They met again.
He was in his black soul form. Even against the darkness of space, his black soul stood out. And this being...
It was just as it had been then, forming a sharp contrast to his soul.
The contours of its form shimmered in a heavenly white, tinged with blue.
It was a sight that could be gazed upon forever.
Within that single form were endless stars and galaxies. Each one glowed and drew the eye uncontrollably.
It was the universe made manifest.
"..." He had no breath — yet even his soul seemed to freeze.
As before, the beginning of the meeting passed in silence.
"You made it…" the being began.
Its voice matched its form — otherworldly, distant, celestial. It was otherworldly, heavenly, and magical. It bore no trace of gender — if such a thing even applied to it. Perhaps it was something more than just gender.
"It seems so, but..." replied the black soul. In contrast to the heavenly soul, his voice sounded hoarse and creaky.
"Are you talking about the tide? It's okay, this was the end of your path."
"The sea... Why this place?"
The manner of anticipating almost every thought evoked strange feelings.
"You've probably already guessed that it is the entrance to the Abode of the former Peak of Knowledge... But, truth be told, you wouldn't have been able to get out through it, and besides, you would have been noticed."
"Noticed... By whom?"
"..."
The being did not answer, leaving a strange feeling in the wake of its silence.
Their spiritual forms had no faces, no clear outlines, but only now did he notice that the being seemed to have its back turned to him.
To avoid another silence, he began.
"So, Dream..."
"It was ha..."
They spoke at the same time.
"What did you want to ask?"
"My path... It was a Dream after all. And you are... The Peak of Dream."
"..." The silence that followed felt like confirmation.
The past feelings of freedom and lightness were long gone. Now he felt something like heaviness... Moreover, in such a place, in front of such a being, he felt uncomfortable. Like a black blemish that didn't deserve a place in this flawless universe.
"You said that something like a trial awaited me."
"Yes…"
"I remember that woman mentioning that she was the First Step of Havoc... So, if I pass the test, will I receive a reward? Will I also become something like the First Step?"
Strange as it may seem, now that he was among the stars, he wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
"Unfortunately, no. The First Step can only be taken in a special way."
"I see..."
"But that doesn't mean you won't get anything."
He fell silent, waiting for the next words.
"You have earned… boundless trust."
"...?"
Along with this strange statement, his black soul began to change. In the very place where the heart of the body's previous owner had been torn out, and in the very place where the symbol should be located...
"Whether you want it or not, the stars now recognize you as one of their own."
A faint heavenly glow, resembling a tiny star, flared up on his chest. This otherworldly sight not only looked enchanting, but also contrasted sharply with the black color of his soul.
He hadn't expected anything tangible, but such a reward impressed him immensely.
"And what does... it means?"
The creature seemed to think for a moment, then decided to explain.
"Simply put, the stars will show you the path, and you will be able to wield their light glow."
"..."
"You'll understand when you try it."
It sounded… fascinating. But it was unknown what kind of ability it would actually turn out to be. In this, he could only trust the stars.
Soon, the glow on his chest began to fade, and then the dark essence of his soul completely overwhelmed him.
However, he felt that it was still inside him.
After clarifying a few more things, he realized that He now stood at half a star — both in supernatural rank and in the hierarchy of Steps.
The reward he had received was unique and unlikely to have any equal. However, he was reminded again that the first Step was something special and incomparable to what he had received now.
The sense that he didn't belong grew stronger. He wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
"So, where will I end up now?"
"In the ordinary world, on the other side... To be more precise, at the real entrance to the former Abode of Knowledge."
"I see..."
As before, this creature did not tell him what to do, where to go, or what to strive for. It named him its Champion — yet left him to walk his own path.
He did not understand it and did not know if he ever would.
However, despite his strange feelings toward this figure, he at least listened to it now.
And here he remembered some words.
"Before I was reborn in the Pit, I heard your words: 'This is the only place his eyes cannot reach.' So now… his eyes will be able to reach me?"
"..."
"And if the Pit is the post-war Abode of Knowledge of the past and defeated Peak of Knowledge... Then the place I'm going belongs to that same the All-Knowing and All-Encompassing… current Peak of Knowledge?"
"..."
"Damn it."
"Yeah..."
They spent some time in silence.
However, even now, he still couldn't look away from the star-forged figure. Now he understood clearly that the creature had had its back to him from the very beginning. He wasn't surprised by this, because it was difficult for him to look at his own black soul. But on the other hand... Why did it choose him?
He felt it was time to leave.
But before he could ask, he remembered something.
"Dream..." he said uncertainly. "I interrupted you earlier, and you seemed to want to..."
He froze mid-sentence and stared incredulously at the starry figure.
It was really hard to believe, but...
"Are you... crying?"
"..."
The being offered neither denial nor confirmation.
Instead of answering, it slowly turned.
At last, they faced each other.
"Your time has come. Go…" His dark figure was already dissolving into the darkness around them. "Become the brightest Champion…"
"..."
"And take care of yourself... My Darkest Star."