Beyond the Eternity

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The thunderous bangs reverberated like the beat of a drum.

On the other side of the door, the massive skull continued its relentless assault, ramming against the barrier with its enormous weight. It was nothing short of a miracle that the door had yet to buckle under the pressure.

Despite the constant assault, no cracks had appeared on the surface.

Logically, this shouldn't have been possible, considering the door was made of wood. Yet, it showed no sign of giving way.

'Ah, is that it?'

A distant memory suddenly resurfaced from my memory sea.

Back at Sookmyung Girls' High School, the familiar phenomenon unfolded once again as we sought refuge from the flame spirit 'Igris' by entering the Secret Room, a personal space within the Individual World created by the ruler of «The World». No matter how forcefully 'It' struck the door, it remained undisturbed by the relentless barrage of fiery assaults.

Such an occurrence was known as Space Division.

Could something from a different space be harmed?

Of course not.

At least, not according to logical reasoning. It shouldn't be possible.

But considering that mana could transcend space (时空), there was a possibility. That is, if the magic in question had the property of Aether.

I had a feeling that the giant skull couldn't wield Aether Magic. Moreover, it wasn't an entity with intelligence—it wasn't even truly alive.

The giant skull itself was merely a construct born from individual magic.

The core of visualization should be Creation and Death, right? Or was it Creation and Destruction?

What's the difference between Death and Destruction?

My scattered thoughts came to an abrupt halt as I forced myself to focus.

'Wait. Where am I?'

The haze in my mind cleared as I recalled entering a room. Turning my head, I took in my surroundings.

The space was grand but quiet. A large bed with silk drapes stood in the middle, and a small table made of wooden material sat beside it. A vanity near the window held perfumes and jewelry, while a large bookshelf lined the far wall, filled with old books.

The air was heavy with the faint scent of jasmine, but the room felt... empty. Like a space long abandoned.

This place…

Recognition flared within me. I'd been here before.

'Isn't this Victoria's room? From the fragmented memories I've gathered, she rarely uses it, preferring to sleep in her husband's quarters.'

So why had I been brought here now?

Perhaps there was something I'd missed during my last search. Maybe I would find something important since the entrance appeared for me to enter.

Bam! Bam!!

The pounding on the door grew louder, more frenzied, as if the skull could sense my train of thought. I scowled at the noise.

'That giant skull sure is persistent. Why won't It take the hint and go somewhere else? Does it like me that much?'

Despite my calm train of thoughts, the situation was anything but calm.

Continue your journey at empire

It was undeniable that I was safe for now, but I couldn't stay in this room forever. The hidden story had a time limit, and I still needed to head outside.

Besides, who knew what might happen if I stayed in here too long? This room might not be as safe as it seemed — I could end up being attacked.

'This is problematic. I could wait for it to leave, but there's also the chance I'll be attacked the moment I step outside. And I lag behind for too long, I might be attacked inside thus room.'

Hmm. What's the best course of action?

If I could hear the voices of the Constellations, what guidance would they offer in a situation like this?

Unfortunately, their voices could never reach this territory, making it impossible to know their thoughts.

Wait a minute... When have I ever depended on the Constellations?

I shook my head and began to search the room.

If I was a hidden fragment, where would I hide?

Fragments were a form of «Stories» that preserved the memories of significant events. One could call it a recording of those moments in time.

But how exactly were those Fragments formed?

Fragments were sometimes born from the emotions of those tied to the events, their lingering desires or regrets shaping the essence of the Story. Other times, they were mere echoes, residual ripples left behind by the collapse of a greater narrative. And occasionally, Fragments emerged from monumental achievements (業), transforming into shards of divinity along the Path of Ascension (升华之路).

In this scenario, which one of them were true?

'If a Shattered Fragment is here, it must be near something of significant importance. What would Victoria deem important in this room?'

It's difficult to understand human psychology without meeting someone in person. Even if I relied on memories to understand her, like a reader interpreting a story, it would still be challenging without a clear picture of her character.

First, I started with the bookshelf. It was a good place to start.

A few minutes later, I had checked all the books and found nothing. Unlike someone else I could name (Reginald), who was teetering on the edge of madness, Victoria was a rational individual, so the books here were entirely ordinary.

What I found interesting, though, was that most of the books here were either about romance or fell within the romance genre.

'I didn't pay attention to this the first time, but doesn't this person have quite an obsession with romance? Ah, that reminds me, didn't Angelica read mostly romance novels as well?'

