“… Then, I leave the rest to you.”
A whisper, barely a breath, escaped the old man’s lips, yet it echoed in the vast chamber’s oppressive silence. Thirty figures stood frozen, their gazes riveted to the bed at the room’s far end. The old man’s emaciated form lay almost swallowed up by the mattress, moving only slightly.
His cheeks had hollowed, his pallor a deathly shade that left no doubt about his current predicament. It was evident his end was near, and nothing could help him at this point.
Tears welled up in the eyes of the onlookers as they gazed upon him, each one silently imprinting the image onto their memory and reminiscing about the experiences they had had with him. This was the end for a man who had cast a giant shadow over their lives, one whose immense presence had both guided and, at times, painfully forged them into who they were.
This man had once commanded a thousand spells, a master of all known magic, possessing an encyclopedic mind that held the breadth of the world’s knowledge. Far and wide, people revered him, bestowing upon him the title of Great Sage.
If any soul could truly be called a legend, it was he. Yet, even legends bowed to the relentless march of time.
Knowing his hour had come, the sage had summoned all his disciples to his side to deliver his final will. Now, as the last words left his lips, he felt his consciousness fading. The relentless pain that had wracked his body for so long was finally receding.
So… it’s almost time, he realized.
Even in death’s embrace, his spirit remained unshaken, for he knew his fate and what lay ahead. A deeper serenity emanated from his frail form, far transcending the mere composure of a long and wise life. No, an extraordinary secret underpinned his calm.
After all, even if I die, I’ll merely be reborn into my next life… with all my memories intact.
He had cast a unique spell upon himself: Reincarnation Magic, a true miracle of arcane science designed to carry his very consciousness beyond the veil of death. The spell was his own creation—forged from a lifetime of accumulated wisdom, and meticulously crafted with a mastery none but he could hope to achieve. No other soul in the world even suspected its existence.
Despite freely bestowing countless other beneficial magics on humanity, he kept this unique creation hidden. The reason was simple: if Reincarnation Magic became widespread, the natural order of the world would be thrown into chaos.
Consider a world where countless souls are reborn, each retaining memories from their previous lives. These reincarnated souls would inevitably shatter society’s foundations, forever erasing its accumulated heritage.
For years, the sage had wrestled with the ethics of using the spell even for himself, tormented by the question: Is it right for even me to reincarnate?
Yet, after a lifetime spent entirely for others—giving of his wisdom, strength, and very being—he permitted himself one final, selfish wish before his passing.
Just this once… let me be a little greedy, he thought.
In truth, he’d never seen his life as the admirable journey others believed it to be.
Despite being praised, celebrated, thanked, and relied upon by nearly everyone, his growing popularity and household name status relentlessly drained his personal time. His days became a blur of endless obligations, and the very concept of rest faded to become an unreachable luxury. Yet, he remained a man of boundless kindness. If someone approached him with a problem only he could solve, he never tried to turn them away or make them feel lesser. He treated everyone around him equally and showed compassion as much as he could.
Such a life wasn’t inherently bad, but he often yearned for a quieter one.
This was his sole motivation for embracing a humble existence in his next life. Perhaps he would spend his days painting, indulging in that long-forgotten hobby, living quietly, far from the world’s ceaseless demands.
My rebirth will likely occur in the distant future… far beyond this era. By then, no one will need me anymore. I’ve taught enough and passed on my knowledge to those who can carry it forward.
With that final contemplation, his gaze swept over his disciples one more time.
Tears shimmered in their eyes, each struggling against sobs as their revered mentor faded before them.
It’s hard to say goodbye, but this is a truth all humans must face. I’m no exception.
Watching the tearful faces of those who had followed him so loyally, the Great Sage offered them one last, gentle smile. Then, slowly, his consciousness began to fade. The faces before him blurred, gradually swallowed by darkness.
After eighty-eight years of unbroken effort, the heart that had sustained him through it all… finally ceased beating.
✦ ✦ ✦
“So… the Great Sage has passed on, hasn’t he?”
Deep within the shadowed room, a solitary figure draped in black watched the entire event unfold. From an immeasurable distance, he had sensed the precise moment of the sage’s death.
“But this isn’t the end. Is it?” he muttered, his voice low and laced with sinister intent. “I know. I alone know the truth: you’ve used a reincarnation spell to carry yourself into another life.”
A twisted smile crept across his lips as his words spiraled into a fevered murmur. His eyes gleamed with madness—wild, unhinged, and utterly consumed.
“No one else could have known,” he hissed. “But I’ve watched you more closely than anyone else ever dared, and I know what you’ve done.”
He spat the words with venom, his voice trembling with a manic intensity.
“I can’t use that spell,” he spat. “Why would I ever rely on a magic you created? No… I’ll reach that world by my own means. I have a forbidden art—my personal secret ritual.”
He inhaled deeply, a tremor in his tone as his eyes lit with unhinged resolve. With a jerk of his arm, he seized a staff and a small vial filled with a thick, inky-black liquid. Then, without hesitation, he raised the vial to his lips and drank it dry.
The moment the liquid slid down his throat, he doubled over, coughing out a raw, guttural sound. His body trembled, wracked with pain, yet a laugh tore from his chest. It began as a low, breathless chuckle, then grew louder and louder, until it became an echoing cackle that filled the room with madness.
“Great Sage… our feud carries into the next life!” he howled, eyes wide with bloodlust. “Ha ha ha! Oh, I can’t wait! I can’t wait! This time, I’ll be the one to end you! I’ll drag you down into the abyss myself! I swear it!”
Laughing like a man possessed by a malevolent entity, he raised his staff high and struck the floor.
Suddenly, a black void bloomed from beneath him, darkness spiraling upward, swallowing his figure whole.
With that, he vanished from the world, now a phantom to all who had once revered him.