William remained silent for a long time.
He sat at the edge of the wooden bed, his hands still trembling slightly from exhaustion and pain, while his mind struggled—futilely—to organize the overwhelming flood of information he had just received.
A main universe…Visible universes…The merging of two planets…And the Immortal Body.
Too many thoughts collided inside his head, each demanding attention at the same time.
The old man, meanwhile, remained seated in his chair.
He did not interrupt.
He did not rush him.
He simply watched in silence… as if that silence itself was part of the explanation.
Several long moments passed before William finally raised his head.
His face showed that he still hadn't fully understood everything.
But one question managed to rise above the chaos.
"Alright…"
He paused briefly, as if reshaping the question in his mind.
"From what I understand… the Immortal Body is the cause of everything that happened."
He looked directly at the old man.
"But…"
He hesitated.
"How did the people of that world find out about it?"
A short silence followed.
The old man raised an eyebrow slightly, as if the question was not what he had expected.
"Oh?"
A faint smile appeared.
"I expected a different question… not this one."
Still, he did not delay his answer.
He adjusted his posture slightly before speaking.
"The reason is relatively simple."
Then he added:
"The planet's vital energy."
William blinked slowly, while the old man continued patiently.
"Let us take your world as an example."
He gestured lightly.
"Despite all your scientific advancements…"
"You have discovered nothing about this phenomenon."
He paused briefly.
"And the reason is not ignorance."
"But because the nature of the event… is entirely different from what you imagine."
He leaned forward slightly.
"The collision between universes…"
"It does not occur the way you understand collisions."
He shook his head.
"It is not like meteors."
"Nor like cosmic disasters observable through telescopes."
He raised a finger.
"It happens through universes."
A brief pause.
"Within the folds of space."
"In layers your instruments cannot even perceive."
Silence settled briefly.
Then he continued calmly:
"That is why…"
"You discovered nothing."
"And that is also why…"
He looked deeply at William.
"All of this chaos happened."
William remained silent.
His eyes were fixed on the ground as he tried once more to process everything.
But this time…
it wasn't just a strange story about the universe.
It was a truth that might explain everything that had happened to him…
and everything that would come next.
The old man continued watching him patiently.
As if he knew…
the real questions had not begun yet.
William stayed silent for a moment longer, his eyes still lost in thought.
But this time, the silence was not born from shock…
It was born from doubt.
He slowly lifted his head and stared at the old man with a sharper, more focused gaze.
"Are you… from this world?"
He paused briefly.
"Because you speak about them… as if you are not one of them."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And these pieces of information…"
"Are they common knowledge?"
His voice lowered.
"Does everyone know them?"
Then, more quietly:
"Or… are you the only one who does?"
Silence filled the cabin again.
But this time… it was different.
Not the silence of explanation.
But the silence of revelation.
The old man slowly raised his gaze.
He did not seem annoyed.
Nor surprised.
But something else.
Something closer to… evaluation.
As if he were reassessing the boy before him.
He exhaled softly and leaned back in his chair.
"Good questions…"
His tone was light, but his eyes remained fixed on William.
"Better than I expected, in fact."
He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.
"No."
He said it simply.
"I am not from this world."
A pause… letting the words settle.
"Nor from your world."
William's eyes widened slightly.
But the old man continued without giving him time to fully react.
"As for this knowledge…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"No."
"It is not common."
"Not everyone knows it."
Then he looked at him more deeply.
"In fact… most who live here…"
"Have no idea what is happening."
A brief pause.
"Even those who possess power… do not see the full picture."
He gestured slightly.
"This knowledge…"
"Is not something given freely."
Then he locked eyes with William.
"And it is not something everyone can bear."
Silence returned once more.
Heavier this time.
William did not move.
A strange feeling began to grow inside him.
It wasn't just fear…
It was realization.
That the man before him…
was not merely a passerby who saved him.
But something…
far more dangerous.
