CHAPTER 219: INTERLUDE - REUNION (1)

“We’re going to... save Mr. Oh-Jin?” Isabella asked and gently bit her lip.

The mother demonic beast charging toward the rift flashed through her mind. What would it matter even if they went to rescue him now?

“Mr. Oh-Jin is... he’s already...”

“Oh-Jin isn’t dead.”

“H-How do you know that?!” Isabella shouted and shot up.

“I just do.”

“That’s not a reasonable answer.” Isabella clenched her fists tightly. “It should’ve been me that stayed behind, not Mr. Oh-Jin!”

The odds of surviving would’ve been slim even for her. How could he have made it?

Song Ha-Eun silently watched Isabella cry with tears dripping down her own cheeks. “Still, we have to go.”

They had to try as long as the faintest chance and hope existed.

“And if we don’t find him? What if we find Mr. Oh Jin... dead? Then what? What will you do then?!” Isabella cried out.

Right now, they could still hold on to the hope that maybe he had survived. However, that tiny thread of hope would disappear completely if they found him dead.

“What kind of question is that?” Song Ha-Eun asked with an indifferent expression. “I’ll follow him to death.”

She shrugged as if she couldn’t believe why Isabella asked such an obvious question.

“What?” Isabella stared at Song Ha-Eun with her mouth slightly agape.

She couldn’t fathom how Song Ha-Eun could say such things with a straight face. Song Ha-Eun would die too if they found him dead?

“W-What do you mean?”

“I mean exactly what I said. I can’t live without him.”

What would be the point of a life without Kwon Oh-Jin?

“I’m sure that jerk feels the same way,” Song Ha-Eun confidently said with a smirk.

“That’s...”

Isabella bit her lip again at Song Ha-Eun’s unshakable confidence without the slightest doubt. It felt like an enormous wall separated Isabella from Song Ha-Eun and Kwon Oh-Jin. One that she could never climb over.

“You’re so annoying,” Isabella said.

She felt frustrated by the fact that Song Ha-Eun could speak of death so easily. Song Ha-Eun sounded so sure that Kwon Oh-Jin felt the same. It all felt too cruel and unfair.

“Unnie, I like Mr. Oh-Jin.”

“I know.”

“Aren’t you two dating?”

“Yeah, I guess. We haven’t been official for long, though.”

Isabella looked at her in disbelief. Wasn’t this where the girlfriend was supposed to call her a bitch and get angry?

“You’re okay with it?” Isabella asked.

“Hmm? With what?”

“That I like Mr. Oh-Jin.”

“I mean, I’m not thrilled, obviously.” Song Ha-Eun shrugged and crossed her arms. “But it’s not about how you feel about Oh-Jin. It’s about how he feels about you.”

“You’re that confident you won’t lose him to me?”

“If it ever feels like I might lose him, I’ll throw a tantrum and say I’ll die without him.” Song Ha-Eun snorted with laughter. “Didn’t I tell you already? Oh-Jin can’t live without me.”

A vein popped out on Isabella’s forehead. She glared at Song Ha-Eun and bit her lip again. “We’ll see about that.”

She once thought being second was enough. That just having even a part of his heart would be enough, but she changed her mind now.

“I’ll make sure you regret saying that,” Isabella said.

If there were a second, it wouldn’t be her but Song Ha-Eun.

“Sure, sure. Try all you want.” Song Ha-Eun chuckled and tousled Isabella’s hair.

“H-Hey! Don’t touch my hair!”

“Whoa, your hair smells nasty. I feel like my nose is gonna fall off.”

“S-Stop lying!”

“You haven’t showered once since you got back, have you?”

“That’s...!”

Flushing bright red, Isabella darted into the washroom.

Song Ha-Eun chuckled as she watched Isabella hurry away.

“She really is something else.”

Song Ha-Eun brought her hand that had touched Isabella’s hair to her nose and sniffed it. Despite the intense battle and not having showered, a faint scent of roses tickled her nose.

“And I’m the annoying one, huh?” She sighed and looked at the firmly shut washroom door.

Silence filled the air.

Song Ha-Eun unfolded her arms, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.

Oh-Jin.

Her shaking hand clenched into a fist. An overwhelming fear pressed down on her chest. She struggled to breathe, and it felt like she would die from it.

You’re alive... right?

She glanced up at the night sky beyond the window and bit the inside of her cheek.

“I’m coming to get you, so hang in there, you little punk.”

Her eyes sharpened as she turned around.

***

After Isabella finished showering, the two of them made their way to the Sanctum.

Inside the grand but empty temple glowing in a gentle silver light, a silver-haired goddess stood with her hands clasped and eyes closed in prayer.

“You’re here.” Vega opened her eyes.

Just standing in her presence stirred up awe. A sacred aura overwhelmed Isabella like she was witnessing a scene from mythology itself.

“That's... Lady Vega?” Isabella asked.

Until now, she had only seen Vega’s miniature form. Vega’s real self left her in stunned disbelief.

“That’s right,” Vega replied.

