||
It was silent around me. Even when the room returned to normal and the projection stopped playing, I stood in the room in a daze.
I tried my best to process what I had witnessed, and while my heart was pounding loudly against my mind, I knew I couldn’t remain shocked for long.
After all…
‘He’s monitoring me.’
Every action, movement, and sound I made was under the watchful eye of the being who ruled over the Citadel.
Governor Dreamist.
Taking a deep breath, I calmly exited the room and started looking through the other displays around the museum.
There were quite a few interesting pieces, from fallen Empires that came since the Era of the Shattering World, to all sorts of new and different information. There were a lot of new and interesting things.
And yet…
In spite of how interesting everything looked, my mind was elsewhere.
Despite all of my best attempts at trying to keep my mind busy, my mind couldn’t help but wander elsewhere.
‘…Did I foresee all of this happening in the past? Is this why I reacted the way that I did in the vision? But even so, why would I want to kill them?’
I thought back to the projection and realized something; Was I the bad guy for trying to kill the other gods?
Did my powers perhaps cloud over my mind and turn me insane?
Or was there more to it?
11
I stood there in a daze, my mind locked onto the figure reflected behind the glass panel. I stood there like that until my teeth clenched tightly.
‘No, there’s definitely more to it.’
I firmly clung to this thought.
What I had seen so far was just a small fragment of the truth. If Sithrus was the one responsible for curating and creating the museum, there was no doubt he could manipulate history to suit his will.
For all I cared, I knew I wasn’t someone that would magically turn insane and kill others for
no reason.
I had to have a reason.
Just what exactly did I see in the past?
‘I’ll find out more eventually.’
The picture that once felt extremely obscure started to clear up, and I was now starting to become familiar with the truth of this world.
Thinking about the Statue of Liberty I had seen in Grimspire-Supply station located in Bremmer-alongside all the information that I had received now, I could conclude one thing.
“The Mirror Dimension is the past earth, and the people trapped within the Mirror Dimension can’t leave to the outside world for some reason.’
While people from the outside world could enter the Mirror Dimension, ‘they’ could not. It was as if they were cursed-bound by some unseen force that prevented their bodies from stepping into the real world.
The entire goal of the organization appeared to be ‘freedom’. They wanted to step out of the Mirror Dimension.
…Be free from the eternal prison that bound them to this forsaken place.
But what I didn’t understand was how a select few could still go in and out of the Mirror Dimension, even going as far as mingling with the ‘real’ world.
One such example was Atlas. I had an inkling he was one of the original people belonging to the old earth. And yet… he seemed to be capable of roaming the real world without a problem.
Could it be possible he wasn’t from the old world?
…Or was there more to it that I didn’t yet understand?
The more I thought about the situation, the more my head throbbed.
I felt so close to uncovering the truth, yet it remained frustratingly out of reach.
Still, I knew I was moving in the right direction. With one last glance around the museum, I resolved to leave.
For now, this was enough.
*
There were a lot of things that I needed to ponder, and after a little bit of thought, I decided to stay in a nearby resort.
Clank-
“Wow…”
As I looked around the place, I found myself at a loss for words. Though I had visited many grand and meticulously maintained rooms before, given my status, there was something about the decorations here that struck me differently-something that made me pause for a moment.
A large white bed occupied the center of the room, surrounded by luxurious curtains that swayed gently in the breeze from the slightly open window, which offered a view of the sparkling pool below. The television, perfectly positioned in the middle, completed the serene atmosphere, and I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
The more time I spent in this place, the more I was reminded of the past.
…I was suddenly overcome with a feeling of nostalgia as I pressed my lips tightly together. As I jumped onto the bed and felt my body slowly sink into its soft embrace, I couldn’t help but wonder to myself, ‘How in the world were they capable of constructing something like this?’ The Citadel resembled a near-perfect replica of the cities I was accustomed to-so much so that it felt eerily unnatural.
From the skyscrapers to the cars and to the overall atmosphere.
It was an exact replica.
‘Seriously… how are they able to produce something like this?’
This place felt almost identical to my old world. It was so eerily familiar that I began to question why they would even bother trying to get out of this place if they were already capable of achieving this level of imitation.
‘Something is wrong.’
The more my thoughts aligned on this matter, the heavier my heart became.
I wasn’t sure when it happened, but a sudden sense of alarm jolted me upright from the bed. I moved toward the balcony, drawn by a previous thought of mine. As the faint breeze brushed against my skin and I gazed out over the sprawling city below, I couldn’t resist lifting my head to stare intently in the direction of the sun.
It was blinding.
…So much so that my eyes began to sting, forcing me to squint involuntarily.
Yet, despite the discomfort, I kept my gaze fixed on the sun.
