'Again? Why are things continuing to change?!'
Zachary asked himself with a renewed sense of foreboding. This could be considered a minimal change compared to the disappearance of the protagonist, but Zachary was aware that this was no longer a novel. With the existing possibility of this being an alternate universe, a parallel world, or simply a lucid dream of an unknown entity, this was Zachary's current life.
And with the vague knowledge of this world—the only thing anchoring his lucidity—being shaken once again, Zachary fell once more into his darker emotions.
"Those who scored between 10 and 11, this way." Awakened Rock's firm voice gave direction to Zachary's thoughts. Things had changed once again, but he could gather his thoughts later, once he arrived at the tranquility of his room. For now, he needed to finish the class. Maybe he could finally determine the limits of his Dormant Ability.
Zachary followed one of the Auxiliary Awakened and moved to the side of the dojo, where a Sleeper was already waiting for him.
"I'm going to spar against this bumpkin?" the Sleeper asked the instructor, mockery poorly contained on purpose. "This isn't going to let me show my real ability."
These words passed through Zachary's ears without achieving their intended effect, as he listened attentively to the Awakened's next words.
"You won't have to worry about it. The sparring matches will be witnessed by several members of the combat faculty of the Academy. With their expertise, your abilities will be judged fairly."
{_^_}
That's when Zachary felt it—numerous gazes came and went in his direction. He wasn't sure where they were coming from. Maybe the dojo had cameras transmitting the matches to a different room. With this thought, he looked ahead as the Sleeper in front of him assumed a relaxed combat posture. He showed not the slightest tension about the upcoming fight.
"No hard feelings, man," the Sleeper said, faking a benevolent air. "This actually works for me—two Laras, one arrow, as they say. You can help me look good, and I can teach you some manners. Caster is truly a noble soul. Despite being a Legacy, he shows respect and care for people who don't know their place. I'll correct that now." He declared this just as a low hum echoed through the dojo, signaling the challengers to get ready.
Zachary listened but didn't respond. His mind was occupied with something else.
'ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇʟʟ ɪꜱ ᴀ ʟᴀʀᴀ?'
With the second hum, Zachary reclaimed his train of thought.
'ᴏᴋ, ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴡᴏʀʀʏ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇʟꜱᴇ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴏᴠᴇʀ. ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ, ɪ'ʟʟ ᴜꜱᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴄᴏᴍʙᴀᴛ ꜱᴇꜱꜱɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇʟᴠᴇ ᴅᴇᴇᴘᴇʀ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇꜱ. ꜰɪʀꜱᴛʟʏ, ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ʟɪᴍɪᴛꜱ ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ [ʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ], ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴇᴄᴏɴᴅʟʏ, ᴛᴏ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ'ᴍ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ [ᴄɪɴᴅᴇʀ ᴇʏᴇꜱ]. ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴏɴʟʏ ɢʀᴀɴᴛꜱ ᴍᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴇʏᴇꜱɪɢʜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇᴛꜱ ᴍᴇ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ'ꜱ ɢᴀᴢᴇꜱ.'
With this in mind, a beep sounded loudly, and the Sleeper jumped immediately to attack.
Zachary watched as the Sleeper approached with his elbow extended. He didn't see the strike in slow motion; instead, it happened with incredible, detailed resolution. He could see the slight grin on the Sleeper's face, the way his legs were lowered for propulsion, the tension in his shoulders as he rotated his body to give momentum to the elbow, the tightening of the arm's muscles as it angled upward—even the wrinkles forming in his clothes from the movement. Every one of these actions was visible to Zachary; every frame contemplated in detail by his eyes.
And as a result of this dynamism, Zachary was able to predict where the strike was going. It was the result of knowing a sequence of "A - B - C" and being able to guess "D." And so, with nimble steps, Zachary dodged to his left. He might not know how to throw a punch, but thanks to Dahrio's arduous 'teachings', he sure knew how to dodge them.
The Sleeper arched an eyebrow in surprise at Zachary's dodge, but followed with a hook from his left hand. Once again, Zachary dodged. He didn't counterattack in any way—he was marveling at the realm his new vision revealed to him.
And so, the duo continued their act: one attacking intensely, the other evading every blow.
