After an unknown period of unconsciousness, he awoke to an overwhelming cold and an uncanny sense of weightlessness, coupled with a strange, inverted sensation. Faint, indistinct murmurs reached his ears.
"Impossible... Is that weak one really one of the Dominators?"
"I don't think so. Lord Meguras's order to bring him here was for one reason only — because he has embodied his Belief, though he is not yet one of the Dominators. If he had, he wouldn't be in this pitiful state, which points to another truth: he only recently managed to embody his Belief, thanks to the Book of the Beginning."
"But for Mr. Meguras to go somewhere without telling us at such an important moment is not in his character."
"Don't worry, Salacia. He doesn't leave without telling us unless there's something important he has to do. That's the same Mr. Meguras we've always known."
Azad eyes slowly opened to a fog that blurred his vision, gradually thinning until clarity returned—though everything still felt upside down. He was inside what seemed like an abandoned building, with the sound of dripping water echoing from its dark corners. Two lamps lit the central spot where two women stood. Then, in a fatigued tone, he said, "Where am I?"
She struck him, the woman with long blonde hair, until blood came from his mouth. Then the other woman punched him so hard he couldn't scream, knowing that raising his voice would only intensify the pain in his lungs from the previous harsh fall.
The woman with black hair placed her right foot on him to keep him steady and said, "Because of you, you scoundrel, Adonis died a painful death."
"Who is Adionis?" Azad asked, surprised.
"The Man Who Carried the Book of the Beginning," the woman replied angrily, grabbing his disheveled black hair. "Why don't you seem strong? You appear connected to the scum of the Vatican Library! Tell me, how did the Book of Beginnings fall into the hands of weak trash like you?"
Weighed down by both physical and mental exhaustion, Azad reflected.
What has happened to my life? How did I end up here?
Words couldn't capture how deeply he regretted touching that book. As everything unfolded, he kept thinking—what if he hadn't touched it? How peacefully his day might have passed... But the past cannot be changed, and the peace he longed for was already gone.
"Come on, you scum! Tell me—how did the Book of the Beginning end up in your hands? And who killed Adionis? Was it you, or the Guardians of the Law?!" Her tone and expression blazed with fury.
"Wait, Salacia..." said the blonde-haired woman.
"What is it, Alizia?"
"There are too many things that don't add up... the Vaticanus Library never lets anyone who contacts it live—especially if they suspect betrayal. So who is this man? Was he merely a link to them? Or is he one of their own?"
Salacia tightened her grip on him and said, after he failed to respond the first time, "Who are you? Answer me!"
"Salacia, don't kill him—you'll anger Lord Megoras."
"I know, but this bastard won't say a word. Speak!"
Her question wasn't random; it was a gateway to understanding what he was, why the Book of the Beginning had found its way to him, and what connection he had to the Vaticanus Library.
His lips moved. "Damn you."
Upon hearing that, she lost control. Her veins tightened, and she struck him hard in the face. He flew up like a punching bag. As he came back down, she assaulted him with a flurry of rapid punches from multiple angles. While he was being tossed through the air again and she prepared to land a finishing blow, he wasn't afraid of her fist—he was terrified of what might come next. The rage inside him had reached its limit, and he could no longer contain it.
At that moment, he could only think about the words whose meaning he now truly understood.
"Let me give you a piece of simple advice, in case you decide to go back to your life and not join us."
"What is it?"
"Don't let anger control you. Anger is the primary trigger for belief. And since you don't have control over your belief, it will surface the moment danger and anger come together. You'll commit the same massacre again — but don't assume it will always work in your favor... And remember, you're no longer an ordinary human who can live peacefully among people without being wary of himself."
She struck him with a devastating punch, powerful enough to snap the iron chain from the recoil. Azad was hurled into the iron crates behind him with such force that the sound of the impact echoed throughout the place.
"I won't do it... I won't fall into the same trap twice."
Both of them were stunned by his words.
"What did he say?!"
"I have no idea what that nonsense means."
His words reflected a firm resolve — a refusal to repeat the same mistake. He didn't want his belief to spiral out of control and lead to another massacre. Not this time. He couldn't bear to relive the same guilt. He wasn't a killer — had never been one by choice. The previous mistake had left a wound that never healed. Repeating it was unthinkable. That feeling still tore at his heart from within.
Most of the time, anger would have defeated him—but this time is different. He now bears a tremendous responsibility, one whose consequences would be catastrophic if he were to abandon it. This time, he chose to be the victim rather than the perpetrator. The last time, it was beyond his control, but now, at the peak of his rage, the choice lies in his hands: either suppress the fury or let it erupt, resulting in the annihilation of everything. And of course, the destruction wouldn't stop at the two standing before him—it would extend to all forms of life surrounding the building.
