Moved by Velkat’s sincere persuasion, Isabella and Lesley finally nodded.

The two children held hands and slowly walked beyond the wall that had been torn open.

Velkat simply watched their backs in silence.

Though the two of them smiled, as if genuinely happy, they occasionally glanced back—as though something tugged at them—just to make sure Velkat was still there.

“It’s all right.”

Velkat waved reassuringly at them, telling them not to worry.

Perhaps it was that gesture that gave them the confidence to trust him; soon, they picked up their pace and ran into the mist beyond the barrier.

Tap tap tap.

Their tiny footsteps quickly faded into the distance.

Though they hadn’t gone far, the sound disappearing made the space between them feel impossibly vast.

In the figures of those two departing friends, Velkat saw an old memory overlaid.

The children appeared for a brief moment as adults, grown up and radiant.

They looked happy.

Walking hand in hand with the ones they loved toward the light—that was the salvation Velkat had always longed for.

At last, once they had completely vanished, Velkat let out the cough he had been holding back.

Hacking violently, blood dripped from his mouth.

Even his internal organs were beyond saving now.

It was the sign of death, utterly irreversible.

And yet, Velkat’s lips curled in a peaceful smile.

“At last... I made it in time.”

Wiping the blood from his lips, Velkat stumbled over and sat down, leaning against the trunk of a massive tree.

His body, having reached its absolute limit, could no longer even stand still.

Closing his eyes and trying to regulate his breath, he felt a presence nearby and faintly opened his eyes.

“Ludger... Cherish, is it.”

Ludger stood beside him without a word.

For a while, neither man spoke.

A gust of wind swept through the forest, scattering leaves into the air.

With the sound brushing his ears, mana began to slowly fill the air.

The thick white mist ahead—once torn—had now fully restored itself.

“It was a life full of regrets. Not a day went by when I didn’t regret my choices.”

It was a sudden confession, but Ludger quietly listened.

“Isabella was never meant to die. Because I was the one who should’ve gone to the Kasarr Basin that day. But I had been caught up in some urgent matter regarding a magic thesis, and she went in my stead. If I had gone instead... she never would’ve been caught up in all of this.”

Velkat’s first regret was that.

He believed Isabella’s death was his fault.

“After that, when I was drowning in despair, Lesley came to me. While I was stuck for a year in grief, Lesley had been diligently researching the Kasarr Basin. Clinging to hope—hope that Isabella might still be alive.”

“......”

“Lesley told me we might be able to find her. That perhaps, because of the strange phenomena in the Kasarr Basin, we might see Isabella’s soul. He asked me to go with him. That if I helped, we might be able to prove his hypothesis. But I didn’t help.”

Velkat’s second regret—Lesley.

Lesley had wanted Velkat to rise from his sorrow and search for Isabella together, but Velkat couldn’t.

“Lesley was strong. Far more resolute than someone like me. I respected that about him... but at the same time, I envied him. He had everything I didn’t.”

So he rejected Lesley’s proposal.

But Lesley didn’t give up.

He persistently tried to persuade Velkat, insisting his theory had merit.

“I, too, was faintly swayed by his words. But... I couldn’t risk everything on a theory that wasn’t even complete. I gave up. But Lesley didn’t. He went to the Kasarr Basin alone.”

And then Lesley vanished.

In that moment, Velkat realized the gravity of his mistake.

He had let go of his last remaining friend.

No—he hadn’t just let them go.

Both of them had become prisoners, trapped in the Kasarr Basin with not even the peace of death granted to them.

“My jealousy, selfishness, and stupidity drove my friends {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} to their deaths.”

It was from that self-loathing and regret that Velkat inherited the data Lesley had left behind on the Kasarr Basin.

He began researching the Basin—and at the same time, searching for a way to save the souls of his departed friends.

But the cruel wall of reality was tall.

Over and over again, he suffered and blamed himself. His mind gradually wore down, broken and splintered.

What let him endure it was a single thought—saving his friends.

That alone had kept him going.

“And then... I met him. The one who showed me the way. Who gave me direction.”

“Zero Order.”

“Yes. He taught me what I had to do. And in return, I worked as one of his hands and feet. Waiting for this day to come.”

Velkat had met Zero Order and become a First Order.

He chose [Lesley] as his codename—the name of the friend he had both envied and admired most.

For long years, he prepared meticulously.

To save Isabella and Lesley.

To give, for the first time, rather than just receive from them.

“And then, one day, Elder Rimle came to me. Said he knew what I was planning. Said he wanted to be part of it.”

