Beyond the Eternity

The Sixth Main Story was centered around mystery.

Participants, the Storywalkers, would enter the Void Mansion, owned by the Witch of Darkness, and try to solve the deaths of its inhabitants.

The case was called the Crimson Heirloom Incident.

The objective seemed simple: solve the mystery and clear the Fable. But the reality was anything but straightforward.

In order to solve the mystery, we needed to find the Shattered Fragments containing the «Memories» related to the Void House. They were all broken parts of a «Greater Memory», and if all of them were gathered, the Sixth Main Story was as good as cleared.

Straightforward, right?

But, as I mentioned, the scenario was far from simple.

The Fragments we needed to solve the mystery was shattered throughout the Mansion, so they could be anywhere. Despite our efforts, we had managed to gather only a handful and uncover some significant evidence. Beyond that, our search led nowhere.

It was as if the Fragments had vanished into thin air.

To make matters worse, my memory of the Sixth Fable from Song of Nightmares was incomplete, leaving me with little to work with.

I frowned, the pieces in my mind refusing to align.

If there had been any information about the Sixth Fable in Song of Nightmares, I would have speedrun it, solving the mystery at lightning speed — just like gamers who rush through games they've already completed.

But there was no such information in Song of Nightmares, which in itself was highly suspicious.

Something felt off.

Why had the Author provided so little information about the Sixth Main Story?

Initially, I dismissed it as an unimportant story, something skipped over for its lack of significance. But standing here, immersed in the Sixth Fable, I knew how wrong that assumption had been.

How could the Author omit something so vital? Was it intentional?

No, that couldn't be true. If it were deliberate, that would mean the Author somehow knew that his novel «Song of the Fallen» would become reality.

But how could that be possible? An Omniscient Author in the real world? Even the concept of becoming an Omniscient Reader felt absurdly far-fetched.

Then again... I don't know what to believe anymore. What if everything, from the very beginning, was predetermined by some higher power?

As much as I wanted to dismiss it as illogical, it was the only explanation that made any sense.

A mysterious author, someone nobody knew anything about, had written a story... and somehow, the events of that story had become reality.

Monsters from an apocalyptic world were brought into existence.

Characters from a novel became real people, while real people became characters.

Gods and demons, once confined to myth, became the protagonists of their own Narratives and Archetypes.

And finally, the three protagonists of that fictional world were brought to life, and became the main characters of the ruined world.

Was it a coincidence or was everything predetermined?

I resisted the laughter emerging from within the abyss. Truly, everything felt is unreal. It was like a nightmare that I couldn't escape from, no matter how many times I woke up.

However, in this nightmare, there was a strange beauty.

At least, I had finally escaped my 'sickness'. That should count for something, right?

"Jakga-ssi?"

The voice of Moon Jiyeon, the High Priestess, snapped me back to reality. She was staring at me with a puzzled expression.

"Ah, sorry. Were you saying something?"

"What's wrong? You seem distant lately. Are you still shaken by Ryu Yeji-ssi's death?"

"What nonsense," I shrugged. "Can I really be bothered by the death of someone I don't know? I was just lost in thought."

Besides, I had planned to use that person as a sacrifice from the very start, so it would be strange if I felt any pity for his unfortunate end.

If I did feel pity, that would make me a hypocrite.

Moon Jiyeon stared at me for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.

"If you say you're not bothered, I'll take your word for it. Still, it's a strange situation, so I wouldn't blame you if it was weighing on you. But please, stay focused."

"Don't worry. I understand."

"Alright then." She clapped her hands together, with a determined look crossing her face. "Let's go over everything we've gathered so far, just to make sure we're all on the same page."

She placed a sheet of paper on the table and began writing. Everyone watched closely as she reviewed the evidence we had gathered.

"So far, we know that the Family Head, Reginald, was murdered in his study while everyone else was in the parlor, discussing the inheritance and the vast amount of gold. Since his children were all present during that intellectual discussion, they can't be the primary suspects. That leaves us with the Family Head's personal butler, George, and the rest of the household staff.

However, despite knowing that a mysterious assailant was among them, none of them managed to escape. All the entrances and exits were locked. Shortly after, Adrian was discovered dead in a first-floor room, with his chest riddled with over fifty stab wounds. The murderer remains unidentified.

That's all we've uncovered so far. We don't know exactly how many people have died or how they were killed or even how many survived. Perhaps, if we can determine that, we can use the information to pinpoint the killer."

She explained everything in one breath before clicking the pen she had pulled out from who knows where.

Wait a minute.

I narrowed my eyes.

She was wearing a black dress, clearly without any pockets. There were no signs of dimensional storage devices on her either.

So where, exactly, did that pen come from?

Soo Jinyoung, who had been listening quietly, spoke up in a voice full of seriousness, like a detective unveiling a crucial clue. "We don't have any leads on who could have killed the Family Head, but I did find something about Adrian Valoment."

Moon Jiyeon raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You did?"

"Yes," Soo Jinyoung continued. "After examining the servant rooms and going through the Fragments there, I discovered that the maidservant Rosa was in a serious, physical relationship with Adrian."

"Oh... Isn't that interesting?" Moon Jiyeon mused. "But given his status, I doubt anyone would have approved of such a relationship."

