River found himself standing in a white room.
Endless.
Silent.
Empty.
His body was covered in blood.
Fresh red dripped from his skin and clothes, and with every step he took, crimson footprints stained the flawless floor behind him.
All around him stood mirrors.
Tall.
Countless.
Stretching in every direction.
At first, he thought they only reflected him.
Then he noticed—
There were two versions of him.
They moved within the mirrors, circling him in perfect synchronization.
The first had crimson eyes.
Dark stains clung to his body like liquid tar, dripping from his skin and leaving black footprints wherever he walked. A single demonic horn jutted from his head, twisted and sharp.
The second had blue eyes.
A radiant aura shimmered around him, soft and beautiful. Flowers bloomed with each step he took, spreading across the mirrored ground in delicate colors.
But when the red-eyed River stepped on those flowers—
They withered.
Died instantly.
And when the blue-eyed River stepped through the black tar—
It was purified.
Cleansed.
The two reflections continued circling him.
Red.
Blue.
Sin.
Purity.
Neither of them spoke.
They only watched.
Like predators surrounding wounded prey.
"The Heretic Demon of Wrath…"
Red's voice was cold.
Measured.
"Is that the path you seek?"
River's breathing quickened.
His eyes darted between the mirrors.
"What are you talking about?!"
His voice echoed through the white room.
"Where am I?!"
Red only smiled faintly.
A cruel, knowing smile.
"You felt it."
He kept circling.
Black tar dripping from his body.
"The power Buer gave you."
"The thrill of it."
"The way you've been dancing along that fine line between damnation and salvation."
Each word struck harder than the last.
"Those little sins…"
Red chuckled softly.
"The harmless lies."
"The small manipulations."
"The excuses you make to yourself."
His eyes narrowed.
"All while telling yourself it's fine."
River clenched his fists.
"Th-that's not true…"
His voice faltered.
"I wasn't enjoying it…"
A pause.
Then quieter—
"…Was I?"
Red's smile widened slightly.
"You enjoyed the rush."
He stepped over a patch of flowers, killing them instantly.
"The thrill of slaying the floor guardians."
"The satisfaction of crushing Alexander."
"The feeling of finally standing above the people who once looked down on you."
River took a shaky step back.
"…No."
But the denial felt weak.
Uncertain.
Then—
Blue spoke.
His voice was warm.
Soft.
"Or…"
He continued circling from the opposite side.
"Will you become the Savior of Humanity?"
River turned toward him.
Blue's glowing aura lit the mirrors around him.
Despite the blood on River's body, despite the darkness gathering at his feet—
Blue smiled gently.
"You carry darkness within you."
His words were kind.
"But that is not all you are."
Flowers bloomed wherever he stepped.
"Even with your worst impulses…"
"Even with the abyss staring back at you…"
Blue's eyes remained calm.
"You still love humanity."
A pause.
"The people around you."
"The people who hurt you."
"The people you protect anyway."
His smile softened.
"You wish to cherish them."
"To save them."
"To carry their pain, even when your own is crushing you."
"You are something that should not exist…"
Blue and Red spoke together.
"A contradiction."
Their voices overlapped perfectly.
Cold and warm.
Merciless and kind.
"Your vessel is filled with the potential for slaughter," Red said.
Black tar dripped from his fingertips.
"Yet your soul is filled with the potential for salvation," Blue said.
Flowers bloomed at his feet.
They stepped in unison.
"A contradiction."
"A singularity."
"An impossible existence."
River's breathing grew ragged.
"This isn't making any sense!"
He looked around wildly at the mirrors surrounding him.
"Just let me out of here!"
He raised his hand and tried to cast a spell—
Nothing.
No mana.
No light.
No wind.
No water.
Nothing answered him.
Blue tilted his head.
"Your mother was a savior."
His voice softened.
"A kind woman."
Red's smile darkened.
"Your father was a slaughterer."
"An awful man."
River froze.
Then his eyes widened.
"You know my parents?!"
His voice cracked.
"Tell me!"
He stepped toward them.
"Tell me who they were!"
The reflections didn't stop circling.
"We know more than you do," they said together.
A pause.
"Yet less than we are meant to."
River's anger snapped.
With a shout, he punched the nearest mirror.
Glass shattered beneath his fist.
Blood ran down his hand.
Then—
Every mirror in the room shattered at once.
A deafening crash rang out as countless fragments rained across the white floor.
Silence followed.
Then—
A voice.
"What will you become…"
River turned.
Standing behind him—
Was another version of himself.
Not Red.
Not Blue.
Both.
One eye glowed blue.
The other burned red.
He smiled faintly.
"…River Oceania?"
River's breath caught.
"O… Oceania?"
The copy nodded.
"Yes."
"That is your last name."
River stared at him.
His heart pounded so hard it hurt.
The clone stepped closer.
"If you ever find a man bearing that name…"
His smile widened slightly.
"…you will find your father."
Then—
River woke up.
The first thing he noticed was the ceiling above him.
Wooden.
Old.
Familiar.
A church.
His body felt heavy, but not in the same way as before. The pain had dulled, leaving behind only exhaustion and a strange numbness.
A nun sitting beside his bed suddenly jolted upright.
"Oh good—you're finally awake!"
Her voice shook with relief.
"You've been unconscious for a whole week!"
River blinked.
"…A week?"
His throat felt dry.
He slowly raised his hands—
And froze.
They had turned pitch black.
Not fully, but enough.
Dark markings covered both hands and crawled up his arms to his elbows in jagged patterns, like black lightning carved into his skin. The moment he tried to curl his fingers, a sharp spasm ran through them.
