Chapter Text
[TEMPLE OF THE STARS]
It was noisy... too noisy, the usual vacant and quiet temple is too noisy
Pisces walked through the Hallways with his usual stoic face, his footsteps creating a hurried Metallic sound warning everyone to get out of his way. Because of the Head Circle's Persistent inviting he had no choice but to go, he was not really in a good mood today…he's pissed off and crabby, he didn't have a Goodnight Sleep at all because of the Loaded Paper works and constant battles with the anomalies that kept popping in out of nowhere, poor Hydra his back needed a good massage after helping him with works along with Hydrus, the Pale Knight was trying to balance himself by leaning in the wall just to get to his room, added to the Knight's Misfortune he fell from the stairs and had to be carried back to his room. As he gets to the Meeting room he was met with the Golden Stars and other Divine Stars. Head of the Divine Stars Ophiuchus smiled on his arrival.
"Good to see you attending the Meeting Personally and not Hydra." Ophiuchus smiled.
"Hydra is currently in his room groaning from Backaches because of the overloaded work passed on me, has this Stars of Yours slacking off?" Pisces asked sharply.
"Be careful with your words." One of the Gemini Twins snarled.
Pisces glared at the Dark face of Gemini.
"You're not the one I asked to answer Barbarian." He huffed.
"Why you!" The Dark face of Gemini growled and was about to storm towards the Finned Star.
Leo the Lion Divine Star stepped in.
"Dark, enough…" He said Glaring at his fellow Divine Star.
Pisces was holding what seems to be a Black Rose which the Divine Stars and Golden Stars recognized as one of Pisces' deadly weapons, the other Golden Stars were quite uneasy of the situation none of them had seen the Finned Star in real combat, if the two starts fighting now one of them would lose his head.
"Enough…" Ophiuchus's voice was full of Authority. "Dark sit down, and Pisces please put away your Rose."
Pisces huffed and took his seat just across from the Head of tbe Divine Stars. As both Faction are seated the Meeting had started.
“Alright, Let’s begin the Meeting. Our Agenda is about the Restoration of the World.” Ophiuchus began.
“I can’t believe that this Chaos is caused by those damned Ruler... What was his name again?" Taurus the Divine Knight of Bull asked.
“Brightest Fragment, Leader of the Rulers, Sibling of the Greatest Fragment, Ashborn. The Slayer of his own Creator.” Pisces supplied flatly.
Every Stars aside from Ophiuchus stared at him incredulously like he had grown a Second Head.
“What the Fuck? How’d you know that guy as deep as that?” Cancer the Divine Star of Crab asked.
“Lover of Yours?” Scorpio teased which earned a glare that promised pain from the Divine Star of Fish.
“I’m not interested on that Being that Kills his own Creator...” Pisces shots back.
“So Godslayer is not Your Type Huh?” Capricorn chuckled.
“I’m not interested on having any relationship with anyone...” Pisces said flatly showing his disgust at the thought at having a relationship with the Leader of the Rulers. “And if I ever have any relationship I'd rather have a relationship with a Human than any other beings out there... and can we Focus back on the Main Topic instead of my Personal Life or my Love Life?”
Everyone chuckled and went on with the Topic of World Restoration and how to get rid of the mess the Rulers had made.
“We have to help the Humans First, as they are Powerless. They are not like us as we have Abilities.” Aries stated as he look at his paper.
“I already closed the Several of the of the Black Rifts, the rest is up to the Lower and Mid Ranked Stars. I also Secured the Communication and Teleportation Lines, my Subordinates are already Occupying-” Pisces stated not even looking at his Paperwork, though he was cut off when one of his Subordinates from the Patrol Group came in.
"Sir! An abnormal Rift opened in the West Horse Nebula." said the frightened Starling.
Pisces groaned in annoyance and Ophiuchus could only look at the Divine Star of Fish in Pity then said to the Starling Lepus
"Tell Silver Star Aquila to deal on this matter, tell Corvus, Lacerta and Ara to go with her... Pisces will have an important meeting with me."
The Rabbit Starling nodded and ran to where the Silver Stars would be lounging.
The rest of the Meeting went without any problems as everyone is in agreement. One by One the Golden and Divine Stars left the Room-
"Pisces... Come With me to the Moon Temple " Said Ophiuchus as he walks out the door.
Without questioning Ophiuchus' Words Pisces followed, it's been awhile since he set foot in the Moon Temple, the reason he stopped going to the Moon Temple is because of the incident that took the life of the Previous Lord of the Stars. the walk to the Temple is quiet, the Moon Temple is left untouched by anyone as no one is allowed to enter the place aside from chosen few... and Pisces is among those who often visiting the Moon Temple to accompany the Lord of the Stars.
once they reached the Altar of the Moon Temple, there stood an Empty Throne. Pisces' heart stung at the once Occupied Throne and now no one is there.
