Beyond the Eternity

Chapter 182: Devil’s Roulette [6]

The Sixth Main Story was centered around mystery.

Participants, the Storywalkers, would enter the Void Mansion, owned by the Witch of Darkness, and try to solve the deaths of its inhabitants.

The case was called the Crimson Heirloom Incident.

The objective seemed simple: solve the mystery and clear the Fable. But the reality was anything but straightforward.

In order to solve the mystery, we needed to find the Shattered Fragments containing the «Memories» related to the Void House. They were all broken parts of a «Greater Memory», and if all of them were gathered, the Sixth Main Story was as good as cleared.

Straightforward, right?

But, as I mentioned, the scenario was far from simple.

The Fragments we needed to solve the mystery was shattered throughout the Mansion, so they could be anywhere. Despite our efforts, we had managed to gather only a handful and uncover some significant evidence. Beyond that, our search led nowhere.

It was as if the Fragments had vanished into thin air.

To make matters worse, my memory of the Sixth Fable from Song of Nightmares was incomplete, leaving me with little to work with.

I frowned, the pieces in my mind refusing to align.

If there had been any information about the Sixth Fable in Song of Nightmares, I would have speedrun it, solving the mystery at lightning speed — just like gamers who rush through games they've already completed.

But there was no such information in Song of Nightmares, which in itself was highly suspicious.

Something felt off.

Why had the Author provided so little information about the Sixth Main Story?

Initially, I dismissed it as an unimportant story, something skipped over for its lack of significance. But standing here, immersed in the Sixth Fable, I knew how wrong that assumption had been.

How could the Author omit something so vital? Was it intentional?

No, that couldn't be true. If it were deliberate, that would mean the Author somehow knew that his novel «Song of the Fallen» would become reality.

But how could that be possible? An Omniscient Author in the real world? Even the concept of becoming an Omniscient Reader felt absurdly far-fetched.

Then again... I don't know what to believe anymore. What if everything, from the very beginning, was predetermined by some higher power?

As much as I wanted to dismiss it as illogical, it was the only explanation that made any sense.

A mysterious author, someone nobody knew anything about, had written a story... and somehow, the events of that story had become reality.

Monsters from an apocalyptic world were brought into existence.

Characters from a novel became real people, while real people became characters.

Gods and demons, once confined to myth, became the protagonists of their own Narratives and Archetypes.

And finally, the three protagonists of that fictional world were brought to life, and became the main characters of the ruined world.

Was it a coincidence or was everything predetermined?

I resisted the laughter emerging from within the abyss. Truly, everything felt is unreal. It was like a nightmare that I couldn't escape from, no matter how many times I woke up.

However, in this nightmare, there was a strange beauty.

At least, I had finally escaped my 'sickness'. That should count for something, right?

"Jakga-ssi?"

The voice of Moon Jiyeon, the High Priestess, snapped me back to reality. She was staring at me with a puzzled expression.

"Ah, sorry. Were you saying something?"

"What's wrong? You seem distant lately. Are you still shaken by Ryu Yeji-ssi's death?"

"What nonsense," I shrugged. "Can I really be bothered by the death of someone I don't know? I was just lost in thought."

Besides, I had planned to use that person as a sacrifice from the very start, so it would be strange if I felt any pity for his unfortunate end.

If I did feel pity, that would make me a hypocrite.

"Hmm... I won't say she's the one responsible for his death, but she's indeed a suspect."

Moon Jiyeon looked confused, "Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"Luna might hold some resentment toward Adrian," I explained, gesturing lightly with my hand, "but the true target of her animosity was his real mother. After her death, that resentment likely shifted to Adrian, though it's much less intense since the original source of her anger is gone. Even if her dislike for Adrian stems from her troubled history with his mother, it doesn't seem severe enough to drive her to murder. At most, she'd likely just ignore his existence altogether."

I turned to Soo Jinyoung and asked, "What do you think about Luna? Do you think she's the killer?"

She shook her head, "I don't think she's the killer. She doesn't have the aura or presence that a killer would."

Such a simple answer. But it was enough for me.

"That settles it, then. Luna's off the list of suspects. Any other suggestions?"

Yoo Rin raised her hand tentatively.

"Yes?"

"Ahjussi, I think Iris is the killer."

"Iris?" I frowned. "Julian's and Victoria's daughter, right?"

"That's right."

"What makes you say that? Did you find something?"

"Um, yes. Give me a second." Yoo Rin reached beside her, pulling out a small journal with the name «Iris» boldly etched across the cover.

"This is Iris's diary," she announced, holding it up for all to see. "It's filled with all sorts of secrets—everything from her meals to her thoughts about friends, names of the boys she's been with, and, most disturbingly, her feelings for Adrian."

I raised an eyebrow. "Her feelings for Adrian... Are you implying what I think you are?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Yoo Rin muttered, with her face twisting in disgust. "I don't get it. How could anyone... like their own—" She cut herself off, shaking her head violently. "Ugh, it's disgusting. I shouldn't have read it."

Rubbing her temples, she looked genuinely traumatized, as if merely touching the diary had left a stain.

What exactly was written in that book to cause such an reaction?

It was impossible not to become curious.

"Yoo Rin, pass the journal to me. Let me take a look."

"Are you sure, Ahjussi? It's... extreme."

"Do you think I'm that fragile? Hand it over."

Hesitating, Yoo Rin finally passed it to me. I opened the diary, skimming through the entries quickly. Then I froze and trembled.

I blinked.

Huh?

Then I blinked again.

What the hell did I just read?

I'd heard of forbidden love. I understood the taboo. But this... this was something else altogether. The sheer depravity of what was written here was enough to stir even my hardened stomach. If not for my strong mental fortitude, I might have vomited on the spot.

I now understood why Yoo Rin looked so shaken.

This wasn't something a child needed to see. No, no child should ever read what was written here.

"Hmm? Ahjussi, why are you making that face?" Miyuki asked, leaning over to peek at the journal.

Without thinking, I snapped it shut and stored it in the Watcher's Dimensional Coat.

"It's nothing important."

Miyuki's eyes narrowed. "Nothing important? Then why are you hiding it? People don't hide things that aren't important."

I sighed but didn't respond. Some things were better left unsaid.

No matter what, I must never let Miyuki read this book, or else her innocence would be ruined.