"That depends on where you are located."
Wende gave a noncommittal answer. Why was the master before him so young? Could it be that he faked his death back then? But why would he say he wasn't his master now?
Wende's brow furrowed tightly as he looked at the young "master." He couldn't figure it out.
"Mm, not bad. But what if the location is..."
The young master turned his head, his handsome face gracing Wende with a gentle smile.
"The Finality of the cosmos?"
"The Finality?" Wende repeated, confused.
"The Finality," the young master affirmed with a slight nod.
"It has already appeared, and it is not far from us. Perhaps it will only take a few thousand years, or... a few hundred."
As he spoke, a hint of helplessness flashed across the young master's face.
"On a cosmic scale, a hundred years is but the blink of an eye. For a long-life species, a hundred years is but a mundane stretch of time. But for ordinary people, a hundred years..."
Seeming to lament this, the young master shook his head bitterly.
"But, that makes no sense. Why would It appear so early? It shouldn't..."
Wende felt at a complete loss. From his understanding, shouldn't their greatest enemy right now be Destruction? What was this sudden talk of The Finality?
"It was bound to appear. When Destruction became the embodiment of entropy, even if Its direction was wrong from the very beginning..."
The young master slowly sat down beneath the golden tree, his gaze quietly fixed on the dying star in the sky.
Seeing this, Wende gently sat down beside him.
"He will be the loneliest Aeon; besides Him, there will be no other gods. He will be the greatest Aeon; He will save this world teetering on the brink of The Finality. He will be the most benevolent Aeon; billions upon billions of worlds shall become His garden..."
The young master recited the verse-like words, leaving Wende completely bewildered.
"Did you know? His advent is inextricably linked to one person. That person will be you, but not the you of now. And the you who saves this universe already knows what must be done at this very moment."
"Me? What are you talking..."
Wende frowned, wanting to press this "master" further about the meaning behind his words. But in a daze, he felt something staring at him. He turned his head to look...
What kind of eye was that? Wende found himself at a loss for words. He felt that all existing vocabulary—magnificent, great—was insufficient to describe the eye that was now gazing at him.
"He has already been born in the future. And you... are more important than His birth."
The eye stared unblinkingly at Wende, yet he could read this information from it...
[Beep... Issuing quest... Issu... ing... quest...]
The system screen popped up at some point, but the text on it was distorted and constantly being deleted, as if interfered with by some power...
"This..."
Wende stared at the eye, completely bewildered. He... what was happening to him? His head hurt so much... he couldn't... breathe!
"Remember, you were not chosen by anyone. It was 'you' who chose yourself. After ascending to godhood, every single thing... will require your own judgment. Will you choose to save, or will you choose... ?"
This was the last message the eye conveyed to Wende. Then, his vision went black, and his entire body began to collapse bonelessly to the ground.
"..."
The silent young master waved his hand. Vines rose from the earth, gently catching the falling Wende.
"Remember, it was 'you' who chose yourself. Though these words may sound like the ramblings of those Riddlers from the Enigmata, for you, they are the most crucial words of all. Do not forget, it was 'you' who chose yourself, and moreover..."
Seeing Wende's frowning face as he slept, the young master sighed softly.
"Sigh... Fate is always predetermined... unless you are the one who masters fate."
Gazing at Wende's form as it gradually faded from this space, the young master's expression was indescribable. Was it pity? Expectation? Or... respect?
"I suppose it's time for me to go and get you. Cangcheng, oh Cangcheng... to think that I, too, would one day feel apprehension upon returning home. How long has it been since I've been back? Never mind... this should be the last time..."
Night fell. A shooting star streaked across the dark sky, traveling against the heavens. Its destination? No one knew.
---o---
"This place is... where? Wasn't I just..."
Staring at the void-like, dark space before him, Wende was filled with confusion.
[Greetings, my esteemed Master.]
The system screen suddenly materialized in front of Wende, its tone exceptionally respectful.
"Master? Have you lost your mind? Don't I work for you?"
Wende stared warily at the screen. Was this thing cooking up some other scheme?
[Greetings. How may I be of assistance?]
As if sensing its tone was inappropriate, the system panel changed its approach.
"Still not right. And where is this place?"
Wende shook his head, no longer bothering with the system screen that had suddenly started acting up. It wasn't the first time it had glitched out, anyway.
[...]
[This is, the future.]
The system screen fell silent for a moment before answering Wende's question.
"The future? But there's nothing here."
Wende looked around blankly. All he saw was darkness.
[You are enough.]
The system screen displayed silently. And then, Wende... seemed to see something...
"This is..."
---o---
"Farewell, my old friend. Do not worry for me, do not grieve for me. I have not perished; I still exist. The way life exists should not be so shallow, especially when he has already passed your trial..."
"Actually, rather than calling it a trial, it's more like a demonstration, isn't it?"
Taichi said to HooH before him.
"That's right. It is a demonstration to allow 'Him' to recognize Himself. From the very beginning, we were all merely the chosen ones."
HooH's fluctuations carried a hint of helplessness.
"For now, the world still needs Equilibrium, but our performance has ended. We are no longer the guides to come."
"Is it Him?"
"Yes. He will nurture him into a true..."
"A true what? An Aeon?"
"No... He will nurture him into becoming himself..."
"So, you won't even deign to say goodbye to poor Aha?"
"Aha."
"Aha's right here! Quickly! I can't wait any longer!"
"You **."
"Ah! Hahahaha! Yes! Just like that~ That's right! Hahaha!"