Just as Ice and Ray were bracing themselves for a potentially desperate battle, they were completely thrown off by Julius's next words.
A wave of excitement, mistrust, and surprise hit them all at once.
Ice couldn't understand the connection between their escape from the Paradoxical Double Moon and the supposed increase in their chances of escaping from the Repentant.
Ray straightened his back, squared his shoulders, and looked at Julius. His gaze sparkled with a mix of tension and curiosity.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I don't really know how to explain it," Julius said calmly. "But for whatever reason you ended up there, it means you will either find yourselves in the Repentant or in the Paradoxical Double Moon. If it's the Repentant, you'll be killed by your mirror. There's no way to win against yourself, let alone against your reflection on the other side. Unless, of course, you are not alone."
He paused and scanned their faces. "If it's the latter, then it's simpler. You'll die the moment you open your eyes. You'll lose your mind, endlessly chasing your own perfection for eternity. That's what's written in the Book of Vivianne, at least. I don't think anyone has left this place since the Great Flood."
"Until you, I guess," Ray murmured.
The silence thickened as the three exchanged incredulous looks.
Ice already knew that the Paradoxical Double Moon was a tricky place to escape. It had been built like a perfect trap.
But if someone like Julius had been in their place, Ice was certain he would have escaped without breaking a sweat. In fact, he probably could have stormed through the border head-on and walked out unscathed.
He had earned that strength. He was powerful enough to make it look easy.
And yet, something didn't add up. There was a crucial piece missing—something Ice couldn't quite grasp.
"So, you know how we can leave this place?" Celestia asked, her voice tight as she bit her lip.
Julius shook his head. "No."
Then he stood up and looked into the distance, the sunlight reflecting off his worn glasses. "But I know someone who does. There is hope."
Natasha shot him a glare. "Don't give the kids false hope."
Ice blinked. It was the first time he had heard her speak. Her voice was sharp, but not cruel—more like someone stating an unpleasant truth.
"She knows how to talk," Ice thought, a bit surprised. Back when they had met, they was arguing about keeping them alive , but he didn't remember hearing the sound of her voice after that.
Julius only shrugged, his eyes clouded with something like nostalgia.
"You know the chances are real," he said quietly. "I only have one thing left to do, and these kids might be my last chance."
Natasha scoffed, her expression returning to its usual blank mask. "You really don't know when to stop."
Julius scratched his head and gave a sheepish grin. "What can I say? I've always had to keep my shoulders steady. If I had stopped, too many people would've to stop as well."
Ice glanced toward the direction Julius had pointed earlier. But all he could see was blinding sunlight, and he had no intention of stepping into that again. There was nothing out there, at least not to the naked eye, nothing that seemed remotely connected to their escape.
Ice cleared his throat. "Sorry if I sound suspicious, but don't you think we deserve a better explanation?"
Julius frowned and removed his glasses. "You're really the one asking me that? As you can see, I'm not proud to admit it, but I ended up here because I'm considered a threat. What I can't understand is how you got here."
Ice shrugged. "Me and her, we have no idea. We didn't have any idea at all when we woke up." Then he shot a quick glance at Ray. "And as for him, don't even bother asking. He's more secretive than a guilty woman hiding an affair."
Ray frowned, confused. "Where do you even get those comparisons?"
Julius exhaled and slowly cleaned his glasses with the hem of his shirt. "Don't worry, I'm not the curious type by nature." He slid the glasses back on, his smile returning along with his vision. "But the reason you can leave this place is because you have no link with the Repentant. You're not from here. That's why you can still escape...I think."
"I think," Natasha interrupted, "that it's because they're not yet awakened that they can survive. There has never been anyone who escaped in recorded history, but I doubt any unblessed soul had ever stepped into this place before."
"That makes sense," Julius confirmed with a slight nod.
Ice frowned. "So how exactly are we supposed to get out of here?"
"As I said, I don't know the exact method. But if we go there, he will tell you."
Ice clenched his jaw. He hated how this kept happening. Every time, he was missing something. Every time, someone else held the key to his future.
First Ray. Now Julius.
No matter what they did, they were never the ones in control. The choice was always someone else's to offer or to deny. At this point, it wasn't even about whether he would make it out alive, but whether, if he died, it would be by his own choice and no one else's.
Despite everything, Ice felt like he could trust Julius. The man didn't give off any malicious intent. If he had meant them harm, he'd had plenty of chances to act already.
But there was nothing he could do about it. No matter how many times it happened, he still couldn't get used to depending on others—much less entrusting them with his life.
As doubt gnawed at him, Ray stepped forward and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"So, what do you think? Should we give it a try?"
Ice hesitated, his eyes fixed on the horizon. "Honestly... I don't know. It all feels too good to be true. But at the same time, do we really have a choice? We never do."
Ray let out a dry chuckle and removed his hand. "Exactly. Let's just curse our luck and keep moving."
Ice sighed, long and heavy, then turned to face Julius. "So... where exactly are we going?"
Julius raised his head, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Toward the sun, of course."