After the apocalypse, Klein searches for his lost humanity.
(Note: Klein's identities have all been revealed to the Tarot Club members. Haven't read COI yet, please treat any plot holes as headcanon.)
Above the gray fog.
Klein, Roselle, and Amanises sat together. After the apocalypse, these three remnants of the pre-epoch often gathered, chatting idly and playing games from their era.
Klein had just lost a round.
"Truth or dare?" Roselle looked at Klein and then raised his eyebrows at the Evernight Goddess discreetly.
Klein thought for a moment. "...Dare, I suppose. I don't have any secrets left in front of you two."
Roselle had been waiting for Him to say this. He immediately turned to Amanises. "You go! Give Ol'Zhou a tough one!"
The Evernight Goddess gave no reaction, as if She had decided Klein's task long ago. She spoke slowly: "Step down from the gray fog. Go and take a look outside."
Klein was a little surprised. "...? That's it?"
The Evernight Goddess nodded. "That's all." Then She added, "Your humanity's decay has been worse than we imagined. Take this chance to rest."
Roselle agreed at once. "Exactly, Ol'Zhou! Even Amanises has kept her humanity better than you. You haven't smiled once these past few days. Didn't you say before that once you recovered, you'd go take a look beneath the fog? How come you've gone back on your word, now that you're doing alright?"
Hearing the words of his old friends, Klein felt a bit lost. "Go down to look? Look at what?"
Through the gray fog, He saw the real world:
He saw the rebuilt Backlund;
He saw the sea He once longed for;
He saw a paperboy pedaling on his bicycle;
He saw a worker, overjoyed at receiving his wages, splurging on a piece of ham to bring home and share with his family;
He saw parents sending their children to school, reluctant to part as they watched them step through the gates;
He saw faces filled with hope as people walked out of churches;
He saw food stalls along the streets, filled with delicious aromas, boisterous conversations, and joyous laughter;
He saw His family, His friends.
Yet in His dark eyes, not a single ripple of emotion stirred.
"I can see anything I want from Sefirah Castle. Why should I go down?"
Roselle and Amanises didn't know how to answer. How do they explain that this was everything He once chose to protect, even at the cost of His life?
"What you see from the gray fog isn't truly what you wish to see." The Evernight Goddess explained softly. "At the very least, your heart doesn't want to stay here."
Klein's dark eyes remained calm, as still as dead water. "What do you mean?"
Yet He pondered Her words. "Humanity..."
When Klein spoke those two words, for some reason, He felt a faint tremor in His heart. A strange sensation welled up, one He hadn't felt in a very long time.
Longing.
Roselle sighed and patted Klein's shoulder.
"You'll understand once you go down yourself. As for what humanity is, why not ask your little friends in the Tarot Club? Or those angels you know, they've preserved their humanity quite well."
Klein said nothing. But in the spirit of the game, He left Sefirah Castle and into the real world.
This let Roselle and the Evernight Goddess breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, they had gotten Him to go down! Now it's just a matter of how much His humanity could be restored...
...
"What is humanity?"
Audrey was initially startled when she saw Klein, then genuinely happy. She had already noticed at the Tarot Club meetings that Mr. Fool wasn't quite right and had worried about His potential loss of humanity. She had been thinking of a way to get Him to come down to the real world for a checkup.
So Mr. Fool is indeed troubled by his godhood? Audrey's thoughts wandered for a second.
After considering what He was told above the gray fog, Klein decided to ask His psychiatrist. After all, she is a professional in this area.
"I think humanity can be defined as what makes you who you are."
Audrey thought for a long time; and Klein waited patiently. "Having your own personality, feeling joy, anger, sorrow and surprise, knowing your own unique story; these are all elements that constitute a 'person'. These things determine what kind of human, not god, you are."
"Pure deities can't understand people. They only know to answer the prayers of their believers, not understanding the motivations behind those prayers. Their emotions are limited to the absolute extreme. They care little about anything. They distance Themselves from Their circumstances."
At this, Klein's pupils trembled slightly; Audrey noticed and continued: "Humanity is an anchor. It's an important component of angels and gods alike. For every high-sequence beyonder, humanity greater than godhood is an aspiration."
Audrey saw the Fool's confusion in his dark eyes. But she felt she had no concrete way to help the familiar yet alien deity before her. His humanity could only be reclaimed by himself.
