Her World

[You asked Selena how you could become stronger. But instead of giving a serious reply, she only smiled and said: We can go practice some Krav Maga or whatever… after we get back.]

[You nearly lost your temper there, but holding yourself back, you pressed further — making it clear that you meant supernatural power.]

[After some back and forth between you and her, Selena finally relented and said: I don't know why you suddenly stopped pretending to be clueless, or how much you've managed to deduce… but it's impossible for you to regain your power.]

[Maybe it was your piercing gaze, or maybe because the topic had already opened — but in the end, Selena began to explain, how the problem wasn't only your injured soul, or the bloodline that had already been taken from you.]

[Those things, arguably, could still be solved, even if with great difficulty. But the real problem came after.]

[Because if your soul were healed, your life would be in danger. You could possibly die.]

[You didn't understand how that worked. And Selena didn't explain. But in the end, you were practically forced to go back with her. And just like that, you returned to that usual routine… to the quiet, mundane life of pretending.]

Noel clenched his hand, his eyes gleaming intensely as he read about his current situation.

What was the real problem?

Why would healing his soul put his life in danger?

Was it related to the sealed relic he possessed — one he couldn't even seem to locate?

Could the Codex Null help with that?

Noel wondered, his mind racing as he tried to process that shocking revelation… and possibly despairing one.

But even so, he didn't falter.

He didn't sink into despair.

Because Noel knew — he could keep moving forward. He could keep searching. And he would find the answers, step by step.

At least now, he had the Codex Null, after all.

[Time passed, and two months later, your relationship with Selena deepened further, until at last, you crossed that final line.]

[When you returned home, Lilith, who clearly seemed to know what had happened, didn't say anything. Her eyes were bloodshot, her aura frayed and unstable, even as she tried to act like everything was normal.]

[But it was clear. She was not fine, she was growing crazy, and your attempt to spend more time with her, was not of any help.]

Why was Lilith's reaction different?

Noel narrowed his eyes, wondering what had changed.

And surprisingly, the answer came quickly.

It must've been the interaction between Selena and Lilith… something that happened behind the scenes, triggered by his sudden escape.

That was the only explanation he could deduce from the limited information. He would need to confirm the specifics later.

[22 years old. Increasingly sensing that something was wrong, that things couldn't go on like this, you began going to a fitness gym and attending self-defense classes.]

[Three months later, past midnight, Lilith appeared at your door, wanting to talk.]

[You greeted her warmly, acting natural. But Lilith wouldn't meet your eyes. Her voice was shaking as she spoke.]

[I… I'm a sinner, she whispered, almost choking on her words. I took my brother's power for myself. I stole it. And our whole situation—it's twisted. It's all so fucked up, I don't even know what anymore.]

[Lilith kept talking, her words tumbling out in a mess of guilt and regret. Her body trembled as if she were holding herself together by force alone.]

[But somewhere in the middle of her spiral, her guilt shifted — morphed into something else. Something darker, more vulnerable.]

[Her voice cracked, and she finally said it aloud: her love. The forbidden love she carried for you.]

[You didn't flinch. You weren't disturbed either. Instead, you gently reached out and pulled her into a quiet hug, saying: That's fine.]

It seems… I'm becoming more expressive?

[Maybe that was what she'd been waiting for. Lilith's face bloomed into a wild, crazy smile as she raised her head and looked at you, her crimson eyes glowing darkly.]

[Then, you'll run away with me… from that bitch, right? she asked, her voice trembling with manic joy.]

[You didn't get the chance to answer. The moment she spoke those words, your consciousness slipped away.]

[When you woke up, you found yourself in a shabby hut. Stepping outside, you realized you were somewhere in the mountains.]

[Lilith was there, sitting with her eyes closed. But maybe sensing your presence, she opened her eyes and smiled at you — a smile filled with satisfaction and madness.]

[Time passed. Isolated from the outside world, living alone with Lilith on that mountain, you saw her use her powers firsthand.]

[You witnessed supernatural abilities — things that went far beyond your imagination. Her power was terrifying. Inhuman.]

[She never taught you anything directly. But, you tried to learn by observing her movements, her flow, her energy. But nothing made sense. It was like watching a language you couldn't even begin to decode.]

[So, in the end, you returned to training your body — because it was the only thing you could do.]

[Three months passed. Eventually, you came to a realization: this place wasn't on Earth.]

[The position of the sun and moon never shifted. The weather remained the same every day. No natural patterns. No fluctuations. It was like a loop — predictable, artificial. The entire world felt… off. It was imperfect!]

[And beyond that, no matter how much destruction Lilith caused — how violently she reshaped the terrain — no one came. There were no signs of human life. No animals. No sounds. Just emptiness.]

[When you finally asked Lilith, she explained that this place was a pocket dimension. Something she had bought — with money.]

Reading all this — the changes from the previous two simulations, the scale of this hidden society, the idea that in this world, there were people selling dimensions instead of land — Noel couldn't help but wonder:

Where exactly was this simulation going?