Chương 138: chapter 136: THE LAST JOURNEY

The three paths remained beneath the World Tree. For seven years... Nothing happened. The golden path carried Dharma. The black path carried Void. The colorless path carried Aeon. The three forces existed together. The universe remained peaceful. But Rayan knew better. Peace was not the same as an ending. One morning... A messenger arrived at the Academy of Dharma. He was exhausted. His clothes were covered in dust.

"Master Rayan!" Rayan looked up from his desk.

"What happened?" The messenger struggled to breathe.

"The northern worlds..." Rayan stood.

"What about them?"

"They're disappearing." The classroom became silent. Rayan's expression changed.

"How many?"

"Three worlds." Siena immediately entered the room.

"Three?" The messenger nodded.

"And it's spreading." Rayan, Siena, Eshan, and the Other Rayan left within the hour. Kael and Caelum joined them. Aster remained behind to coordinate the Dharma Accord. Their destination was the northern boundary. When they arrived... They saw nothing. No destroyed cities. No explosions. No corpses. No ruins. Only empty space. Rayan stared.

"Where is the world?" Sophia appeared beside him. Her face was pale.

"It wasn't destroyed." Rayan looked at her.

"Then what happened?"

"It was removed." The Other Rayan frowned.

"By the Void?" Sophia shook her head.

"No." She pointed toward the empty space.

"Something erased it from the timeline." Rayan's eyes narrowed.

"That's impossible." Sophia nodded.

"Exactly." Eshan stepped forward. His Aeon Astra reacted. A thin colorless line appeared in front of him. He touched it. His expression changed.

"I can see it." Rayan approached.

"What?"

"The world still exists."

"Where?" Eshan pointed.

"Before us."

"After us."

"And somewhere..." He looked confused.

"... outside us." The Other Rayan's Void Astra suddenly reacted. Black energy surrounded his hand.

"There is another reality." Rayan looked at him.

"Another universe?"

"No." He stared into the empty space.

"A universe would still have laws."

"This doesn't." Silence. Rayan remembered the Outer Void.

"The Outer Void?" The Other Rayan shook his head.

"No."

"Something worse." The empty space suddenly opened. A doorway appeared. It wasn't black. It wasn't white. It had no color at all. Rayan stared.

"That looks like the third path." Eshan shook his head.

"No." He stepped closer.

"The third path is possibility."

"This..." His face became pale.

"... is the place where possibilities go when they are rejected." Rayan's expression hardened.

"Rejected by whom?" The doorway opened. A voice answered.

"By you." Rayan froze. The voice was his. But not the Other Rayan. Not his younger self. Another version. Older. Broken. Angry. A figure stepped through. He wore damaged armor. His body was covered in golden scars. His eyes were empty. Rayan stared at him.

"Who are you?" The figure laughed.

"You." Rayan's grip tightened.

"That's getting old." The stranger looked toward Eshan.

"He's the third." Then toward the Other Rayan.

"He's the second." Finally... He pointed toward Rayan.

"And you're the first." Rayan frowned.

"First what?" The stranger's expression became cold.

"The first version of Rayan who failed." Everyone became silent. The stranger raised his hand. Behind him appeared countless destroyed worlds. Worlds where Rayan had become a tyrant. Worlds where Eshan had lost control. Worlds where the Other Rayan had erased existence. Millions of failed realities. All abandoned. All forgotten. The stranger whispered:"We thought the multiverse was infinite." He looked at Rayan.

"It isn't."

"There are only so many possibilities."

"And someone..."

"... has been destroying the ones they don't like." Rayan stared at the endless ruins.

"Who?" The stranger smiled.

"You already know." The Origin Core pulsed. The World Tree trembled. And somewhere beyond reality... The woman who had created the three paths opened her eyes. Rayan stared at the broken version of himself.

"You said someone is destroying the rejected possibilities."

"Yes."

"Who?" The stranger didn't answer. Instead... He pointed toward the empty doorway.

