'Where am I?'
With this thought igniting my consciousness, I slowly rise from the depths of darkness.
'What am I?' I stare at my two hands, feeling a strange sensation envelop me. 'Who… am I?'
Fog slowly swirls around me, and my eyes begin to widen in recognition.
I know this place!
It only takes a moment for all my memories to return, and my gray eyes flicker with deep recall.
This world—the nightmare I had—it all comes rushing back.
In this vast, mist-covered hall that resembles a hybrid of a temple, mausoleum, and observatory, I slowly rise from my lying state and sit upright. The fog is thick, hiding many details from my observation, but I already understand its general layout.
Lights radiate above from fiery gemstones, and a sweet scent fills the expanse.
I didn't notice any of these the last time.
Does this also mean—?
Before I can conclude my thoughts, I feel the fog around me slowly part. It gives room for my immediate surroundings, releasing me from its blinding intensity. I can see everything around me with absolute clarity.
However, anything beyond a few meters from me is still obscured.
I attempt to rise on my feet, and find that there is no overpowering force stopping me this time.
A sigh of relief leaves my lips.
'What now?' The moment I rise to my feet, I glance around and wonder what to do next.
Then, right in front of me, the mist parts.
I can tell.
It's inviting me forward.
Filled with too many questions and the inability to resist, I have no choice but to walk forward and follow the cleared path. As I proceed, the mist covers everything behind me, preventing me from returning to my starting point.
Without the path being cleared for me, it is certain that I will be lost.
Trapped in the fog.
Forever.
I listen to my instincts and obey the mist's navigation.
Walls of thick clouds surround me from all sides like immovable walls, only leaving the path before me as an option. It would be foolish to resist. I would be an even bigger fool if I try to escape since I already know what awaits me beyond the safety of this place.
After treading on this path for a while, my feet moving along the smooth, shiny obsidian floor, I finally reach my destination—a dining area.
It is indeed a dining area!
I witness a large rectangular table set before me, with only two chairs existing at both the head and tail of the furniture.
The chair at the head—the seat of honor—is already occupied.
I can see her silhouette.
The lady in the fog—the woman who saved me from those horrors that exist beyond this sanctuary—sits in silence and glances at me with quiet expectation.
I nod in understanding, walking to the far end of the table to take my seat.
Then, and only then, does the mist around us dissipate.
All the fog shrinks back for a few dozen meters, surrounding us in a wall of misty clouds.
However, I hardly notice any of it.
The only thing I can notice is the lady who sits before me.
Her dark veil is raised slightly, granting me an exquisite view of her face—her pure, clear face.
She is dressed in a black-themed wedding dress practically made of darkness and the feathers of countless ravens. The gown flows as an embodiment of night, and it contrasts with her pale, unblemished, and snow white skin.
I watch in stark admiration and an unfamiliar feeling of allure.
Her golden eyes radiate boundless wisdom, seemingly all-encompassing like the rays of the sun.
How absurd!
She is dressed like the night, yet her gaze radiates the wonders of day.
Glistening earrings dangle as she places her finger on her chin, revealing a golden ring that glimmers with unimaginable strength.
Every aspect of this woman oozes unmistakable power and authority.
Yet, I—a nobody—sit before such a presence.
I feel honored.
But—
"What am I doing in this place again? Why do I keep appearing here?"
—More than honor, I feel a sense of confusion.
I am utterly befuddled.
This is clearly not a dream, but it is also not an experience I have ever heard anyone have before.
Such a thing cannot be the cause of a Potion or Armament.
It is far too mystical.
'Could this be tied to my regression? Could this woman be—?' My eyes widen as I stare at her with a renewed sense of wonder.
Just who is she?
"My name is Anastasia, and you are once again welcome to my Observatory, Javier Aditi."
Before I can even ask, she answers my question.
I gawk, absolutely stunned.
She smiles.
"You don't mind if I call you Javier, do you?"
"Not at all…" I mumble, barely getting my thoughts across to her.
Her smile grows deeper.
"You seem to have a lot of questions. Why don't I answer a few of them?" Her words are calm and composed, with not even a trace of condescension in them.
She seems detached from all conventional logic, and despite her elevated status, I do not sense an ounce of arrogance from her visage.
This lady… Anastasia… is simply an embodiment of glory.
Bright as the sun.
Serene as the night.
She embodies the beauty of the world with an effortless display of her existence.
"Are you God?" My first question leaks right out of my thoughts.
It is met with a laugh.
Not a mocking, condescending one.
Rather, it is filled with amusement… and also a hint of bitter sadness.
"I wish…" She mutters with a sigh. "… But you can consider me something close. A Demigod, if you will."
"Demigod…" I mutter.
If a Demigod can radiate such immeasurable divinity, just how grand must god be?
"I believe God doesn't exist, so in his absence, I suppose my kind could be considered the closest to such an ideal." Almost like she can read my thoughts, Lady Anastasia speaks once more, her sonorous tone soothing my tumultuous mind.
Despite my initial shock at her lack of belief in a supreme, unmistakable existence like God, I find another part of her statement far more compelling.
"Your… kind?"
She slowly raises her hand above the table, almost as if asking for an embrace.
Then, with a mysterious smile, she declares:
"Leviathans."
My brows arch up a little, and I find myself growing more curious and confused at the same time.
Leviathans? What are those?
My mind cannot comprehend such a word, but I feel a strange stirring within me.
That word means something!
But what?