'ʜᴇ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴʟʏ ᴋɴᴏᴡꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ,' Zachary thought, dodging a kick aimed at his temple by shifting his waist. 'ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴏʙᴠɪᴏᴜꜱʟʏ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛʀᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ᴀꜱ ᴀ ʟᴇɢᴀᴄʏ, ʙᴜᴛ ʜɪꜱ ᴛᴇᴄʜɴɪQᴜᴇ, ᴅᴇꜱᴘɪᴛᴇ ɪᴛꜱ ɪɴᴛᴇɴꜱɪᴛʏ, ʟᴀᴄᴋꜱ ᴀ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴ ꜰɪɴᴇꜱꜱᴇ.'
He redirected a punch to his face with the edge of his hand and put some distance between them.'ʙᴜᴛ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ᴛᴇʀʀɪꜰʏɪɴɢ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴀʀᴛ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴀɴ ɪɴꜱᴜʟᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴀʜʀɪᴏ'ꜱ ᴛᴇᴀᴄʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰᴇʟʟᴏᴡ ʟᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ʜɪᴛ.'
{_^_}
Zachary suddenly felt a quick tingle at the back of his head. Despite buzzing in the same way, he knew this one was different from the warning he usually felt when someone was paying attention to him. This one felt a little more purposeful. And that purpose wasn't coming from inside—it was coming from outside. But the question was, where exactly?
The Sleeper had increased his speed. He tried to grab Zachary's shoulder with his left hand and strike his ribs with his left knee. But anticipating the move, Zachary used his right hand to maintain distance by blocking the Sleeper's hold, while his left hand cushioned the incoming knee. Then, using the Sleeper's own momentum, he pushed him back with both hands in a swift motion.
{_^_}
The tingling in his head kept buzzing when the Sleeper spoke again. "You fucking worm, are you only able to dodge? You're disgracing the Awakened present here," the Sleeper declared through clenched teeth.
That's when Zachary finally put words to the purpose he had been feeling. 'ᴀᴍ ɪ… ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴏꜱᴛɪʟɪᴛʏ?' Zachary couldn't believe it, but he was right. With the addition of the Gaze Sense, he could now feel the hostility the gazes carried—or more precisely, he could feel the harmful Intent people harbored toward him.
It would be an understatement to say that Zachary was bewildered, but he took hold of his thoughts as he continued to dodge. If evading attacks had been easy before, now it was effortless. Complementing his dynamic sight, he could now discern exactly where the Sleeper wanted to hurt him.
Collarbone. Cheekbone. Ribs. Sternum. Fibula. Every strike the Sleeper delivered, Zachary avoided. And with every dodge, the Sleeper threw new spiteful words at him. Zachary wasn't bothered by what he said—he was focused on grounding the discoveries he'd made. That was, until the Sleeper's next words reached him.
"Your parents must be proud, knowing their son grew to be such a fucking disappointment," he said with a wicked smile.
Zachary faltered for a second, and the Sleeper seized the opportunity to send a straight punch toward his face—but Zachary quickly redirected the blow with his left shoulder.
He continued to dodge, but his mind was no longer on his abilities. It remained trapped in the Sleeper's words. 'ɪ ᴍᴇᴀɴ… ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ, ᴍʏ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍʏ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴʟʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍʏ ᴄᴀʀᴇᴇʀ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ… ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴘʀᴏᴜᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʀᴀɪꜱᴇᴅ.'
Zachary continued thinking, even as his heart began to beat faster—and with it came a sharp, sad pain.
'ɪꜰ ɪᴛ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟ ᴏɴᴇ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ'ᴠᴇ ꜱᴛᴜɴɢ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ʜᴀʀᴅ. ᴄᴏɴꜱɪᴅᴇʀɪɴɢ ʜɪꜱ ꜰᴀɪʟᴇᴅ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀᴀʀᴏɴ… ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ʜɪꜱ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ ɢᴏᴛ.' Zachary rationalized, but inside him, something was bubbling. Something dark… Something ugly.
He wanted to end the train of thought there. But another face appeared in his mind.
Dahrio's smiling face, eyes closed, as he said: "I'm proud of you."
As Zachary placed a blade in his heart.
And with that memory, everything he had been burying deep inside burst forth. The shame of usurping the Original One's existence. The resentment toward himself for deceiving Dahrio. The desolation of realizing that his hopes of returning home had been in vain… once he noticed Sunny's absence.
Zachary looked through darkened eyes as the Sleeper threw a left punch at his face. And with a swiftness he didn't know his body was capable of, he dodged with minimal movement to the right. And in the same movement he grabbed the Sleeper wrist with his left hand, and bringing his right hand up... CRACK!
