Hades, who had turned to Har now, was temporarily labeled as a mysterious boy who was found inside the forest.

He claimed that he couldn't remember anything even if he was being questioned by other villagers. He acted as if he had amnesia and everyone agreed he may be a slave in that barbarian army who got lost in here.

“You went through many bad things, right? You don't have to be worried because no one will bully you here.” A middle-aged woman, who was very beautiful as though she was in her twenty, said to him.

“Thank you…” Even if he didn't want to thank her, but he had to go with the flow.

“Your name is Har, right? If you don't have anywhere else to go, why don't you become our son in this house?” She suddenly asked him this question with a twinkle in her eyes.

Although she already had a charming daughter, somewhere in her heart, she still wanted to have a son. Her husband was very busy because he was a doctor. He didn't have time for her, especially in these past few months because there's a conflict from those barbarians. Heaven had finally sent her an adorable boy. How could she not adopt him? Soi would have a brother too and they looked like they would be a good sibling since the first time they met.

“Hold on…but we…”

“Don't you pity this child? He doesn't have anywhere else to go!”

Her husband, who had been standing near her, was trying to reject her idea, but he had to swallow his words as he saw her stern eyes.

“Love, why don't you ask Soi first? Maybe she wouldn't like to have another sibling.” He turned to his daughter.

“It doesn't matter, father. If he doesn't stay here then where else can he go?”
Soi didn't feel strange to have him as her family. He must be ordered by them to work to his death if he tried to drown himself like that. How could she let him be?

Both of his wife and daughter agreed to this idea. He couldn't against both of them so he could only give his word about adopting Har to be his son. He didn't feel disgusted or anything, but he wasn't sure whatever this child still had his parents alive or not. He didn't want to give a promise to accept this child as his son.

However, if this child didn't really have parents then he couldn't let this child alone.

He was the doctor of this village and Soi was his daughter. Even though this village wasn't large, but its size wasn't small either. The people in this village was harmonized for a very long time.

The village was well-known for its pure white silk. The pure white silk was very rare and that's what made it expensive. Even if they weren't wealthy, but they could live comfortably because they had the village head who took care of everyone.

Her parents had to report to the village head about adopting Har to be their adopted son and they also entrusted her to bring Har to his room too. Her house still had empty rooms as they had two guestrooms so they wouldn't mind turning one of them into Har's room.

“You have to call me ‘sister' from now on, little brother.” Soi teased him while poking her finger into his cheek.

“I won't call you ‘sister' ever.” Har brushed her hand away.

“There will be a time when you call me that. Come here, I will bring you to your room. I will have to arrange your room today too.”

“…”

Har didn't say anything more as he only followed her. He didn't know what's he going to do next as he suddenly became this family's member. Why did this human family had to care him this much?

Was it a pity?

“This is my room and that is your room.”

“Umm.”

“Why did you ‘Umm' me? You always have a blank expression all this time. The time like this should be “Umm!” and then smile, you know.”

‘Snort'

“What!!? What is the meaning of that!?”

However, Har only grinned and indifferently pushed the door to his room. His action was making the girl boiled with anger, but she didn't mind his doing that much.

“Take a bath and come down to eat too! I will be in my room next to yours so call me if you want anything! Do you understand!?”

Har looked at his image in the mirror and sighed.

A strange human…

This was the definition he gave to Soi. The girl who helped an unknown person from drowning and easily accepted that said person to be her family member.

It seemed like his plan to go back to Netherworld had to be postponed for a while.

No matter how much time had pa.s.sed…five years…seven years or twelve years, his plan to go back to Netherworld wasn't successful at all. Every time he tried to suicide, Soi would help him just in time. Followed by her scolding about his ‘hated-this-life' behavior.

“I don't understand, Har! Why did you have to do something like this!!?” Soi was in a bad mood when she saw him trying to jump down a cliff. It was a good thing that she came just in time.

“Calm down, Soi. I'm sure Har didn't intend to do that.” August, who was the head village's son, was trying to calm his friend down.

“I only daydreamed…” Har answered them with a deadpan face. That was a bad lie, and he'd already know that, but that was the lie he had been using for these past ten years.

The three of them was nineteen years old now. It was that age where they were an adult.

Soi grew up to be a lovely woman like a beautiful flower blooming in this village. Many men were beginning to notice her for a while now. She decided to be a doctor just like her father and she had been studying hard since then.

