Orion barely made it to the central platform before it vanished.

Anger from before lingered in his heart, as he recalled the fabricated life shown to him on his way to the fake Elliott.

The fact that Orion hadn't completely forgiven Elliott, even after knowing the story behind his actions, was what nourished his current state of mind.

(Why Elliott, of all people? To show me such a world, what point is it trying to make?)

He closed his eyes, before deciding to sit on the edge of the platform.

(I need to make sense of what happened. It went a little too fast, so I haven't had an opportunity to process what he said.)

Even if the life out of Triazils was a fake reality, in Orion's mind, it truly happened. Those weeks he lived doing simple chores and peacefully living with Amelia weren't bad at all, but ultimately, this wasn't the life he desired.

'If I had chosen the path of a coward, this would have probably happened. Being a coward isn't necessarily a detrimental trait, as it helps by placing more value to one's life more than anything else.'

'Though, it isn't how I see things. I had picked vengeance, even if it was a worthless option. And it truly was. If not for those little changes Henrietta spoke about, everything would have been for naught.'

Orion remembered what his choices brought him, and the words the fake Elliott said.

'Loyalty to my friends... I never saw it like this. Is it really loyalty, though? Or am I mistaking those feelings for something else? Is it not because I am an overprotecting person?'

Knowing very well how possessive he was toward the one he loved, he smiled.

'Without that part of me, I would still be a lonely man today. Meeting so many people, separating those who were enemies to those who weren't, connecting to many people I would've never met otherwise...'

'Loyalty. I think it is not quite right, as I am not that great. I only recently decided to devote my life to making other people's lives better.'

'Call it loyalty or whatever it is, it won't change anytime soon. Getting rid of Miasma is the first step in improving our lives. For me, and everyone close to me.'

He pictured the people dear to him in front of him.

They weren't many, but they were precious parts of his world. If either one of them were to disappear, his world would lose its colors.

The number of people loving him was astonishing, so much that he chuckled lightly just thinking about it.

Eight beautiful women. They were all too great for him, yet, for some reason, they chose him. A man who simply held his hand toward them when they needed it the most.

'Oh. That's probably why. Saving others can have this effect. I remember reading that in one of N's book.'

'Though, I wouldn't give it a second thought, as they are all strong women. They most likely decided to join us after pondering seriously about it.'

And that was what angered Orion so much. The fake life he went through was one foreign to those precious people.

In this world, everyone would undoubtedly die in horrible ways. Him living peacefully was something he wouldn't accept, as he knew the possibilities to save all of them existed.

As told by Tiohr-nam, there was only one Hero on the continent, and it was Orion. Even if the worst fate was waiting for him, he would keep his head high, and push forward without regrets.

(Hmm?)

That's when something suddenly popped in his head. The thought that this trial wasn't just created to enrage him suddenly caught his attention.

(Wait... First, the fake Deveralna, and then, the fake Elliott.)

He stood up from the edge and turned around the platform in a circle, his index finger on his chin.

(During the first encounter, she asked me to show respect toward her, but what if it wasn't toward the person herself, but toward the status that she held?)

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(I had to show respect for Kings and Queens? To show deference toward people of high status?)

Orion couldn't understand the point. Why should he show respect for those people if he were to never meet them?

(Something's not clear... This trial is about testing me, not others. I showed respect because it was Deveralna because I respect her as an individual, but also as a great ruler. Yet, the same could be said for Dramia and Drania... even though the latter isn't perfect at her job.)

With a mocking smile, he briefly recalled the fairy lazily sprawled on the table, leaving her sister do everything.

He rapidly shook his head and focused back on his previous thought, before two sentences surfaced from the depths of his memories.

-

"Under his wings, the Abyssal Sovereign will rewrite the wrongs of this world."

"The path of the Abyssal Sovereign is a path that cannot be taken alone."

-

These were the most important details Orion had missed until now.

'Why have I missed that detail? Did I not register the words when I heard them?'

Orion racked his brain, and forced the actual memories back to replay in his mind.

-

"Under his wings, #&$ù will rewrite the wrongs of this world."

"The path of the #&$ù is a path that cannot be taken alone."

-

Only gibberish words were recalled. His ears did not betray him, there had been something blocking his senses until this very moment.

(I was right... Was it so that I wouldn't ask questions? Or because they don't have them?)