A sharp crack resounded through the dojo. "Ahhhhh!" Followed by a scream. Zachary had struck the hollow formed between the humerus and ulna when the arm extends—destroying the Sleeper's elbow.
But he wasn't done.
Pulling the Sleeper's wrist toward himself, Zachary punched him in the still-screaming mouth. Another cracking sound—his jaw. Zachary let go of the Sleeper's wrist, but he wasn't finished. With shocking nimbleness, he placed one hand on the Sleeper's head and the other on his left shoulder—then pulled him down into his raised knee.
{_^_}
With another breaking noise Zachary noticed that everyone in the dojo was looking at him, but he did not care.
A memory came suddenly to his mind—how, in the other world, his friend used to practice Judo moves on him. She always ended up on top of him, laughing. That memory, once something he reminisced about with tenderness… was now a reservoir of utility and cold efficiency. So Zachary mimicked her moves and slammed the Sleeper into the ground with a Judo throw.
On the ground, and on top of him, Zachary began pummeling the Sleeper without care. He didn't know what he was currently thinking. His mind was filled with dark thoughts—so dark and muddied they were indistinguishable, even to himself. Only one thing was clear.
He wanted to hurt him.
ʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴜʀᴛ ʜɪᴍ ʙᴀᴅ.
Zachary punched him without restraint. The worst part was that his face remained inexpressive. Thankfully, [Balance Control] was always active, so he was only hitting the Sleeper with thirty percent of his strength. That's when his arm suddenly stopped mid-air.
He turned his head to the side and saw Awakened Rock moving his mouth. Zachary raised an eyebrow in confusion—until he finally heard him.
"SNAP OUT OF IT!" Awakened Rock's thunderous voice hurt his ears, but in that small window of clarity, Zachary regained his thoughts.
He looked down—to his hands, tarnished with foreign blood. And beneath them, the person that blood belonged to. The Sleeper's face had long since become unrecognizable, hidden beneath a veil of gore. Most of his teeth were missing. His upper lip had broken, creating a grotesque space between his mouth and nose. His eyes were no longer visible—swollen lids and shattered cheekbones made sure of that.
He was still alive, though. Sleepers had higher vitality than normal humans. But he was delirious, murmuring the same word over and over in a thin, trembling voice: "M-Mom?"
'W-What did I do?' Zachary looked at his trembling hand in horror. But another thought came.'ɪ ʜᴜʀᴛ ʜɪᴍ. ʟɪᴋᴇ ʜᴇ ᴅᴇꜱᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ.'
'No! He didn't deserve this! Maybe a beating… but this?' Another voice inside answered instantly. 'ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀʀʏ. ʜᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅ'ᴠᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋ ʟɪɢʜᴛʟʏ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ.'
'Should've known? This guy barely even knows me!' He was about to argue with himself again when Awakened Rock spoke once more.
"What have you done?"
Zachary looked up, expecting judgment, a hard glare. But instead, Rock's face carried concern.
This shook him more than anything else. His heart sank with pain and shame. He wanted to explain. He wanted to give excuses. Anything. But something was growing inside him. Something he couldn't control.
With a quick motion, he shook Awakened Rock's hand off him and ran out of the dojo. He sprinted down the hallways toward his room, as if trying to outrun his own thoughts. But with every step, those venomous thoughts followed.
'What the hell is happening to me?' Zachary thought with growing fear.
'ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴅɪᴅ ɪ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ? ɪ'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴀɢᴏɴɪꜱᴛ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ.'
'I'm not bearing the weight of the world, fool! I'm just trying to bear my fucking self.'
'ᴀ ꜰᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ ꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴍᴀɪɴᴛᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ʙʏ ꜰᴀʟʟᴀᴄɪᴇꜱ, ᴛʀɪᴄᴋᴇʀʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪᴇꜱ.'
He stopped for a moment in the corridor, a deep sense of foreboding swelling inside him. He hadn't noticed it before, but his thoughts—his attitude—had been strange since yesterday. Yes, he felt guilt about the Original One and Dahrio. But that was only because he had taken their lives without them ever wronging him. Not because he had lied to them.
'ᴀᴍ ɪ ꜱᴜʀᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ?'
'Yes, I'm fucking sure!'
Zachary continued running as his thoughts stormed in his head.
Yes—since the moment he had fallen into this world, he had already wanted to go back. But everything he had said… it was true. Even if he somehow returned, the only way was through power. And in that way, he would make sure his words to the Original One remained true.
