Chapter 43: The Night He Died Twice

That wasn’t Osh.

The Osh Kebel knew would never look at him with that expression. The way he gazed down at him, cold and carrying a chilling aura, reminded him of the black reaper he had seen that day in the rain.

As the fear resurfaced, Kebel’s body began to tremble.

Terrified, so terrified that he clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. Twisting his body, he desperately tried to break whatever spell had been cast on him. He needed to grab the dagger and protect himself, but tragically, he couldn’t move at all.

Was this really how it would end? Without even being able to resist, would his fate come to such a futile conclusion?

If he’d known it would come to this, he should have simply enjoyed his life instead of trying to change anything.

Kebel regretted it.

So this was how it ended.

No matter how much he struggled against fate, Osh would still have to kill him in the end.

With the expression of someone watching the world collapse around him, Kebel stared at him.

“If you came to kill me, then do it.”

His voice trembled slightly, but his eyes remained firm.

Meeting his gaze directly, Kebel watched as Osh twisted his lips into a faint smirk.

“Kill you…?”

Osh brushed a finger along Kebel’s throat.

His lips remained curved as he slowly pressed down on Kebel’s Adam’s apple.

A choking sound escaped Kebel’s mouth.

Osh watched him struggle with utterly indifferent eyes.

After applying just enough pressure to make breathing difficult—but not enough to kill—he released him.

“Wasn’t it the other way around?”

Kebel’s eyes widened.

Osh casually reached beneath the pillow and pulled out the dagger hidden there.

How had he known it was there?

Kebel wanted to explain himself, wanted to say something, but no words came out.

In the end, he simply looked at him.

What excuse could possibly matter to someone who had come to take his life?

With resentment filling his eyes, Kebel glared at him.

Osh let out a scoffing laugh.

“Why aren’t you making excuses? It’s annoying.”

The words sounded shockingly harsh coming from him.

Had he changed after becoming an adult?

The Osh before him felt completely different.

Kebel opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish.

“If I’d really come here to kill you…”

Osh stroked his face.

The fine hairs standing on end from fear reacted to his touch.

His hand slid down Kebel’s jawline, traced the curve of his neck, and slipped beneath the loosened collar of his shirt.

His fingers stopped at Kebel’s collarbone, rubbing against it possessively.

“I would’ve killed you before you even woke up.”

His voice carried a killing intent so cold it sounded as though he might slit Kebel’s throat at any moment.

Not a trace of warmth remained in his tone.

Yet his gaze lingered on Kebel’s neck.

“Kebel.”

“…”

“Why did you think I came here to kill you?”

Those murky eyes, dark enough to swallow everything, stared at him relentlessly.

Then Osh drew the dagger from its sheath.

The blade flashed under the moonlight.

After examining the short but razor-sharp weapon, he clenched his teeth.

His face suddenly twisted in pain.

“Ugh…”

“Osh! Are you okay?”

The moment the words left Kebel’s mouth, his body finally moved.

He reached toward Osh, but Osh crushed his shoulder with one hand.

Still clearly suffering, he pressed a hand against his forehead.

The groans spilling from his lips revealed how much pain he was enduring.

“O-Osh…?”

The sight terrified Kebel so much that tears welled in his eyes.

It looked as though Osh was fighting something inside himself.

As time passed, his complexion grew paler and the veins beneath his skin became more pronounced.

The sight hurt Kebel unbearably.

He placed his hand over Osh’s.

“What’s wrong? Where does it hurt? Tell me… please?”

His voice shook with tears.

Watching cold sweat pour from Osh as though rain were falling from him, Kebel carefully reached toward his face.

As if sensing what he intended to do, Osh suddenly drove the dagger deep into his own abdomen.

The dull sound of steel piercing flesh was horrifying.

Kebel wanted to scream.

Wanted to ask if he’d gone insane.

But the shock robbed him of speech.

All he could do was stare with a deathly pale face, his lips trembling.

Blood slowly spread across Osh’s clothes.

His muscles tightened around the blade, preventing massive blood loss.

At least until he pulled it out, and stabbed himself again.

Before Kebel could even process why, the dreadful sound echoed once more.

Watching someone stab themselves right in front of him was pure horror.

Just as Kebel thought he might faint, blood burst from Osh’s mouth.

At the same time, all strength seemed to leave his body.

He collapsed forward.

Everything happened so quickly that Kebel couldn’t even comprehend it.

Instinctively, he caught him.

Terrified that Osh might die, he sat up and pulled him into his arms.

“O-Osh…?”

His voice shook violently.

Using the blanket, he frantically wiped the blood from Osh’s lips.

His breathing was so faint it seemed his life might vanish at any moment.

Unable to believe what was happening, Kebel kept calling his name.

He could feel Osh breathing, so why wasn’t he answering?

Tears blurred his vision.

Blinking rapidly to clear them away, Kebel brushed the sweat-soaked hair from Osh’s forehead.

And there they were.

The emerald-green eyes he loved had returned.

Osh placed his hand over Kebel’s hand, the one trying to stem the bleeding.

For the first time in a long while, his voice emerged.

“…Kebel.”

“What is all of this?! What’s happening?!”

Kebel practically shouted.

But Osh only answered with a faint smile.

Kebel sniffled and bit down hard on his lip.

Calling a priest would make everything far too complicated.

Yet he couldn’t simply leave Osh like this.

As he desperately tried to think of what to do, Osh lifted a hand to his face.

Perhaps because he’d lost so much blood, his fingers were cold.

Cold enough to feel like death itself.

Fear gripped Kebel’s heart.

What if trying to change fate had caused this?

What if Osh was dying in his place?

Holding Osh’s hand, Kebel pressed his cheek against it.

“Don’t cry… Why are you crying?”

“If it were you…”

Kebel wanted to ask how anyone could possibly not cry.

But the words wouldn’t come.

As though he already knew what Kebel was thinking, Osh continued weakly.

“…I won’t die that easily. Not while leaving you behind. Never. So don’t cry like that.”

“How can I not…? Th-the blood…”

Before Kebel could finish, Osh’s hand fell limply to his side.

His eyelids closed over those beloved eyes.

The smile disappeared.

Kebel’s heart slammed against his ribs.

His hands trembled uncontrollably.

“O-Osh?”

He called his name softly.

No answer came.

Only the wind blowing through the open window filled the room.

Terrified that he might truly be dead, Kebel slowly brought his face near Osh’s nose.

A faint breath still touched his skin.

There was still hope.

He needed to call Ida immediately.

Yet his mouth wouldn’t move.

Like a man whose mind had completely shut down, he could only whisper Osh’s name over and over.

“I’m sorry… so please…”

His chest hurt as though someone were wringing his heart dry.

Breathing itself was agony.

Sobbing helplessly, Kebel cried out.

‘Just once…’

If saving Osh meant giving up his own life, then he would.

If this had happened because of him…

At that moment, perhaps because of that desperate wish, a faint light emerged beneath Kebel’s palm.

A brilliant glow spilled from his fingertips where they rested on Osh’s abdomen.

Startled, Kebel jerked his hand away.

Then he stared at his own palm.

What was that?

He was certain light had come from it.

A realization struck him.

Quickly lifting Osh’s clothing, he looked at the wound.

The injury had healed.

Completely.

“Why…?”

Covering his mouth, Kebel stared in shock.

Never in his life had he imagined possessing such an ability.

The original story had never mentioned anything like this.

In fact, the words healing power had never appeared at all.

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