Audrey opened her mouth slightly, closed it, then pursed her lips together before saying to the god who had turned indifferent again, "You could try experiencing real life. Go somewhere with a lot of people. Better yet, visit the people you know and walk the roads you once walked."
Klein nodded, thoughtful.
…
"Humanity is loving sweets, especially ice cream." Will Auceptin licked the ice cream in his hand and said to the pillar who had suddenly appeared.
Seeing Klein stare at his ice cream, Will instinctively pulled his treasure closer to his chest. "Anyways! Since you want to figure out what humanity is, you should ask other people what kind of person you are in their eyes!"
Klein nodded, still watching the ice cream in Will's hand, as if pondering why this angel's humanity took the form of an ice cream.
Will eyed Klein warily, then said a little threateningly, "If you want ice cream, buy it yourself!"
...
Leonard was happy to see his former colleague who's always sulked up above the gray fog and refused to come down.
Klein looked at him calmly and asked His question; Leonard's mind blanked for a moment, unsure how to answer.
"…Humanity?"
"I think… it's what you like to eat, what you like to do. Your wishes, your hobbies… say, you really love gold pounds. Ah, I can't explain it clearly." Klein watched Leonard, who was scratching his head in thought, and felt an odd urge to speak.
"Loving money, isn't that normal?" he said.
Leonard's eyes lit up; he slapped his palm. "Humanity! That sentence just now was an expression of your humanity!"
Klein frowned slightly; he didn't quite understand why he had said such a thing. Leonard ignored that and kept on talking about old times. Klein listened intently.
Leonard talked until his mouth went dry. Though He was the central subject of all the stories, Klein only nodded occasionally to show he was listening.
"Nostalgia is also an expression of humanity," Leonard added.
The poet found it hard to describe humanity holistically. Humanity could be many things…
Just as he was about to tell another story, he was interrupted by a sudden question: "Star, what was I like before?"
Leonard admitted he felt a little vexed when Klein addressed him by his codename; he frantically rifled through his memories of Klein and the stories he'd told, piecing them together. Halfway through he paused again: Klein had so many identities, which one was the real him? He knew Klein was from the Pre-Epoch, that he possessed Zhou Mingrui's memories, and that his various personas had different personalities.
But they were the same person.
"You're someone who loves sweets and money. Someone who lampoons to himself. Someone who cares for family, friends, and others." Leonard paused, dropped his gaze, and looked at Klein's left chest with dimmed eyes. "Someone who would deem his life insignificant compared to other things, someone who was willing to sacrifice himself for this world. Someone who deeply loved the land beneath his feet."
Leonard paused again. His emerald eyes rose and fixed on the slightly stunned Klein. "Klein, can you grant me one wish?"
The pillar was taken aback by Leonard's sudden question. "Name it."
"I want you to always remember that you are human, not some deity who's above everything. I want you to always remember that we are all by your side."
"... Star, that's two wishes."
At this, a look of surprise flashed across Leonard's previously serious face, and turned into one of hope.
Klein sighed and laid a hand on his chest. He felt his heartbeat; it tremored, as if telling of its own bitterness.
"I hope your wishes come true, Leonard."
...
Zhou Mingrui awoke from a dream.
He heard the sound of rain striking the balcony, pitter-patter, as if it were falling harder and harder.
"It's raining…"
Zhou Mingrui felt a quiet contentment. A rainy day, spent at home, was truly comfortable.
He listened to the noisy rhythm of raindrops and reached out beside his bed, searching for his phone. After several tries, he felt nothing.
Strange.
He looked toward the window, and froze in horror. Reflected on the glass was not his own face, but the visage of a stranger, someone who resembled a westerner.
That wasn't his face.
Who is He?
...
Klein went to find Mr. Azik and posed his question. Mr. Azik smiled gently and stroked his student's head.
"Shall we go make some field observations?"
Azik brought Klein to a café and motioned for Him to sit down.
Before Him sat a cup of coffee. Almost unconsciously, Klein added two cubes of sugar and a little milk.
Azik raised an eyebrow, took a sip of his own coffee, and gestured for Klein to do the same.
The familiar bitterness laced with sweetness slid into Klein's mouth. For some reason, His heart suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction. He hadn't drunk coffee ever since His slumber, the deity recalled.
