malewife | Chapter 539: Epilogue 4

— CHAPTER ■■ —

그녀의 이야기 by MZ
You're here... On the same train you last remember. You were once on this train, at the end of the scenarios, after you and your companions tore the sky and vanquished every star that dared point their blades your way. They told you and your companions that a story like yours shouldn't exist. No story can survive without sacrifice—you've seen that.

You abandoned every world. The remnants of their existences curse you. If you save this world, what about the rest? Why is it them, but not us?

...

You cannot save everyone. You know that, yet finally you are reaching your ideal end. None of your companions have fallen. They are all here with you, except for one person. That person is the glue of your makeshift and dysfunctional family... You and everyone else truly believed four years ago, on this very train, that everyone would step off and live their lives as they wanted.

Picnics by the Han River. Going to PC Bangs. Ordering fried chicken. Visiting Jeju island. Living in a large house with everyone. Simple, simple yet dear dreams.

... That fool, he would leave a piece of himself behind, splitting himself to keep you and your companions placated. A piece of him waits in his train.

You, your companions, and many others accepted regression. To relive these moments of regrets, you all will finally protect everything you wish to protect. You will get him back.

In the stagnant air where only the sound of the moving train can be heard, you catch the howl of the hounds. Your comrades are running alongside you down the train cars, looking for the last. You reach for your sword, telling the rest to push onward as you deal with the hounds. These hounds are telling you and your companions that this isn't your story. YOU ARE GOING TOO FAR.

With a brawl, you're able to get them onto the train's rooftop and continue to fight alongside your Constellation allies. Buy your companions time... But an explosion from the front of the subway blows. Turning your head, you see letters rise. They're fables—someone's story—leaking out. More hounds come and they blanket you as you're distracted. Amateur of you. You weren't able to dodge them in time.

You wonder if this is your end. There's only pain in this darkness, but you hear a call. Han Sooyoung is summoning you and with the last of her power you're transported to the front. There... You see the door that has formed into a large pitch-black circle; a closer look shows you that this barrier is created by sentences.

This is Kim Dokja's prison and ward.

You reach out, placing your hand on the black orb, then through. Somehow, despite your companions having bloody hands, the sentences instead break under your own. Past all of the ink black letters, you see him... And you grab onto his collar tightly.

"It's time to go back, Kim Dokja."