THE LAW OF LAST EXISTENCE

Unfolding of truth

Light suddenly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the wooden ceiling above him.

For several seconds, he remained completely still.

Then his silver eyes narrowed slightly.

"...A dream?"

He slowly sat up.

The morning sunlight entered through the broken window, illuminating the small room.

Yet something felt wrong.

His gaze immediately moved toward his right hand.

The finger that had touched the strange page.

The memory surfaced instantly.

The curved page.

The white domain.

The ancient voice.

The floating white wooden plank.

And those golden words.

Light's expression became serious.

"No..."

"That wasn't a dream."

He looked around the room.

The page was gone.

Completely gone.

As if it had never existed.

Light frowned.

Then suddenly pressed a hand against his forehead.

His memory felt blurry.

Fragments.

Broken pieces.

The harder he tried to remember—

The more the details slipped away.

The only thing he could clearly recall was the strange floating structure and those golden words.

And another phrase.

A phrase that refused to disappear.

«Holder of Law.»

Light quietly repeated the words.

"Holder of Law..."

"What does that even mean?"

For the first time in a long while—

He found something he could not understand.

Then suddenly—

A familiar voice echoed from outside.

"Light!"

Shesha.

"Lunch is ready!"

The thoughts immediately disappeared from his mind.

Light stood up and left the room.

---

The small table inside the house was already prepared.

Grey sat quietly in his usual seat.

Algar had just returned from outside.

Meanwhile, Shesha carried a bowl toward the table proudly.

The atmosphere was surprisingly normal.

Almost as though nothing had changed.

Almost.

Light sat down quietly.

For several moments, nobody spoke.

Then suddenly—

Light looked toward Shesha.

"Do you really want to go with him?"

The room became silent.

Everyone understood who he meant.

The middle-aged noble.

Arthold Jepstin.

The man who claimed to be their uncle.

Shesha looked at Light before smiling.

"If it really makes me stronger..."

"Then it's fine."

She rested her chin on her hand.

Then added casually,

"Besides."

"If I don't become stronger..."

"How am I supposed to protect my two cute little brothers?"

Grey immediately frowned.

Light simply stared at her.

There was no hesitation in her voice.

No uncertainty.

Only satisfaction.

As though she had already accepted the future.

Then Shesha continued speaking.

"And I'm not leaving forever."

"This house will always be my home."

"This family will always be my family."

"They already promised to let us visit each other."

For a brief moment—

The atmosphere became quieter.

Then Light suddenly asked:

"What about the academy?"

Shesha's smile softened slightly.

"Siriana Academy?"

Light nodded.

Shesha looked toward the window.

"That place is necessary."

"If I want to become stronger."

Then she looked toward Light.

"But if you work hard enough..."

"You might be able to enter too."

Then she paused.

"...Although I don't really want that."

Light tilted his head.

"Why?"

This time—

Shesha remained silent for several seconds.

Longer than usual.

Then finally—

She spoke.

"This world is cruel."

The room became still.

Her blue eyes quietly looked toward the sky outside.

"They don't allow lotus flowers to remain in the mud."

Light listened carefully.

Shesha continued.

"If a lotus grows somewhere it shouldn't..."

"Some people will cut it down."

"And others..."

"They'll move it somewhere prettier."

"A river."

"A garden."

"A noble pond."

She smiled faintly.

"But nobody ever asks what the lotus wants."

Silence.

"The lotus might love the mud."

"It might belong there."

"But if it wants to survive..."

"It has no choice except leaving."

Her voice slowly faded.

Everyone understood what she meant.

She wasn't talking about flowers.

She was talking about herself.

About talented children born in forgotten places.

Children who never belonged to the world they were born into.

---

Light quietly looked at her.

Unlike before—

He understood every word.

Because after awakening yesterday—

His consciousness had become far sharper.

Far clearer.

He already knew something he should never have known.

Algar was not his biological father.

Neither was he Grey's.

Yet strangely—

That knowledge changed nothing.

To Light—

Family was not determined by blood.

It was determined by choice.

And somewhere along the way—

He had already accepted the Vanhards as his real family.

Still—

He pretended not to understand.

Then he looked at Shesha with a confused expression.

"What are you talking about?"

"Lotuses?"

"Mud?"

"Rivers?"

He frowned dramatically.

"Did you hit your head somewhere?"

Grey immediately looked away.

Even Algar nearly laughed.

Meanwhile—

Shesha stared at Light in disbelief.

Then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!"

"You really don't understand anything!"

Light nodded seriously.

"Exactly."

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

Shesha continued laughing.

For the first time in days—

The atmosphere inside the house became lighter.

Then Light casually picked up a spoon.

"Anyway."

"Let's eat."

"I'm starving."

---

That day passed peacefully.

Then another.

For those two short days—

The Vanhard family lived normally.

Grey trained.

Light read.

Shesha practiced magic.

Algar hunted.

Nothing special happened.

Nothing extraordinary.

And perhaps—

That was why those days became precious.

Because nobody realized they were standing at the edge of a changing fate.

They believed distance could never break their bond.

They trusted each other.

Believed in each other.

And somewhere deep down—

Each of them thought the future would remain simple.

They were wrong.

Because fate had already noticed them.

And once fate opens its eyes—

It never looks away.

Far beyond Guram Village...

Far beyond the kingdoms of men...

Something ancient stirred within the darkness.

And its gaze had already fallen upon the Vanhard family.