Jay opened his eyes into the darkness of night.
He shot to his feet instantly, conjuring his sword. His gaze darted in every direction.
No movement. No presence.
A quiet sigh escaped him.
Moonlight illuminated the world, but not enough to truly see.He was still blind — the mountain peak above him swallowed everything in shadows.
Even so, he had to descend.Staying here would only lead to something worse.
Step by step, Jay moved carefully down the slope, placing each foot with extreme precision.
Then the ground gave way.
His foot slipped — and his body followed.
He tumbled down the slope, rolling through dirt and stone until his back slammed violently against a tree.
Pain exploded through his entire body.
"Damn… Did I really reach my limit? Seriously…?"
Flashes of his training surfaced in his mind.
That was only the bare minimum…
A bitter, sarcastic laugh escaped him.
Slowly, he pushed himself back up, leaning on his white sword for support.
Only one thought echoed in his mind.
I'm tired… I'm tired…
Questions crept in.
Why was he going through this?Did he deserve it?
The answer…
"…."
Jay didn't know.
Had he angered some god?Were the sins of his past life still being repaid?
No.
As far as he believed, he had already paid for those sins.
Hours passed.Night still ruled the sky.
Then — he saw her.
A grown woman running lightly ahead.
Blonde hair.A gentle smile.A flowing blue dress.
She was laughing.
And that sound pulled him in.
Jay dropped his sword.
The emptiness in his eyes filled with something fragile — something human.
And he ran after her.
Desperately.
His breath grew ragged, but his legs suddenly felt light.
He reached out, trying to grab her arm.
"Runa!" he cried, eyes hollow yet filled with hope."Don't leave me alone again…"
His fingers never touched her.
He fell face-first into the ground.
Lying there, he rolled onto his back and stared at the star-filled sky.
Moments later, she appeared above him.
"Gabriel, don't just lie there all day!" Runa said, cheeks flushed from the wind.
She grabbed his arm and pulled him up.
"Come on — let's have fun!"
A faint blush colored Gabriel's face, almost imperceptible.
He wore a dark blue suit, a black dress shirt beneath it, and his round glasses.
Runa pulled him forward joyfully.
The ground beneath his feet wasn't muddy or uneven anymore.It was firm.
Green fields stretched endlessly.Flowers bloomed everywhere.Tall trees swayed gently, some dotted with soft fungi.
A calm breeze brushed past them, lifting Runa's golden hair.
The heaviness in his eyes vanished.His exhaustion disappeared.
The air was clean — not filled with rot, blood, or rain.
And without realizing it…
He was smiling.
Was everything before… just a nightmare?
She released his wrist and ran ahead again.He chased after her.
After a while, he lunged forward and caught her.They tumbled onto the grass together, laughing.
Both breathless.
"The sky is beautiful tonight, isn't it?" Runa asked softly, looking at him.
Gabriel replied without meeting her gaze.
"Yeah… it is. But…"
"But?" she raised an eyebrow.
He turned and looked directly into her eyes.
"…But it's still not as beautiful as you. I love you, Runa."
Her cheeks flushed red.She covered her mouth — then burst into laughter.
Gabriel simply watched her.
Huh? Why am I not embarrassed…? Not even angry… I'm just… happy to see her smile.
"What was that? Hahaha! You sounded like a teenager trying to impress his girlfriend," she teased.
Still lying down, he stared at the sky again.
The stars.
The colors.
The positions.
Exactly the same as where he had been before.
The Wall!
He shot upright and looked beside him.
Runa was still there.
He sighed in relief.
"Uh… Gabriel…" her voice trembled.
Almost afraid.
He looked at her — and stopped breathing.
She was melting.
Her skin peeled away, dissolving into the grass.
Runa threw herself toward him — but something repelled her.
A blue figure stood there.
Faceless.
Watching him.
"She was the cause of your ruin, Jay… and you still love her? How pathetic. How amusing."
"Move, Roh! I need to help her!"
Roh looked at him with cold disdain.
"Help her? The one who destroyed your life?"
Time kept moving.
Her arm had already vanished.
"Gabriel… what is he talking about?" she whispered.
"…."
"Ga-Gabriel?"
Another arm disappeared.
Inside Gabriel's mind, memories screamed.
Her voice.Her cries.The moment she saw him holding that body—
He clicked his tongue.
His vision dropped to the grass.
The pleasant warmth faded.The air turned foul.
The scent of flowers twisted into rot — blood and decay.
Then—
A cracking sound.
Like glass shattering.
His suit dissolved into his torn, filthy clothes.
The illusion collapsed.
He was back in the mud.
A drop of water hit his head.
He slowly stood, dirt clinging to his face.
His pupils were empty.
Roh watched him silently.
Almost… with pity.
…
Jay turned away.
And walked.
Each step carried him farther from his original goal… and closer to something else.
Hours later, sunlight began to pierce the horizon.
Jay had survived another night.
Or had he?
As the light touched him, he lowered his head.
There's no way to survive this hell unless I abandon…
…
Besides… I'm completely alone. Who would even miss "Jay"…?
Who?
Just like before… I haven't changed. I failed at something so simple… changing.
A wet tearing sound snapped him out of it.
He moved closer.
A pale gray figure crouched over a carcass — something resembling a deer.It wore tattered noble clothes.
The creature turned.
Blood smeared across its mouth.Sharp fangs exposed.
Jay immediately recognized it.
A vampire?
Surprisingly, he felt almost nothing.
He didn't hide.
He stood there openly, watching.
The vampire stared back.
Then slowly smiled.
Jay raised his hand like a finger gun.
Ice began forming, shaping itself into a translucent blue pistol.
But the creature didn't wait.
It vanished in a single step.
Jay instantly summoned a white blade in his left hand — a snow-colored sword with vein-like patterns running along it.
The vampire reappeared mid-strike.
Jay blocked with the blade.
Frost spread instantly, freezing the creature's arm. Its pale face turned even whiter.
Jay's pistol finished forming.
"Goodbye," he said coldly.
The barrel touched the vampire's head.
He pulled the trigger.
The gunshot echoed across the mountains.
Jay stared at the corpse like all the others.
Just another body.
"I'm back… I did what you wanted most, Roh," Jay said without looking at him.
Roh watched in silence, his expression tense.
"…But not like this."
A bead of sweat slid down his blue forehead.
"…"
Jay looked up at the bright sky.
Tears streamed down his face.
"I… am completely alone. Completely alone."
Just like in his past life.
Nothing had changed.
Nothing.