"What do you mean?"
Zane felt something was subtly off.
Jane's words were too vague—cryptic talk about the past that he couldn't make sense of.
"I should have realized this sooner. After everything we went through... I wouldn't mistake it..."
A flicker of reminiscence passed through Jane's eyes before she murmured softly,
"Reversing cause and effect..."
She looked directly at Zane and spoke firmly.
"I'm sorry. If my guess is right, I can't explain much to you..."
Jane wasn't stupid. Even with the short time they'd spent together, she'd already formed her own suspicions. That alone made further explanation inappropriate.
Besides, she needed more time to confirm her theories with certainty.
Her thoughts wandered back to the underground black market. Considering the kind of power she had witnessed, her hypothesis—though far-fetched—wasn't impossible.
A faint smile crossed her lips. Reflected in the rain-drenched night, it didn't appear cold, but instead held a trace of warmth.
Suddenly, she recalled the incident between her and Zane after the explosion. Her expression stiffened for a moment before a faint blush crept across her face, hidden by the dim light.
Stealing boots... really...
Still, if it was him... then just boots weren't worth fussing over.
She shook her head lightly, brushing aside the tangle of thoughts. As she straightened, her eyes met Zane's — he had just glanced her way.
Unlike Zane's confusion, Jane's gaze carried an unusual gentleness.
"Can't explain?"
"What's there to explain?"
Zane raised an eyebrow. He could sense Jane felt something toward him—something difficult to define.
It wasn't romantic affection.
It was a peculiar sort of attachment.
At that thought, Zane instinctively stepped back half a pace.
Attachment? What the hell?
If he went by this life alone, he might even be younger than Jane. How did that make any sense?
Did this make sense? Was this even reasonable?
"I'm going to rest."
Noticing Zane's deliberate attempt to keep his distance, Jane didn't mind. She simply smiled, rose, and said softly.
At least she'd found him.
She'd thought it was just a colleague's birthday party, but unexpectedly, there was this pleasant surprise...
When she first learned the name "Zane," she shouldn't have brushed it aside because of age. She should have checked sooner...
Zane gave a slight nod. Since Jane insisted she couldn't explain—and clearly wouldn't no matter how he asked—there was no point pressing further.
After she left, Zane didn't return to his room. Instead, he remained by the window. Outside, torrential rain poured down, blurring everything in sight.
The snow that had covered New Eridu had already been washed away, leaving only scattered ice crystals as proof it had once been there.
"A storm is coming..."
The words surfaced in Zane's mind unbidden. He murmured them quietly, a sense of looming upheaval weighing on him.
And all of it... likely tied to Hollow Zero.
He set his thoughts aside, turned, and sat on the sofa. Slowly, he closed his eyes.
Not to rest.
But to seek someone out.
That mysterious entity within Hollow Zero, and the matter between them—perhaps the woman who called herself the World's Will could shed light.
...
"You've come."
The familiar field stretched out around him. Zane stood among the weeds, his gaze settling on the woman crouched nearby, admiring flowers.
Her voice reached his ears, and Zane spoke softly.
"You knew I'd come?"
"Of course."
She stood and smiled at him. Over time, her features had become clear. Yet perhaps because of their perfection, they carried an unreal, almost illusory quality.
"Then you know what I want to ask?"
"Hmm... not exactly."
"But you do have questions, don't you?"
Zane nodded. As he approached her, he cut straight to the point.
"How much do you know about that one?"
A thoughtful look flickered across her face. Not only were her features distinct now, but her mannerisms and expressions were animated as well.
"Not much. After all, He isn't here."
She naturally understood who Zane meant by "that one."
"So He really is above the heavens?"
Zane seized on the key point immediately. If her words could be trusted, then Shin's suspicions had been correct.
But in truth, there was no need to doubt further. His own experiences had proven it. If not for the difficulty of maintaining control, the battles he fought in Hollow Zero would have been far more grueling.
That slash had been anything but easy. And after delivering it, his combat power had dropped by at least forty percent.
A decline nearly identical to what Section 6 experienced after their grueling aerial battles and constant drain.
"Not necessarily—but close enough."
"In any case, it weakens Him greatly. You don't need to worry too much about Hollow Zero. Nothing major will change in the short term."
"Unless someone does something suicidal..."
She explained briefly, then continued,
"His hostility toward you is certain. The moment you came into being, He already knew of your existence."
"I don't mean when consciousness was born."
"You mean when the body was born?"
Zane raised an eyebrow, recalling the moment he first woke to find himself as an Ethereal.
"So that means..."
His eyes flickered.
"My appearance in the Cretan Hollow wasn't an accident, but rather..."
"If by Cretan you mean that Hollow, then yes—you're correct. It was never random. Your awakening there was destined."
She nodded, affirming his unfinished thought, and added,
"Your birth was orchestrated by the World itself, in another place—very far from where you are now."
"The World is vast, and Hollow Zero isn't the most corrupted place. You know this—you and the Ethereal share the same origin."
"Later, when humans took you away, I didn't interfere. What they did aligned with my own intentions."
Zane nodded slightly. So someone had placed him there... but who?
The Hive Master Hollow's subjugator, Sunbringer, had left behind consciousness. What about the others...?
"But there's one thing I can't confirm—your true origin..."
She fixed her eyes on him as she spoke.
"I once considered creating a complete life form. But when humanity resisted, I realized it wasn't suitable."
"A complete life form might not carry responsibility—the variables were too great. So when they began taking in consciousnesses, I made a selection."
