Ayla's eyes remained red, her tears welled up and then started to overflow like a dam had broken, releasing all the pent-up pressure present upon it.
I looked at her, but this time didn't comfort her or give words of relief that she wished to hear. Instead I gave her the harsh truth I had come to realize.
"Do you wish to end this now?" I asked politely.
She didn't answer, so I went for my next question.
"Ayla, what's my name?"
This has bothered me for a long time, but I couldn't question it amidst the ongoing chaos. Those hazy memories, what do they look like to her? Was it being filled by subconscious thoughts or straight-up being ignored?
One of those hazy feelings was my name… No one has called me by name except Franz, who was not a puppet of this dream. Obviously, there could be other simple reasons, like there was no need to call a butler by his name or maintaining formality.
"Huh, your name? That should be simple!" Ayla's face brightened up as she heard my new question; she wiped her eyes and said. "Y-your name… What, wait… I-I knew it, I promise!"
Hearing her flustered shouts, I smiled and signaled Franz to not interfere from behind.
"Ayla Close your eyes and listen to what I am about to say right now…"
"Ah…" Ayla finally stopped, her face showing perplexity to my words, but in the end, she followed along.
"Let me tell you a little bit about myself… My name is Asher. I am well. I don't know how old but presumably 17." My words made Ayla shudder in confusion, she was about to open her eyes, but I quickly put my hand above them.
"Have a little patience. No, I guess you already have that…" I smiled upon saying that and quietly added.
"I have been told I look, um, well, very handsome and have a pair of deep silver-colored eyes… Also, Ayla, I am not your butler… I have come from far away."
Feeling a little embarrassed by my own words, I quickly told the most important part.
"Y-you're not…" She mumbled, her face turning hotter as I kept her eyes closed by shifting more towards her.
Sigh…
"Ayla, I am strong, very strong; if you make a wish to me, I will end this whole nightmare, so will you let go of what you cherish and free him from this cage?"
"....."
Everything felt silent as she heard my words; her eyes went moist as Leo, leaning on her, slowly opened his eyes and shifted to her lap.
This nightmare, which we had thought contained two ghosts, which was true, but the one truly in control was Ayla herself. Leo, in contrast to her, didn't show many changes, and even in the last loop, he was not burned by those white flames.
As if someone was protecting him, shielding him from all harm this world strikes with. But the shield itself was suffering from nightmares.
"Is everything my fault… Butl- Asher?"
Boom—!
Before I could answer, a deafening sound rang from behind us. Franz stood up immediately from his seat and turned to look back. But I didn't release my palm from Ayla's eyes, nor did I turn back.
Pfft—
A small chuckle escaped my lips as I looked at Leo once before saying. "It isn't, if I promise I will punish—no, that I will ruin the one who did this to you two in every possible way. Will you feel satisfied… Will stop your suffering."
Breaking the mansion, a surge of flames escaped from the inside; following that, something or someone jumped high into the illusory sky filled with grey fog.
"Ahhhhh!" She cried out in despair as Owen's figure tried to reach us amidst the flames consuming him.
I have not removed my hand from her eyes, yet she can sense him.
"Asher, what are you even planning!" Franz yelled.
I ignored him and focused on Ayla even more. "Ayla, tell me fast. Did you enjoy your time with us?!"
"Hah, Y-yes!" She cried and answered back.
I couldn't be weak anymore, not in front of her. If that were to happen, all of this would be meaningless.
I stood up and turned to look at Owen in his beastly form. He screamed and let out a roar, shaking everyone.
'Is this also a way to reset the loop? To forcefully reach the conclusion if the roles are diverted too much.'
I started to take slow steps toward him.
"This world is a nightmare, and I wish to end it for you two, and the one who holds the key to stop it is you, Ayla." I said, repeating the truth to her again and again untill she believes it.
"I—I am sorry…" She whispered, her eyes turned to look at Asher back.
She doesn't know what the man in front of her means or if he was even telling the truth. But was it because of her that Leo will suffer? That her only family was facing an unknown nightmare?
"Ayla, don't repeat the same mistake; set not only yourself but your loved one free as well. So, let me ask again, what is most precious to you?" I asked.
"My most precious thing is Leo!" She yelled, then in a desperate tone she added.
"Please, please vanish that hideous being!"
I grinned.
"As you wish."
Flames came towards me, but I didn't let myself get consumed.
"They can never reach me, right Ayla?" This was not a question but rather a statement, a truth. The situation was not a fight but rather a wall that needed to be broken.
The one who is going to break this nightmare is not me but Ayla.
"They cannot harm Asher!" Ayla, believing the unknown man, yelled with all her belief.
And then the magic happened.
The flames stopped, then split open with a piercing wind and flew through the sky, never reaching me.
Ayla's and Franz's eyes widened; they couldn't believe the flames tyranny to end so simply.
"The answer was this simple!" Franz whispered, He couldn't believe his eyes. He has died twice by now, but just by making the kids believe them, the flames turned meaningless.
I smiled and let the flames go past, then looking at Owen, a thought passed through me.
"Owen, if only you had been alive, I swear you would have been the second or, well, the third best punching bag in this world, to me." I said then with a small voice added.
"Ayla, let's destroy this cursed place."
"Destroy?"
