Myriad Spontaneity unveiled everything that happened to us—to Mars. The causal thread I followed exposed it all.
The moment we were moved away, Mars became completely isolated from the rest of the solar system. It was caused by temporal disruptions, something that occurs whenever a future projection steps up to affect the present.
We are not just facing one future projection, but multiple of them!
Using Leylah’s abnormal state as the weak point, they turned Mars into a special isolated space. Time became chaotic. Future projections affected the present by exerting their influence. Things could change in a blink, following their thoughts.
The original Sea of Data existed as a ‘Bubble World’ anchored by the Supercomputer. It contained the entirety of Mars’ civilization within. The strangeness lay in the fact that the Sea of Quanta is superior to the Imaginary Tree—at least inside this place. The latter is always stronger than the former, taking the superior position. The Sea of Data became a special place that defied the norm.
Leylah’s heart demon as well as her suspected future projection proceeded to turn everything into a chaotic mush. Their existence added several unpredictable factors in the already unstable Sea of Data.
No wonder I perceived it as a considerable danger.
Fortunately, everyone who came here attained the eighth-level Tao Heart. That is the biggest reassurance I could receive. All I need to do now is to focus on what is in front of me.
Beyond the rift is the familiar Oxia City. The Bubble World contained inside this ‘Supercomputer’ continued to let out signs of life. However, there are no people present within. My mind continued to be suppressed, unable to be projected externally from my true body. Conversely, the chaotic fluctuations could not do anything to me.
“This… it shouldn’t be like this.”
Senadina’s words made me pause. I looked at her star-like irises and noticed them shaking.
“It was supposed to lead to the present. Why is it like this?”
“Your existence is tampered with. The Dao of Time brought you back to life, but the Dao of Withering destined you to bring destruction… to me.”
“..?!”
Her shock grew apparent on her face. She immediately distanced herself from me, afraid of my words coming true. I sighed, wanting to explain the overall situation to her.
Unfortunately, the culprit has already shown herself.
“This isn’t something Miss Leylah won’t do.”
As words flowed out of my mouth, the current Goddess of Mars emerged.
*****
Tick.
Tock.
The passing breeze marked the pendulum’s swing.
Sword.
Stone.
Sunlight cast a long shadow beneath the trees.
Sky.
Firmament.
Heaven.
The blue sky remained unattainable, marking the difference of heaven and earth.
Heart.
World.
Tree.
The succulent fruit ripened, dropping from the tree’s branch. Its impact left a bruise on the otherwise perfect fruit. It stopped rolling once it went to the woman’s side.
Body.
Limbs.
Confinement.
A story…
…
Nay.
It is an author long forgotten.
“..!”
The woman sitting underneath the towering tree opened her eyes. The black robe tightly hugged her body. Its ends draped onto the moist grassland. The pair of black transparent stockings concealed her attractive legs. The pair of black heels on her perfect feet were stained with several droplets of moisture, staining it with the earthy scent of the ground.
Her multi-colored irises stared blankly at the distance. The peaceful scenery did not suppress the chaotic thoughts inside her mind.
“What am I forgetting?”
“What did I forget?”
“Who did I forget?”
Beneath her legs, there were bright blue and purple flowers crushed by Leylah’s weight. It was unknown how long she was sitting in place. They were devoid of life. Signs of withering appeared on their petals. Only a small portion retained the color blue. The rest had long turned into dried husks.
Leylah recognized them. Earth had uniformly called it the scorpion flower.
Its other name—
‘Forget-me-nots.’
It snapped her out of daze. Her mind dug up the memories blurred by the cruel tribulation.
“I… He… He is…”
There was once a man.
His back bore the weight of an entire world. He was destined to become a hero despite his ideals unbecoming of one. He was selfish. He cared about those around him. He could sacrifice the others…
As well as himself.
Leylah frantically dug his name from the depths of her soul. The outstanding Dao she attained placed her at the pinnacle of this world. She bore the title of a Supreme exclusive to this world’s Tribulation Transcendence Realm experts. Her will could envelop countless worlds in an instant, forcibly dictating their stories. A single gaze could turn most otherworldly gods into ashes. She is the holder of the Dao of Blossoming Heart. An undying being who could crush the River of Time and grasp the lives of others in her hands.
Yet…
Yet..!
‘Who is he?’
Asking this question was the equivalent of giving up. Something in Leylah’s heart broke. The Supreme One faced her most terrifying predicament. Her major tribulation took the shape of someone she had forgotten, becoming the most fatal blade aimed at her heart. She was destined to never emerge victorious.
As such, Leylah began a vicious cycle once more.
Tick.
Tock.
The passing breeze marked the pendulum’s swing.
Sword.
Stone.
Sunlight cast a long shadow beneath the trees.
Sky.
Firmament.
Heaven.
The blue sky remained unattainable, marking the difference of heaven and earth.
Heart.
World.
Tree.
The succulent fruit ripened, dropping from the tree’s branch. Its impact left a bruise on the otherwise perfect fruit. It stopped rolling once it went to the woman’s side.
Body.
Limbs.
Confinement.
A story…
…
Nay.
It is an author long forgotten.
Her shut eyes opened faster than before. The faint and fleeting ominousness emerged once more. Leylah badly wanted to utter that name, but her throat could not find the strength to do so.
It didn’t take long for her to restart once more.
Tick.
Tock.
The passing breeze…
Tick.
Tock…
…
Sword…
…
Stone…
…
…author…
…
…forgotten.
At first, Leylah’s reactions became sharper. She was set on determining what was wrong with her. However, she proved to be powerless in doing so. Attempts after attempts passed by. She lost count of her failures.
Her body did not.
Her reactions grew more sluggish with every attempt. What Leylah lost within each failure wasn’t just the opportunity to remember that name. The rampant tribulation energy ate her heart slowly. The Dao she attained at the world’s end showed cracks as it started to crumble.
After an umpteenth attempt, Leylah completely lost that name. She could no longer remember that resolute face… nor that broad back.
She lost everything.
In such a manner, the twenty-second Supreme of this world met her demise…