Rachel's face revealed a trace of embarrassment, her gaze hidden beneath her hood as she avoided Adrian's eyes.
After spending so many years together, the two of them had experienced countless hardships and shared moments of extraordinary intimacy. Because of that, Rachel found herself uncertain about how to face Adrian now.
Although her brother was still the same Adrian, her own feelings had subtly changed.
For now, she had yet to fully adjust.
To make matters worse, Adrian continued watching her without looking away, his steady gaze leaving her increasingly flustered.
Adrian's eyes moved across Rachel's slender figure beneath the dark cloak, lingering briefly on her delicate pale chin and the eyes that seemed unable to settle anywhere.
The decades they had spent together within the mental world, every foolish, frustrating, joyful, and deeply personal memory they shared, also left Adrian questioning how he should face the Rachel before him.
More importantly, he found himself wondering what place his sister now held in his life.
There was no denying that they had reached the deepest level of spiritual understanding.
Every secret he possessed had already been laid bare before her. Once he fully recovered, Rachel would undoubtedly become the person in the real world who understood him better than anyone else.
Countless thoughts flashed through Adrian's mind.
After a long silence, he finally turned toward her.
"Come with me. Let's watch the memories one more time."
His voice was unexpectedly composed, though a faint loneliness lingered beneath it.
Rachel froze slightly.
The darkness around them suddenly shifted.
In the distance, a tiny speck of light appeared, resembling a meteor streaking across the endless void.
Under Rachel's gaze, the light rapidly expanded as it rushed toward them. It was not destruction descending upon them, but an entire world.
It was the past of the mental world itself.
The familiar church appeared instantly.
Warm sunlight poured down from above, bathing everything in a soft, dreamlike glow.
Adrian and Rachel once again stood within the church in Smallville. This time, however, they were merely observers.
Together, they watched Clark and Lois's wedding unfold once more.
Everyone present was someone from reality, though many of them should never have been there.
Standing behind Adrian, Rachel noticed his breathing gradually slow before becoming heavier.
The broad back she had always relied upon now seemed unusually lonely.
Even after decades together, there were still moments when she could not fully understand what Adrian was thinking.
"Bang!"
The sound of celebratory salutes echoed throughout the church as Clark and Lois walked hand in hand toward the minister to receive his blessing.
Watching the scene, Rachel finally asked softly, "Why do we need to watch this again?"
Bitterness surfaced within her heart.
Because she knew it was not real.
Perhaps the cruelest thing in the world was realizing that the happiness one longed for had only ever been an illusion. The pain left behind after that illusion shattered was even worse.
Her brother's dream of a happy life had begun with this wedding, yet now he could only watch it as a memory that never truly existed.
Rachel's heart ached for him.
Although both of them had awakened, and many details from those decades would eventually fade or blur, the emotions they experienced there would remain.
After knowing such happiness, could anyone truly return to the suffering of reality unchanged?
Adrian turned toward Rachel and gently lowered her hood.
Her slightly pale face was revealed.
Her dark violet lips gave her an air of mystery, while her long eyelashes and striking eyes carried an unforgettable charm.
Confusion filled those eyes as she looked up at him.
"Even if it wasn't real, it was still a fulfilled wish," Adrian said quietly, meeting her gaze.
"There is meaning in that."
His eyes remained tranquil.
"Life is like this. The meaning of life is often hidden within things that eventually pass away. This wedding never happened in reality, but it happened in my mental world. I won't dismiss it as nothing more than a dream. To me, it was still part of my life."
Rachel hesitated.
"But... Brother, doesn't remembering all of this hurt? Reality is so different."
Adrian looked directly into her eyes.
"Pain is also part of life. Pain made me who I am."
"If I had never suffered, I would never have understood what I truly wanted, or what I needed to do."
"Only pain allows me to see my heart clearly and understand my desires. If I refuse to be driven by pain, then eventually I'll be left with nothing but regret, helplessness, and a life I never fought for."
He turned his attention back toward Clark and Lois.
Both of them were smiling brightly beneath the church's stained glass windows.
After a brief silence, Adrian continued.
"Happiness is wonderful, but it can also make people complacent. A world filled only with happiness doesn't exist."
He voiced the conclusion he had reached.
"'Just be happy' is a comforting lie. Humanity has never moved forward through comfort alone."
"I'll remember pain. I'll engrave it into my heart and remember my own failures."
As the wedding neared its conclusion, a cold determination appeared in Adrian's eyes.
"Pain shaped me far more than happiness ever did. Watching this wedding again means allowing myself to feel that pain. Only then can I remain true to myself."
A faint smile appeared on Adrian's face.
His resolute features suddenly carried an indescribable charm.
Rachel found herself unable to look away.
His composure, confidence, and unwavering spirit made him appear stronger than ever before.
She had never seen Adrian like this.
In her memories, her brother had once been warm like the morning sun. At other times, he had been distant and cold, burying his suffering deep within himself.
But the Adrian standing before her now felt complete.
He carried pain that few understood, cherished the small moments of happiness he had found, held tightly to hope, and still possessed warmth within his heart.
