Burden

After depositing Ryun and the duo named Sola and Namo into the Little Garden, Vahn decided to stick around the Wall of Peaceful Coexistence for a short while to observe how the residents went about their everyday lives. This might have aligned with FUG's intentions but it wasn't in his nature to simply ignore the suffering of others. Yes, the residents might have been the ones to choose this particular lifestyle, but, based on the depressive atmosphere that permeated the entirety of the wall, it was pretty obvious they weren't satisfied with their current lifestyle.

Since it ultimately wouldn't cost him anything but time to transplant the residents and afford them the opportunity to start anew, Vahn was looking for any excuse he could find to justify providing his assistance. What he found strange was the fact that most of the residents didn't even seem to know why their ancestors had originally chosen to settle within the wall. All they knew for certain was that 'something terrible' was supposed to happen if the person sealed within was to awaken.

What made this situation particularly odd was the fact that it was a relatively well-known fact that the Walls of Peaceful Coexistence were built to seal away the Heroes from both sides of the conflict. Despite this, the residents within the wall actually seemed to resent the person who had effectively sacrificed themselves to afford them ten-thousand-years of peace. Some even went as far as to try and harass the former hero's only living relative, fearful of the fact that she possessed the ability to break the seal. As a result, she was forced to live on the outskirts of the settlement, and, every time she went to visit the chamber containing her sister, people would gather to lambast and even throw stones at her.

Though he could understand the fears of the residents, Vahn found it more than a little ridiculous that they would proactively insult someone who had endured for more than ten-thousand-years on their behalf. If she was as great a threat as they purported her to be, she would have snapped long ago as a result of their malicious actions. Instead, despite being exponentially stronger than virtually every resident of the Wall, she silently tolerated their slights out of respect for the sacrifice her sister had made all those years ago. This demonstrated a level of commitment that most people couldn't even begin to fathom, yet, instead of praising the woman for her perseverance, she was scorned for preserving the peace everyone around her desperately clung to...

Watching the woman named Khane carrying a bouquet of forget-me-nots as people hurled more than just insults at her, Vahn had to suppress his almost instinctual urge to step in. Fortunately, the woman could probably withstand a mountain crashing into her without sustaining any meaningful injuries, so, while a few stones did make contact with her, she didn't even flinch as she proceeded to carry out the routine she had taken part in every day for the last ten-thousand-years: being the only one to thank her sister for the peace she had afforded them all.

Needless to say, Vahn wasn't at all amused by how the residents of the wall rewarded Khane for her fidelity and sacrifice. The only reason he didn't immediately intervene was that this was the path Khane and her sister had chosen. More specifically, Khane's sister, a remarkably prodigious Wave Controller named Dowon, had used her unique power to erase her existence from the memories of everyone but her sister. This was originally intended to absolve her people of any feelings of guilt they might possess regarding the need to sacrifice, but, despite what some might attest, ignorance was not always bliss. Instead, it had become the primary source of suffering for her sister, someone the residents of the wall should have respected and admired more than any other...

Waiting until the understandably depressed-looking Khane had completed her daily routine and returned to her sparsely furnished home, Vahn surprised the flowery-haired beauty quite a bit by immediately knocking on her door just as it closed behind her. This was something that shouldn't have been possible under normal circumstances, as, despite stagnating somewhat over the last ten-thousand-years, she was still a High Ranker. This, combined with the fact she was a talented Wave Controller, made it exceptionally difficult to sneak up on her, yet, here, at this moment, a knock had sounded behind her back before she could even kick off her shoes.

Fortunately, though she was understandably on high alert, Khane ultimately cracked her door open, asking, "What do you want?" while peeking through the gap to see who was on the other side. The fact her room lacked even a peephole showed just how poor her living conditions were, but, rather than commenting on the state of her abode, Vahn did his best to appear friendly and disarming as he raised his hands in a faux-gesture of surrender and replied, "If it would not inconvenience you, I would like to talk..."

Much to Vahn's surprise, Khane's response was to immediately open her door, indicating for him to come in as she said, "Come in. I don't really have a place for you to sit, but I should have some tea in the cupboards. Give me a few minutes to get ready..."

With an understandably confused look on his face, Vahn followed the woman's back with his eyes until the Law of Identity dutifully revealed, "She thinks you came here to solicit her for sex..."

Frowning deeply in response to the Law of Identity's words, the tiny seed of hatred Vahn had been nourishing towards the residents of the wall began to sprout as a sudden desire to purge the entire community welled within the back of his mind. Fortunately for them, the Law of Identity seemed to realize the misunderstanding she had caused, appearing directly in front of him to say, "Wait, wait, wait!" while waving her hands from side to side. Then, seeing him calm down a little, she released a sigh of relief before explaining, "It isn't what you're thinking. She isn't being forced to whore herself out or anything like that. She is just a little lonely. Since you aren't a face she recognizes, she thinks you're someone visiting from outside who was attracted by her beauty..."

With the Law of Identity currently appearing as Khane herself, most of Vahn's anger was replaced by a feeling of awkwardness as he resisted the urge to avert his eyes in shame. The fact it was the Law of Identity lecturing him made him feel even more self-conscious, as, more often than not, she did everything in her power to rile him up and get a rise out of him...

