Part 1: Fate
After declaring both Aliger and Sora's nicknames, a subtle hush fell across the mist-shrouded hall.
Both Aliger and Sora inclined their heads slightly beneath their deep dark hoods.
"It's our honour to call you Mr. Watcher," they said in unison.
Due to everyone wearing the full-length, multi-layered black and gold battle-robes with deep hoods pulled low, no one could see each other's facial features or expressions.
Aliger looked toward Haruto, observing him carefully on the dark throne, viewing him with absolute seriousness as Mr. Watcher.
"So this is Mr. Watcher..." Aliger thought to himself, his mind turning rapidly over the encounter.
"And he gave me the title of Sea Traveller."
"But what truly astounds me is... how did this man know about my background?"
"How did he know that my life and journey are deeply tied to the sea?"
"This man might have actually been a supreme god in the past."
"Now he is powerless... well, not fully powerless, I suppose."
"Otherwise, he wouldn't be standing here ruling this vast, Dream world."
"I am glad I chose to join someone as powerful as him."
"I just hope this decision turns out well for me in the end."
Sora, on the other hand, did not overthink the situation.
She looked entirely calm, showing no emotion across her visible posture, maintaining the quiet air of a composed lady.
She had joined this secret cult strictly due to her current necessities.
Right now, Sora urgently required a powerful, hidden organisation to back her own agenda.
That was the primary reason she chose to accept the proposal and join the order.
Although her personal view of Mr. Watcher remained largely neutral, she evaluated him for what he appeared to be: a mysterious ruler of the Dream World, and a fallen god seeking to reclaim his standing.
Haruto broke the silence, his cold, flat voice echoing across the mist without a trace of emotion.
"First of all, we will pray to the True God."
"For I am not above the True God..."
"And this act will align us toward a better destiny."
Both Aliger and Sora felt a brief wave of confusion upon hearing his statement.
Normally, secret cults and underground esoteric orders rejected the existence of the True God or the primary Creator, seeking instead to exalt their own grandmasters as supreme deities.
However, neither of them had any issue with performing the prayer, as both Aliger and Sora were devout believers of the True God in their own right.
Together, all three figures offered a silent prayer into the vast, cosmic expanse of the realm.
Once the quiet prayer concluded, the formal exchange began.
Haruto looked down from his high throne and asked where the two of them were currently located.
Aliger was the first to answer, his voice steady beneath his dark hood.
"Right now, I am travelling across the open sea."
"I am the captain of a pirate crew."
"Our ship is currently navigating through the waters of the Enaia Sea, and we are planning to enter the Tyrant Sea in a few months."
Sora spoke next, her calm tone clear and precise.
"My father is a politician in Lecterium City, within the Amara Kingdom."
"Although I do not work alongside him in his official business..."
"I operate as a secret spy within Lecterium."
"My father has no idea that I am a Persona under the Spy Card."
Aliger added to the revelation, speaking casually.
"I am also a Persona under the Sailor Card."
Haruto remained entirely motionless upon his throne, but internally, a wave of perplexity crossed his mind.
He thought to himself in confusion.
"What do they mean by Enaia Sea, Tyrant Sea, Amara Kingdom, Lecterium, politician, Persona, and Cards?"
Maintaining his stoic, unreadable demeanor, Haruto asked them flatly where these locations were situated.
Aliger picked up on the question and rationalized it internally.
"I guess due to the severe loss of his ancient memories, Mr. Watcher cannot immediately recognize our world's layout."
Sora arrived at the exact same conclusion behind her quiet composure.
So both of them spoke the name of their realm aloud at the same time.
Hearing that single name internally startled Haruto behind his shadow-draped hood.
Both Aliger and Sora were inhabitants of Lilusia.
The exact same world Rentaro had spoken about previously.
The 3rd World.
The Land of Mysteries.
The very same world where people believed the human named Alex had come from.
Haruto analyzed the weight of this information instantly.
"Now it's completely confirmed..."
"The 3rd World, Lilusia, really exists."
"And right now, I have managed to meet not just one, but two individuals from Lilusia."
Haruto acted as though he was familiar with the name Lilusia, but feigned that his ancient memory loss prevented him from recalling the details clearly.
Haruto looked toward them, his voice entirely flat as he asked if they could summarize the details of Lilusia so that his memory might align with the world once more.
Aliger agreed to clarify the structure of their home, stepping forward to explain it in detail.
(Author's Note: Point of View of Aliger)
In the world of Lilusia, the land is divided into a total of 5 major Continents, with a colossal sea stretching across all territories.
The 5 Continents are structured as follows:
East Continent
West Continent
South Continent
North Continent
Frozen Continent
In the East Continent, there are a total of 3 grand empires ruling the land:
1. Asura Empire
2. Teon Empire
3. Dias Empire
In the Western Continent, the land is divided into 4 distinct territories:
1. Amara Kingdom
2. Volcanian Empire
3. Republic of Enland
4. Rosin Empire
In the North Continent, the terrain is dominated by a vast, treacherous desert and a massive, dense forest. It is divided into 3 territories:
1. Eriac
2. Mana
3. Arou
In the South Continent, the region is partitioned into 3 territories:
1. Borocas
2. Uramau
3. Armina
In the Frozen Continent, the entire land is permanently locked beneath deep ice and snow. It is divided into 2 distinct sectors:
1. Eastern City
2. Western Region
The vast ocean surrounding all of Lilusia is known globally as The Mother Sea.
This massive body of water is subdivided into 6 distinct, dangerous seas:
1. Wrath Sea
2. Destern Sea
3. Pacify Sea
4. Hazar Sea
5. Enaia Sea
6. Tyrant Sea
Beyond the physical boundaries of the world, there exists a hidden, highly dangerous power system operating across Lilusia.
Ordinary civilians do not even know this system exists.
Knowledge of it is primarily guarded by religious churches and high-ranking police officials, though various underground factions and individuals still possess this secret knowledge.
This power is derived from the Cards of Apocalypse.
The Card of Apocalypse series consists of exactly 22 character cards.
Each individual card possesses its own unique authority, abilities, and underlying behavioral traits.
The deeper you immerse yourself into the specific personality of your card, the more power you can unlock from it.
The complete list of all 22 cards includes:
1. Clown
2. Demon
3. Werewolf
4. Sailor
5. Assassin
6. Thief
7. Detective
8. Sheriff
9. Devil
10. Angel
11. Archer
12. Police
13. Fairy
14. Fishman
15. Priest
16. Hunter
17. Zombie
18. Conjure
19. Sanguine
20. Lawyer
21. Spy
22. Magician
Every practitioner can extract greater abilities from their designated card based on how deeply they act out the character's core traits in real life.
You gain significantly more power as you immerse yourself further into the identity of your assigned role.
However, contained within every single card is an ancient, malicious spirit that continuously seeks to corrupt your mind.
If you give in to emotional instability, lose your temper, or break under the pressure, you will lose total control.
When control is lost, you will inevitably mutate into a grotesque, mindless monster.
The deeper you act to gain power, the higher your chances of losing sanity and transforming into a monster become.
To obtain greater strength, every user is forced to confront this constant peril.
And the individuals who wield these Character Cards and walk this dangerous path are known throughout Lilusia as Personas.