One month later and that's how he lives...
Strom still woke up before sunrise and went jogging. It was a habit he could never leave behind. At first it was for survival, then for strength.
Now... he didn't even know anymore.
After that, he took his usual walk through the forest. Not to hunt. Not to train.
Just to see a little fox sleeping peacefully beneath a tree.
Strom (quietly): "Naught Kitty."
Then leave before she wakes up, everyday the same routine for morning.
When it Comes to making breakfast he slightly burns it a little because that's how Wraith cooks for him.
Perfect of others but slightly burned only for him.
Because she always said,
"Food gets jealous of our love."
Then came the gardening part and he still follows what Dravyss once told him.
"Small plants first... then the big trees."
And he never uses an axe to chop logs, because he follows the classic Valkyrie path.
"Just enough force to shatter log... Will help you create stock."
When he cleaned his house, he tied the curtains the way Elena once showed him—
a neat, flower-like knot.
"It keeps the dust away." As She told him.
So he doesn't have to wash the curtains after every time he cleans the house.
And whenever he reads a book, cleans the garden or sees a cat he remembers that one idiot.
Sam...
The man who believed cleaning the garden was productive.
Who claimed knowledge is the biggest power.
Yet he runs away from cats.
Marketing always comes with some unnecessary bargain, even the whole market is confused from this guy.
If something costs slightly a little from his expectations he drops something people don't understand at all.
Strom: "You think I'm Prince Zyphus? I'm not buying this at a high price."
Almost everyone thinks one thing "Who the hell is Prince Zyphus?
And the rest of them think "How does Strom know about a Prince from a distance kingdom?"
But none of them knows the truth.
And sometimes, he practiced archery in his yard.
His aim with the bow wasn't perfect, so he used a trick Violet once told him—
Grip the arrow between the middle and ring finger.
A small adjustment… but it made the shot cleaner.
He doesn't cry for being alone, he never complains about his life and never feels regret for what he does...
He didn't try to forget them, he didn't even want that because all those memories are something that still keeps him...
The Dragon Knight.
———
The empty morning.
Strom walked into the forest, not wandering, not thinking. He knew what he came for. His hand moved through the flowers and stopped.
He picked one. Number 71.
A memory slipped in—
Dravyss stood ahead, holding the same flower.
Strom: "Why that one?"
Dravyss: "It's my seventy-one-thousandth birthday."
Silence...
Strom (joking): "I just died seventy-one times hearing that."
Dravyss laughed and memory faded.
Strom returned home, planted the flower in his yard, pressed the soil down, and poured water over it. His hand stayed there for a moment.
Strom (low): "…I died seventy-one times."
He stood up and walked away.
Later at the forge.
Inside the shop, the sound of metal rang steady.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Strom hammered a glowing rod into shape. Slowly, carefully… a dagger began to form. The shape felt familiar. Too familiar.
And then it hit him.
"Wraith's dagger design."
Strom (quietly): "My Princess Wraith."
A love story of a knight and princess that never completed...
Later with all the bargaining for that 3 coins and a full basket of groceries, Strom comes back to his house.
It's already evening.
Strom: "Now I'm completely broke... Not a single coin in my house."
He looks here and there like if someone will reply with "You should focus on saving money."
Strom (quietly): "But saving money for what?"
He doesn't save money now, he just spends on literally anything he wants because there is no future he has planned... Just living a life.
After completing all the work, he lay down in his garden, cold winds and a beautiful view of night stars.
Strom: "That must be The Crimson Witch."
Because that star was slightly red in colour.
Strom (confused): "Or maybe The Blood knight?"
People watch stars remembering people they have lost but Strom?... He remembers the people he has killed.
Then suddenly the sky tore open with a blinding falling star.
Strom: "Now what?"
He followed it.
At the impact site, dust still floated in the air. In the center stood a figure, glowing—his aura heavy, suffocating. The kind of presence that made the world feel smaller.
The figure turned and walked straight toward him.
