Chapter 4: The Fall of a Regressor(4)

In a realm that existed, and at the same time, it didn't. A place that contradicted the laws of the reality in which Lucas lived, a dimension that reflected everything.

It was a dimension that reflected every lie, no matter how sinful, wicked, evil, or unholy they were.

It was a dimension which reflected the truth of every kind— pleasing, peaceful, odious, vile, terrifying— and other things which can't be even mentioned.

The mirror realm.

Every inch shrouded something mysterious and...corrupted. Being a dimension, it had its own ecosystem; thus, there was life, and with life...

Come ideology and intelligence.

However, the beings here didn't possess any sort of intelligence, only primal instinct. If these beings were ever let out of this dimension, only destruction would wait for the world.

It wasn't a home, a prison, it was a prison for these beasts.

But...

Even prisons have some kinds of interesting inmates, and here...

There was one, too.

The regressor who had overturned his worldline, the Lucas who was now forgotten, and had taken over the name and became the enigma known as...

Ark.

His presence was enough to disrupt a dimension like the mirror realm with ease, that kind of anomaly he was, but that wasn't all...

Because Ark had almost driven many beings of the mirror realm to extinction, he had instilled fear in their very bones, if they had any.

Danger was still around him, but he...he wasn't worried about it.

Sitting idly on the chair made out of wood, he took a few bites of the Paella in front of him, a small smile tugging at his lips.

He was clearly enjoying it.

Surrounding him were shattered pieces of mirror, each floating and varying in size, with some being massive and others small.

Almost every one of them reflected something from the Earth, except those that were being used for other places.

He rested his cheek on his knuckles, as the fragments of the mirror swirled around him, each showing something different, while some showed nothing.

"These fools...are so outrageous, to think that their gazes had already turned towards Earth, even before the quests started." 

Indeed, he was watching the movements of the constellations.

Greedy bastards like them existed everywhere; greed in its true sense wasn't a sin, it was just that the human mind, which was bound to morals and emotions, couldn't withstand its might.

Although the beings he was observing weren't humans, their behaviour was comparable to that of a human tricked by emotions and desires.

What Ark felt for them was nothing but pity.

"If only these mongrels had been a little more helpful, maybe then I wouldn't have found myself stuck in this dimension."

Ark muttered while shifting the floating mirror fragments.

His gaze then settled on the shattered piece of mirror standing in front of him. Lucas was nowhere to be seen, which meant only one thing...

He was preparing to leave for the Alps.

"Training, hmm, I wonder what kind of changes he will bring in this timeline? Will he survive the calamities that were going to come after him? Interesting."

Ark sounded amused.

"My guidance is limited; his chances of going through the consequences of my return in time will increase."

Out of two of the things he had just said, one of them was a lie, but which one it was...

There was no way to find it out.

Suddenly, the fragments of the mirror spread out surrounding his figure. And then, covering them was a golden light of brilliant radiance, like a chrysalis of countless stars.

The golden tint in his eyes melted until they resembled two molten gold pools that reflected and absorbed his surroundings.

Ark remained silent, and this silence continued until he spoke, only one word:

"Shatter..."

And then, the fragments of the mirror shuddered before flying away in the darkness that was surrounding him.

The darkness devoured the fragments of golden light with insatiable hunger, but...the brilliant light shoved the darkness back as an unimaginable series of explosions took place.

Then came the harrowing sounds of wailing, and what followed next was the sound of glass breaking, creating a harmonic melody to Ark's ear.

Just like that, the darkness and monsters of the mirror realm were gone, leaving him behind, sitting idly on his chair.

"Considering myself as Hitler wouldn't be really bad." He said while resting his head on the table.

There was nothing for him to do now except to observe Lucas's progress, and sometimes he wouldn't be able to do that either.

"..."

Silence had shadowed his words and inner thoughts, and...

Silence was the answer to grieve, not for everyone, but for him. He had lived a life of solemnity and coldness, and now, alone, he had realised how much of a fool he was.

Just because of that strange attribute of his, that vile curse of coldness.

"If I...had I been strong and wise enough, maybe they all would have lived...and maybe I wouldn't have had to do something as audacious like this."

Ark let out a deep sigh.

"Thinking about it wouldn't give me anything, not even pity...I have a duty, and for it, I will go beyond the limits."

If one defines duty, then it can be said as something moral or a legal obligation; at best, it can be defined as someone's responsibility.

Everyone has a duty; without it, everything would collapse.

No matter how bad it is, it was necessary in one way or another. 

Duty was almost similar to destiny and fate, almost.

A thief has to rob people because it's his duty. And for it, he will do anything to justify it as something he didn't do or something right.

But there is a moment that changes his entire being. The thing called duty or a moral becomes useless, why?

Because for a person, life is something more worth than a duty.

However...

Ark was going to risk his everything, his soul...his life.

Resting his head on his crossed arms, beneath it, the eyes of molten gold burned with an uncanny dark glee, betraying their brilliance.

Back on Earth, Lucas had packed everything necessary for the three years he was going to stay secluded from life.

"Now everything is done, I should fetch that broken mirror piece." He muttered to himself while closing the trunk of his pickup truck.

On walking inside his house, he turned towards the direction of his kitchen but...

When he reached there, the broken mirror was nowhere to be seen; instead, small fragments of the broken mirror were spread over the wooden plank.

Lucas just stared at the mess and muttered.

"What in the..."