"Try this one," Azik said, handing Klein another cup containing a reddish-brown beverage.
Sweet iced tea.
A nostalgic flavor.
…Klein couldn't help but take a deep gulp.
Sweet and tangy.
The fragrance of iced tea blossomed in His mouth. He paused, feeling as though something indescribable had stirred within Him. But it was only a glass of ordinary sweet iced tea.
Ice cubes clinked faintly. Bubbles raced upward, bursting one after another, perishing helplessly at their longed-for surface.
In that instant, the pillar's momentary doubt drowned.
He was certain this was just ordinary iced tea. He was simply repeating the act of sipping. As for that first flicker of emotion? It didn't matter. His spirituality gave no warning, which meant there was no danger.
The ice cubes clinked faintly again. Sad teardrops welled up, rushing downward until they fell silent, resting content in their longed-for home.
Cautiously, The Lord of the Mysteries noticed droplets falling. His spirituality spread outward, and found nothing.
At last, the god realized there were tear stains on His own cheeks.
…?
Tears.
The saline solution that humans shed when weary or sorrowful.
After His vigilance came bemusement.
I cried?
After bemusement came confusion.
Why would I weep?
The ice clinked faintly. Tears slipped down the god's face without end, turning from warm to as cold as the cubes themselves, testifying to their existence only through the traces they left behind.
Azik sighed.
"Klein, you're far too tired."
The ice clinked faintly again. With Azik's words, the god's heart throbbed in uncontrollable pain, struggling as though it longed to escape, unwilling to be consumed by monotony.
Then Azik offered a third thing.
A slice of lemon cake.
The heart that had barely steadied skipped another beat. The Lord of the Mysteries had never expected that three simple foods could bring such peculiar feelings.
He felt a strange tightness in His chest, but after careful inspection, His body showed no problem. Only fatigue.
Azik watched Klein pause after tasting a bite of cake, then take another sip of coffee. "At least it's a little better, isn't it?"
Klein drew a deep breath, pressing a hand to His chest. He could feel His heartbeat, pounding as if to tell Him of its own joy.
An emotion that only existed in His memories wrapped around Him with force. Though He didn't understand the cause, Klein didn't dislike the experience.
For the first time in a long while…
Delight.
....
Zhou Mingrui shook his head and laid back on the bed.
Seems I'm just too tired and hallucinating. How could my pure, unmistakable Foodaholic empire features suddenly turn western? Must be a dream within a dream. A good sleep will fix it.
Before long, he drifted off.
In his dreams, he vaguely felt a reluctance to wake up.
Outside, the sound of rain slowly faded. Thick black clouds smothered the sun, leaving not the faintest gap.
But after the rain, the sky always clears eventually… doesn't it?
...
"What kind of person are you?" Countless words of praise popped into Derrick's mind, but in the end, they condensed into just one sentence:
"You are a gentle god. You led us out of the darkness, and gave us light."
"Although you were terrifying when urging me to meet deadlines… Mr. Fool, you really make people feel at ease. Somehow, wherever you are, it feels safe… warm."
"What kind of man is Gehrman? He's a lunatic who loves bossing people around! Always making me pay, wash his clothes… but, well, come to think of it, he always takes burdens onto himself. Always thinking about saving more people. Strong, mad… yet somehow gentle."
"Dogshit! Anderson, shut up! Stop repeating me!!"
"What makes a proper god?" Cattleya frowned slightly. "You are a proper god. You gave us your gentleness, while treating your own life as insignificant. That's something no other god could ever compare to."
...
Ding-dong~
The chime of the doorbell rang out, echoing inside the house. The hurried footsteps that followed conveyed the excitement of the one within.
The door swung open. Melissa, brimming with joy, greeted Him: "Klein!"
"Melissa." Klein smiled as she pulled Him inside.
The familiar scent of the Moretti home washed over Him, and He relaxed almost without realizing it. Fresh vegetables, just brought back from the market, lay waiting in the kitchen.
Smiling, He offered:
"Let me cook."
It was Roselle's suggestion to revisit the warmth of family, the simple joy of being with His siblings again. Klein recalled how Melissa had always loved the meals He made. Sharing His cooking with family… Perhaps it will help Him remember what "home" felt like.
