The man observed me with critical eyes, a wicked grin playing on his lips. Finally, the silence was broken.
"I've been looking forward to this encounter. My name is Reynald Deviloch. Call me anything you like."
He began circling me like a predator sizing up its prey, his gaze never leaving me. I stood still, waiting for any sudden movement.
"Relax. I'm not your enemy... for now, at least."
His words hung in the air like a blade. I crossed my arms over my chest. That was when I noticed the book in his hand — identical to mine. There was no mistaking it.
"The book. Where did you get it?"
He raised an eyebrow; my question seemed to pique his interest. Leaning closer, until I could smell the faint scent of lavender and something darker woven into his robe, he whispered,
"It's a family heritage. But that's not important. Let me ask you this — do you know what you're holding?"
I hesitated for a moment, torn between honesty and distrust. Then I nodded.
"A blood-sucking beast that feeds on human blood. As far as I'm concerned."
The man smiled, letting out a dry, humorless laugh before his expression turned grave.
"This is what the folks in white call... the Gospel of Nyx. A book of mystic power — but you already know that, don't you? Blood for knowledge."
He leaned back against the slide and pulled out a box of cigarettes.
"Friend, let me show you the truth of this world."
He took one out, placed it between his lips, and lit it with a flick of his lighter.
"There's always a little price to pay for the greater good. Sometimes, you must sacrifice your own being to rewrite what has been—"
He dropped the cigarette onto the ground.
"—fated."
The moment it touched the earth, flames erupted, spreading violently like wildfire. I raised my arm to shield myself from the sparks. Amidst the growing inferno, he stood still, unfazed.
"Our names will not die in fleeting history. We see, we write, we change."
The very fabric of reality cracked and shattered, a faint white glow seeping through the fractures.
Then — an explosion.
It consumed everything — past, present, and future.
I was thrown into nothingness, drifting like a stone in the void. My body floated aimlessly through the emptiness, my vision fading as though I were sinking into the deepest sea.
Then... a hand reached out. I grasped it, and it pulled me upward — through what felt like a swirling wormhole.
[??/??/????]
When I emerged from the abyss, I found myself in a place beyond comprehension. The world around me was strange, otherworldly — nothing like I had ever seen before.
"Is this...?"
I turned toward the figure beside me. It was him again.
"My friend," he said with a knowing smile. "Welcome — to the Fourth Dimension."
Dizziness clouded my mind. He offered his hand, helping me to my feet. All around us stretched an endless sea of stars — everywhere, and nowhere.
Without another word, he began to walk. I followed close behind, afraid to lose him in this boundless domain.
"Fourth Dimension? As in... time? Why did you bring me here?" I asked, matching his pace.
"Perhaps because we are the same," he replied. "Two people in a vast world of probability."
He stopped, turning fully to face me.
"What lies ahead will be the answer that favors us both. Seek, and you shall receive."
I looked toward the infinite path before us.
What answer was he seeking? And what of mine?
Ahead lay a path of no return.
—Penning a new chapter…