Carter and Future Lia stood alone on the battlefield. Hero Town lay in ruins—reduced to ash and rubble. At the start, Carter had forced every civilian into the underground bunker beneath his department. Lives were spared, but the town itself was gone.
Above ground, the ruins were crawling with Cultists and agents of the Organization. Carter's ears twitched—the sound of heavy footsteps echoed closer and closer through the silence of destruction. Out of the smoke emerged DA, carrying Ron's unconscious body, Ron elbow DA's shoulder.
Every hospital, every safe haven had been obliterated. Slowly, the bunker doors opened and the townspeople began to emerge. They looked upon Carter, Future Lia, and DA—their last pillars of hope.
But the bunker had been built only for emergency hiding. There was no food, no water, no supplies. Despair filled their eyes.
An old man's cracked voice broke the silence.
"Let's rebuild this place… and choose someone to lead us."
Murmurs of agreement spread. The town needed more than walls. It needed a head.
An old woman added, "We can rebuild… but who will be the leader?"
Carter raised his hand. "We'll decide that later. Right now, what we need most is food. Without it, rebuilding means nothing."
Future Lia leaned close, whispering into his ear. "Carter… everything in Hero Town was destroyed—even the reserves. The only food left is beyond… and that territory belongs to the Cults."
Carter clenched his fists, thinking. Lia's voice carried a darker weight this time: "Even Dream isn't here. If she were, she could have reversed time."
Carter turned to DA. "You—can't you use a spell to turn back time?"
DA's expression hardened. "Yes… but even I haven't mastered it. Still…" He smirked faintly. "I have something up my sleeve."
Carter narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"He'll be here any second," DA replied cryptically.
And then—a shadow swooped down from the sky. Locki landed with a heavy thud, scanning the devastation. His gaze locked on Carter.
"What in the world happened here?"
Carter forced a weary smile. "I'll explain later. Right now—help me create shelters."
Locki placed a reassuring hand on Carter's shoulder. "Why not?"
He rose into the air, pulling a pen from his pocket—strangely similar to Aurora's, yet different. His eyes glowed a deep, piercing blue. From above, he stared down at Hero Town's ruins as though it were paper waiting to be redrawn.
Then—he began to sketch reality by his imagination.
With the pen, and the power of his imagination, Locki painted the city back into existence. Parks, homes, streets, hospitals—reborn stroke by stroke. The people watched, awestruck, as stone and steel grew out of nothing, as if the ruins were merely lines waiting to be erased.
Within minutes, Hero Town stood restored—stronger, with underground bunkers stocked with all necessities. Locki drifted back to the ground, dizzy and pale. Carter caught him before he could fall.
"This power… drains me," Locki whispered.
Meanwhile, Ron was admitted into a hospital. His regeneration worked tirelessly, but rest was still required. And as he slept—his soul wandered.
Ron woke up in another body.
He was standing on the roof of the invisible house he'd seen before—in the Land of Bermuda. Inside, he saw his mother, his mother's little sister, and a young version of himself sleeping peacefully.
He stepped inside. The mansion was exactly as it had appeared in his dreams.
In one room, Ron found little Ron—but through the body of someone else, someone with blazing red eyes. The child suddenly opened his eyes, staring directly into Ron's borrowed crimson gaze.
Ron flinched. When he blinked, the vision shattered. He now stood in a blank white space.
Taking a few cautious steps, Ron saw two children—a boy and a girl—laughing and playing.
"Ron, I love writing stories," the girl said. "Will you read mine if I write one?"
Ron froze.
"Ron? Then that little kid is… me?"
The boy, young Ron, grinned. "Yes. I'll always read your stories no matter what."
Suddenly, a shadow fell over them. Dr. Thomas appeared, calling softly. "Let's go, Dream."
The girl smiled, waving. "Bye, Ron!" She ran off with Thomas.
Ron's lips curled into a trembling smile. "Dream… so we were close even back then…"
But the warmth shattered. In an instant, the vision twisted into fire and blood. The world burned—bodies scattered, rivers running red. From above, futuristic jets and warships descended, unleashing merciless barrages of laser fire.
Ron saw himself and Dream, only twenty, running hand-in-hand through the carnage. A blast struck nearby, sending them sprawling. Ron carried her, desperate to survive.
Watching, Ron's chest tightened. What happened next?
Before he could see, a boy with snow-white hair appeared, seizing his wrist. Without explanation, he dragged Ron forward until a massive screen opened before them.
On the screen, Ron saw Hero Town reduced to ash once more. Carter lay dead, his body pierced by countless needles. Beside him, Lia wept uncontrollably.
Ron's heart sank. "Carter… dead? No… that can't be…"
The image shifted. A seven-headed dragon loomed, ready to devour Lia. But then—the white-haired boy stepped into the vision. With a familiar sword—the Blade of Vengeance—he defied the beast.
A chilling notification appeared:
[The Beyonder is descending into his Avatar]
Ron's eyes widened. Someone else can see these messages too?
Before he could process it, the screen dissolved into darkness.
"This is the timeline of Future Lia," came a voice. Ron turned to see the white-haired boy watching him closely.
Ron demanded, "Who are you?"
The boy's lips parted, eyes widening in disbelief. "What? You… don't recognize me? It's me—"
But the name was lost. Ron couldn't hear it.
The dimension shattered.
He found himself falling into another realm—a floor made entirely of pages stretching into infinity.