A dream.
I was dreaming.
I stood alone, adrift in a pure white void. Nothing existed there—only an endless, snowy world stretching out in every direction. I was the only soul in that expanse. No, that wasn't quite right.
Lydia was standing directly ahead of me.
Lydia Ainsworth. A genius among geniuses, she was the youngest person in history to join the ranks of the Seven Grand Sorcerers. And yet, I had once heard a rumor that my own talent exceeded hers.
"...Ray will likely become a sorcerer who surpasses even me."
"Lydia. Do you really believe that? Ray is certainly gifted, but at his current level, I can't even imagine him surpassing you."
"Abby, I understand why you’d say that. But this is an intuition. I’m merely sensing his latent potential... but I'm certain Ray will one day become a sorcerer who rules the world."
It was late at night when I happened to overhear their conversation. Me, a sorcerer who would surpass my Master? There was no way such an absurd thing could be true.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, a sharp pain lanced through my brain.
It felt like my life flashing before my eyes—vivid scenes flowing past as if they were a single moment.
That’s right... why was I picked up by my Master in the first place?
Why am I here?
Why was I all alone back then?
As I reached for the answers, the door to my past threatened to swing open. I had kept it sealed all this time. I had turned my eyes away, refusing to look. Perhaps I had done so because, instinctively, I already knew the truth.
If I were to learn who I truly am—
"Master?"
In that pure white world, the Master standing before me gave a small, gentle smile. She raised her right hand and began to walk away.
"Master!"
For some reason, a desperate urge to chase her seized me. I felt as though if I let her go now, I would never see her again.
I ran.
I ran and ran and ran. I chased after her with everything I had. But no matter how fast I moved, I couldn't close the distance. With her golden hair fluttering behind her, my Master began to fade, melting away into the white until she vanished entirely.
I stood frozen in that empty world, alone once more.
No, this is just a dream, isn't it? It has to be.
But why did it feel so hauntingly real? It was the same today. Ever since I met that girl at the inn—no, from the very moment we entered the Ewell Empire, something had felt wrong.
I happened to look down at my hands.
Suddenly, a massive amount of blood began to pour from my palms. Startled, I looked back to find a mountain of corpses piled up behind me. They shed blood in heavy, rhythmic drips, yet they remained silent.
Ah... I knew this. I had seen this sight somewhere before.
In an instant, an object resembling a Vessel appeared before my eyes. Behind it, a monstrous, reddish-black hand squirmed in the air.
It thrust the object toward me, as if urging me to drink the liquid within the Vessel.
"I... I am..."
◇
"...Hah!? A-A dream...?"
I jolted back to reality.
A dream. Yes, that was definitely a dream.
Sweat soaked Ray's body, though unlike in his vision, he wasn't covered in blood.
Because Ray had practically jumped out of bed, Lydia, who usually slept like the dead, was stirred from her sleep.
"Nn... What's wrong, Ray? Did you have a nightmare?"
"No... it was nothing. I'm fine."
"I see... There's still a little time left. I'm going back to sleep."
"Yes."
With that, Lydia drifted off again. It was 4:30 AM. Even for Ray, such an early awakening was rare. He sat there, staring blankly into the darkness.
The dream had been accompanied by an overwhelming sense of reality. It felt as if those events had actually happened...
Since he knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, he decided to start his day. He headed to the simple bathroom provided in their room to wash his face and reset his mind.
He had never given much thought to his past until now. He had assumed it was better to just leave those things forgotten. He had no parents. He had no friends. He had pushed everything that happened in his village out of his mind.
But then, a realization struck him.
"I can't... remember?"
It was true. Ray had completely forgotten his early life. He remembered the fact that certain events had occurred, but the details were gone.
What exactly happened back then? Who were the parents he had lived with? That information was entirely missing from his mind.
"..."
He stepped out of the bathroom.
Ray quickly dried himself off, dressed, and closed his eyes, trying to reach back into his childhood. But no matter how hard he focused, his memories hit a dead end.
He could only recall things starting from the moment he met Lydia.
"Ray...? You're already up?"
"Master. Good morning."
After she woke, he prepared breakfast for her as he did every day. Since they were staying at an inn, he had finished his shopping the previous night and laid out a simple but nourishing meal.
Lydia, unusually alert for the hour, noticed that Ray was acting strangely.
"Ray. Did something happen?"
The moment she asked, he gave his practiced reply.
"No, nothing in particular. I'm just a little short on sleep."
"...I see."
As Ray grew older, he had become remarkably skilled at masking his emotions, for better or worse. No matter how long they had been together, if he intended to hide something, even Lydia couldn't discern his true feelings.
Because of this, although she felt a faint prickle of unease, she didn't press the matter.
"As for today's schedule, we'll start by scouting the Imperial Capital. The more sensitive parts of the investigation will have to wait until nightfall."
"Understood."
"During the day, well... shall we take a look around?"
"You mean sightseeing?"
"Yeah. I wanted to find an opportunity to see the Empire anyway."
"Thank you."
Ray thanked her, assuming she was doing this for his benefit, but she gave a small shrug of denial.
"No... it's partly for you, but it's for me too."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I've never been outside the Kingdom before. I’m just genuinely curious about how other countries live."
Seeing Lydia grin, Ray let out a long sigh.
"Master. We are here on a mission. Please take this seriously."
"Ray! A change of pace is vital in all things! Don't you understand that?"
"Well... you have a point, I suppose."
"Then it's settled! Today, we're going to eat every delicacy this Empire has to offer! Alright, let's head out!"
"...Understood."
Though he remained somewhat unconvinced, Ray followed behind Lydia as she marched out of the room with enthusiasm.
He did his best to ignore the lingering sense of wrongness.
A moment after the two of them stepped out, a floorboard in the back of the room let out a sharp, lonely crack—