Alaysia sighed.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Fighting again will make Aru sad.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Clang—
✦ ✦ ✦
She pushed away Hyria’s front paw that was holding her down and stood up.
✦ ✦ ✦
Her body had fully regenerated, and she wore a relaxed expression even amidst this situation.
✦ ✦ ✦
Alaysia looked at her siblings who had gathered for the first time after a long time, with a sullen face.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was the first time she showed anger after blabbering nonsense all this time.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...Don’t do anything that would make Aru sad.”
✦ ✦ ✦
[Isn’t it you who makes him the saddest?]
✦ ✦ ✦
“Nar, you’re so mean.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Nartania felt a shiver go down her spine.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was from disgust.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Stop calling me that. It makes me want to rip your mouth open.]
✦ ✦ ✦
“Aru wanted us to get along well.”
✦ ✦ ✦
[You killed Aru with your own hands, didn’t you?]
✦ ✦ ✦
“He’s not dead.”
✦ ✦ ✦
She replied with the same old argument.
✦ ✦ ✦
Then, Nartania stopped at Alaysia’s unyielding attitude.
✦ ✦ ✦
A silence fell.
✦ ✦ ✦
The moment when the Apostles, Heroes, and Ancient Species pulled out their weapons and aimed at Alaysia, Nartania’s shoulders suddenly shook, and she began laughing.
✦ ✦ ✦
Flinch—
✦ ✦ ✦
Everyone froze.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Could it be…?]
✦ ✦ ✦
It would have been strange if they weren’t surprised by her absurd laughter.
✦ ✦ ✦
All eyes were on Nartania.
✦ ✦ ✦
They awaited her next words.
✦ ✦ ✦
Soon after, she spoke.
✦ ✦ ✦
[...Do you really think that empty shell, the body that reincarnated without his soul, could be Ardain?]
✦ ✦ ✦
What her finger pointed to was none other than Vera.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vargo’s eyes widened enormously.
✦ ✦ ✦
Subsequently, the others also showed surprised reactions.
✦ ✦ ✦
It wasn’t just them.
✦ ✦ ✦
Everyone present, except for Nartania, Alaysia, and Locrion, was taken aback.
✦ ✦ ✦
Even Renee realized that the person Nartania was talking about was Vera.
✦ ✦ ✦
Her mind became clouded as her heart sank.
✦ ✦ ✦
Nevertheless, Nartania continued to speak.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Ah… you foolish girl. That’s just an empty shell. Once Ardain’s soul is gone, it’s just a human body. I mean, you’ve just been chasing an illusion for years.]
✦ ✦ ✦
“It doesn’t matter. If the vessel is empty, then it can be filled.”
✦ ✦ ✦
[So, is that why you’ve gathered all these?]
✦ ✦ ✦
Nartania’s hand pointed towards where the Apostles and the Heroes were located.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Because they contain the souls of Ardain? Because proof of his existence is needed? All these things that are crammed inside Vera’s body…]
✦ ✦ ✦
“It’s not Vera. It’s Aru.”
✦ ✦ ✦
[...Huh.]
✦ ✦ ✦
Nartania’s words stopped.
✦ ✦ ✦
No one could take another move.
✦ ✦ ✦
That was because the truth she revealed was too shocking.
✦ ✦ ✦
[What…?]
✦ ✦ ✦
Gorgan asked in a trembling voice, and Nartania answered with a snort.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Didn’t you know even though you’ve been following him like a lapdog?]
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera, who still hadn’t come to his senses, was there.
✦ ✦ ✦
As Gorgan looked at Vera, he finally realized what had been bothering him.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘It’s not that they’re similar…’
✦ ✦ ✦
It was indeed him.
✦ ✦ ✦
That was why he felt so familiar.
✦ ✦ ✦
Even though his soul had left his body, and even when that very existence had been altered…
✦ ✦ ✦
It still felt familiar because he was Ardain.
✦ ✦ ✦
’…The body.’
✦ ✦ ✦
It was the body that Ardain would periodically change into.
✦ ✦ ✦
The vessel that would contain him.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Gor, you understand now, right?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Alaysia smiled as she spoke to Gorgan.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Aru will come back.”
✦ ✦ ✦
For a moment, his heart wavered.
✦ ✦ ✦
A nostalgic feeling arose at the thought of meeting someone he had missed so much.
✦ ✦ ✦
However, Gorgan knew.
✦ ✦ ✦
[That’s nonsense. Ardain won’t come back. Even if we piece together his torn soul, his being will become something entirely different.]
✦ ✦ ✦
“Who decides that?”
✦ ✦ ✦
[The Parent.]
✦ ✦ ✦
“What if our Parent is gone?”
✦ ✦ ✦
[What…?]
✦ ✦ ✦
Alaysia took a step forward.
✦ ✦ ✦
Her seemingly calm face began to show madness along the words that followed.
✦ ✦ ✦
“What if our Parent is gone? What if we rewrite the rules from the beginning? What if we’re not eternal, not immortal, not perfect?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Gorgan realized as he looked into her eyes.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘This is…’
✦ ✦ ✦
Evil.
✦ ✦ ✦
No, it was pure.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was so pure that it appeared evil. It was that kind of desire.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Nothing would be able to stop us. We’ll be free from duty and responsibility. We won’t have to scatter and separate. We can all live in a vast flower field.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Step—
✦ ✦ ✦
Hyria stepped back, feeling an instinctive threat from Alaysia.
✦ ✦ ✦
It’s impossible.
✦ ✦ ✦
Gorgan felt an indescribable rejection of the incomprehensible idea.
✦ ✦ ✦
Gorgan felt an indescribable revulsion at her unthinkable idea.
✦ ✦ ✦
And then, he felt fear.
✦ ✦ ✦
Squelch—
✦ ✦ ✦
A glacier lodged in Alaysia’s head.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Listen, wench.]
✦ ✦ ✦
Locrion’s head descended from the sky to the ceiling of the room and then right in front of Alaysia’s nose.
✦ ✦ ✦
Facing her up close, Locrion spoke.
✦ ✦ ✦
[No one can defy the laws of the Parent.]
✦ ✦ ✦
The dragon’s mouth opened, and within was a strange night sky with hundreds of billions of twinkling stars.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Disappear.]
✦ ✦ ✦
The night sky shot out and enveloped Alaysia.