Floating in the air, the God of Nothingness crossed one leg over the other, his chin resting atop long, slender fingers. He gazed at Mika with a detached expression—cold, uninterested, as though nothing in the room was worth his attention.
"You bear the mark of my brother," he said, voice low and resonant.
He tilted his head slightly, fingers tapping against his chin. Then, slowly, he descended. Hovering just in front of Mika, his feet touched the smoke-covered floor. The size difference was staggering—Mika had to tilt his head far back just to meet the God's gaze.
"I do not like it," the God growled.
He reached out, curling his fingers beneath Mika's chin, his other hand resting lazily on his hip.
"You are too frail. Too small. Too young… despite your soul being anything but." His large finger tapped Mika's cheek, not seeing Mika Lyre Verhault, but the soul hidden within the third prince. "I shall wait until you're twenty. Perhaps then you can take me. Hm… no. I doubt it. You'll break. My size is not meant for fragile humans."
What?
What the hell is this perverted God talking about?
Wait—is this even allowed?
Mika opened his mouth—and bit down, hard, on the God's hand.
The God didn't flinch.
Instead, for the first time since his arrival, a flicker of amusement crossed his face.
"Feisty. I like it."
He released Mika with a light shove, then glanced at the faint bite mark on his skin, raising an eyebrow in mild curiosity.
"Tell me, Mika Lyre Verhault, Third Prince of Eirnard Kingdom. Do you wish to change your fate?" The God's voice echoed, deep and commanding, as he extended his large palm toward Mika—waiting.
"I shall turn your fate to nothing."
Mika stared at the God of Nothingness, eyes wide. Turn his fate to nothing? Could this mean freedom from death? A chance to choose his own path? To shape his destiny?
Zane rose slightly from the throne, heart sinking. He watched Mika slowly reach out toward the God, panic gripping him. His instincts screamed—Stop him. His son wouldn't be safe under this deity.
"My son—" But before Zane could plead, Mika slapped the God's hand away.
Gasps rippled through the room.
"Make my fate to nothing?" Mika chuckled softly, then clenched his fist, glaring up at the divine figure with fierce defiance.
"Like hell you are."
Mika knew exactly what it meant to make a deal with the God of Nothingness.
True to His name—He would turn everything into nothing. Fate. Life. Existence.
To worship Him is to become nothing in the eyes of creation.
But in that nothingness… lies possibility.
Only by being nothing can one create something.
That is why the God of Nothingness is the most revered among beastmen. They were created to be something—but He made them nothing. And in that void, they found freedom. Freedom to become more than what they were meant to be. To stand equal with humans.
But what if Mika accepted it?
He wouldn't become something born from nothing. He would become total nothingness. Not a nothing that turns into something—but the utter void of nothingness. Mika was supposed to be one thing. But what if he was two?
Mika's body and an unknown soul. Mika Lyre Verhault's body, lacking its original soul, now hosts a modern, otherworldly soul. What happens if these two become nothing?
It would create an infinite loop—where the body is desperate to become something, while the soul is forced to become nothing. A paradox. Two existences fighting to be something and nothing at the same time.
Will it become something?
It won't be nothing.
Should it continue to exist?
No, it shouldn't.
Then what fate should be given to such a pitiful soul?
Everything.
Because the unknown soul isn't bound by this world's rules. Not tied to this creation. It has the possibility to become something beyond this world. To deny fate. To reject the demands of this reality.
Mika turned around, composed himself, and took a step forward.
The chains reacted instantly—shuddering, shaking, growing violent, as if sensing Mika's defiance.
They tightened around his limbs to the point of pain. But Mika didn't flinch. He didn't stop. He forced himself to move forward.
"Oho?" The God of Nothingness raised an eyebrow—just slightly, almost unnoticeable. A glint flashed in his eyes for a moment before vanishing.
"How… interesting."
_________________________________________________________
"Don't give up." "Just give up."
"Never despair." "It's tiring."
"Keep on going." "I don't want to."
"Don't lose your hope." "What's the point of hoping?"
"Keep on dreaming." "Am I even allowed to have one?"
"You can do it." "But what if I can't?"
__________________________________________________________
'Then look at your father.'
Mika raised his head. He looked at Zayne—and saw the king's composure crumble. No longer a ruler, but a concerned and frightened father, desperate to save the son who was already slipping away.
'Mika.'
The otherworldly soul called out to the distant name, reaching deep inside as Mika continued moving.
_________________________________________________________
You're allowed to live.
I am? I don't know.
How about you?
How about me?
Do you want to live?
Do I want to live?
Otherworldly soul… what is your name?
My name? I don't remember.
…Is that so? Then, would you like to take my name?
Your name?
I'll lend it to you. Until I'm ready to come back. Will you give it back to me then?
…Of course.
Then, from now on… you will be Mika Lyre Verhault.
A distant voice—soft and detached. Whose voice might that be? I wonder… why did I answer it? Is that you? Oh, the owner of this body I reside in. Is that you, Mika?
No. I'm not Mika anymore. It's you.
__________________________________________________________
The chains shatter as the name is claimed. Fate shifts. The wheel of destiny begins to spin.
In a world ruled by fate, once again, an otherworldly soul chooses to break the line.
Again.
Again.
Once more, a human from another world arrives—not to follow fate, but to destroy it. The fates, born alongside humanity, are now being opposed.
Oh, Creator. Our Creator.
Is this… your doing too?
Mika's red eyes widened as the chains holding him suddenly shattered like broken shards. He stumbled forward, and the moment his feet touched the space ahead, the Path of Revelation cracked—then exploded.
Yet none of the debris hit anyone in the room. Instead, the broken path dissolved into sparkling dust, drifting gently onto the fractured floor. The scent of fresh grass filled the air—clean and comforting, like the hills they once visited for picnics. Moments later, the warmth of an evening sun bathed the room, and the once dark walls began to brighten.
