"Actually, there's something that's been bothering me a bit," Zidane began.
"You know the power that people began to possess twenty-eight years ago. Looking back, it was a heartfelt plea for salvation after two years of fighting terrible monsters."
"Surviving without that power for two years was a miracle. And even after gaining it, they were still overwhelmed. But at least the number of casualties decreased drastically thanks to it."
"But what if it was a price?"
"What do you mean a price?"
"This power makes us far stronger than ordinary humans. Even if it only strengthens our bodies and sharpens our senses, that's quite remarkable."
"But over time, this power no longer just strengthens the body."
"Have you ever seen someone emit fire from their hands?"
"That... Isn't that impossible?"
"At first, I didn't believe it either. But even now, people can destroy walls with a single punch, so emitting fire isn't impossible."
"Yes, you're right. But why does that bother you?"
"Since the beginning of the world being attacked by monsters, no one has ever possessed such power. [Congratulations! You have awakened to become a knight who protects the world.] That's the message one receives when one gains power."
"And it wasn't shared by everyone at the time. If the reason for the awakening of that power was in response to people's pleas for their own and the world's salvation, then what did they do to awaken a power even stronger than that?"
"So you're saying, if the power they gained was far stronger than before, what would happen to the world?"
"Yes. Wouldn't the increase in power lead to other things? Like maintaining balance?"
"Perhaps you're right, because where that power came from is still a mystery."
"But how do you know this?"
"Since this village is quite far from the city, you probably don't know about it. Even the people of Lumiville probably don't know much about it."
"Because this was discovered quite far from Lumiville. The city of Endawn."
...
After Zidane left, Zain sat there, lost in thought, until dusk fell. He got up and walked to a spot at the foot of the hill.
Nine graves were visible there. Five of them bore the name Jadevine. They were Zain's family graves.
"I'm home."
Zain smiled with sad eyes. He walked to a grave. The tombstone bore the name Zain Jadevine. He placed the bouquet of flowers he had brought on the grave. He sat leaning against the stone. Then, he closed his eyes for a moment.
...
"Most people who gain powers join the army, but not them. They are treated differently, especially by the higher-ups in Endawn City. And it's still a secret there."
"I was nearby at the time, facing the gate that was about to open there. But because that area is part of Endawn City, the military there decided to deal with it, so my squad acted as rearguard support."
"Then I saw people who had awakened these strange powers. They called them witches."
"If that power were all I could think of, I wouldn't be bothered, but what bothers me is what he faced."
"The monsters that emerged from the gate back then were much stronger and possessed greater intelligence."
"What if the more people become magicians, the more terrifying the monsters that emerge from the gate?"
"Sorry, ma'am, I'm talking about something unpleasant." Zidane lowered his head.
Charlotte, seeing this, patted his head gently.
"It's okay. It must be hard for you to think about it." Zidane's face revealed that there were other things on his mind.
"But it seems like that's not the only thing bothering you. Tell me everything, it's not good to hold a burden inside." Charlotte smiled softly.
"Actually, I don't feel comfortable talking about this. But..." Zidane tried to open his mouth.
"What do you think if you had the power to live forever?"
Charlotte was a little surprised by what Zidane had said.
"Hmmm, how should I put it... That's quite a difficult question."
"As humans, of course we want to live forever, but everything has a time limit. If some people could live forever and others couldn't, wouldn't that be sad?"
"Yes, I think so too. But what if many lives had to be sacrificed to achieve immortality?"
"What do you mean?"
"The city we've kept standing, the officials we respect as leaders who strive to improve the people's well-being, and the scientists and fellow soldiers we value and recognize as saviors. Some of them did it."
"They call it the [Eternity Project]."
"Why would they do that?" Charlotte was surprised to hear that.
"Because they were afraid of being attacked by monsters? But I think they were more afraid of losing their positions." Zidane smiled sarcastically.
"This must be hard for you to know."
"Yes, really. Because I don't have enough evidence to prove anything against them. And even though I'm quite high-ranking, they can still restrict my movements."
"Actually, thinking about this reminds me of Brother Zain."
"Mr. Zain?"
"Yes. Madam, you've met Brother Zain much earlier than I have. I heard you're younger than him. But Brother Zain doesn't seem to have aged as much as you do."
"Madam, could you tell me what you know about Brother Zain? I beg you, Madam. If my suspicions about Brother Zain being immortal are true, then I want to help him."
...
"My son..."
"Brother..."
"Zain..."
Those voices still echoed in Zain's ears. The faces calling out to him kept popping into his mind. He couldn't help but stare up at the night sky filled with stars. He reached his hand upward as if reaching for something.
For a moment, in that quiet night, Zain's gaze suddenly sharpened.
"There's an unwanted guest here."
Zain stood up and in a single step, he had moved to another location.