The dark-eyed one opens his dark pupils, staring intently at the cold reflection cast upon the surface of the still lake. Suddenly, his body moves, rising off the ground to stand suspended in the air. He walks with calm steps over the face of the water without his feet touching it. Words then spill from deep within him, in a tone dripping with resentment and disgust: "What are these vile illusions haunting me? I feel as though I am going to vomit from this; even meditation failed to dispel them."
He decides to leave that place, heading toward the interior of the castle. In the inner corridors, he is met by his colleague, the blue-eyed one, who calls out to him as soon as he sees him. The dark-eyed one turns to him coldly, saying: "Is there something wrong?"
The blue-eyed one replies in surprise: "No, honestly, where have you been all this time? President Dazai has been searching for you for a long while."
The dark-eyed one explains: "Actually, I was meditating, and I believe I saw Dazai just moments before I lost awareness."
Extreme astonishment shows on the blue-eyed one's face as he says: "What are you talking about? You have been missing for six full hours!"
Bewilderment and shock strike the dark-eyed one upon hearing his colleague's words. He wonders in a confused tone: "What? How? Never mind, the important thing is that I will go see what Dazai wants right away."
The blue-eyed one comments understandingly: "As you wish. It is good that I ran into you, saving me the trouble of searching."
The dark-eyed one departs toward the commander's office, feeling a slight confusion gnawing at his thoughts. He begins questioning himself internally: "Strange... Has all that time passed while I was meditating? It felt like a mere glance, only moments for me. My mind must be slightly scrambled from exhaustion; I am used to spiritual meditation, letting my body wander often, so this has become truly odd to me."
The dark-eyed one arrives at his destination and knocks with certainty on the door of Dazai's office. Dazai is sitting there, gazing intently at the fire blazing in the fireplace. The commander turns around and responds in an authoritative yet calm tone: "Come in, dark-eyed one."
He enters, walking with firm steps until he stands directly before the desk. Dazai then greets him with a smile, saying: "I have wonderful news for you, my dear friend."
The dark-eyed one looks at him with total focus, his eyes not missing a single movement, and says: "What is it? Is it that important?"
The confident smile on Dazai's face widens as he answers: "Have you ever seen me bring you unimportant news before? Sit down, please; we have much to discuss."
The dark-eyed one complies with the order and takes his seat, ready to listen attentively to everything Dazai is about to say.
Elsewhere in the vast castle, specifically inside a virtual room, Izola sits alongside Arline by a peaceful lake. Arline turns to her companion, asking: "What is it, Izola? I see you are in a good mood today. As far as I know you, you don't smile often."
Izola looks at her with satisfaction gracing her face and says: "Yes, something joyful happened to me—something I have waited years for, and today it finally happened, even if only in a rudimentary way."
Arline asks curiously: "And what happened with you?"
Izola answers clearly: "I won't hide it from you; today I saw new hope in seeing my husband become a better person."
Arline looks at her in utter shock and amazement, saying: "Husband? Are you married? I never knew this! Who is the lucky man who stole the heart of the cold-hearted princess?"
Izola gazes at her with calm features and says: "Really? Did my brother or he not tell you?"
Arline asks eagerly: "Who?"
Izola's emotions flutter, a subtle bashfulness showing on her face as she speaks the name: "The dark-eyed one... Arius."
Arline is deeply shaken by the surprise and exclaims in denial: "You and that emotionally numb guy are married? Since when did this happen?"
Izola looks at her and reveals the details: "About two years ago. We were engaged in the first year, and in the second year, we got married. We have known each other for about three years. I met him under harsh circumstances, but that's how things went. Everything happened secretly, and not many knew about our relationship. Essentially, he is someone who thoroughly dislikes the spotlight and public attention."
Arline replies, trying to process the situation: "That explains everything. Where was your first meeting?"
Izola looks at her and answers: "In the Sixth World. After that, we moved to World Zero and spent a period filled with many events."
Arline inquires again: "And what was he doing?"
Izola looks at her, hesitating to answer, and says: "To be honest... how should I put this to you?"
On the other side, inside the leadership office, the dark-eyed one asks Dazai: "Are you certain that person knows him?"
Dazai answers with seriousness and confidence: "Yes, he knows him and knows his exact location. He possesses information that will not only benefit you, but will also help you reach your goal directly. However, I must honestly advise you to stay completely away from the northern side of the world; we do not want disasters to happen."
