Cheers filled the throne hall.
"The Demon King is dead!"
"We actually did it!"
Someone began laughing loudly. Another fell to their knees in relief.
Soon the entire hall erupted in celebration.
Some of the porters opened their backpacks and pulled out small paper tubes.
Pop.
Colorful confetti burst into the air, scattering across the ruined throne room.
"Victory!"
"Hero Leo!"
People began chanting his name.
I stood there quietly, watching the celebration unfold.
So this is it.
The ending.
The story had finally reached its conclusion.
Then—
A faint sound appeared in front of me.
Beep.
A translucent screen suddenly appeared before my eyes.
At first, I didn't understand what I was looking at.
But when I read the words written on it…
My body froze.
Time left until death
04:59
The numbers began counting down.
…Ah.
So it's finally happening.
My fingers trembled slightly.
"No…"
I whispered to myself.
"No… not yet."
My chest tightened painfully.
I looked toward the front of the throne room.
Leo was standing there, surrounded by everyone.
People cheered his name.
Taiga laughed loudly while slapping Leo on the back.
Someone lifted a flag.
Another person shouted about returning to the capital.
This was the ending I had always wanted to see.
Back in my previous life…
Lying on that hospital bed…
Reading the story over and over again…
This was the moment I had dreamed about.
But—
My hand slowly reached forward.
"No… I don't want to die yet."
My voice trembled.
"I haven't seen the real ending."
My fingers curled helplessly in the air.
"I want to see Leo sitting on the throne… wearing his king's outfit…"
"I want to see Taiga become the king of another country…"
"I… also wanted to see Dia-chan happy someday… maybe even in a wedding dress."
My throat tightened.
"I want to see everyone's happy ending."
My voice cracked.
"…I want to have one too."
For a moment, I stood there frozen.
Then I stopped.
If I die here…
Everyone will see it.
Their celebration will turn into panic.
Someone will scream.
Someone will cry.
I lowered my hand slowly.
"…No."
I wiped my eyes quickly.
I can't ruin this moment for them.
This is their victory.
Their happy ending.
---
So quietly…
Very quietly…
I began walking away from the throne room.
No one noticed.
Everyone was too busy celebrating.
The countdown continued ticking in front of me.
02:59
The castle hallway was silent compared to the chaos behind me.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
My breathing grew weaker.
Then I noticed something.
A small crack in the stone wall.
It was barely noticeable.
For some reason…
I felt drawn to it.
I pushed the broken stones aside and slipped through the gap.
On the other side…
There was a small hidden chamber.
Moonlight poured down from the open sky above.
In the center of the small open area stood a small, dying tree, its withered branches bathed in the pale glow of the moon.
Its branches were thin.
Its leaves had almost all fallen.
It looked like it had been forgotten a long time ago.
I stared at it quietly.
Then I laughed weakly.
"…You and I are kind of alike, huh?"
Both of us were just things that didn't belong in this story.
I slowly sat down beside the tree.
Then leaned my back against its fragile trunk.
The countdown continued.
00:30
My body felt cold.
My vision blurred.
"…Ah…"
A small bitter smile formed on my face.
"This is unfair."
I looked up at the faint light above.
"I finally made it to the ending…"
"…but I don't get to see it."
My breathing grew slower.
"I wonder…"
"What does a happy ending feel like?"
The numbers kept falling.
00:19
My eyelids felt heavy.
So tired.
00:10
00:09
00:08
My vision dimmed.
But through the fading darkness—
I saw someone.
A figure running desperately toward me.
Pink hair, wearing a priest robe and a staff behind her.
"…Dia-chan…"
The moment I whispered her name—
00:03
00:02
00:01
The countdown stopped.
Then—
My chest suddenly swelled violently.
Like something inside me was expanding.
A terrifying pressure built inside my body.
And then—
BOOM.
My heart burst.
It exploded like a balloon popping from too much air.
Blood scattered across from my mouth.
The world went silent.
My consciousness faded instantly.
I can faintly see Dia-chan running toward me, her figure blurred by the tears filling my eyes.
I wish I could tell her not to cry. I wish I could stay just a little longer.
"Goodbye, Dia-chan… please live happily. I hope your story ends the way it was meant to… with a beautiful ending."
And thus—
This was the end of his first life.