300 Breaking The Illusion [1]
Dream after dreams.
I was subjected to living in one illusion after another. These intricate nightmares made go through several lives, each one familiar yet new.
But it didn't matter. No matter how layered and complex an illusion was, it didn't trap for too long.
As soon as I rembered my true identity, the dream would shatter, and my death would follow.
The illusion that held captive for the longest ti was the one where I had almost everything—a caring wife, a lovely daughter, more than enough wealth to last generations, and literally anything else I could've asked for.
It was a perfect life. And that's why it was the most difficult illusion to break. I was hesitant to leave all that behind.
Yes, it was a monotonous life… but it was beautiful.
After that pleasant illusion, I was thrown into harrowing nightmares. Only tornt, suffering, and agony followed in those distressing illusions.
I beca a soldier who watched as a godlike demonic killed my comrades and lover right in front of my eyes.
I beca a tactician who was betrayed and killed by my own second-in-
command — a vampire disguised as my confidant.
After that, I saw a world where the long war had ended, but half the world lay in ruins.
Before we could even start to celebrate, however, an ebony Dragon descended upon our planet, wreaking unrestrained havoc before killing us as insignificant insects.
Then, in another illusion, I beca a nobleman's son. I went to a military academy, and there I t a talented young man who sparked my insecurities.
After all, I was an elite, while he—a complete nobody—surpassed in literally everything.
My one-sided jealousy found its way to him and we turned into bitter enemies over ti.
Eventually, however, I realized that only he alone was capable of saving our war-filled world.
That's why, when we found ourselves in a perilous situation, I sacrificed myself to ensure his survival.
But before my death, I realized that my sacrifice was insignificant and that the world was destined to et its end anyway.
We couldn't stop the Apocalypse…
After that, in the next illusion, I found myself getting squashed by the sa giant ebony Dragon once again.
Then, I was killed by a vampire foot soldier. And then, I tried to battle a Vampire King and t my demise.
One after another, I was killed over and over again. Yet, the worst part was that I couldn't move on to the next illusion without experiencing the previous one to its end.
I realized that my deaths and sacrifices never held any aning, as the world would inevitably co to an end regardless of my actions.
Well, at least breaking those illusions wasn't as difficult as that seven-year one. Rembering myself within that chaos ca easily.
As soon as I rembered myself, I would be killed. Sotis, I only rembered myself at the brink of death.
It was a nightmarish loop. However, I never ca close to my breaking limit. After a certain point, nothing I saw or experienced affected anymore.
The illusions stopped having any impact on my ntal state.
Yes, it was still a grim sight, especially witnessing them consecutively, endlessly watching my loved ones die.
But sothing inside was soon broken.
Eventually, I stopped living those nightmares and began spectating them as if I were watching a first-person pov movie play out before .
I felt disconnected from reality, or whatever that could be called.
The last torturous illusion I endured revolved around witnessing my loved ones die before my eyes, yet again for the millionth ti.
Not a flicker of emotion flashed on my face as I listened to their agonizing cries. The Vampire Monarch, the cause of all that destruction, took my life along with theirs.
This ti, however, after I died and the darkness of death claid , I didn't wake up to live another nightmare.
Instead, after a while, two shiny eyes resembling bright pools of crimson appeared in the darkness before .
Gazing at with a mixture of contempt, rage, pity, and indignation, the pair of eyes remained suspended in the air.
After so ti, an authoritative voice resonated through the darkness and asked a question:
"Why? Why can't you just rest? Haven't you already endured enough pain? Haven't you witnessed enough death?! Just stop! I don't want to hurt you."
A bitter smile lit up my face as I stared at the brilliant pair of crimson eyes. "I didn't succeed in killing you, did I?"
I heard a soft, affirmative sigh before a tall, gaunt figure stepped out of the darkness ahead of . It was the vampire in the red dress from the cafe.
"When did you trap in your illusion? I just rember I avoided direct eye contact with you," I asked, my tone indifferent.
The vampire looked at with an odd expression.
In response, she stated, "You were ensnared the very mont you stepped into the cafe."
Chuckling softly, I nodded. "Ah, I see. I suppose I underestimated your abilities."
"You certainly did," the vampire agreed. "I had heard quite a bit about you, you know? After the King's Tournant, you gained a reputation as a genius strategist and once again people started calling you a prodigy."