August was the man who had been with Soi for a long time. He was the only son of the village head. Many women wanted him to be their husband as he was very handsome, but he never chose anyone.

He was gentle and kind. You could say he was a gentleman.

Except for…

“Don't take his side! You have to warn him too!!”

“O-ow! Stop pinching me…Soi.”

She forcefully pinched his arm, but he only showed a blissful expression on his face. He would get happy when he was hurt by Soi.

…A m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t.

He could only mentally think that when he looked at him.

Why was it that Soi's red thread was linking to him?

His chest hurt every time when he saw their linking red thread. He knew he shouldn't be like this. When he saw how much Soi cared about him, he was happy about that. However, he couldn't…

have his fate linking with her.

In fact, he didn't wish for his death anymore. He felt like this was Heaven's revenge against him. Because one day, his peaceful life was abruptly ended.

“This is the royal decree. Every village has to send at least twenty men to partic.i.p.ate in the upcoming war with the barbarians Eldo. They should be eighteen to forty years old!”

The war was heating up as times pa.s.sed by. Soldiers were decreasing in number so much that they had to recruit soldiers from each village as stated in the decree.

Their village had twenty men just enough to the requirement. Other than that was women and elders.

Both August and Har had to partic.i.p.ate in the war whatever they liked it or not.

“This is insane!! Why do they have to come to this small village like our!?”

Soi, who had been angry since she heard the decree, ran to her house because she couldn't voice her disagreement in front of that messenger. August and Har followed her closely.

“Calm down, Soi.” August gently comforted her.

“Do you to die in the war!!? August! Har! Do you think you can come back safely!?”

“…Soi.”

“Hmph…I can't do anything. I can do just this! I can't do anything at all!”

Even if she disagreed about this…Even if she didn't want them to go at all!! But she couldn't do anything, she was powerless…She was only a powerless woman.

She fell and cried her heart out.

G.o.d…Please let them come back safely.

She couldn't wish to anyone other than The G.o.d.

However, this G.o.d was quietly looking at them. He knew the best…

His eyes saw…

The mark of death sealed at the back of August's neck.

Most humans couldn't see them, but he wasn't a human, to begin with.

This man wouldn't escape from his death no matter what happened. That was the meaning of this mark.

Even he didn't have the power to change it.

It had already been one month since the time they had departed from their village. They had to wear armor while walking to their destination. They could have a break, but it was short as they had to be hurried. There're many men who had to separate from their birthplace to partic.i.p.ate in this war. They only wanted to come back safely.

“We will get a rest here!! We will join with the main army tomorrow!”

The general's sound was booming at the front of the army. Every volunteer soldiers were preparing for their food and tent. They will have to get a rest and gather their strength much more than other days. After this day wouldn't be a playground anymore, but it's a real war!!

In the middle of the night, Hades felt a little unwell so he went out of his tent. He met August who was on sentry. August smiled at him and beckoned for him to sit.

“Har, we have been together for a long time.” August was the one who started a conversation.

“Umm, long time…” But it was too short for him.

“I think I beat around a bush too much. Haha, Har, I know you think about Soi more than that.”

“…”

“Your eyes tell everything when you look at her.”

“What are you speaking?”

“I also love her too.”

August confessed his feeling without fear.

“Do you want me to get out of your way?”

“What!? No! I only don't want to hide it from you! I-i think that if I can come back, I want to marry Soi. B-but…, if Soi doesn't choose me then I ready to give my support to you.”

“…”

“I only want to see Soi happy.”

“…”

“She should have something that's the best for her. I want to see her smile. It's enough for me even if that smile is so far away. Even I want to see her right now, do you think like me?”

“I think so.”

“Haha, what with your answer? My s.h.i.+ft had ended so I will go back to my tent.”
August stood up from the camp's fire and went back to his tent. Hades could only sit in silence and stare into the fire. He didn't know what to answer…

because August didn't have a chance to go back.

In the midst of the battleground, there're many fire arrow shooting from then and there. There are only fire and a smell of death hovering around in this place. Many soldiers' body was littering and covered the ground with their blood. Their blade was still cras.h.i.+ng violently right now, but the opponents were too strong. They didn't have a way to win this war at all.

Clank!

“Arg!”

There were too many opponents than they could withstand so they could retaliate back. An enemy was trying to stab Har's arm, but he could evade it. It didn't hit his vital point, but it only sliced his arms a little. This made him unable to use his left arm.