Divine messenger: "You are the reason I had to come here."
Strom (confused): "What?"
Messenger: "Do not waste time. I know what you've done."
Strom (firm): "So what."
Messenger: "You changed past. You broke the balance of the universe. You will answer for it."
Strom: "But I—"
Messenger (cutting him off): "Last warning. Find the Book of Time and Space. Go back. Stop yourself from changing the past."
Strom: "If your god is so powerful… why send you?"
Messenger (fury rising): "You used a god-forged being as a tool. Now it's gone. Hidden. Because of you. This is your responsibility."
Strom: "That will destroy everything I have built."
Messenger: "I DON'T CARE!!!."
The aura around him intensified. Pressure filled the air. Even Strom took a step back.
Fear… or something close to it.
Messenger (cold): "Last chance… or be erased."
And just like that—he vanished. Like he was never there.
Strom (breaking): "I can't see them suffering again."
He returned home. Sat down.
Memories crashed into him—laughs, fights, sacrifices… that final goodbye with Dravyss.
All of it.
That night Strom couldn't sleep, it's the first time after time travel that fear returns again...
By the next evening when cold winds felt calm.
And too quiet.
An unknown man entered the village. His presence weighed on the air itself. He didn't ask for directions. Didn't hesitate.
He walked as if he already knew.
Straight to the house.
The door—
CRASHED OPEN.
Inside, Strom sat cross-legged, sipping coffee like nothing mattered.
Strom (calm): "What a coffee."
The man didn't answer. He rushed forward, grabbed Strom by the collar, and threw him across the room. The cup shattered.
Strom (casual): "Man, you better pay for that. I don't have money for another cup."
Man (angry): "You disobeyed my word."
Not a man.
The same God's messenger.
Strom: "Nah. I just ignored your whole fucking sentence."
Messenger: "You dare—"
Strom (cutting him off): "Voice down. It's my home."
Messenger: "Who gave you the right to defy nature? Just because a wizard once played with your life doesn't mean you can do the same with others."
Strom (quietly): "But... I did it for them."
Messenger (furious): "You are fixing it now."
Strom (cold): "No."
Messenger: "What?"
Strom: "Can't you hear? I said NO!"
Messenger: "You played god. Do you even understand what you've done?"
Strom: "Yes. I know exactly what I did."
Messenger: "You killed people. You manipulated reality. You pushed an innocent child from a cliff. You played with people's emotions. You stopped events meant to shape the universe. And because of you, the legendary Book of Time and Space is hiding from its own destiny."
Strom remained silent for a moment.
Then...
Strom: "And I'll do it all again if I have to."
Messenger: "Don't you regret becoming a monster?"
Strom slowly looked at his own hands.
Strom: "Regret?"
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
Strom: "Even in a room full of killers... the last survivor is still a killer."
His voice changed a bit when he spoke again.
Strom: "Maybe I became a monster."
"But I became one so they never had to... And that's the only thing I don't ever regret."
Messenger (fury): "I'll end you."
He stepped forward.
Strom raised his hand.
Stop.
Strom (calmly): "Let me ask you something."
Messenger: "What?"
Strom: "You're right. No one gave me the right to change fate. But tell me..."
His voice sharpened.
Strom: "Where was your 'nature' when an innocent child lost her mother just so a demon could manipulate her with... false hope?"
Silence.
Pure silence.
Strom: "Where was it when an angel asked for peace and people ripped her wings apart... for gold?"
The air grew heavier.
Strom: "Where was it when a king knowingly destroyed two lives... and an innocent elf waited nineteen years for a single moment of love?"
The messenger didn't move.
He simply couldn't.
Strom: "Where was it when a wizard from 'another world' took everything from an eight-year-old child as an... experiment?"
Nothing.
Not a single word came from the messenger.
Strom stepped closer.
Strom (without regret): "You're right. No one gave me the right to change nature..."
A breath...
Strom: "But who gave nature the right to do this to us?"
