In a world covered in snow like ash, a sole soul stumbled forth. The clouds covered the sun while the breeze carried ash. This was a monotonous world—a dying world of cinders and ash.

 “How much longer…?”

 The sky, the plains, the vast forests, and the ocean. Once vibrant and filled with life. Charred remains, ash and…freezing temperature. But despite the cold and harsh state of the world. A single soul struggled for hundreds of years.

 “Why am I even alive?”

 The question has been repeated over the past hundreds of years. He’s uncertain of why all of this was happening. He doesn’t remember.

 “…who am I? And why am I here?” he pondered.

 Deep down. He knew who he was. But could one assume he to be the same person? Or… Was he still a person? He was unsure himself. For the past centuries, he walked all alone in this ashen world.

 In a world consumed by ash and rot. Even though everything else perished in the great war centuries ago, one city stood. It was the only place that was free from ash.

 “Isn’t it amusing to ask yourself that?” a voice suddenly called out to him.

 Turning around, he found a girl with pure white hair and purple eyes. Her face was familiar, and he remembered clearly: a soft and gentle demeanour and an elegant smile flashed in his mind.

 “…you always have such bad taste.”

 The girl giggled. In a familiar gesture, she’d tilted her head. “My, my? Are you not going to kill me?” she replied. “Kill me as you did everyone?”

 “Shut up.”

 “Hmm~? Even though you possess this much power, why don’t you re-create this world?”

 “And what would the point be? For you to claim more life?”

 “Aww…” the girl pouted.

 Her eyes turned red, and her outward appearance changed. With a cheerful smile, her soft hair fluttered in the wind.

 “You won’t anger me.”

 “Was that really how you see it?” the girl cheerfully smiled. “I’d assume you enjoyed the sight of these beauties. Or…? Do you perchance prefer my original form?”

 “Does the concept of death even have a physical form?”

 “Njy~hi~hi~ I’ll leave that to your imagination!”

 Ignoring the girl, he continued to walk. In truth, all of this was pointless.

 “Wha?! You’re going to leave me behind—?”

 Before the girl could finish her sentence, she disappeared into thin air. He didn’t kill her, but he did send her somewhere unknown. For all he knew, she would always come and find him eventually, especially now that he was dying.

 He heaved a sigh and shattered reality. Upon entering the shattered space, he arrived at a particular place. A certain city filled with machines. They were made to preserve the city as if nothing ever happened.

 The inhabitants looked confused at his sudden appearance but didn’t mind as they began to operate as usual. The city was lively, just as he remembered. And despite how organic everything looked. He knew they were, but his creation. It was all but a simulation of how the city used to be.

 He walked the streets and rode the trains. He arrived at a flower garden which held many memories of his. He used to come here more often. He kneeled and touched the flowers.

 “These Reneos are as beautiful as I remembered them to be…”

 Even if most of the world had become inorganic, he managed to re-create these flowers…all because he had one seed.

 “Even if every other flower in this garden is artificial…you remain.“Always by your side…” You really are always by my side.”

 He slowly closed his eyes and found himself at the beach. The water was filled with ash, and the clouds covered the sun. As he lay on the ash and looked up, he reached out his hand.

 “Move.”

 With one word, the cloud disappeared from the sky. His surroundings began to glow in a blue light as soon as the sun appeared; the ash vaporised and took all the surrounding mana with it, and the water became crystal clear again.

 “This part is too much for them to maintain, huh?” he uttered while looking around.

 Broken cores were spread around all over the beach and had stopped to shine. These were the magic cores he developed to sustain his creations. But it seemed like hundreds of years of exposure to the ash made all but the core erode.

 He looked into the bright sun that was still high in the sky. He didn’t mind that it was daytime. But…since the world was at its end anyhow. He fractured the whole world and shifted it just to make a sunset for himself.

 He materialised a bucket and began to build a sand castle. To anyone, this was but silly and childish. But for him. It was found memories. Even though he could’ve used magic to re-create the sand castle from his memories, it would’ve been pointless. By the time the sun set, he’d built a massive castle he could live in. He chuckled to himself.

 “It’s almost as I remembered,” he said softly.

 Even though he couldn’t be considered human, his heart and memories still lingered and clung to whatever humanity he had left. It was probably stronger now than it was a few hundred years ago.

