"This story of yours… it feels like anyone could be the main character!"
"At this rate, it won't work at all..."
His so-called good friend walked beside Lucen, rambling nonstop.
Lucen no longer knew how many times he had come back to life. At first, he tried to change everything. But he eventually realized that everything would return to its original fate no matter how hard he tried. It was like the gears of destiny were set in stone. Struggling against them only led to his flesh and bones being crushed.
Just like this "good friend" of his. Lucen had never even spoken to him properly, yet somehow the guy had ended up as his friend.
This world kept looping endlessly. There was no such thing as the butterfly effect. Rather than a gift, it all felt like a prison, and Lucen's wings weren't strong enough to break free.
There was only one thing he could change: the stories he wrote. Only when writing did he feel he had a world of his own, a private corner inside this distorted reality.
He wondered who should be the protagonist this time?
"Brother!"
Louis had now grown up. Compared to Lucen, who had suffered from poor nutrition, Louis had already reached 180 centimeters tall and would definitely grow even more.
The "good friend" smiled and waved goodbye to Lucen.
Louis snorted and glared after him, complaining to Lucen,
"You don't care about him, yet he keeps clinging to you. So shameless."
Then he lowered his eyes.
Right. His brother didn't care about him either.
But Louis had long grown used to managing his emotions around Lucen.
"Hey, it's my birthday today! I'll be mad at you if you don't have a gift for me!"
A big baby, Lucen thought silently.
"But actually, gifts don't matter that much. We're brothers, right? Even if you say 'happy birthday,' I'd be happy," Lou.brightly.
His red hair swayed like flickering flames. His amber eyes gleamed with life. He was so full of energy, a complete contrast to Lucen.
Louis was talking to himself. He didn't expect a response from his brother.
But then, a hoarse voice suddenly spoke.
"Happy birthday, Louis."
To Louis, it sounded like the voice of heaven.
His eyes widened. He leapt at Lucen and wrapped his arms around him.
Even though he was already taller than his brother, he looked like he wanted to climb into his lap, just like a child who never wanted to grow up.
"I win today! I'm going to brag to everyone about this!"
By then, they had arrived at the birthday venue—a large hotel booked in advance by their maternal relatives, a middle-class family.
"That's right! My brother wished me a happy birthday! Ha ha ha, he doesn't talk to anyone else, but he talks to me!"
"I'm the one he loves the most in this whole family!"
"Of course, my brother is the most beautiful person ever. There's no way your brother is better-looking than mine!"
The guests had all arrived—some were Louis's friends, others were his mother's family business associates.
Because Louis was talking so loudly, more than a few people turned to glance at the young man sitting quietly in the corner.
Since it was a special occasion, Lucen's slightly long hair had been styled, revealing his forehead and face contours. His skin was still pale, lips blood-red, and with those rare violet eyes, he didn't look quite human—more like a vampire who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years.
His eyes were lowered slightly. One leg crossed over the other. He leaned on one arm, head tilted slightly toward the table. A lock of hair fell across his cheek. He looked like a disillusioned drifter, the kind that made you want to become the rose that could hold him back from leaving this world.
"Ah… your brother's so gorgeous, Louis. Do you think I could talk to him?"
One of Louis's friends asked, blushing before she'd even made a move.
Louis glanced at her, frowning slightly, then replied with little interest,
"Go ahead and try. He definitely won't pay attention to you."
"Yeah, Louis's brother is just for looking at," said another girl, clearly speaking from experience.
Louis looked at them, annoyed. They always ignored his warnings and went to try their luck with his brother. Then after getting rejected, they'd sigh and complain. His brother didn't need their pointless hovering!
And those older adults who were always gossiping about Lucen, too—talking about how it was such a shame. Shame about what? His brother didn't like to speak, that's all! If they were to feel sorry for something, they should feel sorry for the few short years they had left to live.
And those young men swarming around his brother—clearly all wishing they had someone like him for an older brother. Disgusting. A swarm of bothersome ants.
Lucen only had one younger brother, and that was Louis!
Just then, a sudden stir ran through the crowd.