Messenger (low, shaken): "it..i..It's... fate. It cannot be changed. That's what keeps the balance."
Strom (bitter): "Yeah? Fate written by your gods? Watching people suffer like it's entertainment?"
He wasn't angry.
Just exhausted.
Strom: "Then tell me... where is that balance?"
Messenger: "They keep an eye on every world from heaven. They do not interfere in every individual's life."
Strom: "So they built heaven for themselves..."
His eyes met the messenger's.
Strom: "And left Earth when we needed them the most."
The messenger was losing the argument now. He came to force Strom to undo everything he had done.
Messenger (anger rising): "I can erase you from existence!"
Strom (firm): "Do it."
He took a step forward.
Strom: "Even better. Then I don't have to remember the pain... the suffering... this life."
He looked straight into the messenger's eyes.
Strom: "Then do it."
And for the first time—
The messenger stepped back.
Not confusion.
Not anger.
But something else... Something close to fear.
Because once there was a child who feared darkness.
Then a boy who feared losing people.
Now?
A man who feared nothing.
No one to lose.
No weakness to exploit.
Nothing left to regret.
Messenger: "Every mortal must walk in their own path... That's how life works."
Strom didn't reply immediately. For a moment, he stood completely silent.
Then—
Strom: "This is what I did."
A pause...
Strom: "I built my own path and walked."
The messenger went silent.
Not defeated.
Not afraid.
Just... unable to answer.
For the first time, the weight of his own words felt uncertain.
And after that he vanished... Like he never existed.
Strom: "Weird guy! At least pay half for the Cup."
———
The next morning was quiet and peaceful...
Then the main hall of Strom's house glowed slightly as a portal formed, and someone stepped out...
Or rather, floated out.
It was the Book of Time and Space.
But Strom was clearly busy reading a book, not even paying attention to who was behind him.
The Book was still angry. He couldn't forget what Strom had done, yet somehow he still came back.
Book: "So... now you know what I meant by horrific consequences?"
Strom (still reading): "You mean some glowing guy losing an argument to me?"
Book (anger rising): "Don't you understand what you have done? Challenging the creator of the universe itself!"
Strom: "Challenge? I already won!"
Only silence answered him. The Book stayed quiet, knowing he could no longer convince Strom.
Strom (asking): "So... I heard you were hiding from gods nowadays?"
Book: "Nothing... just enjoying the hell you created."
Strom: "Hell?"
Book: "The world doesn't feel real anymore... at least not for me."
Strom finally closed the book, then stood up and turned to face him.
Strom: "Wanna hop on an adventure with me... Gentleman?"
Book (annoyed): "No chance I'm coming with you again. But... I think one last time won't hurt."
The teleportation activated, and they arrived in a forest. The Book had followed Strom's intent, and Strom already knew where they were.
After a few minutes of walking, they peeked into a nearby training ground.
Strom: "I used to believe she was the best female knight but... now the whole village thinks the same."
It was Astrid. Because of her father's training, she had become the best Valkyrie knight in the village.
The Book didn't reply. His expression didn't change but another teleportation followed.
It was Elesta.
Zyphus and Violet were training— or even more accurately, one was dragging the other.
Zyphus collapsed on the ground from running. He had already done enough, but Violet still had energy left.
Violet: "Come on, prince... don't be so princess now!"
Zyphus: "I've already run enough, I'm done. I shall end this journey now!"
He dramatically pretended to be dead, eyes closed and tongue out.
Violet: "Come on, only 10 miles and you're done?"
Zyphus: "Running makes me forget how many zeros 10 has."
Violet: "Okay then, I'm going alone."
Zyphus immediately stood up again.
Zyphus: "This annoying sister!"
Strom and the Book watched from a distance, not interfering—just observing quietly.
Next teleportation took them to a quiet forest near Strom's village.
A girl was in the wild, surrounded by rabbits and squirrels...
It was Nia.
