"Do you now realise the danger of contamination, Theo?"
I looked at my poised claws and my racing heart; even my eyes had turned crimson. I was in a vampire's combat stance, yet I hadn't even realised it—I hadn't even noticed. I raised my head and looked at my father. "This contamination... it can't stem from any ordinary existence."
My father didn't answer my question. Instead, he moved toward the barrier and inspected it. Then he turned around, his face clouded with caution. "Do you truly want to know, Theo?"
The moment I heard the warning in my father's voice, my entire being trembled, and my stomach began to churn with fear. Without any hesitation, I replied, "No, Father. I don't want to know."
I lowered my head immediately, shaking. I would never seek that contamination again. If I were ready to fight my father today, what would I do tomorrow?
While I was lost in these thoughts, I was suddenly struck by a slap that whipped my face around, and blood began to flow. I turned to my father with a look of shock and pain mixed with bewilderment. For what reason had he slapped me?
I noticed the veins bulging on my father's forehead; his face was masked in fury. He glared at me with a terrifying gaze and said, "Theo, I agree with your philosophy of avoiding unnecessary conflict... but when did you become a coward?"
"Have you become so immersed in your philosophy that it has swallowed you whole? Is this even considered avoiding conflict?"
I lowered my head immediately in shame. My father continued, "Has my son Theo turned coward? Wasn't your path about avoiding unnecessary strife and ending the necessary ones with speed and decisiveness? So where is that, Theo? Why don't I see it? Instead of knowing who your enemy is, you've become like an ostrich, burying its head in the sand. An ostrich uses its sense of vibration, but you... Why did you do it?"
Although my father's words were true, I didn't like them. I felt anger surging deep within me. Finally, I raised my head and snapped, "Then what do you expect from me, Father? To throw myself into the heart of danger and flirt with death?"
The moment my father noticed my face full of rage and defiance, his features finally relaxed, and a faint smile began to spread across his lips. "Yes, Theo. That is what I want. Your isolation has caused you to lose your anchor; you no longer know the point of retreat, nor the point of anger and retaliation."
After a short pause, he said, "It is the Dead World... or as we call it: The Sink."
The Dead World? The Sink? What did this have to do with our subject? What did it even mean? And what was the secret behind my father's erratic shifts in conversation?
Noticing my reaction, I saw his hands move, and I immediately covered my face. Seconds later, I heard him say, "Good reaction, Theo. It seems I must no longer allow you to be isolated. If you don't know the Dead World, it means you aren't yet educated on the dangers surrounding you."
"I'll be brief, Theo. The Dead World is nothing more than the landfill of our universe, and I cannot explain more than that."
Before I could think about it, he continued, "And the Dead World has awakened after being defeated and forced into closure."
I asked myself: How could a 'dead' world even exist? Was it a living entity that could be defeated? And why was it called 'The Sink'? Did that mean it was a place for sewage? If so, who made such a powerful entity a place for waste disposal?
Suddenly, a massive shockwave hit the area, and the dark barrier began to vibrate violently. My father immediately told me, "Don't think about it, Theo, or you will be contaminated."
What? How could I control my thoughts? The more I tried not to think about it, the more I found myself thinking about it. Isn't the attempt not think about it a form of thinking about it itself?
It seemed my father read my questions. He laughed and said, "Don't worry, Theo. We only have to endure this situation for two days. It has just awakened, so it's in a state of frenzy."
I felt relieved by my father's words; it meant we were forced to endure this for only two days. Two days without sleep... but a question crossed my mind, so I asked, "Then, Father, what is the link between Alchemy and The Sink?"
My father sighed and walked toward the barrier, staring at it with sorrowful eyes. Then he said, "It is the source of Alchemy."
It felt as if lightning had struck my mind. I couldn't react for minutes. My understanding of reality was truly overturned. How could a 'sewage site' generate a field like Alchemy? It's like saying that waste produced a magical weapon!
It's impossible.
Before I could ask, my father added, "Yes, Theo. I was as shocked as you are today when I heard this information from your Uncle Klein. But forget your concept of our reality; it is part of our reality, yet at the same time, it is different from it."
My reactions no longer aligned with my thoughts. The intensity of the successive shocks today began to affect my nerves. After all, who could bear such information?
Once I calmed down a bit and silence returned to the place, I finally asked what was on my mind: "Father, if we supernatural beings can barely resist this, how do mortals survive?"
Without turning to look at me, my father said mockingly, "Weakness is sometimes a blessing. In this situation, they won't be affected at least. In fact, it might be a true blessing; at least thirty per cent of supernatural beings will vanish."
"This means the mortal world will enjoy years of prosperity without supernatural interference. In fact, the supernatural world will be forced to nurture them just to find new talents."