Arata turned toward the entrance of the main hall, intending to leave and enjoy the remaining time before their departure to the upper realm.
However, before he could take another step, Zakariah called out to him.
"Wait a moment, youngest."
Arata stopped and turned around.
Zakariah had remained seated, but his attention was fixed on his younger brother. There was something he wanted to show him, and judging by his expression, it was something he considered worth bringing up.
"I know you have no interest in treasures because of how powerful you are, but this is a bit different. I found it in the upper realm when I defeated a god."
Reina gasped.
Shizuo looked toward his elder brother, his expression changing.
"A god?"
Eliza glanced at the two of them.
"Don't make a fuss. There are many gods in existence."
Zakariah smiled at their reactions before returning his attention to Arata.
"There are many things hidden no matter where you go."
He placed his hands into his storage dimension and retrieved an object.
It was a mirror. Its frame possessed an unusual design, and its surface reflected the surroundings with a clarity that seemed slightly unnatural. The most distinctive feature, however, was the pattern running along its edges.
A snake was depicted eating its own tail, forming an endless circle.
Zakariah held it carefully before presenting it to Arata.
"I will give you this mirror for your twentieth birthday. It is called the Mirror of Oroborus."
Sirius, who had been observing the object, showed a hint of recognition.
"I've heard of it. In my multiverse, it's called—The Never Ending Dream."
Arata examined the mirror.
He studied its surface, then shifted his attention toward the snake-shaped design surrounding its edges. The symbolism was familiar, but the object itself was something he had never encountered before.
A circle without a beginning or an end.
Something that consumed itself only to continue existing.
His crimson eyes lingered on the mirror for a moment longer.
An interesting object.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Thanks, Zakariah."
He accepted the mirror.
The moment it touched his hand, it vanished into his storage space.
Zakariah nodded, apparently satisfied that his gift had been accepted. Arata offered no further explanation about what he intended to do with it and simply turned toward the exit.
Sirius followed.
Outside the main hall, the afternoon wind drifted through Arata's black hair.
He stepped into the open courtyard and stood still for a moment, looking toward the distant sky. The estate stretched across the surrounding land, its structures and gardens carrying the history of generations of Kurogane family members.
He had once lived here, he had awakened in this world here and yet…the place felt strangely distant.
Arata looked upward. "This is where it all began." His thoughts drifted back to the first moments of his existence in this world.
The unfamiliar ceiling and surroundings. The realization that he had somehow awakened inside the body of another person.
He remembered lying on that bed, trying to understand what had happened to him and what kind of world he had entered.
It had been the beginning of everything.
His new life, his circumstances, his powers, and the countless possibilities that had eventually led him to where he stood now.
After remaining outside for a little longer, Arata made his way toward his room.
The interior had not changed much. The furniture remained in its original positions, and the room still carried the same atmosphere he remembered from his earlier days at the estate.
He approached the bed and laid down.
For once, he wanted nothing more than a moment of silence.
His eyes closed and the room became quiet.
However, after some time, he noticed a familiar presence beside his bed.
He did not open his eyes immediately.
A moment later, Sirius appeared out of nowhere.
She began looking around the room, examining its furnishings and taking in the details of the place where Arata had once lived.
Arata eventually opened his eyes. "Why do you always hide?" Sirius turned toward him. "I'm just being polite." She approached the bed and sat on its edge. Arata returned his gaze to the ceiling.
He had expected her usual playful attitude, perhaps another attempt to tease him about their supposed engagement but something was different.
Sirius was quiet.
She didn't make any unnecessary remarks, nor did she attempt to provoke a reaction from him. Instead, she remained seated beside the bed, seemingly lost in thought.
Arata noticed the change but decided not to question her immediately.
The afternoon gradually passed.
Outside, the sunlight began to fade, and the sky slowly changed colors as the sun approached the horizon.
Arata eventually sat up.
He glanced toward Sirius, who was still beside him.
"What's up with you? It's not like you to be this silent."
Sirius lowered her gaze slightly.
"I want to ask you something."
Arata stared at her for a moment.
Her expression was different from what he had grown accustomed to. There was no teasing smile, no playful curiosity, and no attempt to conceal the seriousness behind her question.
He considered her for a moment before getting off the bed.
"Come outside."
The two made their way to the roof of the estate.
The evening breeze moved gently across the rooftops, carrying the distant sounds of the estate's inhabitants. The sun was slowly descending beyond the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and crimson.
Arata stood near the edge of the roof, looking toward the setting sun. Sirius stood beside him. For a while, neither spoke. Eventually, Arata turned his head slightly.
"What's your question?"
Sirius looked at him. Her golden eyes settled on his crimson ones, studying them with an unusual degree of seriousness. "I know that you're not from this existence because your soul is different from anything I've come across…"
She paused.
Her hands tightened around the fabric of her dress.
"What was your life like in your original world?"
Arata remained silent.
He looked at her for a moment before turning his attention toward the sunset.
It was an unusual question.
Although Sirius had already noticed that something about him was fundamentally different, he had never given her a complete explanation. She knew that he possessed the Soul Circuit, that his existence was connected to something beyond Kael'Ar, and that their own connection might have roots extending much further into the past.
But she knew almost nothing about the person he had been before arriving here.
Arata watched the sun descend.
Then, after a brief silence, he began explaining.
"I came from a place called Earth. It was an ordinary planet with a human population. I was a college dropout, not because I wasn't smart enough. In fact, I was at the top of my class and the entire college but human greed knows no bounds..."
His expression remained calm.
There was no particular emotion in his voice, but his words carried the weight of memories he had rarely discussed.
"I didn't have the loving parents, the rich background, or a family I could call my own. I was on my own, and I was average. I tried to do everything right, but others still made fun of me, so I started hating others until I couldn't bear to be around them."
The wind passed between them.
Sirius listened without interrupting.
Arata had spoken about Earth as an ordinary planet, but the experiences he described were far from ordinary in their consequences. His original world had no Circuits, no gods walking among humanity, and no extraordinary beings capable of tearing apart planets.
It was a world that, on the surface, should have been considerably simpler than Kael'Ar.
Yet his memories suggested otherwise.
Arata continued.
"I became and/is still cynical, someone who deeply distrusts human nature, sincerity, and integrity. I saw for myself that people are driven purely by selfishness, greed, or hidden motives rather than genuine kindness."
His gaze remained fixed on the horizon.
"We didn't have any monsters or threats to destroy the world or anything like that. Instead… humans were called monsters themselves. They fought each other for control over the planet by participating in wars and crime, so it wasn't entirely peaceful either."
The last sunlight stretched across the distant landscape.
Arata's expression remained unchanged, but his attention seemed to have drifted far beyond the estate.
"I wanted to leave a place like that, so I locked myself inside my house trying to escape reality with my greatest gift… Imagination."