23. Folding gates. [Arc 3. Gate of nightmare]

It was almost five months since the death of Marquez The Wise and the massacre of the elves. Although I failed to accomplish my plan it made me realize how much I needed to improve, how far I was from being able to defeat the demon Lord's general.

I also found the use of the talents and memories that I've absorbed. I've also seen how weak I am against the fate ahead. Although my physical and magical output increased significantly because of the souls that I had absorbed, it wasn't enough to say that I can even defeat a godly rank creature.

I also unlocked an unknown core, my third after the soul core and mana core. I think it was working by absorbing spirit fragments. I can't find any clues inside the elven library or even in the memories of the great elf about this new core of mine, so I never had an opportunity to even learn how to use it and improve it.

Many things have changed since the first day I went here with Lhara. The ruined buildings are now standing tall with a gentle pride. Everyone's perspective about me also changed a lot. Many people always greeted me and offered some of their help.

The town became more lively than ever. The paint of the past cannot even be seen in the whole area. The elves laughter and awe were shining like a sun after the pouring rain that makes the flowers even bloom.

I stood in the wooden door. The steam slowly came out, and the warm wind wrapped my naked body. The smell of soap inside the natural public bath was taunting my body.

I quickly entered the room and was greeted by the other elf men washing their bodies and soaking them in the hot water. They gazed at me and exchanged a glimpse. The wide grin smacked me around.

A little elf boy emerged behind me and shouted my name, "Peacekeeper!, kuya Miku!" He shouted, running towards the bath.

I caught his body as he almost tripped on the wet ground. "Careful!" I muttered, guiding him with an arm.

"Hero!, do me the honor of washing your back!" The elf child muttered.

I laughed, patting his head. "I'm not a hero at all!" I uttered, flicking his head. I thought that my past actions were not suitable as a hero.

"No you are, you swung your sword like this, boom and bang, like that." The boy narrated. The other elves laughed as he wasn't clear with his description.

"You're a really powerful young man!, you also influenced me and others to increase our physical abilities and not always rely on magic. You're a true hero!" A man in the corner shouted as he placed his hand on his chest. "For the sake of peace, we will fight alongside you!" He proudly added.

"Right, right!, my brother was a hero," the little boy muttered. "If I grow up I want to become like you and become a peacekeeper defending the future," the boy struck his fist in the sky while looking with admiration.

"Fine!, just do what you want, but don't forget to take care of yourself!" I muttered, reminding him to be cautious. I patted his head again, and he smiled widely.

I sat down, and he washed my back. I did the same after he finished washing my back. I placed my body in the heavenly bath and slowly felt the warmth surging into my body. The hot bath refreshed not only my body but also my mind, which was frequently visited by nightmares of the dead creatures I've killed.

The smell of the toasted meats wafted around as I caught a glimpse of the smoke outside the bathhouse. The other elves came to my side, sharing their various experiences and problems. Although I don't really have much experience socializing, I felt the warmth and welcoming conversation they were sharing.

The conversation shifted to my birthday as they curiously asked the day my mother gave birth to me. I do have a memory of my past birthday but none in this world.

The most shocking thing to me here was the numerous moon, fourteen in exact number and the vibrant giant blue star that this world was revolving in.

I recalled from the memories of Marquez The Wise that the calendar here was significantly different. The year here contains fourteen months named after the fourteen moons around. One month had 64 days, and every day had 34 hours, making this world longer compared to my past world.

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember my birthday!" I muttered, gazing into the water. I do remember my birthday in my past world, but not here.

Their eyes suddenly softened, and they slightly wrinkled their foreheads. "We were sorry to hear that!" The elf with golden hair muttered, placing his arm on my shoulder.

"Aha!, what if we make a new birthday for master Miku!" The little boy muttered, clinging with a proud expression.

"What do you mean?" The man with a masculine body asked.

"Why not make a new birthday for master Miku's birthday and the birth of the Peacekeeper, with that we can celebrate the birthday of master Miku and the birth of the peace guardian."

"Ohh, that's a clever idea little Jonas!" The elf with golden hair muttered, "are you okay with that?" He gazed at me and asked.

"I don't really care about it, you don't need to celebrate my birthday, I'm satisfied having a healthy body." I muttered, erasing their worries.

"Why not take the day of the death of Marquez The Wise as the birth of Peacekeeper, the day of darkness and the of light, a symbol of the victorious power of peace. The seventeenth day of the month of Mira, the miraculous day in the eleven kingdom.