He turned to the last path remaining, and looked at the fake Amelia waiting for him on her throne.

'The Abyssal Sovereign. A name worthy of respect...'

Then, Orion opened his eyes wide, which trembled from the sudden realization.

(This is me?! The Abyssal Sovereign?)

Looking at his hands that were perfectly normal, he breathed in and out repeatedly.

'Calm down, Orion. It is most likely why those trials exist to begin with. If the reward is more power, then it's not a bad thing.'

'Still, what does that title even mean? Abyssal means something from the depths, or maybe something related to darkness?'

'The dark element?'

Pieces of the puzzle slowly clicked together.

'And Sovereign... Is it why it asked me to show respect? Because the title itself demands some sort of respect? By showing my respect for others with a similar title, I become able to shoulder it?'

Orion stopped in his tracks. When his eyes met Amelia's, he noticed a tiny smile forming at the corner of her mouth.

(Heh.)

A small chuckle escaped his mouth. Seems like his thoughts were influencing the trials in some ways. His muffled voice and his inner voice both acted as one in this place.

(Time to get to the end of it, I suppose?)

Feeling that he had taken enough time to think about what happened, Orion stepped on the path and walked toward his last encounter.

~

"..."

Tiohr-nam's Avatar frowned. Her eyes seemed to get lost on one precise spot, even though she herself couldn't see what was over there.

"Orion, what is happening to you? Right after we have talked about your recent breakthrough, too."

Her connection to him screamed another evolution, yet more terrifying than the previous one.

Deep into his soul, where his newly created reservoirs formed, the second one began to fill at an incredible pace, rapidly pushing past the light magic reservoir's current threshold.

"It is not stopping... Could it be?"

She tried to trace its origin, but rapidly aborted her attempt.

"Velridar..."

An old friend suddenly caught her attention. The link he had forged with Orion to help recover from the release of his power was easily accessible and manageable for her, so every time something happened, she knew instantly.

It seemed like the dragon Remnant, father of dragons and lamias, was forfeiting his life. Day after day, his magic reservoirs, full to the brim of an astounding and potent amount of pure magic energy, decreased.

The last of his reservoirs was dry of magic, his life sustained only by Orion's magic.

She was witnessing the death of one of her friend, who decided to give the new title of Remnant to one of his creation.

"Are you tired of living, or are you taking responsibilities for the mistakes you have done? Perhaps your power was too great for this world. With so much power at your disposal, you were unable to even enjoy it."

"An entity capable of ravaging a continent with a single breath... It is not that I cannot understand, but sacrificing yourself is not what I would call smart."

Her words echoed in the room, talking to him as if he were in front of her.

"What happened was out of your control. Can you not understand that?"

With a frown, she angrily shouted.

"Do not! Destroying your only lifeline now is-"

*Snap*

The link that Velridar had formed with Orion snapped like a threat being pulled on.

A long sigh left her mouth, as the dragon fell into a deep, deep sleep, one he would never wake up from.

Deep into the Palafas Sea, the giant body of Velridar laid still, joining with the world that created him in the first place.

A relic of the past, a gentle yet powerful father perished, swallowed by his regrets.

"What am I supposed to do with that now?"

The Avatar removed her arms from the trunk enveloping them, and looked into her hands.

There, a sigil that wasn't hers floated freely.

"What a shame. What was supposed to be the symbol of perseverance itself crumbled under the weight of his shame."

A white cross-like sigil. That was Velridar's proof of being a Remnant.

Before dying, he transferred the sigil to her through the link, and asked her to give it to his successor.

Tiohr-nam absorbed the sigil, and kept it hidden until the day she would give it to its rightful owner, Deveralna.

While this was a terrible moment for Tiohr-nam, the same could be said for the dragons and the lamias.

The presence of their creator and father vanished, and out of nowhere, their links shattered completely, leaving both parties in shambles.

Ruminona ended up being the one the most affected, but as a dragon, she proudly dealt with the pain, and focused on the eggs she had laid recently, as the new generation was too important for her to ignore.

"Old fool..."

Tiohr-nam closed her eyes, and focused her consciousness into the tree itself.

"The least I can do is celebrate your departure."

The Tree of Life suddenly radiated a green, healthy aura, before flowers began to bloom on its branches.

"Rest plenty, my friend."

A spectacle all of Horizon's inhabitants observed in awe happened, oblivious to the significance of the event.