→ Fracture (1) ←
It happened in the blink of an eye.
After a brief period of ringing and dizziness, a landscape unfolded before them.
Vera composed himself and stared at the scene before him.
“…A meadow?”
It was an open meadow.
And above it was an indescribably colossal tree.
“Aedrin…”
The Deepest Roots, Aedrin.
She was there.
Vera wrapped his arm around Renee and quickly racked his brain to assess the situation.
“It looks like Orgus is showing us the past. In front of us is Aedrin, and this is a wide meadow.”
“A meadow? Aedrin?”
Renee’s forehead creased.
The place where Aedrin should be was the Great Woodlands, so the fact that it was a meadow without a single tree raised a question in her mind.
Vera answered.
“Maybe this is that far back in time, before the Great Woodlands existed.”
Vera’s eyes sank.
He recalled what Orgus had said before the landscape changed.
— I do not believe so.
For the first time, he spoke a word that wasn’t a number.
And unlike how he had been this whole time, he showed his intentions more openly.
— Now, there is only one left.
One.
It must’ve meant the number of the past that he could show them.
‘Is there a constraint? Or is it a necessity?’
His thoughts continued immediately.
However, it didn’t last long.
“Aru! Hurry up!”
Upon hearing the clear voice, Vera’s body stiffened.
He already knew to whom the voice belonged.
Slowly, his head turned.
His pupils began to shake slightly.
At the end of his sight was a lively woman who looked like the embodiment of spring.
“…Alaysia.”
It was Alaysia.
Renee’s expression also hardened at Vera’s words.
“The Age of Gods…?”
No, it was farther back than that.
Considering that the Great Woodlands was already formed in the Age of Gods, there was only one thing that came to mind.
“This vision must be the Primordial Era.”
A time when only the nine ancient species existed on this land.
This must be the Primordial Era.
Even as Renee was concluding her assessment, the scene continued.
Alaysia, full of color and a smile on her cheeks, spotted a single figure at the far end of her gaze.
“Alaysia. You don’t need to be so impatient. The others have not arrived yet.”
It was a man, wearing a white cloth wrapped around him like a robe.
A man with a pale face and snow-white hair long enough to reach his knees.
Vera could tell.
‘Ardain.’
That man was Ardain.
Ardain walked slowly.
Alaysia, who had been skipping, went to Ardain and pulled him into a hug.
“Everyone is sooo slow.”
“It is we who are early.”
“But this is an important day.”
“Indeed. That is why we need to be prepared.”
The sight of Alaysia whining and Ardain accepting it was clearly the sight of people loving each other.
Vera’s eyes narrowed at that.
‘Love?’
Doubt surfaced.
As far as he knew, Alaysia’s purpose was not in Ardain’s existence, but in his power.
Arriving at the root of Aedrin with slow steps, Ardain began to speak.
His voice trembled faintly, tinged with emotion.
“Finally, we can complete our duty.”
He said it while gently stroking the root.
Alaysia, her head now resting on Ardain’s lap, replied.
“Are you happy?”
“Of course, how can I be sad when I’ll be able to fulfill the Parent’s Command?”
“If Aru’s happy, then I’m also happy.”
Alaysia laughed.
Ardain laughed with her as if he couldn’t help it, and lifted his hand from the roots to stroke Alaysia.
‘Parent’s Command.’
Vera wasn’t so clueless as to not know what that meant.
This was when they opened the Age of Gods.
It was the age of many races, and the demigods who ruled them.
This was the moment when that age would begin.
Vera and Renee’s hands clasped together.
Immediately, the world accelerated.
The wind grew stronger.
The movements fast-forwarded.
The world, spinning so fast that the eye could barely keep up, resumed its normal pace.
The sun and moon rose seven times, and six more beings took up residence in the space where there was only a tree, and a man and a woman.
Tension welled up inside Vera.
Even though this was a vision, the sight before him was certainly a sight that would require much tension.
“All nine ancient species are here.”
“…I see.”
The nine demigods who first set foot on this land.
All of the nine ancient species were gathering in one place.
Ardain glanced at them and spoke.
“Alright, is everyone ready?”
Aedrin’s branches fluttered.
Terdan nodded vigorously.
He was followed by a dragon stretching its head out to the sky, a woman with six pairs of arms, a tangle of white bone and muscle fibers, and a pure white arm extending from a rock.
Vera’s gaze drifted to a corner.
There was Orgus, who was still keeping his silence.
When Ardain’s gaze fell on him, he spoke.
[…Do what you will.]
After saying that, he bowed.
Nartania shuddered at the sight of Orgus.
[How could you be so gloomy? Can’t you speak a little more amiably?]
[Queen, thou shalt refrain from imposing thy preferences.]
[Thou shalt not speak that disgusting language.]
[…]
Locrion and Nartania bickered briefly.
Meanwhile, Maleus clashed his jawbones and spoke.
[Stop arguing. Can’t you see that you’re troubling Ardain?]
Will-o’-the-wisps flickered warmly inside his empty pupils.
Ardain chuckled briefly and then shook his head.
“I will not impose my will upon you all. There is no need to be mindful of me.”
It was a very peaceful scene.
It felt like watching a harmonious family, and such moments continued.
Even Renee, who couldn’t see, could tell.
