‘Stop messing around.’
I quickened my pace down the corridor.
Somewhere in the distance, I heard a woman’s voice.
“There is a chance, however slim.”
“Do you truly believe so?”
“Israthio, too, inherited the golden bloodline. He is a rightful heir to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“That is not incorrect. His Majesty bridged the four fractured dimensions into one. If that power resides within his sibling... it would not be a futile endeavor.”
The golden bloodline.
I recalled Halkion’s explanation to me.
The mythology of Townia—how, in ancient times, the Emperor unified dimensions ruled by four transcendent beings to found the Empire...
‘He was from Earth.’
If that bloodline had been passed down...
‘No.’
I shook my head.
There were still too many inconsistencies.
I passed through a corner of the corridor.
The hushed voices echoed from the dead-end ahead.
“Your Highness, I must warn you...”
“I am well aware of the low likelihood.”
“...You may need to prepare yourself.”
“Better than remaining here, wouldn’t you agree?”
I stopped walking.
Beyond the door adorned with the imperial crest, a familiar presence lingered.
Click.
Before I could take another step, the door opened, and the middle-aged maid emerged.
She bowed to the figure inside the room and exited into the corridor.
I stepped into the room.
“Han.”
The steadfast voice I had once heard not long ago.
But now, that voice wasn’t directed at me—it was aimed elsewhere.
In the center of the crimson carpet, a black-haired boy lay motionless.
He seemed to be in a deep sleep, his eyes shut tight.
“...Pria.”
My murmured words didn’t reach her.
Dressed in a silver gown, Pria gazed down at the boy with a tender expression.
At last, Pria caressed the boy’s cheek.
“I don’t know where you will wake up... but I know that the life ahead of you won’t be easy.”
Her voice resonated softly throughout the room.
“Forgive me. No, I won’t ask for that. Blame me. Curse me if you must. Hate me all you want. If it becomes your strength, then do so as much as you like.” Ṙ𝐚ΝỘＢЁ𝓢
She brushed the boy’s neck with her fingertips.
“But there is one thing I wish to ask of you.”
“...”
“Please... live.”
Pria continued.
“Live one day longer. Survive, and find the happiness you could not have in this place. Forget me, forget all the memories of this place—it’s fine. If it helps you find your happiness, then do so.”
Pria placed her hand on her chest.
Closing her eyes tightly, she spoke like one reciting a solemn vow.
“I promise you as well.”
“...”
“I will protect our homeland. So that when you return, we can rebuild our memories from the beginning. This is my oath, my unchanging promise. I will stake my soul and my heart on this vow. Even if my body is shattered, even if I die and am born again... I will not break it.”
Pria muttered a vow that the boy would never hear.
At last, her shoulders began to tremble softly.
“I’m sorry...”
“...”
“Forgive me for sending you away like this... I lied earlier. I don’t want you to hate me. I don’t want to be forgotten. But...”
I extended my hand.
But my hand passed through Pria’s shadow in vain.
This was nothing more than the past.
「Han Israt.」
Pria spoke.
Her voice, imbued with a special power, enveloped the entire room.
「I promise you. When all of this is over, I will come for you.」
Pria’s right hand stretched out.
The space seemed to tremble as a blinding light radiated from her fingertips.
‘What a spectacle.’
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Even soap operas weren’t this melodramatic.
「When we meet again someday...」
The object Pria held in her right hand was something I had seen more times than I cared to count.
It was the Dimensional Sword.
「Show me your smiling face.」
The golden blade sliced through the air.
Beyond it lay an unfathomable abyss.
Vwooooom!
The boy’s body slowly began to float.
‘There’s nothing left to see here.’
It was all too predictable.
I turned and exited the room.
The sky was a dull gray.
Far in the distance, what appeared to be clouds were likely fragments.
Even with a conservative estimate, there were at least hundreds of thousands.
“So that’s how it is.”
I could now guess why the Dimensional Sword ended up in that kid’s hands.
It had to be the prince’s doing. The fact that he led me ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) to this place made it obvious.
“...”
After being abandoned, I had suffered a severe illness.
Before the age of ten, I had lost all my memories.
The only thing that lingered was that single sentence: We’ll come back for you.
Of course, I had believed those words and waited, but no one came. I was left to fend for myself.
A life without protection—dirty and miserable in every way. If I had gone slightly astray, I would likely be rotting in the dark alleys by now.
“I see.”
The wretched bastard who abandoned me was right here.