“The current Emperor is Emperor Yona the First.”

“…Heavens! The youngest Imperial Princess?”

Bon’s face showed an unfiltered astonishment. It was understandable. Who could have known that Yona I, who was just a quiet youngest princess, would end up eliminating the ones higher in the hierarchy from her and ascend to the throne?

Moreover, even now, no one knew why Yona I suddenly changed and aimed for the throne.

“What happened? Was it an epidemic, no, did a war break out?”

“It’s not that…”

Should Andra explain more to Bon? Should she tell him that the youngest imperial princess that he knew had joined hands with Lord Eden and ended up killing the former Emperor as well as other candidates for the throne?

Andra fell silent. Such a story couldn’t be casually discussed out here. It was a topic that required a day or so to prepare and discuss.

“Professor, I will tell you about it later. It’s not an appropriate topic to discuss here right now.”

“Ah, I see. Still, my God… The youngest princess… Then, how much time has passed since I came here?”

Andra glanced at Bon for a moment. She wondered if he would be shocked or resigned if she spoke frankly. Eventually, Andra gulped and replied.

“…Sixty years.”

“I… see. Thankfully, it hasn’t been too long. But even if I were to go out now, everyone I knew would be dead, or perhaps they became elderly people before me. Haha.”

Bon looked even more calm than expected. He even tried to lighten the mood with a light joke, making Andra somewhat taken aback. Seeing her looking a bit uneasy, Bon waved his hands and continued speaking.

“Don’t worry too much. Being here tends to make you indifferent to everything. Yet you must realize that time keeps passing relentlessly outside. That’s the only way to stay sane.”

It sounded like he forced an emphasis in his last word, or was it her feelings? On one hand, it seemed somewhat eerie. To realize it is the only way to stay sane. Noticing Andra’s discomfort, Heiley, who was standing nearby, quickly changed the subject and pushed Bon to the other direction.

“Why are you talking nonsense? Alright, if you have anything else to say, save it for later. The newcomer needs to meet Sawandell.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I must have taken up your time. I was so curious about the outside world without realizing it… See you later.”

Bon said his goodbyes to her and subtly stepped back. Andra also greeted Bon before following Rio and Hailey into the building.

Inside the building was a long corridor. Walking on the polished marble floor, Andra suddenly asked about what Bon had mentioned.

“By the way, what did the Professor, no, Bon mean when he said that realizing things keeps you sane?”

“The newcomer has so many questions and can’t bear to have them unanswered.”

While Rio was quietly walking ahead, he answered Andra’s question in passing. Andra’s face flush slightly. What Rio said was something she had been accustomed to hearing since she was young. A curious child who didn’t hesitate to ask questions. That was Andra.

Nevertheless, being aware that it’s not good to bombard others with questions, she had restrained herself.

‘Unknowingly, again…’

“There’s nothing wrong. I just wanted to say it’s a good trait.”

“Ah, I’m not like that… It’s just that I’ve often heard it.”

“Seems like some things never change even from ancient times. Well, people are hard to change. But don’t worry about what Bon said. It’s nothing special. It’s just something people tend to say when they can’t leave this place.”

Hailey replied from the side. However, there was a catch in her response. Andra mumbled with a furrowed brow.

“Can’t leave?”

Come to think of it, it did seem strange. Nobody knew much about the outside world… Bon’s reaction was also like that. He had rushed over here because he was curious about the news. If they were so curious, they could go out and find out for themselves. However, the majority here, including Bon, seemed to rely on newcomers to hear the news.

Could it be… Andra, who was thinking like this, froze at Rio’s following words.

“Once you step into Hezel, you can’t leave. That’s how everyone here lives. Not getting old or dying.”

“…Is that really true?”

Could it be. People are trapped here? The surprised Andra stammered with her words, asking Hailey for confirmation. Hailey nodded as if it were an obvious fact. Why would we lie?

Andra couldn’t close her mouth. The situation seemed more serious than she had thought. She had thought about reaching the end of the world, but she didn’t want to come to a place where she couldn’t leave for the rest of her life.

“Really… no one has ever left this place?”

“There’s no reason why we’ve been living here for over eight hundred years if that were possible.”

“That’s absurd… No, there must be a way. A way to get out…! I have to get out.”

Andra insisted, recalling the people outside. But Hailey just looked at her with a pitying gaze, shaking her head.

“Everyone says that when they first come in. But no one has ever succeeded. Bon, earlier, was like you, all fired up to leave. But look at him now. After over twenty years of trying for ways to get out, he’s given up and accepted it.”

“…That can’t be possible.”

“Newcomer, I’m saying this because I like you, but don’t bother exerting yourself. No one who has come here has ever succeeded in leaving Hezel.”

The cold words brought a stark realization. Andra couldn’t believe it. In that case, was Hezel a utopia and a tomb at the same time? If this is the place where God sleeps, then the whole place could be God’s tomb. Andra couldn’t bring herself to calm her stiff expression.

So what now? The first thing that came to her mind was Dustin, who might be waiting for her outside. He might be searching for her, as she had suddenly disappeared. She had promised not to abandon him, to believe in him. If things went this way, she would break her promise. Andra pulled herself together and spoke up again.

