Chapter 186

Ginny. Sylphy. Olivia. Elrado. My school friends. Lizer. Verda. Alvarto. Elzard. All my friends in the world. And Ireena, my most cherished friend of all. I hoped that they were alive somewhere out there. Perhaps they’d survived by some miracle and were gathered in a place I hadn’t found yet. Embracing this delusion, I wandered the earth. Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Until now. After I completed my 97,348,252,854th revolution, my soul finally broke. I made a fatal mistake. I accepted reality. Unable to go on, I collapsed on the spot. Clenching my fists, I cried out. Tears flowed from my eyes, and I moaned and wailed, but eventually, everything dried up. And then all that remained was a longing for death. But I couldn’t die. If I took my own life, I’d be resurrected immediately. Not even I could do anything to change my body’s immortality. When…? When will all of this end? That was the only thought remaining in my mind. Guilt consumed my heart. I despised my own existence. I was no longer Ard Meteor, just a failure. My life as Ard, my life as Varvatos, and my eternal existence now were meaningless. I want to disappear. Please. Please, somebody. “Please…give me the salvation…of death.” No sooner did I speak that impossible wish than something emerged from within me—a sparkling fragment. It gradually took human form… …and she appeared before my eyes. “Lydi…a.” My former best friend, the one I loved deeper than anyone or anything in this world. When I saw her, I wept. “Ohh… Lydia…” I clung to her…but she didn’t respond. She was nothing more than a mirage, birthed by my lonely subconscious. Still… “If I could…I would atone for all the mistakes of my past.” “Please…,” I begged. “If you could destroy me…” It was a ludicrous thought, but that insanity was the epitome of lucidity to me right now. As if to answer my plea…a new glittering light burst forth __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The next thing I knew… …the light changed dramatically. A living world formed around me. This was the plaza of Velkratt, capital of the Federal States of Saphiria. And then… “I am but a sword, swinging. I exist only to kill my little brother’s enemies.” Olivia. She was supposed to be dead, yet now she raised her weapon. Has the time line righted itself? No, it hasn’t. This isn’t what happened. The world never ended in the first place. I had a vision…of the future to come. “It wasn’t precognition. You saw the future I experienced.” A voice echoed from the void. The wind surged, and then he was there, like he’d been present from the beginning. He was standing there. “Aah, dammit. Everything about this is so familiar.” He was right next to Olivia and me while we were locked in combat. The complete failure. The other me. Disaster Rogue was standing there.