Chapter Text
Is there logic in a fantasy world? A world where magic exists, doesn't that mean anything can happen? Of course a different set of logic is applied but at some point, there is nothing impossible in such a world. If a corpse can move, if gods are meddling with the human world, what else can happen?
That is what Cale Henituse, no, Kim Rok Soo has been thinking lately. He shouldn’t be surprised anymore ever since he has been transmigrating inside a novel since two years ago. The Birth of A Hero, he ends up in such a chaotic novel. Though, he can’t say he hates it either.
But now, talking about ‘anything can happen’. He wonders where he is actually?
Rok Soo looks into himself, he is in Rok Soo body. The muscular and slightly tanned body is such a different contrast than the pale and feeble body of Cale Henituse.
‘Is this inside of a dream?’
Rok Soo thinks about that. He looks around and notices that he is in Henituse territory. He is familiar with this environment, it feels like a second home for him. But there is no one there. No Raon, no Choi Han, no one else with him. But strangely, Rok Soo feels calm.
The sky is tinted with orange color, giving the land of boulders a peaceful nuance.
It is still weird to see him as with Rok Soo’s body in this kind of place though. A part of him feels like he doesn’t belong here. But like the usual him, Rok Soo doesn’t really care about that kind of feeling.
‘If this is a dream, this is really vivid and real.’
The last thing he remembers that he fell asleep with the little black dragon curled beside him. So, there is no other explanation than this is indeed a dream.
Rok Soo walks into his supposed home, feeling peaceful but also slightly confused. He can’t hear anything else or meet anyone else. He just walks to a familiar path toward his room. Even in a dream, Rok Soo only wants to relax around.
‘Can I sleep inside a dream? Let’s try.’
A part of himself wonders when is the last time he dreams like this. Even if he has a super memory, he never bothers to record something as unimportant as dreams. Still, something inside him tells him that he hasn’t been dreaming for a really long time.
Rok Soo stops in front of his room, the door is slightly open. He peeks inside and his eyes shake.
There is a young man with a solemn face sitting inside his room, reading a book with a glass of wine on his hand. His hair is red, looks soft under the sunset light. His brown eyes read the book on his lap.
Cale Henituse.
Rok Soo is shocked.
Strangely, his instinct tells him.
‘He is the original Cale Henituse.’
That appearance is when Cale was 18 years old. The age when Rok Soo possesses that body.
Rok Soo is filled with complicated emotions.
He never really lets his mind wonder about what happened to the original Cale Henituse when he possessed this young man's body. Is he still inside of him? Is he moved elsewhere?
Rok Soo doesn’t know and to be honest, he also doesn’t care much about it.
It isn’t like it is his choice to transmigrate into this young man’s body.
“Until when you want to stand there, moron?”
Rok Soo is speechless. It is also weird to hear Cale’s voice directed at him. He sees Cale closes the book on his lap and puts it on the table. Rok Soo smiles and opens the door wider.
It is really scary to see Cale with a demeanor so similar with his own. The way he sits so comfortably on the chair, the way he looks at him, his stoic expression, they look so familiar for Rok Soo. It almost seems like he sees a reflection of himself when he possesses Cale’s body.
There is only one difference. Those brown eyes look somewhat tired, deep and solemn.
A pair of eyes that unmatched with his age and his reputation as a ‘trash’.
Rok Soo walks in a relaxed manner and sits in front of Cale.
Even though inside he feels so complicated to see the original Cale, but Rok Soo doesn’t let it show.
It isn’t his fault that he possesses this young man’s body. And Rok Soo is selfish enough to admit that he also doesn’t want to give up his life on his current body. He feels slightly guilty for the person in front of him, but right now isn’t the time for him to just give back the body to the original owner.
There are still tons of things to do, there are still too many dangerous things around.
Both Rok Soo and Cale observe each other openly.
“I thought I would meet you sooner.”
Rok Soo finally says that. It is the truth, with so many weird things happening in his life, he thought he would meet with the original Cale sooner.
Cale doesn’t say anything, he just smiles slightly and sips his wine.
“I bet you want to ask me many things.”
Rok Soo blinks his eyes and sees Cale smile wider at him. That is an amused but evil looking smile. Okay, not really evil, just an arrogant smile. Rok Soo feels rather iffy to see that smile on that face is directed at him.
