In Almin’s mind, all interactions with the whale unfolded quickly. Over a few years together, Almin arrived at an unwavering conclusion: the whale didn’t act altruistically without gaining something in return. All its actions were guided by gains, and although it occasionally helped some, it seemed more by chance or the influence of the girl accompanying him.
Since the moment they met inside the black tower, the whale showed a deliberate interest in keeping him by its side, initially using the excuse of making him a pet. This attitude soon made it clear that it was training Almin and showed unfounded confidence in his abilities. After all, who would have the audacity to trust that he could create an advanced-level pill amid the dangers of imprisonment at that time? (Chapter 114)
Over time, Almin witnessed the whale’s significant influence on his life. Everything seemed directed toward a more positive path, and he glimpsed a future where he wouldn’t need to become a complete villain... just like his brother.
"You... can’t be..." murmured Almin, his words oscillating between agitation and anger.
The whale snorted, while Ruri and the others watched in shock Almin’s and the whale’s reactions.
"Yes, it’s me. I didn’t intend to reveal it so soon, but it seems fate had other plans." Bruno said calmly, observing Almin’s face contorting completely.
Then, he simply sighed. He knew his brother well enough to realize that, in that state, any argument would be futile. It was like looking at a dark reflection of himself when engulfed in negative feelings; nothing would penetrate his mind.
"Let’s go." The whale addressed everyone, pulling Ruri to leave.
"Don’t run, you bastard!" roared Almin. "You killed me, destroyed our entire home! And now you’re here? All the evil you caused, only to end up with nothing in the end!"
Alm and Bruno didn’t respond, not even casting a second glance in his direction. Then, a soft and timid voice made itself heard.
"Minmin, why, angry?" said little Doara, who was in Almin’s arms with disjointed and childish words. He only trembled in response, remembering her, and then her tiny hands reached out to touch his face.
Almin looked at her, and upon seeing those two round and adorable eyes staring at him, he felt his anger diminish rapidly. Suddenly, a memory surfaced in his mind... Doara existed, and this whole city was a sacred and peaceful place, thanks to his brother.
He lifted his gaze to the whale, which stopped upon hearing Doara. "Do you think you’re doing good now, and that it will make up for everything you’ve done? Your sins won’t be forgiven so easily," Almin spoke with angry eyes but in a softer tone, afraid of scaring Doara, who watched him as if understanding something.
The whale snorted again. If there was anything capable of dissipating the anger of both Alm and Almin, it was those for whom they had affection. Ruri played a similar role, and Doara, being the daughter of that couple, exerted the same influence on Almin.
"It’s not my intention entirely. Although we are no longer half-siblings, I still consider myself your brother. I couldn’t stand by and watch you sink into the role of a young master of evil; that’s not your true personality, and eventually, you would be crushed." Bruno spoke, and this time Almin seemed open to listening.
"A villain like you? Our parents were already dead, but you exterminated all our relatives and our home; and in the end, you died? The heavens are unjust to make you reincarnate, and karma doesn’t completely destroy you!" Almin spat.
"No, I didn’t die. I came to this Universe on my own volution. Moreover, I didn’t just annihilate our planet and our home; that was just the beginning." Alm asserted, speaking with coldness, and a sinister aura glowed in his eyes. "I extinguished all life back there. Every single living being in that Universe is now dead, thanks to me. I won."
Everyone felt their hearts stop, and the illusory scent of blood hung in the air. That statement and infinite malice could only come from an evil being, indescribable by words.
Almin choked and couldn’t deny his words; that macabre aura left him with no doubt. But he responded furiously. "YOU DAMNED! How many innocent people... and now you’re here like this? You..."
"Almin," the whale quickly interrupted, realizing that this argument wouldn’t lead anywhere. "I understand the evil I caused, and I know it was traumatic for you. But haven’t you really been able to stop and remember that time, even for a minute?"
Almin stared at the whale with coldness in his eyes. Indeed, he had refused to revisit the memories of that period. He had tried to live his new life fully, without the weight of trauma, but clearly, he had failed in several aspects. Running away from the trauma hadn’t solved it; unconsciously, he had always been disturbed and acting in a way that was unusual for him.
Seeing Almin’s silent confirmation, the whale continued lightly. "You, more than anyone, should understand some of my actions back then."
"What do you mean by that!?" Almin responded agitatedly.
"Don’t you remember the childhood friend we both had? Isla, my wife?" The whale continued in a calm tone as Almin’s eyes trembled in confusion. "Don’t you recall how she died? Don’t you remember how you, our parents, and everyone close reacted when she began trying to kill herself inexplicably?"
Almin didn’t respond, finally seeming to unlock those memories completely in his mind.
"I remember. I remember every day, and I recall collecting her dismembered body along with our child in her womb. You were with me that day. What were your words again?" Alm said, his words filled with resentment and anguish, as if they came from the depths of his soul.
Almin’s eyes trembled violently, and the whale continued, looking coldly into his eyes. "Let me remind you. These were YOUR words:"
"It took longer than expected. Someone like that shouldn’t have been born."
