The valley remained silent after the newcomer's words.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Even the wind seemed to have disappeared.
The crimson doorway continued hanging above the mountains while countless shadows remained kneeling within its depths. Earlier, Ayan had assumed those beings were monsters powerful enough to destroy civilizations. Now they looked insignificant. Every shadow inside the fracture had lowered its head toward the same figure.
The newcomer stood calmly at the edge of the doorway.
Dark robes drifted around its body.
Crimson light illuminated its outline.
Yet Ayan still couldn't see its face clearly.
Every attempt to focus on it ended the same way. His vision blurred. Details slipped away. The harder he looked, the less he seemed capable of seeing.
The sensation felt unnatural.
Like reality itself was refusing to provide answers.
The bridge pulsed once.
Only once.
Then silence returned.
That single reaction frightened Ayan more than anything else.
The bridge wasn't warning him.
It was hiding.
The realization settled heavily inside his chest.
Far beyond the silver fracture, the king remained standing beneath the great tower. The impossible city behind him glowed softly beneath the black sky while millions of citizens watched in complete silence.
Nobody understood exactly what they were seeing.
Yet everyone understood one thing.
Something important had arrived.
The newcomer slowly looked around.
Its movements appeared casual.
Relaxed.
Like a traveler arriving at a familiar destination.
Eventually, its gaze settled on the king.
A faint smile appeared.
"It's been a long time."
The ancient ruler remained silent.
The newcomer didn't seem surprised.
It simply nodded to itself.
"Yes. I suppose it has."
The figure standing near the doorway folded its arms.
Unlike everyone else, it looked annoyed.
"You shouldn't be here."
The newcomer laughed softly.
The sound echoed through both worlds.
"I was invited."
The answer immediately drew attention.
The giant frowned.
Lucien frowned.
Even the king's expression darkened.
The figure's gaze shifted toward Ayan.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
The implication struck immediately.
The bridge.
Ayan felt cold spreading through his body.
The newcomer noticed.
Its smile widened slightly.
"Ah."
The simple sound somehow felt heavier than entire conversations.
"So that's the one."
The bridge reacted.
Hard.
A sudden memory surfaced.
Ayan found himself standing inside a gigantic chamber constructed from silver crystal. Thousands of people filled observation platforms surrounding an enormous sphere of light.
The atmosphere felt hopeful.
Excited.
Researchers celebrated.
Leaders smiled.
Someone had apparently achieved a breakthrough.
Then the sphere spoke.
The memory didn't reveal words.
Only reactions.
The celebration stopped instantly.
The room became silent.
Fear spread.
Confusion followed.
Then panic.
The vision shattered.
Reality returned.
Ayan inhaled sharply.
The newcomer watched him carefully.
Its expression remained calm.
Interested.
Like a scholar studying an unusual discovery.
The sensation made Ayan uncomfortable.
Very uncomfortable.
The figure noticed immediately.
"Stop looking at him."
The newcomer raised an eyebrow.
"And why would I do that?"
The figure's expression hardened.
The newcomer simply smiled.
The exchange felt strangely normal.
Which somehow made it worse.
Ayan expected hostility.
Threats.
Power.
Instead, the newcomer acted like someone attending a social gathering.
The giant stepped forward slightly.
"You've changed."
The newcomer looked toward him.
For the first time, genuine amusement appeared.
"So have you."
The giant didn't respond.
The newcomer studied him for several moments before nodding.
"Though less than most."
A brief silence followed.
Then the newcomer looked toward the impossible city.
Its expression softened.
For a moment, it almost seemed nostalgic.
"Still standing."
The king finally spoke.
"Barely."
The answer carried centuries of exhaustion.
The newcomer nodded.
"I know."
The atmosphere shifted subtly.
Ayan noticed immediately.
The king wasn't speaking to an enemy.
Not exactly.
The giant wasn't speaking to an enemy either.
Neither was the figure.
The realization confused him.
Everyone appeared uncomfortable.
Yet nobody seemed surprised.
The bridge pulsed again.
Another memory surfaced.
This one felt older than the others.
Ayan saw three figures standing atop a silver platform overlooking an endless sea of stars.
One was the king.
One was the giant.
The third—
The newcomer.
The atmosphere felt peaceful.
The three appeared to be discussing something.
Arguing, perhaps.
Yet there was no hostility.
Only familiarity.
The memory shifted.
Years passed.
Then decades.
The same three figures appeared again.
Only now the atmosphere felt tense.
Concerned.
Worried.
The stars behind them seemed dimmer somehow.
The vision ended.
Ayan frowned.
The memories were becoming increasingly clear.
And increasingly troubling.
Because they all pointed toward the same conclusion.
