The atmosphere around them changed, as if a fire pit had opened beneath the ground, making the air burn hot.
Deuso stood in front of Anon, his head lowered.
"Anon… the child I saved from the highest level of the cosmos.
A place where even god-humans would meet a dead end… yet this child survived there for a thousand years," he thought.
Anon's mind was blank, waiting for Deuso's answer.
Neither of them spoke a single word.
Then, Anon suddenly broke the silence.
With a cheerful laugh, he said,
"Uhhh… hehehe… what's with that face, Dad? I'm just joking!"
He sat down on a chair near the door.
But Deuso's expression didn't change at all.
"Anon… it's time for me to let the cub live on its own.
You already know this world isn't what I told you it was.
This place… is something I created so we could live together in peace.
And now, Anon… I'll ask you again: what is the path you've chosen?"
Anon's face darkened. He bit his lip.
His chest tightened; his breathing grew uneven.
The thought of leaving Deuso—the only person who ever made him feel loved—felt like tearing his heart apart.
Why can't this moment last forever? Why can't I stay?
Memories of quiet mornings, Deuso's laugh, and days spent together flashed through his mind.
"D-Dad… I still want to live with you!" he cried out, his voice trembling.
He had never truly planned to live without his foster father. His question had only been to ask how long they could stay together—because he never wanted it to end… even if it felt like nothing more than a dream.
"Anon! Remember, this place is just a dream… but our memories will remain.
So… I'll be honest with you: I'm really, really happy I got to spend it with you."
Deuso's heart felt at peace. The words he had wanted to say had finally reached Anon. And now, he felt ready to leave Anon's side.
"Come on, Anon!" he shouted.
Anon turned toward him, whimpering as tears streamed down his face.
He wiped his face, breathing deeply.
If I stay, I'll keep living in this lie… but if I go, maybe I can make something real.
Slowly, strength replaced his fear.
"I want to go to that place—the land with two continents! I want to live there! And I want to solve that world's problems!"
He raised his head, looking at Deuso with newfound resolve.
The world around them began to fade.
Anon reached out his hand toward Deuso, who smiled gently at him.
And Deuso's last words became part of Anon's very being:
"Anon, remember: the moment you decide to do something… never regret that you chose to do it."
Words that carried love.
As everything vanished—the house where he grew up, the garden where he played, the animals he watched every day—all of it faded from sight.
Anon's chest ached, but deep inside, something felt lighter, as if the weight of doubt had fallen away.
Darkness swallowed everything.
And then… something new.
Something different.
The old world disappeared.
Anon now lay on unfamiliar ground, staring up at an unfamiliar sky.
As if those precious memories had only lasted for a heartbeat.
Memories of Deuso—the one who cared for him, the one he saw as a true father.
Gwaaa!
Frustration and emptiness rose inside him.
"Deuso… is this that world?" he thought.
He pushed himself up from the ground and looked around.
A new place.
Birds chirped in a soft, gentle rhythm. Grass swayed in the breeze. The wind played with his long brown hair. Towering trees shaded the smaller ones. Everything was lush and green, filled with plants unknown to him.
"It's useless to just sit here and cry," he whispered, wiping away his tears.
Then he stood, tying his hair back with a strand of strong grass he had picked.
And he started walking—without any destination.
"This is my story! One day, people will tell it to their children at night!" he shouted from the top of a mountain.
---
One year passed.
Anon struggled through unknown lands: fighting giant beasts, learning which berries were poison, and sleeping in caves while monsters prowled outside.
At times, he nearly gave up, wishing Deuso were still there.
But through hardship, he discovered a strange power inside himself—a gift that kept him moving forward.
At last, he reached the place he had dreamed of.
Towering walls protected a city of metal towers and glowing screens.
This was the continent where technology itself was life.
Nothing brought them joy unless it was built by their own hands.
Knowledge was their power—and power was their technology.
"Wow! That place is so cool!" Anon whispered, standing atop a distant mountain, heart pounding with excitement.
His goal was clear:
To discover which was better—
A world where technology rules,
or a world shaped by unnatural powers.
And when he found the answer…
his true story would begin:
The tale of how one boy changed humanity for the better.
"My hard work paid off. Thanks to this ability I have.
And now… it's time for me to start writing my story."