After a brief pause, she continued:
"Naturally, when I saw you, I was more than slightly concerned. But defeating you turned out to be rather easy. However, to double-check, I asked about your plan of action, only to find out you had none."
Alia had indeed asked about my plan. So, that was an illusion as well?
"But even after I trapped you in my illusions, your subconscious stubbornly resisted, manifesting itself to remind you that you were in a dream. If only you had surrendered! If only you weren't so fucking relentless!" The vampire's words were tinged with frustration.
Through clenched teeth, she continued, "I made a promise to my beloved that I wouldn't harm a human. But you… You're far too dangerous to be left alive. I apologize, hero, but I have no choice but to end your life."
"'Hero'?" I raised an eyebrow in skepticism.
"Indeed," the vampire replied, tilting her head back slightly. "Your mories are fragnted. Soone has sealed off your mories using arcane magic. It's rather ironic that the only individual aware of the truth of the world knows nothing about his own self."
My forehead creased in confusion as I asked her to explain further, "What do you an?"
With a sigh, the vampire elaborated, "I tried to look into your mories… but I was taken aback by the state of your mind. Those illusions I made you through... they weren't entirely crafted by . They were your own mories. I just based my illusions on them."
What? I practically gaped at her revelation as even my eyes almost bulged out.
Those dreams… I can't rember them vividly—the faces and much of the events are blurry—but I do have a general sense of their content.
But they couldn't be my own mories.
I never had a wife or a daughter, I never saw so many of my loved ones die like that, and I certainly never experienced multiple deaths myself…
At least not in this tiline.
The re existence of Kai was proof enough that there were multiple tilines in this universe. Was it possible that mories from other tilines were also locked away within my mind?
But why? Why did Lucas have mories from other tilines?
My bewildered train of thought was only interrupted when the vampire's voice rang out once more.
"I was as confused as you are right now. Who would have guessed that you held so much hidden knowledge about this world? Unfortunately, your ntal strength is too strong for to break."
The confusion on my face turned into a pained grin as I spoke, "So, you're going to kill then?"
It wouldn't be hard for her to kill . In the real world, I must be completely still and vulnerable. In that hypnotic state, she could easily plant her claw in my chest and rip my heart out.
The vampire nodded. "As I've told you, I promised to not kill humans. But you have left no choice. I will have to break my promise. I'm sorry, hero, but you'll die here along with the girl you've brought with yourself."
"Why her?" I questioned.
"She… shouldn't be allowed to live," the vampire shook her head.
Without asking any more questions, I let out a deep breath and raised my head to look the vampire directly in her eyes.
After a bit of thought, I said, "You should've listened to ."
The vampire frowned in confusion, not knowing what I ant by that remark at all. "What?"
The grin widened on my face as I started speaking, "Fine, let's take the long way."
Quickly, I followed up with: "You said I left you with no choice. I'll give you one now. Release and my friend, surrender your relic to , leave Wolfshire within a day, and I will spare your life. On that, I give you my word."
"How very noble of you. Despite knowing the fact that you are completely helpless and vulnerable in the real world, you want to show rcy?" The vampire sneered. But her sneer wasn't filled with contempt, no, it was almost like she was pitying .
She added: "In response to your noble, almost delusional, deanor, I'll give you a quick, rciful and painless death. On that, I give you my word."
The grin on my face turned into a one-sided smirk as I cocked my head to the side. "What is your na?"
The vampire replied proudly. "I'm the daughter of the Setting Sun family of noble vampires. My na is Sofiana."
As soon as I heard her response, a burst of chuckle escaped my lips. I tried to stifle it but failed entirely.
Soon, I completely lost control and threw my head back before bursting out into full-fledged pitiful laughter.
The vampire was left stunned at my erratic behavior. She tried to speak but received no window in between my wild chuckle.
After a long, long ti, I cald down and extended an arm. Pointing at the vampire, I spoke with a bitter smile on my face:
"Setting Sun family, huh? How ironic. It's almost… fated that you t . Oh, they're right. Fate really has a twisted sense of humor."
I locked my gaze with the confused vampire again and continued, "I see your sun…"
Instantly, I turned the finger I was using to point at Sofiana at our right and finished my sentence:
"...And I raise you one."
Reviews
All reviews (0)