'ᴘᴏᴍᴘᴏᴜꜱ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ.'
He had to admit—his words to the Witness Dahrio had been out of proportion. But they still held truth. In the Other World he had been striving to live his life as best as he could, now here he had sworn to become the best version of himself. Overcoming his self, paving a new road. Even his Aspect had given him a little clue, signaling that indeed there was a cage, and he could break free from it.
'ᴀ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜʟᴇꜱꜱ ᴇɴᴅᴇᴀᴠᴏʀ.'
Zachary finally reached his room and slammed the door shut behind him. With unsteady steps, he walked to the edge of the bed and sat on the ground. 'Worthless endeavor? No. I've finally realized—these thoughts come from me… but they're foreign too. Zachary crossed his legs into a lotus position, trying to meditate as he had done before.
But his thoughts wouldn't let him.
'ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀᴍ ɪ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ? ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ɪ ɢᴏ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱᴇʟꜰ-ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ… ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴡ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴇɴꜱᴏʀ ᴀ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ? ᴘᴀᴛʜᴇᴛɪᴄ.'
'Oh my fucking god. This is my Flaw. This is Mara's Whisper.'
Something trembled inside him. With a name—a recognition—his thoughts surged forward.
'ʏᴇꜱ, ɪ ᴀʀᴇ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴀʀᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴛᴀʏ.'
Zachary trembled in fear.
He hadn't noticed… and somehow, his Flaw had grown. He knew immediately—he had no way of keeping it under control.
'I'm losing control. I'm being eroded by myself. It's like… another me is growing inside. One that has taken all my worst aspects for himself.'
Zachary tried to calm himself—breathing deeply, trying to empty his mind, clear his heart. But with every breath, the murkiness within him grew deeper. In a final—desperate—attempt, he summoned his runes.
Trying to find something to grasp, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴅᴇᴇᴘ ɪɴꜱɪᴅᴇ ʜᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ. Something to help him remain himself, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɪꜰ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ʜɪᴍꜱᴇʟꜰ.
Name: Zachary.
True Name: Heaven's Equal. [Unclaimed]
Rank: Dreamer.
Soul Core: Dormant.
Soul Fragments: [600/1000].
Memories: [Ender's Solace], [Witness' Testament].
Echoes: ---
Attributes: [The Fool], [Mark of Sin], [Conqueror's Soul], [Blasphemer].
He looked up and down, with ᴅɪꜱᴍɪɴɪꜱʜɪɴɢ hope. ʜᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ꜰɪɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛʜ-. That's when his intuition began screaming inside him, he snapped his gaze toward where that instinct pointed.
[Mark of Sin] Attribute Descrition: "It is said that there is no sin in being born, yet you have tarnished this sacred statement by seizing that which doesn't belong to you. You'll forever bear this mark despite the penances you undergo."
'What am I even supposed to do with this?' Zachary thought with difficulty.
It was becoming harder and harder to tell his own thoughts apart from Mara's Whisper. He kept reading the description again and again, but staying focused felt like grasping smoke. A Flaw was supposed to be part of oneself—but what if that Flaw was clearly hostile?
'What happens if I lose to it? Am I going to become Mara?'
'ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴀᴅ.'
'Stop!' Zachary screamed inwardly, he was one step away from losing control. His intuition told him: if that happened, there would be no going back. Clinging to the last thread of lucidity, he read the description once more. This time, his intuition flared—highlighting a single word:
"Penances."
He didn't know what that word could do for him. He searched his memory—thinking of pacts, of Flaws, of everything he had read in the original work—but he was down to his last straws.So he grabbed onto that one remaining clear thought.
And with his last hope he swore to himself. And the Whisper fell silent.
If he had been in a better state Zachary might have lampooned. Comparing this moment to a teenager getting horribly drunk at a party and ending up in a bathroom, praying to God for a second chance. But right now, he didn't have the humor to think like that. With a sigh that carried the weight of a hundred days, Zachary slumped onto the floor.
A slight smile crept across his face. "I succeeded," he whispered faintly.
He thought back to those final moments—how close he had come to losing himself. How his intuition had gifted him that last spark of clarity. And how, within it, he had found the answer. With a groan, Zachary summoned his runes again.
[Mark of Sin] Attribute Descrition: "It is said that there is no sin in being born, yet you have tarnished this sacred statement by seizing that which doesn't belong to you. You'll forever bear this mark despite the penances you undergo."