The dark-eyed one stands firmly, casting aside all hesitation, and says: "Do not worry, I am equal to this responsibility, believe me. I fully realize what I will face. Thank you again."
The dark-eyed one exits Dazai's office with signs of excitement filling his entire being, while sparks fly from his eyes beneath his black mask. He walks swiftly through the spacious corridors and passes in front of the virtual room where Izola and Arline are sitting, deciding to step inside.
As he steps in, Izola immediately stands up and greets him: "Darling, have you finished your work?"
He looks at her and replies: "Yes, I did. I truly did it this time."
He advances a few steps forward, and Arline confronts him with reproachful, inquiring features: "Tell me, why didn't you tell me about your relationship with Izola and everything you went through from the beginning, Arius?"
Arius reaches out his hand and removes the black plague mask from his face, saying with complete indifference to her questions: "There was no need for these matters, old woman. Focusing on current goals is better than recalling the past."
Arline smiles gently and looks at his face, saying: "You look handsomer without the mask. At least I feel like I am talking to the person I know, even if your face has changed slightly."
Arius sits on the grassy ground, relaxing as he says: "Yes, things are truly complicated. But I don't know if it was a wise decision—what I did when I made everyone believe that Arius died at the hands of the dark-eyed one."
Arline joins the conversation, saying: "In fact, it was truly shocking; even I believed it at the time. I can't believe you became such a brilliant thinker, you sly boy."
Izola turns to defend him and clarify her perspective: "Darling Arius just wanted to end his bad past so it wouldn't haunt him again. He did the right thing, and I supported him in this."
Arius looks at her with gratitude and confirms her words: "Yes, it was a good decision that I made. That way, I am not obligated at all to bear anyone's guilt or be the cause of death for someone who doesn't concern me. I feel free now."
Arline scrutinizes him with eyes full of doubt and sorrow, saying: "Are you serious? Do you think that by wearing a mask you will change your reality? I feel a little pity for your state, despite your three-year disappearance."
Arius says in a tone heavy with sorrow and grave seriousness: "No, it is no longer about my state three years ago. I reached a point that made me think I was the cause of this world's ruin. You do not know what I went through just to end that suffering."
Arline responds with features filled with sympathy and calm: "I know that what happened to you in the past was a terrible thing, and I was a witness to it. But fate has already transpired, and we cannot change it. The fault was not yours back then."
Arius replies bitterly, rejecting her words: "No! I am the cause! My mother's death was because of me! What was the fault of a poor woman in matters beyond human nature? Did she have any fault in all of that?"
Arline looks at him with sad eyes and says comfortingly: "No, she didn't."
Here, Izola steps into the conversation, turning to her husband and saying: "Arius, you never told me the details of your past life before we met. Won't you tell me about it?"
Arius glances at her coldly and says briefly: "Just forget it." He then gets up swiftly and leaves the room, leaving behind a heavy silence.
Arline turns and hums faint words, murmuring: "He still believes he was the cause of his mother's death. He must not have gotten over it after all these years. Damn it."
Izola looks at her inquiringly, her eyes filled with curiosity and anxiety, saying: "What is the story, Arline? Why is Arius trying not to reveal himself or talk about his past? Tell me, what happened?"
Arline turns toward her and begins explaining everything that took place in the Designer's World, detailing how Arius was helpless to protect his mother in those dire moments.
After hearing all those precise and painful details, Izola feels a new awareness surging within her. This is the first time she learns about her husband in a way completely different from what she had assumed. Affected, she says: "So... he wasn't as bad as he used to tell me in the past."
Arline is surprised by her sentence and knits her brows, saying: "Wait, what did he use to tell you?"
Izola replies, revealing those previous conversations: "In truth, whenever I asked him about his past to get to know him better, he would always tell me that he was just scum, and that he was someone I shouldn't deal with. A few years ago, we were in the Sixth World—my brother and I were lost on one of the frozen planets, and by chance, we found a boy who looked strange, sitting alone by a tree in the dark. When we approached him and spoke to him, he seemed confused, but he helped us and brought us to a place where we could take shelter. After that, the boy helped us greatly, and it turned out at the time that the boy was one of Arius's soldiers, disguised as an ordinary human, on a mission to guard that place."
