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Recently, the White Star found himself unable to get a certain red haired commander out of his head. His thoughts would sometimes unconsciously drifts to the various images of Cale Henituse, his smirking face every time he manages to flip things over, his glare that is full of disdain towards the White Star, his entire aura whenever he brings out his ancient powers, even the audacity to actually slap his face and draws blood. At first, he thought that anger and hatred was the cause. After all, who wouldn't feel irritated and mad that someone suddenly appears out of nowhere and completely flip an entire thousand-year plan upside down?
"Cale Henituse is a thorn in my side." So he told himself. He deemed the other red head an enemy worthy of attention. He finds himself anticipating to encounter the other, to see what the noble son would pull next. Then he starts to s̶t̶a̶l̶k̶ observe the Roan hero, not that he truly understand why he felt the urge to do so. "It's to make sure Cale Henituse won't be able to stay one step ahead." or so he said.
The White Star expected to see a different side to his enemy, but he couldn't predict just how much effect it would have on him. The way the red head would continuously insists that he was a trashy person despite his actions saying otherwise, the White Star finds his slightly flustered and bewildered expression whenever someone praises him and his good deeds to be e̶n̶d̶e̶a̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ amusing.
Then there's the connection between him and his people. The White Star has already known how much Cale Henituse treasures the people around him, and how much they love him back as well, yet seeing their interactions causes something to swirl within the White Star. He couldn't tell if it was because he wants to destroy that peace see them in despair, or because he wants to see more, to bask in that wholesome, heartwarming atmosphere surrounding the red haired commander. He told himself it has to be the former, ignoring the fluttering in his stomach.
And oh, that rare moment when Cale Henituse would smile. It's not the c̶a̶p̶t̶i̶v̶a̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ irritating smirk he would wear whenever he manages to flip the White Star's plans, and it's not his signature scammer smile, either. It's a genuine, gentle smile that he would shows, usually unconsciously, to his people, and his people only. The first time he saw that smile, the White Star felt as though time itself has frozen. He never knew the one who only either glares at him with disdain or gives him triumphant smirks could make such a charming expression. The White Star felt something jumps inside his chest. W̶a̶s̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ h̶i̶s̶ h̶e̶a̶r̶t̶?̶
It was night time, the White Star sat in his seat as he rubs his temples. He takes off his mask, before resting an arm over his closed eyes. Lately, his thoughts have been all over the place, and he still couldn't get the one he deemed his enemy out of his head. His mind wanders to all the sights and scenes he witness during the past few days, remembering all the endearing moments makes him feel like he is melting.
He wants to see more of it.
He wants to be a part of it.
He wants to see Cale Henituse smile like that again.
He wants Cale Henituse to smile at him like that.
The White Star froze, his eyes open wide and he nearly drops the mask in his hand. He's not dumb, he knows what those thoughts mean. He feels as though his breath was caught in his throat, as he finally comes to terms with the truth, with his feelings.
He loves Cale Henituse. He has fallen, fallen hard, for the hero of Roan.
He doesn't want to destroy Cale. He wants to be with Cale, want to see more of the side that Cale would never show to him.
Then he remembers his curse. He cannot love, for everything he loves will die.
But he loves Cale Henituse. He has realized that truth.
"...Fuck." Cursing under his breath, the White Star slaps his mask back onto his face as he disappears out of the balcony, into the quiet night.
For the first time in years, he felt nervous. He felt fear. Fear for someone else's life.
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The God of Death sits down in his office chair, his brows furrowing as thoughts ran through his mind. A sudden knock was heard, before he could say anything, the door flings open, and an individual with fluffy strawberry hair casually strolls in. Dark eyes met with mischievous molten gold as Death glances at the uninvited guest in his domain.
"What the hell, Asmo? Why are you intruding my place?"
"Darling how could you call me an intruder?" The God of Love fakes an offended gasp "I even knocked the door politely."
"I never said you could enter though." Death frowns.
"Oh don't sweat the details~" Asmo waves his hand nonchalantly as he sat himself down on the couch in the middle of the room "Anyways, something interesting finally happened! Though, I'm assuming you've already knew about it."
How could he not, when the curse he placed on the White Star has finally triggered again, and this time the one involved was none other than Cale Henituse.
"Hmm, you're thinking about it, aren't you? Changing that vow of death, I mean." The God of Love grins, a glint in his golden eyes.
"...And what if I am?" The white haired God narrows his eyes at the other as dark aura starts swirling around him "Are you here to stop me then?"