Zachary closed his eyes with a wince. New words had appeared beneath the description.
Attribute Traits: [Penance of Truth].
Trait Description: [I shall not lie.]
Zachary remained silent for a long time. Then, a defeated sigh escaped his lips. "...I just took a second Flaw, didn't I?"
"And I did it with a smile!" he shouted in exasperation—then quickly calmed himself again. "Hahhh… at that moment, it was the only way to regain control of myself."
He said this with certainty. After experiencing the overflow of his Flaw, Zachary now had a clearer understanding of how Mara's Whisper was supposed to function—an understanding strongly reinforced by his Intuition.
Under normal circumstances, it should have behaved like the archetypal "Heart Demon" found in cultivation or martial arts novels—emerging during pivotal turning points in his journey, whether a power breakthrough or an intense emotional moment, sowing doubt and inner conflict. In such cases, Zachary would have faced these dark thoughts head-on, wrestling with his own self and learning to govern it over time.
But things were not normal, there happened to be a little minor inconvenience that had changed everything for Zachary. Mara's Whisper was intrinsically tied to Zachary's Soul. And that Soul had grown overwhelmingly in an instant… after killing Dahrio. Mara's Whisper was supposed to grow gradually alongside him, evolving into a formidable—but manageable—adversary. A challenge that Zachary would need to overcome step by step.
Instead, with his Soul's sudden explosive growth, the Flaw had leapt leagues ahead of his still-mundane Ego. So he had been forced into an unorthodox solution—an Attribute he was never meant to receive.
"Now my Flaw is straight Borderline Personality Disorder." Zachary said with self mockery when he suddenly laughted.
"Hahaha, this is such an awkward comparison," Zachary said with a dry laugh, "but I feel like the old YouTube…" He paused, smiling at the absurdity of it. "You know—when you'd watch a video and hope the white line stayed ahead of the red one? I'm the white line, and my Flaw's the red one. Thanks to the [Penance of Truth], I managed to widen the gap between us."
His expression stiffened slightly. "But Mara's Whisper is still growing. If I want to maintain this gap… I'll have to grow too." He lampooned, but there was little humor in it.
Then another realization struck him. "…Fuck."
His face twisted with both frustration and resignation. "If my Flaw is tied directly to my Soul, then every time I go through a breakthrough… Mara's Whisper will evolve too."
He rubbed his eyes in annoyance. "That means every time I climb a step in the Path of Ascension, I'll need to take another Penance."
For a moment, Zachary just sat there, shoulders heavy, face buried in his hands. Then he let out a deep breath and straightened. That's a problem for future Zachary.
Zachary remained seated in his room for a long time, but this time, his heart was light. His runes were still summoned, and for once, he felt no repulsion toward the ones he was looking at.
Name: Zachary.
True Name: Heaven's Equal. [Unclaimed]
Rank: Dreamer.
Soul Core: Dormant.
Soul Fragments: [600/1000].
Memories: [Ender's Solace], [Witness' Testament].
So, with renewed resolve, Zachary brought forth the runes he wanted to check.
Memory: [Witness' Testament].
Memory Rank: Awakened.
Memory Type: Armor.
Memory Description: [The Witness Mantle, once proof of responsibility and belief, is now a testament of rebellion and strife. But strangely, this transition has been made with faith and hope—hope for a new future. The Last Witness wished for his son to be unburdened by the Past while he fought for the Future. At the same time, he yearned for him to meet hardship to temper his resolve. This new Mantle will serve both as protection and challenge to the Witness of the New Future. A beautiful wish.]
"The spell is showing respect for Dahrio's decision," Zachary said, a warm feeling surging in his chest.
'I'll honour him,' Zachary declared, fire in his eyes. 'I might not know what the future of this world holds for me. I still strive to find a way back... but at the same time, I want to honour those who placed their hopes on me by enjoying their world.' This dichotomy was, at its core, Absurd—wanting to enjoy a place while simultaneously trying to abandon it. But he knew a thing or two about Absurdism.
'Camus had said that there are two answers someone can take when one encounters the Absurd, he can surrender to it... Or embrace it.' Zachary stood up in his room, steady and certain.
"One must imagine Sisyphus happy."
Zachary took another Oath—this one not through his Attribute, but through the faith of those he no longer remembered. Through Dahrio's hopes for a future where a human could stand alone, without depending on the Gods... and through the Original One, who had entrusted his self to him, to carry it to new heights.
"I shall live as Zachary happy."