Back to Reality

A red ocean could be seen, but it was not in the sea but above the sky, and it also covered the earth. The blood of the living Many were running away from otherworlders who indiscriminately killed people, be they old, young, or even newborns. They were disgusting and cruel.

I stood there watching all of it happen with my own eyes, and I… could only feel helplessness in the situation. 

Some people ran past me, seemingly ignoring my existence. Except for one, and that someone wasn't in our world. A creature that came from another place is much more powerful than any person on earth.

It was armed with something like a spear on its right hand, holding it fiercely and cruelly as it attacked everyone in its way. Eventually, it reached me and swung down its weapon, and I…

I awoke from a horrible dream—a nightmare that should've happened in the future. I've been having these dreams ever since a year ago, and every other week I would have nightmares similar to this one. Each and every one of them was different, as if I were in another person's shoes.

So, to utilize it, I used these dreams to deal with the upcoming disaster. Using the knowledge exclusive to me for the future, I dealt with those beings from another world. I used my knowledge as an advantage, but that clearly wasn't enough.

And so, I asked various leaders around the world, and they considered my knowledge an important thing as it worked. Eventually, we gained an advantage, and we managed to fend off the creatures from another world. Furthermore, we managed to close off the gate that connected two worlds.

It was a joyous occasion, and I was eventually recognized as a hero. But I didn't want my identity to be known; it would be troublesome to become famous. Dealing with strangers who want to probe your private life is such a pain in the ass.

In the end, respecting my decision, the leaders decided not to divulge any information about me. It protected my private life, and I was grateful for that.

After those trials, I had a normal life. I wake up, eat with close people, and prepare myself to go to a college that has been renovated and is ready to accept new students. 

Once again, I woke up, ate breakfast, and took a bath. Afterwards, I readied myself for a new day and a peaceful world. Every step I took towards the door, I felt my heart tighten.

But I ignored it and proceeded. And that decision made me breathe foul air, looking at the red sky that I expected to be blue.

"HUH?!" I exclaimed, confused.

The air... it smells like blood for some reason, and as my thoughts wandered, I felt something in my hands. There, I found myself holding a sword and a spear, and hanging on my back was a bow.

"This…" I suddenly realized that I was just fooling myself.

"Hahahaha… I remember now." I recollected everything and then laughed at myself in a mocking tone. I stared at the bloodstained floor, and a long sigh left my mouth. "Haaaa… " My mouth formed a bitter smile.

Saving the world? That never happened. Those memories were just me being trapped in a world I made to deceive myself. 

I was denying reality because I couldn't accept the truth.

The truth that I lost everything, and everyone I cared for died tragically. We lost, even though we thought we succeeded.

…

"OOOHHHHH!!!"

People everywhere in the world cheered. The disaster was finally stopped, and everyone rejoiced. 

That was when something everyone didn't expect happened. Not even I anticipated the unforeseen event.

Another portal, another connection to another world, appeared...

There were new enemies and new creatures, and they were all much stronger than the previous ones. We were powerless to do anything given the situation we were in.

No, that's not right, even if we were all fully prepared for the event. I knew that we would've still lost. They were powerful, and these creatures were even crueler than the ones before.

All the people died, and yet I survived. Should I consider myself lucky for that? I don't think so. What's the point? Everyone died.

…

"…"

I looked at the crimson sky once more, and the crack appeared above the sky. It was filled with galaxies and the darkness of the void. No one would've guessed such a mystical and beautiful sight would be the cause of everyone's death.

"I should kill some more…" I wanted to finish the sentence, but I was interrupted by a sudden sound.

Ding!

"Ding?"

[Invocation activates as certain conditions are fulfilled.]

[Invocation Starting…]

[Nihility System activates…]

[Regression]

"Regression…" I uttered, and soon words began to engulf my mind.

[Regression]

[Description: Regress to the past at an unknown year before the 'event'. Eyes will be blinded as compensation.]

[Activate Regression?]

"My eyesight huh? It's a small price for regression, I guess."

"Yes!" I said aloud and lost consciousness before the world around me shattered like a broken glass.

…

I opened my eyes, and yet I couldn't see anything but pure darkness. I seemed to have lost consciousness earlier, and now I can't see anything. 

Being blinded—it's a new feeling. Everything feels void and empty; I could only rely on my senses to feel the surroundings.

This is the price of my regression, so I don't regret it one bit.

'Wait! How am I going to see and solve anything if I'm blind?!' I thought, but my question was answered by a series of words appearing in my mind. 

Ding!

[Regression Successful]

.

Lax Yander

>Age: 16

Rank: 7th Phase

[Nihility System]

[Proficiency: 0% Until the 1st Null Awakening]

.