"Oh no no! You misunderstood, darling. I'm simply here to offer some assistance." Asmo leans forward, grabbing a cookie from the small plate on the coffee table "breaking the rules again this time will definitely put you in a difficult position, so I'll be taking on half the consequences that will befall you. How does that sound?"
"...It's true that I'll probably get restricted so much that I might not be able to do anything for a while after this, but still, it's not like this matter is related to you anyway." Death raises a brow "I don't see why you'd go out of your way to do something like that."
"Hmm~ let's just say I'm doing it for my own amusement. That reincarnator has finally fallen for someone after nearly a thousand years, so something interesting is bound to happen. It would be a shame for it to end so quickly." The God of Love hums, an ominous smile on his face "Furthermore, I want you to let me set the alternate curse in exchange for taking off some of yiur burden. I've never really like how the curse would take the lives of unsuspecting people just because they were loved, but we can't allow that reincarnation off scot-free, so some changes has to be done."
"...Fine." The God of Death finally sighs after a moment of thinking "How will you set the new curse then?"
"The humans from some worlds have quite the imagination, you know? They created something really interesting for their books and novels." Asmo grins, his golden eyes narrowing sharply "I wonder how such scenarios will play out in real life?"
Death bites the inside of his mouth nervously.
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The White Star was surprised at how quick he was to arrives at the Henituse estate. He didn't know what prompted him to move, but now he's already here. He didn't have any thoughts other than 'I need to see him', and was unsure of his next course of action, until he caught a glimpse of red through a window. Peering closer, the White Star lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
Indise the room, Cale Henituse was sitting on the couch, a book in his hands while his children surround him.
Cale was alive and breathing. Cale was fine. Cale didn't die to the curse.
The White Star feels a sense of relief washes over him at the thought. He lingers for a bit longer, watching his love through the window, before finally returning.
Upon reaching his balcony, the White Star realized he has been smiling. It was a foreign feeling, as he hadn't smiled for so long, but he doesn't hate it. As his mind finally fully registers the events that has transpired, a question pops into his head.
The curse didn't work this time, but why? Could it be that it was finally wearing off? After all, Cale is still alive and healthy, isn't he?
At the thought of the other red head, the White Star found himself smiling again. He feels butterflies in his stomach again. He feels like melting from the warmth again.
He feels something stuck in his throat.
The White Star suddenly coughs, harshly, before a familiar metallic smell reaches his nose. He looks down at his hand.
Blood.
He has coughed up blood.
And petals. Red, like the hair of his love.
He stands frozen in place and stares at the mess with wide eyes. The petals were unlike any flora he had seen, almost as if it was from another world. From the corner of his eyes, he caught an unfamiliar object on his desk, something was drawing him towards it. With magic, the White Star cleans up the mess, before making his way over to the strange item. It was a book, with no titles, no cover decorations.He could feel the power of Death radiating from the object, which causes him to snarls. He despises the God of Death.
He debated destroying the item, but something keeps nagging him to open the book, so reluctantly he did. There was a simple, short story written inside. It was about a person whose love was one-sided, thus he starts coughing up bloody petals, and eventually flowers. In the end, three days after the first time he saw the bloody petals, with unrequited feelings, the person died a painful death, his life rings destroyed completely.
Oh. So that's how it is.
The White Star knows now. He has put the pieces together.
How his love didn't die to the curse.
How he starts coughing up blood and petals.
How an item reeks of Death's aura found its way into his room.
The curse hadn't worn off. It changed. And the one to die this time will be the White Star. The words written in the book wasn't a simple story, but it was a message for the White Star himself.
Three days. He has three days until he dies, his annual rings completely destroyed making him unable to reincarnate with his memories any more. Everything he has built until now, all the efforts he has put out, all will become meaningless, will turn into dust in in three days. And the only way out is Cale reciprocating the White Star's feelings.
"...Hah!" He huffs out a bitter laugh. It's an all-or-nothing situation. Either he gets it all or he lose everything. The thought of losing everything that he had accumulated for a thousand years is not a pleasant thought. He clenches his hands.
The solution was simple. He just needs Cale to accept his feelings, his love.
He just needs Cale to loves him back.
'Cough.'
It happens again. The thought of the red haired commander causes blood and flower petals to flows out of his mouth again. Once again staring at the bloody mess, the White Star chuckles bitterly.
What a ridiculous thought. Cale loving him back? After everything?
Who is he kidding, of course that was not possible. Cale Henituse treasures his people, and he will not tolerate anyone who continuously try to harm them. And the White Star falls under that category of 'anyone'. With all the things he did, all the crimes he committed, he'd be the last person to even receive Cale's forgiveness, let alone his affection.
