Invert the sky...?

The words whispered into my head, ringing continuously as I stared at the little girl before

me. I tried to make sense of her words, shifting my attention away from her and looking at the

room.

A thought occurred to me then...

I turned my attention to the window. The dark, hazy gray sky loomed overhead, like an ink painting smeared across a canvas, while the pale white sun cast its cold light over everything below.

'.... Could they want the sky to turn normal?'

But why?

If they wanted to see the sun they could just go out. Why would they want to 'Invert the Sky'? 'Could it be that they can't go out of the Mirror Dimension?'

The thought dug deeply into my mind, and the more I thought about it, the louder this thought became in my mind.

But there were still many questions.

.... Of such questions, there was one that I wanted to know the most.

I looked at the blind girl.

'Who is she....?'

Was 'she' a simple collector, or...

I licked my lips.

"S-stop...!"

Shattering the silence was a soft, and feeble voice. It belonged to the King who looked like a shell of himself.

He had been watching the entire time.

....In silence, he watched as all of his people died and killed each other.

The spectacle that greeted him outside of the window served to add further to his misery. His

eyes were bloodshot, and his entire body was pale.

At that moment, I was reminded of something.

'I've seen that look before.'

It was a look that I had worn many times in the past.

The look of a broken man.

....The child, she had completely broken the once imposing King.

"Wh-W-"

"Like I said, actions have consequences."

In spite of all the horror that was happening outside, the young girl's tone remained indifferent, holding a coldness that chilled the very room. With her face facing the window, her reflection stared directly back toward us.

"You took something that you should've never touched."

"B-but-"

"Yes, the quantity wasn't much, but that's not the point."

The young girl blinked, her hollow eyes reflecting the hundreds of people who stood outside with their heads presented to her.

Their blood dripped down to the ground, slowly pooling into a carpet of red.

Each droplet created faint ripples in the veil of blood.

"That blood that you took..."

Her face twitched.

"...It was pure. It wasn't diluted like the rest. That's not something that can be attained easily."

Pressing her little hands toward the window, the window started to tremble.

"You see, we no longer have access to the blood like we used to. Every little bit is precious, and the fact that you took it from me to try and feed it to your daughter.... Hoo."

The little girl's shoulders trembled.

Suddenly, the room grew unbearably oppressive as the little girl's jaw tightened. Her hands curled slowly into fists, and an eerie silence fell over the surroundings as if the very air was holding its breath, waiting for something dreadful to unfold.

I ignored the mess that she was causing.

My mind was entirely focused on what she had said.

'We no longer have access to the blood like we used to...'

What does this mean?

What could it-

"Hoo."

Letting out a small breath, the girl calmed down and my attention returned to her. I strained

to listen carefully, knowing that each word could shed light on things I wanted to know.

Her eyes retained the same hollowness as before.

Lifting her head up, she faced the sun directly without blinking her eyes. As the room was enveloped in silence, she quietly mumbled,

"I bet you're seeing all of this, right?"

!....?!

I drew near once again.

What was she talking about...?

"You who controls the past, present, and future... I bet you've already seen what is

happening."

The world around me seemed to stretch.

The only thing that stood in my vision was the little girl who slowly turned around, turning

her head to face my direction.

I felt my entire body freeze on the spot.

"Oracleus."

The breath left my body.

"Perhaps I'm just rambling to myself, or perhaps not. But you can't blame me, right? After

all... you did once tell me you see everything."

Tak-

She took a step toward my direction.

It was quiet and yet sounded as though an explosion had blasted into my mind.

It was all I could hear.

Tak-

She took another step, drawing closer to me.

I stood in the same spot, unable to take my eyes away from her.

If not for the fact that my real body was not here, I would've probably been drenched in

sweat.

She was so small, and yet... her presence felt terrifying.

Tak-

I pressed my lips, unable to hide my expression.

She was now a meter away from me.

'She can see me...'

But how?

This was a memory.

How is this-

Tak!

She now stood before me.

I swallowed hard, feeling every inch of my body paralyzed on the spot.

I could hardly breathe, and every corner of my mind screamed.

And then...

Tak!

She took another step, passing right through my body.

Tak, tak.

Walking through me, her steps continued to gently echo across the room. I turned my head to

see her walk for the door.

All eyes seemed to be focused on her.

However, nobody dared to move a single muscle. Or it was more like... they couldn't move at

all.

"I'm only keeping you alive because I want you to see the result of the actions that you took."

Arriving by the door, the door opened by itself and she paused, addressing the King.

Following her words, she stepped out.

I stared at her departing back, recovering my breath.

It was only when she was far away from me that I felt like I could breathe again.

