"So, what is your decision?" The figure asked in a dull yet tired voice. His body was getting weaker and weaker as time passed, reaching the limit of his vitality that supported the black sphere of concealment.
The absolute blackness of the surrounding began to shake as cracks of space and time manifested, slowly dragging this separated space into the Sorcerer World. As the figure had forcefully severed a part of the Sorcerer World, he had caused a disturbance in its balance, making the void surrounding this space unstable. Naturally, the world would want to take back its property, so it would be exerting force unimaginable to mortals to bring them back.
Although the figure wielded the power of the myths, maintaining the barrier that resisted the force of the Sorcerer World still drained a lot from him, not to mention that he had recently suffered a severe injury and was on the verge of dying. Nevertheless, he had already considered all of these variables and had no problem with the current situation.
As the light began to creep into Forus' vision, he finally made up his mind and hardened his resolution. As Ocelia was still resting on his embrace, he gently placed her down on the floor, letting her had a pleasant slumber after a long, mentally-exhausting journey.
The motion of her hair falling from his shoulder onto the ground was akin to a waterfall from the peak of the mountain, showering the wildlife of the forest with moisture and freshness. Her even and systematic breathing implied a pleasant dream as a faint smile presented itself on her face.
Although she was defenceless and fragile in her moment of rest, Forus did not have any wild thoughts as he looked at her, smiling while his hand was caressing her cheek, feeling her smooth skin as well as the tapping of her warm breaths. The delicate maiden also moved her face closer to the hand, subtly expressed her yearning for it.
"No matter what, I wish for the best of her." Despite showing playful mood with Ocelia, when Forus turned to look into that pair of golden eyes, his voice became hardened and firm, revealing his unwavering determination.
The same face that stared back at Forus suddenly smiled, showing a relief expression as well as a trace of burning hope in his eyes.
"Even if it would lead to your doom? You'll face endless suffering once you had crossed the line." Although he had already known the answer, the figure needed to hear it from Forus himself.
"No matter what." Without any hesitation, Forus answered again. He felt that he had wronged her, and if Forus did not help her, he would not be able to face his late wife or his daughter.
"So be it." The faint smile disappeared as the man hardened his resolve. He extended his hand outwards before channelling his sorcery energy, creating a ray of transparent light.
The glowing hope swayed weakly towards Forus, crawling towards him while flickering from time to time. It looked weak and unassuming as if a tiny breeze could scatter it away. Fortunately, the black void that separated the world did not have any weather or winds.
Time almost slowed down to a standstill as the light seeped into Forus' realm of consciousness. It came in without any disturbance or sound, silently approaching the grey soul. Although Forus did not resist its invasion, he knew that even if he did, it could easily bypass his defence.
As the grey soul noticed the invader, the greyish tentacles madly rushed out from the depth of the pale abyss. They came into contact with the light, trying to devour it to strengthen themselves further. However, the glowing thread did not care about these tendrils and went through them, moving towards the soul unhindered.
It jumped into the state of nonexistence, leaving no manifestation for the tendrils to catch on.
The light moved not too fast or too slow. Before long, it lingered in front of Forus' grey soul, leaving behind the tail of glowing sparks every time it moved. Without any hesitation, it drove into the grey abyss, dissolving into pure power, fusing into the soul.
Its departure was quiet and dull, not revealing any trace of existence to the world at all.
With its disintegration, the dark void that covered the pocket dimension crumbled into nothingness, opening rifts in space for the light of the outside to peek in. Without any source of power, the separation force could not contend with the power of the Sorcerer World.
As soon as the light landed onto Forus, his mind shook as his vision darkened once more. His momentary perception had disappeared, regaining its state of blindness. If not for the vivid scenes that Forus had engraved into his memory, he would not believe that he had recovered his eyesight for a while.
The quiet atmosphere had returned, stirring Forus' mind as he thought about the figure's question. Although he had no idea about the man's intention, something had told him that the man bore no ill intention. The feeling was genuine and intimate, not like anything he had ever felt before.
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However, after the collapse of the black landscape, Forus could no longer sense the figure's presence with his sorcery energy anymore. The man had already disappeared from this floor, or even this world.
Before anything else, Forus checked on his wife, inspecting her delicate body for any sight of injuries and damages. After confirming that her breathing was even and steady, Forus then focused his attention inside his realm of consciousness.
The grey soul floated aimlessly in the centre of the realm, showing no sight of evolving or changing. The flows of sorcery energy did not change in quality or quantity, circulating as steady as ever. There was no definite change induced by the transparent thread of light.