He coughs up blood and petals again. He could feel a sharp pain in his chest, one that causes him to nearly doubled over, despite his body already numb to pain after a thousand years. It was as if he was being pierced by thorns from the inside. It was not a pleasant feeling, and something tells him the pain will only get worse.
Sayeru and Dorph definitely notices their liege behaving strangely for the entire day. The White Star seems to have something on his mind constantly, and sometimes his face would turn dark, before he abruptly leaves the area. It happens a few times in the span of one morning, before their liege would just not leave his room altogether. They wanted to inquire about it, but one dark, vicious glare from the White Star was enough to warn them not to be nosy. No one dares bother him for the rest of the day.
On the second day, there was more blood and petals, much more than the first day. The sharp pain he felt has worsened as well. By noon, he saw a full flower in the pool of blood he coughed out. It looks like a rose, but it was definitely a flower he had never seen before. It was unique, and, he has to admit, beautiful. It reminds him of the one and only Cale Henituse, from its vibrant color that resembles the hair color of the hero of Roan, to the unique charm it has that draws the White Star to it, despite it being the source of his suffering.
Somehow, he manages to catch a moment where Cale was alone outside the villa in the Forest of Darkness that evening, without anyone around, and suddenly found himself appearing directly in front of the red head. The White Star was unsure of why he decided to do so, and what he would do next as he and Cale stares intently at each other, neither moving an inch.
Maybe he could tell Cale. About his feelings.
Maybe...
The White Star opens his mouth to speak, before stopping himself as he looks at the person before him, the person he calls his enemy yet has fallen so deeply for. Cale Henituse looks calm on the outside, but the White Star could see how tense his posture was, and how his hands were ready to bring forth his ancient powers to fight. Those warm, reddish-brown eyes that would cast a fond gaze upon his family are now glaring at the White Star warily.
The White Star could feel something rising in his throat again.
The White Star quickly brings a hand to cover his lower face, before dodging an incoming surge of power he sensed from his side. Black aura swirls around the sword master who has just arrived on the scene with a young black dragon, both moved protectively in front of Cale Henituse while viciously glaring at him, the looks on their faces were absolutely feral.
There are many more presence coming towards them, who the White Star recognizes as the family of the hero of Roan. He stands still for a moment, gaze lingering on his love, before disappearing just as abruptly as he came, leaving Cale's group to wonder what that situation was all about.
The White Star coughs up a lot of blood and a few red flowers that night.
On the third and last day, the White Star has dismissed everyone in his palace, even Dorph and Sayeru, much to the confusion of his subordinates. He has already destroyed the book from the God of Death, the item is nothing but ashes on the ground now. His office was a mess, scratch that, the entire interior of the palace was a mess, as the White Star walks down the empty hall, not even bothering to clean up his bloody face and attire anymore.
Footsteps echoes behind him, causing the White Star to turn around and glares at whoever dares to remain in the palace despite his orders. It was a child-like figure weaing a maroon cloak, the individual's face was hidden by a hood, but sharp golden eyes were visible, shining through the dark shadow casted by the hood.
"My my~ how miserable you are right now. What an amusing sight~" An ominous grin appears on the person's face as he speaks in a light voice. It was then that the White Star notices the divine aura from the young boy.
A God.
"...What do you want?" The White Star snarls at the figure, who only chuckles.
"It's your last day, isn't it? After today you'll die painfully and pathetically, everything you've accumulated will went to waste." The cloaked individual ignores the question, leaning his face on one of his hand as he continues to grin at the reincarnator "Do you really want it to end like that? Don't you want to complete your thousand-year plans?"
"..." The White Star remains silent. Of course he doesn't want his efforts to go down the drain. But there's no way out for him now.
"Oh, but there is~ There's another solution for you." It was as if the God could read his mind "A simple one, really. You just have to do what your curse used to do, with your own hands."
The White Star is not dumb, he knows the implications behind those words.
Before it changed, the curse he has would kill everyone and everything he loves. To do what this curse used to do would mean...
He has to kill the one he love.
He has to kill Cale Henituse, with his own hands.
The cloaked figure hums in amusement upon seeing the realization in the White Star's widen eyes.
"You only have until midnight today." The God turns on his heels "Think carefully of what you will choose."
And he disappears.
The White Star stands alone among the mess in his palace. The palace was silent, but his mind was not.
Only an hour until the curse completely destroys him, the White Star stands silently in the bedroom of Cale Henituse. The red haired commander was sleeping soundly and defenseless, and somehow, his children are not sleeping with him today.
Good. Less annoyances to deal with.
