Nana's death left a black hole in Ren's soul that neither numbers nor the logic of magic could fill. After the old woman's body was taken away, dumped like waste into the dark sea beneath the Tower, Ren returned to their cell. He did not cry anymore. He just sat there, staring at the stone walls covered in escape formulas that now felt completely hollow.
Extreme fatigue, both physical and mental, finally shattered the six-year-old boy's defenses. For the first time in his life, Ren did not fall asleep according to a schedule; he fainted into the pure darkness of his own sleep.
However, this darkness was different.
Ren did not see dreams of the Tower of Heaven. He did not see the shadow of the whip or the blue glow of Ethernano crystals. He found himself standing in an infinite white space. There was no floor, no ceiling—only a pure, clean void.
"Analysis: Location undetected. Environmental variables: Zero," Ren murmured instinctively.
"Do you always try to break everything down into data, Ren?"
Ren turned around. In front of him stood a boy whose face was identical to his own. However, there was a stark difference. This child did not have mine dust on his face. His eyes were not cold, but shone with a warm golden light, and he wore pure white clothes that waved as if blown by a non-existent wind.
"Who are you?" Ren asked, his eyes narrowing in high alert.
"A mental projection? A hallucination caused by nutrient deficiency?"
"I am what you suppress," the figure answered. His voice echoed with the exact same tone as Ren's, but it was much softer.
"I am the part of you that still believes in the magic of the sun Nana talked about. I am the you who wants to be someone else."
Ren scoffed.
"I don't want to be someone else. I just want to be strong enough to ensure no more 'Nanas' die, because being smart alone isn't enough."
The figure stepped forward. Every step left a ripple of light in the white space.
"Is that so? You spend every second studying the structure of Ethernano and planning an escape. It's as if you are trying to become a machine, Ren. Like you're afraid to show the weakness of being human, because humans are fragile and easily broken. Do you actually want to become something else? Something stronger and unshakeable?"
Ren fell silent. Those words hit him harder than Krov's whip ever could. It was true; ever since Nana died, Ren felt disgusted by his own weak self. He hated his limitations. He hated that his brain, no matter how smart, could not stop death.
"Tell me, Ren Chicle," the figure stopped right in front of him, looking directly into his eyes.
"In your opinion... what is magic?"
Ren answered without hesitation, as if reading from a textbook.
"Magic is the manipulation of Ethernano particles in the atmosphere through internal gates in the human body, which are then converted into a form of physical energy based on the user's will. It is a science that has not yet been fully mapped."
The figure laughed. The sound was like the chiming of breaking crystal.
"A very boring answer. That is the answer of a scientist, not a mage. If magic is just numbers and particles, why does it react to your anger? Why does it glow when you feel sad?"
The white space around them began to change. It turned liquid, swirling like a rainbow-colored whirlpool.
"Magic is not just particles, Ren," the figure whispered, his voice now echoing from all directions.
"Magic is a miracle born from an unstoppable desire against reality. It is the scream of your soul demanding that the laws of nature no longer limit you. It is a form of disobedience to existing boundaries."
Suddenly, Ren felt an overwhelming heat in his chest. Not a burning heat, but something clawing to explode outward.
"What do you want, Ren? Do you really just want to get out of this tower? Or do you want to have the power to rebuild this world according to your logic?" the voice asked again.
"I want to be free." Ren's breath hitched, as if the word had been locked away inside him for too long.
"Free from this tower."
His eyes slowly hardened.
"Free from feeling weak... from fear... from the fate forced upon me." He clenched his fist tightly.
"I do not want to be controlled by anything anymore."
His voice dropped, calmer, yet far deeper.
"I want to become... someone who is truly free."
"Then listen to the whisper," said the figure, his face beginning to fade into pure light.
"Magic will not yield to your formulas if you do not give it emotion. Stop calculating, Ren. Start feeling the vibrations behind those atoms."
The white space exploded.
Ren woke up with a violent jolt. He was gasping for air, cold sweat drenching his entire body. His cell was still dark, but something was fundamentally different.
He could feel it now.
He didn't need to look at the crystal walls to know where the Ethernano was. He could feel the 'whisper' of that energy in the air, in the stone, and even in his own breath. Magic was no longer a foreign subject he studied from books; it had become a part of his heartbeat.
Ren raised his hand in the dark. He did not try to calculate the vibration frequency of the Ethernano this time. He simply focused his will—the will to become someone strong, someone who could transcend his human limits.
Magic flowed from his palm, transparent like smooth, fine slime that reflected the dim light. The energy was soft and elastic, capable of stretching and pulling surrounding objects with a force that was invisible yet incredibly real. The elegance and fluid nature of this magic made it look like a delicate net floating in the air, ready to bind and control everything with hidden gentleness and strength.
"Magic..." Ren murmured. His voice now sounded different—heavier, more confident.
"Is not just a tool. It is an extension of my will."
He stood up straight. With a focused and calm gaze, he raised his hand forward, palm open. Slowly, from his fingertips, clear threads appeared, shimmering like strands of fine slime. His magic danced in the air, transparent and reflecting the faint ambient light.
He moved his hand gently, and the transparent thread stretched toward the wall. With a single, smooth pull, the magic pulled him slowly, making him shift and hover slightly from his spot. Once adhered to the wall, he immediately canceled the magic.
Ren then stood and walked over to the ventilation opening. There, he saw his reflection in the dark, polished crystal. For a moment, he did not see a poor, pitiful orphan boy. He saw an architect of the future who would tear down this tower—not just with stones and crowbars, but with the miracles born from his suffering.
"I understand now, Nana," Ren whispered toward the night sky.
"Intelligence can indeed freeze the heart, but magic... magic is the fire that will melt it into strength."
Outside the cell, the footsteps of a guard were heard approaching. Ren did not hide. He just stood there, letting the energy inside his body buzz in perfect harmony with the Tower of Heaven.
He was no longer just a prisoner in this tower. He began to feel that this entire tower was his laboratory.
And he was the most successful experiment there ever was.