Rudra began calming his mind. As soon as his thoughts grew still, his consciousness was suddenly pulled back into his body.
Rudra murmured, "Ooh… so this is how it works. If I want to enter that place, I need to form a clear image of the book. To exit, I must meditate inside. So to create the dimensional tunnel, I'll have to memorize those diagrams completely, since I can't meditate directly in front of the book. After all, a newborn can't exactly draw anything on paper."
His consciousness once again drifted into that strange space. That night, he tried memorizing the complex diagrams. However, the very next day, as expected, he failed. The patterns were far too intricate for an ordinary child to master overnight.
Days went by as he continued his attempts, gradually memorizing the diagrams while enjoying the warmth of his new life with his parents.
Fifteen Days Later
Rudra sighed. "This is way too difficult. The complexity of this tunnel is insane. On top of that, I not only need to memorize it but also form a perfectly clear image in my mind by combining all the pieces together. Man, it's so different from what I thought… I really wish I had photographic memory."
Three Months Later
"Now…" Rudra whispered, "I'm confident. I've memorized every single detail of this tunnel. All that's left is to piece the parts together and visualize it correctly."
Lying quietly on his bed while his mother was away, he slowed his breathing. He calmed his mind, banished all stray thoughts, and focused entirely on visualizing the dimensional tunnel—the gateway to the soul's dimension. This time, he gave it his absolute focus.
And finally… he succeeded.
The tunnel unfolded before his consciousness in perfect form. Joy and excitement surged through him.
"Finally! It's complete! Now… it's time to take my first step inside."
Just as he began moving forward, something completely unexpected occurred. A crushing, immense pressure slammed down on his consciousness. None of this had been mentioned in the book.
"What is this?! Ughhh—"
Unable to endure, his vision went black and he lost consciousness.
The House in Panic
Drasika entered the room with a soft smile. "My sweet Rudra, what are you doing? Playing with your toys—aww, my baby is already asleep. Let's put you in the cradle."
As soon as she lifted him, her smile vanished. His tiny body felt limp.
Her heart sank.
"What happened? W-what happened to my boy? Rudra! Wake up! Baby, wake up, Mama is calling you!"
Ruzel, training in the garden, froze at the panicked cry. He rushed inside, his face pale.
"Drasika? What's wrong?!"
"Our boy—he's not responding, Ruzel!"
Ruzel quickly checked his son's breath. Thankfully, Rudra was still breathing. Without hesitation, he lifted him into his arms and sprinted toward the healer's residence.
"Atla! Atla, come quickly! Something's wrong with Rudra!"
The healer hurried over, checking the child. The moment she placed her hand on him, her expression stiffened. She sensed something… unusual. The dimensional tunnel was still open, and Rudra's consciousness was trapped inside.
Immediately, she began channeling her healing magic. A warm light surrounded the baby, and slowly Rudra's consciousness regained strength. With effort, he broke free from the suffocating pressure and opened his eyes.
Rudra blinked in confusion. "Where am I? Is this… the soul dimension? Why does it look like Atla's clinic? Wait—Dad? No… so this is really Atla's clinic, not the soul dimension. But why am I here? The last thing I remember was walking inside the tunnel. Then the pressure grew unbearable, my vision blurred, and I blacked out… Did I actually faint, and Dad brought me here? That must be it. Sorry for worrying you, Dad."
Yet, his thoughts darkened. Why wasn't that crushing pressure mentioned in the book? At first, it wasn't there at all, but the deeper I went, the more it increased. Could it be based on time… or distance? I need to figure this out.
Atla smiled outwardly. "See? Your boy is perfectly fine. He just fainted, likely from dehydration."
But in her heart, she frowned. That flow of energy… it felt like pure, concentrated mana. But that's impossible. He's only a three-month-old baby. Could it really be his doing? No, perhaps I was just imagining things.
Ruzel bowed with relief. "Thank you, Atla. You've no idea how terrified we were. He was playing one moment and suddenly lifeless the next."
After paying, the family returned home, though Rudra's mind was still filled with thoughts of that dreadful pressure.
At home, Drasika hugged her son tightly, showering him with love before tucking him into his cradle. Once he was alone again, Rudra immediately calmed his mind and attempted the tunnel once more.
This time, as soon as it appeared, he broke into a run instead of walking. The pressure crushed him again, threatening to overwhelm his consciousness. But he clenched his will and forcefully returned to his body before blacking out.
He tried again. Then again. Three more times—with each attempt measuring the pressure through careful countdowns.
Finally, he realized the truth.
"It's not distance… It's time. The longer I stay inside, the stronger the pressure becomes. That means the only way forward is to run faster—and endure it."
Six Months After
Three more months passed with relentless practice. On a fateful day, Rudra finally reached the end of the tunnel.
Or so he thought.
Instead of an ending, the tunnel split into six separate branches lined with eerie, swirling mists. His head spun with frustration.
"Months of dedication and hard work… and this is what I get? The place I thought was the end is only the beginning… six different paths?!"
His heart pounded. But… that mist. The entire tunnel had no openings, yet at the branching points, that strange dark mist lingered. What is it? I must examine it.
Steeling himself, Rudra once more forced his way forward, braving the suffocating pressure until he stood at the branching point. Reaching out, he touched the mist.
And in that instant—everything changed…