⚠️Trigger Warning: This chapter contains sensitive contents. Readers discretion is advised.⚠️

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Kim Rok Soo couldn't believe what he heard. The gods were telling him Cale Henituse died. He's gone. He refused to believe it, after all Cale Henituse felt real. He touched him, he spoke with him, he laughed with him, he ate with him, and these gods were saying he's gone.

It's just that my presence here will only hurt you, Kim Rok Soo recalled what Cale had told him days before this.

Is this real? Is Cale really gone? Kim Rok Soo continued to rack his brain looking for answers.

"Why? How did Cale die? All of us managed to retain our memories when we regressed, why did he die?! Did he ask you to take his life in exchange for everything?!" Rok Soo asked, his voice was raised. It was certainly uncharacteristic of him to do that. But he couldn't help it.

Cale Henituse is dead.

"Cale Henituse experienced death not just once, twice, thrice but twenty times," the Sun God reluctantly revealed.

This revelation made Kim Rok Soo shocked beyond belief. His body was shaking, his tears were threatening to fall from his eyes, his heart beat so loud it was deafening. He felt his body numb as his mind stopped working. His sweat felt cold and his legs were shaking. This was the first time he felt something like this.

Cale died not only once but twenty times? Rok Soo thought. He couldn't think properly. He knew he should calm down so his thoughts can be processed but his heart was preventing him from doing so.

"H-How did Cale die?" He asked as he clenched his fists and grit his teeth.

"Cale Henituse was betrayed," the God of Death answered. Not only by you, humans, but also us.

"What?"

"If you want to answer your questions, walk in that hallway. That corridor contained all Cale Henituse's memories from his first life to his last," the God of Death pointed at the newly appeared hall.

Rok Soo walked there with trembling legs. He wasn't sure if he was ready for it but he steeled himself. Then, he saw a first portrait of Cale's first life. It played like a record in the hall.

[During his first life, Cale Henituse died because of the White Star. The moment he regressed for the first time, he decided to become a better person. After all, his memories of the future were intact. He decided to use this to protect his family.

Cale helped Choi Han in gathering his allies. He supported them financially, emotionally, mentally and somehow physically. Choi Han and Cale became good friends, this posed a problem towards the noble faction. They didn't want Cale Henituse hogging all the glory.

Before the battle in the Henituse Territory, the enemy contacted them. They asked for the red-haired Cale Henituse in exchange for their safety from the attacks of other nations. The enemies certainly knew Cale was the heroes' support. One faction of the aristocracy had sold this information.

For the betterment and safety, Cale Henituse was given to the enemies. He was tortured everyday and would be fed with black despair. However, his soul didn't become tainted. He died after losing so much blood during the last torture with the Dragon Slayer, Syrem.]

Kim Rok Soo frowned from what he was seeing. He always knew Cale would help them when asked properly. However, the nobles didn't only betray him but also their own kingdom. He proceeded to see the next portrait.

[After dying again, Cale woke up as a child. He was ten years old. He was still filled with hopes towards the future. He planned out what he should do in the incoming danger in the future. His father was still the same, neglecting him was something he was used to. What he didn't expect was the servants in their household would constantly abuse him.

The servants thought Cale Henituse fell from his father's grace, especially after the new Countess and her son came to their home. The maids would always beat him up and the chefs would always hit him. It was their routine. No matter how much Cale cried for them to stop, they didn't stop. His own family turned a blind eye to the constant abuse.

His food would always be stale bread and water. If he was given proper food, the maid in charge of bringing his food would put small rocks in his food. Sometimes they would mix poison in his soup as well. They found relief in hurting the first young master.

Cale was always covered with wounds and bruises, it continued until he was twelve. One time during this age, the chef was fired due to embezzlement of funds. Because of this, the chef used Cale Henituse as his revenge to the family. He dragged the sleeping Cale inside the cabin inside the Henituse Estate and placed him in a narrow box and locked him inside.