“But let me ask you first.”
Cale is speaking rudely at him, but Rok Soo expects that much from this guy.
“Who am I?”
“Excuse me?”
Rok Soo’s eyes widened. He tilts his head a little in confusion.
“Who am I?”
Cale repeats once again. Rok Soo is speechless. From all of the things to ask, Rok Soo doesn’t expect Cale to ask him that.
‘Who are you?’
So many people asked that question to Rok Soo in Cale’s body.
But to hear the original Cale ask that question is really baffling.
“You are… the original Cale Henituse.”
It feels bitter to say that from his own mouth, it makes Rok Soo feel like he is the fake Cale Henituse.
Cale Henituse chuckles a little, he looks amused. Maybe saying ‘original’ is rather ridiculous. But his eyes say that Rok Soo misses the point. It makes the older man feel iffy to see the young man sneer at him.
“Who is the original Cale Henituse?”
Rok Soo is silent for a while.
“You have spent two years in my body. Don’t you know who I am?”
Those questions feel like stabbing Rok Soo. He never bothers to find out more about the original body owner because he thinks that is irrelevant with him.
Just a little bit of information from the novel and people around him feels enough for Rok Soo.
That is really rude for Cale, but that's how Kim Rok Soo is.
“Cale Henituse. The first son of the Count Henituse family. Also known as the ‘trash’ of the Count Henituse family.”
That’s it.
Cale looks like he is about to laugh out loud but he holds it in and sips more wine.
For some annoying reason, it feels like Cale is toying with him. But, the older man thinks he owes Cale at least this much. So, Rok Soo continues.
“You are lazy. You have a temper. You have a problem with drinking. You tend to throw bottles at other people. You have bad manners.”
Rok Soo stops for a while, before he continues.
“But, you never harm anyone else.”
That makes the smile on Cale’s face disappear.
“Hoo.”
He sounds amused.
Rok Soo huffs. He knows that much. Many people used to fear Cale because of his temper, but to be honest no one ever said Cale ever harmed anyone before.
Rok Soo knows worse trash than Cale, it is almost weird to call this young man trash. Besides lazing around and his alcohol problem, the original Cale isn’t that much of a troublemaker.
“Is that it? Do you know more about me, old man?”
Rok Soo frowns to hear this young man called him ‘old man’, but he doesn’t retort back.
Rok Soo chooses to observe the original Cale in front him more thoroughly. He wonders if he can record anything inside a dream, nonetheless he looks Cale closer than before.
Those brown eyes, they look sharp like typical villain eyes. But they also look tired and hollow. Most of his arrogant smiles don’t reach his eyes.
That is weird, to see no anger inside his eyes.
This young man hasn’t thrown any fit or tantrum yet.
He should be angry or at least, annoyed toward Rok Soo.
Basically Rok Soo just steals his body, living his life, hindering him from even spending time with his family. Even though it isn’t Rok Soo’s fault, Cale still has the right to get angry.
But, rather than doing that, Cale is testing him.
“Your alcohol problem.”
Rok Soo stops then eyes Cale for a minute. He wonders if he should say it. He heard this information from the servants a long time ago.
“Some people said your alcohol problem is similar to the late countess's potion problem.”
Potion problem is similar to drug addiction on Earth. No matter how potent a healing potion is, there is a dosage to consume it. Keep consuming potions without proper control might result in potion overdose. Rather than healing, the body will develop a dangerous internal disease.
Some resulted in death.
Just like the late countess.
It is a taboo topic in Henituse territory, but some servants talked about how similar the mother and the son.
Both of them are addicted to something that could result in long term internal disease.
“Potion problem, or potion addiction, I never really look into the late countess’s death. But, I would say there must be a reason why the late countess had a potion addiction.”
Rok Soo looks at Cale’s stoic face. Rok Soo doesn’t like to talk bad about a deceased person, especially when they weren’t his enemy, but he needs to talk about it because it is connected to Cale.
“Most likely, the reason why the late countess had such a problem is because… some chronic pain or some mental disease that couldn’t be cured with any potion or healing power.”
The expression on Cale’s face is unreadable, but his fist turns white.
‘This punk can hold his temper after all.’
Cale keeps beating his expectation than what Rok Soo hears about him.