Velkat gave a quiet chuckle, remembering that day.

—I’ll handle the mansion.

—With your skill, Elder, there’s no need to put yourself at risk. Let me do it.

Velkat had tried to stop him, but Rimle shook his head.

—Our goals are the same. Saving my daughter, Isabella. But I have a grudge to settle as well. You lived for salvation alone. I also have revenge.

—If something goes wrong, you’ll die. And if you die, there’s no revenge or salvation.

—When a man has lived long enough, he starts to sense when his end is near. Even where he’ll meet it. It’s like a fate you can’t escape. You accept it. And that place... suits me.

—But—

—Choosing your own deathbed is an old man’s final privilege. Don’t deny me that.

Velkat hadn’t been able to argue with that.

In the end, Rimle succeeded in his role.

Now, the only thing left... was his own part.

The journey so far.

The long days of pain.

And today—that end had arrived.

“Was it really just because you wanted to be free?”

Ludger murmured, staring at the dome of mist covering the Kasarr Basin.

Velkat nodded weakly.

“Yes. All this... for just two people. The worst thing I’ve ever done. To save two already dead souls... I was prepared to kill thousands who’d come here. No—if the Basin had collapsed, far more would have died.”

Velkat had never been unaware of what he was doing.

He had knowingly embraced the truth and still pressed forward.

All because he wished to free his two friends.

“Their deaths weren’t your fault. It was an accident, nothing more.”

After hearing Velkat’s story, Ludger replied calmly.

Isabella and Lesley’s deaths were tragic.

But ultimately... they were accidents.

Even if the Truth School had some connection to Isabella’s fate, it didn’t mean Velkat bore the blame.

“Even so... you went ahead. You knew it was the wrong path, and still, blaming yourself, you walked that thorny road. Even though there was no salvation for you at the end of it.”

Velkat would die here.

And naturally, the souls of those who died in the Kasarr Basin would remain trapped within it.

Isabella and Lesley had been freed by Velkat.

But who... would save Velkat’s soul?

“Why choose to do something so foolish yourself?”

“Then let me ask you.” Velkat turned the question back. “Why didn’t you kill me earlier, when you had the chance?”

“.........”

“Even though I fought you with everything I had, even though I’m dying, you didn’t kill me. In fact, you brought Isabella back to me.”

“.........”

“You didn’t have to let me save them. You could’ve killed me and freed their souls yourself. But you gave me that chance.”

Velkat chuckled softly.

“In the end... you’re the same as me.”

Even if there was no salvation at the end.

Even knowing it might cost your life.

Still, you chose to walk this path.

“When helping someone precious... when choosing to do something foolish... do you really need a reason?”

That’s what it means to be human.

For the sake of one person dear to them, people can sacrifice countless others.

Even if that choice brings destruction back on themselves.

Even if the one receiving the favor never asked for it.

Even then... people press forward in that blind, stubborn, utterly selfish way.

“That’s what love is.”

Ludger didn’t respond.

He said nothing—not to agree or to object.

But even in his silence, Velkat understood.

His answer had been enough.

“You may not be the real First Order, but seeing you walk that path... it means even Zero Order must have allowed it. So someone like me... I’ll cheer for you.”

Fight.

And don’t stop.

Velkat’s barely whispered voice, like air leaking from a punctured tire, echoed in Ludger’s mind like a thunderclap.

Cough.

A mouthful of blood poured from Velkat’s lips.

“...I’m tired. I think... I’ll rest now.”

“Yeah. I’ve been talking too much to someone who’s in pain.”

“Consider it a worthwhile experience before dying.”

Velkat’s head slowly drooped forward.

His blood-drained face had gone pale white.

“Go now. This place... it’s an eternal prison. Somewhere only a sinner like me belongs. The living should not linger here.”

With those final words, the sound of footsteps slowly faded into the mist.

As Ludger walked away, the sound of his footsteps echoed faintly.

Velkat heard that fading sound near his ear and let out a self-deprecating smile.

—We made a promise...

Humans are, after all, selfish.

He had freed the souls of his two friends from this prison, had finally let them meet again.

That should have been enough.

He thought it was.

And yet, now that death was near... why did he find himself wanting to see them again?

At that moment, Velkat’s body trembled violently.

In a world that had grown dim and filled with nothing but darkness, Velkat was overwhelmed with terror.

The long-delayed side effect of the drug Victor had given him finally struck.

“Where... am I?”

He remembered nothing. Why was he here? Why did his body hurt so much? Why couldn’t he see anything?

