Originally, I intended to explain the book 'Abyss' to Ha Tae-heon first, as promised. However, Ha Tae-heon, having reconciled with me, said it would be better to explain it together with everyone present.
For me, that was better. The book 'Abyss' features not only Ha Tae-heon but also other team members, including Cheon Sa-yeon and Min A-rin, and it saves me from having to explain things twice. Ha Tae-heon must have known that and wanted to be considerate.
I'd invited Elohim to help everyone understand 'Abyss' more easily—which I was going to explain—and to seek advice for the upcoming battle with the Praus Cult. Though to call it an invitation is a bit of a stretch; the moment I thought I'd like Elohim to come, he simply turned up of his own accord.
"The story I told you last time in the U.S. about my past… it wasn't a lie, but I didn't tell you everything."
My past self, Kwon Se-hyun, whom they met in the space created by the Doctor. The Dice Shop and its staff. And… Yoo Si-hyuk.
The only person the team members hadn't met was Yeon Seon-woo. After all, the space created by the Doctor was a place where 'the most terrible moments of the strongest person' were re-enacted. Naturally, the time spent with Yeon Seon-woo was not manifested in that space.
"The man you saw through the mirror item created by the Cult this time, was...."
My words paused for a moment without realizing it. Trying hard to look away from Yeon Seon-woo's face as it flashed through my mind, I continued speaking.
"He was a little brother I cherished. I first discovered the book 'Abyss' at his family home. It was thanks to him, who had the book, that I was able to enter Han Yi-gyeol's body."
"What on earth is that book really about?"
At Park Geon-ho's question, I turned my gaze to Elohim standing beside me. After all, Elohim would be able to explain this more accurately than I could.
"Cheon Sa-yeon explained that he had his time stolen by a being named Kali."
As Elohim raised his hand in the air, a golden halo of light gathered and took the form of a book.
"We recorded every aspect of Cheon Sa-yeon's life as he stood against Kali. Some time later, we also began recording your life, Ha Tae-heon, who, along with Cheon Sa-yeon, clashed the most with the Praus Cult."
Ha Tae-heon raised one eyebrow at the mention that his life had been recorded.
"You wouldn't have remembered it since it didn't happen in this timeline, but you agreed to this. You needed information to fight the Praus Cult, and so, you handed over your records to us in exchange for that information."
When Kali turns back time, everything that has happened during that period disappears. The only ones who remember what happened in the past are Cheon Sa-yeon, the true master of time; Kali, who'd stolen it, and Elohim and Elaha, the guardians of this world.
"Thanks to that, you were able to meet me—the one called the Prophet—every hour. The fact that you were able to spend a week in my space with Se-hyun was also only possible because the price had already been paid."
This was something I'd learned for the first time as well.
So the fact that Ha Tae-heon was able to meet Elohim and go to the place where the temple is with me is all because the price had already been paid for in a previous timeline?
"Thus, following Cheon Sa-yeon, we also recorded the life of Ha Tae-heon. However, the volume of the book was so large that it was difficult to distinguish between the sections. That is why it was necessary to leave additional markings."
"So, is that why you changed the cover to black and added a name, unlike Cheon Sa-yeon's?"
There were many things I didn't know about the book. Since I had already had doubts about it for some time, I asked cautiously, but Elohim shook his head.
"The cover color is determined by the owner of the record. We can't change it. So, we inscribed the name instead."
Come to think of it, didn't I also hand over my past memories in exchange for seeing Cheon Sa-yeon's past records?
Then, will the cover of the book filled with my memories also take on a colour, like Cheon Sa-yeon's red or Ha Tae-heon's black? I became a little curious about what colour it would be.
"The reason we named it 'Abyss' is… well. Elaha just wrote down a word he thought of on the spot, but since there aren't many coincidences in what we do… I suppose its meaning will be revealed someday."
"After all, we don't always know everything." Elohim added in a lighthearted tone accompanied by a laugh, and gestured with his eyes, nodding, just as I had done earlier. Realizing what he meant, I opened my mouth as if taking the baton.
"The book, 'Abyss,' that I came across while I lived in the other world as Kwon Se-hyun is the same book that El described. It's the book containing the records of Ha Tae-heon ssi's life."
I never could have imagined that a book I thought was just a fantasy novel would actually be the life of a real person...
Taking a small, trembling breath, I brought up the most important point.
"In the book… Ha Tae-heon ssi appears as the narrator. Master Cheon Sa-yeon, Min Ah-rin ssi, and Kim Woo-jin also appear. There are some people who I'd met for the first time after becoming Han Yi-gyeol, but there were also many whom I already knew."
I recalled the time when I first became Han Yi-gyeol. I had considered everything around me to be a fantasy or fake created by a work of fiction, or a daydream that my dead self was having.
"Han Yi-gyeol was the only character who died. So, to survive, I made the most of the information I had gathered from the book. Mistaking Master Cheon Sa-yeon for the cause of Han Yi-gyeol's death, I used Ha Tae-heon ssi and Roheon to escape Requiem."
"Oh."
"Hoho."
