Lilith continued in a calm, deliberate tone, her golden eyes gleaming faintly like molten glass, "The Oldest One in the Mirror was actually something Cheek discovered first. She realised that once the true 'Original Creator' awakened, it would uncontrollably draw all things back to it—merging everything into a singular beginning. So, to avoid that uncontrollable convergence, She tried to bypass it."
"Her plan was to fuse the Red Priest, the Primordial Demoness, and the City of Calamity together, then integrate that fusion with the Mirrored Original Creator to create what he called a 'Lesser Original Creator.'"
She paused, raising a finger.
"That name was actually my invention, by the way."
"The 'Lesser Original Creator' wouldn't have been as omnipotent and absolute as the true Original Creator, but it still would have stood on par with pillars like the Lord of the Mysteries or the God Almighty. Unfortunately for Cheek, Her plan had barely begun before the Seven Gods snuffed it out—and that, incidentally, gave me the chance to seize the Mirror's authority."
She giggled softly.
"Ah, I'm rambling again."
"Anyway," she went on, "the Mirrored Original Creator is still the Original Creator. It carries the same properties—the same essence. All existence in this world evolved from the Oldest One. In a way, the Oldest One is the father of all things."
Edward's eyes brightened slightly with realisation.
"So that means…the wish you made with the Magic Wish Lamp…"
"Exactly." Lilith nodded. "I extracted a fragment of the Mirrored Original Creator characteristic and imbued it into your bone. Since the Oldest One is the 'father' of all things, giving your bone that trait meant it fulfilled the requirement of the Father's Bone—both in mystic principle and in emotional significance. That's what allowed my resurrection to succeed."
Edward's expression flickered—his mind catching up to the implications.
"Wait a second. Even if the Oldest One is the 'father of all,' Lilith…you're not originally from this world."
Lilith's lips curved into a knowing smile.
"You're forgetting something, Edward. The moment I drank the potion and became a Beyonder, I was bound to this world. The instant I became a Beyonder, I became part of this reality. Therefore, the Oldest One naturally became my mystical father too."
She shrugged lightly.
"Of course, back then it was just a theory of mine. But now…"
Lilith took a graceful step back, twirled once, her hair fluttering in the air, and smiled with radiant confidence.
"Looking at me now, I'd say it worked perfectly, don't you think?"
"After thousands of years…I've finally returned—fully resurrected."
"A brand-new, more powerful Miss Lilith is back again!"
Then, her expression softened as she fixed her gaze on Edward.
"All of this—all that I went through, all that I endured—was for this. To see you again, Edward. To live alongside you."
Her tone turned firm, her voice low but unwavering.
"So I absolutely won't allow anything to happen to you."
Edward smiled faintly and flicked her forehead.
"Didn't I tell you not to underestimate me? Even if you are an ancient existence now, I'm still the one who cheats death for fun."
Lilith puffed out her cheeks and said in mock protest,
"Nope~ The Lilith who lived thousands of years is gone. Standing before you now is the newly reborn Miss Lilith, only a few days old!"
Edward chuckled.
"Then, Miss New Lilith deserves a gift."
He snapped his fingers, and a small red flower appeared between them. With a smile, he tucked it into her hair.
"A little red flower—for congratulations."
"Hehe~"
Lilith's eyes curved like crescent moons, but she suddenly blinked in surprise. She plucked the flower out and examined it carefully.
"Huh? Isn't this the one I used to have?"
"That's right," Edward said, smiling. "The one you pressed between the pages of your old primary school textbook."
"But that book…I lost it when I 'died.'"
"Steph gave it to me."
Lilith's expression flickered with recognition.
"Ah, that child…He should be an angel under the True Creator by now, right?"
Edward nodded.
"Yes. He calls himself the Angel of the Holy Word. Nearly killed me last time, actually."
Lilith instantly puffed up with indignation, waving her tiny fist.
"How dare he! No respect for his elders at all! I'll make sure to teach that boy a lesson for daring to bully my Edward!"
Edward chuckled.
"Alright, alright, calm down, you little fireball."
Then his face grew a bit more serious.
"Jokes aside…Let's get back to the Evernight Goddess. You said She helped you—but why?"
Lilith's expression turned thoughtful.
"She asked me to go to the Forsaken Land of the Gods…to retrieve something for Her. Something She herself doesn't even know the nature of."
Edward's pupils contracted sharply.
"!!!"
So he was right.
That confirmed his suspicion—both he and Lilith had come from the Harry Potter world, carrying traces of its origin, the kind of "breath" that divine beings in this world could sense.
If the Evernight Goddess suspected he was connected to "that person," there was no way She would remain indifferent toward Lilith.
Lilith tilted her head slightly, sensing his unease.
"What's wrong, Edward? What are you thinking?"
"The Evernight Goddess asked me the same thing," Edward said slowly. "She also wanted me to go to the Forsaken Land of the Gods."
Lilith's eyes widened slightly.
"Ah…so it's because we both came from Hogwarts, isn't it?"
"That's part of it," Edward admitted, "but not the whole story. When She asked you to go to the Forsaken Land, did She ever mention anything to you about…that person?"
Lilith blinked.