 He looked up and found himself staring at the night sky. He remembered the time he stargazed with her. She’d point out the constellations while resting on his shoulder.

 “Too bad, isn’t it? The stars have become dim and are about to fade away.”

 The girl appeared again and leaned on him. Her silky and soft hair felt ticklish, and the fragrance of flowers was pleasant.

 “Oh? You’re not pushing me away this time?” she asked.

 “You…whatever, let’s go.”

 “Hm? You’re accepting me?”

 “No. We’ll just meet again soon. I suppose.”

 “Hmm… Even though you’ve avoided me for these centuries…are you done running? Well… Then again, you could’ve finished me off long ago with the others.”

 “If I were to end you, who would remember me? Let alone, how would I die if there would be no death who could claim my life?”

 “He~hee~ I like that about you!”

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 “…..”

 Not commenting on what the girl said, he kept looking up at the sky while Death leaned on his shoulder. To him, it was comforting despite knowing that this death god only acted the part of his former lovers. Was he perhaps ready to face them now?

 Both were sweet and very alike. Perhaps that’s why he fell for them. He met the former when he arrived in this world. A world unfamiliar to them all. Yet, it had many similarities.

 While he walked around the city, he came across a library. He thought that since he could read the language anyway, he’d be able to gather some general information about the world. He met a girl struggling to get a book.

 While he didn’t think much of it, he reached out for the book and gave it to her.

 “Was it this one?” he calmly asked.

 She turned around, and their eyes locked for a few seconds. Shyly, the girl nodded and said, “Thank you.”

 At first, he thought she was a little strange, but he began visiting the library more and more whenever he had free time. During that time, he was uncertain why he was curious about the girl. However, she later confessed that she went there more frequently, hoping to see him. In that instant, he found himself flabbergasted. He realised that he, too, had frequented the library for that very reason.

 He knew he shouldn’t have felt that way. But he fell in love with her. Although there was a girl who liked him just as much, he ran from her feelings. He did treasure her. However, he wasn’t able to see her in that light. Thinking back, he knew he’d met her at the wrong time.

 Even though he’d married another woman, she was still supportive as a friend. She was always by his side, even though she knew her feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated. Still, since both of them were her friends, all she could do was smile and cheer them on so that perhaps, one day, she could move on.

 One day, everything turned upside down. A war had broken out on the southern continent. The conflict eventually made its way up north, and with their technology, they could dismantle the great city’s anti-magic barriers.

 Many citizens died during the invasion. The South were more powerful than expected. They used some unknown technology, and the mad beasts were but an abomination.

 At the time, he was sent out on a mission to close one of the cracked mirrors from where the South extracted their powers. But when he came back to the capital, everything was in ruins, with only a few survivors.

—what about the love of his life?

 “Hm? Do you prefer this form?” Death asked. Her eyes turned purple, and her hair became silver-grey.

 “…..”

 In an extremely weakened state, he embraced the girl.

 “I’m sorry…I know she isn’t you. But…forgive me. If only I made it back in time. Would you have lived?”

 “A—”

 “Don’t say my name in her form.”

 “Fine, but you know she’ll always forgive you.”

 “I know…”

 “Arrogant bastard…”

 Having heard the comment, he chuckled. “You’re the record of all life, of course you know.” But with a cold glare, he said, “Never say anything of the sort, especially with either their looks.”

 The girl sighed, “Fiiine~!” while pouting.

 He released the girl from his embrace and changed the scenery.

 “Hm? This is…?”

 “I might as well…”

 “Hmm? Even though you know I’m not her?”

 “…..”

 Looking at the sunset, he leaned on the railing. This place held many memories for him. It was the place where he told her how much he loved her. But…it was also the place where she took her last breath.

 “I’ll be with you very soon…”

 “You say that, but you’re one strange human,” the girl commented. “Your heart already stopped beating years ago.”

 “…I suppose.”

 He materialised a twelve-petal crystal flower and tightly clenched onto it preciously. The scenery changed yet again, and he found himself in a dungeon.

 Many years after her death, he’d find himself researching in this dungeon. All isolated and alone. He performed experiments. This time, on himself. He retraced every step of The Esper Project his parents performed on him.

 However… there was one girl with ruby eyes who could not stand this state of his. She tried everything to drag him out of the darkness, and…she eventually succeeded.

