A girl who had lost her loved ones sat in a warm, complete family, eating a hot lunch and chatting about domestic trifles.
Lin stood by the window, watching it all silently.
...
A middle-aged man who was destitute after his company went bankrupt sat in his original office, enjoying his daily cigar and casually stamping documents.
Lin sat on the sofa, listening wordlessly to his conversation with his secretary.
...
An elderly man in his seventies had regained his youth; he traveled everywhere with a brisk pace, looking forward to his next journey and the mountain peak he was about to climb.
Lin sat in an airplane seat, silently watching the smile on the man's face.
...
"Why do we have to go back to reality?"
"Do you insist on destroying our happiness?"
"You scum of humanity! You just want humans to continue suffering!"
"You're the hypocritical one!"
Accusations and verbal abuse were what Lin received most when he attempted to wake these people.
Every single person was enraged by his actions. Some who couldn't be woken up would even be "helped" by the Eighth Herrscher to wake, just so they could insult Lin to their heart's content.
Those words hit his shoulders like bullets, and he could only listen in silence as they vented.
Shimmer!
"Do you understand now? Not everyone has the courage to face reality and the future like you do. You are the anomaly among humans." The Eighth Herrscher walked to Lin side as he kept his head lowered. At some point, his helmet had disappeared, revealing the handsome face beneath. His slightly long black hair clung to his face like stubborn mud.
"To those people, this is reality. Reality is the world revolving around them; reality is them being the protagonist of the world. All setbacks, hardships, and torments are merely seasoning on the path to success."
"They have no idea that suffering is just suffering, and that's especially true for them. Like a group of children who never grow up, they cannot see themselves clearly."
"So, for a group of children, isn't the best way of life to give them a warm, large bed, interesting storybooks, and a sense of self that never lacks novelty?"
"This is a world where everyone is happy."
"Such a world... isn't it the HAPPY ENDING you've been searching for?"
The Eighth Herrscher's finger trailed gently across Lin face, as if afraid of damaging its work-of-art appearance. Pity welled in her eyes.
"But you aren't wrong either, are you? A person as gentle, kind, and compassionate as you is different from them. They don't need to blame themselves for stopping their pace, and you don't need to reflect on yourself for being braver than them."
"I've seen your memories. You've experienced more suffering than any of them, yet you still want to create a world where everyone lives and finds happiness."
"Isn't that world already realized now? I haven't forced a single person. This is their will. This is..."
"The will of humanity."
Like a bullet, the Eighth Herrscher pierced through Lin justification.
He fought for humanity. If humanity had chosen this world, what reason did he have left to fight?
"You should come along too. Don't push yourself. I know you cannot face falsehood, so I will give 'truth' to you. How about it?"
"...What... truth?" Lin voice was hoarse; he felt as though his throat were burning.
"The consciousness of your dear friends. I will place them in your conscious world. To both you and them, that will be the truth."
"Now, let me take you to the next place."
"That would be the conscious world of your friend, Hua."
...
Lin did not know how he had walked through another door under the Eighth Herrscher's lead. He stared with hollow eyes at everything before him—this world... and these people.
"Captain Himeko, you can't drink anymore! You've been drinking since this morning!"
"So noisy, Hua! With such a stiff personality, how are you ever going to get married in the future!"
"I... I... what do you mean I won't get married..."
Fiery red long hair danced like flames. A mature woman, looking drunk, hooked her arm around a gray-haired girl's neck, forcing alcohol on her despite her protests.
"Captain, please stop." Another girl with inner-dyed long hair advised. "Besides, it's not like the Captain is in a position to talk about Hua. Aren't you also quite up there in age—"
"What do you mean 'up there in age'!"
The voices were loud enough to almost burst eardrums. These voices from long ago seemed as though they had never left.
"Yama, you don't have to worry, of course. Lin isn't going anywhere, and nobody's going to fight you for him."
"Wh-what are you..." Her head lowered in embarrassment. "Captain, don't talk nonsense."
"That's why I'm going to train Hua up to steal your Senior Lin away. You'll be crying then! Hahahaha!"
"That's not allowed!"
The joyful atmosphere and the scent of alcohol lingering in the air caused Lin black-and-white world to gradually become clear and vivid with color.
He heard his own heartbeat and breathing. All of this was so real—no, there was no difference from the real world!
"Honestly, what are you all shouting about? I could hear you screaming before I even stepped in. Can't you show some consideration for someone who hasn't slept well?"
A man with dark circles under his eyes walked in while yawning, grumbling his dissatisfaction.
"Besides, isn't the kid Lin standing right here? What are you arguing about?"
"..."
As soon as he said this, the three people who were messing around all turned to look at Lin in unison.
"Yo, Lin, you're here?"
"Captain Lin, good afternoon."
"Lin... Lin... Member Lin... did you happen to hear all that?"
They all greeted him naturally. Lin gazed at their every smile and expression; they merged perfectly with the images in his memory, without a single inconsistency. He turned his head and saw the yawning man, eyes shimmering with tears, pat him on the shoulder: "We have a new piece of equipment for you to test today. It's definitely interesting. Remember to come by."
After saying that, he rubbed his shoulder and walked out of the room, muttering, "Is my rheumatism acting up again?" as he headed toward the Research Department.
"What's wrong? Didn't sleep well last night?"
The red-haired woman opened another bottle of beer. Ignoring the protests of the other two, she downed it in one go, let out a satisfied burp, and smilingly tossed a bottle of beer to Lin.
"If you can't sleep, have a drink with me. I guarantee you'll sleep peacefully tonight."
"Captain! How can you drag Member Lin into drinking with you!"
"Oh, you..." The red-haired woman pulled the inner-dyed girl over and whispered a few words in her ear. Very quickly, the girl's face turned beet-red amidst the red-haired woman's mischievous laughter.
The girl's rebuttal lacked conviction: "Even so, it's still not right..."
"What's going on? Are you talking about something?" At that moment, another youth walked in.
"Immer! Let's have a drinking party!"
"So sudden?"
"Yeah, yeah..."
Lin stood before them. He turned to look at the Eighth Herrscher. She tilted her head back, and within her crimson eyes, his face was reflected.