"Stronger than us all…"
"Your mother was buying time for us."
When Kim heard these words… he left Mary immediately and rushed back to his mother.
But when he arrived… he found her on her knees, a sword piercing her body. The unknown man was speaking to her, saying:
"Do you truly buy time for this mistake? Are you not one of us? How can you stand against us?"
Kim's mother spoke with a stuttering voice:
"You are right… I have always followed the law and peace… and my duty for the sake of balance… But if justice and peace were in one hand… and my child in the other… I would choose my child."
The man drew his sword, and she collapsed to the ground. Blood was flowing, and the air turned cold—strangely cold.
"Why is it so cold… when we are in summer?"
The man looked at her with a piercing gaze and said:
"I do not understand either… Why would you throw away your life for just a child? If he dies as we plan… you can have another child. From a man purer than the one you chose. You would live. But if you die… and he does too… You know he is the Child of Prophecy. Therefore, he is destined to die. Otherwise… he will become a vessel for chaos. This is a mistake on your part."
She smiled at him—a sad, small smile, filled with pain. Then she said:
"You will never understand… what it feels like to be a father… or a mother. I gave up everything for him. And I will never regret it. It is enough that… if I am sick or sad… he stays by my side. He cries like a little child… even though he has grown. When I look at him… I see a little boy. I love to pamper him so much."
Her face turned toward Kim. He was standing there, tears streaming from his eyes, his legs betraying him. He could no longer stand. She looked at him with sorrowful eyes, containing a few tears, and said:
"My son… why did you return? Run… run. I will truly be sad… if the smile vanishes from your face."
Then—the light faded from her eyes. The air entered her… but it never left. Inside Kim's mind were strange words he couldn't understand.
"A smile…"
"Heh…"
"Hehehe…"
And then—flashes of the past appeared. Moments with his mother. She was always telling him to wear a smile and never be sad. Another time… she was playing with him. Another… she was drawing a smile with her hand on his face and laughing. Another… she was asking him to sleep beside her. Another… asking him to feed her. So many moments.
When he grew up, he thought his mother was childish, or that her mind wasn't as good as it used to be. But in this moment… he knew. He knew she desperately wanted to be a mother. To have many children.
And here—two questions dwelled in his mind: "Did she love my father… and give birth to me for that? Or did she have me… without caring if she loved him or not?"
But from her words… and from what his father said… it was an eternal love. Yet, he was right. "Why didn't she have another child? My father could have… and so could she. Did she truly love me… to the point that she didn't have another child… just so she wouldn't diminish even a small part of her love for me?"
"Heh…"
"Hehehe…"
"Hahahahaha…"
"She loved me one hundred percent… and I… I cursed her."
He returned to the moment of his mother's death. The man said to Kim:
"Will you come with me quietly… or do you want to lose a part of your body?"
But Kim remained still. He hadn't listened to him from the beginning. How could he… with all these words inside his head?
The man looked at him sharply and said: "Fine. If your goal is for me to kill you… then I will kill you here and now. You, the Son of Error."
He pushed him toward the garden. Mary was nearby. She looked and found a sword had severely torn his chest. Amidst this blood… Kim said:
"S… h… e…"
"I… s…"
"N… o… t…"
The man asked: "What are you saying?"
Kim raised his head and shouted with rage:
"SHE… SHE IS NOT AN ERRORRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
And then—cracks appeared in Kim's body. Darkness consumed him. The cracks were white, and his eyes turned completely red. The man looked at him in shock.
"A mere aura emanating from you… destroying everything around you?"
Kim stood still. The man looked at him closely. "Is he turning into a vessel? I must kill him quickly."
He rushed forward and created an arrow of holy light. It was massive. He fired it at him. Mary created walls of her magic to block it. But amidst his laughter, he said to her: "You will perish with him."
But—before the beam reached Kim… he perished. Perhaps from the pain he felt. For not all pain is external. There is internal pain… and it is far more severe than the external.
Then—BOOOOOOOM!
An explosion from Kim to the entire planet. The explosion was a beam, as if it were the Beam of Annihilation. Anything it touched… it erased. It became ash.
Before the man could do anything, he said: "Have you truly manifested… Son of Chaos?"
Then—BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The entire planet was destroyed within seconds. Kim was in the middle of the void. Many planets were around him. His planet… and everyone on it… those he loved and those he hated… all turned to ash falling into the void.
Kim floated in space. His final form was completely black, with dark smoke leaking from him, as if it were seeping from his core. His eyes were entirely white, bleeding thick red blood. He looked left and right. Where was he?
His mind was programmed now for one thing only: to devour that man alive.
"Where is he?"
Kim turned his head left and right. Cracks spread toward his mouth. His teeth… were like a beast's. He was screaming loudly. He had lost his mind completely. He merely pointed his hand toward several planets and fired a black beam. He destroyed everyone, as if they were just dust scattered in the wind.
Then a message appeared from Walker, asking Kim to calm down. But Kim ignored it. For he knew now… that Kim had lost his mind entirely. Now… he wanted to destroy everything. The rage within him… would never be calmed… except by a sea of blood.
Meanwhile, there was a person in another world, sitting on a throne. Some followers were speaking to him. Suddenly, he gasped strangely and fell to the ground.
The guards rushed toward him. "My Lord! What happened?! Bring a doctor, quickly!"
Sweat was pouring from his head. Then he said:
"What happened… why does my soul tremble like this? Kim… are you alright?"