Chapter 306 -: 305 Something is wrong.
The endless darkness surrounding Julius suddenly began to change.
Tiny cracks silently spread across the black space before him, growing wider with every passing second.
Then, without warning, pieces of the darkness peeled away one after another like dried paint flaking off an old wall.
Countless black fragments drifted through the empty void before dissolving into nothingness, revealing a blinding white light hidden beneath them.
The strange sight caused Julius’ eyes to narrow. Instinctively, he took several steps backward, every muscle in his body tensing as he cautiously observed the collapsing world.
Whatever was happening now had to be the true beginning of Lyra’s Domain.
She hadn’t trapped him inside this endless darkness for no reason. This was merely the transition. The real trial was only just beginning.
Julius slowly exhaled, forcing himself to remain calm despite the uncertainty gnawing at his heart.
He already understood Lyra’s objective. From the very beginning, she hadn’t wanted to kill him.
Her goal was to force him into surrendering. That was precisely why she had chosen to activate Domain Manifestation instead of continuing the fight outside.
If her Domain truly revolved around making people abandon their will, then everything inside this dream would exist for one purpose alone, to break him.
She would use whatever methods were necessary, whether through temptation, despair, fear, pain, or endless torture, until he willingly admitted defeat.
Unfortunately for her... Julius wasn’t entirely without options either.
There were only two possible ways this Domain could end. The first was the simplest. He could simply endure.
Domains consumed an enormous amount of mana, especially one capable of trapping another person’s consciousness inside an entirely separate dream world.
No matter how talented Lyra was, maintaining such a Domain indefinitely was impossible.
Eventually her mana would run dry, and the dream would naturally collapse on its own. The second option was far more difficult, but also far more rewarding.
If Julius could somehow discover the weakness of the Domain and shatter it from within, the backlash would directly strike Lyra herself.
Not only would the Domain disappear, but she would also suffer severe internal injuries from the failed manifestation.
Because of that, there was no doubt she would do everything within her power to prevent him from finding any weakness.
"So... it’s a battle of patience."
A faint smile appeared on Julius’ face before disappearing just as quickly.
He simply stood where he was, silently watching as the black surroundings continued to crumble apart.
Eventually every trace of darkness vanished, leaving behind an endless world of pure white.
Yet even that brilliant landscape wasn’t stable.
Hairline fractures suddenly spread across the white space exactly as they had through the darkness moments ago.
One after another, pieces of the white world also began breaking apart, drifting away like shattered glass.
Julius didn’t move an inch. He knew better than to panic. This was still a dream. Whatever happened here wasn’t meant to kill him.
Death inside this place would accomplish nothing. Lyra wanted something much more valuable than his life.
She wanted him to give up.
Julius let out a long sigh before rubbing the back of his neck.
"God..."
"I wonder what you’ve got prepared for me."
His voice echoed quietly through the collapsing dream.
Pain....Torture? Endless despair?
Illusions so convincing they could destroy a person’s sanity.
Any of those were possible. Although he knew he couldn’t truly die inside this dream, the pain itself would undoubtedly feel real.
Every injury, every scream, every ounce of suffering would be experienced exactly as though it were reality.
Just imagining it was enough to make most people lose their resolve. Julius, however, merely straightened his back before quietly laughing to himself.
"Fortunately..."
"I’ve always been good at enduring."
There had once been a time when he had tortured himself far more mercilessly than anyone else ever could.
Compared to those memories... perhaps whatever Lyra had prepared wouldn’t be so unbearable after all.
At least...
That was what he hoped.
The final pieces of the white world finally crumbled away.
Now only the ground beneath his feet remained.
Julius lowered his gaze.
Thin cracks silently spread across the floor, branching outward in every direction until the entire surface resembled broken glass.
The cracking sounds became louder and louder, echoing endlessly through the empty space. Before Julius could even react, the ground beneath him suddenly gave way.
Crack!
The entire floor shattered.
Without anything left to support him, Julius plunged straight downward into the endless abyss beneath.
Darkness instantly swallowed him whole.
The cold wind howled past his ears as he continued falling without end, yet despite the terrifying sensation of endlessly sinking into nothingness, Julius remained completely silent.
He didn’t scream nor did he struggle. There was simply no point.
Whatever Lyra intended to show him...
It was beginning now.
*****
Warm sunlight gently brushed across Julius’ face.
