason for the existence of the rulers was to maintain this world where the <absolute being> was no longer."

he shows images of what has happened in the very distant past, the rulers could only watch as earth be destroyed by the powerful monarchs.

"the rulers belatedly detected the movements of the sovereigns and sent their armies." he gestures the scene with his hands. "and everything had come to an end."

naturally, the rulers grew angry at the fact that the army of the chaos world they failed eradicate managed to bring destruction upon another world.

in order to correct this, they used their tool containing the w power of the <absolute being>, which they had prohibited themselves from using.

THE TOOL OF GOD, THE CUP OF REINCARNATION.

it was incredible tool that could turn back time by 10 years. the rulers used everything they had in order to save this world, but the current earth was way too weak to fight against the monarchs.

and earth, where no magical energy resided, could not endure the mass-scale battles. whether the monarchs or the rulers won the battle, the impact brought upon this planet would remain the same.

thus, the rulers made a drastic decision. if they can't save everyone, they wanted to make sure that at least some would survive. so those people could continue on in this world.

"so that's how hunters were created..." jin-woo confirms to the monarch.

everything about ashborn's explanation clicked for him. he already had theories with [y/n] but, now knowing that this was the truth. it was shocking, to say the least.

the shadow monarch only nods. "they were making human beings capable of surviving the collision between the two forces. the rulers wanted them to survive, no matter what they had to do."

'those that could survive in the changed world.' the male thinks, his eyes narrowing. 'if they realize that, with the exception of the small number of people who are hunters, everyone must die...'

'could society really operate normally?'

that was the lingering question, humans are emotional creatures. if this information was public, who knows what kind of chaos would ensue.

'[y/n] would be devastated by hearing this. if it were her, she'd probably find a way to try and save everyone.' jin-woo concludes, furrowing his eyebrows.

he turns back to ashborn. "so, this world has already gone through countless annihilations."

"indeed," the monarch, states nodding. "although the higher beings are not able to go against the flow of time. they are able to perceive the change in the flow of time created by the 'cup of reincarnation.' while the rulers tried to fix their mistakes several times, the sovereigns also began modifying their plan continuously."

"UNTIL THE TOOL OF GOD COULDN'T BE USED ANYMORE."

"hold up..." jin-woo interrupts, clearly confused. "are you telling me that there is a limit to the 'cup of reincarnation'?"

"there's no such thing as true infinite power, young one." ashborn reminds him. "just like how the <absolute being>, who was capable of creating worlds, was eliminated by his own creations. there is a limit to every power."

the dark haired male raises a brow. "so how were the creations able to kill their creator."

"it's no different to humans dying from machines they had created." the sovereign argues logically. "we were created to fight, and our powers were more than enough to bring down our own creator."

it was only then, the sovereigns utilized the ruler's methods to create a plan of their own.

similar to how rulers lent power to humans so they can kill magical beasts, thus strengthening the world, sovereigns would also would also borrow a human's body to descend onto the world. and being their armies far earlier than the expectation of the rulers.

"they planned to use magical energy that was spread around the planet by the rulers." ashborn firmly explains. "to turn the entirety of earth into one large trap..."

jin-woo finishes his thought. "so that they could devour the rulers' armies coming to aid humanity in one go."

"precisely, young one." the monarch replies and once again, not hesitating to pat his vessel's head in a proud manner.

the young male couldn't but advert his gaze out of embarrassment. still finding the feeling to be treated fondly by a powerful being, overwhelming.

in any case, for a sovereign, who possesses incredible power, to cross over into this world, they needed a host body who is able to handle their power.

but because ashborn, aurora and the monarch of destruction possess power too great. they could not find humans who were suitable to be their hosts.

at that time, one of the most capable mages working under a king, came to ashborn and aurora with a proposal. that they were willing to find us a suitable human.

that mage, called "the architect", asserted them that they would them assistance, but only for an imperishable body in return.

but unfortunately, no living thing could become a vessel to contain 'death.'

nor was there no human vessel pure enough to contain the very essence of 'life.'

with the system he had designed, the architect search high and low for two talented individuals in sensing magic power, one with prodigal physical power, one with superiority, one with great mentality...

the architect searched for two humans who's strength would meet ashborn and aurora's powers. the search was not an easy one.

but in the midst of his searching, he found two people who bested his system. two very special individuals who rewrote the rules of his game and exceeded his expectations.

sung jin-woo, who was always weak, always closet to death, and yet evaded death again and again.

