The Last Page IV
After a moment, the consciousness continued its explanation. [As I said, this world is just a replica, or a blueprint of the real world. And you are stuck in it in a way that you can’t get out. Of course, this world isn’t perfect so that you can never get out, but you have to make an effort, and the more effort you make, the more difficult obstacles you will face along the way.]
Silora listened carefully, but after a few seconds, she noticed that the consciousness didn’t know how to approach the topic, so Silora pushed the topic forward. “So the killer is an obstacle I have to overcome if I want to get out. Am I the only one stuck in this world, or is everyone else outside?”
[The killer is more like a defense mechanism preventing anyone close to escaping. Yes, you are close to escaping, and yes, you are the only one stuck in this world, everyone else is just a projection of real people in the real world.]
Silora took a right turn and entered a narrow corridor. The idea that she was the only real person in the world was terrifying in itself, making every goal she thought she would achieve seem meaningless. But she didn’t rush to judgment; she wouldn’t judge until she finished all her questions and came to her own conclusions. That’s what her mother taught her—her non-real mother, according to the consciousness.
“As for the defense mechanism, it seems smart and well-informed,” Silora thought out loud. “In my conversation with him, he mentioned many interesting things. I want to say they make sense now, but I’m not sure. - He mentioned something about this piece of my soul, my consciousness being stronger than anyone else’s, and how I’m not supposed to understand, and that His only goal is to take care of me, to fix the error in the world. Recently, he mentioned the incentives you explained vaguely.”
Silora took a deep breath; talking while running was exhausting, but she would do it happily if it meant solving all the mysteries she had gone through. “I’m not acting as the world wants me to. But will killing me, as the killer wants to do, really fix the error in the world? He said that my death would bring me home. What happens after I die? No, what happened when I died by the piece of wood? I have a feeling you know, and that you played a role in the outcome.” Silora paused for a moment before continuing. “Another question, how many times have I already died?”
The consciousness remained silent for a longer time this time. Silora didn’t think it didn’t want to answer, just burdened—maybe? But it eventually answered. [I have always hated the fact that my talent isn’t what I always dreamed of. But seeing you, I have started to reconsider.]
[You are somewhat right,] the consciousness resembling Silora’s mother agreed. [Since there is no choice but to explain, I will do so. It will help you if something happens to me.]
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Silora felt worried by the words, but before she could interrupt, the consciousness began to speak. [To trap you in this replica world, a small piece of your soul and part of your consciousness are required. And of course, they would be stronger than the empty projections of other people. - I know what you will say, the artifact that put everyone to sleep says otherwise, but that’s just the world filling in the gaps. This replica world is imperfect; if it didn’t act and make everyone act naturally in front of you, it would be easy for you to find loopholes and escape. For all we know, there is nothing in the places you don’t see or feel with your senses.]
Silora quickly turned her head towards her blind spot from the idea, but what met her gaze was just walls and a floor of silver wood. She felt foolish for doing it, but she kept silent and listened. [As for the nature of your understanding. I’m not sure, but I suspect it’s because you are innate in both soul magic and mind magic. No one knows that except you and a few other people. - And the killer, as you said, is just a defense mechanism to fix what this world thinks is an error.]
Silora thought again about her mother’s words. ‘Innate soul mages have the ability to see the flaws of the world.’ - Was everything she went through in the River Mouth Town just… flaws?
[That’s somewhat true. Innate soul mages, their souls are immortal, so your soul trapped in this replica world becomes stronger the longer time passes, renewing over time what it thinks is necessary. But your soul in the real world also prevents that because a human cannot have two souls,] the consciousness explained Silora’s thoughts.
Silora learned that she exists in the real world—something to hope for. But she also learned that she is trapped here and there. She pushed the thought away and asked, “What does that mean? Don’t innate soul mages die?”
[No, they die of old age like anyone else. But their souls continue to wander the world, causing chaos. When the soul leaves the body, it becomes stupid, instinctive; you can see the danger in that. So the solution that innate soul mages found is to turn their bodies into a spiritual prison. So when their body dies, it becomes a prison for their raging instinctive souls,] explained the consciousness resembling Silora’s mother.
Silora nodded, still running without stopping. She wanted to listen just to keep herself going, but she asked anyway, “And what if they want to live longer than anyone else? What’s the difference between the soul of an innate soul mage and an ordinary person?”
[This is a bit off-topic, but it will benefit you in the long run if i stop existing,] said the consciousness, ignoring Silora’s frown. [All souls were immortal, but the absence of gods made them mortal. Some say that the gods have indeed died and that the innates generally carry parts of them, but no one really believes this; it was well known that gods do not die. - As for your question, yes, if an innate soul mage wants to continue living, they can do so. Either by creating a special body to contain their soul or by taking someone else’s body with the appropriate rituals. The creator of this world is one of those.]
Silora’s curiosity peaked, and she expressed it. “Tell me about this creator, is he the one the killer referred to as ‘he’?”
[Yes,] the consciousness answered without restraint. [They say he is one of those who sealed their souls inside their dead bodies. But he returned in the Age of No Gods—known as the Grave Robbers’ period. - And his great influence is what we witness today.]
[We have strayed too far from the topic,] commented the consciousness through the mental link. [Take the path to your left, it will lead you to the spare storage room. We will be safe there for a while. I still need to tell you my plan, or at least what I think will work.]