The green serpent moved through the forest.
Her enormous tail slid between the trees as she carried the green energy she had absorbed.
Seris was gone.
Only energy remained.
The serpent had consumed it.
At least—
that was what she believed.
Something inside that energy moved.
A faint disturbance passed through her body.
She stopped.
Her eyes narrowed.
"What..."
The green energy inside her suddenly shifted.
For a moment—
she felt something pushing against her.
Not a living body.
Not a soul.
Something else.
Something she could not understand.
She clenched her fist.
The resistance disappeared.
The serpent stared at her hand.
Nothing.
She continued walking.
Behind her—
the forest remained silent.
Traveler lay motionless beside the shattered stone.
His body was broken from the repeated impacts.
His white hair covered his face.
No movement.
No sound.
Then—
a tiny black flame appeared beneath his skin.
It spread.
Not like ordinary fire.
It moved through his wounds.
Across his chest.
Along his arms.
Over his back.
The black flame touched the damage—
and the damage disappeared.
Broken bones aligned.
Torn flesh closed.
The wounds vanished.
Even the injuries from the mountain disappeared.
The Nihilfire didn't burn him.
It restored what remained.
Within minutes—
Traveler's body was completely healed.
He remained unconscious.
Then—
his fingers moved.
His eyes opened.
Blue.
Traveler slowly sat up.
He looked around.
Broken trees.
Cracked stones.
Blood.
He touched the side of his head.
Nothing.
He touched his back.
Nothing.
His eyes narrowed.
"Again..."
He didn't know what had happened.
He stood.
Then—
he saw someone standing in front of him.
A man.
White hair.
Pale skin.
Blue eyes.
Black clothing.
Traveler froze.
The man smiled.
Traveler stared.
"...You."
Arafial.
But this time—
there was something different.
Arafial wasn't sitting on a throne.
He wasn't surrounded by the Abyss.
He was simply standing there.
Like he had always been there.
Traveler looked around.
No one.
No sound.
Nothing.
He looked back at Arafial.
"How are you here?"
Arafial laughed.
A quiet laugh at first.
Then louder.
Traveler's expression hardened.
Arafial looked him over.
"Look at you."
He laughed again.
"You were thrown from a mountain."
Another laugh.
"Three blades were buried in your back."
Arafial stepped closer.
"You were struck in the head."
He smiled.
"And then some serpent used you as a piece of stone."
Traveler said nothing.
Arafial laughed.
"And you still don't know what happened."
Traveler's eyes narrowed.
Arafial leaned toward him.
"You wake up."
He gestured toward Traveler's completely healed body.
"You heal."
Then he laughed again.
"And you continue walking."
Traveler's voice was cold.
"Why are you here?"
Arafial ignored the question.
"Seris is dead."
Traveler became still.
Arafial smiled.
"Completely."
He watched Traveler's face.
"There is nothing you can do about it."
Traveler looked away.
Arafial laughed again.
Not because he was happy.
Because he found the situation absurd.
"You keep surviving."
He stepped around Traveler.
"You fight."
"You bleed."
"You lose."
"You forget."
"And then you stand up again."
Arafial stopped behind him.
"Do you know what you look like?"
Traveler didn't answer.
Arafial whispered—
"Pathetic."
Traveler slowly turned.
Arafial was smiling.
"Yet..."
His smile widened.
"...somehow entertaining."
Traveler stared at him.
"You're enjoying this."
Arafial laughed.
"Of course."
He walked directly through a tree.
The tree didn't react.
No one could see him.
No one could hear him.
Only Traveler could.
Arafial stopped several meters away.
"You still think you are walking toward something."
Traveler said nothing.
"You think every monster you defeat makes you stronger."
Arafial's eyes became colder.
"You think surviving means you are winning."
A pause.
"You're not."
Traveler's expression remained unreadable.
Arafial smiled.
"You haven't even begun to understand what is inside you."
Traveler looked at his own hands.
Arafial watched him.
Then—
he laughed again.
"Keep walking, little vessel."
Traveler looked up.
Arafial's smile widened.
"Let's see how many times you can die..."
He paused.
"...before you finally learn how to live."
Arafial began fading.
Traveler immediately stepped forward.
"Wait."
Arafial laughed.
His voice echoed through the forest.
"Don't worry."
Only his eyes remained visible.
Cold blue.
Amused.
"I'll be watching."
Then—
Arafial disappeared.
Traveler stood alone.
The forest remained silent.
He looked around.
Nothing.
No Arafial.
No Seris.
No Devourer.
Only himself.
Traveler lowered his gaze.
Then—
he began walking.
Not knowing that somewhere beyond his perception—
Arafial was still laughing.
And this time, Traveler had no idea why.