"Those were the words you told me while looking at Isla’s dead body that day."
A disturbing silence hung over everyone, and Almin began to tremble. He remembered uttering those words perfectly... but how could he have said them? He couldn’t understand. Those memories were definitely his, but it felt like, at that time, he didn’t feel or think anything, and the words simply came out as if they were common knowledge of everyday life.
Alm and Bruno felt a firm grip on their hands and turned to Ruri, who was visibly disturbed, her eyes moist. Their distress quickly faded away, feeling the warmth from her. Ruri had heard many new things but needed to endure for now. So, seeing that Almin had no reaction, they continued.
"Those were the laws, and you couldn’t go against them. All of this happened because, in our old universe, all forms of life were mentally controlled, with no chance of rebelling."
Almin looked up with a stunned expression, and everyone heard this with amazement. The whale then continued. "I was fortunate to be born free of that mind control, and the one who did that is the same person who activated the rune within you and Ruri, trying to control you in this Universe as well. The difference between our universe and this one is that here... is where that being resides. That’s why people don’t need to be directly enslaved, differently from back then."
Almin’s mouth moved, but he couldn’t say anything. Then, the whale continued. "I was completely immersed in hatred for everyone and the world; so, I did what I did, which is not justified. But I won. It was ONLY after everything was over, every life extinguished, that I found out about the mental control in you and everyone else. Well, it was obviously too late by then. It is not just this Universe, but countless others are also under that being’s influence."
Almin took a deep breath, trying to digest all of that. Now, he deeply understood the feeling of losing someone unjustly, and he would kill as many as necessary to bring Lyra back to life. But, in his brother’s case, the world was against him, and Isla was killed in a way he couldn’t even imagine how to go on living afterward.
"Isla... I..." Almin tried to say something.
"I don’t blame you. As I said, I know the evil I caused has no justification. But now, I’ve been given the chance to take revenge on the real culprit, and I will hunt her down until my last day," Bruno spoke dryly. "That’s why I’m here. It may not redeem my sins, but I will get my revenge. And fate has put you back in my path, so I helped you."
Almin was silent, unable to articulate his thoughts or words correctly, so the whale words continued. "Well, take the time you need to reflect. I’ll step away for a while. If you want to leave, I won’t blame you. If you want to take revenge on me, that’s fine too. But if you decide to stay, remember now who the real enemy is. After that, the heavens will judge my karma," the whale said, turning to leave.
He just cast a light glance at Langrum and Calirer, who were visibly confused and stunned, then sighed. Everything had happened abruptly, and they had to reveal a lot to outsiders. Well, it was their fault. They didn’t expect the karma from another universe to hit them in this one. And they carelessly revealed their old names to Ruri as soon as they left the Divinestone Clan.
"Let’s go," the whale said, turning around and slowly walking away.
Soon, Loeus and Corin followed him in silence. Then, Almin stood still with an empty gaze for a while until Doara hugged his face, waking him up; then, they returned to the city.
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Alm and Bruno continued their journey, feeling Ruri’s trembling hand, then spoke mentally: ’Don’t blame yourself. Sooner or later, I would have had to have that conversation with him. The mistake was mine for not remembering that sooner; and for not stopping you from talking.’
Ruri turned to the whale and replied, ’So Almin was your brother... I always thought you two were very similar in certain aspects.’
The whale nodded slightly, but Alm and Bruno, without saying a word to each other, felt a tightness in their chests for hiding something important from her. This was a good opportunity to avoid future problems; they didn’t want to imagine Ruri getting upset for not having told her something again.
So, while Alm reflected, Bruno simply acted and spoke mentally. ’Just like Corin came from another universe, we both did too. But the difference is that Almin died and reincarnated, while I... came only as a soul.’
Ruri jumped with this revelation. ’A soul... Master didn’t reincarnate?’
’No. Do you remember the abrupt change that happened regarding me?’ Bruno said softly. ’Denil, the former owner of this body, died. He was someone who deserved to die, and I took over his body.’
Ruri stopped walking, shocked, and Alm and Bruno sighed, anticipating this reaction. But her next words surprised them.
’I understand. Denil was really someone who deserved to die, and it was the master who truly took care of me... but Denil did something useful in life, prepared the body for the master to use.’ Ruri spoke promptly without thinking much and kept walking.
This time, it was the whale that stopped, but when he felt her hand pulling them, they followed. Soon, her soft mental voice resonated again: ’Isla... was master’s wife... do you still love her?’
Ruri’s words came full of fear, and the whale snorted. It seemed that, after they had said she wasn’t at fault, that was the only relevant thing in Ruri’s mind. She didn’t care about Denil or anything else, focusing only on that information.
’It’s been a long time. Isla must have reincarnated many times by now; she must be happy away from me, somewhere. I don’t intend to cling to that.’ They answered sincerely.
Then, they felt Ruri squeeze their arm between two soft mounds. The whale felt an intense reaction coming from her; her skin heated up, and her heart beat frantically. She seemed to want to jump for joy but restrained herself as best she could by affectionately holding onto them.