"That's really good! Right?, right?" Little Jonas muttered, trying to boost the others' morale.

"Like I said earlier, I don't need you to do that, but if you guys insist then do what you want." I muttered, placing the burden on their shoulders.

"Yes!" Little Jonas jumped in the bath, enjoying the results of his idea. He swam in the bath, as he could not hold the brush of happiness in his heart.

"Don't swim around, Jonas, that was prohibited," I jokingly muttered.

"What!!?" The little boy stopped, and we exchanged a song of laughter and joy.

After finishing my bath, I stood up and went to the corridor and grabbed the cup of milk placed on the table. The warmth and the taste of sweet milk melted down inside my body. There was nothing that could replace the great feeling of drinking milk after a warm bath.

I snapped my newly dried clothes and placed them on top of the table. I glanced around, looking for another fabric to dry my wet body. The other elves stared at me with an intensity that made me uncomfortable.

Their eyes were suspicious as they looked in my body, they looked like cult members with their gaze.

I wore my clothes and went outside the bathhouse. The other elves followed my trail. The smell of toasted meats swallowed my existence. The chilling sensation entered my mouth as I imagined the food waiting for us.

"What makes you guys late?" Lhara muttered, fanning the meats on the grill.

"Nothing in particular!" I muttered.

"Hmm...it looks like you've tamed the other elves, what did you do?" She pressed, glancing with suspicion.

"Tamed?, I don't know what you're talking about!?!." I mumbled, looking more confused as I didn't remember even doing anything inside the bath besides talking to the others.

"Did Miku do anything to you?" Lhara muttered, asking the other elves behind me.

"That's rude Lhara!, I'm here in front of you, aren't you going to believe me?" I asked, trying to make sense.

"I just don't trust you!" She muttered.

"Tsk..I don't trust you either!" I countered, gritting my teeth.

"I didn't ask!" She mockingly muttered, trying to destroy my peace of mind.

"Master Miku didn't do anything!" The elf muttered on my side.

"See!" I muttered.

"Hmm," she pouted her lips and looked at the toasted meats. The fire was scorching the meat, but she fanned it more, and the fire became a huge ball, completely making the dish into dust.

I held her hands, trying to stop her action, and our eyes met each other. "Are you angry?" I asked.

"A little!" She whispered in the air.

"Why?" I curiously asked.

"Never mind!" She looked to the other side.

"Tell me!" I rearranged her face and looked at her eyes again.

To her embarrassment she bit her lips and pouted for the second time. Her hair was swinging like a beautiful bird. "I heard from Kimberly that you showed your body to...her," she muttered, placing her arm on her face. Her ears became red as tomatoes in the garden.

"Hah?, why are you being angry about that?" I was more confused than anyone else. Kimberly was the one who always woke me up in the morning before the battle incident that happened in the Capulet mansion.

"It looks like the couple are fighting again, huh!" The queen remarked as they sat down in the cold breeze and snapped off the sun rays.

Kiyara and the others on the side of the queen only laughed while Kimberly was quietly eating in the trunk of the tree of Yggdrasil.

Things went out of control, and the picnic became even louder. The day shifted to night as we walked back to the palace. Princess Mia quickly hugged me after we made it back.

"I missed you onnnee-chan." The Princess Mia greeted. I patted her head, and she grinned at Lhara, who was watching the scene.

"What about me, my dear!" The queen muttered, spreading her arms.

"I missed you two, mother!" Princess Mia muttered, but she didn't take her arms into my body. The queen was slightly pissed off.

"What about me, my precious daughter?" The king also muttered.

Princess Mia looked in the other direction and gazed inside the door. "Why, Mia? Do you hate your father?" The king sobbed while grabbing the little princess.

"No, I don't hate you, father, and I don't miss you either!" The Princess Mia muttered, scattering the heart of the king.

The queen burst into laughter as she heard her daughter's answer. "What kind of joke is that?" The king asked, trying to hide his tears.

"I'm not joking, father!" The Princess firmly asked.

The queen laughed even louder than ever. "Don't you hear your daughter?" She mocked the king with her smirk.

Everyone even laughed, including the king. "Nice acting, my daughter!" The king remarked.

"I'm not acting, father!"

The king sobbed while hugging the queen. Their jokes lasted for the night after they slept carelessly.

