"For the deadly sin of being weak, Tou Rein, you have been given a death sentence, as decided by the majority of our settlementâonly one stood against it. But in respect to you, still a member of the Celestials of Rigel, youâve been granted the choice to decide the date of your own execution. Choose any day within the next three-hundred sixty-five days. Be it tomorrow, the last day, or any day in between."
The voice of the man who uttered these words didnât match their gravity. There was a hint of pity and regret, rather than the contempt and hatred Rein had expected.
The man, Lunor Vane, stood before him, eyes slightly squinted, awaiting Rein's decision. Elder Lunor bore a look of absolute calm, fitting for someone who had lived thousands of years yet his youthful appearance betrayed his age.
Rein closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he tried to recall something. This date had occupied his mind during almost every waking hour, yet now it seemed to have slipped away.
Finally, he remembered. His lips trembled as he began to speak, partly from fear, of course; who wouldnât tremble when faced with death? But there was another emotion behind the shaking. He clenched his other hand tightly and spoke.
"Then... I choose the twenty-third of the eighth month, at dawn."
"Very well," replied Elder Lunor. "Nineteen days from now, you will be executed. We will gather in this same place at dawn. All who wish to observe are welcome."
A faint smile played on Reinâs lips, an abnormal reaction, he knew, for a moment such as this.
"Thank you, Elder Lunor. Thank you, everyone. I will remember this generosity for the days I have left here in Rigel."
A loud cheer erupted from the hundreds behind Elder LunorâReinâs fellow Celestials. Hands raised high, some of the younger ones even jumped up and down. It was as if they were witnessing a joyous event, their expressions full of excitement.
All of them, save for one.
A small girl with golden eyes stood still, her silver hair fluttering from the wind stirred by the crowdâs wild movements. She looked at Rein without blinking, not a hint of emotion in her eyes.
Rein stared back, his smile fading.
I'm sorry, dear sister.
Morin was strong, far stronger than Rein had been at her age. Stronger than anyone at that age, in fact. She would be fine. The strong were granted privilege. She would be treated like a princess here. She would grow to become one of the strongest Celestials in Rigelâperhaps even their leader one day, following in Elder Lunorâs footsteps.
What Rein worried about wasnât her safety.
Morin had always been aloofârarely spoke, rarely made decisions of her own. Rein felt as if he just couldn't leave her on her own. But there was no going back.
He turned to Elder Lunor, who gave him a small nod in return. As expected, from someone like him. As if he could read Reinâs thoughts with just a glance. Elder Lunor was a good man. He would surely care for Morin properly.
With that, Rein knew he could leave everything behind without regrets.
He looked down at his feet. The cheers and shouts began to fade, muffled as his thoughts drifted. Closing his eyes, his mind slipped into the past, memories flooding in.
âIâll miss you, Morin.â
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For a Celestial, two hundred years should have been more than enough to break through their second Pneuma Gate. By this time, one should already be working on opening their third.
But for Rein, ever since he had opened his first Pneuma Gate in his seventieth year, he had remained stuck. He knew he wasnât even halfway to opening the second.
It wasnât his faultâor so he liked to think. But his actions told a different story.
Instead of training, cultivating, and honing his body like Celestials were expected to, he spent most of his time in the library. Instead of going to war, conquering nearby realms, and helping expand their territory in the Outerworld, he spent his days expanding his mind through books.
The others would say he didnât have the makings of a true Celestial. Maybe they were right.
Reading was his way of passing the time, of escaping the mundanity of cultivation.
Perhaps it wasnât just his inaction that led to his weakness, but also a lack of motivation.
Rein had always been fascinated by the workings of the universe: from the spaces and realms surrounding Rigelâthe realm they lived in within the Outerworldâto the world below, the Overworld, where mortals lived their daily lives, and, most importantly, the world beneath that: the Underworld, rumored to contain an infinite number of realms.
It was during one of his daily visits to the library that he discovered a particular book. A book that would change his life.
"The Adventures of Kael Riven: A Log of Travels Through the Underworldly Realms."
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
It was written by a man named Kael Riven, who called himself the greatest adventurer in the history of the universe. A title that seemed well-earned. Kael had traveled and survived through hundreds of realms, even the most dangerous ones. Rein wouldâve agreed with the title, if not for one detail: Kael abruptly ended his travels and writings, claiming he had found the love of his life and would spend the rest of his days focusing on his new family.
It was a valid reason, but still.
If it had been Rein, if he were the one, he wouldnât have let anything stop him. Not even the threat of danger. Only death would have halted his journey.
Kaelâs travels through the Underworld fascinated Rein to no end. The beautifulâand sometimes uglyâenvironments and vistas Kael illustrated made him yearn to see them in person. Kaelâs descriptions of strange creatures and races, both dangerous and friendly, each living within their own unique cultures across countless realms, captivated him. Even Kaelâs encounters with mortals during his stops in the Overworld intrigued Rein deeply.
If only there were a way.
A way for someone like himâa Celestialâto go on such adventures.
If only he wasnât bound to their destiny: just another among many, spending their lives in the endless pursuit of strength, only to be used for war against other Celestials to expand their ever-growing territories.
No, he didnât want that. He wanted to travel the realms beneath them.
