A statue — shattered beyond recognition.
Dust, cracks, and the remnants of what once might have been divine artistry lay scattered beneath a crimson dawn. Two figures stood before it: Ren, motionless as stone itself, and Ito, whose uneasy gaze lingered on the broken face of the idol.
> "I've heard many things about the God of Reality," Ito said, his tone uncertain. "But what connection does Master Ren have with such a deity?"
Ren didn't reply immediately. He was seated on a large chunk of stone — though calling it a "chunk" was an understatement. One leg rested on it casually, his posture bearing a strange sort of grace, almost regal.
With his right hand, he touched two fingers to the edge of his temple, supporting his head as though lost in a deep, private thought.
Then, quietly, his voice broke the silence.
> "Do you know what people waste most of their time chasing after, Ito?"
Ito blinked. "No, Master. But I'd like to know."
A twisted smile crossed Ren's lips.
> "It's the things they can never have… or the things never meant for them."
Ito frowned. "That's… a strange way to put it. What do you mean?"
Ren tilted his head slightly, fixing Ito with an intense look from beneath the shadows of his long hair.
> "Look at yourself. Don't you already know the answer? The things you're doing… the sacrifices you make — do you truly think you'll ever get what you desire? Doesn't it all feel meaningless? A waste of time?
Or perhaps," he leaned in slightly, "you still believe in that 'sacred mantra' everyone clings to — the one that means nothing."
Ito didn't understand. Not fully.
He only nodded out of politeness, hoping to steer the conversation away from the topic that made him uneasy.
> "Master… you still haven't told me what we're supposed to do here. What's our true purpose?"
Ren rose slowly from the stone, his steps echoing faintly on the cracked marble floor. As he walked toward Ito, he brushed aside the strands of long hair that concealed his eyes — revealing them for the first time.
Ito froze. For all the trust he'd built in Ren these past days, something about that look unsettled him.
It wasn't anger, or malice… it was something beyond comprehension.
Ren stopped before him, lifted his hand, and touched two fingers gently to Ito's forehead.
> "You see this face, Ito?" Ren whispered. "It isn't complete. The parts of me that exist beyond this mask… and the parts I'm still searching for — both are missing pieces of the same whole.
Isn't that fascinating?"
Ito felt a chill crawl down his spine.
He wanted to step back, but his body refused. He knew Ren wasn't cruel — not without reason. Yet, a strange fear clawed at his heart. Why now? he thought. Why am I afraid of him?
Ren… he wouldn't hurt me. Right?
Ito swallowed. "So… you mean—"
Ren raised his fingers again, silencing him.
> "When the time comes, this world will seem like nothing more than a stage — and every soul upon it, just an actor."
He turned away, his tone growing quieter, more distant.
> "Tell me, Ito… have you ever heard of the Void Continent?"
Ito's eyes widened. "Wait—you know about the Void Continent? I thought… you wanted to go there!"
Ren didn't respond right away. He returned to the broken slab, sitting once more as he had before. His face was calm again, but his eyes held something immeasurable — the kind of calm only those who've seen the edge of existence could wear.
He exhaled softly, the sound escaping like a whisper — hush.
> "The Void… isn't what you think it is," he said finally.
"You and everyone here — you're just like fish in a pond, grown inside a net that circles you from all sides. You've never seen the ocean, yet you claim to understand the world."
Ito frowned. "Wait—what does that mean?"
Ren smiled faintly, not looking at him this time.
> "The Void isn't a continent, Ito. It's a world apart. The place you live in… was separated from it.
Compared to the Void, this realm of yours — your entire world — makes up barely seven or eight percent of reality."
The words struck Ito like thunder. He couldn't comprehend them — not yet. But something inside him whispered that Ren wasn't lying. And that whatever truth he'd just heard… was only the beginning.