Lost Faith

Chapter 8

⚠️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.