Aeren's body blasted, but his freedom still remained around the world. Then Aeren saw all the elements of the world and took them around him, starting to create his own body.
Aeren created his body, but the shape didn't feel right. He took all the elements for the body and created one more body, but this time the eyes, nose, and face shape felt weird.
Aeren created again and again. He created his body repeatedly like people create their own creations.
Aeren started finding freedom in his own creation and didn't stop. After attempting for five years, Aeren finally created his perfect body shape. He looked like his past self.
And Aeren wrote his first freedom through the creation of his own body.
The moment his consciousness settled into his newly crafted form, reality itself seemed to acknowledge what had transpired.
Death had touched him, claimed him, buried him—yet here he stood, reborn not through any natural law or divine intervention, but through his own will made manifest. The cycle that bound all living things had shattered against his determination. He had taken the very elements that composed existence and molded them into his image, defying the fundamental order that separated the living from the dead.
This was his first freedom—the freedom from mortality's chains.
Aeren looked at the sky with his newly reformed body. The bright sun was shining in the sky, then he looked at the ground and the forest around him.
Everything looked more beautiful than before, and Aeren could see many things in the air, but he didn't care about those things.
Aeren then looked around and noticed the ghost house no longer existed. He thought, Did someone blast me or this area? There are no living beings to be seen here anymore.
Aeren turned his head forward and whispered, "People must have found out about the ghosts and blasted this place. What a pity. I would have died before, but now the life and death cycle no longer contains me anymore."
Aeren didn't care about the ghost house anymore and saw the sun again.
Then he floated in the sky and stood in one place, seeing the beautiful world. The higher he floated, the more beautiful the world looked.
Aeren reached above the world and saw the earth. He was floating in space, looking down on earth.
Aeren looked left and right and whispered, "I'll come to you."
Aeren gazed onto the world and announced:
"Listen to me, world. I am freedom. Freedom is me. I will show my freedom to myself, and you will be my stepping stone."
His words carved themselves into the fabric of reality, echoing across continents, through oceans, penetrating the dreams of the sleeping and the thoughts of the awake.
"And people of the world, I will let you know all of the freedom you have that you still don't know how to use."
Aeren descended to earth, took steps, and started walking toward the city where Quella was staying.
After half an hour, Aeren came out from the forest and saw the city.
Technology was all around the place, and people were rarely seen on the ground—all of them were flying in the sky with their technology.
Aeren saw the perfect thing he had expected and went to Quella. A few minutes later, Aeren came to Quella's mansion.
Aeren rang her doorbell. A few seconds later, "Coming!" Aeren heard.
Aeren stayed at the door for seconds and waited. And someone opened the door.
She looked young and beautiful, had blue eyes, shining black hair, and a presence that felt naturally attractive. Her posture was straight, and her delicate features looked perfect. Her blue eyes looked at Aeren with curiosity.
She looked at Aeren for a few seconds and examined his body, seeing his clothes—a brown t-shirt and blue jeans. She could see Aeren's black eyes.
Aeren had just picked up the clothes on his way.
She looked at Aeren and said, "Who are you?"
Aeren stared at her and didn't reply. She also waited for his reply, but Aeren didn't give her an answer. Then someone's voice came from behind.
"Who's at the door? Is there a problem? I can handle it." A man's voice was heard by both of them.
She heard the man's voice and turned her head toward it. "No worry, it's just a beggar."
Aeren heard her and didn't pursue the matter, saying, "Quella, what are you asking?"
She heard her name and kicked Aeren in the stomach. Aeren flew away but didn't resist and saw Quella's eyes from a distance. Aeren didn't feel pain or anything inside him.
Aeren just stopped against the wall.
The man also heard the commotion and came to investigate, seeing Quella was safe, and he sighed in relief. The man went to Quella and asked, "What happened?"
Quella looked back at him and said, "Don't worry, it's personal. You can sit where you were a few moments ago."
Aeren was still looking at Quella while sitting against the wall for support. She slowly came to Aeren. Aeren's head went up to see her, and then she punched him and again.
Aeren didn't scream and didn't feel pain. Aeren was beaten by Quella for half an hour. He could barely stand properly now.
"You bastard, I waited... for you. I missed... you every day, but you didn't come." Her tears started falling from her eyes. Aeren still stared at her with his cold eyes.
Aeren could use any emotion on himself, but he didn't use those emotions.
Quella sat down on her knees to Aeren's level and hugged him, sobbing on his shoulder. "It's been 45 years... 3 months… and 10 days... sob... I've seen you after that much waiting... And you still look young... I wanted to surprise you with my looks, but you bastard took that surprise too..."
Aeren heard all of her crying and didn't feel anything or think anything. Aeren came here because he had no place to go. He would have lived in the ghost house, but that house was destroyed, and Quella was the only option left.
Aeren patted her head and said, "You look the same to me."
Quella wasn't surprised by Aeren's words. Aeren had never called her ugly in the past and never even shown disgust about her. Aeren spoke about illusions, reality, and freedom...
Quella always felt that Aeren had been looking at her differently, in a way that couldn't be understood by normal logic. She didn't ask Aeren how he saw her because she was always scared of being called ugly by someone she loved.
She released Aeren and wiped her tears, looking at him again. Aeren also looked the same as when he had left, but his eye color had changed back. So she felt curious about his black eyes.
"What happened to your eyes? Where are your colorless eyes?"
Aeren looked at her and said, "I prefer black."
Quella's blue eyes glared at Aeren. She heard him and understood. Quella had lived with Aeren for two years, and Aeren only spoke about imaginary things he wanted to do. Aeren's black eyes were one of those imaginary things.
This Aeren could change any eye color he wanted to change. Quella knew his many freedoms, and she had followed some of them.
Quella knew everything about Aeren, and she had always thought Aeren couldn't be contained or caged.
"Did you announce to the world?"
Aeren didn't give her an answer, but she understood the moment she heard the announcement.