"Pisces..." Ophiuchus called out gaining the attention of the Fish Divine Star. "What happened to the Star Lord is not your fault, his Majesty knew that he will die and doesn't want you to get involved."
"... I shouldn't have left him..." Pisces could only look away he resented himself for failing his task to protect his Lord and Blamed the Rulers for all the appearance of the anomalies that's trying to attack the world. He had lots of problems stacking in his plate that needed to be done.
Life as a Human is hard, but life as a Divinity is Harsh and Lonely. whatever life he has there in Earth has long passed, he wasn't able to say goodbye to the only person that mattered to him when he was once Human and now here he is living the life of a Star whose purpose is to protect Earth from the anomalous beings that tried to destroy it.
"Pisces... are you listening?" Ophiuchus said looking at the other Divine Star, though he knows what the younger was thinking. 'It's Probably better to send him back Down there and let him have his life. a life that was taken from him at a tender age. His life as Sung Iseul... Maybe his wounded heart and pride would heal if he could be of help to our Lord whose Soul has reincarnated as a Mortal.'
The Older Star looked back at the confused Divine Star.
"Pisces... I want you to do an important task for our Lord." He said looking at the Divine Star of Fish.
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[SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA]
A sudden dungeon break erupted, no one had expected it to happen nor expected a dungeon to even appear and break just as it appeared... panicked screams could be heard everywhere as desolation starts to tear in every Corner of the City. Hunters who were in the Vicinity began fighting these otherworldly creatures that they've never seen before...
The fight with these otherworldly Monsters dragged on for days on end... Where was Sung Jin-Woo? Where was the Guardian Hunter of South Korea?
The skies takes on the colour of the Bloody red Sun sets... the fight still wages on as the Hunters Fight and evacuate as much people as they could and hoped their prayer for salvation reaches the One who once protected South Korea...
in the midst of chaos and destruction, there lying in his own pool of Blood was the Chief Inspector of Hunters Association, Woo Jin-Chul. He did everything he could to help the hunters and the people as much as his torn up body can... but he didn't expect that the Monsters that came out of the Black Gate is much stronger than he expected. He was drowning in his own blood, one of his ribs punctured his lung and the gash on his back is bleeding badly.
Everything Hurts... He wants to sleep the Pain off...
"Jin-Chul!!"
The familiar voice of his adoptive father, Chairman Go Gunhee called in the distance...
He tried to answer back but his voice is failing him... he's dying...
"J̶̡́I̶̟͑N̸̖̍-̴̻͌Ć̶̭H̷̹͠Ǔ̶ͅL̶̪͗!̵̣̎!̵̭̒!̸̜̓"
All he could do is whimper and looked up at the darkening skies... He could see a Lone Bright Star... He felt Lonely... He wants to Live... He wants to see the Stars a Little Longer... He wants to See Jin-Woo again...
"M҉y҉ ҉L҉o҉r҉d҉.҉.҉.҉" An Unknown Language spoken by the Ghostly voice called out from the Unknown, he doesn't know who it was but it felt Familiar.
He closed his eyes unknowingly not seeing the Man he had waited for so long and barely heard the desperate cry of his name.
"J̴͖͋͑I̵̖̽N̵̥̉-̷͙̻̃͛C̸̨̻̃Ḧ̴̭̬́U̴̜̔̀L̵̳̓!̶̠͛"
'Jin-Woo...'
He can only answer back in his thoughts and he sank into the embrace of darkness and silence-
"M҉y҉ ҉D҉e҉a҉r҉ ҉L҉o҉r҉d҉.҉.҉.҉" That same Unknown yet Familiar Voice called again.
He opened his eyes only to see on what it looks like a Luxurious Room...
"M҉y҉ ҉L҉o҉r҉d҉,҉ ҉a҉r҉e҉ ҉y҉o҉u҉ ҉u҉n҉w҉e҉l҉l҉?҉ ҉Y҉o҉u҉'҉v҉e҉ ҉b҉e҉e҉n҉ ҉s҉t҉a҉r҉i҉n҉g҉ ҉i҉n҉ ҉t҉h҉e҉ ҉d҉i҉s҉t҉a҉n҉c҉e҉ ҉f҉o҉r҉ ҉s҉o҉m҉e҉ ҉t҉i҉m҉e҉ ҉n҉o҉w҉.҉" A voice from behind him calls out.
He turned only to see an armoured man kneeling before him, his heart skipped a beat... What is this?! Who is this man? and what is he wearing?
