The burden inside his chest did not disappear. If anything, it settled even deeper than before.

The Creation had entrusted her future to him despite her fear. She had chosen to believe in him even while knowing that the path ahead carried enormous risks. The realization weighed heavily upon him, but Erend refused to allow that weight to become hesitation.

Doubt would accomplish nothing. Fear would accomplish nothing. The Void Architect was still out there. The unknown entity connected to him was still approaching. Entire worlds could be placed in danger if they failed. None of those realities would change simply because he questioned himself.

Erend slowly closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The uncertainty, risks, and the possibility of failure remained. However, none of those things were able to change the path he had already chosen.

He trusted Eccar, Aesa, and Sylven. He trusted the kingdoms that had sacrificed countless lives and resources to reach this point. Most importantly, he trusted himself.

He had walked through impossible battles before and faced enemies who should have been unbeatable.

He had carried responsibilities that would have crushed most people long ago. This burden was no different. The road ahead might be dangerous, but he would walk it regardless.

Someone had to make the decision. Someone had to move forward despite the uncertainty. If that responsibility belonged to him, then he would accept it without wavering.

The hesitation that had briefly lingered within him had vanished little by little. His gaze became steady once more.

"Thank you," Erend said quietly.

The Creation’s presence brightened faintly in response, the pale light surrounding her becoming warmer than before.

"I’ll show you the last memory later," she said softly.

Erend nodded. "We’ll meet again later."

The pale world around them immediately began to react. Gentle ripples spread across the endless landscape, countless drifting lights slowly dissolved into the distance.

The connection binding their consciousnesses together weakened with every passing moment. The shared consciousness collapsed completely.

Darkness briefly swallowed Erend’s senses before reality abruptly returned.

His eyes opened inside the underground chamber surrounding the Sky Anchor again.

A dull ache still lingered inside his head from the fragmented memory he had witnessed, but Erend ignored it immediately. There was no time to dwell on that.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand and space distorted before him as blue and red energy spiraled out. A circular portal rapidly unfolded in front of the Sky Anchor.

Erend stepped through. A moment later he emerged inside Leonora Kingdom once again.

Erend stood silently for a moment after arriving. Then he straightened his posture and reinforced his resolve once more.

The final confrontation had not begun yet, but every action from this point onward would determine whether they succeeded or failed.

With that thought in mind, Erend immediately began making his way deeper into the underground room.

—

Several minutes later he arrived at one of the deepest chambers beneath Leonora Kingdom.

The enormous room remained illuminated by countless Magical arrays carved into the walls and floor. Ancient runes pulsed rhythmically with power, enchanted devices and crystalline instruments filled the surrounding area. The entire chamber radiated the feeling of a place where world-changing decisions were made.

Several familiar figures had already gathered there.

Archmage Velrion stood near the center of the room while studying multiple floating projections suspended in the air before him. The elderly Archmage’s expression remained serious.

Near him stood King Garrie, his face grim and thoughtful.

Eccar leaned against a reinforced pillar with his arms crossed. At first glance he appeared relaxed as usual, but anyone who knew him well could easily notice the seriousness hidden beneath that casual posture.

Beside him stood Aesa, equally silent, her expression calm but focused as she waited for the meeting to begin.

Sylven stood near her.

Erend then began explaining everything he had learned.

He told them about the fragmented memories the Creation had shown him. He described the ancient image of the Void Architect from an era long before his fall and long before the countless centuries of conflict that had followed.

As Erend spoke, the expressions around the room gradually darkened.

Then Erend described the eyes. Brilliant blue eyes with square pupils.

That detail alone caused visible reactions from several people in the room.

From there he revealed the second discovery.

The mysterious entity approaching from beyond reality that seemed tied somehow to the Void Architect’s distant past.

The Creation herself possessed only fragmented knowledge regarding the being, but what little remained strongly suggested a connection between them.

Whatever was approaching their world was connected to events that happened right now.

The chamber grew quieter with every revelation.

Then Erend spoke about the Creation herself and explained her fear when she learned that the kingdoms were gathering her scattered fragments. He described how she immediately worried that becoming whole again might make it easier for the Void Architect to reclaim her. The concern alone unsettled everyone present because it revealed how deeply the Creation feared the being who had originally created her.

Yet Erend continued.

He explained the purpose behind the rewriting process and why it remained their only viable path forward. As long as the Creation remained tied to the purpose the Void Architect had originally given her, he would never stop pursuing her.

The only way to break that connection was to rewrite her foundation entirely and transform her into something he could no longer claim as his own.

Finally, Erend revealed the conclusion of their conversation.

The Creation had chosen to trust them.

The words settled heavily across the chamber. Shock spread through the room.

Even Archmage Velrion struggled to completely hide his reaction. The elderly Archmage lowered his gaze while processing the implications of what Erend had revealed.

King Garrie’s expression became even grimmer than before as he slowly realized the true weight of their responsibility.

The Creation was no longer merely an objective they needed to protect. She was no longer simply a source of power. She had placed her future into their hands.

If they failed, they would not only lose their struggle against the Void Architect. They would personally deliver the Creation into the grasp of the very being she feared most.

The realization sent a chill through the room.

Sylven remained silent as he absorbed everything. Aesa felt a similar unease while imagining the ancient Void Architect described in the memory. Even Eccar found himself unusually quiet as he contemplated the scale of what they had learned.

Fear existed within all of them. The more answers they uncovered, the larger the threat seemed to become.

However, beneath that fear, another feeling slowly emerged.

The Creation had trusted them. The four Dragonborn.

Despite everything she feared, she had chosen to believe in them.

Strangely, that realization did not weaken their resolve. It strengthened it.

The burden remained enormous, but it no longer felt like a weight threatening to crush them. Instead, it became a reason to keep moving forward.

Trust. A simple thing, yet powerful enough to strengthen all four Dragonborn more than any speech or promise ever could. Because regardless of what awaited them in the future, they no longer fought only for kingdoms, worlds, or victory. They now also fought for someone who had chosen to place her faith in them.

—