“Ah...” Isabella’s eyes trembled.

That radiant silver hair, those golden eyes, snow-white skin, and an elegance beyond nobility... Isabella had always believed no one could outshine her in terms of beauty, but that long-held confidence began to crumble before Vega.

Now that I think about it, Lady Vega seemed to be especially fond of Mr. Oh-Jin.

Every time Vega manifested on Earth, she always clung to Kwon Oh-Jin and remained perched on top of his head. It didn’t matter that she called him “My child,” which suggested a maternal love.

Winning first place won’t be easy.

Isabella deeply sighed.

“You said you don’t know where Oh-Jin is, right?” Song Ha-Eun asked.

Vega nodded somberly. “That’s correct.”

The relationship between a Celestial and their Awakener could be compared to a tree and its seed. While the Celestial could plant the seed, the Stigma allowed the power of the stars to grow inside them. Once the Stigma grew, the seed turned into a different tree.

A Celestial couldn’t tell if their Awakener was still alive or dead, where they were, or what they were doing.

“What about manifesting in your small form again?” Song Ha-Eun asked.

“I used too much power last time. I won’t be able to manifest again for a while.”

“Ugh...” Song Ha-Eun gritted her teeth.

Time was of the essence. They couldn’t wait for Vega’s restrictions to lift.

“Then, I guess we have no choice but to go to the Demonic District,” Song Ha-Eun said.

“How do you intend to get there?” Vega asked.

“Well, the rift in Sokcho is closed now. There’s only one way left.” Song Ha-Eun’s eyes gleamed sharply. “I’m going to the first rift.”

The massive gate, spanning fifty kilometers in diameter, was located in the North Pole. It was known as the most dangerous place on Earth due to the dangerous demonic beasts pouring out from the Demonic District. That was the only way to cross over now.

“However—”

“I know. It’s dangerous.” Song Ha-Eun firmly cut Vega off. “But I still have to go.”

“Thank you.”

“Psh, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not doing this for you, Vega.”

“Haha. I know.” Vega smiled faintly and nodded at Isabella and Song Ha-Eun. “Still, going with just the two of you would be far too dangerous.”

“Then?”

“Follow me. There’s another Celestial we can ask for help.”

Vega walked out of the temple past a long path made of starlight. She arrived at a temple filled with lavish decorations of every kind.

“Whoa... what is this place?” Song Ha-Eun said in awe.

Unlike Vega’s empty temple, this one contained priceless treasures as if the entire world’s wealth had been gathered in one place.

“Deneb,” Vega softly called out as she entered the temple.

A dazzling burst of light filled the space.

Woong!

A boy with dark navy hair appeared from that radiant glow. Jewels adorned his small frame and glittered brightly all over him. All the jewels on him almost made him look ridiculously tacky, but his flawless beauty made even that excessive appearance seem noble.

“What is this?” Deneb pouted.

“I’ve come to ask for your help,” Vega said.

“What? You want my help?” Deneb scoffed in disbelief. “Do you even know what I’ve been through since that last proxy battle?”

Ever since his crushing defeat in the last battle, more Celestials began to question his worthiness as a North Star. Just like in human society, the more famous and visible one was, the more others rushed to tear that individual down over a single mistake. Celestials were no different.

“It would've been fine if I were the only one insulted!”

Deneb was used to being ridiculed and looked down on. He had spent a long time being compared to Vega and Polaris.

“M-My children!” Deneb choked back a sob.

Thinking of his children, who were being mocked because they had the misfortune of following an incompetent Celestial, made his heart ache.

“Wasn’t it you who demanded the proxy battle in the first place?” Vega asked.

“T-That’s...”

“Well, I agree my child went a bit too far that time. I apologize.”

Deneb kept his mouth shut and lowered his head.

Vega carefully approached him and rested her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t be discouraged. Didn’t I tell you before? No matter what anyone says, you are still a North Star.”

“Hmph. Do you think I’ll help you just because you say that?”

Deneb crossed his arms and turned his head away.

Still resting her hand gently on his shoulder, Vega calmly said, “My child is trapped in the Demonic District.”

Deneb’s eyes widened. “What?”

The Demonic District was a largely mysterious and foreign world even to Celestials. It could only turn out one way if someone remained trapped there.

“Please save my child.” Vega stepped back, gently gathered the hem of her dress, and slowly began to kneel. “I beg you—”

Before her knees could touch the ground, Deneb leaped forward in panic and stopped her.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” He pulled her up. “A Celestial shouldn’t just kneel to others like that! What if your child hears about this later, huh?!”

Deneb grumbled gruffly and turned away.

“You said he’s in the Demonic District, right?” He swept back his dark blue hair. “Wait here. I’ll gather my children.”

A soft smile formed at the corner of Vega’s lips. “Thank you.”

“Hmph! It’s not like I’m doing this for you or anything! If that brat dies a pointless death, the dignity of my children, who lost to him, will take a hit too!” Deneb said.

Vega warmly looked at him with a gentle smile.