When Nujah first stepped into the void, he had no idea where to go. In the endless darkness, there was no sense of direction. Yet suddenly, steps appeared beneath his feet. With every movement forward, it felt as though the void itself was shaping to his will.
Moments later, the darkness trembled. Layers cracked and scattered. Before Nujah's eyes, the infinite emptiness gave way to a small yet strangely serene room.
The windows showed nothing but whiteness; odd shapes stretched upward, like meaningless patterns or toy-duck costumes. At the center stood a simple, ordinary table. But the woman seated at its head… was anything but ordinary.
She narrowed her eyes and spoke:
"Stop looking around like a curious cat. Let's talk."
Nujah, startled and tense, stammered:
"So… how should I address you? Sister Valuva? Aunt? Grandmother?"
Valuva's expression hardened instantly.
"Queen," she said sharply. "For now, that will do."
Nujah quickly apologized, trembling as he sat down.
"What did you wish to speak with me about, my Queen?"
Valuva fixed her gaze on him.
"Do you like this place?"
Nujah nodded. "Of course… why do you ask?"
"Because the power and responsibility you've been given are far greater than you realize. You are still just a child."
Nujah clenched his teeth.
"My Queen, forgive me—but before I died, I saved an entire city from starvation and slavery. Even if I don't remember which city, that is still something important."
Valuva rolled her eyes. "Yes, that was you. But that's not the point right now." She leaned forward.
"What do you intend to do? Stay here forever, only to 'develop' yourself?"
Nujah's reply was firm.
"Whatever our Mother says, we obey. That is the way of things."
Valuva's tone turned icy.
"I despise that behavior of yours. Blind loyalty… there is something deeply wrong here. Do you even know what it is?"
A memory struck Nujah. "The venomous snake in my room… it tried to kill me. Yes, I know. But Mother said she would fix it. So it's fine."
Valuva leaned closer.
"The problem will come from there."
Nujah shot to his feet. "Watch your words! Say whatever you want to me, but never speak of my Mother that way!"
Valuva drew in a long breath, her eyes burning like twin black suns piercing through the void.
"I will not drag this out. There is only one truth you must understand: as long as you remain here… one of you will die. And not merely die—your soul will be erased, as if it never existed."
She opened her hand, and the void itself twisted with a scream. From its depths, a crystal emerged—the VA Stone. Neither light nor darkness clung to it. It was the trembling gulf between existence and nothingness, pulsing like the heartbeat of time itself.
"Touch it," Valuva commanded, her voice both a whisper and a thunderclap.
Nujah, caught between terror and awe, reached out. The moment his fingers brushed the stone, his sight collapsed into darkness.
He saw a hundred deaths at once—cities consumed by fire, souls torn apart in the abyss, laughter smothered into silence. Not only bodies, but memories too… gone. As though they had never been born, leaving no trace behind.
Nujah tried to scream, but even his voice was stolen. The stone was drinking his very existence, dragging him into nothingness.
Then Valuva snapped her fingers. The visions shattered like glass, and the void returned to the pale emptiness of the room.
With a cold smile, she whispered,
"This… this is the fate of absolute erasure. The truth hanging above you and your Mother alike."
Nujah's eyes widened. "What does that mean?"
"I control both void and time. Looking into the future is forbidden… but in grave matters, I bend the rules." Her eyes gleamed.
"You were meant to die that day. Your soul was supposed to pass into heaven. But Naraka stopped it."
Nujah whispered: "Why?"
Valuva hesitated.
"It is not mine to explain fully. But this much I will tell you: your Mother, Naraka, was once human. She loved, she grieved, she hated. And she became one of the reasons the greatest war in this universe was won. That is why the Light entrusted her with the Stone."
Nujah's voice trembled.
"Wait… the Light has a will of its own? Are you saying Mother forced me here? What do you mean?"
Valuva steadied herself.
"Listen, child. When Naraka first ascended, she was not this strong. She was human—fragile. Her death was horrific, and in the endless void, she nearly faded away. I came to her. I lifted her up. Because she was afraid—alone."
"And then?" Nujah pressed.
"Then, to protect herself, she created her own children. With the power and resilience the Light gave her, she bound them to her life."
Nujah closed his eyes.
"Stop. Answer just one thing. No lies."
Valuva inclined her head. "Ask."
"Today… does my Mother love her children more than her own life? Is that true or false?"
Valuva shut her eyes. "True."
Nujah fell silent, lips trembling.
"Then… who cares who I am?"
Suddenly, a piercing pain struck his head. He collapsed to the ground, writhing as visions surged. In the haze, he saw himself as a child—beaten, broken, his body trembling under the cruelty of those who should have been his family.
And then… a golden butterfly descended. It settled gently on his chest, its wings glowing with warmth. With every fragile beat, the agony dulled, as if the pain itself were being drawn out of him.
It was not the first time—he had seen this butterfly many times before, always appearing when the pain threatened to consume him.
Even within the vision, Nujah felt it—someone watching, protecting, refusing to let him shatter completely.
Naraka. She had been there, all along.
At once, Valuva raised her hands, shattering the vision and forcing him awake.
Gasping for breath, Nujah said:
"The past doesn't matter. Even if she created us for protection, the past doesn't bind us. Naraka asked me once: 'If your siblings could live happily without you, what would you say?' And I answered: 'My parents were worthless, killers even. What good is heaven alone? But if I can save innocent souls—if I can ensure my siblings live safe and joyful tomorrow, the next day, and every day—that is the highest honor. And that is what must be done.'"
Nujah lifted his head, eyes burning with resolve.
"So maybe you see us as our Mother's puppets. Maybe you think she was weak once. But even if that's true, if I have even a sliver of a chance to help her, I will. I'll stay by her side. I won't abandon her like others might. My siblings love our Mother more than their own lives—and she loves us the same. That is the only truth that matters. This discussion is over."
Valuva stared, momentarily speechless.
Then, after a pause, she said coldly:
"Even if we close this subject, one truth remains. Within the Time Sphere, one of you will die. With your soul erased—never to be reborn. Does that not terrify you?"
Nujah clenched his fists.
"If I still stand today, it is because of my Mother. She did not sit idly in her throne like you, waiting in emptiness. She fought when the universe itself was collapsing. As terrifying as this may be… it isn't my choice to make. Only she can send me away. And the only one who decides whether I stay or go—is her."
He drew a deep breath, turned his back.
"I'm leaving now. Hopefully, we won't meet again for a long time."
As he walked away, Valuva's furious voice thundered:
"This is not over, Shinrei!"
But then Naraka's voice rang out, drowning everything in radiant light:
"It is over."
In an instant, the entire void flooded with brilliance. From within the light, a cord reached out, seizing Nujah's arm and pulling him free.
Moments later, Naraka emerged with him at the door. She closed it firmly behind them, then pulled Nujah into a tight embrace.