"And you were the right choice. So I didn't stop it."
Her words drifted past him, carried on the wind that rustled through the grass. Zane thought for a moment, then understood.
Shin had once told him that Professor Arche had brought in a consciousness from beyond the world to fight against it...
But now she claimed it had been her decision to allow it.
If asked which to believe, Zane leaned toward her version. A consciousness from beyond the world might not be bound by it—but that didn't mean it had the strength to oppose it.
"I digress. What I'm still uncertain about is your origin. To ensure you were suitable, I observed fragments of your memory."
"Your world... and this one long ago... were far too similar. Almost identical."
"Their civilization, language, even their writing... all of it..."
Hearing her words, Zane lifted his head slightly.
He, too, had harbored doubts about these things—the script and language of New Eridu, and other details.
He'd ignored them before. Thinking about them never led anywhere.
"Does it matter?"
Zane murmured softly.
Upon hearing this, the woman paused briefly before murmuring softly,
"It's nothing, just my own doubts. Compared to what lies ahead, it's insignificant. You needn't concern yourself..."
She waved her hand lightly, then turned and walked deeper into the realm of consciousness.
"In any case, the hostility between Him and you is inherent, unavoidable. One of you must disappear."
"Under my restraint, He cannot yet descend upon the world. But resisting indefinitely is impossible. He is constantly consuming this world, and one day, when the corruption has spread far enough, He will come..."
"And when that day comes, even time will be no more."
The woman sat beneath the shade of a tree. A chessboard appeared before her, floating into place. Looking at Zane, she asked,
"Do you play chess?"
Zane nodded and seated himself across from her. With Qingyi's skills, she could play any game—and because of their frequent matches, he too had become proficient in them all.
As a piece landed crisply on the board, Zane spoke softly.
"So, what you want is for me to eliminate the Hollows as much as I can, reclaim my power, and stop His descent?"
"Exactly. Buy time, strengthen yourself bit by bit, and in the end—I will help you erase the enemy completely."
The woman nodded. Her clear, ringing voice carried over the sharp sound of stones striking the board.
"Sounds a bit too easy..."
From her lips, it almost seemed as though everything could proceed step by step, as if victory were certain. But Zane knew better.
If it were that simple, there'd be no need for someone like him. There were countless easier solutions...
The complexity of it all was obvious.
"Tsk, hardly easy. Do I sound all that relaxed to you?"
She arched an eyebrow, letting out a quiet laugh.
"You're not really the world's will, are you?"
Zane suddenly spoke, though his hand never stopped. The black stones on the board were already forming the shape of a great dragon.
At his words, the woman's hand faltered briefly.
"The world's will—it sounds absolute. But it wouldn't exist in this form. And you... you don't resemble it in the least."
Zane lifted his gaze, eyes sharp. Back in the Dead End Hollow, he had experienced firsthand what it meant to be touched by divinity.
Even for someone like him, whose mind was overwhelmingly human, that sensation had been overwhelming. How could the will of the world feel so... human?
Strictly speaking, humanity was insignificant, little more than a speck upon the body of the world.
She might be a fragment of the world's will—but never its embodiment.
The woman was silent for two seconds before dropping her piece.
"Does it matter?"
"Whatever the case, I am deeply connected to the world. And right now, I am intent on helping you..."
"But you're lying to me."
Her gaze lowered, but Zane didn't let her redirect the conversation. He spoke plainly, without hesitation.
"Does... this count as lying?"
A flicker of hesitation passed over her face. Her voice grew quiet.
"Of course it does."
Zane shook his head. He pressed his piece firmly onto the board, cutting off her attempt to "slay the dragon" before it even began.
"But after what happened with the Twins, I don't really care..."
As silence thickened, Zane's words broke it again. She seemed to realize something, glancing at him.
"So stubborn... you have to seize control at every turn. No wonder..."
Not only did he have a strong will of his own, but he also had the ability to enter this place by choice... She had originally intended to lead him along step by step.
"But I can promise you this—aside from that one point, everything else I've said today is true."
Seeing the game had already turned against her, the woman let out a sigh and conceded with a gesture. Yet her words shifted to other matters.
"I know."
"If there were lies in this, I wouldn't be sitting here playing chess with you."
Zane studied the board and chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"My senior always calls me a terrible player. But that's only compared to her. Looking at you now... you fit the same category."
He said it lightly, then rose to his feet. Having confirmed the identity of the one with blood-red eyes, he was ready to leave.
But just then, the woman spoke again.
"Stay for a few more games."
"This place hasn't served its full purpose yet. The longer you remain, the more it will benefit you..."
Zane's expression shifted slightly at her words.
Purpose?
So there was more to this place than the insight into life he'd gained with the twins?
He had to admit, this world did sharpen his understanding and control of power. The twins had given him insight into life itself, and even his strength now contained traces of that essence. This miniature world was no small aid.
If his grasp of life deepened further, perhaps he could grant Ethereals true consciousness—or even create a living Ethereal...
With that thought, Zane no longer felt any urgency to leave.
After all, outside he was merely sleeping.
As for the other purposes of this place... he would discover them in time.
...
Dawn broke, the sky growing lighter.
In the living room, Zane slowly opened his eyes on the sofa, traces of thought still lingering in his gaze.
Just as he was about to rise, he suddenly felt a weight on his arm.
Turning his head, he froze in surprise as his eyes fell on the figure beside him.
"Jane?"