The newcomer wasn't a stranger.
It belonged to the same history as the others.
The figure sighed.
Apparently, it had reached the same realization.
"You should have stayed hidden."
The newcomer laughed.
"You really believe that?"
The question went unanswered.
The silence itself seemed meaningful.
The newcomer slowly turned toward the crimson doorway.
Toward the endless shadows waiting beyond.
Its expression became thoughtful.
"Interesting."
Nobody spoke.
The newcomer continued.
"The End is closer than expected."
The giant folded his arms.
"We noticed."
The answer earned another laugh.
This one sounded genuine.
"Of course you did."
Ayan disliked the sound.
There was something deeply unsettling about the newcomer's confidence.
Nothing seemed to surprise it.
Nothing seemed to concern it.
Not the End.
Not Genesis.
Not the bridge.
The figure finally noticed the same thing.
Its expression hardened.
"You know something."
The newcomer smiled.
The reaction alone became an answer.
The giant looked away.
The king remained silent.
The newcomer slowly clasped its hands behind its back.
Then it began walking.
Not toward the valley.
Not toward the city.
Simply along the edge of the crimson doorway.
Each step felt strangely deliberate.
Measured.
Thoughtful.
Like it was considering something important.
Eventually, it stopped.
Its gaze settled on Ayan once again.
The bridge immediately reacted.
The pulse nearly made him stagger.
The newcomer noticed.
"Interesting."
Ayan frowned.
He was getting tired of hearing that word.
"What?"
The newcomer tilted its head slightly.
"The bridge likes you."
The answer caught him completely off guard.
Silence followed.
The figure looked annoyed.
The giant looked confused.
Even the king seemed surprised.
Ayan stared.
"What does that mean?"
The newcomer smiled.
"A good question."
The bridge pulsed again.
The sensation felt different this time.
Not fear.
Not warning.
Recognition.
The realization unsettled him.
Because somehow—
The bridge recognized the newcomer.
The newcomer continued watching him.
Its expression remained thoughtful.
"The bridge always preferred certain people."
Nobody spoke.
The newcomer continued.
"It never liked rulers."
The king looked unimpressed.
"It tolerated researchers."
The figure rolled its eyes.
"It respected explorers."
The giant remained silent.
Then the newcomer smiled.
"But it loved dreamers."
The bridge reacted violently.
Another memory surfaced.
A child standing inside an enormous hall.
Silver pathways stretched in every direction.
Countless doors surrounded him.
The child stared upward with wonder.
Excitement.
Curiosity.
The atmosphere felt warm.
Hopeful.
Then the memory ended.
Ayan froze.
The vision had felt different.
Personal.
The newcomer noticed immediately.
Its expression changed.
For the first time since arriving—
It looked surprised.
The reaction lasted only a moment.
Then it vanished.
But Ayan saw it.
The newcomer had not expected that memory.
The realization felt important.
Very important.
The figure noticed as well.
Its eyes narrowed.
"What did you see?"
Ayan explained.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The newcomer became silent.
The giant frowned.
The king looked toward Ayan.
Nobody seemed comfortable.
Ayan's confusion grew.
"What?"
The newcomer laughed quietly.
The sound carried a trace of disbelief.
"Well."
Nobody interrupted.
The newcomer looked toward the crimson doorway.
Toward the endless darkness beyond.
Then back toward Ayan.
And for the first time since arriving—
The confidence disappeared.
Only for a second.
Yet everyone noticed.
"That's unexpected."
The bridge pulsed.
The newcomer smiled weakly.
"I think," it said slowly, "we may have misunderstood who he is."
Silence followed.
Absolute silence.
The king stared.
The giant stared.
The figure stared.
Even Lucien looked confused.
Ayan felt cold spreading through his body.
Because suddenly—
Everyone was looking at him differently.
The newcomer folded its arms.
Its gaze remained fixed on Ayan.
Not hostile.
Not friendly.
Careful.
The expression made him uneasy.
Very uneasy.
"What are you talking about?"
The newcomer remained silent for several moments.
Then it sighed.
"I was hoping to avoid this conversation."
The statement immediately captured everyone's attention.
The bridge pulsed harder.
The newcomer looked toward the darkness beyond the doorway.
Its expression darkened.
"The problem," it said quietly, "is that if I'm right..."
A cold wind swept across the valley.
The crimson doorway trembled.
The endless shadows remained kneeling.
And somewhere beyond them, hidden within the darkness, something enormous continued approaching.
The newcomer looked directly at Ayan.
Then it finished speaking.
"...the bridge didn't choose a host."
Silence.
The bridge pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The newcomer smiled sadly.
"It found its owner."