Strom (quietly): "She hasn't made any good friends yet."
The Book finally spoke again.
Book: "So... you plan to talk to her again?"
Strom didn't reply at first. After a moment, he looked at her and spoke.
Strom (hoping): "Maybe one day... but not today."
Book (low): "Hmm..."
Later, they teleported to a new village. Behind a library, they peeked through a window.
Sam was reading a book.
Strom: "Now his family is complete... he even has a big sister."
Book: "Fair enough."
Strom squinted, trying to figure out what he is reading and the cover tell it.
A book about Valkyries.
Strom (annoyed): "That jerk!"
Moments later, they arrived at the frozen kingdom, staying at a distance to avoid being noticed.
Strom: "You know... Wraith loved me more than anyone, but... she paid a big price for that."
Book (quietly): "I know."
Strom: "But now it's different. She has everything... a happy childhood, both parents, her little sister. The entire kingdom loves her, and she is going to be the next queen. But the only thing she doesn't have is—"
He stopped mid word, like the sentence itself felt wrong now.
Strom: "Ah... yeah. She has everything."
Then he turned and walked away. The Book stayed silent, understanding what Strom had almost said—but didn't.
Next, they reached the Crystal Sand Desert market.
They saw Crysera.
She was walking with her mother, holding her hand and carrying her cat.
This time, she was just a daughter—not a tragedy shaped by someone else's plan.
Both of them watched silently for a moment before disappearing again.
And next teleportation took them to a quiet village.
Through a window, they saw a small house.
Inside, there was panic.
Strom and Alice were trying to fix a broken pot.
Rose's favorite flower pot was broken...
Strom (quietly): "They're cooked when Mom finds this out!"
Just after that the book finally spoke again.
Book: "Even after everything she did... even after she is the direct reason you can't live that ordinary life... why don't you hate Dravyss?"
Strom slowly turned his head. No answer came immediately. Only the wind moved through the silence.
Strom (low): "Can you tell me how many years a human can live?"
Book (confident): "80 to 100 years. Why?"
Strom: "When we met... she was already more than 70,000 years old."
Book: "I don't get it."
Strom: "I was just a small paragraph in a page of her book... yet she did everything for that paragraph."
Strom (continuing): "She didn't laugh when I cried in that cave. She wasn't happy seeing me bleeding. She cried for me... a lot."
Book: "That still doesn't change what she did to you."
Strom: "Yeah... it doesn't change it. I was scared that one day if I died then... who would sit next to my mother?"
Book: "You thought 100 years wouldn't be enough."
Strom: "After my death, she would be lonely forever. But now she can have a better life... where someone can walk with her for thousands of years. Not someone like me who would eventually die mid-way or at the beginning."
The Book went completely silent after that, losing every argument.
Instead of teleporting again, they began walking together again for once, for the last time.
Strom saw a kid playing with his friends. For a moment, he tried to remember him... then he realized.
The kid who once died beneath debris during the Zyron event. But now he was alive, happy and enjoying life.
Strom: "This is the beauty of the hell... I created."
The Book blinked. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened a portal.
Strom: "You once said it would be better if we never met again?"
Book: "Looks like I was wrong about many things."
Then he floated into the portal, and it closed, leaving him behind.
———
But later when night shattered like a broken glass when he left his house carrying nothing.
No sword.
No dagger.
No purpose.
Just himself.
He kept walking through the silent night and cold winds until he reached the Southern Forest.
The river still flowed peacefully.
And beside it stood the same rock.
The same place where a seed of love had once been planted.
Strom sat down quietly.
The cold wind brushed past him as memories slowly returned.
A girl with silver hair.
A smile that was never meant to be real.
A being created only to manipulate him.
Yet...
She had given him something no one else could.
Strom: "You were right, Angela..."
A small smile...
Strom: "I don't need the gem to be Strom."
The river kept flowing.
And for the first time in a long while...
Now Strom wasn't trying to become something that someone wants.
He had already become himself...