"Yes, let's leave this damn place." Following that, I raised my right hand and clenched my fist with a strong force.
'Let's experience transcendental strength.' With such thoughts running through my mind, I made sure to give Ayla one last glance before raising my fist toward Owen, the so-called avenger rank creature from beyond.
This was a nonsensical fight; it was so absurd that words couldn't fill it.
A mere human was trying to fight an Avenger, something that could blow away a city by its presence alone. A mere human who possessed no skills, no elements at this very moment had stood up to the monstrosity to protect someone behind him, wielding nothing but their trust in his fists.
Behind Owen's lustrous figure, I could view mansion servants coming out one by one, their silhouettes set ablaze by those white flames showing a dark interior, making it hard to discern who was who.
Then I punched him…
My first cut through the winds, making the world tremble under the watchful eyes of the dreamer.
Boom—!
Then it touched the gigantic figure ahead of me; for a second, nothing happened, leaving me confused.
Realizing I need to be more dramatic, I immediately muttered out. "Perish…"
Rumble!
A stream of current flew through the impact, destroying everything that came its way. The monster broke down into uncountable pieces as everything behind him started to vanish by the waves of destruction left by the aftershock. The devastation didn't stop their, it reached further ahead spliting the earth beneath and for a small moment even the space it self.
Rumble!
The mansion crumbled, the servants standing there vanished like speck of dust flying through the air, leaving nothing behind.
I watched all of that happen with my mouth hung open.
'I—I didn't expect this much destruction…'
Looks like I was not the only one who was left baffled by this; turning around, I saw Franz with his eyes popping out, like he couldn't believe it. His voice trembled as he whispered, "What just happened? How could this be possible?"
I could feel the weight of the silence pressing down on us, the echoes of the crumbling mansion reverberating in my mind as we stood there, frozen in disbelief. Ayla, meanwhile, was just speechless.
'No, why are you even shocked? This is what you imagined should happen.'
Leaving the destruction behind me, I walked toward them, my steps slow and steady, giving her the time she needed to think right now.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
Ayla's lips parted; she hesitated, then looked at Leo, her hand brushing his sleeping cheeks as his chest raised up and down.
'She probably put him to sleep to not watch his father die…' I thought to myself, but the real reason will only be known to her subconsciousness.
"Leo, wake up… It's time for us to go." She rubbed his head and woke him up. He opened his eyes gently, then smiled in her direction before speaking kindly.
"Big Sis, are you finally going to let go of me…?" He asked; his words made me stop in my tracks.
'He knew!'
Panic was about to set in, but I reminded myself that all the troubles were over.
"...Yes, S-sorry for caging y-you, Leo." Ayla's words started to stutter as she couldn't stop her tears.
"Aha, was I a good brother? I made sure to stay with you… Sorry, I couldn't help you more. Sorry I couldn't protect you." Leo's voice started to break down as he continued to tell his own tale.
"It's not your fault or anyone's present here…" I said and stood up in front of them. My hand moved forward to touch their head and gently patted them.
"Ah…" Ayla let out a small whisper in surprise but didn't move away.
"Let's go…" I took both their hands in one of my own while signaling Franz to follow my lead. He nodded and leaped ahead, starting to walk for the exit of the mansion estate.
"Will we cease to exist…?" Leo asked gently; he walked to my left, his head down.
I stayed silent, lost in my thoughts, then told as gently and seldomly as I could. "You will be with me for all of eternity… In my memories, I promise to never forget both of you."
We reached the iron gate; beyond it lies an endless fog that has covered everything.
"What do you both see here?" I asked curiously.
Ayla thought for a moment; she had been silent all this time, maintaining a sad face.
"We see nothing…" She said, her eyes turning to face me.
"I see…" I said and opened the door.
A crushing force was pushed on my shoulders, making me almost bent on my knees. I clenched my teeth, trying to withstand it.
Then, with a strong step, I move forward.
Silence….
We all got consumed in fog as a mirage of memories floated in the sky above us. All of them belonged to Ayla and Leo. Some were happy, some were sad. Some of them contained their mischief, and all others their time in the mansion.
But in them we were also there; I saw myself, the real me, standing in the garden along with Franz, playing with the kids.
"That's surprising…" Franz muttered as I turned to see him, the real him, standing there.
Then suddenly warmth embraced me as I found myself getting hugged by the children.
"We are scared…" They said in unison.
Ayla looked up as my hands wrapped around both of them, slowly embracing them in a tight hug as well.
"Don't worry; I will watch over you…" I answered.
"Will you keep your promise… that you will punish her?" Ayla asked, her head leaning on my chest alongside Leo.
"I will not punish her; that will be too kind of me. I promise I will ruin her in unimaginable ways." I replied back, my eyes burning as they threatened to cry.
They chuckled hearing my words.
"That's a promise!" Leo said.
"You truly have beautiful eyes…" Ayla followed softly after, in her large eyes I could see a reflection of myself residing their, with the same silver eyes.
I smiled as their figures became illusory and muttered out.
"Your nightmare is over…"
The word of lies started to crumble as a new vortex formed behind us; from it, a new figure materialized wearing a purple dress wrapped around her slender contour. The woman smiled as she looked at us, taking a step forward she asked.
"Did you two break the curse I placed here?"