Chapter Text
Their footsteps were heavy as they reconvened on Roan Castle. The group's faces were all dark as they returned from their adventure.
Alberu couldn't keep the bad feeling in his heart and asked, "What happened?"
Cale was too tired to deal with this and gave the job to Choi Han.
The swordsman sighed in frustration as they told him what they found.
"So you mean that White Star is a reincarnator that kept getting reborn thousands of years ago?"
Cale grimly nodded his head, "That means we cannot kill him, if he dies then he'd just get reborn again in a different body."
Alberu slammed on the table, "Fuck, how are we supposed to defeat him then?"
The room fell into silence.
"I think I might've got some idea" unexpectedly, Bud was the one who broke the silence first.
"Do you have any idea Bud?" Raon asked.
"Well, as a matter of fact, I remember another artefact from my hometown. I remember grandpa said that it could let people see their future."
"See their future?" Erunhaben asked, "So you were planning to let one of us see the future?"
"Yes, if we can't find the way to deal with White Star-"
"- then we can ask those who know," Rosalyn said. "That's genius, Bud. We have to try it"
"But who can guarantee that the people in the future know how to defeat White Star?" Choi Han asked.
Then we can gather some information," Alberu said, "we can figure out what strategy they use to deal with White Star, what kind of weakness they have uncovered, how much force does White Star have, etc"
With an anonymous agreement, the group teleported Bud back to retrieve the artefact.
Rosalyn inspected the artefact, "so this is the artefact?"
Erunhaben sniffed it a few times, " he's right I can smell some magic coming out from it"
It was an old bronze pocket watch, it was filled with scratches and rust that gives it a really old feeling.
"This is the artefact of God of Time." Bud said, "Actually I made a mistake. Grandpa told me that it did not let others see the future, but actually, it send them to the future"
"Send them to the future? You mean like teleportation?"
"Yes."
"Will they be able to get back?" Raon asked
"Well, according to the records in my house, they did come back. It's not permanent...like it has some time limit, and once the time limit expires, you'll be back to the present. However, the time limit varies for every person so we don't know how long you'll actually spend in the future"
Alberu hummed thoughtfully, "every second is precious hmm"
"Alright," Cale looked at the group, "Who are we going to send to the future?"
Alberu raised his hand, "As the crown prince of Roan I'm responsible for my people."
"Your highness, are you planning to ditch all your royal work? You're not escaping it by going to the future. The kingdom needs you even now. We have to send someone else'' Cale rejected him in an instant
"Cale-nim I wouldn't mind going to the future"
"Choi Han, you're our only chance against White Star, what are we going to do if White Star attacks us? Leave it to Cale?" Alberu said and Cale couldn't help but be offended.
Alberu just stared back at Cale with a 'You know what I mean. You brought this upon yourself. Mister I-bleed-everytime-I fight.'
Alberu turned back to Choi Han, "We can't let you go. Besides, we're going to search for information, not fight"
"Then let this mighty dragon!"
"You're too young Raon, let the others do it" Cale rejected Raon's idea instantly, like hell he would let his child go to unknown places without supervision.
Erunhaben stepped forward, "Then let me, I'm the most experienced out of us all."
"No! Let me" Raon snatched the artefact from Bud's hand.
"Raon! Stop!" Cale tried to snatch the artefact back from the dragon.
He grabbed the pocket watch while Raon grabbed the pocket chain.
"Be careful! It's fragile" Bud shrieked.
The two stared at each other and began tugging when Cale accidentally pressed on something.
Dark blue-green willowy smoke shot out from the pocket watch. The smoke quickly covered him, covering his vision and seeping into his lungs.
Choi Han quickly ran, "Cale-nim"
"Cale"
"Young master-nim"
"Watch out!"
And so Cale's vision turned dark.
~***~
Cale woke up with a heavy cough. He could still feel the traces of the fog inside his lungs.
As he bent over from his cough, his forehead accidentally slammed on something, hard , sending a piercing pain to his head.
The redhead let out a pained yelp as he rubbed his forehead.
That hurts like a bitch. Fuck, he hopes it won't leave a bump.
As he cursed like a sailor inside his mind he noticed the tight space he was in.
It was dark so he couldn't see anything, so he was forced to use his other senses.
He could feel he was laying down on something, it was soft, but not like a bed.
He tried to touch it only to find his hand had hit something.
What? He already hit something? How small is this place?
He tried to measure the size of the place he was in. Width-wise, It was very small and he couldn't even stretch out his hand. Height was, don't even ask, he just bumped into it during his cough, showing how close his face actually was to the wall.
Where the fuck is he? A tunnel? No, a locker? He's lucky he didn't have a phobia of small spaces or he might've freaked out now.
He tried to search for an exit. After a lot of manoeuvring, he managed to get his hand on top of his chest. He probed around the wall on top of him and...
Oh, it moved
If he pushed it hard enough he could push the wall aside.
So Cale did just that.
Slowly, he moved the lid bit by bit. The first thing he saw when he opened it large enough was the light. It was so contrasting with the darkness he was in that it blinded him for a moment.
Then as he pushed away he could hear the lid fall to the side with a loud bam and he could finally get out.
Cale sat up and finally saw where he was trapped.
Cale’s breath stopped as he recognized the familiar shape.
...
It was a coffin.
Cale Henituse was sent to the future
And he woke up in a coffin.