The entire world twisted around Ron. Black, gray, and green fog spiraled endlessly, stretching in every direction. Ahead, the swirling mist began to gather, forming an enormous castle that towered impossibly high. From the castle's gate, a path unfurled to Ron's feet, as though inviting him forward.
He stepped onto it, and the path pulsed with energy beneath his boots. On either side, the fog shimmered, revealing fleeting glimpses of possible futures—strange lives, unfamiliar faces, battles, victories, losses, heartbreaks. Ron couldn't make sense of it, but he kept moving.
At the castle doors, taller than skyscrapers, he raised his hand and knocked. The doors creaked open.
Inside, two goblin-like figures floated on midair chairs. One bore an eyepatch over his right eye, a deep scar etched beneath it. The other sat silently, hands folded.
"Welcome, Sir Ron," they spoke in unison. "We knew you'd come."
Ron narrowed his eyes. "Who are you? And how do you know me?"
The eyepatch goblin smirked. "You don't remember us? Then the rumors are true."
The left goblin sighed. "You've truly forgotten. What a shame. We were looking forward to a reunion. But no matter. Let's get to the point."
"You must rescue your friend from the 1,000 Door Trap. You have thirty minutes. Only one door leads to him. Another leads to justice for Bruce's family. All others lead to ruin."
Ron frowned. "And how the hell am I supposed to know which is right? No hints?"
"Not our problem," the eyepatch goblin said, smug. "Your time starts now."
A voice echoed in Ron's mind—Dream's. Listen closely. They'll slip up. Look for repeated lines or strange codes. Anything odd might be a hint.
Ron nodded slightly.
"You know what," the left goblin added, "you've caught their attention."
"Whose?" Ron asked.
"The Beyonders," the eyepatch replied.
"Beyonders?" Ron raised an eyebrow. "Are they strong?"
The goblin laughed. "Far stronger than you can imagine."
Ignoring them, Ron went door to door. The Fourth Wall—his mysterious sixth sense—whispered judgments in his mind. Wrong… Wrong… Closer… Wrong…
The goblins babbled nonsense, attempting to distract him, but Ron stayed focused.
Then the eyepatch goblin said something strange: "Ron, our conversation has been censored. They noticed when you entered."
Ron didn't react.
Infuriated, the goblin erupted the floor into molten lava, and the castle morphed into a fortress of fire. Spectral knights clad in obsidian armor rose, wielding burning weapons.
"You're dead!" the eyepatch roared.
Lightning arced through the air as Ron moved. He blitzed the knights, cutting them like paper. Their spells charred his shirt, but he stood firm. They were infinite—but he was the King of the Mirror World.
Then he stopped. Closed his eyes. Silent. Still. Minutes passed, tiny sparks of lightning dancing around him.
[EVERYTHING HAS BEEN REVERSED]
The fire vanished. The knights evaporated. The goblins froze in horror.
Another goblin appeared—quiet, calm. He whispered instructions while the originals vanished. Opening a floating book, he spoke:
"Akira is in room A4Z5. The room for Bruce's justice is N11M42."
Ron blinked. Yardy?
It was him—Yardy, from the World of Dark Souls. Using shapeshifting and a rare Time-Reverse spell, he had answered Ron's telepathic call. Only people from that world could use such magic—yet Ron was an exception.
Yardy rescued Akira.
Ron entered room N11M42 and found himself inside a memory: Bruce's childhood home on the day of the massacre. He was there, standing in DA's place, facing the cult that had slaughtered Bruce's family.
Without hesitation, Ron struck. He killed them all. When the last fell, a voice echoed behind him.
"You've lifted the curse. You brought justice."
Ron spun. DA stood calmly in the hallway.
"You… How are you here?" Ron demanded. "You have no identity. No records. Who even are you?"
DA gave a faint smile. "Ask your wife. She knows more than I do."
Ron snapped. "I don't have a wife!"
"You did—before your slumber. She's still out there. Find her. The answers await."
The illusion began to fade, but DA's voice remained.
"You are different. When I checked your stats, everything was censored… except three abilities: Teleportation, Copy, and something else hidden. One more thing… Beware those you trust. Power users like you are rarer than one in a billion."
And then—silence.
Ron found himself at the castle door again. Reality returned. Bruce and Carter were there.
"My brother came to me," Bruce said, eyes teary. "He said… thank you. For everything. He told me to live."
He hugged Ron tightly.
Later, the three—Ron, Carter, and Akira—boarded a flight back to Hero Town. But Ron's mind was elsewhere. He had more questions than ever. And somewhere out there… a wife he no longer remembered awaited.