The young man quietly sitting in the corner stood up and walked forward. Louis's eyes widened. He could see it—his brother was walking toward him!
Right? That had to be it. He was right here—there was no other explanation, no one else Lucen could be walking toward!
Louis clenched his fists in excitement, instinctively straightening his back.
Was his brother about to give him a gift? If so, he'd be the first ever to receive a gift from Lucen! Of course—of course, his brother loved him the most!
The thought made Louis practically tremble with excitement.
Just then, someone let out a sharp scream. At the same time, Louis heard the unmistakable sound of something snapping.
He looked up instinctively—only to see the grand crystal chandelier suddenly come loose and fall above him. It was less than a meter away.
Was he about to die?
But the next moment, a powerful force shoved him aside. Louis's eyes flew open as he hit the ground. He looked up in panic—
Lucen was standing right where he had just been. Under the blinding light of the falling chandelier, his face looked even more beautiful. Almost sacred.
Brother… are you smiling at me?
"No! Somebody help—call for help!"
The accident had happened so suddenly that chaos broke out among the guests. Louis scrambled over, staring at his brother buried beneath the shattered glass and twisted metal. Blood was everywhere, staining the floor dark red.
He still looked exactly like he did at fifteen. But unlike back then, there was now a faint smile on his lips.
Were you waiting for death all this time, brother?
Louis panicked, but didn't dare to move recklessly. He was afraid that any sudden action might harm his brother and take away his last chance at life. Still, even an ordinary person could see—Lucen definitely wouldn't make it.
It's fine. He'll live. He won't die. He can't.
"I know your secret... You won't die," Louis murmured, the words barely audible even to himself.
Lucen's eyes were tightly shut, but all he could see was a blinding red.
It hurt—a lot—but the pain was so familiar that he hardly registered it. When he had once tried to cut open his stomach, it probably felt something like this.
He knew it was meaningless because Louis was fated to die at eighteen, and he wasn't. He would live long.
Maybe by tomorrow morning, headlines would report that Louis had died from a falling chandelier, while he remained unharmed, unscathed, untouched.
But so what? At least in this moment, Louis—his little brother—was alive.
He was such a good kid. His eyes sparkled when he spoke about the bright future ahead.
At the very least… don't let him die at this beautiful age of eighteen. At the very least, let him live to be eighty, ninety—no, a hundred years old...
[Ding! 100,000th death confirmed. Activating System No. 0000. Hello, trapped soul. If you complete the missions, you can exchange them for one wish!]
A mechanical voice echoed in Lucen's mind, trying to sound cheerful.
Lucen's first thought was—So I've died a hundred thousand times already?
That's... an absurd number. He smiled wryly at himself.
He paused, then said, "Alright."
[System missions may be a little tricky, but there will be rewards... Huh? You've already agreed?]
System 0000 hadn't expected this lord to agree so easily.
"I want... everyone I love to have a happy ending. To be truly happy."
Lucen's memories had grown dim. But sometimes, he would recall the first time he was born.
He had been so lively, constantly teasing Louis. That silly child—even when Lucen made him cry, he'd come running back moments later to cling to him.
He used to have many friends, too, because he was cheerful and sociable by nature. They had all been good to him.
Maybe he'd even loved someone. Had he? He couldn't remember anymore.
Aside from his family, all those bright faces had started to fade, lost in the chaotic sea of memory.
But now, no matter who they were or what they looked like, he hoped they could live.
To live happily and brightly—in a world without him.
...
"I told you so many times not to drink so much. Look at you! You still smell like alcohol!"
It was his mother's gentle scolding, followed by his father's chuckling apology. His father came over, wished him a happy birthday again, and reminded him—he was growing up now.
The scene was vivid. Warm.
"Louis, why are you crying suddenly?" his mother asked worriedly.
"Haha, maybe he's just overwhelmed. Don't worry—tears mark a man's coming of age!"
His father laughed, unconcerned.
Louis instinctively touched his cheek. It was wet.
He glanced around the house, almost like he was looking for someone. But… who?
"Mom, where's my brother?" Louis mumbled.
"What are you talking about, sweetheart?"
"I... I don't know..."