"Help! Let me out! Don't leave me here! Let me out!" Cale as he scratched the lid of the box and screamed until his throat felt raw. He kept crying and pleading for help but no one came.

As a result, Cale Henituse died of suffocation. ]

Kim Rok Soo felt nauseous. He couldn't bear seeing his Cale suffer like that. However, he couldn't do anything anymore. It already happened. He continued walking as he felt his feet crossing a muddy road. It felt so heavy.

[The third time Cale woke up, he cried and asked the gods why he kept coming back. He was too devastated. He was in despair. Then, he met a man named Kim Rok Soo. That was the first time he felt he had someone he could call a friend.

They got along really well and Rok Soo treated him very well. Cale was also fond of Rok Soo. They were inseparable. Cale thought he could finally become happy.

One day, the two got into a fight and Rok Soo didn't come back. Rok Soo's companions thought Cale harmed him, that's why he didn't come back to them, they couldn't even contact him. For five months Rok Soo didn't come back, then an unknown person came to the heroes and told them that Cale Henituse killed Kim Rok Soo. Because of that, Choi Han killed Cale Henituse. The hero didn't listen to any words the redhead said.

The next day, Kim Rok Soo came back with some good news only to see Cale's corpse greeting him. They hung Cale's head in the plaza to serve as an example to the people.]

Kim Rok Soo clenched his fists real hard, his knuckles turned white. This was the third time Cale regressed and the pain the poor redhead was feeling must be immense. He felt happy when he saw himself there but he hated the misunderstanding that led to Cale's death.

Why do these people think little of Cale? Kim Rok Soo gritted his teeth.

And Cale experienced this kind of treatment in all his twenty regressions? He thought. He continued walking and he saw another Cale's regressions.

[In Cale's fourth regression, he didn't do anything. He just tried to become a good person at least. He was even called the doll of the Henituse Family. He stayed inside his home, he would fund the heroes since his former butler and chef were one of the group.

Cale thought he could finally live until he reached old age but one day, he was kidnapped by the White Star's organization and his blood was used as a sacrifice to open the gates of the Demon World. Nobody tried saving him. ]

The moment he died was the time their world followed him.

Rok Soo continued walking.

[In Cale's fifth regression, he was already known as a lout. His family was still powerful and wealthy, this posed a problem to the nobles. Because of this, the nobles set up Cale so they could blame him.

Cale was accused of smuggling drugs in their territory. His family already gave up on him so they believed the nobles' accusation.

Cale was thrown into prison filled with rabid animals. When he looked outside the prison, he could see Venion laughing at him.

"Your mere existence annoyed me down to my core, so this place suits you. Good thing Count Deruth didn't put up much of a fight," Venion spat.

"You fucking bastard Venion! I will never forget this!" Cale yelled as he felt the bites of the animals tearing his skin.

His screamed echoes across the prison wall. He could feel the animals slowly tearing his skin, his muscles. He could feel their nails digging into his body.

He finally died when the animals bit his neck.]

The constant abandonment Cale felt was beyond something Kim Rok Soo wouldn't be able to take. However, Cale didn't only feel that. He felt tremendous pain going back to the past only to meet his own death yet the spark in Cale's eyes—his hopes and love—didn't disappear.

Cale Henituse himself didn't know the details of his own death. He only knew the reason for his death, but the procedure of how it was done was something the gods decided to hide from him.

"Hey, we should stop making this human go back to the past," the Sun God said.

Kim Rok Soo turned his head to the source of the voice. It was the gods' conversation with one another. They were deciding what to do with soul's Cale whenever they met him.

["It should be fine! I am bored and this human gives great entertainment compared to the ones in the mortal world," the God of Misery responded. He was definitely having fun seeing the cycle of life and death of this particular human called Cale Henituse.