The White Star could sense the presence of Cale's people around, the sword master is guarding right outside the bedroom door, the Molan partriach and his son is not too far from the vicinity either, not to mention the Henituse's Duchy guards and knights. But he is the White Star, hidding his presence from them is too easy. Killing this person in front of him right now is also too easy.
The White Star brings his hand closer to the sleeping red head's neck. Just a bit of his strength is enough for this thin neck to break, and Cale Henituse will die.
Do it.
Do it then all obstacles will be out of your way.
Kill him and continues towards your goal.
You have pushed aside your feelings before, you can do it again.
The hand slowly tightens.
Then it stops.
Images of Cale Henituse flash through the White Star's mind again, just like how they did in the past few days. The warmth he felt from those scenes, the way his heart skips as he remembers that smile.
The White Star hesitates.
He couldn't do it. He couldn't bring himself to kill the red head in front of him. His hand retreats from Cale's neck, before hesitantly reaching out to caress his sleeping face.
Looking at the peaceful expression in front of him, the White Star realizes.
He was tired. He has been exhausted for so long.
He remembers his first few decades of being a reincarnator, he remembers his loved ones who died to the curse, he remembers how much pain he felt when they left him.
All the things he had long forgotten, now surfaces once again as he stands next to the person he love. Losing those he treasures to the curse had already taken a toll on him, and now, if he has to kill his love with his own hands...
He'd rather let all his efforts wasted, all his work went up in flames. He doesn't care for those things anymore. He only cares for this individual in front of him, who forces his way into the White Star's life, and ultimately causes him to fall hard for the first time in years.
The clock keeps on ticking. Time keeps on moving.
The White Star wanted time to stop for a bit, let him stay beside his love for a while longer. But he knows it was just wishful thinking. He knows his time is near.
So he kneels down beside the bed, his hand still caressing the face of his love, before he leans forward and places a soft kiss on the sleeping red head's lips.
When the White Star pulls away, he was smiling.
A genuine smile. A smile of relief.
A smile he has never thought he is capable of having.
The clock strikes midnight.
The White Star closes his eyes. The pain in his chest is unbearable now, the thorns are growing rapidly, piercing his lungs, piercing his heart. It was painful, but he didn't dare make a sound. He could feel his annual rings breaking apart one by one.
He won't be able to reincarnate with his memories anymore. He probably can't even reincarnate anymore.
But, if there's a chance that he does reincarnate...
'Hopefully, in another life, I'll be able to be with you...'
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Somewhere, a young boy with strawberry hair and golden eyes is swinging his legs, humming a soft tune while smiling.
"Looks like you are enjoying how things played out, Asmo." Behind the boy, a raven sighs "To think you would even interfere like that... You really are much crueler than you seem."
The God of Love only chuckles at the God of Death.
"Love is gentle, but love is also cruel. It is sweet and warm, but it is also bitter and painful. Love can save a soul, but it can also destroy one." Asmo muses, his smile never leaves his face "Love is contradicting, love is confusing, but such is the beauty of love."
Death only remains silent.
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The next morning, Cale wakes up. He had a strange dream, a dream of someone staying beside his bed. He didn't know what to make of the dream.
From the corner of his eyes, he spots a strange object on his nightstand.
A flower.
A red camellia.
A flower he knows from his previous life as Kim Rok Soo, a flower that shouldn't exist in the world he currently lives in. Something is telling him to keep the flower.
Maybe Eruhaben-nim will know some spells to preserve a flower.
He didn't want the flower to wilt, he wants to treasure it. Cale didn't know why he feels that way.
How odd.
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A teen with red hair sat at his seat in the classroom, looking at the device in his hand as he mindlessly scroll through some apps.
'Who are you in your past life? Take this quiz to find out?' The teen mentally rolls his eyes 'How ridiculous. Who the hell would believe something like past lives?'
The bell finally ring as his homeroom teacher, a man with long golden hair, walks in. Usually, the red head would just ignore his teacher, but something is telling him to pay attention today.
"Alright class, before we start, I would like to introduce your new classmate." At the man's words a student with dark hair and reddish-brown eyes walks in, standing next to the teacher. Upon seeing the new face, the red haired teen glances down as he felt something jumps in his chest.
How odd.
"This is Kim Rok Soo, a tranfer student. I hope you all will get along with him." The teacher introduces, before turning to adress the new addition to the class "You can take a seat next to Cale Barrow, the student there at the back."
Hearing his name, the red haired teen looks up again, this time making eye-contact with his new classmate. Said student sends him a smile. Cale Barrow feels his heart skips a beat again.
How very odd.