 “I still love you, even if you can’t forget about her, I…I can’t stand seeing you like this! Please! I…I don’t want to lose you too!”

 Her eyes were filled with tears, and she’d fallen and begged on her knees.

 “If he were to see you…like this, what would he say? And sure, she would’ve wanted you to move on, too! It doesn’t have to be me. But…I, too, wish for the same! Please…don’t do this to yourself. Don’t isolate yourself… You’re the only one we’ve got left…”

 “I’m not sure if you’re easy or not, but you fell for her at this moment? The girl you rejected for years?”

 “…shut up. And don’t say that while looking like her.”

 The girl circled around him, dancing and singing. She ignored his warnings as she knew they were nothing but empty threats. She has known all this time.

 “Even though you loved her so much, you ended up being the one—”

 “Shut up!” he cried and shattered the dungeon to pieces.

 “Did you know the reason she became tempted by a demon?” the girl suddenly asked.

 “!?!?”

 “The many miscarriages. I pity her. I’m sure she only wanted a child with you…”

 “…once a demon successfully tempts the host, they’re no longer the same person,” he replied while hatefully glaring at the girl.

 “Hm? You’re oddly calm, aren’t you?”

 “…I sort of knew why she was tempted by the demons. But…she died the moment they succeeded.”

 “And you had no problem killing the demon that looked exactly like her?”

 “What do you and your kin know about courtesy? Masquerading as my friends and wives. Tell me. How many of you gods did I kill? You lot did exactly the same thing as those demons. What’s the difference? Tell me?!”

 “Hmph! Don’t lump us in with those demons,” the girl said while crossing her arms. She shrugged and then said, “Well… We’re at least not those mirrored abominations.”

 “You’re getting very arrogant, are you not?”

 With an innocent smile. “Of course! It’s because you’re dying!” she cheerfully exclaimed.

 “…I suppose,” he replied.

 He leaned backwards, and the world shattered yet again.

 “I see. Your final resting place is beside them—hm? When did you get that hairpin?” the girl asked.

 Looking at his hands, he had one crystal flower and a hairpin with seven feathers. The man chuckled a little as the light in his eyes began to fade.

 “Oh? This? She told me she dropped it somewhere… Who would’ve thought she dropped it in my lab…it’s been there for all this time, hasn’t it? But you wouldn’t know, now would you?”

 “…..”

 The girl didn’t respond, but he wasn’t expecting an answer either. He gently placed the crystal flower on one of the tombs.

 “Ame…I hope you forgive me. I’ve been too scared to meet you. I swore I’d protect you. But I failed. I’m a lousy husband, aren’t I? I’ve been running away for these past centuries. I didn’t want to face you when I was this pathetic. I couldn’t accept your death. However, Miu saved me. We’ve visited this grave and told you, do you remember? Did it make you feel sad? I’m sorry… But Miu’s now gone as well. Did you two meet? If you did, I hope you weren’t too harsh on her and still get along. After all… Despite her strong front, she’s quite meek, a little like you. Don’t you think? And…I hope you forgive me for having fallen in love with another girl.”

 Tears began to run down his face, but it was fine, even though he was a little scared to meet them again. He wished he could’ve done things differently. He wished he could’ve kept his esper powers coming to this world. He wished he could’ve been less reckless. He wished he could’ve…

 “—made it back in time…”

 He glanced at the other grave and gently placed the hairpin on top.

 “Miu… If I’d met you earlier in my childhood, perhaps I wouldn’t be such a cold person. Perhaps I would’ve seen the values in myself, for I who lost all self-worth, you were by my side. I sometimes wish we never came to this world… I wish to spend our time in university as we used to. Have Noel tease us and have a fun, light-hearted conversation without the care for the world. Eat different sweets and treats. I still owe you a strawberry milk, don’t I? I wish…we could’ve seen our children. Are they perhaps with you right now? What did Ame say? I bet she’s… I’m sorry. I know you thought you were her replacement. You would never truly believe me, even though you said you did. I’ll prove that very soon, so hang on, okay?”

 He said all that he wanted to say; looking at the person standing behind him, he didn’t seem all that surprised.

 “I see…”

 There stood a man who looked exactly like him. He was smiling and waving. He said something before his consciousness faded.

 “You’re not dead just yet.”