𝐷𝑒́𝑝𝑎𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡「LCF x MDZS」

Chapter 8 - 『The Painter Who Held The Brush』

"He is such an interesting human."

Cale just looks apathetically at the God of Death who was busy scribbling something in his stack of papers.

"I meant Wei Ying."

Cale frowns at the simple name he heard.

"What did you do now?"

As if guilty, the God of Death shrugged the minute Cale asked his question, "I just conversed with him, nothing much."

The redhead just sighs, seemingly used to whatever nonsense the God was doing.

"...How are they doing?" Cale asks reluctantly.

The scritching of a quill pen came to a stop, a pair of dark eyes slowly looking at him with an unreadable look.

"They're...doing alright."

A small smile quirked on the redhead's lips.

"I see."

The God of Death sees the longing look in Cale's face once again.

"Do you want to see them?"

It was a harmless question, but Cale flinched nonetheless before shaking his head.

"I'd rather not. If they're doing alright, then I'm not in the position to see them."

It was because Cale might break if he sees his family living their lives without him.

The guilt continues to pile, a melancholic look evident on the God's face.

"You were like a small dot in a white canvas, full of opportunities to be made into a masterpiece with the right brush strokes."

Cale looks at the God, another sigh coming out of him once again.

"I'm sorry that I was the one who held the handle and painted your fate."

The redhead just snorts before looking at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the God of Death's office.

"So you were the one who told me those lines."

It's the God's turn to snort, "No, it was just an imitation of the original. Rather, you were the one who said that to one of your family."

"What?"

The God hums as he started writing again.

"It was just a glimpse, but I heard your voice clearly say those words to someone."

The God didn't say about how hoarse that voice is, like it was on the verge of crying out what he had bottled inside for the years that he had lived.

The words Cale had uttered back then was much harsher.

"I'm sorry I was the one who dictated you on how to live your life. I'm sorry I ruined the life you should've had without me in it."

It was painful to hear, even for a God like him.

"I see...it must be connected to the reason why I can't remember how I died."

The God clenched his jaw as he looked at the redhead child in front of him once again.

"Wouldn't it be safer if you don't remember at all? Maybe there was a reason you forgot your death that even me as the God who governs eternal rest don't have any records of your demise."

Cale looks.

"I guess..."

Cale hums, but the God is sure that the redhead won't heed him.

"You should wake up now. Wei Ying will be there to greet you."

The God of Death stands up as he went closer to Cale and patted his head.

"I'm really glad that you found a place, Wei Xun."

That's right. He no longer bore the name Kim Rok Soo nor Cale Henituse. He's Wei Xun now, courtesy name, Wei Xianghuan.

But the redhead wasn't sure if he's ready to give up those identities, maybe in the future he will. But right now? He just can't.

When Cale opened his eyes, he could see Wei Ying blarily looking at him, the yells from Jiang Cheng deafening his already ringing ears as he groaned in annoyance.

"Shijie! He's awake! Gege!"

"A-Cheng, lower your voice. A-Xun is also a patient."

Cale just grunted in agreement, his joints stiff from sleeping beside Wei Ying's bed.

"You're finally awake." He says rather coldly than intended, making Wei Ying blink profusely as if remembering something.

"Ah...you're mad."

Cale frowns, "So you do know I'm mad."

"He did...say that you'll be mad..." Wei Ying whispers, in which Cale had heard it loud and clear.

"He?"

Though Cale asked, he already had an interesting thought on who that 'He' is.

'That sonuvabich of a Godㅡ'

"Then, can I be mad too?" Jiang Yanli asks with a smile, but it was a sinister look from the perspective of the three boys.

"Shijㅡ"

Cale winced out loud when Yanli wiped his nose harshly, his eyes tearing up from the pain.

"You're still bleeding after five days, A-Xun. Why don't you rest in your bed, hmm?"

"Of course, gladly..." Cale says as he started to move towards his bed like a corpse who had already undergone its rigor mortis.

Wei Ying just looks in confusion, finally realizing how pale his gege is and how the blood continued to trickle down from his nose.

"What happened?" He asks, worried.

"Shit happened." Jiang Cheng rhetorically says, which earned a stare from Yanli making the two flinch.

Jiang Cheng then leans in, "Long story short. After committing the act of your hero complex, I ran to gege and told all your dumb acts. Gege stormed in angrily and healed you, making him overuse his golden core and made him bleed from eyes, nose, ears, and lips."

Wei Ying choked from his dry throat, making him let out a shrill yell.

"He what?!"

Jiang Cheng just frowns, "Bleed. After he woke up yesterday, the physician started visiting saying that gege has the talent to become a healer."

"Please tell me you didn't agree to it."

Jiang Cheng just scoffed, "Of course we didn't. If healing someone turns him into a bleeding mess like he did back then, I'd rather just strangle the patient he's healing."

Wei Ying just let out a relieved sigh. And Cale who was listening once again to their gossiping, couldn't help but shudder at how brutal their way of thinking is.

Cale sits up from his bed and tried to pour himself a glass of water, but Yanli beaten him to it.

"Wei Xianghuan, lay down on your bed. You too, Wei Wuxian. Stop talking with A-Cheng."

The three just shivered at how scary their shijie is.

A pair of dark eyes slowly turned into crescents, a relieved smile etched on his face.

"I'm really, really glad that you found your place within them."

The God of Death then looks at the paper he's holding, his decision becoming more firm.

"I guess it's time."

The letter then crumbled to dust, slowly scattering through the winds as the former God let out a sigh.

"Let it be known that the God of Death is relieving himself of his position. Choi Jung Gun will be the next to govern the realm of eternal rest."