"Strange…" 

I mumbled in a low voice; it was indeed strange. It was pure darkness, and being blinded, I knew that nothing should've been able to appear in my sight. And yet, a strange, shapeless form of energy was visibly floating in my vision. It had the color of the abyss and a silver outline, which was mixed with it.

An ethereal-looking amorphous energy—a strange sight indeed. I wanted to figure out what it was, but for now...

"Lax! Dear, his eyes suddenly turned white!" A familiar woman's concerned and panicked voice reached my ears. She was shouting at her husband.

"Calm down, honey. I don't know what's going on either, but I know it's not a good thing." He sounded worried. Even though I was blinded, I could feel their gaze upon me. 

"What should we do? AH! Why did this happen so suddenly? He was happily eating just a few seconds ago. Why did he suddenly turn blind!?" She was panicking, and I could hear the sounds of her chair falling to the ground. It seemed that she stood up.

Step! Step! Step!

"Lax, it's fine. I'm here, don't worry. Everything is going to be fine. Don't cry, don't cry, dear. Mother is going to help you…" She approached me. She brought me into her embrace as I felt two mounds in my face. Her voice was gentle, and it warmed my heart.

What did she mean?

"Oh…"

I was crying. I was actually crying… 

But I'm so happy, so why am I in tears?

Suddenly, I realized that it was tears of joy, and the warmth I felt from my mother made me relax and comfortable. I missed them. I missed her warmth that comforted me each time.

"..."

"..."

I hugged her back. We were both silent, as were the other two people sitting near us. They didn't say anything, and the silence continued for a long time.

A few minutes later, we broke apart from our hug, and she told her husband, "Dear, we're going." She said it in a tone that had no room for refusal. 

Afterwards, the dinner ended early, and my mother took me to the hospital with my family also coming along. They were worried for me, and that made me very happy.

…

At the hospital, half a mile away from their house.

Inside a room where equipment mainly used for eyes could be seen everywhere in the room, a man in a long white jacket, typically a doctor's uniform, was holding a flashlight while checking another man's eyes. He had short blonde hair, and he seemed to be about 180 cm tall and middle-aged. 

"And done." He spoke and turned towards a woman with a worried look. She looked to be in her twenties and was wearing a long black dress reaching just above her knees with a unique flower design at the bottom. She had auburn-colored hair in a bob cut, and she looked to be about 170 cm tall. As for her facial features, it wasn't a lie to say that she was extremely beautiful.

"Mrs. Walker, it looks like your son is suffering from a disease similar to glaucoma. It is an eye disease that results from higher-than-normal fluid pressure in the eye. The pressure damages your optic nerve, and when undetected and untreated, glaucoma can lead to vision loss and blindness in one or both eyes." He seemed to sigh in pity, but he didn't as he considered the boy's feelings. He just waited for the mother's reply.

"Is there... any cure, Doctor Wiser?" She had an anxious look as she awaited a response.

The doctor was silent for a moment and said in monotone, "There is none." At that, Mrs. Walker's expression turned dark as if her whole world had fallen apart. She looked worried and turned towards her son.

Sensing her gaze for some reason, Lax opened his mouth and spoke in a tone without worry, "It's fine, mother. I'm not going to be depressed with just this." He reassured her with a bright smile.

Seeing his honest reaction, she was surprised, but at the same time, she was happy that it didn't make him feel depressed. If it was anyone other than Lax, that person would most likely be distressed.

A few moments after talking to the doctor about the medical treatments, Lax and his mother went outside and met with the other two family members.

"It looks like it didn't go well." A man's worried voice resounded. He looked aggrieved and sad at his son's condition. He already knew the situation just by seeing his wife's expression.

He approached Lax; his height wasn't any taller than his, but their faces were entirely different. The man had mystical-looking white hair; it was short and slicked back, unlike Lax's black hair.

"I'm glad you don't look depressed. Honestly, I was worried that you would be depressed." He patted Lax's shoulder with a smile. He also couldn't believe his son's calm attitude towards being blind; at the same time, he was relieved. 

He returned to the girl next to him earlier; she seemed to be taller than the woman next to Lax. However, there were many similarities in their faces, although she was much more beautiful. Her hair, unlike that of her parents, was long and wavy and had a unique mix of auburn and white. It was very eye-catching.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the girl rushed at Lax and hugged him tightly, as if she didn't want to let him go no matter what. 

"Anaya..." Lax mumbled the woman's name under his breath. He didn't need to hear her thoughts; he already knew that she was comforting him, as it was already conveyed through her actions. Although…

Sniff! Sniff!

If not for the fact that someone was sniffing him like a dog, it would've been a wholesome sight. On the other hand, even while seeing what their daughter was doing to Lax, they ignored it as if they didn't mind it one bit. It was weird.

"Honestly, she hasn't changed." He uttered with a bright smile, closing his already blind eyes. He could already see his future being a crazy one to accept what this woman was doing to him.