A white space. Everything was the same dimension as the one Ed came across not long ago, but this time it was different. On the far end of the white space shadows—shadows darker than abyss itself.
'Something changed here,' Ed thought as he scanned the strange realm. No matter how many times he saw this place, he couldn't figure out its mysteries. Why was he yanked into such a place that Ed couldn't comprehend?
He took a step forward at the same place where Kael, his former self, sat his head down. To Ed, all of this was enigmatic.
"We meet again, Ed," Kael spoke as he lifted his gaze toward Ed, meeting his eye.
"We never get it easy, right?" Kael laughed. It was odd for Kael to behave this way.
"So, why am I here again? Go through another gate?" Ed spoke sarcastically.
Kael simply nodded.
"It's not entirely true, some part of it is true," Kael said as he stood up walking toward the shadowy area. Ed followed Kael without hesitation.
It was odd to see two different people who shared the same body at one time separated and talking. Except for them, no one knew them better.
"This time, there isn't any other option," Kael said as he narrowed his eyes.
"What does that mean?" Ed asked, perplexed. Brows frowned.
As those words left Ed's mouth, the space trembled.
The ground shuddered.
Then stillness. Total silence.
The white space shattered, and strange black metal erupted from the ground.
A door.
It was a shadowy door with green sigils and runes carved on it.
"So what the hell is that door supposed to lead me to hell?" Ed asked.
"What are you talking about? You're already in hell," Kael said, his eyes narrowed.
It was as if Ed had said a silly thing.
"Ed, listen, it may feel like you can't go on, but you have to go through it. For us, death is a reward, not mercy."
A pause
Ed knew it. He had experienced. No matter how difficult the situation was, death wasn't granted to him. If there were another of his age, he would have died long ago. But Ed wasn't ordinary. The pure vessel they called him.
Step step step.
From the shadows, a third figure appeared. He had worn a mask. He had no face—no, the white mask covered his face. He only smiled.
Then the door opened.
A force engulfed Ed, waking him up in the real world.
Ed was in the same medical center. But this time, there was another person. Close to his age. A scarlet red hair, golden eyes. On the next bed beside Ed's, Raelith was sleeping. Unconsciously. Ed was successful in driving the Nightmare Lord away. Raelith's hair was normal again, and colors were returning.
"Ed, trouble really follows you around, huh?" A voice spoke.
It was a familiar voice. Evans had come to check on Ed despite him fighting a nightmare lord and was fine, like he only got a scratch. Evans was a true monster, not needing bed rest after such an intense fight. As for Jin, he woke three hours before Ed.
"I really had to use Stardust Aura to kill that man. Next time, give me a weaker opponent," Evans complained as he sighed.
"It was you who went ahead to fight the humanoid one," Ed spoke, laced with annoyance. Who could blame him? It's not even five minutes. Evans started rambling.
"Evans, how many times have I told you not to disturb patients!" A woman spoke as she struck Evans on the torso, sending him crashing into the nearby wall.
She was in her mid-20s. Scarlet red hair, identical to Raelith, violet eyes. She was Analise Frost.
"Analyse what you're doing here?!" Evans asked as he stood up, smacking dust from his clothes.
"That's not important. Raelith nearly caused the annihilation of the whole academy, turning into a nightmare lord for real! Analise spoke, worry wracked on her face.
"If Lady Luna hadn't sent Arivel your way, the fight would've been fiercer."
Silence fell.
No one spoke for a while. They understood the magnitude of the situation.
Ed closed his eyes and opened them again. Burning with a strange white glow. Not fear. But resolve.
"We are too weak," Ed spoke.
Those words struck them with thunder. They fought the weakest nightmare lord but struggled to survive. It was humiliating to their pride.
Raelith opened his eyes. Eyes darkened. Head down.
"Ed," Raelith spoke with a calm, serene voice.
Ed turned to Raelith.
"I'm sorry its all my fault," Raelith said with sorrowful eyes.
"What are you talking about?"
"Because of me, you risked your life. You had to fight that abomination so— "
"It's not your fault. I just did what he meant to do, nothing else," Ed spoke. He had a look of resolve, a man who suffered but couldn't rest.
"What do you mean by that, Ed?" Raelith perplexed.
Ed simply shook his head.
"No, it's nothing."
Ed felt more pain than relief. Because of him, Raelith got corrupted by the demonic energy in the first place. As for why he saved Raelith, fought, and suffered was probably because he felt guilt. Maybe through battle, he hoped to ease it. It was the original body's resolve to save Raelith, not Ed's own.
'How long was it since I saw those faces. He just looks like him,' As Ed thought a young boy's face surfaced on his mind. He had black hair and blue eyes.
'Ah, forgetting people isn't that easy after all,' Ed said inwardly.
In a faraway land. Snowflakes dropped from the sky. Atop the mountain, a young man sat near the edge. He was in his late-70s. wrinkles formed on his face. Golden eyes, purple hair, but on random whites, a visible result of old age. He wore red arcane robes. A huge spear struck beside him. It glowed with a black aura. In his left hand, a bottle.
He lifted the bottle and chugged it down.
"It really is nice in this mountain range, isn't that right, Sicilia~" The old man laughed.
"As ever, drunken old man, you are Renith." The woman with purple hair, golden eyes, and a dark violet robe with a lunar pattern.
It was Sicilia.
The world was moving, and at its center was Ed, but he had no idea of that matter.