[y/n] [l/n], who always so close to have her life put out, she proved her resilience every single time.

ASHBORN AND AURORA WATCHED THEM.

"and even in the opposition of the architect, i picked you and aurora picked [y/n]." ashborn states pointing at his vessel.

"I SHALL SAY IT ONCE MORE."

a gentle and proud smile forms on the monarch's face as he looked at jin-woo. "i am the record of your struggles, the evidence of your resistance, and the reward of your pain."

the male couldn't help but filled with a sense of pride when he smiled at him. this inviting feeling he felt, it was starting to becoming less and less overwhelming.

"though, the real reason why [y/n] was chosen is unknown to me." ashborn mentions, as he remember a memory that seemed so long ago.

───── ⋆⋅ ☽ ⋅⋆ ─────

THE SHADOW MONARCH stared at as his lover, the sun monarch, overlooking a certain person.

her magenta-ruby eyes were enchanted with [y/n] [l/n], watching the girl doing the most mundane of things and finding joy it.

aurora watched her smile, laugh and cry. never once getting bored of this little figment of light.

"i want her." she mumbles, her pretty fingers grazing over her beating heart. "she's perfect, ash."

"you think so, love?" ashborn question and his response was an eager nod.

a lovely smile appears on her lips, her eyes never leaving the image of [y/n]. "i know so, she's the one i want. i don't care what that mage says, she's perfect."

"he said her body might not be able handle your purity." the king of death reminds her, not wanting to get her hopes up.

but as always, she surprises him. he sees a determined expression paint aurora's face before looking up at him.

"THEN I'LL MAKE IT SO. SHE'LL
BE MY VESSEL."

───── ⋆⋅ ☽ ⋅⋆ ─────

ASHBORN THEN LOOKS over at jin-woo, as he then shrugs his shoulders with a relaxed expression.

"though, i had no say in the matter." he jokes with a slight smile. "if she wants something, she'll have it in her hand in no time."

jin-woo almost wants to laugh at the monarch's statement, which happened to reminded him greatly of her.

"even though we exceeded the architect's expectations, we must not been enough to handle your powers." the male adds, as he had some lingering questions.

"the architect used objects of human skill and human preference to adjust to our strength." he explains to his vessel.

suddenly, the familiar system window appeared above them. with their usual ding that they've always had.

"games and recreation." ashborn states. "by using those to fuel your amusement, the architect's system, which used our powers respectively, transformed your bodies, level by level, to match ours.

now, it all made sense to jin-woo. "so there was a reason why the system had an analogous appearance to a game, especially with the players aspects of it."

BUT THERE WAS STILL ONE
MORE THING LEFT UNANSWERED.

"but you and aurora betrayed the architect." the male adds, eyes narrowed. remembering his words back in the temple.

"why?"

"..."

ashborn couldn't help but be hesitant, not being able to face his precious vessel. trying to find the right words to say, so he could answer his question.

"the rulers' apology, the betrayal of the monarchs." the sovereign mumbles loud enough for him to hear. "aurora and i pondered which side we should stand on..."

"SOON ENOUGH, WE CAME TO A DECISION."

then after a moment, he smiles to himself. "we wanted it to be that way."

jin-woo look at him curiously, wondering the true meaning behind his words. but time will only tell.

"the time i spent with you was so utterly blissful." he states wistfully. "aurora loved [y/n] as if she was her own daughter. and perhaps that is why i did not want to lose you two."

ashborn slowly turns back to face
jin-woo, changing forms for the last time.

