"Pillar of the Multiverse…?"
Yuu murmured the term under his breath. It was the first time he'd ever heard something like that. His eyes swept across the empty hall, pausing at the throne where he sat.
"Can someone explain this to me?"
[Analyzing Aegis' request...]
[Accessing memory fragments...]
"Ah, thanks."
Fragments of memory flickered in his mind.
A castle as a home. An eternity spent watching the endless worlds of the multiverse from a single point. Intervening only when someone broke the rules. That was the role of the Pillar.
"Watch? That's it? Spend eternity here… Sounds awful."
He stood and walked toward the tall windows. Beyond them stretched an infinite landscape of lights and pastel colors—representing the universes.
A small smile curved his lips.
"I want to be free. I want to act. I want to make stupid decisions. And if possible... I want to find companions just as reckless to join me on this journey. So..."
Those sharp eyes, blue as a cloudless sky, sparkled for a moment.
"I refuse to be a spectator."
With that, he denied being the Pillar that the Castle of Fate had chosen.
As soon as the words left his lips, the air in the hall shifted. A stunning pressure spread, making the ground beneath his feet tremble.
Boom!
A burst of light exploded in front of him, blinding at first. When the intensity faded, a figure slowly emerged from the center of the glow.
It was a being of light.
And within that being of light, galaxies and stars coexisted.
Yuu narrowed his eyes. That gaze, fixed and piercing, cut straight through him.
"You reject being the Pillar? Even though the Castle of Fate chose you?"
An authoritative voice rang from the being's mouth.
Yuu tilted his head.
"Is it normal these days for people to just pop in and start interrogating you without even introducing themselves first?"
The being of light went silent for a moment. Even without a face, Yuu could sense the awkwardness in the air.
"Ah... you're right."
The light softened, and the figure's tone shifted to something more kind.
"I wasn't very formal last time, was I? Call me the Ancient One."
That voice stirred memories. It was soft and pleasant to the ear. Though Yuu couldn't tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman.
"Ah, it's you."
It was the same entity he'd killed before.
No.
How could Aegis have defeated an Ancient One? An entity that governed the rules of the Multiverse couldn't be taken out that easily. Unless...
"You faked your death? Olddy?"
The light-being flickered. As if Yuu's words had poked it.
"Olddy? You should show a little respect for your elders."
"You literally just called yourself old. You don't get to complain."
"..."
A brief silence, followed by a heavy sigh.
"I don't know why I even bother with you."
With slow steps, the figure approached the throne and sat down. It leaned back, elbow on the armrest, face resting on its hand. It definitely looked like a being utterly exhausted with existence.
Yuu turned toward it.
"Well? What do you want? You're not going to answer why you faked your death?"
The figure glowed faintly, and a soft laugh echoed out. It was melodic and beautiful at once. Yuu felt the urge to spit on the floor. He could already picture the being behind that glow—a man with a gentle face, stupidly handsome, and a voice that could snatch away the souls of girls everywhere.
His fists itched. Remembering how this Olddy had once appeared before him, trying to kill him, suddenly gave him a powerful urge to punch him again.
"You didn't kill me. And I didn't fake my death either."
"What?"
"What you faced wasn't me." Slowly, it raised a hand, pointing at its head. "It was... my hair."
"Huh? Your hair? A hair clone? What are you, Sun Wukong?"
In a light tone, Olddy gave off the aura of someone thoroughly enjoying the conversation.
"I'm not that monkey. And it wasn't as elaborate as a clone. It was just a lost strand of hair that decided to act on its own."
Silence filled the throne hall.
Then, Yuu raised a hand to his face and let out a dry laugh. "Are you telling me I spent years fighting a lock of hair?"
"It was a very special strand."
"Of course it was."
Olddy didn't respond. It just watched him in silence, sitting with a relaxed posture, gauging Yuu's reaction.
"Fine," Yuu said, letting his hand drop with a long, heavy sigh.
He snapped his fingers, and a throne just as imposing in appearance and aura as Olddy's materialized before him. Satisfied with his creation, he sat down, crossed his legs, and smiled, pulling out a bag of chips. He picked one, tossed it into the air, and caught it cleanly in his mouth before it hit the ground.
"Munch~ So, got anything else to say? Or are we going to keep playing this game?"
The figure tilted its head slightly. Even though the radiant glow masked all facial features, Yuu was sure there was a smile behind that luminous veil.
"Before we begin: if you hadn't been able to overcome a strand of hair, you wouldn't have made it this far."
Yuu stuffed more chips into his mouth. "Tch. So it was a test? You could've just said so from the start."
"And would you have faced the challenge the same way if you had known?"
"Good question."