The next day became the biggest day. The streets were all crowded by many people as if it was a festival. The whole kingdom was decorated by stunning stalls of various foods and services. Every corner was filled with the aroma of many different kinds of food.

I wore the white and shining uniform prepared for this day and made my way outside the palace.

The servants greeted me as I entered the carriage going into the kingdom's cathedral, a thorn of vines with unknown flowers scratch me leaving a little wounds in my neck I quickly heal it with my mist healing.

Lhara was already sitting inside the carriage, glancing with a profound body. Her hair seemed to be soft and shining as it touched my shoulder. The smell of her beauty emerged inside the carriage.

As they drove my carriage, I felt like I was being detained with Lhara's shining crimson eyes. She leaned her head on my shoulder, grasping the situation. "I'm really happy that you managed to be with you!" She muttered, placing her hand on the windows.

"I wanted to travel with you again!" She muttered, gazing outside.

I quietly listened to her and thought for a few seconds. Everything seemed to be normal, but my mind was seeking something, something that I never sought before, not peace nor fleshly desire but the thirst of blood, the thirst of killing someone. I don't know what was happening to me, but after I absorbed the memories of Marquez The Wise, the nightmares and this feeling never faded away every day.

Lhara placed her warm palm on my face and looked at my daring eyes. "You look troubled, do you need something?" She asked.

"No, I'm just fin-.." before I could finish my sentence, she patted my head and placed her gentle smile around me.

"I'm always here for you!" She muttered. The feeling of her body calmed down my nervousness as if she was holding my head like my true parents.

I silently leaned my head on her lap and slowly fell asleep comfortably. She continued to pat my head until I was completely swallowed by her warmth.

The scene in my mind suddenly changed as I saw both of my parents and my little sister inside my fancy house. We were eating my favorite food, sinigang na bangos, then a voice emerged in my head, "Miku wakes up, hey wakes up!"

I opened my eyes and saw a familiar scene. The shock brushed off, and I almost shouted with disbelief. I was suddenly in the four corners of my past, the wind was full with a chatting voice. The curtains were flashing with the breeze of the electric fan, the heat of the surroundings reached the peaks of my thoughts.

"Miku, You look troubled, do you need something?" She placed her gentle arms on my face.

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," she mumbled.

"Shyra?" I briefly asked.

"Yes, what's wrong?" She asked, poking my face.

The feeling was too real, and her appearance was too genuine. Another manly voice emerged behind me, "You're sleeping again in class, aren't you?" A man with a college uniform uttered. He was clearly Michael, our class president and the one who killed my girlfriend, Shyra.

My thoughts were crucified in the corner of my mind as I gazed back at Shyra. A chalk flew and struck my head. I gazed and saw my bald professor who was gazing with narrowed eyes. His anger was illuminating inside the room, surpassing the aura of the demon Lord's general.

"Mister. Salvador, you were disturbing my class again!"

"Your class?" I recklessly muttered.

His fury became the destruction of the world as he muttered the curse words, "Let's meet in my office after my class, mister Salvador!"

The other students laughed, but my professor stopped them and continued our general chemistry class. "Good luck!" Shyra muttered.

"Okay class, what is chemical bonding? And what is the importance of chemical bonding?" The professor asked as he discussed chemical bonding theories.

He shifted his gaze at me and tried to press my guts. "Mister Salvador, would you like to answer?" He smirked, pointing at my position.

Even though my head was spinning, I forced my feet to stand up. "In the aspects of various fields and industries, chemical bonding was essential. It helps us to understand the properties and behavior of matter," I uttered, gazing at my table.

"Hmm, but how?" The professor interjected.

"By understanding chemical bonding, we can predict material properties, design new materials and products, understand chemical reactions and mechanisms, and develop innovative solutions. This knowledge is essential for addressing environmental and energy challenges, improving existing technologies, and creating new ones, ultimately impacting our daily lives through applications in cooking, cleaning, personal care, and building materials." I almost forgot to breathe, trying to cope with the lesson.

The professor silently listened and left a grin remark. "Where did you search your answer, Google?, articles or what?" The professor smirked as he watched my narrowed eyes.

"Hah!?" I muttered, building my guts.

"Sigh!... whatever, let's continue our discussion!" The professor scratched his neck.

"Good job, Miku!" Michael muttered. "He deserves that, he always humiliates others!" He added, placing his arm on my shoulder and giving a thumbs up.