“Har, move away!”

August jumped in front of him to parry an enemy's attack and he tried to bring Har to slip away to a barricade at the back.

However…!!

Stab!

“Urg!!”

“August!”

At that moment, an arrow was piercing into August's back. It went through the right side of his chest and then he couldn't support Har anymore. His body fell down and his blood was flowing nonstop. His body temperature was lowering down dangerously. He was walking towards his death door in a minute!!

Har didn't want to give up as he tried to support August's body even with his arm bleeding.

“Stop it, Har. I can't take another step anymore.”

“Don't you speak like that!”

“I want you to live, Har. Can you give this to Soi?”

“August!!”

He took a red velvet box out of his pocket. Inside that box was his family heirloom ring. He believed if he had this with him, it would keep him safe, but it didn't help him. He wanted to give this to her at least.

“Take care of Soi for me.”

The enemies were coming for them right now.

“I can only hope I will meet her in the next world.”

“August!!”

“Go! Before they come here!”

Har had to decide at that moment. He was slower than this the enemies would come to take both of their life. He clenched the velvet box in his palm. Even when he decided to run away, but it was too late…

a large sword was piercing in the middle of his chest before he could run away.
His heart slowly stopped beating…

The war ended with only lifeless bodies on the ground. It ended in a death and came with a loss.

Tap Tap Tap…

a sound of footsteps from the lord of the netherworld was coming near two lifeless bodies on the ground. He stared down at the box which was tightly clenched in Har's palm.

“What a silly human…”

Hades said as he lowered down to pick up that box before disappeared into a cloud of black dust.

Knock Knock

What was it?

It's already the night time, but Soi couldn't bring herself to sleep. She was worry about those two who was at war right now. She didn't whatever state they were in right now. They wouldn't die that's she hoped.

There's suddenly a knocking sound at her door. That's surely her parents so she opened it.

“Har!”

She called the man's name with a joyous in her voice as she saw him standing in front of her. He came back and he was safe too!

But…Why did he make a sad face like that?

Pang…

The man closed the door and walked into the room. He was Har, but why did the atmosphere around him look so strange?

“Did you just come back from the war? Why do you come back right now? Did the war end? Where is August?” She asked all of these at the same time, but she only got silence from the man in front of her.

He only held out his hand. There's a box in his palm.

“What is this?”

She accepted the box and opened it with a suspicious in her mind. When she opened it, she saw a wedding band inside it!!

“This…!?”

“August entrusted me to give this to you.”

“August…?”

“…”

“Why…?”

“…”

“Why did he have to entrust you to…”

“Why…?”

“…”

“Answer me this question!! Why doesn't he come here to give it to me himself!? Answer me!”

She asked even when she knew the answer to that question…

“No…I have already known it had to be like this…I thought I had already known…”

Soi's body fell to the ground as she continued to hold the silver ring with her shaken hand to her heart. She thought she had already made up her mind. She knew she would lose him, but deep in her heart, she continued to hope he would come back to her.

“No…' Sob'…No…”

A drop of tear continued flowing down from her eyes. She couldn't deny that she didn't love him…She loved him with all her heart,

but it pained her too much.

“Soi…”

Hades went down on his knee as he embraced her. He let her cried and drowned in her sadness. The red thread which linking her with August was strongly binding her right now. He saw that thing was making her pained the most.

“I thought that I wouldn't feel hurt…I thought that I was strong enough…” Soi spoke while she was still crying. Her voice was shaken. Anybody with eyes could know that.

“If that what's you want, I can make your pain go away.”

“If it's that way then I shouldn't know him…I shouldn't remember the memories…”

“…”

“I shouldn't love him, but I can't do that, Har. I can't do that.”

The woman in his embrace was crying. There's a way for her to not feel this pain anymore, but that would be to completely forget him. That would be impossible…
At that moment, Har's hand encircled to Soi's back. Suddenly, there are scissors appeared in his palm.

“I will help you forget him.”

“Har?”

“You will be the happiest woman.”

‘I want her to be happy.'

The words were what's warned him. Even if it's wrong, but there's nothing holding him back anymore.

Snap!

It was only once…The black scissors carefully cut the red thread from Soi's body.

and her eyes were beginning to close and drowning into nothing.

–Next>>

Bear: Thank you for reading!