The longer I stared, the more unsettled I became, and soon, I felt my expression beginning to
shift.
Thankfully, I managed to stop myself from fully revealing my unease. Pulling my gaze away, I turned and stepped back into the room.
Falling back onto the bed and closing my eyes, I felt my heart gradually sink as the image of the sun above lingered in my mind.
I finally understood where my feeling of discomfort from before came from.
This place…
‘It’s fake.’
What I had thought was the sun was, in reality, a massive eye, gazing unblinking over the entire city from above. The gentle breeze, the warmth, the very essence of the environment-
none of it was real. It was all an elaborate dream.
I was currently dreaming.
This entire Citadel was nothing but a mere mirage created by the governor. I was probably not the only one who had seen through this, but what could anyone do?
‘Perhaps making me fall into a ‘dream’ was also his own way to make me think he could make me fall asleep at any second when in reality I had been in a dream the entire time.’
I pursed my lip tightly.
I didn’t like this feeling. I didn’t like this feeling at all.
However, given my current circumstances, I could only pretend I didn’t notice and lay back
and pretend to rest.
I wasn’t too worried about my safety considering my status, but one couldn’t be careful
enough.
That was also why I didn’t fall asleep.
I was afraid the governor might take advantage of my mind were I to sleep.
How troublesome.
How very troublesome.
***
At the same time, within a large Cathedral.
Cardinal Ambrose stood solemnly behind a tall altar, his knees pressed together as he quietly
gripped his necklace, murmuring prayers under his breath. His prayers went on for several
hours, never coming to an end.
He had been in such a state ever since the passing of the Pope, and his actions brought concern
over the other members of the Church.
However, not all were the same.
One figure stood out from the rest-a young man with soft dark hair and striking green eyes,
dressed in a dark tunic.
Within the church, a member’s clothing was a clear indicator of their status, and in this case,
the dark tunic signified an apprentice. Jackal Black, the seventh apprentice of Cardinal
Ambrose.
Alongside him stood his six other brothers as they quietly observed their master perform
rituals before the altar. It had been a while since they had been left standing, and it was only after mid-noon hit that the Cardinal finally stopped praying.
“Master.”
“….Master.”
The six other disciples quickly went up to greet their master, and a couple even helped him up
on his knees.
“Hehehe, there’s no need for such help. I can handle this much myself. I have yet to reach such
age.”
“What nonsense…!”
“You’ve been sitting for hours. Even if it isn’t because of your age, the blood circulation in
your legs must surely be restricted. We’re just here to make sure you don’t hurt yourself.”
“Oh, I see. Then thank you.”
The atmosphere was light, with the six apprentices chatting and laughing with the Cardinal.
The air was warm and lively, but the moment the Cardinal’s gaze fell upon Jackal, the mood shifted. Unlike the others, Jackal stood quietly, his expression guarded, distant. Noticing the tension in the young apprentice’s face, Cardinal Ambrose excused himself and
walked toward him.
“Is there something weighing your mind?”
“Hm?”
Jackal paused, catching the calmness in his master’s gaze.
That steady, knowing look.
He could tell?
Though the young apprentice was slightly startled, he didn’t show it on his face.
Rather…
“Yes.”
He was honest about it.
Briefly glancing at the other six apprentices and noticing they were nowhere near, he
continued, “I don’t understand, Master. His Holiness the Pope is clearly dead, and yet, you have yet to ascend to his position. Given that you are the rightful heir, why haven’t you
become the Pope yet?”
Rather than being taken aback by the sudden question, Cardinal Ambrose smiled.
“…I have yet to become the Pope because I have yet to transfuse with the previous Pope’s
blood.”
“What is stopping you?”
The Cardinal smiled and didn’t say anything more.
That was enough of a clue for the young apprentice whose brows knitted tightly. An idea soon
surfaced in his mind, and his expression changed.
“Could it be that His Holiness chose to bestow his blessing on someone else?”
“….’
His master’s words were all the young apprentice needed to hear as realization soon dawned
on him and his expression crumbled.
“How could-“
“Jackal.”
A hand pressed against the young man’s shoulder. When he raised his head and saw his
master’s face, the words faded right out of Jackal’s mouth.
“Please don’t be angry. I understand your anger, but His Holiness might’ve had his own
reasons for his actions. For now, all we can do is follow along.”
“But-“
“Worry not, Jackal.”
With a relaxed smile, the Cardinal pulled his hand away from the young apprentice as he
turned to face his other six apprentices.
“I trust my eyes. They have never been wrong.” The Cardinal said, his voice fading, “In due
time all will be fixed, and you will naturally inherit your rightful blood and be fully complete, Fragment of the Holy Seer; Oracleus.”