Come to think of it, it wasn't too different from what he would've done. Back then, when someone piqued his interest, he couldn't resist putting them through some kind of test either. The difference was—he didn't use strands of hair.
"Alright, Olddy. Now, why am I here? Why did you lead me to this place?"
"Lead you? No. I wasn't the one who did that." Olddy let out a sigh. "Let's just say you're here because of something bigger than the both of us."
"Stop talking in circles."
Yuu hated that wise old man attitude you saw so often in cultivation novels. Couldn't people just talk straight without all the cryptic mystique?
"Fine." The figure raised a hand, gesturing to itself. "Because I'm not really here anymore. I died a long time ago, Aegis."
"Hmm?"
"What remains of me is this echo the Castle of Fate preserved. This throne. This hall. Myself. The multiverse can't sustain itself without a Pillar. That's why everything is falling apart. My absence is a crack—and that crack will grow over time. If it's not filled..."
Yuu stopped chewing and finished the sentence. "Existence will cease to exist. Is that what you're saying?"
"Exactly."
"You said you died a long time ago... but honestly, I find it hard to believe. What could kill someone like you? An omnipotent, omniscient being."
Olddy was silent for a moment, and when it finally spoke, its voice was lower.
"I saw things that shouldn't be seen. Heard things that shouldn't be heard. I've experienced things no being should ever experience."
Yuu stared at it without a word. But deep inside, he wanted to slap it.
Was it seriously doing the cryptic-old-man thing again?
"There are secrets at the heart of the Multiverse. Secrets that drive gods insane. And those secrets… broke me."
Yuu narrowed his eyes. He wanted to ask more. He did. But a lingering feeling told him he shouldn't.
'Is it just my imagination?'
The idea that, even as an Aeon, hearing what shouldn't be heard would tear him apart from within...
He didn't push further.
"And one day, you'll experience it too." Olddy paused before continuing. "That's the price of being the Pillar."
"That doesn't sound encouraging at all."
"It isn't." The being of light laughed with a melodious sound.
"I see. So, to sum it up, you want me to be the new Pillar so you can take a vacation. Am I wrong?"
"You're not entirely wrong. I certainly wouldn't mind a vacation after all of this. But it's not just that. The Multiverse needs a new Pillar. It needs you, Aegis."
"And what if I say no?"
"Then the multiverse will vanish."
A direct statement.
Yuu let out a heavy sigh, bringing a hand to his forehead.
"This is a nightmare… From what I can guess, I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"Not really. You're the only one suitable to be the Pillar."
"Why me? I'm sure there are beings far more powerful, more worthy than me, right?"
For the next few seconds, it carefully considered what to say. In the end, it seemed to throw all previous preparation out the window and just said it outright:
"Because I was the one who created you, Aegis."
"…"
"I created you to be my companion."
Yuu blanked out. It was an immortal being who also longed for a life companion. Apparently, Olddy had the same goal. But…
"Companion…? Look, I don't want to sound rude, but I don't need some old man as a life partner. Thanks, but no thanks."
He even tossed his chips into the void, as if the idea had ruined his appetite.
Olddy's figure seemed to tremble. Even if made of light, Yuu could clearly imagine a vein bulging on it forehead.
"Old man? Who told you I was an old man?! And stop calling me Olddy!" It exclaimed indignantly.
"Well, I dunno. From the moment I met you, you gave off that mysterious old-man vibe…"
"I'm a woman!"
"Eh…? What…? A woman?"
His jaw practically dropped.
Olddy shook her head, as if explaining it was too much trouble. "Yes, I'm a woman. But that's not the point right now."
Yuu didn't know what to say. His eyes focused on the silhouette that, now that he looked more closely, was becoming more and more transparent.
"Listen, Aegis… I can't keep existing anymore." She continued, her voice soft now. "My time ended long ago. But I didn't want to leave. I didn't want… to disappear alone."
"Olddy…"
Her tone was so genuine, so vulnerable, that Yuu opened his mouth to respond—only to find the words stuck in his throat.
"I created someone like you because I wanted to experience something I never had. Company."
The word hit Yuu. He realized then that she was just like him. An immortal being who longed for something forgotten. Who craved something she never had to begin with.
"Since the moment I became conscious, I was always alone. I spent eons observing, watching, protecting… always from above. Always from this castle. I watched universes freeze and burn, lives intertwine and break apart… but I was never there to truly feel it. That was my curse as the Pillar."
Yuu felt something heavy settle in his chest.
"That's why I shaped you, Aegis. I gave you Prologue and Epilogue. I wanted someone to share the weight of this eternity. I wanted a companion who could understand me. But long before you were strong enough to find me…"
Her voice trembled, and Yuu could see how the light surrounding her grew dimmer, more transparent.
"…I had already died."
The figure of light began to fade. Little by little. He could even see the wall behind her now.