“No, there must be a way. If there was a way to come in, there must be a way to get out too.”

“And what might that be?”

“Well, that’s…”

“We’ve arrived.”

As they finally reached the end of the hallway, Rio interrupted their conversation and spoke. Andra looked up and gazed at the final destination where their steps had halted.

The first thing that caught her eye was a door that was twice her size. Unusually made of stone, it appeared as though it wouldn’t budge easily. However, with a gentle push from Rio, it opened smoothly.

“Sawandell will be inside once you enter.”

Rio pointed inside the open room. Hailey then chimed in,

“I think our role ends here. If you have any questions, ask that person. They’ll provide more detailed and certain answers than we can.”

See you later. With a smile that mirrored the one they had when they first met, Hailey nudged Andra into the room. Andra found herself alone in the room, getting separated from them. She looked around the simple interior, a contrast to the ornate exterior of the building.

There wasn’t anything particularly remarkable about the room, except for a spring in the center.

Clear water bubbled up from somewhere, and as Andra quietly gazed at the spring, she noticed someone praying in front of what seemed to be an altar. The person wore a white veil, making it difficult to discern their face. Was this the representative of Hezel, Sawandell?

“Excuse me…”

“Would you come closer?”

The voice came from beyond the veil. It sounded crisp and clear. Thinking that if it was the representative of Hezel, Andra thought it would be an elderly. After all, they said that nobody aged here. She had forgotten that in the meantime.

Andra followed the sweet voice and approached the altar. The altar was as plain as the room, with dozens of candles lit around a statue covered with white cloth, similar to what she had seen in Aslan dungeon. The light seemed to encircle the statue, as if protecting it. The sight looked solemn to anyone who saw it.

“I know what you’re thinking. Why were you here.”

Andra who was silently admiring the altar heard the clear voice reaching her ears once more. The person behind the veil was now looking at her directly. Still, the face remained hidden, leaving Andra confused about whether the figure was male or female. The voice and the figure gave no clue to the gender.

“…Are you Sawandell?”

“Yes, I’ve been waiting for you for over a thousand years.”

“What?”

Andra made a bewildered sound without realizing it. Sawandell said something incomprehensible. Behind the veil, Sawandell seemed to be smiling.

“Perhaps more. Not just a thousand, but thousands. Time has passed so much that I can’t remember when I first arrived here. Nevertheless, it’s true that I’ve been waiting for you.”

Should Andra respond to this? Tongue-tied, Andra was unable to utter a word.

“Are you ready?”

“What does that mean… Do you know who I am?”

“I do. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Why were you waiting?”

“How did you come to this place?”

Sawandell instead threw another unexpected question to Andra’s question. Andra wanted to ask, but she answered obediently. She was more disappointed in their interaction. She needed information. Information about this place.

Sawandell was the so-called representative of Hezel. Perhaps they would know a way out or a means of communication with the outside world.

“…I solved a riddle.”

“What riddle?”

“I just solved the riddle carved on the door…”

“Then it is you. You’re the last.”

“Wait, the last? What do you mean by that?”

Sawandell was still faintly smiling. And just like before, they confused Andra with another unrelated question.

“Aren’t you curious why Hezel, which was supposed to be destroyed, is here? I’ll tell you an interesting story. You might know some parts of it.”

“Before that, my questions—”

“After Hezel’s downfall due to the Primordial God’s wrath, Anat and Dean each received their respective punishments. Of course, Anat’s punishment was minimal, but Dean couldn’t escape. He committed the sin of bringing a god down to the level of humans. A despicable and greedy man.”

Sawandell continued without paying much attention to Andra’s words. At this point, Andra had lost the will to speak. Let it be. What’s the rush after, having come this far?

Andra closed her mouth and began to focus on Sawandell’s words. She hoped the story would end quickly.

“After Dean was taken into darkness, Anat begged to the Primordial God. She asked for one last chance for humanity, and said she would bear their punishment. Moved by Anat’s earnest plea, the Primordial God eventually agreed to her request.”

However, there was a condition.

Sawandell continued while making exaggerated gestures, as if narrating a fairy tale.

“The Primordial God wanted to determine whether humans truly deserved that chance. So, she gave a task to the eight gods, excluding Anat.”

Sawandell gradually moved towards the center of the room, where the spring was. Andra followed, moving her body in front of the spring. There was nothing special about the spring. Water gushed from some unknown source, filled with clear water, and Andra’s reflection shimmered on its surface.

“The problem is…”

At that moment, Sawandell suddenly pushed Andra who was looking into the spring. Despite the gentle gesture, it felt irresistible. Andra, losing her balance, quickly tumbled into the spring. No, what is this…!

Desperately struggling to get out of the spring, Andra was faced with Sawandell, who was blocking her escape.

Sawandell spoke in a soft voice.

“There was a god who opposed it.”

“Ah, urp— Help…!”

“This is truly the final test. Can you and that human endure it?”

The spring, which seemed to reach no deeper than her calves at first, relentlessly pulled Andra downward. Helpless, she was engulfed by the water, feeling like a tiny bottle in the current. Before losing consciousness, the last thing she saw was Sawandell…

No.

It was Nera.

__