And strangely enough, as crazy as it seemed, the opportunity to chase that dream had been served to him on a silver platter, through the very pride of the Celestials, through their hatred of the weak.
He would use it.
Unfortunately, it could only be achieved through 'dying'.
During the nineteen days Rein had left before his chosen execution date, instead of using the time to settle his affairs or say goodbye, he spent every moment holed up in the library. Researching, cross-referencing countless books, rereading Kaelâs logbook again and again, memorizing every detail he could. He barely slept. He barely ate.
Saying his farewells never crossed his mind. Who would he even say goodbye to?
The people who wanted him dead? They would just scowl and remind him how weak he was.
As for not spending those final days with his little sister, Rein couldnât bear to let her grow even more attached to him. It would only deepen the pain of their separation, for Morin, and even more so for him.
Still, the fact that Morin didnât visit him even once during his last days in the library struck him as odd. But he brushed it off. It was convenient anyway.
Days passed, day and night blurring together.
Thankfully, they allowed Rein to stay in the library for as long as he wished. Wether it was because of mercy or indifference didn't matter. For Rein, every opportunity for collecting information mattered.
Until, at last, the dreaded and most anticipated day arrived.
----------------------------------------
Rein stood at the edge of the Rigel Waterfall, a place said to mark the very boundary of their realm. One step forward, and you were no longer within its territory. It was the point of no return. Anyone who crossed it without permission from the Elder was considered a traitor. An enemy of Rigel.
Furthermore, only those who had opened their third Pneuma Gate or beyond had the power to fly and navigate the Unknown, the chaotic space beyond the last barrier of any realm. Without assistance from stronger Celestials or rare artifacts, the weak would either freeze to death or drift uncontrollably, only to be swallowed by one of the many black holesâthe remnants of fallen realms.
It was, without exaggeration, a death sentence.
The perfect place for an execution.
Rein had witnessed such ceremonies before. If only heâd known back then that he would one day stand here too, marked for the same fate as the weak ones he had once watched fall.
Now, he stood at that cursed place himself.
His eyes bloodshot.
His body starving.
His mind frayed.
His Pneuma circulation a scrambled mess.
Before him, the waterfall poured endlessly into nothingness. Somewhere beyond it lay the last barrier, unseen to him, likely because he was still too weak to perceive it. But soon, it would all be over.
Behind him, the crowd cheered. Anticipation filled their faces, except for Elder Lunor, who stood in silence, eyes closed.
Morinâhis little sisterâwas nowhere to be seen.
But that was fine. It would make things easier for them both.
No sister should be forced to witness her brotherâs death.
Elder Lunor raised his hand and formed it into a fist.
Instantly, the noise vanished, as if the world itself had gone silent, replaced only by the roar of the waterfall. Despite the cheers ending, the twisted excitement still lingered in the crowdâs expressions.
âRein Tou,â Lunor said, voice echoing unnaturally.
âAny last words before we drain you of your Pneuma and cast you into your inevitable death?â
Rein thought long and hard.
He considered saying something profound, memorable words that might echo through the centuries.
But nothing came.
The weak arenât remembered.
Even he had forgotten the names of those executed before him.
Finally, he opened his mouth. Only one phrase surfaced in his mind.
ââ¦Thank you.â
There was a high chance Rein's words meant nothing to them.
In a few more minutes, a million reasons could cause his death.
But for that small glimmer of hope that his plan might succeed, he was grateful.
And after nineteen relentless days spent researching, preparing, and pushing himself to the edge, he truly did hope he had expanded that chance just enough.
He felt Elder Lunorâs cold hand rest on his head, snapping him out of his thoughts.
There was only one thing that gesture could mean.
It was time.
With a determined nod, Rein gave the silent signal for the Elder to begin.
Suddenly, it began.
His Pneumaâhis life essenceârushed upward, surging from every corner of his body toward his head. It was like his blood had turned into a river, flowing uncontrollably. A tingling sensation spread through him, followed by a growing void.
Within a minute, he felt worse than he ever had. Thirst clawed at his throat. Hunger gnawed at his insides. Exhaustion weighed down his limbs.
He felt sick. Hollow. Weak.
He could recover his Pneuma eventually, he was a Celestial, after all.
But with only one gate opened, unlike the others, it would take him far longer to regenerate. Time he didnât have.
Elder Lunor gave him a gentle but firm push, guiding him toward the edge of the waterfall.
That was when the fear struck.
The fear he had been suppressing, the fear he pretended wasnât there, came crashing in like a tidal wave.
Excitement still lingered, flickering faintly like a dying flame, clinging to the hope that his plan might work.
But the fear of death was overwhelming. Suffocating.
Earlier, the abyss beyond the waterfall had seemed calming, almost beautiful.
Now, it felt hostile. Like it was waiting to swallow him whole.
His vision blurred.
His knees threatened to buckle.
Sleepiness tugged at him, heavy and sudden.
But he clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms.
He had to stay awake.
He had to stay aware.
Then, without warning, Elder Lunor shoved him.
Rein stumbled forwardâand fell.
The cheers of the crowd erupted once more, only to be muffled almost instantly as he broke through the final barrier of the realm.
And into the void.
And so, on the 23rd day of the 8th month of the 101st Trillionth Year, Rein Tou was cast into death.
âI hope my plan works,â he thought, as he plummeted into the greatest gamble of his life.