Volume 03, Chapter 85
Returning Home
Célestin, Arthur, and Dominic sit in a quiet train compartment, the steady hum of the tracks filling the silence. The Golden Fields Region draws closer, its sunlit meadows and golden crops awaiting them.
Arthur sleeps soundly by the window, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.
Meanwhile, Célestin and Dominic sit in silence, watching the scenery pass by, their thoughts far from the peaceful view.
Célestin cannot shake the events of the chamber. The memory of his interaction with the original Dominic haunts him.
‘How did I talked with him?’ Célestin thinks, his brow furrowed. ‘That should not have been possible.’
The chamber's purple gas, meant to turn their memories into weapons of fear or guilt, had instead formed a bridge—a link to someone who should not exist in this moment.
Opposite him, Dominic sits deep in thought, a faint grin on his lips. His fingers tap rhythmically on his knee as he focuses on the glowing red holographic screen of the System, visible only to him.
‘The Chalice of Merging is mine. I can finally perform the Manaficial Ritual,’ Dominic thinks, his heart racing slightly.
‘Spells and a shop for magic’? Dominic muses, his grin widening. ‘This just keeps getting better.’
Célestin, noticing Dominic’s expression, feels a pang of concern.’ Why is he smiling like that?’ he wonders. ‘Did the gas affect him more than he is letting on?’
For all Célestin knows, Dominic’s current demeanor could be a mask hiding the weight of his burdens—or worse, a sign that he is starting to crack under the immense pressure left by the original Dominic’s responsibilities.
Célestin glances at Arthur, who snores softly in his sleep, then back at Dominic.
“Clark…” he finally breaks the silence, his voice hesitant.
Dominic turns his head, the holographic screen disappearing in an instant. “Yeah?”
“Are you okay? Did… did the gas make you cry? You seem off.”
Dominic pauses, his expression softening. “It almost did,” he admits, his voice quieter. “It made me see my parents from my past life. It was… hard. But I remembered they are safe now. That got me through it.”
Célestin nods slowly, relief softening his features. “I thought…” He hesitates, shaking his head. “Never mind.”
Dominic tilts his head, sensing Célestin’s hesitation. Deciding to change the subject, he leans forward. “Célestin, why did you not know about the trap in the chamber? You have been through that temple before, have you not?”
Célestin’s expression darkens, and he looks down at his hands. “There is something you should know,” he begins, his voice unsteady. “About how my regressions work.”
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Dominic sits up straighter, his interest piqued.
“Every time I regress, I retain my memories of the future. But… I can choose who regresses with me. And I always chose Domy.”
Dominic’s eyes widen. He did not know Célestin could choose people to remember.
Célestin nods. “But it is not just him. Malignor remembers too.”
Dominic stiffens at the name. “Malignor? How? Why?”
“I do not know,” Célestin admits, his voice tinged with frustration. “But no matter how often we have faced him, he always remembers us. He is the only one aside from us who retains the memories after each regression.”
Dominic’s mind races, but before he can interject, Célestin continues. “It was not Malignor who trapped the chamber. It was Domy.”
Dominic’s breath hitches. “How do you know that? Why would he do that?”
“I… I spoke to him,” Célestin says, his voice barely above a whisper. “He said he tampered with the chamber. He mentioned something about how if something different happened, things might change for us… and something about the Aetherium not marking us.”
“Aetherium?” Dominic repeats, the term unfamiliar.
It was not in the web novel—the original Dominic’s supposed blueprint for this world.
Célestin nods. “I do not know what it means either. But he told me to follow your lead, Clark.”
Dominic leans back, his mind swirling with unanswered questions. ‘What is Dominic planning? Why did he not leave any of this in the novel? And what the hell is the Aetherium?’
The differences between the web novel and reality bother him. Célestin’s personality is off. Regressions were never mentioned, and the Aetherium does not exist. Questions pile up: Why are there time skips whenever Célestin finds an artifact for the Manaficial Ritual? Why were the temple traps never explained? Why was so much left out?
“Dominic’s web novel never mentioned any of this,” Dominic mutters aloud, his frustration bubbling over. “Why would he leave so much information out?”
Célestin sighs, his expression thoughtful. “Do you think… he did it on purpose?”
“…Perhaps,” Dominic replies hesitantly.
If the original Dominic had withheld these details, there must be a reason. Was it connected to the Aetherium? What power or danger did it hold? The mysteries around him only grow with each step.
“We do not have all the answers,” Célestin says after a moment, his voice steady but tinged with weariness. “But for now, the only thing we can do is move forward.”
Dominic lets out a long breath, trying to ground himself. “You are right. As soon as we return, I will perform the Manaficial Ritual and deal with Belard.”
Célestin tilts his head, a faint smirk creeping onto his face. “Oh? Confident, are we?”
“I have to be,” Dominic replies, crossing his arms defiantly.
“Then you have a purified monster orb ready, I take it?” Célestin asks, raising an eyebrow.
Dominic nods. “Mason Schmidt is purifying it for me.”
Célestin’s expression freezes, his smirk vanishing as confusion clouds his features. “Mason Schmidt?”
Dominic frowns, noticing the sudden shift. “Yeah. Why?”
Célestin shakes his head, his voice low and uncertain. “I do not know anyone named Mason Schmidt.”
Dominic’s stomach drops. “Wait… what? That does not make sense. The web novel specifically mentioned you worked with him.”
“I am telling you,” Célestin says firmly, leaning forward. “In all the timelines I have lived through, I have never met a Mason Schmidt.”
The revelation hits Dominic like a punch to the gut. If Célestin does not know Mason, how had the original Dominic written about him in the novel? Had Dominic fabricated Mason entirely? Or worse—was there something else at play that neither of them understood?
“This does not add up,” Dominic murmurs, running a hand through his hair. “The web novel made it clear you and Mason worked together. I read the chapters. I remember the details.”
“I do not doubt what you are saying,” Célestin replies, his voice tinged with unease. “But I am telling you the truth. Mason Schmidt is not part of any of the timelines I have experienced.”
Dominic’s mind races, trying to reconcile the contradiction. If Mason was not in the regressions, did that mean the original Dominic knew outside Célestin’s cycles? Was Mason a variable outside the web novel’s framework, or was there something deeper—something deliberately hidden by the original Dominic?
He exhales sharply, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him.
“Why is he like this?” Dominic mutters under his breath. “Why leave behind pieces of a puzzle but scatter them everywhere? It is like he wanted me to figure it out but also did not.”
Célestin remains silent, his gaze distant as if he is trying to make sense of it all.
“Snrrkkkk!”
They both jolt at the loud snore, snapping their gazes toward Arthur, who is still fast asleep, his head leaning against the window. His lips part slightly, and another snore escapes, louder than the last.
Dominic and Célestin exchange glances before breaking into chuckles.
“I thought he woke up,” Célestin whispers, shaking his head.
“Yeah, same,” Dominic replies, a grin tugging at his lips. “Guess he is just... sleeping loudly.”
Célestin tilts his head, watching Arthur for a moment. “I wonder what he is dreaming about?”
Dominic smirks and shrugs. “Probably about burgers.”
They share a laugh, the tension from earlier easing into the comfortable rhythm of the train.