“Everyone loves Ardain.”
That everyone present in this place loved and honored him.
Vera nodded.
It was an unbelievable view, given that all he’d ever seen them do was hate or dislike each other.
“…I’m sure we’ll see.”
Why they came to resent each other and why Ardain’s soul was torn apart.
Silence fell between the two.
Meanwhile, Ardain spoke.
“Now, will you tell me? What kind of children do all of you want to make?”
The words were spoken softly.
Aedrin was the first to answer.
Or at least, it seemed like an answer.
She was merely rustling her branches and sending out strange waves, so Vera could only tell that it was an act of answering.
However, the ancient species understood that answer.
[Elves? What kind of weird species is that, and why would they have long ears?]
[Efficient. Mother Nature deserves it.]
Her answer seemed to be that she would make elves.
Following her, Locrion spoke.
[I shall beget children, imbued with my might coursing through their veins, and they will assume roles as advisers and sovereigns of this land.]
[You’re making something just like you.]
Nartania snorted.
Locrion paused for a moment, and then asked Nartania.
[What will thou make, Queen?]
The arms that grew from Nartania’s shoulder blades unfolded.
[Children who look like me.]
[Elaborate.]
[I’ll make children as beautiful as me, children who will remain so forever. Oh, I don’t like brats who throw tantrums, so they must be smart.]
Nartania’s gaze was unmistakably aimed at Alaysia.
It was clear that she aimed those words at her.
Alaysia just laughed.
“How about you, Maleus?”
Then, she passed the turn to him.
Maleus shrugged his shoulders and said.
[For now, I will just build the land. If the children you make do not reach their full potential in their lifetimes, I will claim them.]
Boom—
Boom—
The giant Terdan clapped his hands.
[Very good indeed, and a role befitting you.]
[All right, enough with that. Will you stop that clapping? It’s ringing in my bones.]
[Oh no, I’m sorry.]
Terdan stopped clapping.
Then, he said.
[I will build only five judges to help me. Gorgan, what will you do?]
A white arm stuck out from a rock.
At its end, the center of its outstretched palm opened, revealing a mouth.
[…Children, which are full of life.]
The faint voice sounded weary, as if it were tired.
Ardain nodded in response and replied.
“Well, certainly, you’ll need such children. You can’t be stuck on a rock forever.”
[Mhm….]
The pure white arm retracted again.
After that, Ardain’s gaze flickered to Orgus for a moment before shifting to the others.
“Is it my turn now?”
All eyes were fixed on Ardain.
Ardain chuckled and continued.
“I will make a foundation.”
“A foundation.”
“Yes, the foundation the Parent wants. Beasts that roam the forests, birds that soar in that sky, fish that swim in the waters, and people that walk on the earth.”
He slowly closed his eyes as he continued, and a calmness settled into the space.
“I want to create a world where they all live in harmony.”
Maleus laughed.
[What a beautiful dream. I’m sure you’ll be able to accomplish it.]
“Thank you.”
Ardain’s hand stroked Alaysia’s.
“Alaysia, have you thought of anything?”
“I just need you, Aru.”
Still on Ardain’s lap, Alaysia hugged him.
“I’m going to make children with Aru.”
[Ugh, that’s why I hate kids.]
Nartania shuddered.
Maleus laughed heartily, and Terdan laughed as well, looking down at the others with his massive frame.
“Let’s get started, then.”
Ardain said.
He stretched his hand to the sky.
A ball of light, small and insignificant and yet didn’t seem like it would fade, floated up.
It rose into the distant sky, and then exploded.
Boom—!
At that moment, Vera felt it.
‘It’s Authority.’
Even though it was clearly a visual illusion, he could feel the Aura of Authority as soon as he saw it.
His nine powers that created this land.
It must be spreading through the world.
“Now, go.”
At Ardain’s words, everyone present rose to their feet.
“Go and create your children.”
And in different directions, they all went their separate ways.
Boom.
Boom.
A roar rang, and soon it faded away.
He watched it in a daze for a moment, until everyone was gone and only Ardain and Alaysia were left under Aedrin.
“Where are we going?” Alaysia asked.
“Well, first we must prepare for what comes next,” Ardain replied.
“What comes next?”
“How about we go to the center of the land? Everyone gave me that place, so we can stay there.”
“Are we going to raise our children there?”
“Yes. First, I will teach them to farm and hunt. Then, I will teach them how to read the constellations…”
The words he uttered as he stroked Alaysia’s hair went on like a lullaby.
Alaysia’s eyes drifted closed at the sound of it.
Before they knew it, the sun was setting.
The woman laying on the man’s lap had fallen asleep, and the giant tree embraced them both.
In that scene, Ardain asked.
“…Did you have a good look?”
It sent a shiver down Vera and Renee’s spines.
It was because Ardain’s words were so clear as to leave no room for doubt about who he was addressing. The two of them were so on edge that even the thought of ‘what if’ never occurred to them.
His head, which had been facing Alaysia, slowly lifted up.
His eyelids lifted, revealing white lashes that were fluttering.
Black-rimmed, pure white pupils looked straight at Vera.
“Well, this was just the beginning.”
Ardain raised his hand.
The outstretched hand waved in the air.
“And then, everything began to go wrong.”
Immediately afterward, the landscape flipped once more.
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