A realm of pure gold.
No gravity.
No sky.
No horizon.
Just infinite golden light—a void that shimmered, yet held nothing.
In the centre stood two figures:
Alex and Leon.
Leon stepped forward and grabbed Alex by the collar, his body trembling with desperation.
His voice broke as he roared—
"Tell me… where is my son?!
Where is my wife?!
TELL ME!"
He was barely standing—held together only by hope.
Hope that maybe—just maybe—wasn't real.
That there was still a reason to live, not just regret until the end of time.
Alex looked him dead in the eyes.
"Let me tell you the truth."
"I'm not your son.
That's the truth."
"But I didn't kill him."
"Your son… took his own life."
A silence heavier than gold itself hung between them.
"He didn't die from the pressure you placed on him—
or the expectations, or the burdens."
"But it made him mentally weak.
And in that weakness, others took advantage."
"They tried to control him. Manipulate him.
He couldn't withstand it.
And in the end—
He ended himself."
Alex's voice lowered.
"But I did take a small revenge for him."
"You remember the day I killed that man and girl in the academy…?
The day your wife died?"
"They were the ones who killed your wife.
And your son."
Leon's hands trembled harder.
"So you…
You were just reborn inside him?"
"Yes," Alex whispered.
"I was just… unlucky.
To be reborn in your son's corpse."
Leon's voice cracked.
"Tell me… did my son love me?"
"He did."
"Did my wife love me?"
"She did."
A beat passed.
"And you…" Leon hesitated.
"Did you ever feel like I was your father?"
Alex closed his eyes.
"I didn't."
Leon nodded slowly. Then, voice barely above a whisper—
"And my wife?"
A long silence.
"I… I loved her."
"As my own mother."
Alex's voice turned soft, almost childlike.
"In this lonely world… after reincarnation, I was completely alone."
"She was the only one who ever gave me light."
"When she died… it broke me."
"She's the person I've loved most in my entire life—
across six thousand years of existence."
Leon's eyes welled up.
His soul felt crushed—not because of betrayal—
But because of the truth he always feared…
It was now real.
He whispered—
"Promise me one thing."
"Please… protect my daughter.
My son.
And if you can… even your stepmother."
Alex was silent. Then finally:
"I know why you came…
Even though you knew I would imprison you in this space."
"You are no longer the Leon I admired as a king."
"But I can't promise to protect them."
"…But I'll try."
Leon's knees buckled.
His tears hit the golden ground… that didn't even exist.
"Then… I suppose this is goodbye?"
Alex smiled faintly.
"No.
We'll meet again, Leon Agniverta."
Leon looked up, voice shaking.
"And after this… what will you do?"
Alex's expression turned cold—unforgiving.
"I'll destroy the Tower."
"For the sake of revenge…
For my mother."
"And because I refuse to let anything exist above me."
His voice dropped, deep and resolute.
"This is who I am.
This is the character I live in.
This is my truth.
This… is my perseverance."
"Sheng Cheon's perseverance."
He stepped back.
"Farewell… Leon Agniverta."
Then, he whispered—
"Orochi."
In a blink, his appearance began to shift.
His body flickered with divine light.
And in the next breath—he returned to the real world.
But not as himself.
As…
Leon Agniverta.
Hey everyone! This arc ends here. I was really excited about this one, so I didn't take the time to refine the chapters as much as I would have liked. I hope you understand.
Next week, I'll be taking a break to refine the entire work.
I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please leave a comment letting me know your thoughts. It would mean a lot to me!