"Look at how his heart didn't waver and hate them, no matter how much people betray and abandon him, he kept himself by their side! We have to teach him a lesson that once a person betrayed and abandoned you, they will never change. Until he learns that, he will become our great source of entertainment," he added.

"It's not our responsibility if something happened as a result of your doings," the God of Death responded.]

[Then, the scene changed to Cale Henituse's sixth life, he experienced love. Cale and Alver became lovers this time. They were getting along and they were known all over the continent for their love. The redhead believed he finally found the happiness his mother had told him about. He was also getting along with Choi Han and the others. He was happy with his family, friends and lovers.

But his happiness was fleeting, Choi Han betrayed him. Choi Han, whom he considered a friend after their reconciliation betrayed him. The black haired hero stabbed him when they went out and he was led to an isolated place. Cale trusted him so he went along with him, he didn't expect him to kill him.

Even after his death, Cale didn't know why Choi Han killed him. However, the gods definitely know. Cale was caring, kind and forgiving, so Choi Han developed romantic feelings towards the redhead. The black haired hero couldn't bear seeing the object of his affection be with someone else.

"If I can't be with you, you can't be with anybody else," were the words Choi Han spoke after Cale breathed his last breath.]

[In Cale's seventh and eighth regression were the same, he thought everything was just a misunderstanding. He forgave them, they didn't know about it. Only him, so he thought the same thing won't happen again. However, Choi Han killed him again. The black haired hero manipulated the black dragon into keeping the redhead's body. They didn't like how much attention the Crown Prince got from the redhead. Everybody thought Cale betrayed them and ran away, they didn't know that the redhead was kept in a particular place only Choi Han and the black dragon knew.]

Choi Han is such a sick bastard in different lives, Kim Rok Soo thought. Is it still the same in this life? Does he harbor feelings for Cale? I noticed Alver and Choi Han were on bad terms, both were overprotective of Cale when I took him from the Henituse Estate.

Did living for a long time make him crazy? Rok Soo thought.

[Then, in Cale's ninth and tenth regression, Cale avoided Choi Han and the others. He didn't get together with Alver as well. However, the redhead became their support. Unfortunately, Cale was blamed for harming Kim Rok Soo. He tried to explain his side but nobody believed him. He begged for his father to take his side but Deruth abandoned him. Nobody listened to him.

"Father! Believe me! It wasn't me! You know I can't hurt him! Please!" Cale's voice rang inside the prison room. His tears were ignored and his screams fell into deaf ears. Nobody was willing to listen to him.

Cale was kept alive while the punishers mutilated his body. He screamed and cried as they cut his body parts into pieces. He was kept alive during the act, he only died when they cut his head. His body parts were thrown into different places.

When Rok Soo woke up, the people told him Cale was punished for harming him.]

Kim Rok Soo didn't notice his tears falling from his eyes. It wasn't the first time Cale was accused of harming him. Was their bond so fragile people thought Cale could hurt him? The redhead was mistreated every single time during his childhood yet he didn't seek revenge. He forgave his family who neglected and ignored him all his life. Cale hung up to the thought they finally accepted him.

Cale's voice rang inside his head. His smiles were replaced by tears. His laughs were changed to his screams. His praises turned into pleas. Kim Rok Soo's heart felt like it was being stabbed over and over again. Cale was asking for help and yet no one was willing to take his hand.

When the heroes asked for his help, he welcomed them with open arms. He supported and gave them everything they needed regardless whether Choi Han had beaten him up or Ron and Vicross abandoned him. And yet, the people repaid his kindness with his death.

"Why did you let it happen?" Kim Rok Soo asked the three gods who aided them. The God of Death was unusually quiet. The Sun God was uncharacteristically solemn. The God of War unconventionally showed cowardice.

"Why did it reach to the point where Cale's soul had to disappear?" he asked again.

Yet nobody answered him. A deafening silence occupied the darkness.

... to be continued

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A/N: I'm sorry, lovelies. Have a great day.

Me, while writing this chapter: