Temple of the Demon Lord of Wishes

Chapter 46 The Main Task

Reves looked up at his father, confusion furrowing his brow.

"Father, are we really leaving the city? What about the company?" His voice wavered slightly, reflecting the turmoil stirring in his young mind.

Nathan didn't respond immediately. He kept his gaze ahead, his expression impassive, like stone.

"I've already assigned someone to handle it," he said, his voice flat and devoid of any warmth.

"The company will manage without us for now." The finality in his tone made it clear there was no room for further discussion.

"But what about our things?" Reves pressed, casting a glance back at their house, where the warm glow of the windows seemed like a cruel reminder of the normalcy they were abandoning.

"Aren't we going to pack? What if we need something?"

Nathan's jaw tightened imperceptibly. He didn't look at Reves, but his voice dropped, cold and urgent.@@@@

"There's no time. We leave now."

Reves hesitated, an unsettling sense of unease crawling up his spine.

"Father..." he started, but the words caught in his throat. He could sense something was wrong—something his father wasn't saying—but he didn't know how to ask.

How could he question the one person who had always seemed unshakable?

Nathan stopped abruptly and turned, his eyes hardening. He stepped closer, his hand gripping Reves' shoulders with a cold, almost mechanical precision.

"Listen to me," he said, his voice still carrying the weight of authority, but edged with something darker now.

Reves shifted, the weight of his father's words settling heavily on him. "But you said—"

Nathan cut him off.

"When one Reality Master enters another Reality Master's Fractured Reality, the situation changes."

"A 'Main Task' is triggered. It's different from the rest. It's not something they can control. It's tied to who they are—their story, their purpose, their very existence."

"The Fractured Reality bends to reflect the essence of the Master. And they are forced to play out their own story, unable to cheat, unable to escape."

Reves stared at the watch, his hands beginning to shake. His mind was racing, trying to absorb everything his father had said. This was too much, too fast.

Nathan's voice softened, but only slightly, his gaze now hard as ever. "If you get forced into a Fractured Reality... without me, promise me you'll find a way out. No matter what."

Reves' mouth went dry, his thoughts tangled in the rush of information. His hands tightened around the watch, its cold surface a stark reminder of his father's words. His pulse thundered in his ears. He wanted to ask more, to push, but something held him back. A cold fear settled deep in his gut.

"F-father..." he began, his voice barely a whisper. His chest tightened. "I... I need to tell you something."

Nathan's sharp eyes flicked to him. He didn't speak, but there was a flicker of something—a shift—in his expression, almost like he knew what was coming.

Reves hesitated, swallowing hard, his voice trembling.

"I'm already a Walker." The words escaped him in a rush, like a confession, a burden he could no longer carry. "I've been one for a while. I didn't want you to know... I didn't want you to worry."

Nathan's expression didn't change, but his eyes narrowed, cold calculation replacing any trace of concern.

"I see," he said, his tone as detached as ever, the faintest flicker of annoyance crossing his face.

Reves recoiled slightly, the sting of his father's words cutting deeper than expected.