Soo Jinyoung nodded. "Exactly. Most of the family disapproved, except for his father, Dante, and his stepmother, Luna, who didn't seem to care much about his existence."

Hold on... Stepmother?

I frowned. "Wait a minute... She's his stepmother, not his mother? Then why did the family refer to Adrian as her child?"

"Dante lied to the family, claiming Adrian was his son by Luna," Soo Jinyoung explained. "The truth is, Adrian's real mother died before they married. Dante and Luna wed after her death, when Adrian was already born, making him an illegitimate child. If you look closely at Adrian and Luna, you'll see they don't share any similar features."

Had she figured that out through a memory?

How was she able to compare Adrian and Luna's features when they appeared in shadow form?

Ah!

The realization hit me like lightning.

Although the characters in the memories appeared in shadow form, there were still ways to distinguish them—things like their clothes, body shape, and even their hair.

If I remembered correctly, Luna had short white hair, while Adrian's was blonde.

Even if their facial features were hidden, the differences between them were clear. As for the father, he wasn't blonde; his hair was a deep crimson, just like the other children of Reginald, except Isabella, who resembled their mother, Minerva.

Hmm... But how was that connected to Adrian's murder?

"Ah, I see. Could it be that Luna resented Adrian because he was the child of the woman who won Dante's heart before her?"

"What? How did you come to that conclusion so quickly?" Moon Jiyeon asked, surprised.

I chuckled. "Aren't you a bit naive? You really underestimate the power of love and jealousy. Have you ever been so envious of someone that you wanted to strangle them to death with your own hands?"

"W-What? Why would I... do such a thing?"

"See? That's exactly my point. You're too innocent in that regard. People can easily become envious, especially when someone else has what they want. Sometimes it's money, sometimes it's an object, and other times it's love. Whatever the case may be, that envy festers, slowly poisoning the mind, until it transforms you. By the time you realize it, you've already done something you never thought you were capable of."

"It's almost scary how you explained that in such a detailed manner."

"You should watch some crime documentaries on the KBS channel. You'll learn alot of things about human physiology."

"I see. In any case, are you saying Luna is a suspect for Adrian's murder?"

"Hmm... I won't say she's the one responsible for his death, but she's indeed a suspect."

Moon Jiyeon looked confused, "Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"Luna might hold some resentment toward Adrian," I explained, gesturing lightly with my hand, "but the true target of her animosity was his real mother. After her death, that resentment likely shifted to Adrian, though it's much less intense since the original source of her anger is gone. Even if her dislike for Adrian stems from her troubled history with his mother, it doesn't seem severe enough to drive her to murder. At most, she'd likely just ignore his existence altogether."

I turned to Soo Jinyoung and asked, "What do you think about Luna? Do you think she's the killer?"

She shook her head, "I don't think she's the killer. She doesn't have the aura or presence that a killer would."

Such a simple answer. But it was enough for me.

"That settles it, then. Luna's off the list of suspects. Any other suggestions?"

Yoo Rin raised her hand tentatively.

"Yes?"

"Ahjussi, I think Iris is the killer."

"Iris?" I frowned. "Julian's and Victoria's daughter, right?"

"That's right."

"What makes you say that? Did you find something?"

"Um, yes. Give me a second." Yoo Rin reached beside her, pulling out a small journal with the name «Iris» boldly etched across the cover.

"This is Iris's diary," she announced, holding it up for all to see. "It's filled with all sorts of secrets—everything from her meals to her thoughts about friends, names of the boys she's been with, and, most disturbingly, her feelings for Adrian."

I raised an eyebrow. "Her feelings for Adrian... Are you implying what I think you are?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Yoo Rin muttered, with her face twisting in disgust. "I don't get it. How could anyone... like their own—" She cut herself off, shaking her head violently. "Ugh, it's disgusting. I shouldn't have read it."

Rubbing her temples, she looked genuinely traumatized, as if merely touching the diary had left a stain.

What exactly was written in that book to cause such an reaction?

It was impossible not to become curious.

"Yoo Rin, pass the journal to me. Let me take a look."

"Are you sure, Ahjussi? It's... extreme."

"Do you think I'm that fragile? Hand it over."

Hesitating, Yoo Rin finally passed it to me. I opened the diary, skimming through the entries quickly. Then I froze and trembled.

I blinked.

Huh?

Then I blinked again.

What the hell did I just read?

I'd heard of forbidden love. I understood the taboo. But this… this was something else altogether. The sheer depravity of what was written here was enough to stir even my hardened stomach. If not for my strong mental fortitude, I might have vomited on the spot.

I now understood why Yoo Rin looked so shaken.

This wasn't something a child needed to see. No, no child should ever read what was written here.

"Hmm? Ahjussi, why are you making that face?" Miyuki asked, leaning over to peek at the journal.

Without thinking, I snapped it shut and stored it in the Watcher's Dimensional Coat.

"It's nothing important."

Miyuki's eyes narrowed. "Nothing important? Then why are you hiding it? People don't hide things that aren't important."

I sighed but didn't respond. Some things were better left unsaid.

No matter what, I must never let Miyuki read this book, or else her innocence would be ruined.