But it was also when she started to disappear that I felt like I needed to follow right behind

her.

There was more that I had to see and hear.

The fact that the effect of the second leaf hadn't ended was perfect proof of this.

And thus, I followed right behind her.

Tak.

She walked in silence, her hollow eyes indifferent to her surroundings.

It was only when she stepped out of the estate and was greeted by the gruesome sight of the

decapitated heads that she stopped.

She appeared unfazed by it all, walking out of the Palace with the same hollow look of hers.

Splash-

A ripple formed on the thin pool of blood that veiled the ground beneath her.

"Wooo..."

"Wuwuw."

Cries and screams of agony met her sight as she walked past the streets of the city, taking in

the aftermath of what had happened. Each sound seemed to claw at her ears, mingling with

the stench of blood and smoke that lingered in the air.

Her eyes remained indifferent to it all.

Eventually, she stopped by the city square.

It was empty beside the few people offering their heads, their bodies facing the palace.

The young girl paused at the edge of the square. With a deliberate motion, she raised one

hand and tapped it lightly.

Krrr!

The ground quaked beneath her, and the unsettling sound of stone grinding against stone

echoed through the air.

Gradually, a large rock floated before her.

She looked back once, before tapping the rock.

The statue's form began to shift, its features contorting as a pair of wings unfurled from its

back. Slowly, the face of an angel emerged from the stone, its expression carved with sorrow so deep it seemed almost lifelike. The figure's outstretched hands mirrored the desperate pleading of the civilians behind her as if the angel was pleading for them.

I stood in silence, watching the entire process from beginning to end.

Eventually, the statue formed.

'....It's the same.'

This statue... It was the Angel of Sorrow.

Rustle~

Waving her hand, a mirror appeared in her little hand.

Reflected in the mirror was the little girl's face, but looking into the mirror, I noticed that

there was something wrong.

Her reflection...

It was different than her real expression.

"Hmm, I know."

Within the mirror, the child's eyes were filled with tears.

"...It's unfortunate, but you must pay for the sins that your father committed."

Pressing her finger against the mirror, the child within the mirror screamed before getting

pulled out of it and placed into the statue.

Krrr!

A grinding sound echoed shortly after as the statue shook.

It persisted for several seconds before finally coming to a stop. The eyes of the child rippled as

she looked at the statue.

"From this point forward the Rilgona Empire will start to experience its dow

to stare at its decline, knowing that this was something your father did."

Drip!

A certain dripping sound echoed through the air.

It was soon followed by another.

Drip..!

fall. I want you

When the little girl looked up, she noticed tears streaming down the statue's face.

The child raised her hand and wiped the tears.

"....It's unfair, isn't it? Cruel perhaps, but I've long lost my humanity. I feel no pity for you,

nor do I feel pity for anyone."

Retrieving her hand, the child turned around and walked away.

Drip!

Tears continued to drip from the statue's face.

However, this time, the tears turned black. A pitch-dark color that left a trail behind.

This...

I pressed my lips, watching everything unfold with a heavy heart.

'So this is...'

I...

"You're here."

The child's voice shook me out of my thoughts.

When I looked up, several figures appeared behind the child. They all stood in silence, holding

onto their words while staring at the child.

11

No, it was more like they didn't dare say a word.

"Dawn."

Breaking the silence was the child herself.

A figure I was all too familiar with stepped forward.

Golden hair, golden eyes, and a presence that seemed to embody the very sun itself. He stood

a stark contrast with the white sun that hung in the sky.

"Yes...?"

The child blinked slowly.

"The Rilgona Monarch will most likely start to decline after what has happened. The King will

also not likely disclose what has happened."

"Yes."

"Absorb the remnants of the Empire."

11

Atlas remained quiet, his expression unable to hide his surprise.

The child remained emotionless.

"Nurture them and bring them to the outside world when you're ready. Build it slowly. When

the time is ripe, head for the outside world and build a footing over there."

"Understood."

"Have you scouted the areas outside?"

With a visible gulp, Atlas nodded his head carefully.

"I have..."

"That's good."

The child's eyes rippled slightly.

She was just about to move when Atlas stopped her.

"About the organization, what should I name it?"

"Name it...?"

The child stopped, her gaze rippling again. It appeared to be a strange phenomenon that

occurred whenever she felt emotions.

I wasn't too sure.

She raised her head and looked toward the white orb that stood in the sky.

Her eyes rippled once more, and as they did, she began to mumble,

"What do I want...?"

Turning her head, she looked at Atlas, a thin smile finally gracing her lips.

"Inverted Sky."

She nodded,

"Call it Inverted Sky."