“Since you have an alcohol problem, I almost want to say that your reason might be the same.”
“Almost?”
That is what Rok Soo doesn’t understand about his hypothesis.
Rok Soo shrugs his shoulders. He thinks there must be some correlation, but Rok Soo isn’t really sure because he never bothers to find out about it. It could be that Cale has different reasons that lead him to develop an alcohol problem at such a young age.
“If you have a disease or some chronic pain, I should know about it by now.”
But Rok Soo feels fine inside Cale’s body. Beside his pale, thin and feeble body of Cale, Rok Soo thinks Cale is still fall into a healthy category.
‘Though, I messed up his body so much that I can understand if he is angry about it.’
“I see, it is good at least you still have some kind of interest toward me. Since you handle my body so badly, I thought you are an ignorant bastard.”
“What-”
“Do you want to deny it, old man?”
“...no.”
Rok Soo can’t deny it. But, beside looking slightly annoyed, Cale doesn’t get angry.
“Does that answer your question?”
Rok Soo asks back.
Cale is silent for a while then he sips his wine again.
“About ‘who am I’? By far, not at all. You are getting there, but still so far away.”
Rok Soo huffs. It doesn’t like he can ask people around him about the original Cale after all. So, it should be understandable he doesn’t know much about him. Rok Soo feels annoyed to do this test, but he reminds himself again. He owes Cale much.
He treats his body so badly, he steals his life, and Rok Soo doesn’t have any intention to give back the body back to Cale, at least not now.
So, Rok Soo pushes down his annoyance and decides to keep playing along.
“Who am I? If you ask that question, then it should mean you have something hidden in your identity.”
That is what Rok Soo thinks. The unknown secret of the original Cale Henituse, that is the real question.
“Give me a hint.”
Rok Soo shows him a grin.
Cale grins back at him.
“Okay, I will give you a hint. Dream.”
Rok Soo is silent for a while, thinking hard about that word.
Dream.
This is also a dream.
‘Is the answer inside this dream? No? Then---’
“I never dream, besides dreaming the past, ever since I possess your body.”
That is what Rok Soo realizes when he steps into this dream. Besides dreaming of his past, he never dreams anything else inside Cale’s body. That isn’t a problem so he never questions it before, but Rok Soo guesses, that isn’t normal.
“Is it you?”
‘He can control my dream?’
Rok Soo is bewildered with his own guessing.
Cale rubs his lip a few times before he finally nods.
“You are right about that.”
That shocks Rok Soo.
“Then, can you guess, who am I? Or… should I say, what am I?”
“Someone who can control dreams?”
Cale finally laughs, Rok Soo is speechless to see that. But that laughing isn’t a happy laugh. That is Cale laughing at him for being ridiculous.
Rok Soo frowns then thinks again.
‘The alcohol problem… chronic pain… some power related to dreams…’
“Dream seer?”
That stops the laughing completely. Suddenly there is a heavy silence between them.
‘I am right.’
“Haaaaa…”
But it also makes Rok Soo sigh.
‘So, Cale Henituse is actually a dream seer?’
Someone who can see the future through dreams?
Rok Soo remembers a small part from the novel that only explains briefly about Dream Seer.
‘Even though it is a world filled with magic, all sort of divination is fake but one. No one can see the future beside Dream Seer.’
Not even the World Tree can see the future, they can only read the natures and know the past.
“You are so damn smart, though it gets you too long to guess that.”
Rok Soo huffs. Now, he can’t help to see Cale in a different light. So, after all, like he guesses, Cale Henituse isn’t just a trash. That secret, a dream seer, probably no one knows that he has.
Still, to think that the original Cale is actually a Dream Seer.
Rok Soo can feel he just gets another baggage again unexpectedly.
But now, Rok Soo has so many questions for Cale now.
“It is my turn to ask. Do you know why I end up in your body?”
That is the question that he has been wondering but has no idea to whom he should ask.
But, it seems Cale decides to ignore his question. He gets up from his chair and approaches a mini bar table beside the window. He takes a new glass and pour it with stronger alcohol.
“Do you know what kind of futures I saw?”
Rok Soo feels annoyed that this kid ignores his question so he keeps silent.
“Before you came, you weren't part of any futures. Can you guess what kind of futures I saw?”
Cale sits back on his chair again, now with a glass of stronger alcohol.