Cheon Sa-yeon and Park Geon-ho, who had been listening to my explanation in silence, suddenly let out an exclamation of surprise. The other team members did the same. What kind of reaction was this?
"…What is it?"
I glared at Cheon Sa-yeon, who showed the strongest reaction out of sheer disbelief even amidst the seriousness, and he lightly shrugged his shoulders.
"No, it's just that I'm starting to understand a little bit better now."
"What did you say?"
"Isn't that only natural from my perspective? A boy who'd been so docile suddenly causing a scene, insisting he'd raise Ha Tae-heon—it was absolutely mind-boggling. And to top it off, he even managed to track down a coat and gave it to him as a present of his own accord."
"Umm. I'm sorry, Yi-Gyeol ssi. I know it's not really appropriate in this situation, but honestly, it's just so amusing. It's kind of fascinating to see someone who'd just stepped out of a novel making plans like that...."
"As expected, you're pretty amazing, hyung."
"...."
My mind went blank at my teammates' unexpected reactions. Ha Tae-heon even nonchalantly joined the conversation, leaving me alone as I clutched my forehead and bowed my head.
"It was pretty suspicious back then, but…. If you knew the future to some extent through the book, then that makes sense."
"Oh, then Yi-gyeol ssi, does that mean you've become friends with the book's protagonist and the other characters? Wow!"
"Did Secretary Woo Seo-hyuk not appear in the book? Because he wasn't close with Deputy Master Ha Tae-heon?"
"Since Deputy Master Ha Tae-heon was the main character, I suppose that's the case."
"If our Master had been the protagonist, Secretary Woo Seo-hyuk and I would have had way more screen time. What a shame."
… Why on earth did the atmosphere turn out like this? I wiped my face with my hands, feeling conflicted.
"May I continue with my explanation?"
"Alright. It's very interesting, so keep going."
My teammates' expectant eyes were fixed on me. Seeing them look like children listening to a fairy tale, I couldn't help but sigh.
"I realized that this place was not simply inside a book, but another world, after meeting El in China with Ha Tae-heon ssi. I learned that the book merely served as a medium connecting the two worlds."
"It's not quite as simple as that."
Elohim gently took my shoulder and smiled slightly.
"It is true that the book acted similarly to a gate, but that alone wouldn't have been enough for Kwon Se-hyun to come here. After all, if he hadn't read the book, he wouldn't have been able to awaken his abilities."
Elohim pinpointed the exact point I was deliberately avoiding.
I had no desire to hide anything or lie at this stage, but I also didn't want to go out of my way to bring up how much benefit the book containing Ha Tae-heon's life had brought me.
"The most important thing in awakening an ability is determining whether or not it exists. Kwon Se-hyun, who learned about his ability through the book, awakened at the moment of his death, and was able to use his intervention ability to enter the passage connected to the book."
"If it weren't for Deputy Master Ha Tae-heon's book, Yi-gyeol ssi wouldn't be who he is today."
"That's right."
"Even if the book saved my life, that doesn't erase my mistakes."
The words came out firmly, but I trailed off at the end. Feeling the stabbing pain in my chest, as if I were choking, I lowered my head.
It cannot be compared to what was seen in the Doctor's space, where my past materialized, or Cheon Sa-yeon's book. Because those events took place between people who trusted each other.
My reading of 'Abyss' was different from the previous two situations. Ha Tae-heon had, without even realizing it, revealed his entire life to another person. What's more, the one who read it dismissed the book's contents as a mere fantasy novel, consuming and enjoying it with such casual indifference.
Everyone who appeared in the book was a victim. And I, who knew all this yet kept it hidden until the very end, was truly a cowardly bastard. I was so ashamed that I didn't have the courage to lift my head and look my teammates in the eye.
"I sincerely apologize."
I squeezed my eyes shut and apologised with all my heart. With those words, silence fell over the living room.
Silence hung in the air for quite a while. Just as my fingertips were visibly trembling, a leisurely voice broke the silence.
"Isn't this totally just a win-win for Ha Tae-heon?"
As Cheon Sa-yeon muttered indifferently while resting his chin on his hand, Ha Tae-heon retorted nonchalantly, not to be outdone.
"You're unnecessarily perceptive only at times like this."
"When I think about how you received all sorts of affection and attention from Han Yi-gyeol just because you were the book's protagonist… my records should have been chosen instead. It looks like you've used up your lifetime's worth of luck on that."
"I suppose the one who wasn't chosen, despite leaving behind so many records, is the one without luck."
Ha Tae-heon, who had openly mocked Cheon Sa-yeon, looked at me with his arms crossed.
"It's not something to apologize for, Han Yi-gyeol."
"...."
"Didn't I tell you last time? If only I could, I wanted to show you my past books, just like Cheon Sa-yeon did. My feelings haven't changed."
It was a gentle voice that seemed to soothe me, who had withered away in self-reproach.
"If anything, I think it's a blessing that the book ended up protecting you."
Ha Tae-heon let out a long, sincere sigh of relief. Only then did I realize that everyone except me was smiling faintly.
The stiff silence I felt immediately after the apology was merely my own delusion as I kept my head bowed. At that realization, my shoulders, which had been frozen stiff with tension, slowly relaxed.