Melissa's eyes lit up at Klein's words, but she quickly restrained herself, shaking her head in refusal.
"There's no way I'd let someone who just got home do the cooking!"
She puffed her cheeks ever so slightly and muttered, "Besides… I've learned a few new dishes lately. You should try my cooking."
Klein knew His sister well: once she set her mind on something, there was no stopping her. All He could do was watch as she grabbed a spatula and disappeared into the kitchen.
His gaze wandered around the living room. Family photos adorned the walls: one of the three siblings together, another of Benson with his wife and daughter. In one, Klein stood proudly with a university diploma, next to Melissa, while Benson wrapped an arm tightly around them. Their smiles were bright, full of life.
Another photo captured Benson in a suit, slipping a ring onto his wife's finger.
"Grinning like a curly-haired baboon." The stray thought popped unbidden into Klein's mind.
Here, in the Morettis' home, Klein found it impossible to stay on guard. Instinctively, He felt this was the safest place in the world.
He didn't realize that, deep within Him, something was slowly breaking.
…
Zhou Mingrui slowly opened his eyes. He glanced toward the window by reflex. The sky outside was still a little gray, but sunlight was already filtering through, eager to pierce through the layered clouds.
Then he saw it.
The face in the reflection wasn't the same as before. It was an amalgamation, a merging of that foreign visage and his own.
Zhou Mingrui jolted in shock.
In the window, his reflection stared back, expressionless. Its eyes were pure black, reflecting nothing, carrying only coldness.
…That's not me.
He was certain. He did not want to become that.
Frantically, he tried to make various exaggerated expressions in his heart, but the reflection never changed. It only stared back, indifferent, like a corpse.
"At the very least, your heart doesn't want to stay here."
A woman's voice, foreign yet faintly familiar, echoed in his mind. Zhou Mingrui tore his gaze away from the reflection. He already knew in his heart what needed to be done.
I have to leave.
He leapt out of bed and bolted out of the room.
...
"Klein? What are you thinking about?"
Melissa's voice pulled Him back from the photographs on the wall.
"Dinner's ready. If Benson were home tonight, I probably would've made more. You know how it is, we can't waste food."
Sitting at the table, Klein took a bite of the dish Melissa had worked so hard to learn.
Mapo tofu.
He knew this flavor. The stillness of His heart rippled at the taste of His homeland.
He was a little surprised.
"It's from one of those recipe books the pre-epoch survivors published," Melissa explained. "I thought it looked interesting, so I bought one and tried it out. How is it?"
"It's delicious."
Of course, compared to the authentic mapo tofu from His old home, it still fell a little short. Klein lampooned silently in His heart.
Relief softened Melissa's worried expression. "Good. This is my first time making it."
"Then it's already amazing." Klein narrowed His eyes in a smile. "The first time I tried making mapo tofu, it ended up more like tofu soup."
Melissa's lips curved ever so slightly in quiet triumph, a little expression of pride that Klein caught immediately.
At the dinner table, Melissa constantly showered her brother with concern and reminders.
"You have to remember to come home more often, even if you're a god. I'm a Beyonder myself now, I know how exhausting it can be… so, Klein, you must remember, Benson and I will always be waiting for you here. Don't be like back then, when you avoided us…"
Klein ate the food of his homeland while listening to Melissa's words, and etched them into his heart.
Home. Family.
....
Zhou Mingrui burst out of the room, stumbling as he rushed downstairs.
The moment he reached the ground floor, the building behind him dissolved into nothingness.
Breath ragged, he looked up at the sky. Sunlight and dark clouds churned together, stirring the heavens into a shifting kaleidoscope.
Then, orange light pierced the gloom, devouring the clouds bite by bite.
Brilliant sunlight poured over Zhou Mingrui, while the voices of friends and family echoed in his ears. Every one of them spoke the same words:
Zhou Mingrui, it's time to wake up. Everyone is waiting for you.
...
"Melissa."
Her stream of worried words was cut short. She lifted her head, meeting the warm brown eyes across the table.
The corners of his lips curved upward as he made his promise:
"I promise. From now on, I'll come back often to see you both."
...
Zhou Mingrui turned toward the glass, catching his reflection.
This time, he was smiling radiantly, joyfully.
"He" had found "him", and he had found himself again.
Fin