His hands twitched involuntarily.
River's eyes widened.
"…What?"
The nun lowered her gaze apologetically.
"It took us three days to heal most of the damage to your body…"
Her voice softened.
"But we couldn't fully restore your hands."
River stared at them in disbelief.
"Wh-what's wrong with them?"
Another spasm shot through his fingers.
The church doors opened.
Friedrich stepped inside.
"It's a stigmata," he said calmly.
"The mark of someone who reached death's door…"
His eyes settled on River's hands.
"…and somehow survived."
River looked up at him.
"A stigmata…?"
Friedrich walked closer and gently took River's forearms, examining the black marks.
"They manifest in different ways depending on how a person nearly died."
His voice stayed even, almost instructional.
"I've seen someone who was nearly strangled develop markings around their throat."
"I've seen a man who survived a fall have them appear along both legs."
He lifted River's hands slightly.
"For you…"
His expression turned more serious.
"It seems your body remembers the electricity that nearly killed you."
River's fingers twitched again, black veins of pain crawling through them.
"So they're…"
He swallowed.
"…going to stay like this?"
Friedrich nodded once.
"Yes."
"The spasms will lessen with time."
"The pain will fade."
He released River's arms.
"But the mark itself will never disappear."
River looked down at his hands.
A reminder.
Permanent.
Of just how close he had come to dying.
Friedrich crossed his arms.
"So let that be a lesson."
His tone sharpened just a little.
"Stop gambling with your life."
River gave a weak smile.
"…I'll try."
Friedrich stared at him for a moment.
Then snorted.
"You're a terrible liar."
A faint grin tugged at his lips.
"But I'll accept it…"
He looked at River's hands again.
"…Sparky."
River immediately pouted.
"That's an awful nickname."
Friedrich laughed quietly.
"Where is everyone else?" River asked quickly.
His expression turned serious.
"Did they make it out?"
Friedrich nodded.
"Yes."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"They all survived."
He glanced down at River's blackened hands.
"And they're all in much better condition than you."
River let out a quiet breath of relief.
"Good…"
But Friedrich's expression soon darkened again.
"However…"
He folded his arms.
"An extraordinary number of adventurers were found dead on the third floor."
His voice turned colder.
"According to Orelia…"
"…Pharos was responsible."
River's eyes narrowed immediately.
"Of course he was."
His fingers twitched as he tried to clench his hands.
Black sparks of pain ran through them.
"That entire nightmare was his fault."
Wrath flickered in his expression.
Friedrich noticed—
But continued.
"Even so…"
He straightened up slightly.
"I want to thank you."
River blinked.
"…For what?"
Friedrich gave a small bow.
"For slaying another floor guardian."
His tone carried genuine respect.
"I've already made it public that you and the other three were the ones who defeated it."
A small pause.
"And from everything I heard…"
His gaze sharpened.
"You and Alexander contributed the most to that fight."
River scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I didn't exactly have a choice."
He laughed weakly.
"I got thrown into that hell half-dead."
Friedrich let out a quiet chuckle.
"Even so, the result matters."
He looked out toward the church entrance.
"We've confirmed something important."
"Unlike normal monsters…"
"…Floor Guardians do not respawn."
River's eyes widened slightly.
"Because of the three you've already killed…"
Friedrich's voice softened.
"Countless future adventurers will live."
"In particular, beginners on the first floor."
He looked back at River.
"You've changed the dungeon already."
River went quiet for a moment.
Then his expression hardened again.
"The fourth floor guardian…"
He stared at his shaking hands.
"It's the only one no one has ever encountered, right?"
Friedrich nodded.
"Yes."
"Then it'll be dangerous."
River lifted his head.
"Even more dangerous because we know nothing about it."
A beat passed.
"But I'm still going."
His conviction didn't waver.
"I'll hunt the fourth floor guardian."
"Then the fifth."
"I'll hunt them all."
River smiled faintly.
"I'm going to clear the dungeon."
Friedrich stared at him for a moment.
Then immediately said—
"No."
River blinked.
"…What?"
"Not in your condition."
Friedrich crossed his arms.
"You are banned from entering the dungeon for at least one week."
River opened his mouth to protest—
But Friedrich cut him off.
"And yes, I've already told your party to keep you out too."
River groaned.
"You planned this?"
"Of course I did."
Friedrich smiled.
"Go on a date with your crazy girl instead."
He gave a casual shrug.
"I'll even pay for it."
River laughed despite himself.
"Everyone keeps calling Celestia crazy."
Friedrich raised an eyebrow.
"She checked on you at least a hundred times this week."
He glanced around the room.
"I'm honestly convinced she has a clone watching us right now."
River looked away slightly.
A small smile formed.
"…A date doesn't sound that bad."
His voice softened.
"I've been wanting to confess to her."
Friedrich grinned immediately.
"Well then, first things first."
He pointed at River's outfit.
"You need new clothes."
He looked him up and down.
"Those shabby robes have got to go."
Then he wrinkled his nose dramatically.
"And you definitely need a bath."
River stared at him.
"…Wow."
Friedrich nodded to himself.
"Yep. You need a full makeover."
Before River could object—
Friedrich grabbed his hand and started dragging him toward the door.
"W-wait!"
River stumbled after him.
"You are way too enthusiastic about this!"
Friedrich didn't slow down.
"Better me than Arthur."
River blinked.
"…What?"
Friedrich smirked.
"He said if you woke up first, he was going to handle your makeover and date himself."
A pause.
"And I call dibs."
River stared at him for a second.
Then burst out laughing as he was dragged out of the church.
For the first time in a while—
The future didn't feel so heavy.