His mind had regressed to that of a seven-year-old.

No—it was worse than that. Velkat had forgotten even his own name.

All his shattered brain could remember was... that he used to have friends.

“Guys? Where are you?”

Velkat cried out like a lost child.

“Rimle! Isabella! Don’t leave me behind!”

He flailed his arms in desperation.

In the pitch-black void, the seven-year-old Velkat was all alone.

“Please... don’t leave me...”

Sobbing, Velkat’s body slumped to one side.

But just then, a hand caught his collapsing form.

“Wh-Who... who are you? Are you... my friend?”

“No.”

“I... I can’t see anything. Wh-Where am I? Where are my friends? Please, help me. I... I want to see my friends... I...”

Velkat clung to the man who had helped him, pleading with both hands.

But the further he spoke, the weaker his voice became.

The last traces of his life force were finally fading away.

“Please...”

He whispered like a man whose soul had already slipped away.

Ludger, who had been silently watching him, finally opened his mouth.

“You committed a great sin. An unforgivable one. What’s happening to you now is the price of that.”

“I... I don’t know. I don’t remember anything...”

“You may not remember, but the truth remains. What you did won’t disappear. And you’ll likely suffer punishment for a long, long time.”

“Why... why is it just me...?”

“But...”

A breeze stirred.

“Even punishment eventually ends.”

“......”

“Everything does. Even this pain, this suffering—it will all vanish with time. Even partings are like that. If you endure and wait, someday... you’ll meet them again.”

Because nothing in this world is truly eternal.

Not even this so-called eternal prison.

“Child... the world may never forgive you. But not everyone will condemn you. At the very least, your friends will wait for you, forgive you, and accept you.”

“R-Really? My friends... they’ll wait for me?”

“Yes. You were always late. I’m sure they’ll understand. So go ahead—close your eyes.”

At those words, Velkat slowly closed his eyes.

His breathing grew even, and then faded into silence.

“This nightmare... once you wake from it, it will be nothing. So wait.”

Ludger gently laid Velkat down on the fallen leaves.

Velkat’s expression was peaceful—like someone who had finally found rest.

In the very end, Velkat had died as Velkat.

The wind stopped.

And his body, as if it had never existed at all, vanished without a trace.

As if he had already been carried away long ago.

* * *

Ludger walked toward the edge of the forest.

With the anomaly intensifying, if he didn’t return to the forward base soon, he’d be caught in it.

But he had no choice but to stop.

A massive beast stood in his path, exuding an overwhelming presence.

He had to lift his head quite high to meet its gaze.

A colossal stag with a mane of mixed white and sky-blue stood quietly, looking down at Ludger.

“...What? Come to offer thanks or something?”

Ludger asked, assuming the creature wouldn’t understand him.

But to his surprise, the divine beast nodded in response.

With that slight motion of its head, a lingering golden mist flowed from its antlers, scattering like heatwaves in the air.

“...You understand me?”

The divine beast gave him a look—Is that really your concern?

Ludger realized he’d asked something pointless.

Considering how long the creature had lived, it wouldn’t be strange for it to possess intelligence beyond that of humans.

Wuuuuung...

The divine beast began to release mana from its body, embedding intention within it.

This was how the divine beast communicated with humans—through will-imbued mana.

Even without “hearing” the words, Ludger understood perfectly.

The creature was grateful to him.

“I didn’t do it to earn gratitude. I just did what I had to in order to survive.”

Wuuuuung...

“So you still think I helped you. But I don’t see how you can repay me now.”

Wuuuuung...

“You’ll grant me one wish for saving the forest, is that it? That’s quite the offer. But how would you know what I want?”

Even as he said that, Ludger had no intention of making a grand request.

He looked straight into the beast’s eyes and said,

“Would it be all right if I... took a piece of one of your antlers?”

The divine beast was no longer just an animal—it had become a mystical being, overflowing with mana.

And from what Ludger could tell, its primary source of magical power was the golden antlers.

If he could obtain even a fragment of those horns, it would be more valuable than any elixir in the world.

Of course, he was aware it might be too much to ask. He was ready to change his request if needed.

Wuuuuung...

“...You’ll give it to me?”

When the divine beast nodded in agreement, Ludger was momentarily taken aback.

It wasn’t lying—this was its true will.

To think he’d really be given something like that...

Even as he thought it was a stroke of luck, Ludger asked with curiosity,

“Could I... also have a tooth?”

......

This time, the divine beast just stared at him with an expression that clearly said: Why...?