Finally, Rok Soo answers.
“War, death, despair.”
That is what happens in the novel The Birth of A Hero.
Cale nods. “Right, those are what I saw.”
His eyes look too deep and sad for a kid like him. Now, Rok Soo can understand why. Cale opens his mouth again and his expression looks more serious.
“Let’s stop playing questions since it is getting boring.”
“Excuse me!? You are the one-”
“My mother, the late countess…”
Rok Soo huffs in annoyance, the original Cale isn’t so different from him. This kid just brushes him aside, not caring about what Rok Soo wants to say. Rok Soo finds it hard to deal with someone so similar to him like this.
“My mother said I have such bad futures. No one else knows this, not even father but… she lost her mind trying to find a way to get a happy future for me.”
Rok Soo can see how serious Cale looks. He wonders if he makes the same face when he is serious.
“Dream seers aren't as omnipotent as people believe them to be. We can see futures from dreams, glimpses of them, many of them, but we can’t control what we see.”
Cale takes a big gulp from the glass. Rok Soo wonders if this kid can get drunk inside of a dream.
“And future never determines only in one path. It doesn’t like the future is written in one manual book that you can follow because you know what will happen.”
That almost chokes Rok Soo in his own spit. He wonders if Cale knows about the novel, but those words are like stabbing Rok Soo’s chest.
“If you try to change the future, it will never go as you want it to be. It isn’t easy. You will suffer, for sure.”
Cale frowns slightly and his eyes glare at Rok Soo.
Rok Soo wonders if Cale is talking about him, probably yes.
“Do you know why I acted like trash?”
“I thought you are done playing questions?”
Cale huffs in annoyance and Rok Soo grins back at him. The young man leans on the chair and stares to the ceiling with disturbingly empty eyes.
“Cause I saw everyone around me die. Acting like trash and pushing everyone away were the best thing I could do to protect them.”
As expected, Rok Soo has guessed that since long ago. He knows Cale should have some reason to act like that. Because the guy in front of him isn't trash at all.
“Like my mother, I tried so hard to find a way so me and people around me can have happy futures.”
Cale looks bitter. His hand reaches the worn out journal on the table. He caresses the journal on top of the table. Rok Soo feels familiar with that journal, it seems he has seen many of its in the bookcase in Cale’s room.
“But I couldn’t find a way… no matter how I tried to find it. The territory would get destroyed because of war, then father… Basen, Lily…”
Cale’s fist is getting white again. Rok Soo feels a pity for Cale. To think, someone as young as him, to know all the grim futures but know nothing how to change it. Based on his words, it seems this kid has been trying to find a way to change the future ever since his mother’s death.
“But well, the futures start to change, because of you.”
Rok Soo frowns a little at Cale. Cale sees him with an unreadable expression.
“Is it you? Who calls me here?”
Cale sneers at him.
“Do you think I have that kind of power? I even need to keep drinking to stop myself from drowning in dreams and headache, you bastard.”
‘Of course it isn’t him.’
Rok Soo sighs.
‘But Cale was desperate as well, to change the future. It could be the reason why.’
“Well, it isn’t me. But, if you means about the deal, I accepted it.”
Rok Soo raises his head in shock and looks at Cale. The young man shrugs his shoulders.
“I can’t tell you who. But, yeah I accepted the deal.”
“So that I possess your body?”
“Right.”
That makes Rok Soo feel iffy.
It feels wrong. To see such a young man, barely an adult, accept a deal so someone can possess his body and steal his life. Rok Soo opens his mouth.
“You are such a moron.”
“Same as you, bastard”
Rok Soo glares at Cale but then Cale slowly smiles at him. Again, a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.
“You might won’t understand. You might think this deal is so unfair for me.”
There is nothing for Cale to gain from Rok Soo possessing his body. He basically lost everything. It makes Rok Soo angry at whoever makes the young man accept that kind of scheme.
“But, this is the best I can do-”
“What a bullshit!”
Cale looks surprised to see Rok Soo angry.
“And that comes from someone who keeps sacrificing his body to protect others?”
“I’m an adult, I can do that. Wait, who said I sacrifice-”
“Excuse me old man, don’t be such a hypocrite. And the one who you sacrifice is my body.”
That shut up Rok Soo and Cale looks satisfied.