"Look." Rayan stepped closer. The colorless doorway expanded. Millions of realities appeared inside it. Some were peaceful. Some were ruined. Some had never reached humanity. Some had never created Astras. Some had never created Rayan. And some... Had created something far worse. Rayan saw one reality where he ruled the entire universe. Another where Siena had become a goddess. Another where Kael had destroyed half the Human Realm. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Another where Eshan had merged with the Void. Every possible future existed. But one by one... They were disappearing. Rayan whispered:"Who decides which ones survive?" The stranger answered:"The Author." The word echoed. Everyone turned toward the sky. The Final Narrator appeared. But he wasn't holding his book. His hands were empty. Rayan frowned.

"Where's the Book of Endings?" The Narrator looked at him.

"It no longer belongs to me." Siena stepped forward.

"Then who has it?" The Narrator looked toward the empty doorway.

"Someone who believes stories should have only one ending." Rayan's expression hardened.

"Who?" The Narrator whispered:"The First Author." A sudden silence covered the universe. Even the World Tree stopped moving. Sophia looked terrified.

"The First Author was supposed to be gone." The Other Rayan frowned.

"Who is the First Author?" The Narrator answered:"The being who existed before the three paths." Rayan remembered the woman.

"The woman." The Narrator nodded.

"She created Dharma, Void, and Aeon."

"But she didn't create them alone." He looked toward the doorway.

"Someone else helped her." Rayan's eyes narrowed.

"Who?" The Narrator's voice became quiet.

"Her counterpart." The sky split. A massive book appeared. It was black. Its pages were made of stars. And across its cover... Was a single symbol. A crown. The Book of Endings. The stranger looked at it.

"She's here." Rayan raised Shadowbreaker.

"Who?" The book opened. A voice emerged.

"The one who decides which stories deserve to continue." The stranger stepped backward.

"No." A woman appeared above the book. She looked almost identical to the creator of the three paths. But her eyes were silver. Her crown was black. Her presence made reality itself bend. She looked at Rayan.

"You have caused enough chaos." Rayan stared.

"You're the First Author." She smiled.

"Yes." She turned toward the three paths.

"Dharma created endless rules."

"Void created endless endings."

"Aeon created endless possibilities." She shook her head.

"None of them understand the greatest truth." Rayan asked:"What truth?"

"Too many possibilities create suffering." She raised her hand. One universe disappeared. No explosion. No destruction. It simply stopped existing. Siena's eyes widened.

"You killed it." The Author shook her head.

"No."

"I corrected it." Rayan's expression became cold.

"You don't get to decide that." The Author looked at him.

"Why not?"

"Because it isn't your life." She smiled.

"And yet..." She pointed toward the countless worlds.

"I created them." The Other Rayan stepped forward.

"Then you are the enemy." The Author looked at him.

"No." She raised one finger. Black energy pierced his chest. He fell. Rayan caught him.

"Rayan!" The Other Rayan coughed.

"I..." He looked at Rayan.

"... finally understand."

"What?"

"Void was never supposed to erase everything." He looked toward the Author.

"It was supposed to erase nothing." Rayan's eyes widened.

"What?" The Other Rayan smiled weakly.

"Void was supposed to be the boundary..."

"... not the weapon." Eshan stepped forward. His Aeon Astra erupted.

"You won't erase another world." The Author looked at him.

"You are the greatest mistake." Eshan raised his hand.

"No." He looked toward Rayan.

"I'm a choice." The colorless path exploded. Millions of possibilities returned. The Author's expression changed.

"You dare?" Eshan smiled.

"Yes." Rayan stood beside him. Siena joined them. Kael. Caelum. Aster's crimson threads reached across the sky. Then... Every person connected to Dharma joined. The universe filled with golden light. Rayan looked at the First Author.

"You wanted one ending." He raised Shadowbreaker.

"We choose our own." The Author opened the Book of Endings.

"Then let us see..." She turned the first page.

"... how many of you survive." The book began rewriting reality. Cities disappeared. Memories changed. People were erased. Entire timelines collapsed. Rayan watched everything happening around him. Then he heard a familiar voice. The Outer Void.

"Choose." Rayan closed his eyes. He finally understood. The final battle wasn't about defeating the Author. It wasn't about saving every universe. It wasn't even about controlling the future. It was about refusing to let anyone else choose for everyone. Rayan opened his eyes.

"We don't need to win." The Author paused. Rayan smiled.

"We only need to remain free." The three paths exploded. Dharma. Void. Aeon. And humanity. All moved toward the Book of Endings. The final story had begun. To be continue....