This is a truth he feels with overwhelming certainty.
"You've gone too far, Salacia," the woman said in a tone of reproach.
Salacia wore a look of displeasure, yet stood there indifferently, her gaze fixed on Him, from whom a dark aura was now emanating and beginning to envelop his body before their eyes.
"What is this?!"
"Just as I suspected — he's not a Dominator."
The dark aura that had emerged from his body suddenly ignited into flames, engulfing Azad as his screams filled the air.
The cause of the fire was an internal struggle — a clash between his effort to suppress his anger and the belief that fed upon that very rage. The inevitable result was that the belief turned on Azad. By restraining the outburst, he suffered the consequences of his fury, which only fueled the belief to grow more and more uncontrollable.
"Damn, this person is truly incomprehensible. I've never seen someone be consumed by their own belief before."
"Any incarnated belief that isn't controlled by its wielder is doomed to destruction when it goes berserk — because a manifested belief draws its will from its master. Those who embody their beliefs while alive are different from the dead. The moment an uncontrolled belief is unleashed, the first thing it does is kill its living master to set itself free — and that's exactly what this belief is doing now. It's seeking liberation… Still, it's astonishing. This is the first time I've witnessed anything like this with my own eyes."
She clutched her left hand, shivering at Azad's screams, his body devoured by raging flames tinged with yellow, white, and black.
"What do we do now, Alizia?"
"Let's retreat. This place is no long—"
She didn't finish the sentence. The moment Alicia turned to withdraw, she found herself face to face with a tall, broad-shouldered stranger. He was dressed entirely in black—from his coat to his shirt, pants, and shoes—holding a black umbrella that cast a shadow, obscuring the worst of his facial features.
"Salacia, run—" But in the blink of an eye, the man seized her tongue. She instantly realized that any movement would cost her that very tongue in an instant.
"No need to run... I'm only here for that elegant man over there. I do hope there won't be any obstacles in my way."
His voice was calm, yet carried a weight of overwhelming menace. Salacia stood frozen, paralyzed by fear.
He released Alizia's tongue. She remained motionless, as though time had stopped. With quiet, deliberate steps, the man walked past them both, as if they didn't exist, heading straight toward Azad—who was screaming in agony from the burns.
He stopped in front of him.
"So you are... Azad Vernald. Just as the Great Guardian predicted—his belief has gone mad."
He drew out a rectangular strip, about twenty centimeters long, inscribed with vertical hieroglyphs. Releasing it into the wind, the paper floated gently onto the flames consuming Azad—and extinguished them.
"Well, it seems we're done here. I can't say whether saving you is for the better or worse... but I cannot disobey the Great Guardian's orders."
He turned to the two women.
"Don't worry. I won't kill you—since you didn't do anything reckless."
Their faces were drenched in sweat.
Half an hour had passed since the man left, taking Azad with him, and both Alizia and Salacia showed signs of fatigue and despair. Alizia trembled slightly, clutching her hands together, and said in a calm tone, "I'm sorry, Salasia. All my instincts froze in fear of him."
Salasia stood up and struck the iron boxes behind her. "Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why couldn't I move at that moment?" Her voice was filled with rage, while inside she was overwhelmed by shame and humiliation. As she was hitting the boxes, footsteps echoed nearby. They looked cautiously and stepped out of the shadows—it was their leader. "Sir Meguras!"
Half an hour had passed since the man left, taking Azad with him, and both Alizia and Salacia showed signs of fatigue and despair. Alizia trembled slightly, clutching her hands together, and said in a calm tone, "I'm sorry, Salacia. I was completely frozen in fear of him."
Salacia stood up and struck the iron boxes behind her. "Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why couldn't I move at that moment?" Her voice was filled with rage, while inside she was overwhelmed by shame and humiliation. As she was hitting the boxes, footsteps came from the shadows, and when they looked cautiously around, it became clear that it was their leader. "Sir Meguras!"
"Surprise, surprise! Look what I brought—onion sandwiches with spicy sauce and the pineapple juice you both love..." he said in a funny tone, noticing their desperate expressions. "Since it's not here, did something happen while I was away, or is there another explanation between you two?" he added coldly. Both of them lowered their heads, unable to find the right words to explain what had happened, but Salacia overcame her hesitation and spoke, looking at him with a remorseful expression: "A man with an umbrella took it—the voice of time—and we couldn't move an inch. We are very sorry, sir."
After a moment of reflection, joy returned to his face. "Enough of those expressions! Come on, I brought you both these meals just for you."
Alizia was surprised by his reaction and said, "But sir, we are the reason your target wasn't protected. Won't you punish us?"
"The most important thing is that you are both alive, and that is all that matters now."