The sensation of falling disappeared completely.
When he opened his eyes once more, the endless darkness had been replaced by an entirely different world.
A quiet village rested peacefully in the middle of a vast forest overflowing with lush greenery.
Towering trees surrounded the settlement from every direction, while the cheerful chirping of birds echoed beneath the clear blue sky.
A gentle breeze carried the scent of fresh grass through the air, making the peaceful atmosphere feel almost unreal.
Julius blinked several times before lowering his gaze.
His hands were gripping the wooden handles of a large cart.
Several heavy sacks had been piled onto it, forcing him to lean his entire body forward as he slowly pulled the enormous weight along the dirt road.
Sweat continuously rolled down his forehead before dripping onto the ground beneath his feet.
Every few moments he would wipe his face with the back of his hand before continuing onward without complaint.
Not long afterward, the entrance to the village finally came into view.
It wasn’t a large settlement.
If anything, it was remarkably small.
Only around twenty families seemed to live there, their wooden homes scattered comfortably throughout the clearing.
Despite its size, however, the village felt incredibly lively.
Children laughed while running through the streets, villagers chatted with one another outside their homes, and the peaceful atmosphere carried a warmth Julius couldn’t quite explain.
As he slowly pulled the cart deeper into the village, several familiar faces noticed him.
"You’re back already, Julius?"
"Good work today!"
"Looks like another heavy load."
One after another, the villagers greeted him with warm smiles.
Without thinking too much about it, Julius returned each greeting with a faint nod before continuing toward the center of the village.
After several more minutes of walking, he finally arrived before a large wooden house.
Compared to the others, it stood out immediately.
It still had only a single floor like every other home in the village, yet it was noticeably larger and far better maintained than the surrounding houses.
The wooden walls had been carefully polished, flowers decorated the entrance, and a small vegetable garden flourished beside it.
Stopping before the front door, Julius slowly set the cart down before letting out a tired sigh.
"I’m home."
The words had barely left his mouth before hurried footsteps echoed from inside the house.
A moment later...
The wooden door slowly opened.
Standing there was a beautiful Zlycon woman.
Her long blue hair gently flowed behind her shoulders, each silky strand swaying softly beneath the evening breeze.
A pair of icy-blue eyes looked directly at him. Despite their naturally cold colour, they contained nothing but warmth and affection, carrying the quiet tenderness of someone who had spent countless years caring for the person before her.
The gentle smile blooming across her face was so bright that it seemed capable of washing away every trace of exhaustion, as though no hardship in the world could exist while she was smiling.
She stood by the doorway with one hand resting lightly against the wooden frame.
Behind her, the familiar house remained exactly as Julius remembered it.
Warm light escaped through the windows, while the faint aroma of freshly cooked food drifted into the yard. It was peaceful... almost unbelievably peaceful.
Julius quietly stared at her...his brows slowly knitted together.
Something...something felt wrong.
He couldn’t explain why.
There was no flaw before his eyes. Every detail appeared perfectly normal, from the gentle breeze brushing against the trees to the distant chirping of birds echoing through the quiet surroundings.
The house looked the same, the path beneath his feet felt real, and even the scent lingering in the air awakened memories he thought had long since faded.
Yet the more he looked around, the heavier the strange feeling inside his chest became.
It was subtle, almost impossible to notice, but it refused to disappear.
It was like recalling a dream moments after waking, only to realise an important piece had slipped beyond reach.
He simply stood there for several silent moments before finally speaking.
"...Can you bring me a glass of water?"
"Of course, dear."
The woman answered immediately, her radiant smile never wavering as she turned and disappeared back into the house.
Her footsteps were light, almost inaudible, gradually fading until silence once again settled over the small yard.
Anyone else would have found that smile comforting.
Heartwarming even.
Yet...
Julius continued staring at the open doorway long after she had disappeared.
His expression remained calm, but his eyes slowly narrowed as though searching for something he couldn’t name.
His fingers twitched ever so slightly before relaxing again, the unconscious movement escaping even his own notice.
A strange feeling slowly crept into the depths of his heart.
An indescribable sense of discomfort.
It wasn’t fear...nor was it sadness.
It was simply the unsettling sensation that something important had been forgotten... something that should have been impossible to forget.
"...Why do I feel so odd these days?" he quietly murmured to himself.