Rachel felt as though she had glimpsed the deepest part of her brother's soul.
She understood him more than ever.
He remembered pain, endured loneliness, continued moving forward, and grew stronger through every hardship life placed before him.
And because of that, she admired him even more.
Even so, if she had a choice, she still wished Adrian could always be happy.
She would gladly bear all the pain herself.
After a moment of thought, Rachel finally spoke.
"I think you're still unwilling to let everything go, Brother."
She looked around the church.
"Lois, Clark, Dad, Lana, all of this proves that even if you accept pain, you still long for happiness. Happiness and pain aren't opposites."
Adrian looked at her.
"Maybe you're right, Rachel."
"But watching this wedding again helped me understand what pain has given me. Because of that, I've finally seen the truth of this world."
"Before, I was like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, pretending to sleep."
"Now I'm awake."
"Once I break free from my mental restraints, Batman's sleeping spell will lose its purpose, and I'll wake up completely."
He gently took Rachel's hand.
"Thank you, my sister."
"You pulled me out of despair, showed me the truth, and gave me happiness."
"Spending those decades with you was truly wonderful."
Rachel's body stiffened.
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
She did not pull away.
Instead, she closed her eyes, trembling slightly as she felt the warmth of Adrian's hand and the sunlight falling upon them.
Perhaps this would be the last time she ever felt sunlight in this world.
But if it was, she was glad it was with Adrian.
Within the mental world, their souls resonated once again.
The lingering sense of unfamiliarity between them vanished completely.
In its place returned the intimacy they had shared throughout those long decades.
They remained hand in hand until the final ray of sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon.
Only then did they leave the mental world.
In reality, inside the magic circle, Rachel slowly opened her eyes.
Remembering the warmth of Adrian's hand, a happy smile appeared on her lips.
"Spending those decades with you, Brother, was truly wonderful."
---
Tower of Fate
"Not decades, not years, not even months. He could wake up at any moment!"
Batman stared at the map spread across the table before slamming his fist down.
Constantine, unusually without a cigarette, stood against the wall with his arms folded.
"So what, you're planning to kill him?" he asked. "Because we definitely don't have enough firepower for that. If you're talking about dirty tricks, though, we've got more than enough."
Batman ignored the sarcasm.
After a moment of consideration, he said, "We'll do both. It's time to recruit more allies."
The instant he finished speaking, another voice interrupted.
"There's a problem."
Doctor Fate's muffled, hoarse voice echoed from behind them.
Constantine nearly jumped.
"Oh, for heaven's sake!" he snapped. "You're doing that again. How many times have I told you not to suddenly appear behind people sounding like some ancient ghost?"
He jabbed a finger against Doctor Fate's chest.
Batman looked up.
"What happened?"
"Homelander and Superman are here."
Both Batman and Constantine froze.
Batman's eyes narrowed behind his cowl.
"How long do we have before they arrive?"
He needed time to evacuate.
Doctor Fate slowly shook his head.
"They're already here."
Boom!
A deafening explosion tore through the wall.
The violent shockwave blasted bricks and debris throughout the room.
Furniture shattered instantly, carried away by the raging winds.
Constantine, standing closest to the impact point, was thrown across the room.
Thud!
His body struck the ground hard, pain exploding through his back.
Smoke and dust filled the chamber, obscuring everything.
Grimacing, Constantine pushed himself upright and stared toward the massive hole in the wall.
Several figures gradually emerged from the swirling dust.
Clearly, these were the uninvited guests Doctor Fate had warned them about.
Constantine glanced toward Batman, who had also been forced back against a wall.
"Batman, I think your recruitment plan needs to move a lot faster, mate."
As the dust settled, the figures stepped forward.
Homelander.
Superman.
Wonder Woman.
Shazam.
The Flash.
Ares.
Sinestro.
Any one of them alone could have killed Constantine several times over.
Looking at the assembled group, he swallowed nervously.
"Otherwise," he finished weakly, "this is going to become a complete disaster."
"What?" Adrian asked as he stepped over the shattered rubble and slowly approached Batman. "You didn't expect me to wake up this quickly?"
Crack.
The broken stones beneath his feet shattered.
Moments later, Adrian stood directly before Batman.
"I should thank you, Bruce. If you hadn't put me to sleep, I never would have experienced something so important. I gained a great deal during that time."
His cold gaze never left Batman.
Batman remained expressionless.
"I always prepare for the worst, Adrian. How do you know your awakening wasn't part of my plan?"
"Is that so?" Adrian replied.
"I look forward to seeing your next plan. Just don't disappoint me."
His expression remained indifferent, but the danger in his eyes intensified.
Batman inhaled slowly.
"You need to stop, Adrian. You've gone too far."
"Too far?"
Adrian let out a cold laugh.
"Hearing those words from you is genuinely ironic, Bruce."
"You kidnapped my sister, tried to kill me, cooperated with Hell's demons, and allied yourself with some of the most unprincipled creatures imaginable."
"And now you're telling me I've gone too far?"
"You brought all of this upon yourself."
The instant those words left his mouth, Adrian threw a thunderous punch directly at Batman.