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“Evernode….”

The knights despaired. Quenor Stroff was dead. The walls of Evernode crumbled, and lives were trampled underfoot by the Giant. The people, who had spent a lifetime in the once mighty city, stared at the scene, unable to rage.

“I must go. I have to finish the Giant before it can heal.”

Arjen’s condition was by no means normal. His body was as tattered as the Giant’s from continuous battles against monsters, and his mind was filled with only one thing: the need to kill. Hatred for the loss of Quenor and the deaths of his comrades drove Arjen’s feet.

“Arjen!!!”

Arjen was slapped on his cheek. He rubbed his left cheek and blinked. Iris, the Saintess, stood in front of him. ‘Did she have blue eyes?’ Arjen glanced down at the woman holding his arm, giving her a questioning look as if to ask why she was stopping him.

“Get a grip. The Archduke has entrusted you with field command, and you can’t just run off with murder and hatred.”

Iris’ voice was tearful. Arjen’s eyes slowly returned to focus.

“We must move now. We must not let the giant cross the ‘horizon.’”

“Don’t look ahead and try to go it alone.”

Iris scrunched her face in frustration at Arjen’s words and turned her back to him. Knights and soldiers were standing blankly. Without their leader, they looked to Arjen, their only hope. His hand tightened on his Holy Sword.

“You must see the people who believe in you.”

Arjen looked down at the Holy Sword. See and move on. Arjen couldn’t remember seeing anyone but himself.

“I can’t.”

“You can.”

Iris’ hand touched Arjen’s. She squeezed it firmly, and Arjen closed his eyes tightly. He could see the faintest glimmer of light at the edge of a black world. Arjen opened his eyes again. The hilt of the Holy Sword was radiating an energy unlike anything he had ever seen before, and it didn’t just emanate from the sword; it flowed into his body. Arjen’s grip on the hilt tightened.

“…We will stop it today.”

Arjen opened his mouth. One by one, the knights looked up. This was not in his nature. He’d always fought alone, and he’d always thought that was the way it should be.

“Weeping now won’t fix the broken walls, nor will it bring back a dead archduke.”

Those were the words that rallied the soldiers and were also the words Arjen used to calm himself. He turned his head and looked at Daphne. Her face was torn between determination and fear. Arjen opened his mouth again.

“I will go now to take down the Giant. You may stay behind and despair while you watch as the land and the Archduke are avenged by my hand.”

Arjen raised his Holy Sword. The light from its blade glowed, and the men rose to their feet, mesmerized. Hope. It has finally taken shape.

“I will join you…!”

“Me too! Me too!”

More soldiers followed Arjen. He merely glanced back before continuing on his way. The northerners continued onward. The Giant was far above in the clouds. The blizzard intensified. Arjen trudged through the falling snow. Now, it was the Giant’s turn to face death. Arjen stepped forward, pointing the tip of his sword at the behemoth.

“To the Evernode!”

“To the Archduke!”

The monsters attacked them. Soldiers and knights clashed with them. Arjen stomped off the ground, new power coursing through him. A cyclone raged beneath his feet, and he raised his Holy Sword. The Giant roared as he saw the great wave of energy rushing toward him. The mana of the Holy Sword pierced the blizzard and ran toward the Disaster, becoming the salvation the people yearned for.

***

“What the… what is this.”

Arjen muttered dazedly as he took in the sight before him. There were eyes below his ankles. He recognized the faces, but he didn’t know what was happening. The soldiers and knights shouting behind him were the forces of Evernode. And running in front of them, Holy Sword raised, was none other than Arjen himself.

“What the hell is going on?”

It was an illusion. He knew it was an illusion. As proof, he could not feel the cold of the snow at all. But the chill seemed to travel up his feet, through his veins, and along his spine.

「What do you think this is all about?」

“Stop playing games and tell me straight. What the hell is this?”

Arjen’s voice was full of mana. With nowhere to go, it spun like a vortex and surrounded him. The darkness that had consumed him was laughing. He wanted to swing his sword, but his arm wouldn’t move. Arjen’s strength was powerless before the darkness’ laughter.

「What you see is what you get. That’s you. If you had eyes, you’d know it when you saw it.」

“Don’t try to be funny. Who are you, and what do you want from me?”

「Who I am is none of your business. All I wanted was to show you who you truly are. Or, more accurately, what you were.」

The darkness spoke in a tone of amusement. Arjen had no memory of what was happening before him. He bit his lip. ‘So what the hell does that have to do with me? What was the point of showing him this tasteless fantasy?’

「If you’re unsure, slow down and think about it.」

The voice faded away. Arjen was left in the snow again. In the distance, the Giant’s massive body crumbled to the ground. He stood on its chest. Its blood flowed like a river, staining the land of Evernode red. Evernode’s knights and soldiers rushed forward like a swarm of bees and surrounded Arjen.

