PROLOGUE

A silhouette is walking through the forests. He finally arrives at the border that separates the snowy land and the blooming flowers. He kneels and watches the little red flowers. Next to them, a small bud of white is blooming.

The camellias are withering, and the snowdrop is flowering. The season of winter is coming to an end. Louis doesn't understand. Why can he no longer feel the warmth of the spring? The coldness from the snow should have vanished. How is it possible for someone like him to keep feeling it?

Raising his hood, Louis walks towards the wooden hut. He can smell the hot potato soup coming from the opened window. The sight of the familiar silhouette makes him stumble. He wants to call that woman. He wants to embrace her. He wants to cry like a child, so the woman can embrace him as she did when he was born.

He wants to get closer but is unwilling to leave the winter land. He is aware of his destiny. He needs to turn back. This is not his path. Even so, he wants to call her.

' Mother.'

The words stuck in his throat as he mumbled his sentences. Envy flashes his eyes as he sees a girl hugging the woman's thigh. How ridiculous. The girl is his sister. In this world where he did not exist, his mother is free. She marries the man whom she loves.

As per the contract, as she didn't conceive the Duke's child, she can return to her lover's arms. But in the world he was born, he who resembles his biological father droves her mother to madness. Louis never blames his mother. She never looks at him with the gentle expression she gives to his sister.

When he becomes a transcendent, he will become a God. His existence shall be erased from the land of living and dead. Is it worth it?

Yes.

To protect those small smiles, his sacrifice is necessary. So, why?

Why?

Why?

"I found you, 'Hero.'" The warmth of the embrace of an unfamiliar woman. His back are wet from the tears. He is not the hero. They are wrong. Why does he feel this way? Why did he feel so heartbroken despite the chilling coldness? Who is his salvation for?

Instead of black hair, the strands that block his sight are silvery white. It reminds him of the snow. He had somehow forgotten the silhouette's existence. Why can't he remember anything? Why does after everything ends, despair is still following him? Is this a punishment? For him, who goes against the fate of the world? Louis wants to ask him. Is this the ending of his story?

"Come back, Lou. Come back to us. The weight of the world can't be shouldered by yourself. This is not salvation. This is arrogance." The smell of sunflowers is so familiar. The sun. He is the protagonist of this story. Someone is holding onto his leg. He is crying and pleading with him to 'survive' this cursed land.

The familiar red eyes are staring at him with tears in their eyes. The story has ended, and the world can be saved. His duty is over. So, why does he feel that he needs to turn back? He is no longer a human. As long as he disappears, only a happy ending awaits the story. But this is not his story.

"It's over, Allen. Your journey is over." The child that receives the blessing of Solaris. The protagonist and the 'Great Hero' of humanity. They killed the Demon King. Louis can confine the Demon God in the Great Library with his remaining divine power. Humans will be saved for eternity.

"This is not what we wanted! How about you? If you granted us salvation, who will give them to you?" The flowing tears are falling non-stop. The Great Mage, the wielder of The moon. The child of Lunaria. Despite her childlike appearance, she is the most ruthless and calm person. But at this point, she can no longer hold back. Knowing the person they cherish the most vanishes, she curses and resents God.

"Amelia. It's over. This is my story." Louis hates the warmth. These feelings are holding him back. These feelings make him hesitate. Louis has a premonition. This is the purpose of his existence. Louis looks towards the sunny sky, he tries to find the scent of the spring, but he is aware that it is impossible. He can only uncover the fragrance of the freezing winter.

The cold wind that seeps under his skin feels hot. He hates and loves them at the same time. Remembering the smiles he will no longer see, Louis walks towards the endless freezing land, separating him and his companion with a divine barrier. Allen shouts as he punches the invisible walls with his hands. Blood drips from her knuckles.

"I will never forgive you. I can never forgive myself. Please. There should be a way!" No matter how much Allen begs for that man, he never turns his head. Louis keeps walking towards the endless snowland. The screaming and shouts became blurry. Louis stares at the changing scenery. He finally arrives at the entrance of a cave.

Allen is talking about salvation. Maybe he is right. It's unfair for him to shoulder the sins of the world. But it's not a reason that he can refuse. If the price of his existence can save hundreds and millions of lives, he will not hesitate. To see their blinding smiles and their story's happy ending, Louis promises to protect them till the very end.

This is his oath. An oath that grants him a blessing. In exchange for this ability, he will fulfill his tasks. A chamber coated with ice greets him as he steps into the cave. The white camellias spread on the cave's walls. Another familiar voice can be heard as he walks toward the blue altar.

'Protect them. This is the price of your Eternity.'