Every individual had their own preferences, but it seemed that all women, without exception, shared a love for romance. I remembered overhearing the girls in my high school classroom talk about romance in various forms from time to time.

Why were they so obsessed with romance?

Maybe they imagined such a romance to escape the harshness of reality. After all, who wouldn't want to believe in such a fantasy?

In this case, why would Victoria, a married woman, want such a reality?

From what I gathered, Victoria's marriage to Julian was arranged. Her mother was Japanese, while her father was born in England. She spent much of her life as a Miko (巫女) before being arranged to marry Julian and bear an heir to the Valoment family. However, things took an unexpected turn when Iris was born, complicating the plan and failing to meet the family's expectations.

Despite the setback, Victoria was determined to prove her worth by taking on the responsibility of managing the Valoment Family in place of her husband, who showed little interest in such matters. Her main duties involved overseeing preparations and organizing family conferences. However, neither her husband nor his siblings truly understood or appreciated her efforts, leaving her position far from enviable.

This was made all the more evident by the fact that she alone did not wear the Valoment Family's raven crest—an unmistakable sign of her lack of recognition by the Family Head.

No matter how many times I observed her, she seemed to be the most pitiful and wretched character among them all. Why would she continue down a path that seemed destined for her own destruction?

Would you willingly turn the other cheek to be slapped again?

I didn't think she took any pleasure in being disrespected in such a manner.

Perhaps she simply wanted her efforts to be acknowledged, to feel like she belonged to the family. But, of course, that never came. What she longed for was never granted. She was never acknowledged.

Not by the family, not by the Family Head, not even by her own husband.

Deep down, she must have known that what she desired would never come to pass. So, she silently despaired, seeking solace in books during her free time as a way to escape from that harsh reality.

In other fleeting memories, she was seen emerging from this room, wearing glasses. Perhaps she had made it her personal reading space, a quiet sanctuary away from the world outside.

'Hmm. She was a rather serious woman, but she had her own vulnerabilities. It's hard to truly understand someone by just judging their outward appearance.'

'She must have felt lonely, especially since her husband gave her no attention. I can understand that. Even if their marriage was arranged, isn't it wrong to completely ignore your wife?'

'Besides, they had a child together. Could anyone truly connect with someone they're not attracted to or don't have feelings for? I think she must have developed feelings over time, but I can't say the same for Julian.'

'Oh my, this Julian guy would certainly win 'Husband of the Year.' Maybe he'd even win 'Father of the Century,' considering how Iris turned out.'

Laughter bubbled up.

How could anyone not laugh in this situation?

Julian tried to show off in front of his siblings, pointing out their weaknesses whenever he was concerned. Yet, his own family was far from perfect. In fact, they were unknowingly heading down a path of destruction, and he didn't even realize it.

It was truly ironic.

'But there are no fragments on the bookshelf. Maybe I should check the wardrobe and the deck.'

I closed the book in my hand and returned it to the shelf. The title of the book was How to Build a Lovely Family.

Next, I moved to the wardrobe and pulled it open, searching its interior for anything shiny or orb-like. Unfortunately, the wardrobe was empty. Perhaps her clothes had been moved elsewhere.

I closed the wardrobe and moved toward the bed. Bending down, I swept my gaze under it, but found nothing.

Figures.

Who would hide a fragment under a bed? If I were a fragment, I wouldn't hide there either.

For a brief moment, I truly felt like an idiot.

There was a chance the enemy might use reverse psychology, hiding the fragment in an extremely obvious location where anyone would think to look, trying to conceal its true position.

But that idea was just dumb. Why would a fragment be placed on the floor?

I stood up and walked toward the desk, where perfumes, jewelry, and other female accessories were scattered. Nothing of importance caught my eye.

My fingers brushed over the handles of the drawers before I pulled one open.

Empty.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The second drawer was the same, as was the third. I frowned, about to give up, when I noticed something strange—a faint glow seeping from the edges of the bottom drawer.

'Aha. Got you.'

Carefully, I slid the drawer open, revealing a hidden compartment inside. The glow intensified, spilling soft golden light across the room. Nestled within the compartment, a small, crystalline shard rested on velvet lining.

I reached out greedily, grabbing the fragment and pulling it from the drawer.

[You have found a shattered fragment — Hidden Gold.]

[Would you like to examine the memory within the shattered fragment?]

[ Yes / No ]

There was no reason to hesitate. I mentally selected 'Yes.'

[ Yes (Selected) / No ]

[The Memory Examination will begin.]