“…I’ve become a laughing stock.”

Arjen snorted. The illusion never ended. Arjen crossed his arms and stared into the snow, waiting to see how far this illusion would go. A cold breeze blew in. The darkness seemed to pull at his senses, pressing down on him.

“I’m sorry if you wanted to tell me something, but this is pointless.”

He stood on the Giant’s corpse for a while. Surrounded by people cheering him on. It was a foreign feeling. It was an expression he had never worn before in his life. Arjen took in the bewildered look on his face and blew out a thin breath. It was an unpleasant, unsightly look.

“That’s all you got?”

「Of course not.」

The darkness laughed.

「There is no need to hide your insecurities.」

Then, the landscape blurred. The sky lowered, the winds died down, and the snow melted.

What he saw next made his eyes widen.

***

“Arjen.”

He turned his head. His mind seemed blank, and then it was buried by a sudden sensation: a warm, comforting, yet nostalgic weight, texture, and scent. A name formed in his mouth as he swayed off balance.

“Carla.”

“Why do you have so many bruises? Do you even know what day it is?”

“What?”

Arjen turned his head, his brow furrowed, and he shuddered at seeing her gray eyes. Memories that couldn’t possibly have happened swept through him like a flood.

“You’re…you’re….”

“What? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Stop playing already and get up.”

Carla said lightly and pushed away from Arjen. He watched her scramble to her feet and frowned slightly. What was happening?

“What day is it?”

“It’s my one-year retirement anniversary. Now, you’re on duty this morning, so go make something.”

Carla playfully poked Arjen in the back. He walked from the bedroom to the hallway and into the kitchen. When he looked back, Carla was smiling and waving cheerfully. Arjen turned on the water in the sink and washed his hands idly.

***

“Stop.”

Arjen’s voice was cold. Blood dripped from his clenched hands. Uncontrollable mana was unleashed, gnawing at the space. But there was nowhere for it to go. Like a wheel spinning in the air, the flesh spun and spun, absorbed back into Arjen.

Someone who looked exactly like him was with Carla. Arjen was in the theater, watching the play. He kept seeing images of Carla and the other person living happily ever after. Slowly, he calmed himself. ‘This is an illusion. It didn’t happen.’

「Did you think it was an illusion?」

The voice whispered. Arjen gritted his teeth.

「Well, keep watching.」

The voice faded away. The illusion continued. Arjen stared at the sight with bloodshot eyes. ‘What? Was he capable of such happiness?’ Arjen made a face.

“It is an affront to Carla.”

「The Mist has the ability to collect fragments of memories of the dead. I guess you wouldn’t know that.」

‘Mist?’

Before Arjen could comprehend the words, the phantom Arjen stabbed Carla in the chest. Blood trickled from her chest, and the phantom Arjen wept. Carla wasn’t crying. She hugged him tenderly, as if she didn’t feel the pain, and whispered in his ear. Arjen couldn’t hear her, and he could only stare blankly as she collapsed.

「The Mist grows, feeding on unfulfilled dreams.」

“Aaaah!!!”

Arjen screamed in the vision, looking up at the sky. The house was crumbling, turning into white smoke. Arjen grabbed his Holy Sword and slashed at it. The light sliced apart the intangible fog.

「In other words, what you see now is a fragment of her memory. You’ve been deprived of even the chance to meet her.」

“…”

Arjen remained silent. If anything, his expression seemed to be sinking into calmness. He breathes in deeply and out shallowly.

“Is this all you have to show to me? It’s so absurd I can’t even imagine it. So what? Do you want to tell me that you have Carla’s memories? Bring something fresher.”

「You must be mistaking something.」

The darkness whispered.

「I’m not trying to convince you.」

“What?”

「I’m just sharing some information.」

A chill ran through Arjen.

「To make sure you understand what happens next.」

“…What happens–”

Before Arjen could ask, the mist parted, and the scene shifted. This time, it was an open field. Hundreds of thousands of monsters were being driven somewhere. A battle as the Meteor approached. In the vision, Arjen stepped forward and led his soldiers. He slashed through the hordes, wielding his Holy Sword. Spells rained down from the wizards.

“What are you showing me?”

Arjen said, trying to remain calm, but there were more than a few things that unsettled him: how much time had passed outside, what had happened, what the hell was going on now, and what was the uneasiness creeping up from the depths of his mind.

「Well, it’s about time.」

The Meteor shattered into pieces. Arjen stared at the shards in disbelief, and the darkness chuckled a low, cackling laugh.

「Say hello, Arjen. There’s the protagonist.」

‘The protagonist?’

As Arjen stood dumbfounded. Then he watched as phantom Arjen sheathed his sword.