The only thing Forus could sense was a feeling of desolation. It spread across his realm of consciousness and seeped into every part of his soul, invading his mind and merging with his body. However, along with it was a breath of freedom, the relief that stemmed from solitary.
Forus found no answer to his questions and instead got more as a result. As the subtle music echoed the room, Forus let the drowsiness engulfed his mind. Although the couple did not fight with the figure, being in his presence was enough to cause their sorcery foundation to crack open.
Because they had already passed the test, Forus was in no rush to receive the inheritance. He needed time to rest and contemplate about everything he had done, and this place was the safest place they could have in a while.
Laid next to Ocelia, Forus used his tattered outer robe to had a bedsheet and covered his wife with it. As Forus hugged Ocelia in her sleep, she also hugged back in her dream. Together, the couple drifted into the land of pure happiness, soothing their mind as they adventured into the endless world.
...
Vines and plants filled the broken ruin, coating all surfaces with their greenery. Although the overall layout of the building remained, there was no trace of its previous beauty. The only noise in this forgotten landscape was the occasional song from the birds.
In the absence of sound, a figure walked passed through the wildness, moving ever so slowly forward, viewing the scenery as he reminisced his past. From the first time he had visited this place, he had never shown any impatience or boredom. He had always followed this pattern, soothing his mind with the calming atmosphere.
Although his footsteps were loud and steady, none of the animals around him seemed to notice his presence, acting as if the man did not exist. They let him passed without any disturbance, and he also did not try to do anything meaningless to them.
As he moved along the untraceable road, the pattern of the flowers began to change, turning from one colour to another. The butterflies flew above them, dancing in pairs as they submerged their life in the fragrance of the nectar.
Reaching the end of the road, the man stood in front of a broken door. It was old and rusty, exposing many gaps that let the eyes from the outside saw through. Although he could easily tear it down, he did not do so and gently use his hand to grip at the handle before slowly pulling it inwards, opening the door without letting it crumbled.
The cracking noise echoed the empty room. Inside were many traditional books, ranging in various topics from business to educations. Although the outside world became filled with vines and insects, there was little trace of dust or weeds, implying that someone had been cleaning them every once in a while.
Closing the door, the man looked around before walking towards a corner of the room, picking up a broom and started to sweep the floor, maintaining his slow pace while cleaning the place. He also used his handkerchief to wipe the dust off the books before arranging them in the same orders, preserving them from the insects.
Only when he was sure that there was no dirt left, did the man set his sight onto the backdoor, locking his gaze at it for a long time. His eyes flashed before dimming down, revealing a hint of emotions. Although he had come here many times, he remained anxious about what was behind it.
However, time waited for no one, worrying about the past would not solve everything, and the man knew about this. In the end, he took a deep breath before adjusting his mind and headed towards his sin.
In contrast to the ugly and broken front door, this gate did not exude any hint of decay. Instead, it stood tall for hundreds of years, not compromising with the time. Despite having the same component as the front door, the man had been taking care of it with love and tender as it kept his most precious things behind it.
"At long last." He muttered to himself as he pushed open the gate, revealing the scenery behind the door.
The first thing that greeted his vision was a silhouette of a man shrouded in blackness. He stood alongside with the door, guarding it against any trespassers. If anything dared to enter this door, he would slaughter them without any mercy. Disturbing the tranquil of this place was a crime worthy of death.
As the shadowy monster saw the man, it dropped down onto the ground, lowering its head to show respect while crumbling into nothingness. It had accomplished its objective with the arrival of the man, and there was no need for it to remain in this world.
With the departure of the dark creature, the man did not utter anything other than a sigh.
The land behind the backdoor was a beautiful garden, covering in scents of flowers and plants. With the care from the creature, it continued to retain its original appearance. Although it looked ordinary, compared to the surrounding ruins, it had its unique charm.
As the man had already reassured his determination, he continued to step into the garden, moving towards the end of the road. However, with each passing step, his body seemed to grow heavier as his footsteps echoed louder than before. He was hesitating.
In his absented-mind, the man arrived in front of a giant monument, standing before it with his head lowered. All his hesitation had turned into bitterness and sorrow, evoking his memory and forced him to go through it again.
In his pain, the man used his hand and handkerchief to wipe the leaves and dust off the tomb, revealing its plain and simple design.
The stone did not have any fancy decoration. There was only a single line craved onto it. The words that contained a heartfelt story and a ripple of emotion.
Here lie the memory of Forus and Meria Ander. May their love unite them forever.