"M҉y҉ ҉L҉o҉r҉d҉,҉ ҉y҉o҉u҉ ҉s҉h҉o҉u҉l҉d҉ ҉t҉a҉k҉e҉ ҉a҉ ҉r҉e҉s҉t҉.҉.҉.҉ ҉I҉'҉l҉l҉ ҉r҉e҉p҉o҉r҉t҉ ҉t҉o҉ ҉y҉o҉u҉ ҉a҉g҉a҉i҉n҉ ҉t҉o҉m҉o҉r҉r҉o҉w҉ ҉w҉h҉e҉n҉ ҉y҉o҉u҉ ҉a҉r҉e҉ ҉r҉e҉s҉t҉e҉d҉ ҉e҉n҉o҉u҉g҉h҉.҉" Said the Unknown man as he stood up from his kneeling and walks towards the door.
Now that he paid much attention, this Unknown man sounds the same as-
"J҉i҉n҉-҉W҉o҉o҉?҉" He called out.
The Unknown Man paused by the edge of the door and said
"T҉h҉a҉t҉'҉s҉ ҉n҉o҉t҉ ҉m҉y҉ ҉n҉a҉m҉e҉,҉ ҉M҉y҉ ҉L҉o҉r҉d҉.҉.҉.҉ ҉c҉l҉e҉a҉r҉l҉y҉ ҉t҉h҉a҉t҉ ҉y҉o҉u҉ ҉d҉o҉n҉'҉t҉ ҉r҉e҉c҉o҉g҉n҉i҉z҉e҉ ҉m҉e҉ ҉i҉t҉'҉s҉ ҉a҉ ҉t҉e҉l҉l҉t҉a҉l҉e҉ ҉t҉h҉a҉t҉ ҉y҉o҉u҉ ҉a҉r҉e҉ ҉u҉n҉w҉e҉l҉l҉,҉ ҉P҉l҉e҉a҉s҉e҉ ҉r҉e҉s҉t҉ ҉n҉o҉w҉.҉" said the Unknown Man and left the room.
He could only stood there fir a long while. he felt lonely, he looks around the room then to the window, the glass of the Window showed his reflection and to his surprise, whoever this Lord was that the Unknown Man was calling has the same face as him, his hair is a lot longer down to his Mid-thigh... there is nothing different aside for the long hair and the clothes he wear...
Who was he?
He don't Understand!
What's going on?
He fell on his knees to the floor as he clutched his head. He wanted to scream but he couldn't... his other hand clutched his chest to where his aching heart is beating painfully. Tears streams down his face as he looked up at the starry night skies, he could see the stars so clearly and could see the meteor rains in the night skies as if the night itself is crying with him in a form of a Meteor Shower.
Then he felt faint... as if something was tugging on his consciousness, he closed his eyes and let himself fall...
【Completion requirements for the ‘Secret Quest: the Death and Rebirth of a Star’ has been met.】
A Secret Quest? Completion requirements were met? He couldn’t understand any of that.‘No, hang on a minute. Besides all that, where did that voice come from?’
"Who are you?! show yourself!" He called out.
And the next thing he knew is that he's standing in what it looks like an Underwater Palace Throne Room and there right before him.... is a Giant Golden Koi Fish?
The said fish was looking down at him and just by the look of it's shining eyes it's happy to see him? Okay that's weird.
【Greetings! You have acquired the rights to become a Player. Will you accept?】
He had acquired a right? Accept what, exactly? ‘Sounds like he'll be given something….’he grew up dirt poor since his childhood, so he had never refused freebies until now. However, that was a story for when he was still alive. What use was there for free stuff when he was dead? When he hesitated and didn’t answer, the Giant Golden Koi Fish in front of him asked again as if to urge him on.
【There is nothing to fear, Your heart may have stopped in the Mortal Plain, but you are not dead...】
What? He's not dead? he was choking and bathed in his own blood! How was he not dead?!
【Though we can't play with Fate, Fate can Play with us and you are one of the Lucky ones. Will You accept Your Right as a Player?】
There are so many things in his mind riggt now and yet it all returned to the one he loved the most... Jin-Woo...
"If I accept... Will I ever see him again?" He asked.
The Giant Golden Koi Fish swam towards him and said
【That is within your rights if you are willing to accept... all your injuries will be healed and your dying Heart will beat once more.】
A Blue Screen appeared before him with the same Question
【You have acquired the rights to become a Player. Will you accept?
Yes / No】
If he accepts this offer he'll live once more and he'll be able to be with his family again... He'll see Jin-Woo again. so he raised his hand and Pressed-
【You have acquired the rights to become a Player. Will you accept?
Yes / No】
The Giant Golden Koi Fish began to glow brightly and swam up
【Congratulations on becoming a ‘Player’】
And a bright light swallowed him, the next thing he knew is hearing the constant beeping of a heart monitor. He opened his eyes slowly to adjust at the new light...
he looked out the window and saw the first ray of the sun peeking through the cloudy morning skies...
And that's where he knew
He's Alive...
To Be Continued