“I talk about this not because I want you to understand my choice.”
Cale never bothers to show up at all until now, Rok Soo knows that.
“It is just…”
Cale opens his fist then opens it again.
“As expected, changing futures is really hard. You need to suffer, a lot.”
Rok Soo can see some regret in Cale’s eyes. But Rok Soo knows where that regret is directed at.
“I’m fin-”
“You aren’t fine, old man.”
Rok Soo shuts his mouth again.
“I might not be able to see and hear everything, but I’m still inside your body you know.”
Rok Soo sighs and pinches his temple. It seems the original Cale is also good at arguing and doesn’t hold back at him.
“So, what I want to say is… futures are changing. It is hard, but you are getting there.”
Rok Soo nods, he knows that already. He works his ass a lot to get his slacker life. But now somehow he feels rather frustrated toward this kid in front of him.
“And please remember that this is my body.”
Rok Soo frowns at the kid, now his smile looks arrogant.
“You won’t know when I will ask it back.”
“Ha!”
Rok Soo wants to laugh. He can’t believe it. Because he knows that Cale doesn’t mean that. He knows that this young man has totally given up his body to him. The way that he doesn’t get angry with whatever Rok Soo is doing to his body, not even he questions his decisions.
The way that those brown eyes look like he has seen hell in the future.
The way that he acted like trash to protect everyone.
The way that that journal is so worn out and the papers are falling apart.
The way that Cale accepts the ‘deal’.
Rok Soo is angry.
But he isn’t angry at Cale.
‘This is so unfair for him.’
That is what Rok Soo thoughts.
“But you are still there right? You are still alive inside me?”
“….yes. I blocked the future dreams, so that you don’t see them. You have enough on your plate, they will just drive you insane, old man.”
“Ha!”
Rok Soo wants to laugh again.
Why is this kid so similar to him till it hurts?
“Then you should help me.”
Rok Soo shows his villain smile. Cale looks confused.
“Why do you let me do all the work when you are also here? You damn bastard.”
Cale looks speechless before slowly grinning.
“You want to add the headache and the chance of getting crazy to my already chaotic body?”
But different from the question, Cale looks happy. Still, what he just said is so disturbing.
“So what? I’m used to getting migraines and sleepless nights.”
Rok Soo is brushing that aside. His ancient powers have bigger side effect than Cale’s Dream Seer power.
Cale laughs before adding more.
“I also get nosebleeds, my head is splitting and I pass out if I try too hard to decipher the dreams, are you sure?”
Rok Soo blinks and frowns toward the smiling Cale.
“Then don’t try too hard you bastard.”
“Same as you. Why can't I do that? It is my body.”
‘Aigoo, maybe it isn’t such a good idea to ask for this boy’s help.’
And knowing futures might also confuse the hell out of Rok Soo.
But…
‘I can’t just leave him alone.’
“Okay, okay. I promise to take care of your body better. So, you need to take care of yourself better too, since I need your help.”
Cale looks satisfied.
“Okay then, deal.”
Rok Soo starts to wonder if he just got schemed by this kid. Maybe Cale’s deal with some unknown being, though Rok Soo can suspect who, isn’t that unfair for him after all. This kid is good at talking. Nonetheless, Rok Soo just nods.
That is enough for now.
He notices the environment around him starts to disappear.
He looks at the disappearing Cale smiling at him. For the first time, his smile finally reaches his eyes.
‘Thank you, old man.’
‘Thank you, for trying so hard to change the future.’
“Damn bastard.”
Rok Soo can’t hide his smile. The original Cale is such a good person actually. It feels strange to have this kind of kid reside inside his body, but Rok Soo can’t do anything about it.
He hears Cale talk again with an amused tone.
‘Oh yeah, I will never tell you whether you get your slacker life or not. Better find out by yourself, no spoiler.’
“WHAT--- YOU---”
‘HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!’
Rok Soo is frowning so hard to hear that happy and loud laughing. His lips start to twitch but he holds down his smile.
‘Gosh, I just got another baggage now, don’t I?’
But eventually one side of his lips are going up, contrary to what he thinks. Rok Soo guesses, the original Cale isn’t so bad after all. He isn’t just any trash.
And he finally manages to see the true face of this trash.
Rok Soo can’t hide his smile.
To be continued