Arline interrupts her, asking: "And what does this have to do with Arius?"
Izola continues her narration, clarifying: "Here lies the story—the boy was hallucinating about what Arius intended to do, like searching for Baryon and other matters."
Arline stops in shock and says: "Wait! Baryon? Is Arius still pursuing that matter until now?"
Izola answers in a worried tone: "I don't know what is going on, but the matter is truly terrifying. I am aware of Baryon's terrifying power, and that is why I am so scared for Arius."
Arline agrees with her with serious features: "I must bear witness that Baryon's power is terrifying. I saw a fraction of it once in my life, and I assure you that back then, all the rulers bowed to the ground out of sheer power he displayed."
Izola continues recalling the details of that old meeting: "When we were following the boy on the planet, he told us he was going to check on his master. We wondered who his master was, and when we followed him in secret, we were shocked by Arius, who was in a state of deep meditation. His body was floating in the air inside a dark cave, where nothing showed except the light of his surrounding aura. When we approached, the boy noticed us and thought we were going to harm Arius, but we assured him we wouldn't. We entered and found him in complete stillness. After that, we realized—even if by coincidence—that we had reached our main goal."
Arline interrupts her in astonishment: "Wait, what? Was your journey to the Sixth World for Arius's sake?"
Izola confirms, saying: "Yes, my dear. We saw the World Tournament hosted by Karma, and we were truly impressed by Arius's power and capabilities. That's why we strived hard to recruit him, despite the lack of details about him back then. But when we found him in the cave, he was in deep meditation. Arius told me after a while that he had been meditating for a whole year without stopping in his spirit, while his physical body was fighting inside a special dimension during that entire period. He had separated from his body to manage affairs in his absence. He told me that his body retained his full consciousness and memory, doing what he himself would have done. So while he was meditating, his body was living the life he used to live."
Arline asks in wonder: "And wait, what happened next? How did you take him to the First World?"
Izola answers in detail: "In fact, at that time, his body woke up; it was like a doll, yet with full consciousness. Dazai spoke with him, introduced us, and we managed to convince him to come to the First World. He agreed immediately, and many things happened after that. But truth be told, regarding our marriage, it was really strange at the time."
Arline inquires with a curious smile: "Why? What happened?"
Izola laughs a little, recalling those days: "Despite him spending a long time with us, I was very cautious around him. I expected him to be an untrustworthy person. Strangely, my brother—who trusts no one—trusted him very quickly. One day, my brother suggested that I marry him. At first, I opposed it, but my brother insisted, telling me that someone like Arius must stay by our side all the time, so I had to marry him. Later, my brother proposed the idea to Arius, who was hesitant at first, but he never refused any request from my brother, who had helped him back then, so he agreed. Despite that, I treated Arius with extreme coldness throughout that long period. Instead of treating him as a husband, I literally treated him like a soldier carrying out orders. Our relationship was completely formal; even he never tried to get close to me or seduce me at all, as if he was letting me do whatever I wished. But within a short time, I began to feel strangely attracted to him and tried to be a good wife. Even my brother noticed and asked me to take better care of him instead of maintaining the wall of coldness between us."
Arline comments in a thoughtful tone: "A marvel. It seems a lot really happened. But honestly, I've been sitting with Arius for a while now, and I notice that his behavior has changed. I'd say he isn't the Arius I knew in the past. He has become colder and more indifferent, and worst of all, he has begun to deny all his past relationships ungratefully. I don't know what changed him like this, but I hope he improves soon."
Izola says in a tone carrying hope: "Yes, I hope to see him smile at least. During the entire period I've known him, I haven't seen him smile even once, except for a single time a short while ago. Well, I am going now to see where he went before he causes trouble for himself."
Outside, Arius was walking with heavy steps, pondering deeply over every word Arline had said to him. Distress was clearly visible on him, and he whispered softly: "Damn it... What did I do wrong? Damn everything..."
Suddenly, a voice pierces the silence, calling out from behind: "Stop, dark-eyed one!"
Arius turns coldly to see the stranger stepping toward him, smiling as he says: "Hello, my dear friend!"
Arius looks at him, recognizing him: "Is that you, Scientist Klein?"
Scientist Klein smiles and replies warmly: "Good to see you. Where are you off to?"
Arius looks at him with emotionless eyes and says with extreme coldness: "I don't know. I just rushed outside; I haven't really thought about where I'm going."
