Hearing Ryze's question, Faen blinked in surprise and asked curiously, "What makes you say that?"
"Because in the many futures of the World Runes, I have never seen your figure—neither in Ionia nor outside of it," Ryze explained. "The World Runes are one of the origins of magic in this world. Or rather, it is precisely because of the World Runes that this world was given the chance to prosper and become the most unique pearl among the endless stars."
"Although in most cases, the World Runes can only show events of the past—just as through the Life Rune, I could see the scene of Viego dragging all of Helia into the abyss for the sake of love. But through the World Runes, I can feel the connection between people and the world itself."
Looking at Faen, Ryze said, "Runeterra was born from the runes, and every life on this land possesses magical energy. Even the Demacians living near the petricite forests harbor trace amounts of mana in their bodies, because mana is an indispensable part of life in this world. Just like water, just like oxygen."
"But you are different. Although you have mana in your body, it has absolutely no connection to the runes," Ryze said seriously. "Even the unique nature of the Spirit Realm is not enough to explain this anomaly. And more importantly, in the vision of the World Runes, I see no trace of your past. Any movement of mana leaves a mark on the World Runes themselves, especially for a powerful Master like you."
Hearing Ryze's words, Faen nodded, but his face still showed no signs of panic. The "traces" Ryze spoke of weren't about Faen being a transmigrator; it meant that Faen did not exist within the domain of this Dreaming Pool.
With this in mind, Faen said, "Actually, I had this suspicion long ago. This world itself is a Spirit Realm illusion constructed through the Dreaming Pool, based on the massive spiritual energy of the Spirit of Ionia. But looking at it now, that's not the case."
"...The Spirit of Ionia? The Dreaming Pool?" Hearing this, a flash of confusion crossed Ryze's eyes. "What are you talking about? Why do I feel like I don't quite understand?"
Seeing this, Faen explained the Dreaming Pool and the sealing of Syndra in greater detail. After hearing the entire sequence of events, Ryze—with his vast experience and intelligence—pondered for a moment before saying thoughtfully: "If that's the case, doesn't that mean our world is just an illusion...? No, that's not right. Rather than saying our world itself is an illusion, it's more like... through the Dreaming Pool and the unique nature of the Spirit Realm, it bypassed the barriers between dimensions? Hmm... that's not right either."
The more Ryze thought about it, the harder it was to comprehend. Faen, on the other hand, was quite open-minded about it. He simply said calmly: "The Spirit Realm inherently contains countless mirror images of the future. This world might just be a specific mirror world of the true Runeterra, or even the amplification of someone's spiritual domain. Regardless of the origin of this world, we are living and surviving within it. Obsessing over the structural form of the world itself... at least in my view, is entirely unnecessary right now."
Hearing Faen's explanation, Ryze nodded thoughtfully and didn't invest any more energy into the matter.
"You make a fair point. Regardless of where the origins of this world stem from, what's more important is the cause we are currently pursuing." As he spoke, Ryze hoisted his rucksack and looked toward his belongings nearby.
"I must embark on the next leg of my journey. If our future selves meet again, then even if it's not in this exact world, I believe the 'me' of that other world will sense it."
"Oh? Why is that?" Faen looked at Ryze in surprise.
Ryze shrugged and said, "I don't know, but I just feel it will happen. If you force me to give a reason, it's probably due to the unique nature of the World Runes. Although the 'me' in your world learning this information might not change much, it should at least save you some unnecessary conflict and introductions when you meet."
Saying this, Ryze stood up, dusted off his pants, and walked toward a small boat nearby.
"I'm off. I wish you success in helping young Syndra break free from the shackles of her past soon." Ryze offered his blessing, his words devoid of any hesitation or lingering attachment, even though his time spent with Faen and Syndra had been quite pleasant.
"I will," Faen nodded, not taking it to heart, because that was just the kind of person Ryze was.
Although Ryze sometimes gave the impression of being sentimental, after surviving the Great Ruination of Helia, he knew exactly what he had to do and what had to be prioritized. Just like when the Ruination first occurred; Ryze had briefly fallen into a state of confusion, unsure whether to deal with the Rune Wars first or the aftermath of the Ruination, or how he could bear to leave the Sentinels of Light he had fought alongside.
But in the end, Ryze made the rational decision. The war between the Ruination and the Sentinels of Light was indeed long, agonizing, and bitter. But compared to the Rune Wars engulfing all of Runeterra, re-sealing the World Runes was the absolute priority. Once he figured this out, Ryze informed the founder of the Sentinels of Light and threw himself without hesitation into the collection and sealing of the World Runes.
Admittedly, Ryze bore undeniable responsibility in the outbreak of the Great Ruination, and his sudden departure from the fight against it made it seem like he was fleeing out of cowardice. But over the millennia that followed, Ryze continuously searched the path of sealing the World Runes, day in and day out, proving with facts that his decision was absolutely not an escape. Literally speaking, he understood what his true responsibilities were, and he executed them.
Shortly after sending Ryze off, Syndra walked over from a distance. She looked around curiously before looking at Faen and asking, "Where's Mr. Ryze? Has he left?"
"Mhm." Faen nodded, then led Syndra toward a nearby sanctuary. Ryze might have left, but today's training still had to continue. And imperceptibly, within the Dreaming Pool, several more years passed by.