In an instant, the death-filled chamber transformed into a vast plain.
The walls and ceiling faded into an endless sky, clouds drifting lazily above. Birds chirped in the distance. From below, flowers began to bloom, spreading across the field in a burst of vibrant color. The sweet scent of nectar and the earthy smell of grass settled over the room, calming everyone present.
"It… changed," Echo gasped, eyes wide as he looked around. He reached out, trying to feel for the table he'd been sitting at earlier—but no matter how far he stretched, he couldn't find it.
"It's not… an illusion?"
The God of Nothingness looked around silently before descending, letting his feet touch the flower- and grass-covered ground. To his slight surprise, he could feel the tickle of the grass between his toes, the soft warmth of the dirt beneath his feet.
"What path is this?" Louis asked Arthur, only to see the man just as confused.
"I-I don't know… I've never seen this type of path before. No, I've never even heard of any royal family member having this kind of path." Arthur shook his head, his eyes flickering toward Zane. The King looked just as bewildered as everyone else.
"Impossible!!" a voice shrieked, snapping everyone out of their confusion.
The blonde woman—the one who had bumped into Louis earlier—stared at Mika with a look of disbelief. Her heterochromia eyes were wide.
"T-this is not possible!!" she shouted, pointing at Mika in frustration, her gaze now sharp and furious.
"Y-you can't! It can't be!! You can't have the Path of Freedom!!"
The God of Nothingness raised his eyebrows. A slow smirk formed on his lips as he rubbed his chin and leaned down to Mika's height.
"Path of Freedom? Oho… A path not tied to the Line of Fates. A soul that can't return to its Original World, forever floating between the fabric of the universe."
"It can't be that path!!" the woman snapped, cutting off the God of Nothingness mid-sentence.
His smile faded as he turned to glance at her, eyes narrowing slightly. "And why can't it be? Actually… who are you, to dare speak over me?"
The woman flinched, but quickly straightened herself and announced proudly, "Caroline Jaynes. I am a Holy Maiden."
At her name, Mika's eyes widened slightly. Holy Maiden… it's her. The reason Mika dies later in the story.
He clenched his fists tightly, rage bubbling inside him. A mix of emotions stirred with the anger, but he forced himself to stay calm. Everyone was watching. If Mika stayed quiet, Caroline would embarrass herself.
She always did that—making a fool of herself. In the book, no one reacted because that's how the author wrote the scene. But this was real life. People reacted naturally. And Mika could see it now—the way everyone in the room seemed to cringe at Caroline's tone.
"Holy Maiden? And what does that have to do with me? I'm not the one who chose you." Arms crossed over his chest, the God of Nothingness stared down at Caroline with a blank expression. "Watch your tone, human. I am not my siblings."
Caroline's face paled at the cold tone. She looked away from the divine being, fear creeping into her expression as she realized her charm had no effect on him.
"Now, now, let's all calm down," someone else said, stepping forward and raising a hand to silence Caroline.
The man was tall—taller than Louis, but shorter than the God. Obviously, since the God of Nothingness stood at a towering 2.6 meters.
This man was 198 cm, with short ocean-blue hair—no, literally ocean water for hair. When he moved, the strands flowed like waves. It suited him, especially with his tanned skin, like sand bathed in evening light. His body was slender and curvy, despite being male. There was a quiet elegance in the way he moved—like gentle water washing over the shore.
He wore a simple vestment that draped over his frame—not too loose, not too tight. A bit underdressed for a priest on such an important day.
But what caught Mika's attention were his eyes—bright turquoise that seemed to glow when the sunlight hit them. His pupils weren't normal either; they shimmered like red fish scales, glittering instead of appearing human.
"A merman as a priest?" The God of Nothingness let out a small "Hooh," shamelessly checking out the man.
Mika's eyes widened as recognition hit him.
Aalto.
The Pope of the Church of Gods. A merman who had reached the stage of deity—an entity capable of harnessing divine power without receiving any blessing.
Mika remembered that in the story, Aalto was the only sensible character who didn't fall for Caroline's charm. In fact, he was the only one who openly doubted her claim of being the Holy Maiden. He opposed it, but the Gods had spoken, and he was forced to accept Caroline into his church.
Mika also remembered Aalto's death—during the war against the Demon King. A war Louis was supposed to fight in, but Caroline had "morning sickness," and Louis, being the dumb protagonist at the time, didn't bother to go.
That war claimed thousands of innocent lives—humans and monsters alike.
The Pope, who was supposed to stay behind and defend the city, ended up dying in battle against an enemy he wasn't meant to face.
All because the female lead decided to be a brat over a sickness that wasn't even real.
"Prince," Aalto called out to Mika with a gentle smile. "We should wrap up the ceremony. Lest something else starts shrieking like flies."
Caroline gasped, opening her mouth to snap at Aalto—but one look from the God of Nothingness made her shrink back in fear.
"Uh, yeah. How do I…" Mika looked around the plain, unsure how he was supposed to end the path.
"Just walk toward the king," Aalto said, stepping to the side—purposely bumping into Caroline with a smile that suggested nothing was wrong.
He really hates her, Mika sweatdropped.
Taking a deep breath, Mika began walking toward Zane. He saw the way Zane perked up with visible relief, while the queen beside him looked utterly disgusted by the beautiful sight unfolding before them.
As Mika got closer to Zane, he felt the ground begin to shake. The light around him grew brighter and brighter. Mika raised his arm to shield his eyes, and when the light finally faded, he was standing at the base of the stairs leading to the throne.
"Third Prince of Einhard Kingdom. Prince Mika Lyre Verhault."