“We are beings born from human belief, whose existence gains meaning through oral tradition passed down across generations.”
Apollo swept back his flowing golden hair as he spoke.
“I don’t know exactly how something like you managed to become a Constellation, but it’s probably because of the knowledge you possess. About the cause of the ‘Destruction.’”
I didn’t respond. I focused on catching my breath. The inside of my mouth reeked of blood, and my stomach churned. I clawed at the floor with my fingernails, the pain dulling slightly as I clenched my fists so tightly I thought my nails might snap.
“So what?”
“Can’t you understand? I’m offering my cooperation—willingly. But your tone’s gotten pretty damn rude. Were you always like this?”
I forced down another breath. Straightening my slumped upper body, I looked down at the doll-like figure that resembled Apollo. The doll’s face twisted in anger, and the crooked stitch lines looked almost laughable.
“Look. You just said it yourself—that I probably became a Constellation because I’m the only one who knows the reason for the ‘Destruction,’ right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then what do you think would happen if more people found out about it? If all the Constellations learned the cause of the world’s destruction? If the one and only reason I became a Constellation disappeared?”
I’m the only one in the world who knows how and why the world is doomed. And it’s that knowledge that made me a Constellation. If I ever revealed it to someone else, that justification would vanish. No one could predict what might happen then. Hell, I might drop dead the moment the words leave my lips.
The Constellation, One More Dazzling Than the Sun, said nothing. He just blinked slowly and stared up at me.
So he already knows the answer. And still, he pushes me to confess.
“Are you saying your existence is more important than the destruction of this world?”
“Yes.”
I answered without hesitation.
“I matter to me.”
Staggering to my feet, I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand and glared at the invisible wall before me. The wall Apollo had torn through was slowly regenerating, piece by piece.
My stomach finally began to settle. I understood now—this place was called the Sanctuary of the Soul for a reason.
Just as Apollo said, this small room reflected the size of my soul.
“Hey!”
I ignored Apollo’s shout and walked into the bathroom, wiping my mouth at the sink. The sensation of coughing up blood was unbearable—sickening.
Apollo followed me inside, still talking. I picked up the damp doll with my wet hand and stared at the fully restored wall.
A single thought gripped me—I needed to see Baek Tae-beom right now.
[According to your will, a real-time streaming service of your Contractor will now commence.]
Baek Tae-beom’s face filled the wall. Running a hand roughly through his pale, disheveled hair, he looked like he was packing something. When I saw him placing a few dolls into a bag, I realized he was heading to the hospital.
Come to think of it, the bed had been covered in dolls, too. The original plot came back to me belatedly.
[Baek Tae-beom used to visit his younger sibling in the hospital at least once a week. He always brought the child’s favorite doll. For the one who might open their eyes again and look back at him. The dolls he gathered over time had piled up so much that they overtook the entire bed.
But that was a story from the past. For the current Baek Tae-beom, such memories were a luxury. His beloved family member was already gone. He knew there was no way to return to the past…]
“That man is your Contractor?”
Somehow, Apollo had climbed out of my grip and perched on my shoulder, scoffing. Sheer mockery.
“No talent, slow as hell. If it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t have been chosen by anyone. No wonder your soul can’t grow properly with a Contractor like that.”
“Is he really that weak?”
“This isn’t about weak or strong. His entire presence just feels wrong. I can’t stand even being near him. Do you know how sickening it felt when he was near my own Contractor?”
“Sickening?”
Baek Tae-beom had finished packing and was stepping outside. His tall frame, bleached white hair, and golden eyes stood out even from a distance. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who noticed—everyone on the street turned to look as soon as he appeared. He didn’t seem aware of it, though.
But sickening?
I had never felt that way toward him before.
“It was revolting. Like being next to filthy garbage. Disgusting… I wanted to throw him straight into the flames.”
“Do you really think it’s okay for a god to judge a human like that?”
“God?”
Apollo let out a short laugh through his nose.
“We’re not gods. We’re Constellations. Just fragments of stars that linger in people’s memories.”
“But still…”
“Yes, you’re human. Which is why I want to ask even more—what are you really? And what is this story about the Destruction?”
Apollo tapped me lightly on the cheek, motioning for me to look his way. A stuffed doll with a surprisingly dignified expression stood on my shoulder, staring at me.
“If you’re too afraid of your own annihilation to speak, then just give me a hint. I’ll handle it myself. Eliminate the cause, and everything ends. Isn’t that right?”
The words hit me like a punch. My head buzzed. My lips moved, but no sound came out. Because Apollo was right.
Eliminate the cause.
That meant… if Baek Tae-beom were killed, everything might be resolved.
I had never considered that before. Even after realizing this world had become the setting of a novel, even after meeting the villain destined to destroy everything—I had never imagined such a possibility. I always assumed I had to stop the plot from unfolding.
But if the cause were removed, maybe everything would just… disappear. Even if the world didn’t return to normal, I could still live on as some decently ranked Constellation of an average Awakened. No more tailing Baek Tae-beom around in constant dread.
And yet…
I watched Baek Tae-beom’s profile on the subway. The sunset spilled gentle lines of light across him. It was beautiful—and still, it felt like he stood in the rain. My emotions surged—hot and overwhelming. Was it because I was his Constellation? Or because I knew he was just a character in a novel?
People can’t live without other people. For Baek Tae-beom, his younger sibling was everything. And beyond that, he believed in helping others. He burned with a sense of justice. He refused to do wrong, struggled to live rightly.
“…No. No, I’ll try to handle it myself. Just help me.”
“How arrogant.”
“Aren’t humans always arrogant?”
So then, haven’t the gods always punished humans for that? I asked. Apollo laughed, incredulous.
“Then I suppose I should punish you as well.”
“What—are you going to spit in my mouth? Or maybe shoot me with an arrow?”
Apollo had once killed Niobe’s fourteen children with his bow for insulting his mother, Leto. He gave Cassandra the gift of prophecy, only to curse her when rejected. A Constellation like him—it’d be surprising if he didn’t curse me.
Was there a rule against Constellations fighting each other?
“I’ll give you something worse than that.”
Pain flared from my fingertips—like being seared by fire. The sensation ran down my hand like a thread unraveling, writhing against my skin before settling into place.
It etched itself into my flesh like a tattoo—then vanished.
[You have acquired a new skill.]
[Skill: Hand of Sunlight]
[Allows you to fire arrows empowered by the sun’s light. The strength of the power depends on the abilities of the Constellation.]
[The Constellation, One Who Knows of Destruction, is synchronizing with the Holy Vessel.]
[Your personal channel on the Constellation Communication Net has been connected to One More Dazzling Than the Sun. You may now converse via the Constellation Communication Net anytime, anywhere.]
Startled by the flood of Message windows, I stepped back.
“What? Did you really think I’d punish you?”
“You said you would.”
This bastard’s bluffing now? I picked up the doll again. It struggled before glaring at me.
The way its oversized eyes blinked was kind of… cute.
“Constellations can’t fight each other. That’s the rule.”
So I’d guessed right. All that panic, wondering if he’d turn me into a pincushion—completely unnecessary.
“But.”
Apollo’s face turned blank. His voice flattened.
“Let me give you a prophecy.”
My chest tightened like a weight had dropped on it. I couldn’t breathe.
“My prophecies always come true, little Constellation.”
Apollo’s golden eyes gleamed—just like Baek Tae-beom’s.
“You will regret not telling me.”
