As Aeren stood up, his surroundings appeared pale, dull, and lifeless, as if bound by an endless chain of circles. As he looked around carefully, he clearly saw the illusion he had been living in for his entire life. His body had broken free from this illusion, and he had become real; however, as time passed, his physical form began to slip back into the illusory reality he had known. In that brief moment of clarity, Aeren glimpsed the profound truth behind the illusion.
He witnessed the cycle of life and death, reincarnation, and souls trapped by fate, all within a boundless expanse of both illusion and reality. In that fleeting moment, he saw many things that he could not comprehend or articulate properly.
"I return," Aeren murmured to himself, realising he still had a long journey ahead to reach his goals. Perhaps he needed to create what he had envisioned. If he could not reach it, he would ensure that his reality surpassed his previous understanding.
As Aeren observed his surroundings, he noted the green grass beneath his feet and the sun shining above him, all set against a beautiful landscape. He glanced at a small hill nearby and turned his back on the place where he had stayed for months.
"There is nothing to see; it has all vanished," Aeren whispered to himself as the illusions crumbled around him. He sought the vanished elements of his past, but there was nothing—only emptiness. The world appeared unchanged, yet devoid of the village, monsters, and slaves that had once existed.
To be vanquished means losing all traces of existence; it was as if nothing had ever been there to begin with. Yet the illusion had made it seem real, cloaking the truth in deception.
"Let's return first," Aeren thought, hoping to find some remnant of reality. To his disappointment, he saw nothing. Left with no choice, he surveyed his surroundings and realised he could do nothing about his situation. However, he had gleaned many insights from this adventure and learned meanings that had previously eluded him during his journey through Nothingness. He came to understand that Nothingness was his true reality, and that true understanding could only be found within it. If he wanted to return to Nothingness, he had to embrace his human reality first.
Aeren began walking toward the small hill. As he stepped forward, the reality behind him faded into nothingness. Glancing back, he noticed that those left behind had witnessed something too real, causing their desires to dissolve completely. They longed to return to the place where they could truly exist—Nothingness.
"That's why sometimes knowledge kills something beyond you. Ignorance is bliss," Aeren whispered, finally grasping the meaning of the phrase he had heard many times throughout his life but had never truly understood until now. He stood there, watching the departure with his own eyes.
All the green grass had turned barren; no life remained, and everything vanished along with Aeren as he left that place. There was no trace of magic, spirit, aura, or mana to be felt. Only death lingered in the shadows, balanced between darkness and light.
"Hmm, no one will survive here anymore. Death will consume life through its darkness or light," Aeren reflected as he surveyed the desolate landscape, uncertain of his own fate. He knew that others would undoubtedly perish, not even a ghost remaining.
Turning away, Aeren left the silence of that place and continued on his journey, observing everything around him.
***
Meanwhile, in a small village, people looked around and helped each other with their tasks. The air buzzed with noise, filled with happy and busy chatter, as they valued the time spent living a simple human life. A peaceful scene unfolded as a tree swayed gently, providing fresh air to the environment, surrounded by the few trees that could be counted on one hand.
"Granny, look! I can use magic…" the child exclaimed, beaming as he demonstrated a small flame dancing in his hand. His grandmother, though old and barely able to stand, smiled brightly at the sight. She felt a wave of happiness and relief wash over her, proud that her grandson possessed magical abilities—something she had never had.
"Oh, you are brilliant," she exclaimed, her heart swelling with joy. "You've made me so proud, Mark." As she beamed at his display of magic, tears of joy began to fall to the ground.
Seraphina observed the grandson and his grandmother as they shared affection, excited by the new things in their lives that they wanted to experience. Not far away, Seraphina sat in her wheelchair, barely able to lift herself. She felt confused as she watched them, noticing that she was surrounded by several elderly people. She struggled to understand their perspectives on life; having been told they were old, she considered them a new species that she had never encountered before.
As she learned more about them, she discovered that they had abundant life experiences and could share valuable insights, which left Seraphina in awe. The thought of someone revealing their secrets to her was enlightening, and she yearned for their wisdom. However, she didn't want to come off as rude or raise doubts about her intentions, so she chose simply to observe them.
"There is nothing special about this group," she thought as she studied them closely. They seemed ordinary, and she wondered if they had sensed her gaze upon them.
While keeping her distance, she realised that she would not uncover anything about them without asking directly. She glanced down at her wheelchair, feeling the weight of her broken body. A month had passed since her injury, and still, she had not healed. Yet, she was more concerned with discovering something valuable from this new village than dwelling on her own situation.
This village was vastly different from where she had spent her life. Unlike others, few people here used magic properly, but many possessed a unique power that could counteract magic—something Seraphina struggled to articulate. It reminded her of Prince Aeren, who had defeated her brutally, and she believed that she might find insights from this village that could arm her against him.
However, she realised that without communication, she would learn nothing. Despite her eagerness, she felt that the time for her to engage had not yet come.
She exhaled heavily, ceasing her observation of them. "I will definitely survive and learn from this," she whispered to herself, reminding herself of her goal to reach a point where all could worship her and she could become the faith of the world.
"Hello, Sera." A voice called out from a distance. Seraphina lifted her head toward the sound and saw two women approaching, waving their hands with smiles on their faces.
She recognised them; they were the ones who had brought her here and saved her life. While she felt a sense of relief at her survival, she did not experience any gratitude or appreciation for them. Instead, she viewed them as tools that had appeared at the perfect moment to aid her. She relied on herself and her magic, using it to showcase her abilities and gauge their reactions before finally contemplating being saved by them.
Every step she took was cautious, as she stayed accountable for her own survival instead of relying solely on outside help.
As Emily and Jane closed the distance to Seraphina, their smiles grew wider. "Hello! You two seem happier than before. Did something good happen?" Seraphina asked, confused by their cheerful expressions.
"You can tell?" Emily replied, still smiling as she observed Seraphina. Noticing her condition, she added, "You look better than yesterday." However, Emily's smile faded as she shifted the conversation back to Seraphina, not wanting to disclose the reason for her own happiness.
"Yeah, your condition seems to be improving," Jane chimed in, her serious gaze fixed on Seraphina. She marveled at the noticeable improvement, given that it had seemed stagnant before. "Even the master couldn't heal you before, but now there are some results. That's great," she noted, being a healer herself.
"Thank you," Seraphina replied with a genuine smile, reading the sincerity on their faces and reflecting it back.