Chapter 33
His voice was faint, yet clear enough for Theo to hear it from afar.
'So this moment has finally come.'
Theo frowned.
There was something in Cru's tone that made him uneasy—something that hinted at layers of meaning hidden behind the words.
As a writer accustomed to reading messages between the lines, Theo understood it well.
The murmur wasn't merely an expression of shock or disappointment, but a piece of something far larger.
A script left unfinished.
A plan that might have been written long before this game ever began.
Could it be… that Cru had been waiting for the day he would be forced to step back?
Or—far more terrifying—could all of this be part of an "additional scenario" he himself had created, one that even the other Administrators knew nothing about?
And at that point, a chill crept down Theo's nape.
He looked at Cru, who was now straightening his posture again, wearing a faint smile amidst the still-smoldering wounds.
There was something in the Administrator's eyes—not the look of defeat, but the satisfaction of something finally unfolding exactly as he intended.
Something tied to the end of Flo Viva Mythology itself.
'Remember your duty.
Keep the scenario of Flo Viva Mythology on its proper path.'
Nguaaangg!
'A final warning from an Administrator before erasing himself?
Though it sounded like a command, it also felt like a taunt.
Perhaps one day, another Administrator will recklessly twist the storyline, attempting to overturn what has already been set?'
Wussssh!
'If that truly happens, I will have no choice but to oppose them.
With everything I have, without hesitation.
But I must also not forget my role—I am not the main character.
Ilux Rediona remains the center of this narrative.'
And there—amid the fading rumble, among dust swirling like the ashes of time—Cru vanished.
Just like that.
No light.
No explosion.
No magical trace marking his departure.
He was erased from existence, from the script, from the memories of every being who had ever known him.
In an instant, Flo Viva Mythology consumed his presence into nothingness.
And the entire system, every character, even the lines of fate within the game itself, behaved as though Cru had never been part of it.
But not Theo—the writer cursed to remember every crevice of the narrative, even those extinguished from the records of the universe.
Before he truly disappeared, Cru's voice echoed inside Theo's mind—cold, firm, emotionless, like a resonance from a chamber without air.
'Remember your duty. Keep the scenario of Flo Viva Mythology on its proper path.'
Theo froze.
The voice pierced through his thoughts, echoing like a mantra refusing to die.
He didn't need to ask its meaning.
He knew perfectly well.
The "task" referred not merely to survival in this insane world, but to maintaining the balance of its plot—to become an unseen guardian ensuring everything proceeded as it should, without slipping toward paths unwritten by the hands of fate.
In other words, if another Administrator attempted to tear the storyline apart for personal ambition, Theo would be the resistance.
And how ironic it was—because now he realized that his role was no longer that of the "writer" behind the scenes, but a pawn within the story he tried to understand.
He who once created the script must now protect it from ruin.
He who once commanded the scenario was now bound to it like a shadow to light.
After Cru's voice faded, the air grew still.
No raging energy remained.
No traces of war.
Ilux stared at Theo, confused, not understanding what had just occurred.
But Theo stayed silent, letting the breeze brush against his dust-covered face.
He took a deep breath, then looked far toward the artificial sky of the game—where algorithms flowed like undying stars—and whispered softly,
'If that truly happens, I will have no choice but to oppose them. With everything I have, without hesitation.'
Fuuuuh!
"Theo? Hey, hold on a bit longer!
Don't force yourself to stand alone—you can barely keep your balance!"
As the chaos of power and sparks of energy subsided, the world grew quiet again, as if before the birth of a storm.
The ground that had trembled now ceased to breathe, the air turning slowly around lingering heat, and fragments of a once-dancing blade gently fell from the sky like iron snow, creating faint chimes swallowed by silence.
In the midst of the devastation, Theo finally allowed his knees to give way—lowering himself slowly until he sat in an iftirasy-like posture, legs weakened beneath him.
He was not bowing in triumph, but surrendering to exhaustion threatening to erase his consciousness.
Dust and blood still clung to his face, mingling with sweat running along the lines of his jaw.
His breaths were heavy, yet steady, as though each exhale was his body negotiating with pain.
In his eyes, the former burning light had dimmed to embers—but remained, persistent and alive.
He looked around the battlefield devoid of enemies and direction, and fell into long, reflective silence, trying to understand why the fight felt like the final act of something unfinished.
Ilux, standing not far behind, let out a short sigh—a sound resembling relief wrapped in fatigue.
His steps were quick yet cautious, as though afraid to touch something fragile.
He lowered himself, sliding one arm beneath Theo's shoulder while the other supported his waist.
The movement was instinctive, wordless, like that of a friend who had witnessed the same wounds too many times.
Theo didn't resist.
He simply let his weary, warm weight lean against Ilux, who had become the only pillar left in a shattered world.
And so, the two of them walked slowly through what remained of the mist.
One guided by the fire still burning within, the other carrying unfinished responsibility on his shoulders.
Behind their unsteady steps lay a silence louder than war—a silence that signaled, for the first time in a long while, that the world of Flo Viva Mythology was giving them room to breathe.
"Place me there, beneath that tree trunk."
"Huh? Why? And why not the both of us?
And what do you mean by just sitting here?
You look more like a spectator who prefers staying behind the scenes, Theo."
"…"
"Haaah—"
Their footsteps traced a path lit by the soft glow left from the earlier explosion, with neither of them uttering a word.
The surrounding air thickened, heavy with energy not yet fully settled, wrapping each of their steps in a resonant quiet.
The silence was more than stillness—it was a weight hanging between them, the weight of an unfinished battle, of decisions unspoken, and secrets not yet ready to surface.
Theo walked slightly behind, eyes fixed forward, as if each breath was a calculation holding back something far greater than mere tactics.
Five to ten minutes passed before Theo finally broke the silence, his voice cold and firm despite lacking anger.
He asked Ilux to step ahead, while he would take the tree trunk on the right side of their path.
The request was simple, but behind it lay calculated intent, as if Theo knew every shift in position mattered for whatever movement would come next.
To be continued…