When I opened my eyes, the sun was hanging precariously, as if it was about to slip past the midday sky. The day was still bright, but twilight was creeping in, settling into its place, and I couldn’t help but let out a bitter chuckle. I had gone to bed late last night, but I must have slept for a long time.
My side felt empty—had Gehenna already gotten up? She probably muttered something about me being a sleepyhead and left. I wish she had woken me up when she got up.
Rain must have fallen overnight; the window was streaked with clear raindrops. I stared quietly at the water marks catching the dazzling sunlight for a while, then suddenly a thought struck me: What am I going to do today?
Even I found the question ridiculous. Me—worrying about what to do today.
I never used to have to worry about things like this. To be precise, I don’t even remember ever having to. As long as I had a goal to achieve, I was always running full speed toward it. That alone was enough to drain me, leaving no energy to care about anything else. But now that purpose was gone, and this sudden peace felt strangely unfamiliar. I can’t deny that.
Of course, living like this isn’t bad. A world without enemies, where I can enjoy everyday life without worry—that much is clear from the past month. There are good things, no, only good things.
In the morning, Gehenna greets me with a beautiful smile. When I go down to the dining hall, Hwajeong pouts, teasing me about what I did last night. When the two women start bickering, Jegal Haesol sneaks in and gently fans the flames, while Goyeonju comes out of the kitchen, clicking her tongue and asking if they’re fighting again before serving the meal. I watch the quarrel from the arms of the flustered Im Hanna, and then Suna appears, irritated by the noise, and I greet her. The dining hall falls silent. I pull Suna close and shower her with kisses.
Ah, now that I think about it, maybe I should give Suna a little sibling. Hansoyoung has been pretty vocal about wanting to get pregnant. Yeah, raising several children with a lovely wife sounds nice. Surrounded by beautiful women and children I’d cherish more than anything—that would surely bring happiness. Just imagining it makes me smile…
…No.
I’m not happy. It’s not a lie, and I do wish it were true, but happiness feels far away. If I’m honest, what I truly want is something else.
Seraph’s plan is brilliant. I can’t guarantee it, but it’s likely to succeed. Bring back the runaway angels, create a place for them, and wipe them out all at once. If it weren’t for the angels, none of this would have happened, so the justification is solid. More than solid. Seraph has done so much for me; there’s no reason not to spare at least one. Besides, I need to keep one alive to use the Zero Code.
And that’s not all. The Western Continent, which has tormented us throughout this cycle, will be cleaned up neatly, and the Southern Continent, which aided the demons, will be utterly annihilated.
Ah, just thinking about it sends a thrill through me. The satisfaction of crushing an enemy you despise beyond measure is unmatched. I wonder what expression Gabriel will wear when his head is trampled—will it twist in rage, or will he beg pitifully for his life? It might be fun to lull him into a false sense of security before stabbing his throat unexpectedly.
Eldora should have her head cut off. If I impale it on a long spear and wave it at the Southern Continent’s users who are still resisting, it would have a tremendous effect. Either way, it’ll be fun. Ha ha.
“…”
What am I thinking?
Smack!
I slapped my cheeks with both hands. Lost in a foggy mind, I must have been drifting into daydreams. I need to prioritize.
First, I’ll find Seraph and confirm whether the passage connecting Earth and the Whole Plane can be opened. Also, isn’t it about time to tell the clan members? But if I just blurt it out, it won’t be convincing. I should ask my older brother for advice. For now, I’ll get out of bed and wash up.
After washing my face and stepping out of the room, a quiet corridor greeted me. There was no sign of anyone. It was evening, so it should have been noisy, but the castle was eerily silent. Even when I descended from the fourth floor to the first, it remained quiet. Strange. Why was no one around…?
“Huh?”
As I looked around crossing the lobby, my gaze suddenly locked on someone ahead. Anhyun, entering through the first-floor entrance, caught my eye and hesitated. More precisely, it wasn’t just Anhyun—there was a group of users coming in. Of course, they were mercenary clan members.
“Did you all go on a group outing or something?”
I joked, but it was more out of seeing their tired, shadowed faces. Anhyun half-opened his mouth, then flinched and looked down. Following his gaze, I saw Suna pushing through the crowd with a blank expression.
“Suna…”
I smiled and reached out with both arms, but suddenly felt a sharp slap as she brushed my hands away. I froze. Without even looking at me, she passed by so forcefully that a cold wind seemed to blow. Then, with her twin tails flying, she ran up the stairs and disappeared in an instant.
I scratched my head awkwardly. This wasn’t the first time she’d reacted like this, but today, for some reason, a wave of hurt washed over me. It felt genuine just now.
“What’s going on…? Did something happen?”
