There was nothing but the void.
And yet, at the same time, there was everything.
Raine stood at the edge of the barrier, gazing beyond. It was not a path, nor a gate, nor even a place. It was a feeling—an awareness of surpassing the limits of human understanding.
Since birth, he had believed that the world followed specific rules. Even when he discovered the powers of the Black Butterfly, even when he realized that fate itself could be manipulated… there were always limits.
But now?
This… was not just another world.
"I expected you to hesitate more." The voice of the mysterious man—known until now only as the Barrier Keeper—echoed.
"I'm not the type to hesitate," Raine replied, without taking his eyes off the open threshold before him.
"So, will you cross?"
"A stupid question."
Raine didn't need to answer.
He took a step forward.
At first, he felt nothing as he crossed the barrier.
But after a second—
Everything was wrong.
Gravity, time, even the sensation of his own body… all felt distorted, as if the fundamental laws of existence no longer applied to him.
"This feeling…" he murmured, trying to adjust.
The Black Butterfly was still with him, but it was different. Instead of fluttering around him calmly, it beat its wings wildly, as if struggling to stay intact.
"This is not just traveling between worlds."
It was an existential shift.
"You understand quickly," the Keeper's voice echoed from behind. But now, it sounded clearer—as if he, too, had changed.
"So, this is why so few have crossed the barrier?" Raine asked, testing the movement of his hand, which now felt ten times heavier.
"Yes. Most who attempt it… simply shatter."
"Shatter?"
"You think of the world as something physical. But in truth, it is merely a collection of laws and energy that bind existence together."
The Keeper gestured to the empty space around them.
"Here, there are no laws to protect you. If you are not strong enough to replace the old laws with your own, you will simply disintegrate."
"Interesting," Raine said, smiling.
He didn't need to think for long.
If this place had no laws…
Then I will create my own.
The Black Butterfly stopped its frantic flapping and began to spread around him, as if merging with the air itself. The pressure on his body eased, his movements became smoother.
He understood.
"Impressive," the Keeper observed with curiosity. "You adapted faster than I expected."
"Because I don't believe in limits," Raine replied, looking forward.
There was something ahead.
A place? No. A path? Not exactly.
But something was waiting for him.
"Is there an end to this?" he asked, taking another step forward.
But this time, it wasn't just a step.
He became part of the space itself.
The moment he crossed a certain point, everything changed again.
He was no longer in the void.
Now, he was in a dark place—but not darkness in the traditional sense. It was a living darkness, filled with presence.
And then—
A voice spoke.
It was not human, nor was it divine.
It was something entirely different.
"Finally… another one has crossed."
Raine did not move, but he was ready.
"Who are you?" he asked, without showing any fear.
"I am… something you cannot yet comprehend."
"A useless answer."
"Ha… You are different."
From the darkness, a form began to emerge.
But it was not a form that could be defined. It had no face, no body—it was merely an idea taking shape.
Yet, despite having no face…
Raine knew that this thing was looking at him.
"Why have you come here?"
"Because I want to know the truth."
"The truth?"
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
The world began to collapse.
"If you truly seek the truth… then you must endure its consequences."
And in that instant, everything changed again.
Raine was still standing, but he was no longer in the same place.
He was seeing… something else.
A memory? No. A vision? No.
It was something beyond both.
He saw beings that were never meant to exist.
He saw gods being torn apart into fragments.
He saw the end of the universe… and its beginning at the same time.
And he saw—
Himself.
But it was not the Raine Earthon he knew.
It was another Raine.
One who had already lived this moment before.
"What…?" Raine's eyes widened.
But before he could fully comprehend it—
He was back in the void.
"Haah…" Raine exhaled, steadying himself.
He was back at the barrier, and the Keeper was still standing there.
But something had changed.
"So?" the Keeper asked in a calm voice. "Did you see something?"
"I saw more than I expected."
"And now, you have two choices."
"Either you go back to where you were, forgetting everything."
"Or…"
"You continue forward, knowing that everything you thought you knew might be a lie."
Raine did not hesitate.
He had known his answer from the beginning.
"I never go back."
He had chosen the path of no return.
And he walked forward.