Klein laughs, trying to lighten the atmosphere: "Man, I see you've become very famous lately! I've been seeing your posters on TV a lot, man!"
Arius replies indifferently: "That's not important now. What are you doing here?"
Klein explains the reason for his presence: "Actually, the Western Base is suffering from a lot of problems, so I decided to stay here for a while until they finish dealing with the issues over there."
Arius says curtly: "Alright, that's fine. Goodbye."
Klein quickly stops him, saying: "Wait! Why are you evading me? I wanted to ask you, did you know what Dazai intends to do?"
Arius looks at him in surprise, knitting his brows: "What?"
Klein clarifies: "In fact, he has decided to alliance with the leader of Ezoria, our fierce rival."
Arius inquires calmly: "And what about it?"
Klein answers in an optimistic tone: "Actually, if this agreement goes through, our world will enjoy long-lasting peace. By uniting, the portal leading to the eastern part of World Zero will be closed, and we will finally rest from the monsters and strange creatures coming from the universes of Baryon, the nightmare of worlds."
Arius opens his eyes wide in shock, saying: "Wait! Don't you know that there is someone in a special region in the Carving Valleys in the north of the world?"
Klein looks at him in wonder and responds in denial: "What are you talking about? Nobody lives in that place to begin with! That place is millions of light-years away from the nearest point of life. Who would dare to live there?"
Arius opens his eyes wide again, saying with intense bitterness: "Thank you, Klein." He then leaves the place hastily without another word.
Klein walks on his way and happens to run into Izola, who spots him and immediately greets him, then asks if he saw Arius on his way. Klein informs her that he was talking to him moments ago and that he left heading in that direction. Izola thanks him and walks swiftly in the same direction her husband took.
On the other side, Arius had climbed to the highest point of the vast castle, standing there gazing at the distant horizon. He began to think fiercely inside himself: "What were you planning to lead me into, Dazai? Now I understand what's happening! You wanted me to stay away from the events as much as possible so that you and the leader of Ezoria could close the portal, ensuring no one can enter or exit, taking advantage of my absence to execute your plan! What a sly one you truly are! But it's good that I met Klein. I'll show you what I'm going to do, you sly fool! You want to build alliances? I will gladly be the cause of destroying them from their very roots, my dear friend!"
Suddenly, the string of his thoughts is cut short by the voice of Izola calling him from behind. He feels a slight panic inside, then turns and looks at her fiercely, saying: "Why are you following me here?"
Izola looks at him with displeased, sad eyes at his harsh tone. She then advances toward him quietly, sits down, and looks at him, asking him to sit beside her. Arius looks at her for a while, refraining from speaking, but after a time he decides to comply and sits beside her in silence as they both gaze together at the enchanting sunset view.
Izola breaks the silence, asking in a gentle tone: "Are you mad at me?"
Arius looks into the far distance and says coldly: "And why would I be mad at you to begin with? What did you do?"
She looks at him and elaborates: "Are you really not mad? Because it truly seems like you are."
He answers curtly: "It's nothing. I'm not."
Izola laughs softly with a tone carrying some melancholy, saying to him: "No, I want to know who I am talking to right now—am I talking to Arius, or am I talking to the empty body?"
Arius looks at her with mysterious features and says: "Both, perhaps."
Here, Izola gently rests her head on his shoulder and asks: "Darling, do you think our relationship will ever get better?"
Arius replies in an ambiguous tone: "I don't know, honestly."
Izola tightly grips his arm between hers and says sincerely: "But I want us to open up to each other more. I don't want us to stay in this formal state."
Arius surrenders to her wish, replying: "As you wish."
She looks at him with eyes full of eagerness and asks: "Are you serious?"
He looks at her clearly and says: "Yes. Didn't I promise you a long time ago that I would fulfill everything you ask of me without refusal?"
She looks at him with happiness mixed with anticipation, saying: "Darling, does this mean we are going to act like a normal married couple?"
Arius looks at her in a calm tone and says: "Yes. In fact, I want to show you a small surprise, my darling."
Upon hearing the word "my darling," Izola's emotional walls crumble completely. She bursts into heavy tears from sheer emotion and embraces him tightly, speaking sincere words from the depths of her heart: "Darling, I really love you... I really was always hesitant to say it to you, but I really love you, my darling."