"A church."
That was Azriel's first impression as he appeared, leaving behind an obsidian-black cross etched into the marble floor beneath his feet.
The walls glistened with pure white stone, and tall, arched windows admitted a soft light that seemed more divine than natural. The entire hall radiated a fragile peace, a calm so absolute it felt unnatural.
Everything around him was the same color.
White.
Azriel looked down. His own form was cloaked in black, his figure more shadow than flesh, as though the room itself insisted on casting him out.
The further he walked, the more he admired the place—or perhaps, the lack of it. There were no decorations, no icons, no excess. Only silence and marble.
And Azriel felt a thrill of excitement.
This wasn't part of the story. Not the original plot of the book.
This was something new. Something unexpected.
Something that wasn't supposed to happen.
And then, floating before his eyes—
[ • Side Event: Broken Bonds ]
[ • Side Quest: Accept the Invitation to White Haven ]
[ • Event Experience: Ungainable ]
[ • Quest Reward: Gainable ]
→ [Void Mind]
The reward made his heart skip.
[Void Mind: Allows the user to achieve a state of emotional detachment and clarity. In this state, emotions do not cloud judgment or decision-making, enabling the user to think with near-perfect rationality and focus.]
Azriel smirked. With that skill, selling the story of his two years in the Void Realm would be much easier. He wasn't the person they thought he was anyway.
And in battle? A clear head could mean the difference between life and death.
He continued forward until something stopped him.
Tak—!
At the center of the hall sat a white-marbled round table. Behind it: a figure cloaked in shadows.
Tak—!
It was playing chess. Alone.
Azriel studied it carefully. Judging from its body language, if shadows could have body language, the figure seemed… bored.
Tak—!
'So he's the one who invited me? But why?'
The place itself was bizarre. The mana density was enormous, yet Azriel couldn't absorb a drop of it.
Worse—he couldn't use his own powers at all.
'Like a no‑kill zone in a video game…'
But did that rule apply to the figure in front of him?
If not, he was already dead.
The shadow turned its head toward him.
Ba-thump!
Azriel's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
'It won't kill me… right? The system wouldn't send me here just to die. Would it?'
He swallowed.
'I still have [Redo]… but I'd rather not burn that card this early.'
"…You actually came."
The figure's voice was filled with disbelief, almost shock.
"Of course I did," Azriel replied lightly.
"It would've been rude not to, after such an extravagant invitation."
'Though I would've preferred a letter, honestly.'
For a moment, silence. The hall itself seemed to hold its breath.
Then—
…!
The floor trembled violently. Chandeliers swayed and clinked like sinister bells. Cracks snaked across the ceiling, groaning as though the building were alive and in agony.
'W-what—!'
Azriel staggered, fighting to stay upright.
"Rude!? Ha! You call it rude now!?"
The voice thundered, filled with fury.
Azriel didn't even have to look. The anger was palpable, each word like a blade drawn across his skin.
"After all this time, you finally return here… and that's what you say!?"
The shadow trembled with rage.
'Return? What is he talking about?'
It stepped forward.
Step—!
Even as the hall convulsed, the figure walked calmly, unbothered.
Step—!
Ba-thump!
His heart pounded louder.
Step—!
Ba-thump!
Each step echoed in perfect rhythm with it.
Step—!
Ba-thump!
Until at last—
Step—!
The figure stopped, just an arm's length away.
And everything fell silent.
Azriel could feel the shadow's cold breath against his skin.
Ba-thump!
His heart was the only sound left.
"Don't you have anything else to say?"
The shadow's voice was calm now. Too calm.
"…Why?" Azriel forced out, doing his best to steady his voice.
The figure tilted its head.
"Why?"
"Why are you so angry with me?"
The shadow's hands clenched, trembling as though restraining something dangerous.
"You don't know…?"
Azriel shook his head.
"I don't."
'What the hell is going on?'
The shadow studied him in silence. Then:
"…Do you know who I am?"
Azriel resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
'How should I know? You invited me here, not the other way around.'
"I don't," he admitted simply.
The shadow hummed thoughtfully.
"You don't seem to be lying…"
'Of course I'm not.'
Then, with a casual wave of its hand—
"…!"
The shadow vanished.
Azriel blinked. No—both their shadows had vanished. The shadow's form dissolved, replaced by—
A boy.
He looked Azriel's age. Silver hair gleamed like spun moonlight, framing a face both elegant and unsettling. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, like embers in the dark. He was striking, almost painfully so, and yet something about him made it impossible to look for too long.
"How about now…?"
His tone carried a flicker of hope. And fear.
Ba-thump!
Azriel's heart lurched again—but this time, not from fear.
'What… is this?'
He felt like he knew the boy. And yet, like grasping at smoke, the memory always slipped away at the last second.
It was maddening.
Frustrating.
"I see…" The boy's smile wavered, disappointment heavy in his voice.
"I finally understand everything now."
Something in Azriel's chest tightened.
'Why does that make me feel… guilty?'
The boy turned back toward the round table.
"Let's sit. We have much to discuss."
Azriel's breath caught as the boy added, softly—
"…Master."