"That person?"
Edward exhaled softly, then told her everything—everything he had heard from both the Evernight Goddess and the True Creator (the former Ancient Sun God).
"That's all I know so far," he concluded.
He looked at her quietly.
"An outsider from beyond this world, yet the Oldest One awakened within Him. To oppose that awakening, He devised a certain plan. But in that plan, the Uniqueness of the Door Pathway ended up inside me. That's how my Pathway diverged from all the others."
Lilith rested her chin on her palm, frowning thoughtfully for a long while. Then she suddenly nodded, her tone decisive.
"Well, the answer seems obvious, doesn't it? Edward—you're that person."
Edward let out a long, helpless sigh.
"That's what I thought at first too. But the Ancient Sun God was adamant—He said I wasn't."
He gave a small, bitter laugh.
"Honestly, I hope I'm not. I don't want to be the reincarnation of some 'Great Being,' or worse, a fragment of Him. I just want to be myself."
His eyes dimmed slightly as he went on, "If I'm really just someone else's echo, someone else's design, then what meaning does my existence have? It would mean everything I've experienced—every struggle, every emotion—was just someone's prewritten script."
"And that…" He looked down at his hands, clenching them faintly. "That would be worse than death."
Lilith pouted, crossing her arms.
"You're overthinking it, Edward. If the result's good, what's the harm?"
Then, with the air of someone much older and wiser, she patted him on the shoulder.
"Ah, Edward, you're still too young! Too idealistic! You haven't seen enough of the world."
"…"
Edward shot her a deadpan look, pushing her forehead away with a finger.
"Alright, alright, I get it. You've lived longer, you win."
"Hehe, didn't I tell you? Miss New Lilith is only a few days old~" she teased, sticking out her tongue.
Edward chuckled and shook his head, then said seriously,
"Anyway, if we want to uncover the full truth, we'll have to go there—not just the Forsaken Land of the Gods, but the Chaos Sea itself."
Lilith frowned.
"But didn't the True Creator forbid you from going to the Forsaken Land?"
"There's another way to reach the Chaos Sea," he said.
Her eyes lit up instantly.
"Where?"
"In the outskirts of Backlund, there's an abandoned Sanguine's castle. Beneath it lies a massive bronze door—when I was there once, I felt the same oppressive presence as the Chaos Sea. I'm convinced that door leads directly to it."
Lilith didn't hesitate.
"Then I'm going with you!"
Edward shook his head at once.
"No. The Chaos Sea is a pure Sefirot. I can go because I'm immune to corruption—you can't."
Lilith's lips pursed.
"And what if something happens to you?"
"Relax, Lilith. I don't have much time left anyway. I might as well use what's left of it to get as much done as I can."
She fell silent, staring at him with a faintly trembling lip.
Edward smiled and gently ruffled her hair.
"By the way…did Adam ask you for something similar?"
She shook her head.
"No. He only said He'd help me advance to Red Priest."
That made Edward's expression instantly harden.
"Red Priest!" he blurted, gripping her shoulders. "Lilith—don't jump to the Red Priest pathway!"
"Why?"
Her brows furrowed, her tone turning defensive.
"The Demoness Pathway is already blocked by Cheek. If I don't take the Red Priest route, how can I ever gain the power to defeat Her?"
"Even if I gave up revenge," she continued, her voice cold and rational, "Cheek won't let me or Lil Krismona live. Whether it's to reclaim the authority of the Mirror World or to destroy the remaining high-sequence witches, a fight is inevitable."
"And besides," she added, her tone softening, "in just over a hundred years, the barrier will fall. Only by becoming Red Priest first can I plan to destroy the natural disasters. That's the only way to survive the Outer Gods' descent."
"Edward, becoming Red Priest is my best option."
Edward opened his mouth but couldn't find the words.
Her reasoning was sound—painfully so.
Lilith was thinking about survival, power, and godhood.
Meanwhile, his concern was something as small, as selfish, as…not wanting to see her become a man.
The difference in perspective, in time, in understanding—it was stark and undeniable.
He forced a smile, though there was a quiet ache behind it.
"You're right," he said softly. "I'll do my best to reach a level strong enough to protect you before the Apocalypse comes."
He gave a small, self-deprecating laugh.
"Forgive my childishness…I just don't want there to ever be a day when Lilith turns into a man."
Lilith blinked, startled—and then her lips curved into a bright, tender smile.
"Fine then," she said softly. "Miss Lilith will wait for that day—wait for the day Edward gains the strength to protect me."
She extended her pinky.
"So you must promise me…"
"To stay safe, okay?"
Edward raised his own pinky with a grin.
"Pinky promise."
"Pinky promise!"
Their fingers had just hooked together when—
A sudden, icy shadow spread across the room.
A figure in a flowing black robe materialised out of the darkness, her beauty divine yet lifeless. Her eyes were void, empty of emotion.
It was the Evernight Goddess's vessel—Her divine descent.
Her voice was soft and distant, yet carried the weight of eternity.
"Lilith," She said calmly, "I have fulfilled My part of our bargain."
Her gaze shifted slightly, falling on both of them.
"Now it is time for you to fulfil yours."
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.