William stared at him for several long seconds.
The doubt in his eyes did not fade.
It grew.
He clenched his fist slightly, ignoring the pain still running through his body.
"Then tell me this…"
He paused briefly.
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
His gaze sharpened.
"I don't believe this kind of information… comes for free."
Then he added clearly:
"So tell me… what do you want from me?"
The old man observed him calmly.
Then answered simply, as if the matter required no thought:
"I want nothing… more than a bit of entertainment."
But William…
was not fully listening.
The words reached him as if from a distance.
Because his focus… was elsewhere.
"I want to train a candidate of the Immortal Body… perhaps I can survive until that time."
He froze.
His expression barely changed.
But his eyes widened slightly.
Again…
that voice.
That thought.
Inside his mind.
He hesitated for a moment.
Then decided to speak.
"By the way…"
He lifted his gaze.
"I heard your thoughts."
Silence.
The old man did not respond immediately.
But his gaze changed.
For a brief moment—
a flicker of irritation appeared.
Barely noticeable.
Then it vanished.
His calm returned as if nothing had happened.
"We are… a certain kind of race."
He spoke slowly.
"And we have a specific role."
Then he added:
"To care for… and train candidates of bodies from the same category."
A pause.
"That is why… we have methods to locate you."
He looked at William.
"You… are candidates."
William remained silent.
The old man continued:
"But you must understand something important."
"The body I speak of… is not necessarily the atomic Immortal Body."
William frowned slightly.
So the old man elaborated:
"immortal bodies… are many."
"And diverse."
Then he began listing calmly:
"For example… the canceling Immortal Body."
He paused.
"A body capable of canceling energy."
Then he added:
"And there are also low sacred bodies…"
"Such as the Solar Sacred Body."
He gestured lightly.
"And each type of these bodies…"
"Has a race dedicated to managing their candidates ."
A pause.
"A race that exists for one purpose only."
Then he said clearly:
"To teach the candidates."
William's eyes widened.
The shock was unmistakable this time.
Everything he was hearing…
was far beyond what he had imagined.
He spoke, his voice carrying confusion:
"Then…"
A brief pause.
"Your role… is to protect me?"
"And train me… until I become strong?"
The old man did not answer immediately.
But William…
did not wait.
Suddenly, as if something inside him awakened, his expression changed.
The grand questions disappeared.
Replaced by something simpler.
Something human.
Something urgent.
"Wait—"
He lifted his head quickly.
"The most important thing right now…"
A pause.
"My family."
His breathing quickened.
"Are they…"
"Are my mother… my father… my sister… safe?"
Silence.
But this time…
it was not the silence of knowledge.
It was the silence of fear.
Fear of the answer.
The old man looked at him for a few seconds, as if carefully choosing his words.
Then he spoke calmly:
"Do not worry."
A brief pause.
"Despite the collapse… and their concern for you… nothing has happened to them."
He held his gaze.
"So your focus now… should be on developing your strength."
Silence.
But this time…
it was not relief.
It was rejection.
William clenched his fists tightly, his fingers trembling.
His eyes were filled with determination… and fear at the same time.
He raised his head and looked directly at the old man.
"No."
The word came out sharp.
Decisive.
Then he continued, more firmly:
"I need to make sure they're safe before anything else."
A brief pause.
"I won't be able to think… or train… while I don't know for sure."
There was something different in his voice now.
Not weakness.
But honest stubbornness.
Something unbreakable.
The old man remained silent as he looked at him.
Heavy moments passed.
Then he finally exhaled.
As if the decision did not please him… but was expected.
"Stubborn…"
he murmured.
Then he looked away briefly before returning his gaze.
"Very well."
A short pause.
"As you wish."
There was a hint of resignation in his tone…
but not complete.
More like a temporary concession.
As for William…
he remained standing in place, his breathing uneven.
But this time…
he was not afraid.
He was ready…
to face anything—
as long as it would lead him back to his family.