"That's why I'm telling you this," Olddy continued. "Even if you accept being the Pillar, you don't have to follow the same path I did. You don't have to watch from the Castle, distant and alone."
Yuu looked up at the ceiling, and when he looked down again, he met her eyes—green eyes. They were the most beautiful green he had ever seen.
"Because I know loneliness, Aegis. I know what it does. And you know what it does. And I don't want you to go through it like I did. That's why… I'll give you something I never had."
Her figure was slowly crumbling, yet she raised a hand and pointed toward the hall around them.
The castle lit up, and the floor beneath Yuu's feet trembled slightly. The walls began to glow in warm hues.
With another gesture, the worlds and universes outside the castle, all painted in pastel colors, began to shine as well. Threads of various colors extended from them and connected to the castle.
Something new had been born in that moment.
"I use my last fragment of life as an exchange. My final command in this place," she smiled and looked at Yuu with gentle eyes. "...Aegis, I give you freedom."
"Freedom?"
"Yes. Here, in this castle, you can bring anyone you wish. People from other worlds. Build bonds among them. Strengthen those bonds. And protect each other."
Her silhouette was becoming invisible, moment by moment. In a few seconds, she would vanish. Forever. There would be no more chances to see her again.
"Protect the Multiverse, Aegis. Protect it the way I couldn't. And live, in the way I never did."
Yuu took a step toward her. Perhaps driven by those words.
"Wait! Don't go yet—"
But before he could get any closer, Olddy floated toward him.
"Yuu…" she whispered his human name, raising a trembling hand.
He stared at her, not looking away for even a second. And for a moment, he truly believed he could stop her. But when Olddy's fingers neared his face, they passed through him like a ghost.
A chill ran through him. Deep, soul-deep. Something that stole his breath.
Olddy lowered her hand slowly, watching as her light began to dim. A shadow of sorrow passed across her face, but instead of tears or despair, she offered Yuu a smile.
"I just wanted to feel it… even once."
"You..."
She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Yes... my disappearance, my death, none of that matters. What matters is that you live. What matters is what you do."
Yuu clenched his fists. "This isn't right. It shouldn't end like this."
"For me, it ended a long time ago." Olddy stepped back slightly as her form flickered and faded. "But for you, this is only the beginning, Yuu."
Her voice was fading. And when she vanished completely, Yuu stood alone in the hall, hearing one last wish:
"And remember; live a full life, surrounded by people you love and who love you."
A word formed on his lips, but he never spoke it aloud. It simply remained there, lingering in silence.
Another weight of farewell.
He'd felt that weight many times before. Every time he watched someone close to him perish, it was as if a part of his soul was torn away. But this time...
'Olddy…'
Even though he'd only just met her, he felt he'd connected with her. They shared a similar experience. Both bore a deep loneliness and an empty eternity.
'Maybe she suffered even more.'
He had met many beings. Interacted with them. Formed connections.
She had never personally known anyone.
And yet both longed for someone to share their endless time with.
Yuu clenched his fists at the thought.
'If only I had become stronger faster… maybe I could've found her before she died.'
At last, Yuu's lips moved:
"I, the Aeon of the Beginning and the End, grant you a beginning."
His power activated with those words. A power he rarely used. A power that could bring life back.
Normally, when he used it, there was always a soul. But now there was nothing. Olddy's last fragment had vanished completely.
Still, he tried.
"I, the Aeon of the Beginning and the End, grant you a beginning."
He repeated those words again and again. But nothing happened.
And then...
He realized something. Something he hadn't felt in millennia.
Helplessness. Sadness. Rage.
Feelings that had long since faded were now flooding back to him.
Yuu lowered his gaze and murmured:
"Thank you..."
He gave thanks for the life she'd given him. Thanks for showing him what true immortality meant. Though part of it was painful, another part had been joyful.
He gave thanks for the happy moments. Moments that now felt even more precious.
And he gave thanks for returning a piece of his emotions.
It was then that a flicker of light danced across the walls and ceiling. In the spot where Olddy had vanished, a crystal fragment materialized, falling gently into his hand.
"Huh... what's this?"
He didn't know what it was for. But the mere fact that Olddy had left it behind made it something like a treasured memory. A memory in which she would live with him, for all eternity.
With a flick of his hand, he created a small hole at the tip of the crystal. Then he forged a fine chain and passed the crystal through it, placing it around his neck.
Finally, he turned his eyes toward the throne he had crafted for himself. With a wave of his hand, he dissolved it completely, leaving only Olddy's original throne in the hall.
Yuu closed his eyes for a moment, releasing a slow breath. Then he lifted his head.
"Alright, Olddy," he murmured. "I accept being the Pillar of the Multiverse."
×××
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