I looked up the stairs where Suna had vanished, but there was no answer. That’s when the strangeness hit me. Tilting my head in confusion, Anhyun trudged over, lowered his head wearily, and said:
“Hyung.”
His voice was hoarse.
“We’re having a festival.”
What? With those exhausted faces, what was he talking about? Out of nowhere.
“What are you talking about? Didn’t we just have one recently?”
“We’re having a festival.”
“Anhyun?”
“Let’s do it.”
Like a broken doll, he repeated the same words. Well, at this point, I didn’t really care whether we did or not.
“Fine, do whatever you want.”
I said, about to go look for Suna upstairs, when suddenly I felt a strong tug. Startled, I turned around to see Anhyun gripping me, slowly lifting my head. His once-fuzzy eyes sharpened as he stared straight at me.
“Hyung, you’re coming too. Don’t go anywhere.”
“Let go… What?”
“Come with us. Taking a day, or even half a day, isn’t that hard.”
“…What did you say?”
My eyes narrowed instinctively. Was he joking?
But the sincerity in his voice was unmistakable. Anhyun gritted his teeth.
“I don’t care if we never have another festival…”
His voice trembled.
“Even if it’s the last one…”
He clenched his fists so tightly his sleeves tore. I didn’t understand why he was like this all of a sudden. Did he want it that badly? Glancing toward the entrance, I saw Goyeonju smiling sadly.
“Yeah, let’s do it. Last time, the mood got ruined halfway, but this time, let’s enjoy it to the fullest.”
Even Goyeonju.
“Good grief.”
I had no idea what was going on, but I shrugged in the end.
The festival we decided on the spot started with a deflated atmosphere. Though we said we’d have fun, it wasn’t the right time at all.
Only the occasional clatter of dishes broke the silence. Goyeonju and the others were busy cooking and serving without a word, while the rest sat quietly at scattered tables, waiting.
This wasn’t a festival—it was just another ordinary evening. Not that I minded the quiet.
Across the room, Vivian ate as usual. I could only see her back, but her hands moved nonstop, shoveling food in. Occasionally, she’d choke back sobs, lift her head, and stare at the ceiling. After a while, her shoulders began to tremble faintly.
Is it really that good? She sure has a dramatic reaction. I almost wanted to take her to Earth and film a mukbang.
“By the way.”
Suddenly, I heard the sound of a bowl being set down beside me.
“Whenever there’s a festival, you’re always quiet and then sneak away at some point. Just like today.”
Kim Hanbyul plopped down in the chair next to me and said this. I wanted to ask if this really looked like a festival, or where the hell we’d been to act like this, but I swallowed the words along with my food.
“There are many ways to enjoy a festival.”
“That’s true.”
Kim Hanbyul agreed with a smile, but anyone could tell it was forced.
A heavy silence settled over us. Not just between me and Hanbyul, but across the entire dining hall. As if everyone was listening to our conversation. Well, probably just my imagination.
“Hey, oppa.”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“You know, just hypothetically.”
“Just say it. I’m starting to get annoyed.”
I heard her swallow.
“If it weren’t for you… would we have survived the rite of passage?”
…That was a surprisingly sudden question.
“Well.”
I answered casually without much thought. I assumed we would have died during the rite in the first cycle, but I never confirmed it. Besides, since this cycle is different, I don’t really know what would have happened.
“Of course.”
Again? I still don’t know what she’s trying to ask.
“If we were to meet again at the rite of passage, completely unaware of everything… would you still save me, guide me like before?”
Thud.
Without thinking, I set down my spoon. Kim Hanbyeol flinched, her eyes wide with unease as she stared at me. I’d tried to change the subject, but she had clearly asked if I would save her. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a wrong question, but…
“…”
Something felt off. Really off. It had been nagging at me ever since I left the office. As I slowly lit a cigarette and glanced around, every single person was staring right through me.
There’s something I don’t know.
With that thought, I fixed my gaze back on Kim Hanbyeol and finally spoke.
“What on earth…”
That was when it happened.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
The current episodes are being released in descending order, not ascending. In other words, Episode 0 is the final one.
The complete story consists of 10 parts for Episode 0 and 4 parts for the epilogue. As of now, only 2 parts of Episode 0 and all 4 epilogue parts remain. So, Memorize will conclude after 6 more installments.
Many readers have been predicting the ending along similar lines. While I did intend to guide you in that direction, I can’t reveal how the story will unfold from here. What I can confirm is:
The story will not loop back to the first run.
It will not restart the second run.
It will not begin a third run.
Therefore, there will be no infinite loop ending.
That’s all I can say for now.
With the ending drawing near, I appreciate your understanding. :)