"Damn it!!… Why! Why!"
Pale fingers raked across the icy stone floor. The hoarse shout subsided, and the yellow eyes were coated in blood.
"I haven't received any contact… who did this? Who possesses such ability…!!"
"There must be someone behind this disappearance… or perhaps it lies under the control of that organization…"
A deep breath began, then exhaled, his face calm. He looked up into the void within the darkness.
Beneath the dark stone, blood painted images of stars and solar systems. A sun without solar flares was surrounded by millions of worlds stretching in all directions.
"When the existence of light ends, I will come back and fix everything. I will finish it… yes, I must finish it! I will stop it all!!"
"Why…!? What am I trying to stop?"
A laugh erupted from deep within his throat. All five fingers tore at the skin in a frenzy. His pale face turned soaked in blood, revealing a visage
resurrected under a demonic laughter.
…
Victor locked eyes with Ophelia.
He held his breath, one hand resting on his chest. Something was hunting him, and it could see everything—this was the first thing Victor perceived from all previous visions.
Now he fully understood the drastic change in his situation. The world he currently inhabited was different. Something could kill him without seeking it. Miracles could occur like dreams… the sky was merely a symbol. The more he pondered, the more confusion attacked his mind.
"Ugh…"
The previous scenario felt like a dream, yet it had happened, producing consequences. Despite changes beyond time, everything persisted as before, transitioning into a constant moment, continuing as if nothing had occurred.
'Vanish from the stars.' The phrase, laden with emotion, remained deeply embedded—a key clue he had never expected. Before sinking into the whirlpool of thought, he stopped himself and began conversing with Ophelia, continuing from before.
"The Republic of Venn, then… could you draw me a map of this land?"
She nodded.
As Ophelia carefully drew, Victor stared at her with a trembling, almost suffocating gaze, his hands weak and shaking. The dreamlike visions lingered, full of doubt, leaving only the face of the man gradually fading.
Though dimming, as if being erased, the feelings of that moment remained, akin to encountering a dream after waking.
Soon, his thoughts began to spiral uncontrollably.
One drawing emerged miraculously: a landmass extending from the mainland. It was clearly divided into two parts. The upper section was Ravenis, comprising four cities with forests separating each part. The southern region was governed by a small republic called Venn.
Beyond the forest, the mainland was blocked by unclaimed land, a buffer zone between the north under the Inphineus Empire and the south under the Crimson Empire.
The waters of Ravenis and the Republic of Venn were also intruded upon by both empires from either side, a formidable threat.
The naming of the political regions forced Victor to reflect on their clear distinctions, signaling the dangers of surviving in this world.
His last memory was of the sky above, defying reason, unlike any fantasy novel he knew.
Though he had always lived through words and propaganda, the exercise of language with utmost authority must begin with proper reading.
The beginnings of strange tales often have hidden connections—supernatural existences or ritual curses guiding toward a different world and death, leading to the afterlife.
Victor began to laugh maniacally. Throughout his life, he had read magazines about hundreds of people, considering countless possibilities by observing them and applying words.
Now, everything was devoid of reason. Impossibilities revealed themselves through his eyes. They were drawn from the start when he opened his eyes, some defined after receiving the metal object.
A thought screamed within his mind: If sand is displaced, even if I do not know whether I come from Arabian sands or Chinese sands, I am still sand capable of enduring heat. Even if burned, I can withstand it; even if melted, I can be extinguished like any other sand. Nothing dictates life. Nothing guides it. That is the direction of my mindset.
This reckless thought forged him back into stable consciousness. After accepting what he must face, even if unknowable.
Yet, because the stars remained hostile through the words of the mysterious man, Victor was still in danger. But he was not afraid, for he could not resist. He only had to learn and begin anew. That was the start of a mindful existence.
In deep thought, Victor memorized Ophelia's map clearly. Though the drawing was neither beautiful nor geographically precise, it included borders between countries, even maritime territories, reflecting proper civic knowledge of Venn.
Victor returned the notebook and looked at the photos on the fireplace.
"May I speak your name?"
Ophelia nodded, writing with curiosity: "You may, of course. Why do you ask?"
"Ophelia… I don't ask your name merely for conversation. It is a deep feeling of gratitude. I truly thank you for helping me, whatever the reason. I wish to repay you when I can."
"It's alright. I saw you in distress, so I simply helped."
"What a compassionate feeling… or is it because of the man in the photo? He wasn't much older than the girl in physique. Is he your brother?"
"Yes. My brother taught me to help others when I can."
"A wonderful brother. Now, do you live here alone?"
"My brother travels back home on certain days of the week."
"Aren't you afraid to live alone among the forest and sheep, taking in strangers with such kindness?"
"… I am not weak as you think. I only do what I was taught and believe is right."
As Victor read her words, his gaze fixed on her. The overlapping image of the man appeared multiple times. His questions sought knowledge and the true nature of her. Fear of the extraordinary and the superior natural differences confused him.
The girl before him might not be ordinary. The sky divided into three layers and the strange dreams made him question everything.
If she were the mysterious man in disguise within the overlapping reality, straightforward questioning could be risky. He had to verify for his own safety.
Yet reason alone could not dictate his actions. If the man could disguise as a girl and meet him directly, there would be no need for deception. The timing of his encounter with the man was as if in another moment, no different from a dream while she was in reality.
"Thank you. I may have spoken too much… I think rest may be the answer to my confusion. Could you take me to the room?"
She smiled and put down the notebook. Instantly, Victor grabbed her arm and closed in, his hand tracing along her smooth arm to her ear hidden beneath her hair.
Victor's eyes widened as he realized her body retained warmth. Her touch was no different from any normal human. She remained the young woman who had saved him from the cold forest.
Ophelia pushed him away, her face showing fear at his threatening actions. His confidence faltered, and he stared at his own hands in despair. The reality was that he could not hide his fear amid confusion. Once thoughtless actions began, mistakes were unavoidable, the burden of the mind to bear.
A faint smile appeared on Ophelia's face. She wrote again: "I will take you to the room. I understand you are confused. At the refugee camp where I lived, many were confused as well."
She led Victor down the dim corridor. The wooden planks were neatly aligned, but old and creaking underfoot.
They opened a door to a basement. Dust swirled around them. The lantern illuminated an old bed and a writing desk.
Men's clothes hung inside, along with worn personal items, including small assembled metal contraptions.
Documents and books were arranged neatly. Every step was filled with the scent of old pages.
After Ophelia left peacefully, Victor undid his worn shirt and changed into a brown one hanging nearby. He stretched, yawned, and sat on the bed, hands clasped. His thoughts continued.
The reality he faced was varied and inseparable. One thing he must always be wary of, above all knowledge, was the stars.
Before leaning back, he tried to grasp the meaning of vanishing from the stars, mindful of staying exposed at night, or touching the purple sea and anything that could shine like stars in this world.
A deep sigh escaped. The lantern's glow slowly dimmed as the fuel ran out.
…