"i became you. you became me." he reminds his vessel with a small smile. "no matter who becomes the owner of this body, it will not be strange."

jin-woo's grey eyes widen as he met with, himself. ashborn had decided to change into him, to show that they truly are one.

"therefore, i will offer you a choice." he says, walking away from him, changing back to his original form. "you could stay in this domain of death,"

suddenly, once again, the surroundings around them change. they found themselves in the same field of flowers from earlier.

the wind blowing against their dark hair, the leaves, the stands of grass and flower petals. letting them flow with its current.

"and enjoy the eternal dreams you've created for yourself. you could choose to rest." ashborn explains, walking through field. "if that is not your choice, you will be sent to reality once more and will have to fight your adversaries."

"ashborn," jin-woo calls, causing the monarch to halt his steps. "you said, you and aurora made your decision. but you did not stand with the leaders."

there was a heavy silence that hanged in the air. it wasn't until a few seconds later, that jin-woo spoke again.

"so why did you escape to the other with monarchs, even though your will to fight the rulers had long dissipated?"

the monarch only glances at him. "because that place did not offer a place for me."

he silences himself for a second as his violet eyes soften, knowing there was one place where he knew belonged.

"AND THAT I NEEDED TO BE
RIGHT NEXT TO HER."

jin-woo chuckles, a smirk painting his lips as if he already knew that would be his reply.

"my answer is the same." he responds, feeling the sun shine on him. "this is not a place where i should be. i need to be next to her as well."

as the sun sets around them, ashborn couldn't help but turn to face his vessel, a proud smile on his face.

'TO THINK HE WOULD BE JUST LIKE ME...'

───── ⋆⋅ ☽ ⋅⋆ ─────

───── ⋆⋅ ☽ ⋅⋆ ─────

though he won't admit it outloud, ashborn thought of jin-woo as his own son. to watch him grow into the person he's become was something he will forever be prideful in.

"is this the last time i will be seeing you?" jin-woo asks him as he watched the former monarch walk away once more.

"i will be returning to rest with aurora, once she bids her emotional goodbyes to [y/n]." he explains, still smiling. "but you, the shadow monarch will imperishable life. thus, the crossing of our paths is quite unlikely."

the wind picks up significantly, the petals flowing in it erratically as the sky above them gives off its golden hue.

"with death, your power has become absolute. the way back is..." ashborn's words falter as his vessel interrupt him.

"i know..." jin-woo says, a small smile on his face.

"BECAUSE I AM YOU."

the former monarch pauses, surprised for a moment before he erupted into light laughter. he truly was like him in many, many ways.

"live a good life with [y/n], young one." he says, still smiling as he says his last words. "you two have been a joy to aurora and i. you might have already realized it. but she is your soulmate, you two are destined for one another."

his words mean nothing but happiness to jin-woo. before, any of this, he never once believed in the silly concept of fate.

but now, it was different.

just knowing [y/n] was destined to be with him from the very start, it was paradise.

then, the two look at one another, for what may be the last time, before finals words are said.

"I BID YOU FAREWELL, YOUNG ONE."

and with that, ashborn, the former shadow monarch was truly gone from this plane.

then, jin-woo looks up at the sky, letting himself feel the warmth of the sun shining down on him. he no longer backs away from such bright light like before and instead he welcomes the feeling with open arms.

"don't worry sunshine, i'm coming." he whispers closing his eyes. "just wait a little longer."

he can't but smile to himself over the fact he will be with his [y/n] again. the woman he loved with every single fiber of his being.

the woman who was crafted carefully from essence of sunlight itself, just for him to love unconditionally, his fated lover, his soulmate.

and so, jin-woo says the all too familiar command that will lead him back right where he need to be. right beside her.

"ARISE."

CHAPTER FOURTY-NINE! END!
────restart player 1 (2).