The 3 hours of the lesson finally ended. I snuck a glimpse at Shyra, who was drinking her yogurt. She waved her hands as I entered the office. The chilling sensation was slowly piercing through my head. I was wondering what was going on. Everything seemed abrupt. I knew something was really off here, but I didn't know what was exactly happening.

I gazed into the office and saw the other faculty members, including the other teachers. I bowed my head and asked permission to enter.

I quickly searched for my professor and found him in the very corner of the office, quietly browsing the newspaper. I walked past the other teachers, but they looked so focused on their respective tasks.

The professor and I exchanged greetings, and a hollow light engulfed the whole room. He grinned, and his appearance suddenly changed into a dark-robed man with a piercing shadow around him.

I tried to move my body and unleash my mist, but nothing happened. The chill broke down in my spines as I looked at the unknown figure. "Greetings," the voice echoed in my ear. The sounds emerged as feminine and gentle as it rubbed my body.

I gazed at the surroundings and saw a flower garden. It seemed to have no corners or edges. The wind brought the savoring scent of sweet and calm fragrance, chanting my songs of confusion.

I walked in the floral pergola as I followed the unknown figure. A wooden table and chairs were waiting in the middle of the pergola. The chair was adorned with white roses.

The figure gestured for me to sit down. I placed my attention on the robe and saw a triangular flower that was painted with sunshine yellow.

The figure slowly took off her solemn robe, revealing chanting blue eyes and swinging purple hair. I gazed at her, pointing at her beauty.

"Where the hell is this?" I uttered, glancing at the flowers around.

"Can you guess?" The unknown lady muttered.

"Don't play with me!" I shouted, striking her face with my fist.

She placed her index finger on my fist and slowly pulled it down on the table. "You're being rude, for a girl like me!" She muttered.

"Argg, who are you?" I pressed, biting my lips.

"Let's forget the introduction and talk about you alone, my dear husband!" She grinned, waving a mockery.

I gritted my teeth and sharpened my gaze. "Husband?, Shit yourself."

She laughed and placed her hands on my face. "That's right, my boy, don't trust a nice girl!" She muttered, patting my head.

"This place is the garden of angels, and I'm the Angel of Nightmare. Are you satisfied?" She explained.

"Angel of Nightmare?" I mumbled. She nodded and gazed at the vast garden.

"What do you need from me?" I pressed.

"Hmm, your existence was just irregular, and you are disrupting the balance of this world." She uttered, grabbing my neck and choking me.

I tried to fight back, but her eyes shone like a sunflower, blinding my eyes. "I'm here to give you a prohibition, simple as that." She let go of my neck and rubbed it, "oops, I'm sorry, I'm sorry about that!"

"Prohibition?, what is..." I muttered, grasping for breath.

"Sigh, you don't have to dig your own grave!" She paused. "Don't worry if you want to stay here forever by my side and make a family...., we can do all things together here. You can't die here."

I narrowed my eyes, gazing at her. "Crazy, I don't want to be with you!" I muttered.

"Eh?, don't you want to leave eternity?" Her eyes were sparkling with confusion.

"I'd rather die!" My voice was solid as a rock. She grinned and sipped the cup of tea on the table. The aroma of the gentle tea reached my body.

After I muttered the word "die," I felt a sharp razor petal piercing my neck. I saw a blurry sight. I slowly turned my gaze upward, my headless body was sitting in the chair and the crimson liquid was flooding the vibrant garden. Blood cascaded in the flowers around.

"Too bad, it looks like you've died!" She muttered, and dark feathers emerge from her back.

She slowly walked towards my head, her body gleaming with natural light. A vines emerge in her chest, the flowers bloom like a nutritious plant as she drinks my cascading blood.

I couldn't move my lips to mutter any words, she held my head and placed it back to my body, "You looked handsome with this!" She uttered placing a flower crown in my head.

The sweet pain swallowed my mind as the flowers started to grow in my head. She then wrapped my upper body with her feathers and started to bite my head. I tried to scream as she started to swallow my flesh leaving me with spiral pain, my body began to tremble and brushed with fear engulfing my existence into a shadow.

[You were cursed, and the Prohibition of dreams was placed upon you]

[The peace of night was stolen from you]

"'Wait..." I muttered and reached out the light that was slowly fading away, I felt the cold sensation as I was being drowned in the depths of the unknown.