Exhaling a sigh of relief, the Law of Identity, still appearing as Khane, patted her chest a few times before looking up at him and revealing, "She is watching you." before immediately disappearing into thin air.

Shaking his head, Vahn pulled out a few cushions and some snacks before sitting down and taking a look at Khane's room. Despite being a living space, the walls were formed from cold stone and the floor was covered in muted grey tiles that made the room seem more like a prison cell than an abode. The only pieces of furniture present were a twin-sized bed covered in tattered linens, a small wooden dresser with a broken leg, and an ancient-looking wardrobe filled with nothing but white t-shirts, denim jeans, and two pairs of high-heeled boots...

Emerging from the equally barren kitchenette with two hand-made ceramic cups in hand, Khane offered a slightly apologetic smile as she alleged, "It's not as bad as it looks. I'm not going to reveal my age, but let's just say I lost interest in material possessions a long time ago. Besides, if there isn't anything to steal, I don't have to worry about burglars breaking and entering."

Though he accepted the proferred cup, Vahn couldn't resist furrowing his brows as he said, "You're a poor liar..." in a somewhat subdued tone. This earned him an awkward smile from the pink-haired beauty, who, despite her plain clothes and depressive aura, still managed to give off an impression comparable to a wild rose. She also had inordinately long hair reminiscent of pink flower petals, fair skin utterly devoid of blemishes, and an athletic figure that had withstood the test of time to such an extent that a normal person would sooner assume she was in her early twenties rather than her late ten-thousands...

Feeling a little awkward after hearing Vahn's remark, Khane combed back her fringe bangs to reveal diminutive elven ears as she averted her eyes and asked, "So...what did you want to talk about? You might have deduced from the state of my apartment, but my life isn't particularly interesting. Most of my free time is spent tending to flowers and the only time I really go out is to visit my sister for a few minutes each day...other than those two things, I really don't have much else to say..."

Seemingly depressed by her own words, the light in Khane's hazy pink eyes dimmed considerably as a silent yet profound sigh escaped her throat. She gave off the impression of someone who had completely given up on life, and, were it not for her sense of duty and the fear that her sister would be completely forgotten, Vahn suspected she might have ended everything long ago...

Accelerating his mental processes to afford himself more time to think, Vahn carefully considered his words as the bitter herbal tea provided by Khane washed over his tongue and coated his throat. He wasn't bothered by the fact there was a paralyzing agent and a Shinsu suppressant mixed into it, as, from Khane's perspective, he was a stranger with enough skill to sneak up on a former High Ranker without any indicators of his presence prior to knocking...

Exhaling a sigh of his own, Vahn set aside his cup before meeting Khane's gaze and saying, "Before anything, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Vahn Aldrnari Mason. To some, I am known as the Sage Dragon Emperor. To others, I am the God of Infinite Possibilities. In this situation, however, I would like to think I am a friend to you and your sister. If you will allow it, I would like to offer, not just to the two of you, but everyone you wanted to protect a path towards happiness..."

Despite the relative isolation of the Wall of Peaceful Coexistence, it's inhabitants were surprisingly well informed of events taking place in the Tower. More specifically, they proactively kept track of any incidents that might threaten the status quo they had worked so hard to maintain for the last ten-thousand-years. Thus, with Vahn's exploits spreading like wildfire, combined with the rumors of his status as an Irregular, Khane was understandably surprised to hear that the person seated across from her was claiming to be the very person she had both prayed for and feared might arrive...

Noticing the woman's eyes worriedly shifting to the cup in his hand, Vahn offered a disarming and relaxed smile as he said, "Don't worry. I know you didn't have any malicious intentions. I'm also not going to force your hand. I just wanted to make you aware of your options. Nobody should have to live like this, and, while your sister's intentions may have been pure, it is unfair that you, alone, have to bear this burden. To that end, if you ask it of me, I can even break the seal without requiring you to give up your memories. I can also provide you and your sister the means to leave the Tower and experience the closest thing to true peace most people can imagine...you need only ask for my help and I will grant both you and your sister the happiness you deserve...there are no requirements, no obligations, no sacrifices necessary. You need only say the words and it will be done..."

Taken aback by the intensity of Vahn's words and the peculiar aura of 'sincerity' that was radiating off of him, Khane found herself at a complete loss for words. He seemed absolutely confident in his ability to carry out his promises, and, based on his own words, he didn't seem to expect anything in return. This seemed completely irrational, but, having heard the rumors of his past actions, a part of Khane wanted nothing more than to believe he could free both her and her sister from the burdens forced upon them due to their sense of duty and responsibility...

As that thought crossed her mind, Khane hung her head low enough that her bangs concealed the conflict in her eyes. Memories of the last ten-thousand-years began to resurface in her mind, and, along with them, so too did the resentment she harbored towards the people her sister had given her life and freedom to protect. This caused the faded colors in her aura to become tinged with a murky purple, but, almost immediately thereafter, the negativity that was threatening to overwhelm her was completely neutralized by the gentle warmth flowing from the palm that had come to rest atop her head...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Let's bully and antagonize the person that controls our fate...!','This is a very depressing chapter...','Vahn coming in with the clutch, last-second, save...!')

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