"Leviathans can be considered many things. I could try explaining it to you, but you wouldn't understand anyway…"
No! I don't want her to stop telling me about this.
I feel a strong resonance with the topic.
I want to know more!
"Please…" I speak softly, my earnest voice pleading for enlightenment. "… Try me."
"Oh?"
Her open lips curl up in excitement the moment she gazes into my eyes.
My sincere gaze greets hers.
Silence radiates between us for a moment.
Then—
"Fine. Why don't I tell you this…"
—She nods in acknowledgment.
I shift on my seat and await her impartation. My dry throat feels itchy, and I gulp out of instinct, feeling no saliva slide down the hatch. None of these things draws my attention, though.
My mind simply focuses on Lady Anastasia, and Lady Anastasia alone.
"Even though we are revered by normal people as supreme beings akin to gods, Leviathans are actually nothing that special. We are simply those who are able to interact with the Temporal Layers of Existence through Aego, connecting with them and also linking the layers to each other to create desired effects that outsiders will deem as miraculous."
My mind draws a blank the moment I hear those words proceed from the Lady's lips.
'E-eh?'
"Aego is simply the line that intersects with these Temporal Layers and links with all frames of existence. Leviathans can connect to Aego. Therefore, Leviathans have access to the Temporal Layers." She continues to explain. "The act is called 'Conception'."
I still nod, even though my mind has long given up on trying to comprehend such profundities.
None of what this Lady has said made any sense to me.
Instead, I only grow more confused.
"See what I mean? There's no point in trying to teach you what you clearly cannot understand."
"I-I… I'll try…" I stubbornly cling to hope, determination fueling my obstinacy. "Please proceed!"
"There exist Six Pathways for Leviathans and a total of nine Ranks…" She sighs and continues to explain, granting me complex words that my mind struggles to consume, but cannot even process.
I suddenly feel like a blind man attempting to see.
It is impossible!
But, in order not to let the Lady down, I part my lips and let out a question to show I am diligently paying attention to everything.
"So what Pathway do you belong to?" I smile nervously and ask. "What Rank?"
She stares hard at me and smiles.
Then, her pitch-black lips slowly open, ready to answer.
But—
RUMBLE!
Sudden tremors cause the entire hall to shake.
It feels like an earthquake is happening, as the world around me vibrates with an intensity that I have never felt before. My vision blurs, severely impeding my perception of the world, but I try my best to maintain consciousness.
I look around in a panic, noticing as the fog around us quickly dissipates.
However, the moment I turn to Lady Anastasia, I witness a much more absurd sight.
—Fear!
Her expression pales, if such a thing could even be possible, and I see her brows crease in worry.
Her eyes dart around anxiously, and severe panic—far more than what I exhibited earlier—dots all her features.
Whatever is happening is evidently very serious.
Dangerous too.
"What's going on?" I blurt out, now very nervous and frightened.
If something can scare such an existence as Lady Anastasia, then I can only imagine how grand such a disaster can be. Could it be related to those monstrosities I laid eyes on back then? The towering figures that resembled abominable absurdities—the likes of which should never exist?
If Lady Anastasia is the closest thing to God, then those things are most certainly Devils.
I am absolutely sure of that.
"Looks like we will have to end our meeting early." Lady Anastasia ignores my question but returns her gaze to me.
A small sigh leaves her lips, and she regains her composure.
Even despite the tremors.
"B-but—!"
"Our discussion will be postponed to another time." She raises a hand to stop me from speaking any further, already sensing my worries. "Don't worry… I am certain we will meet again."
My eyes widen—both in delight and a creeping terror.
"Will I remember any of this when I wake up?" I ask with earnest desperation.
I can already feel my existence fizzling out again.
My consciousness is bleeding away.
I am dying.
Lady Anastasia watches me with serenity and shakes her head.
"This place… is the void beneath all the layers of existence, where time does not exist, yet is in an endless flux. It is a contradiction, a paradox that lies between existence and nonexistence."
"What does that mean?"
"It means to you—the current you—this conversation hasn't happened yet. Perhaps it will happen later. Perhaps it will never happen." She shrugs casually, a deep sigh leaving her lips.
How is any of this even possible?
My perception of the world is rapidly changing and shattering, but I still have no clue what it is all about. I am unable to piece everything together. And to think, when I wake up, none of these pieces will remain, but they return whenever I come back here.
Does that mean the 'me' that exists in this place… can only exist here and nowhere else?
After asking this question, my consciousness bleeds out even more.
I have no time left.
I will die.
"How can I remember? What do I need to do? There has to be a way!" I rise to my feet and slam the table in sheer desperation, my eyes bulging like a madman.
I don't want this!
I want to remember! I don't want to fizzle out of existence again.
The seated Lady stares at my powerless, pathetic figure and casually shrugs at the question.
"Forget about it and surrender to reality. You simply won't remember anything… at least, not until you become a Leviathan yourself."
"So how can I become one? How can I become a Leviathan?!"
My voice loudly echoes in the crumbling world, but all I can see is Lady Anastasia smiling at me.
Her ethereal face displays a detached cruelty to my pain.
I grit my teeth and try to yell out once more, but I find myself unable to. No voice comes out, and everything rapidly turns numb again. I feel my body turn heavy once more as I lose connection with all my senses.
Once again, I am going to perish here.
Words slowly drift in the air, and some of them enter my mind right before I pass away.
"To become a Leviathan… you will have to lose everything."